By Nicole Matsen
After conquering multiple levels with beads of perspiration on his forehead, Matthew Witt stepped off the BYU Games Center''s 'Pump It Up' dance machine.
The Korean-made arcade game, which directs players to step or dance on footpads, guided by dancers and arrows on a video screen, is becoming an international craze.
'It''s an addiction,' said Witt, 22, a linguistics and Korean major from Baton Rouge, La. 'When I first started I was terrible. But once I started playing I got hooked. It has been over a year now, and I play several times a week.'
Game Center employees, as well as Game Center regulars, consider Witt one of the best at the video game on campus. Crowds often form to watch him.
'I first heard of the machine while serving my mission in Korea, where it is really popular,' Witt said. 'Then one day I was walking by Games Center and there it was. I was shocked. My jaw just dropped because I had never seen the ''Pump It Up'' machine in America.'
Witt said there are two major dance video machines; 'Pump It Up' which is a Korean model with five sensor dance pads, and the Japanese model, 'Dance Dance Revolution,' which has four pads.
'The difficulty of the game depends on the song and the levels,' Witt said. 'Both versions of the game can be extremely difficult, it just depends.'
Though Witt said he has played the game for two and a half hours before, he usually plays for 30 minutes to an hour.
He said the Games Center keeps the machine in tip-top condition and the only injury he has had is a bad case of shin splints, though a couple of times he has come close to passing out.
'I''ve always liked music and the game gives me the opportunity to get the blood flowing and the adrenaline pumping,' Witt said. 'When I am stressed out it helps me feel better.'
At 50 cents a turn, which length depends on the quickness and coordination of the player, Witt said he spends more than he can afford on the machine.
'I am a lot lighter on my feet now after playing the game for so long,' Witt said. 'I like to see how much I have improved. I always want to push myself harder. Some of the upper levels can get pretty intense.'
One newspaper, reported in May that the games can have health benefits.
The article said some players have lost up to fifteen pounds from using the machine.
The article told about Patrick Henry Middle School where Dance Dance Revolution machines were installed to get their students more active.
Based on how frequently it is used and the income it makes, BYU''s Games Center Manager, Kari Hullinger, said the 'Pump It Up' dance arcade game is very popular.
'I think the combination of the machine being visually, auditorially and physically appealing makes it so popular,' Hullinger said. 'It is something that your whole body is involved in, making it more appealing than other video games.'
Hullinger said the machine was purchased in January and has remained popular all year.
'The machine stays busy most of the time,' Hullinger said. 'People will be waiting in line and practicing over people''s shoulders. I even have had people call and ask if they can buy the machine from us.'
Though the machine was purchased for entertainment purposes, Hullinger said the machine is physically beneficial, since it is more active than regular video games.
Jeremy Burgess, 18, a sophomore from Vernon, British Columbia, majoring in sociology, and an employee at the Games Center, said he sees players of various skill levels try out the game.
'There are the definite regulars,' Burgess said. 'And there are also people who just try it out. It is kind of a universally enjoyable game.'
Burgess said the game is a whole body exercise, focusing on coordination, as well as giving the player an intense aerobic workout.
'You work up a sweat,' Burgess said. 'It is mind-blowing how difficult some of the steps are, and if you watch someone who can actually do those steps you are even more blown away.'