Kyle: Originally, ITG set out to be an arcade-only port. We later learned that there was a high demand to play ITG at home. The transition was rather easy for players but very difficult for our team. We had to work backwards to make ITG run on a system that was obviously less powerful then our arcade hardware. We learned a lot through the process and that knowledge got applied to our future versions. I think our Mac/PC port also reflects this knowledge and improved the home experience. Additionally, we felt the home PC market did not have an "official" dance game exposure yet, so ITG PC/MAC was born.
Aaron: Roxor released In the Groove 2 in the arcades in June 2005. What kind of increase in player base did the game receive going from part one to part two?
Kyle: ITG2 basically started where ITG1 left off. We had new ideas and a lot of feedback, from ITG1, that we wanted to apply to the new game. The addition of "rolls" and "survival" play made things even more interesting for players. "Marathon mode" also received advancements and steps were as innovative as ever. We upped the songlist and artist count and even kept everything that people enjoyed from ITG1!
Lastly, probably the biggest addition to the game was the new ITG2 dedicated cabinets. These cabinets were designed for ITG and made the game experience even more enjoyable. ITG2 has been a really solid product that continues to sell incredibly well. It even ranked number one as the highest earning dancing game kit in Play Meter magazine for three consecutive months.
It’s been the cause of many tournament and events and has become a global success. We couldn’t be happier with ITG2!
Aaron: After releasing ITG2, organized tournaments for the game really took off. What are your thoughts the number of competitors that participated to have a chance at the worldwide tournament?
Kyle: It’s really been an honor to see all these events occur all over the world now. ITG is the first, and only machine dance game that recently got accepted into the International Dance Organization. I think the competitive aspect of dance games is here to stay and it’s certainly been compatible with ITG’s scoring and design. I look forward to many new tournaments and sporting events involving machine dance!
Aaron: It's definitely no mystery that you're responsible for a huge number of in-game tracks as well as the game's sound production. What kind of equipment do you use to create your music and what artists have influenced your music?
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