When Peter Fokus’ daughter wanted a “big kid’s” version of the dance game she had been playing several years ago, he found out there weren’t any such games with content he thought was appropriate for a 10-year-old.
“I’m a programmer,” he thought, according to Digital Praise business partner Tom Bean. “I could do that.”
With that, “Dance Praise” was born and has become the biggest seller for a California company that, according to its Web site, “develops software for children, teenagers and families that spreads the gospel of Jesus Christ while entertaining, enlightening and encouraging faith.”
Recently, the company introduced “Dance Praise 2 — The ReMix,” a second version of the game, which has more than 50 new songs, new steps, new graphics and new features.
Digital Praise also has put out “Answer That! Adventures in Odyssey Edition,” a DVD-based board game that uses the Focus on the Family series Adventures in Odyssey.
Mark Habermas, children’s minister at Silverdale Baptist Church, said he has not seen “Dance Praise” but indicated the students he shepherds may be familiar with it.
“Anything that helps include our faith in the game form would be helpful,” he said.
Mr. Habermas said he was familiar with the Adventures in Odyssey series but not the DVD game. Since it is based on the Adventures in Odyssey series, he said it is likely to be a worthy game.
“It’s very good material,” he said of the series. “I enjoy listening to it myself.”
Tom Bean, president and chief executive officer of Digital Praise, said the prototype of the original “Dance Praise” game was so popular when he and his partners showed it to a group of children that he couldn’t get them to stop playing.
First, the children became addicted to it, he said. Then the children pulled in their mothers and, eventually, their fathers.
“It was very inspiring to see that there was great interest and potential,” Mr. Bean said.
It has become the company’s best-selling game, he said.
“It’s been very well-received in the Christian retail market as well as in the general market and in our own direct sales,” Mr. Bean said. “Its creation created interest. (Participants) requested, almost demanded, expansion with more music and more dances.”
When “Dance Praise” was released in late 2005, five expansion packs also were made available. A sixth was released just after “Dance Praise 2” came out in October, and a seventh will be released in April.
The new game has updated features and new ones not available on the original version. Changes include a revised exercise mode, which allows users to dance as long as they want while burning a targeted number of calories. In addition, the software has the ability to track calories burned over weeks and months and can chart weight loss.
“That’s a direct result of feedback from users,” Mr. Bean said. “We’re fortunate our (users) are very vocal and responsive. They have strong opinions and can clearly communicate.”
The new game includes songs from contemporary Christian artists such as Casting Crowns, tobyMac, Newsboys, Relient K, Caedmon’s Call and Michael W. Smith.
“Licensing music is not simple,” Mr. Bean said. “We started with (the company’s distributor) EMICMG, but we’ve expanded into a bunch of different publishers. People are interested in having their music on our game, but it is not simple. We have to go through the process like anybody else.”
Unlike “Dance Praise,” he said, “Answer That! Adventures in Odyssey Edition” did not grow out of a dissatisfaction with what was available. It was more a matter of creating a game in a new genre with an existing brand.
“We wanted to have families play and enjoy this style,” Mr. Bean said.
Because the game offers different levels, as well as on-screen audio and video hints, even people who are not immersed in the Adventures in Odyssey series can play it, he said.
What Mr. Bean said he’s heard other people say about the game is that it can be played in so many different ways. Users can play it in the way the game was intended, just use the DVD, just use the cards or tailor the game depending on time and expertise, he said.
While the Adventures in Odyssey brand is targeted to 8- to 12-year-olds, its videos skew younger, and its content is relevant to a large age span.
“You can play with younger kids or the whole family,” Mr. Bean said.
The games are available locally through Circuit City or LifeWay Christian Stores.
Keith Hall, assistant store manager at LifeWay, said the Hamilton Place Boulevard store carries the whole “Dance Praise” line. He said it had been featured in the store’s monthly ads and that the store even had sold out of it on occasion.
“It’s been a pretty big hit,” he said.
Mr. Hall said “Answer That!” was new to the store.
“I can imagine it doing pretty good once people learn about it,” he said.
