The Just Dance series has long been one of Ubisoft’s most consistent series, having been on every major platform since the Nintendo Wii. Since then, the franchise has spawned not only annual entries, but a slew of spinoffs as well. Though widely considered a cash cow and meant for casual gamers looking for some light fun coupled with a more immersive arcade feel, the series has intimately followed the rise and fall of many consoles.
In a recent announcement by Ubisoft, the franchise will officially come full circle and mark the end of an era. The humble, motion-based rhythm game got its start riding the wave of Nintendo Wii mania almost 10 years ago, and starting next month, online support for many of the entries for both the Wii and the Wii U will officially come to an end.
More specifically, Ubisoft is opting to shut down the Just Dance titles from 2014 to 2018 for the Nintendo Wii, as well as the 2014 and 2015 entries for the Wii U. The decision came after the company assessed its older titles and came up with an updated master list of titles it would drop from online support. From an infrastructure standpoint, this makes complete sense, given the dwindling player base of older titles makes it hard to justify diverting resources for continuing support.
“We are constantly assessing what’s needed to deliver the best possible online services for Ubisoft’s customers,” detailed support staff member in a forum post. “Shutting the services for some older games with smaller online audiences is a necessary part of this process.”
Though these titles carry sentimental value and nostalgia, the termination of their online features doesn’t bar players from reliving the single-player experiences. Online Ubisoft-specific functionalities like Uplay, Units and Actions, Rewards, and ULC will be disabled, but the core game themselves will remain untouched.
The Just Dance franchise has been an integrated part of the video game industry for years now, and despite its tired annual release, it’s hard to deny the impact and ubiquity of the rhythm game. Following Nintendo’s dismantling of the Wii’s online components and the now obsolete Wii U, Ubisoft is simply going along with the times. Fans of the series, however, can still enjoy the latest entries that will undoubtedly launch for years to come.