The Positive Gaming team, the original creators of the dance game multiplayer concept and the award winning software called iDANCE as well as the Impact series of top level dance mats, are thrilled to announce the release of the much anticipated Positive Gaming™ iSTEP at the Games for Health Conference in Boston.
The Games for Health Conference brings together hundreds of researchers, health professionals, and game developers to discuss a wide range of topics involving health and videogames.
Over three days, more than 400 attendees will participate in over 60 sessions led by an array of international speakers. Topics will include exergaming, physical therapy, disease management, health behavior change, biofeedback, rehab, epidemiology, training, nutrition, and health education.
After iDANCE was created it has reached worldwide success, being the market leader in its field on every single market that has active distributors of products that combine exercise with fun and games. Because iDANCE is a high end product within a price range that is out of reach for a number of interested and potential customers, the decision was made in 2011 to create iSTEP as an alternative dance game that sticks to all iDANCE software standards but is available for a much more affordable price.
“iSTEP provides the user with a combination of physical, social and cognitive benefits. The iSTEP system was created in a manner that gives it the potential to have a positive influence on some of society’s largest problems, including inactivity and childhood obesity”, said Mark Damave, Managing Director of Positive Gaming BV. “The user benefits are not only confined to physical benefits; cognitive and social developments are also possible through the use of our system and our software, and I am proud to be behind the release of such a remarkable system with such remarkable potential.”
It is expected that iSTEP will be a big sales item towards schools, after school locations, leisure centres, YMCA’s, fitness studios, park districts, medical facilities etc. There is excitement among all iDANCE distributors and others to see how this excellent new product will be received on the respective markets. iSTEP is a dance game, designed for use with personal computers, running Microsofts Windows. It features 25 hit songs from Positive Gaming iDANCE as well as 25 songs brand new to dance games. iSTEP facilitates up to 4 players at the time in a multiplayer mode. Another game mode allows two players playing on individual difficulties. iSTEP uses the wired Impact Arcade dance mats and shares a lot of elements with iDANCE as well as many new ones. It follows the high standards of iDANCE every iSTEP of the way! Where iDANCE uses red colour iSTEP uses blue, the whole judgment system is the same, the games are meant to boost each other and grow together with new features, upgrades, music etc. coming out along the way. There is even a possibility that the option will be given in the future where an iSTEP customer can simply upgrade to an iDANCE system if a bigger system is needed. The idea is that iSTEP is a big step towards iDANCE, although iSTEP is a product that can also fully hold its own!
It provides developmental benefits to users – The Positive Gaming™ iSTEP System is not only engaging and fun to play; it also delivers a variety of benefits to its users. Including (but not limited to):
• Physical Benefits: agility, speed, balance, coordination, reaction time, cardiovascular endurance, order
• Cognitive Benefits: order, sequencing, pattern recognition, improved school performance
• Social Benefits: Autonomy, collaboration, improved self esteem
Real-time, individual performance feedback. Each player can see their performance in realtime. An overall percentage accuracy and overview of the step accuracy are given at the end of each song.
Upgradable software – The software was designed in such a way that new updates, songs and features can be added without the need to purchase a whole new system. This prevents the Positive Gaming™ iSTEP Multiplayer System from ever becoming stale.
Suitable for all ages – The software contains five step choreographies for each song, rated in a difficulty rating system from 1 to 23 to give new players an easy way to get into the game as well as challenge the players with years of experience in playing dance games.
No questionable lyrics and graphics – In tradition with the mentality of Positive Gaming, the software contains no elements of gambling, violence or adult content. Suitable for all levels of players – Allows for up to 2 difficulties at once. Beginners can play alongside advanced players without affecting the level of challenge experienced on an individual level.
50 licensed, energizing songs – The software contains licensed music from a variety of genres and from musicians around the world.
Warranty – The hardware portion of the Positive GamingTM iSTEP was engineered to the highest specifications, comes with a 3-year warranty and has many design features that make it suitable for even the most intense environments within fitness centres, schools, YMCAs, park districts and leisure centres. Hardware features include (but not limited to): complete portability, easy set up and storage, lightweight dance pads, outstanding durability, low profile design and no sharp corners for safe play, plus many more.
Watch the iSTEP trailer! http://youtu.be/1PhgSzwbEPE
About Positive Gaming:Positive Gaming focuses on fun and innovative gaming concepts such as dance games that motivate and challenge the player in a positive way. Positive Gaming was founded in 1998 and is an idealistic company that provides healthy gaming alternatives with no elements of gambling, violence or adult content. The company, which is comprised of some of the world’s most knowledgeable dance game enthusiasts, is an active partner in on-going machine dance research projects in schools and fitness-studios and regularly sponsors and hosts machine dance tournaments.
Positive Gaming is headquartered in Hillegom, the Netherlands with connected partners and employees worldwide. Through this network of partners and employees, Positive Gaming is able to tap into some of the most knowledgeable people with backgrounds from game development, fitness, fitness within games, leisure, arcade games and many more. This provides the company with a unique position to deliver products which are ideal for providing cognitive, social and physical development for players while simultaneously delivering a fun and engaging experience.
About Games for Health Founded in 2004, the Games for Health Project supports the development of the health games community, champions efforts to mainstream health games, and brings together researchers, medical professionals, and game developers to share information about the impact games and game technologies can have on health, health care, and policy. The Pioneer Portfolio of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is a major supporter of both the Games for Health Project and its annual Games for Health Conference.
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