Billboard #1 Hits Of 2013
January 5: “Gangnam Style” by PSY
January 12: “Gangnam Style” by PSY
January 19: “Gangnam Style” by PSY
January 26: “Locked Out Of Heaven” by Bruno Mars
February 2: “Locked Out Of Heaven” by Bruno Mars
February 9: “Double Trouble” by Selena ft. Selena Gomez
February 16: “Double Trouble” by Selena ft. Selena Gomez
February 23: “Arcadellica” by Nathan Benz
March 2: “Arcadellica” by Nathan Benz
March 9: “Arcadellica” by Nathan Benz
March 16: “Arcadellica” by Nathan Benz
March 23: “Arcadellica” by Nathan Benz
March 30: “Arcadellica” by Nathan Benz
April 6: “Arcadellica” by Nathan Benz
April 13: “Arcadellica” by Nathan Benz
April 20: “Arcadellica” by Nathan Benz
April 27: “Arcadellica” by Nathan Benz
May 4: “That Night In Juarez” by Selena ft. Nathan Benz
May 11: “Just Give Me A Reason” by Pink
May 18: “Can't Hold Us” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis ft. CharStarr
May 25: “Can't Hold Us” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis ft. CharStarr
June 1: “Can't Hold Us” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis ft. CharStarr
June 8: “Can't Hold Us” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis ft. CharStarr
June 15: “Can't Hold Us” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis ft. CharStarr
June 22: “Can't Hold Us” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis ft. CharStarr
June 29: “Can't Hold Us” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis ft. CharStarr
July 6: “Can't Hold Us” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis ft. CharStarr
July 13: “Can't Hold Us” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis ft. CharStarr
July 20: “Can't Hold Us” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis ft. CharStarr
July 27: “Can't Hold Us” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis ft. CharStarr
August 3: “Can't Hold Us” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis ft. CharStarr
August 10: “In Darkest Night” by Kendrick Lamar ft. Amy Lee
August 17: “In Darkest Night” by Kendrick Lamar ft. Amy Lee
August 24: “In Darkest Night” by Kendrick Lamar ft. Amy Lee
August 31: “Yell” by M.S.
September 7: “Yell” by M.S.
September 14: “Yell” by M.S.
September 21: “Yell” by M.S.
September 28: “Everything Stinks” by Kendrick Lamar
October 5: “ Everything Stinks” by Kendrick Lamar
October 12: “ Everything Stinks” by Kendrick Lamar
October 19: “ Everything Stinks” by Kendrick Lamar
October 26: “ Everything Stinks” by Kendrick Lamar
November 2: “ Everything Stinks” by Kendrick Lamar
November 9: “Royals” by Lorde
November 16: “Royals” by Lorde
November 23: “Royals” by Lorde
November 30: “Royals” by Lorde
December 7: “Royals” by Lorde
December 14: “Royals” by Lorde
December 21: “Royals” by Lorde
December 28: “Royals” by Lorde
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Modern Beats
Modern Beats is a rhythm game for the Reality, Virtua, and Nexus. Developed by the company Rhythmetro and published by THQ, the game utilizes an accessory called the Beatbox to enable players to play along with and change up different songs while trying to achieve a high score. The game is somewhat different on each console, but utilizes the same basic gameplay: players use a dual-screen setup, with an accessory called the Beatbox being used in conjunction with the television screen. The Beatbox consists of two large haptic pads flanking a small screen, and players tap, scratch, and push the pads in response to the images on the television, while the screen enables the use of powerups or "mixing", in which the player can add or subtract an element from a song, deploy power-ups (or debuffs in competitive mode), or even switch songs entirely or remix them with the current song. While there are a lot of elements to the game, it's actually quite easy to learn with some quick tutorial sessions, and soon, people who play are remixing and playing along to music like pros. The skill ceiling isn't as high as Guitar Hero's, though there are some extremely tricky songs. The main controls do differ slightly depending on the version, with the Reality version including a first person mode, the Virtua version incorporating some limited motion controls, and the Nexus version including a slightly more involved second screen setup, giving each version of the game its own unique gimmick, but keeping basic gameplay the same between them. The game includes 96 songs in the base version, with 60 songs from the modern pop, dance, techno, and rock charts, and 36 unique songs, both instrumental and lyrical, created for the game. Songs in Modern Beats include contemporary hits like "Gangnam Style" and "Locked Out Of Heaven", but also some classic bops like "Virtual Insanity" and "Walk This Way". The original songs included in the game were mostly developed by the game's music team, but some were compositions created by modern artists like Skrillex, who also has a couple of his existing hits in the game as well. Modern Beats has both local and online multiplayer, with up to four players allowed to play against one another at a time. In multiplayer mode, like in single player mode, players have a life bar that runs out quickly when they miss notes, but fills up slightly when they achieve combos. In multiplayer mode, it's possible to use hazards and debuffs to slow the other players down and prevent them from clearing notes, giving the game somewhat of a Tetris-like feel. The single player mode has a simple storyline about a DJ who has to make friends and then rescue them by performing music, but it mostly consists of a progression of songs that can be played to unlock more songs or cosmetic upgrades for the game's various modes. Modern Beats also has DLC, mostly in the form of songs, with several dozen songs available to purchase in packs after the game's release.
Modern Beats represents an attempt by a major game publisher to bring back the rhythm game genre, which, as IOTL, went into sharp decline during the Great Recession as the economy tanked and people lacked the disposable income to purchase the expensive accessories those games required. Released in September 2013, Modern Beats is a pricey game: $149.99 for the Reality and Virtua versions of the game, and $99.99 for the Nexus version (which utilizes the Nexus' Companion and thus doesn't come with a screen like the others). And yet, the game proves to be a moderate success, thanks to good reviews and strong word of mouth. It sells quite well on the Nexus, thanks to the cheaper controller, but also sells well on the Virtua, which is considered to be the best version of the game (and also has a slightly wealthier install base, with the console being more expensive than its competitors). It's the most successful rhythm title since Guitar Hero went into decline, and even surpasses sales of any of the Just Dance games (a series which hasn't caught on ITTL like it has IOTL). It would maintain strong sales through the holiday season, becoming one of the year's best party games and also one of the year's most pleasant surprises, and would receive at least one follow-up title.
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What Ubisoft is attempting to do by fusing its own Just Dance IP with Konami's classic Dance Dance Revolution is to breathe life into both series, which have experienced declining sales over the past couple of years. Just Dance started out quite popular when it first launched on Apple's iTwin, but when it branched into other console releases, its performance declined, flopping on the Xbox 2 and doing only mildly well on the Sapphire. It continued to be a hit on the iTwin, but even there, it couldn't sustain the strong sales it initially enjoyed. Meanwhile, Dance Dance Revolution has been on the decline everywhere, thanks to the decline of arcades in general, and the decline in the number of people willing to buy expensive game accessories for the home console versions. Just Dance Revolution, which Ubisoft plans to launch sometime next year, will combine the arm movement of Just Dance with the frenetic leg movement of Dance Dance Revolution to create a complete dancing experience that the company hopes will be the first of many successes it will enjoy with the IP it acquired from Konami.
Director Xavier Poix told us that he's needed to "reinvent the wheel" since being given the reins for this project. He says that while he enjoyed the "simplicity" of Just Dance, that he also knew it wasn't for everyone, even if he intended it to be. He says that he hopes with this game, it will provide a dancing experience suitable for all players, from casual beginners to long-time experts.
"We're going to have so many songs in this game that we really do think there'll be something for everyone," said Poix, as he showed off one of the game's "basic" levels, based on Tom Jones' "It's Not Unusual" that would require players to do the classic Carlton Dance from The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air. The level featured both the original arm movements that Carlton demonstrated in the show, adding in some DDR dance steps and scoring the player on both. He then showed off a much more advanced song from the popular Japanese band Babymetal, featuring wild arm gesticulations and rapid-fire footwork set to a death metal song accompanied by sweet-voiced Japanese singers. Both songs will be included in the game's basic version, along with dozens of the modern pop hits that made the Just Dance series popular. "We have every type of music in the game."
In order to secure the rights to the Carlton Dance, Ubisoft needed to get Alfonso Ribiero, the original actor who played Carlton, on board. And indeed, he'll be appearing in the game, as one of 12 "Dance Gurus" who will guide the player through the game's single player campaign and challenge them. Each of the twelve Gurus, says Poix, will be a famous dancer, actor, singer, or in most cases, a triple-threat who can do all three, and Poix promised some "big names" are on board for the game.
"We're not just making this to be an appealing party game," said Poix, "but something that even lone players can challenge themselves with and enjoy."
The game is expected to be released on all three major consoles, and will incorporate elements of each system's primary gameplay gimmick, with the potential for each system to have a version of the game playable without a dance pad accessory.
"We know we can do it on the Virtua for sure, and we believe we'll be able to accomplish it with the Nexus' camera as well," said Poix. "As for the Reality, we're working on a solution for that as well. We also plan to sell dance pads for all three consoles for players who wish to use them."
We were extremely impressed by our time with the game, using the Virtua version and playing without the aid of anything but our own bodies, with the camera on the console able to accurately track our movements. Poix says that it's going to be able to track up to four players at once, allowing the game to launch for $60 without the need for any bonus accessories. One of the things that crippled the sales of home DDR was the requirement to purchase and set up dance pads, but if Just Dance Revolution won't require them, it'll be revolutionary indeed.
-from the October 2013 issue of GameInformer magazine, featuring Just Dance Revolution on the cover