AMANDA DYAR: First off, thank you for taking the time to chat with us. Can you tell us what inspired DanceWall Remix and what makes it different from other games out there?
ASAF BARZILAY: DanceWall Remix is based on a title called “DanceWall” by the Belgian company SoftKinetic. The game was originally designed to work on computers with 3D cameras, which is not very common for the home gamers.
When we saw DanceWall, we immediately thought that we could couple it together with “Extreme Motion” and open it up to any computer with a webcam. The major difference in DanceWall Remix from any other game out there, is the fact is uses any webcam to accurately track and analyze human body movements, positions and gestures without the need for any special camera or equipment. This, together with the lively graphics and music, creates a unique interactive experience in PC gaming today.
AMANDA DYAR: DanceWall Remix uses a webcam on your PC to control your body movements in the game. How did this concept come about and how difficult was it to achieve this?
ASAF BARZILAY: Extreme Reality has been developing its full body motion capture and analysis technology over the past few years. The idea behind it was to allow people to naturally interact with consumer electronic devices without any need for dedicated, expensive hardware or equipment (or wear any specific markers).
By bringing this technology to game and app developers, we’ve opened up natural user interfaces to any platform (PCs, tablets, smartphones), operating system (Windows, iOS, Android) and any location (indoor and outdoor). While it’s been a long ride, the technology is unique and we constantly strive to improve it.
AMANDA DYAR: Certain themes of the game have a very 70's nightclub feel and features some fun bubble-gum pop type music. How did you decide on the specific themes used in the game and what other possibilities did you consider before deciding on the finalized ones?
ASAF BARZILAY: These were the original themes used in the original DanceWall game. We love them.
AMANDA DYAR: A few recent updates have been made to the game to improve the overall experience. What can you tell us about this and what new things can players expect?
ASAF BARZILAY: The upgrades are concentrated in the algorithmic part of the motion engine. Over the last few weeks we further upgraded the algorithm (following a long and dedicated process). Now these updates are integrated into DanceWall Remix so the users can enjoy a more stable and professional user experience when they dance around in the game. The algorithm is better equipped for a large variety of environments, lighting conditions, etc., so the overall user experience is definitely enhanced.
AMANDA DYAR: Has any thoughts or decisions been made on bringing the game to Xbox Live or PlayStation Network?
ASAF BARZILAY: Just like any game, DanceWall Remix can be ported to dedicated game consoles. However, since our main goal is to open up the advanced motion experience to all users with just a webcam (without the need for a console) this is not something we are currently considering. We do evaluate expanding the DanceWall Remix experience to iOS and Android operating systems so that not only people with a PC can enjoy it, rather anyone with a tablet or a smartphone (when tethered to a large screen).
AMANDA DYAR: Thank you for your time. Is there anything else you would like to mention?
ASAF BARZILAY: We invite everyone to enjoy DanceWall Remix -- a new, unique, motion experience on any PC with a webcam. We also encourage everyone to share your feedback, favorite moves and pictures.
To learn more, visit the official DanceWall Remix Steam page.