Networking PS2 for a fitness class?

[Jessica Soucy]

Hi, I am currently managing the creation of a fitness center featuring DDR. I'm interested in figuring out what the best configuration would be to have as many people playing at once as I can. I've read that it's possible to connect PS2's together using a CAT5 crossover cable, but will DDR Extreme handle this? Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm interested in perhaps larger classes where people all play together, and at some point some mini-tournaments to be held there. We'll be using the cobaltflux dance pads, and as many televisions and Playstations as necessary.

If that doesn't work, I noticed on the box for DDR Ultramix 2 on Xbox it says 1-4 players. How does that work?? Is that one Xbox and one tv, or two televisions or what?

Thanks!
- Jessic

[abrannan]

PS2 DDR has no networking capabilities, so for now it's 2 players at a time per station maximum. Xbox Ultramix 2 does have 4 pad support, so you can have four players at the same time or two players playing doubles, or one player playing on all four pads at the same time.

If you're really serious about the fitness center, contact Konami about DDR Studio, which has it's own hardware and dance pads, but is designed for aerobics class type usage for up to 16 players at once.

[havix]

If you are going to have multiple TVs and games going at once, I would recommend having enough distance between set-ups to where each can hear their own music at a decent level. For more advanced players, there is nothing worse than having a loud machine (like at the mall I go to where they have 2 DDR machines right next to each other...) right next to the machine you are playing on. Although you can see the arrows, the key to being very good at the game is also being able to hear and subdivide the beat, with different beats going on, it can be EXTREMELY hard to decipher which beat is yours if you are right next to another loud machine.

[abrannan]

There's actually a simple solution to this. Surround sound. Being in the middle of the four speakers allows you to run the game at a much lower volume, and there's less interference from other sounds. Of course, any spectators don't get to hear what you're playing as well, but for a gym that shouldn't be too much of an issue.

[havix]

True, but their is also extra costs in getting surround sound speakers and such. Probably an easy way to solve this is to angle the TVs so they are pointing away from other set-ups. You will still get the sound due to the reverb in the gym, but it will cut down on the interference directly from the TV...

[michelle9sd]

I would like to know where this fitness class will be. I have a 24 hour fitness membership and I live in San Diego, California. It sounds interesting.