Podcast Summary: New Books Network – Dance Dance Revolution (Boss Fight Books, 2025)

Episode Date: November 3, 2025
Host: Rudrarth Inders
Guests: Jessica Doyle & Jordan Ferguson

Episode Overview

In this episode of New Books in Game Studies, host Rudrarth Inders welcomes Jessica Doyle and Jordan Ferguson, co-authors of the forthcoming book Dance Dance Revolution (Boss Fight Books, 2025). The conversation offers a deep dive into the iconic rhythm game’s origins, evolution, cultural legacy, and the passionate communities that continue to sustain it. The interview covers the process of writing the book, the unexpected discoveries the authors made, the unique qualities of DDR’s fandom and DIY spirit, and reflections on challenges in game studies and researching music games as cultural phenomena.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Author Introductions & Motivations

• Jessica Doyle (Atlanta, GA; city planning PhD)—conceived the project after Boss Fight Books’ open call for pitches, drawn by the joy and communal experience she recalled from playing DDR in early 2000s New York:

  "It was the feeling of joy that I remembered from that. That was what I wanted to get back to." (04:12)

• Jordan Ferguson (Toronto, ON; music/culture writer)—joined after being approached by Jessica; his own DDR experience was short but intense, forming the basis of a collaborative exploration:

  "My own experience with Dance Dance Revolution was intense and brief...I became very intrigued and enamored with this idea of how we would pitch a story about a game that...has maintained such a dedicated and passionate fan base for like 20 to 30 years." (05:40–07:46)

2. Research Surprises & Narrative Structure

• Initial assumptions: Both authors expected DDR would be a nostalgic, retrospective topic—something whose heyday had passed.

• Discovery of vibrant, ongoing communities: Jessica found active rhythm game scenes at local events; the book’s focus shifted from pure history to exploring living culture.

  "We kind of assumed very wrongly that most people who we would be talking to would have the same experience as us...we were wrong. Other people are still playing DDR." (08:36–09:41)

• Cultural transitions in play styles: Jordan highlights the evolution from freestyle (artistic) to athletic (score-focused) play, and how the competitive scene shifted over time.

  "Over time, what you see happen is the performance moves from sort of artistic to athletic...your score is your score. And I became really interested in that." (11:20–12:38)

• The pandemic’s impact: DDR, as a public play game, was uniquely challenged by COVID-19, temporarily sideling communal play. Yet, the community proved resilient, adapting as soon as possible post-lockdown.

  "People restarted surprisingly early, although I had multiple people tell me, you have no idea how awful it is to play DDR in a mask. So we were a little bit worried...but the community was remarkably resilient." (13:59–15:15)

3. Community, Fandom, and Ownership

• Legal and corporate barriers: DDR’s hardware is hard to legally obtain or maintain outside Japan; Konami’s limited support led to a robust DIY scene:

  "...a lot of the fan activity outside Japan has kind of existed at a right angle to Konami for more than a decade...there is sort of a get away with it, rogue like atmosphere around the fans community." (18:21–19:14)

• Fan innovation: The community organizes tournaments for marginalized groups (e.g., Valkyrie Dimension), revives freestyle play (e.g., Freestyle Takeover), and teaches one another the hardware trade out of necessity.

  "...all of these stories about groups of people...identifying a need and creating something where something was needed...it's mind blowing to see and really, really impressive." (20:48–22:46)

• Tactile ownership: Unlike remixing digital content or modding, DDR’s fans take literal, physical ownership:

  "With DDR, it is often when you're taking ownership, you're taking ownership of the literal machine...there was a point where I say, nobody set out when they started playing this game...to pick up a whole lot of knowledge of electrical engineering—but that's what happens." (22:54–24:03)

4. Reflections on Game Studies & Research Challenges

• Media coverage contraction: Jordan mourns the shrinking outlets for serious game criticism, but finds hope in creators moving to platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Substack:

  "One of the biggest challenges is just the lack of outlets ... But even though I am one of the first people to recoil at the Internet as a whole, I do still have...the optimism of the dream of the Internet." (25:10–26:35)

• Limits of analysis for non-narrative games: Jessica wrestles with analyzing a game with "no story" and little narrative—questioning whether certain games yield fruitful cultural analysis:

  "Because DDR is so narratively empty, we kind of have to ask the question even more strongly, like, what does it actually mean?" (30:47–32:28)

• Academic pressures: She also notes that research culture’s "publish or perish" ethos sometimes leads to forced analysis when a “there there” isn’t always present.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the resilience of the DDR community after COVID-19:

  "We have the one game that is very badly affected. Like you couldn't go out and play DDR during the worst of the pandemic, and people restarted surprisingly early, although I had multiple people tell me, you have no idea how awful it is to play DDR in a mask." — Jessica Doyle (13:59)

• On DIY spirit and resistance:

  "Most of what you see from the North American and International player base is in pretty much direct defiance to Konami. If you won't do it, we will do it ourselves." — Jordan Ferguson (19:46)

• On dance pads and unexpected skills:

  "Nobody set out when they started playing this game...to pick up a whole lot of knowledge of electrical engineering along the way. But that's what happens." — Jessica Doyle (23:05)

• On the shifting forms of serious game discourse:

  "While the outlets are disappearing to some extent, the people are moving to platforms...and you can still find a lot of that good writing and analysis in those arenas." — Jordan Ferguson (26:09)

• On the challenge of analyzing games without narrativity:

  "Because DDR is so narratively empty, we kind of have to ask the question even more strongly, like, what does it actually mean? If people are playing a lot of DDR, how is it affecting them?" — Jessica Doyle (32:18)

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Timestamp | Segment/Topic | |-------------|--------------------------------------------| | 02:30 | Author introductions & project origins | | 05:19 | Jordan’s personal experience with DDR | | 08:36 | Surprises in research & living communities | | 10:53 | Structure: community, athletic vs. artistic| | 13:59 | The impact of COVID on DDR culture | | 16:54 | Fandom, creativity, and legal DIY culture | | 19:25–23:05 | The 'rogue' fan community's innovation | | 24:48 | Reflections: challenges in game studies | | 28:10 | The limits of analysis for non-narrative games | | 34:23 | Closing words and thanks |

Tone & Atmosphere

The dialogue throughout is collegial, enthusiastic, and reflective—balancing academic curiosity with personal warmth. Jessica and Jordan frequently riff on each other's observations, and the conversation maintains a tone of both “serious fun” and deep respect for the vibrancy of gaming subcultures.

Conclusion

This episode offers a multifaceted look at DDR as more than just a nostalgic arcade game, but as an enduring, community-driven cultural phenomenon. The book—as discussed here—serves both as a work of history and a snapshot of resilient, creative, and sometimes renegade fandoms. The discussion provides robust food for thought about how games as "non-narrative" artifacts are studied, celebrated, kept alive, and reimagined by their communities.