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Gaming - News - Preview: 'Michael Jackson: The Experience' - Digital Spy
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Preview: 'Michael Jackson: The Experience'
Monday, March 7 2011
By Matthew Reynolds, Gaming Editor

Michael Jackson: The Experience PS3
With the fall of Guitar Hero and its fleet of plastic instruments comes the next big musical thing. You could argue it's already here; Ubisoft's many dance games have dominated the Wii's software sales for some time, with recent effort Just Dance 2 celebrating an impressive 20 weeks on top of the platform chart. The long-awaited arrival of motion controllers on high-definition consoles provides the opportunity for a new audience to get in on the act, and what better way to make them feel welcome with one of the most successful and globally-recognised music icons of all time?

Originally intended for release alongside the Wii version last November, the King of Pop's belated arrival on other platforms has given Ubisoft time to fine-tune Michael Jackson: The Experience for the PlayStation Move and Kinect, controllers which are still in their infancy. While both versions are tailor-made for their respective motion devices, the former models itself heavily on the Wii release, adopting the same straightforward remote-swinging gameplay, boxed-screen layout adorned with scrolling commands and bright, abstracted dancers placed in the centre. By and large the choreography remains unchanged between versions, and while the visual style shines better thanks to full HD visuals and an additional sprinkling of particle effects, at its core it's the same experience.

There are, however, a number of new additions. The most notable is that of microphone support, allowing you to unpack your trusty (and possibly dusty) SingStar microphone to display lyrics on-screen to score points. With a few Move controllers and mics synced to the console, the game can assign each player a random device to get the ball rolling, or you can manually choose who does what before playing. As well as creating an all-singing-and-dancing troupe in your living room, you can ditch the motion controllers and play with just microphones only, essentially making it the first karaoke title with Jackson's esteemed back catalogue.

The PlayStation Eye also catalogues your performance with snapshots and video footage as you play. Finishing a song presents you with five screens and a short clip from pivotal moments of the song, ready to upload to Facebook at the press of a button. Although direct YouTube posting isn't possible (for copyright reasons), the video file can be saved to the hard drive in a friendly format to be later transferred to a computer. It also comes with various PlayStation Network features, such as online score leaderboards and Trophies, that trigger bonus content to be unlocked when awarded.

While the PlayStation 3 version sticks to the familiar and throws in a few bells and whistles for good measure, the Kinect version is uncharted territory. Touted as as the first hands-free full performance experience, it allows players to dance and sing without holding any kind of device, with the camera tracking the user's movements and its built-in microphone picking up voice. It will be the second game to use Ubisoft's Player Projection technology - the first was Your Shape: Fitness Evolved - which places the player on-screen in real time, albeit shrouded in a colourful glow, alongside moving sets and a reactive crowd.

Of course, removing the controller entirely requires original choreography created specifically for the game, which comes in two flavours to suit the player. 'Performance' is closer to the Wii and PS3 versions, with simple, repetitive moves that are easier to observe and repeat, stuck on a set difficulty to ensure it's straightforward to access for quick play sessions and newcomers. 'Master', however, features more advanced moves inspired by the music videos, and while the same series of scrolling commands and backing dancers assist in showing the player what to do, good old-fashioned practise is the only practical way to see results.

Jumping in for the first time and there's a noticeable degree of lag, not necessary through the technology (on-screen delay has been reduced from Your Shape, we've been told) but because we're naturally new to the routine. In the same way that Ubisoft's launch title helped players observe posture during exercises, here it's immediately obvious when your knees aren't bent enough or your movement is too stiff. It's admittedly a little discouraging to see how poor you can dance at first, but the gradual steps on the 'Performance' mode ensures that it's simple to grasp and enjoyable to play, and when watching a person who knows the routine and when exactly the next move is coming up, then the results are impressive on screen and off.
To the developer's admission, there are a few constraints to the technology. As with all Kinect games there's a fixed zone to abide to in front of the device - however, due to Player Projection, that area can only support one player at a time. A neat workaround is that multiplayer has other dancers waiting in the wings, all assigned a number that is called to indicate their turn with the next portion of the song. It happens at a moment's notice, with a mad scramble as players swap over, and that combined with the limited zone of play means you have to be fast and precise to maintain a seamless performance. It's tricky but fun - however, it should be noted that this Party Mode requires an especially large amount of room to play, especially with three other people.

As with the PS3 version, players can opt for either singing or dancing, choosing defined roles in which they step into the camera's view at certain points. As well as the built-in microphone, the Lips mic and even the default Xbox 360 headset is compatible for some Britney Spears-inspired action. Interestingly, not all songs on the disc support dancing; slower tracks such as 'Heal The World' and 'Earth Song' are strictly voice-only affairs, with the developer saying that strutting your stuff to these slower, more gentle tracks wouldn't be a fitting gameplay experience. While it's uncertain whether the same approach has been taken with the PS3 version, we did witness two players clutching Move controllers and adorably holding each other as part of 'I Just Can't Stop Loving You's gentle routine.
With the different technology in mind, the Xbox 360 version's presentation has been rebuilt from the ground up to revolve around the player's on-screen presence. Elaborate, fully-rendered stages have been created based on Jackson's videos; 'Bad' is populated with subway columns and scrawled graffiti, 'Remember The Time' is adorned with gold slabs and burning torches, while 'Thriller' is set in front of a cemetery with a glowing full moon. When singing during these songs, the camera will pull away from the stage and sweep along the crowd, displaying the original music video on projected screens above. Elsewhere, Your Shape's clean interface that wraps around to the user's body is present throughout the game's menus, while loading screens feature the signature lit floor panels of 'Billie Jean' if you choose to walk around the play area.

Both versions have also taken note of the Wii version's shortcomings. There'll be more bonus material to discover, including high-definition images, clips and a selection of short facts to unlock as you play. The Dancing School will also return, featuring a suite of live-action videos that teach players how to perform real dance moves. The cameras supplied with each peripheral provide a picture-in-picture view so you can examine your timing and positioning as the video plays out, something which automatically makes it a far more valid prospect than the Wii's attempt. The tracklisting will also feature extra tracks to the Wii outing - such as 'Blood On The Dance Floor' - plus there's the prospect of downloadable content, which has been confirmed for day-one on PS3 and will be discussed shortly on Xbox 360.

It's reassuring that Ubisoft has taken the time to create experiences suited to each specific controller. The PS3 release is the most feature-rich and multiplayer friendly, while the Xbox 360 version is very much tailored around Kinect, from the interface to the solo-only dances, and its on-screen feedback will make it the more serious dancing companion out of the two. But true to Ubisoft's past bestsellers, both are effortlessly easy to jump into, more so thanks to a killer tracklisting that's both irresistible and universally appealing, making this headlining act for Ubisoft's dance invasion a seriously tempting prospect come April.

Michael Jackson: The Experience will be available on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 in April. The Wii version is out now.
Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by Guest
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i have had the Kinect on order for a while.  Geez, hope I be able to keep up with it.  At my age, hmmm :oops:
Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by Guest
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"Don't stop this child, He's the father of man
Don't cross his way, He's part of the plan
I am that child, but so are you
You've just forgotten, Just lost the clue.”

MJ "Magical Child"
Still Rocking my World…
   and leaving me Speechless!

“True goodbyes are the ones never said

Hahaha,start warming up now!!
Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by Guest
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Makes me feel like I need one, but which one??
Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by Guest
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Quote from: "fordtocarr"
Makes me feel like I need one, but which one??


The sneek peep I just got on my FB has moved that just look like WORKOUT moves and NOT Michael moves..do you understand?  I'd like to learn to dance like Michael...I already KNOW workout moves...
[YouTube]http://youtu.be/u2Ftc7W7f6A[/YouTube]
Last Edit: December 31, 1969, 06:00:00 PM by Guest
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