While there initially appeared to be no mention of Windows Phone during Microsoft’s E3 presentation, there was a little bit of news that slipped under everyone’s radar; Windows Phones will be able to be used as motion tracking devices for the first time in the popular Just Dance series in the recently announced, Just Dance 2016.
The previous game, Just Dance 2015, introduced the idea of using mobile phones to track body movement in place of a Kinect camera on Xbox One or PlayStation Eye on the PS4 but the specific app used for this feature was restricted to iOS and Android devices. The new app designed for Just Dance 2016 will launch soon on Windows Phone in addition to iOS and Android.
“The resurgence in the music games genre has been thrilling to watch in the lead up to E3 and we’re as optimistic as ever about the future of music gaming,” said Just Dance 2016 Executive Producer, Jason Altman in the official press release, “Last year Just Dance franchise sales reached 54 million units, and we’re very proud to make a game that is loved by so many. We work to make the game as accessible as possible, and this year, the new Just Dance Controller App will make the game available to millions of new players.”
The Just Dance Controller App is a great option for those Xbox One owners without a Kinect and will allow for basic play in most of Just Dance 2016’s game modes though there will be several features that Kinectless players will miss out on such as the popular Auto Dance feature which records a video of the players’ dance performance for saving and sharing and the new World Video Challenge which enables players to send video dance challenges to friends.
Just Dance 2016 is due for release on October 20, 2015 in the US and October 23, 2015 in the UK on Xbox One and Xbox 360. Are you a “Just Dancer” and what do you think about using mobile phones as a tracking device instead of the Kinect? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Further reading: Microsoft, Ubisoft, Video Games, Windows Phone, Windows Phone apps, Xbox One
