Microsoft's answer to Wii Fit?

[kn]

famousringo said:

kn said:
Oh, the irony here is unreal. My daughter loves DDR type games but when her metal dance pad broke after intense use (PS2 version), we haven't played any more. There are 3 or 4 DDR games for the 360 but there isn't a high quality metal dance pad for the 360. Why is that you ask? Because Microsoft's heavy-handed management of accessories -- i.e. blocking access to the joystick port unless you license the chip required to plug in a device. I believe the cost of that little device is about 20 bucks apiece or so.

So, here they are... advertising the 360 for a genre that doesn't have a quality controller for it on the 360. Asinine.

I really enjoy my 360 but there are some seriously stupid people in charge of the 360 division when you STILL can't buy a quality metal pad for DDR games and they are trying to call attention to it... Yeah, there are a couple of foam ones and a cloth mat one, but if you play DDR with any regularity, they'll be toast. There is no substitute for a good quality metal pad. Man, I really wonder about MS sometimes...

If you're feeling adventurous, here's a guide on how to get a Cobalt Flux DDR pad to work with an Xbox 360:

http://www.bunkerguts.com/blog/?p=64

I highly recommend the Cobalt Flux pad, BTW. It's invulnerable. My brother-in-law is up to 7-step difficulty and he weighs just shy of 300 lbs, but the pad just keeps on taking it.

Thanks for the link and I have already considered a hack version but decided to wait on a "proper" one.   I'm very aware of the cobalt flux and would probably get one for my daughter if they made it native for the 360.  I contacted them about a year ago about getting one for my 360 and they told me they would "have one out soon".  For a while there was a link in their FAQ about a 360 compatible model "coming soon" but I can't find it now.  I guess it isn't coming any more.  As I mentioned above, if Microsoft was serious about expanding their horizons, they would have gotten together with a few of the dance pad makers and let them slide on the licensing cost (or next to nothing) so that they would have a working controller for the masses.  It isn't like Microsoft sells one and would be losing money to the competition.  Instead, they'll just talk about DDR for a little while and it'll be on to the next thing till they get some leadership in gaming that has a clue.