Just Dance will officially be at the 2015 eSports World Cup in Paris later this year as Ubisoft succeed in bringing their dancing title to the world stage.
The rhythm-based dance game will join the competition as the first-ever casual title in the game lineup, according to Ubisoft. There is no doubt that Ubisoft view Just Dance as a profitable IP for their company and there is no denying it is a good seller around the world, but if it has what it takes to be an eSport has yet to be seen.
Matthieu Dallon the founder of the ESWC spoke on the UbiBlog “For the 11th edition of the ESWC, we are very proud to widen the definition of eSport with Ubisoft,”
“Competitive gaming has to welcome all kinds of players, has to be developed in partnership with the games publishers, and has to showcase the most advanced technologies which link the body to the game.”
This is a move which as attracted a mixed reaction from the gaming community and one which really could go either way at the tournament. The ESWC has recently seen StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty drop from its line-up after the 2012 tournament which was an odd move considering StarCraft is one of the most popular and recognised eSports out there.
Will we see DOTA 2, Black Ops or FIFA players taking part in the Just Dance tournament? are their macro skills transferable? Or is their secretly a gaming nation of dancers just waiting to break out and show the world just how to shake it?
Just Dance qualifying rounds will take place between June 24 and September 21 online and at gaming events globally. Then the Grand Final of the Just Dance World Cup will be held at Paris Games Week from 30th October to 1st November.
Just Dance 2015 was recently revealed for PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii and Wii U.