Michael Jackson The Experience

by Ubisoft

Product Features

• Feel the thrill of performing like Michael Jackson as never before - through XBOX 360 Kinect technology
• With innovative full-body tracking, take center stage with a crew of expert backup dancers.
• Trigger effects, visuals, and even the music itself as you move around the digital environment.
• Play with up to 4 players in Jump-in Party modes.
• Learn how to pull off Michael's most iconic moves (such as the Moonwalk) thanks to the Michael Jackson School!

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0042YM9GI
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches ; 2.4 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: April 12, 2011
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (132 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #272 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #5 in Video Games > Xbox 360 > Rhythm > Dancing
  • #57 in Video Games > Xbox 360 > All Games

Product Description

Platform: Xbox 360

Amazon.com Product Description

Michael Jackson The Experience is a dance and party game for Xbox 360, which with the help of Kinect for Xbox 360, allows players of all abilities to get into the groove and perhaps even attain the level of the King of Pop himself. Designed as a complete Michael Jackson gameplay experience, the game features a wealth of unforgettable hits, which the motion capture capabilities of the Kinect system and microphone functionality allow you to dance and sing to, just like Michael did. Additional features include: player projection technology that puts you in the game, authentic Michael Jackson choreography, costumes and imagery and a practice mode.

Groove Like the King of Pop

No artist in history has commanded the stage like Michael Jackson, the undisputed King of Pop. With over 800 million albums sold worldwide and 13 #1 singles in the US, there is no doubt that Michael Jackson's music influenced pop culture as we know it today. Michael Jackson The Experience is the ultimate performance game featuring the world's ultimate performer - providing an interactive experience that enables players to step into the shoes of Michael Jackson himself and relive his most iconic moments through their own performance.

Gameplay

Michael Jackson The Experience is the essential Dance and Party game for fans playing on the Xbox 360 platform. Packed with signature hits including "Billie Jean," "Beat It," "Smooth Criminal" and many more, the game features the actual choreography used by the King of Pop in live performances and music videos. Working in conjunction with Kinect for Xbox 360, players are tasked with recreating these moves as they become the controller. To do this the camera built into the Kinect system records a full body map of the player, which then is represented as a silhouette on-screen. As the player duplicates moves as prompted these are instantly related through the silhouette Performances are rated in real-time on-screen and as lyrics are streamed players can also sing along in time, and are judged on this as well. Additional features include multiplayer dance challenges, dance crew performances, jump-in/jump-out feature a practice mode in which anybody can learn to groove like the "The Gloved One."

Key Game Features

• Single player gameplay, multiplayer dance challenges, dance crew performances and jump-in/jump-out features make The Experience the ultimate party game
• A crew of expert backup dancers and Michael's Dance School help take your performance to the next level – great for beginners and experienced performers
• Next gen technology allows players to interact with the music in new and amazing ways, letting them star in their own Michael Jackson video
• Players have the option to sing along to their favorite tracks while simultaneously showing off their dance moves, providing the ultimate pop star experience
• Kinect version leverages proprietary Player Projection technology that puts their image in the game

Screenshots

Kinect puts you in the game. View larger.

Authentic choreography. View larger.

Sing as well as dance. View larger.

A variety of play options. View larger.

Product Description

Michael Jackson The Experience 360 (Kinect - Required). Get ready to rock your body to decades of iconic tracks by the King of Pop! This unique interactive experience will have you hitting all the moves as if you've danced right into Michael's shoes! No artist in history has commanded the stage like Michael Jackson, the undisputed King of Pop. With over 800 million albums sold worldwide and 13 No.1 singles in the U.S, there is no doubt that Michael Jackson's music influenced pop culture as we know it today. Both his music and his moves were often emulated, but no one could really hold their own with the King of Pop...until now. With Michael Jackson The Experience, anyone can dance like Michael to legendary hits such as Beat It and Billie Jean while mastering the moves he made famous in iconic environments inspired by his most popular music videos and stage performances.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

76 of 82 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Major disappointment, at least the music is great (updated 4/17/11 and increased rating after comparing PS3 version), April 14, 2011

By 

M. Espinoza "MDE" (Tucson, AZ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:3.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Michael Jackson The Experience (Video Game)

I held off on the Wii version to get this for the Kinect. Major disappointment. I'm a Dance Central fan and couldn't wait for this game to come out.

I got release day delivery, and practically raced home from work eager to try out the MJ game. First song I picked was Smooth Criminal....the dancing was so-so, but I thought- surely it must be because I'm doing it on the easiest level....replayed the song in Performance mode....same moves, now singing was added to the mix. Not the Michael Jackson workout I'd hoped for....

Pros:

All your favorite songs

Great stages (this is one area where I'm glad I got the Kinect version)

Really hard to get a dance move wrong

the kinect captures your movements and clothing to reflect it on your on-screen liquid avatar (think Your Shape in true color)

Cons:

Hardly any dancing

Hardly any dancing

Where's the dancing?

Dancing?

Did they forget to add dancing?

Oh, and you can't turn off the singing mode

If you're hoping for an exercise/dance game, then this is going to disappoint. If you're looking for some relaxed, karaoke night, beer drinking game play-- then this might fit the bill.

***Update 4-17-11****Giving Kinect and extra star******

I went out and bought the PS3 version and gained a different reference point to review the Kinect version. The PS3 version is great for a workout, not as fun or natural as Dance Central on Kinect...or even as MJ Experience Kinect, but it's definitely a workout. Seeing the leg work on the PS3 version (which only tracks your right hand), if they had replicated this on the Kinect version, 90% of players would've been alienated because most of us are incapable of even [remotely] replicating the King of Pop's dance moves...much less for an hour or two of gameplay.

To keep the Kinect version family-friendly and all-ages friendly, I imagine that the lengthy pauses and poses throughout the songs are to give novice users a chance to catch their breath and to gain some easy points so they don't feel completely defeated on every song. The MJ Experience for Kinect is still NOT a good 'workout' game, but it's a slower, fun game that you can play with the family. By that same token, that's what levels are for-- give the majority of us the simpler dance moves- and make an 'Impossible' level for those that have mastered MJ's dancing.

In summary:

Kinect Version:

*Some of the songs are all singing and no dancing

*The dancing is ok, but for the most part is slower, and there are a LOT of pauses between dancing and poses that you have to hold for 5 seconds- so don't plan on getting your heart rate up

*Much more natural feeling than the Wii and PS3 versions

*The stages and backgrounds blow the PS3 version's away (it would be nice to be able to switch your on-screen avatar to your Xbox avatar, but if you're trying to learn how to master the moves correctly, then it is helpful to have your 'liquid reflection' on the stage)

*You can't turn the singing off, and if you live in an apartment and don't feel like embarrassing yourself in front of the neighbors, then don't plan on getting a decent singing score (or achievements)

*If they had 'dumbed down' MJ's dance moves to match more closely with the Dance Central experience, most of us MJ fans would've been in an uproar and the game couldn't be called the MJ Experience...

PS3 Version:

*You'll get your heart rate up

*You can pretty much suck at the leg work as long as you have your arm in the right place at the right time

*Fun, engaging, you get to be MJ's backup dancer

*Much more dancing, less singing, this could definitely be a workout game contender

*You'll get tired of the remote in your hand and wish you were playing the Kinect again

All in all, if you want exercise-- get the Wii or PS3 version. If you want some slower fun, want to master some difficult dance moves with more precision, want a beer-drinking karaoke/dance game, or enjoy the Kinect and all it can do-- then go for this version. If you're looking to add an exercise routine to your game mix-- then opt for the Wii or PS3 versions.

50 of 57 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Why did they screw up the kinect version, April 14, 2011

By 

Kendrick R. Starr (US) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:2.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Michael Jackson The Experience (Video Game)

The Wii version of Michael Jackson the Experence is very fun. You feel like the moves you're doing are pretty close to what you remember from the videos. You feel like you're Michael Jackson. The kinect version takes out what makes those games fun, dancing like Mike. I really hate ubisoft for messing this game up. All they had to do was create a controller free version of the wii game. Instead they wanted to crush the hearts of everyone looking foward to the kinect version of this game. You can't dance to every song. When you do dance it's slow and boring and feels nothing like how michael jackson does them. You can never get into a groove because the dancing is broken up by pauses where you just stand there for 3 secs. The singing portion works ok as long as the volume on your tv is turned down. However you don't have to sing you can just hum to the beat. The UI and navigating the menus is pretty good. Even the load screens are cool. Too bad the actual gameplay is horrible.

This game uses Ubisofts Virtual Projection Technology to put you in the game. You can see a silhouette of yourself dancing and singing onstage. This is very cool to look at, however not fun to play. A better implementation would have been a hard mode were you do the whole routine from the wii version by memory. Then on completion it shows you how you did next to the real mike avatar. That would've been very cool. Once again I really hate ubisoft for screwing this game up.

Buy the PS move or Wii version if you want to dance like mike and have fun.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars I am speechless!, July 7, 2011

By 

lexi - See all my reviews

= Fun:1.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Michael Jackson The Experience (Video Game)

I made the mistake of playing the wii version first and that was so so much fun. So when this game came out I went and purchased a brand new Xbox 360 along with the Kinect to play this game. Needless to say, I have kept the Xbox and the Kinect, but this game went right back to the store. The whole time I was playing the game I was waiting for the "Michael Jackson Experience" unfortunately I never got it. The Que cards are to low on the screen and the games doesn't recognize some of your movements. Thriller is boring, Smooth Criminal was just upsetting, BAD was just plain bad and Beat It was the icing on the cake. If you have a phobia about looking fat, then this is not the game for you. If you have played the wii version, keep the memory alive and don't buy this game. If you are expecting to see cool looking dancers in the back ground and not a feminine looking guy doing aerobic exercises and you standing in the middle going what the "Heck" then this is definitely not the game for you!! My BAD for not reading the reviews before purchasing the game...sorry MJ

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