DDR Machines in Arcades

Maxx 999 · Trick Member Joined: 09 Jul 2004 Location: Las Vegas, NV

i forgot where the hell i read it but it was here. is it true that arcades arent allowed to have import japanese ddr machines? or something about not being able to make profit off them. if theres a link to help me can some one post it and then lock this? thank you.
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Daniel · Trick Member Joined: 29 Aug 2002 Location: Sonoma, CA

Arcades are not allowed to have imported machines without special permission from the manufactuer. But not only do most arcades have import machines without special permission, most DDR mixes found in arcades are made with bootleg discs. The entire DDR series uses Playstation 1 based hardware that has been hacked by pirates flawlessly by now.

The reason why this sort of rampant illegal importing and piracy exists is because Konami refuses to create American DDR mixes. DDR USA was a failure due to the fact that Konami didn't want to comit to the budget that would allow a US mix with a non mediocre songlist. Ever since DDR USA Konami gave up on the US arcade scene. Konami allowed DDR Japenese mixes to be imported and pirated so that the US DDR scene wouldn't die, and they could sell sub par home mixes that carry the same names as their arcade counterparts, but have entirely different content.

goodtimesddr · Posted: Sat Oct 09, 2004 6:10 am Post subject:

Damn my perspective on Konami has changed now.
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Agent J · Trick Member Joined: 29 Feb 2004 Location: Dimension X

Indeed, if you want to get right down to it, I don't think any of the DDR machines in American arcades are technically legal. Most of them are probably bootlegs, which are illegal but no one cares. Authentic Japanese machines are illegal, it's stated in a long legalese statement usually saying something about, "Warning: This game is not for sale or use in any country outside of Japan. Violators will be subject to penalties and will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law." American games have it, too. Just replace "Japan" in that statement with the United States or Europe or wherever. And in the case of US 1st Mix or DDR USA, Andamiro's American branch won a lawsuit against Konami in the late 90s that resulted in Andamiro's Pump It Up being the only legal American dance game. I think that decision may have been overturned, though.

GR · Posted: Sat Oct 09, 2004 2:42 pm Post subject:

Spike · Administrator Joined: 17 Jan 2002 Location: Denver

Thomas Hobbes · Posted: Sat Oct 09, 2004 7:05 pm Post subject:

Erm, they made DDR USA and I believe DDR 1.5 for the American DDR Arcade "scene". However, I believe they closed their American Arcade Section of their company so that to keep up with the DDR fever, arcade owners started to import Japanese games. That's why all of the games say that they are meant for Japan. That is the reason why you have to have a Japanese Link Data to save records on the mixes because Konami is going to ignore that the US actually have those machines.
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Tomo_kun · Trick Member Joined: 26 Oct 2003 Location: SE-WI.

Syxx · Trick Member Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Location: Chicagoland

Bootleg doesn't just mean Megamix or Extreme 1.5 etc etc, it also means a burned copy of DDR Extreme, DDR 3rd mix... whatever.
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