Review: Michael Jackson The Experience

[Frank_Sinatra_]

While it does look fun, and it'd help me get laid, I'd rather have a game that'd teach me swing dancing.

Dude, I would totally play that game.

I could see it working really well with Kinect considering some of the complex moves that swing dancing calls for, but damn that'd be fun.

Hold on, I'll go call Microsoft.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

While it does look fun, and it'd help me get laid, I'd rather have a game that'd teach me swing dancing.

Dude, I would totally play that game.

I could see it working really well with Kinect considering some of the complex moves that swing dancing calls for, but damn that'd be fun.

Hold on, I'll go call Microsoft.

Well, they wannabe starting something. They gotta be starting something.

 

[Susan Arendt]

So how precise is it?
How does it work (obviously) only registering the movement of 1 hand?
Can it hold a candle to dance central which actually tracks your full body at all?

Well, from a strictly technological point of view....no. You could, if you wanted to, just move your one arm and still get "perfect" ratings. Hell, you could probably play this game sitting on the couch if you tried hard enough. It defeats the entire purpose, of course, but you could do it. The tracking of the controller is precise - you definitely have to match it up well in order to get a good score - but the rest of your body is irrelevant.

 

[Falseprophet]

I know that the avarage Escapister is young, male and heterosexual, but I can't help but feel this review dismisses a significant part of its audience.

I thought that too at first, until I realized that the young male heterosexual demographic needs extra convincing to get over their silly hangups.* The rest of us who don't have them, just need to know: can we dance just like MJ?

*[sub]I'm talking generally. Obviously I'm not talking about you.[/sub]

 

[Greg Tito]

Not a good review, Greg. Men like you need to stop thinking that all games are just for men/men-children. You went on and on as if every single person who will ever buy this game will be male. A little confusing since it appeared it was just you and women playing. You need to get over the fact that women play games too. This isn't an exclusive boys club. This review is definitely a step back in video game as a whole.

I took a little artistic license with the review, that much is true. But I think you missed the point. Women do in fact play games, that can't be denied as they participated in the video. I wanted the review to speak to that demographic that would easily dismiss this game. Which is exactly what I said.

Also, Steve Butts cut quite a rug, as did Mr. John Funk. So it wasn't just me and the ladies. Although, would that be such a bad thing? Get off your high horse, sir, and learn to love.

 

[Susan Arendt]

I know that the avarage Escapister is young, male and heterosexual, but I can't help but feel this review dismisses a significant part of its audience.

I thought that too at first, until I realized that the young male heterosexual demographic needs extra convincing to get over their silly hangups.* The rest of us who don't have them, just need to know: can we dance just like MJ?

*[sub]I'm talking generally. Obviously I'm not talking about you.[/sub]

Exactly. Take a look at the comments for our Kinect roundup, and you'll unfortunately see more than a few "I don't play dancing games because they make me look gay"-style comments. I don't presume to speak for Greg, but I think he was poking fun at them and their silly hang-ups with his review.

 

[docbox1567]

Not a good review, Greg. Men like you need to stop thinking that all games are just for men/men-children. You went on and on as if every

Not a good review, Greg. Men like you need to stop thinking that all games are just for men/men-children. You went on and on as if every single person who will ever buy this game will be male. A little confusing since it appeared it was just you and women playing. You need to get over the fact that women play games too. This isn't an exclusive boys club. This review is definitely a step back in video game as a whole.

I took a little artistic license with the review, that much is true. But I think you missed the point. Women do in fact play games, that can't be denied as they participated in the video. I wanted the review to speak to that demographic that would easily dismiss this game. Which is exactly what I said.

Also, Steve Butts cut quite a rug, as did Mr. John Funk. So it wasn't just me and the ladies. Although, would that be such a bad thing? Get off your high horse, sir, and learn to love.

Greg, you should really look up what artistic license means. Artistic license is a distortion of the truth to achieve a certain effect. Like I would take an artistic license if I made a game about the America revolutionary war with laser beams instead of flint rifles. So what you've said is that you distorted the truth that guys want girls to like them to get them to play this game. If you did that, that would be an artistic license.

"Women do in fact play games, that can?t be denied?" Funny, Greg, because you're review does a good job at denying it. Because you specifically direct your narrative towards guys you've completely dismissed a woman's point of view and what you're recommendation of this game would be. To you, their opinion doesn't matter and you bring it out through their omission to your review. What better time to address your female audience than during a game you think that they will love?

Getting the hardcore gamer motivated to dance. Greg, it is completely asinine and insulting to tell your audience who you believe to be hopeless shut-ins with no social skills that they will get girls if they choose to dance. Girls like guys that dance, but what they like even more are guys with confidence and advising that they play this game in an attempt to win the female's approval isn't going to get them girls. It just makes them look desperate.

A good review would explain why dancing would benefit guys; and telling them that they might get some from girls is never a good idea. You might as well rename your review, "A Good Way To Get Some From the Ladies". You could mention that professional basketball and football players take ballet because it improves their skills on the court and field. Let them know how fun it was for you, a guy, to dance. It's jaw dropingly shallow to try and convince your male audience to be shallow as well. It also suggests that the only way to get women is to become someone else and not yourself. Do it because it's fun, which is what a game should be.

"Get off your high horse, sir, and learn to love." Get off your low horse, sir, and learn to understand that words have a meaning, whether it's in what you say or what you don't. Was it supposed to be funny to treat all your audience, men and women, that they are hopeless males who can't get women? You've limited your audience and thereby limiting yourself. No one who watches your video is going to buy this game in hopes of attracting women. They don't do it for any other game, why should they start now?

 

[Seamus8]

I know that the avarage Escapister is young, male and heterosexual, but I can't help but feel this review dismisses a significant part of its audience.

I thought that too at first, until I realized that the young male heterosexual demographic needs extra convincing to get over their silly hangups.* The rest of us who don't have them, just need to know: can we dance just like MJ?

*[sub]I'm talking generally. Obviously I'm not talking about you.[/sub]

Thank you for being one brilliant person among a sea of knee-jerk labeling morons.

 

[huckleberryhound]

If i brought a girl round and asked her to play a dance game i'd expect her to ask me to braid her hair next. As for a career mode...as much as i think it's a funny concept, i don't think thrill killing your own face, touching up children and losing all your money before killing yourself just as your face falls apart from all the surgeory is much of a career for a game.


Thanks but no thanks, if i wanted a dance game i'd go the whole hog and slice my own bits off and use them to fashion a labia for myself.

How much were the Escapist paid for this review?

 

[Greg Tito]

"Get off your high horse, sir, and learn to love." Get off your low horse, sir, and learn to understand that words have a meaning, whether it's in what you say or what you don't. Was it supposed to be funny to treat all your audience, men and women, that they are hopeless males who can't get women? You've limited your audience and thereby limiting yourself. No one who watches your video is going to buy this game in hopes of attracting women. They don't do it for any other game, why should they start now?

I agree with a lot of what you say, docbox. You should buy this game to dance and have fun, not to attract women. I didn't mean that part of the video review to be taken literally. But I did want to point out that it's not somehow less masculine to enjoy dance and music, that shooters and hardcore sports games are the only pursuits that a male can feel comfortable playing.

With the video review, I was trying to make a point to the demographic who would have a kneejerk response to this review. My intention was for the review to get people talking about this game's place in the industry. I'm glad that I accomplished that much, but I do wish that I had made some of the points that you mentioned without alienating the people (like yourself) who took umbrage with my combative attitude.

Thanks for describing your point of view in a measured and somewhat constructive way.

Greg

 

[mr_rubino]

I don't like girls and I liked this review. Seriously people, grow the hell up. The last week or so has had this weird theme of "Girls are icky! Waah!" and it's been starting to creep me out. Talk about taking the nerd ball and running with it. It's refreshing to be reminded on this site that females can be given positive attention as well, such as asking one to dance with you.
And for the lesbians out there, just assume the "you" he was talking to is a girl.
For the rest of you... find a real cause to champion.

 

[CleverCover]

I'm getting this game when it comes out for the Kinect. My family and friends will have a blast with it!

It looked like a lot of fun at the NYAF.