Gameshow
Latest
You can’t make a reality game show out of social media
Technology's ubiquity has become a real problem for the entertainment industry because life is easier now. There's a reason that horror films these days always seem to feature a shot of someone discovering they're in a signal blackspot. Shows like Sherlock have found novel ways to incorporate technology into their narratives, but clearly, it's still a bit of a fudge. It's even worse in the world of reality TV, which often relies on throwing people into hostile situations and filming the results. Would-be victims can cope with the faux-isolation or trauma much easier if you're packing the sum total of human knowledge in your back pocket. It explains why so many big reality shows, like Jersey Shore, Big Brother and The Amazing Race ban the use of phones.
Nickelodeon’s ‘Double Dare’ finds new life in Facebook Messenger
Nickelodeon's game show Double Dare is now a Facebook game. The classic show originally aired from 1986 to 1993 and recently just made its return to Nickelodeon. Now, fans will be able to play a version of Double Dare themselves through Facebook Messenger, challenging friends and keeping track of who's on top via the game's leaderboard.
HQ Trivia comes to your living room on Apple TV
Game shows got their start on TV, so it would only make sense that a modern variant like HQ Trivia would be playable on a TV, right? Right. Accordingly, Intermedia Labs has released an Apple TV version of HQ Trivia that brings the live, win-real-money experience to a bigger screen. It'll seem very familiar if you've played the mobile, but the game is unsurprisingly well-suited to TV -- Scott and other hosts don't have to be squished into the confines of a phone display.
I'll take 'Jeopardy' on Hulu for $400, Alex
Jeopardy has been a mainstay of the TV landscape for 35 years, but you wouldn't know it if you didn't have conventional TV service. Thankfully, it's joining the modern era -- Hulu has announced that it's the first streaming service to carry the legendary quiz show. You won't find the entire back catalog (would you really want to marathon several thousand episodes?), but you will see "curated" collections that highlight some of the better-known moments. You'll find at least some of Ken Jennings' epic-length run, for example, as well as the performances of record-setting money maker Brad Rutter.
The UK is getting an all-game show streaming service
There are quite a few subscription video on demand services out there these days and there's about to be one more. A trio of media execs have come together to form InQuisiTiVe Media and will soon launch a subscription service all about British quiz shows. IQTV is scheduled to launch in the UK this July and will offer over 100 quiz show titles including Mastermind, Celebrity Mastermind, The Weakest Link, Countdown and Only Connect. Deals with BBC Worldwide, Banijay and Channel 4 will allow it to have an ongoing stream of new episodes. InQuisiTiVe Media was launched by former Zodiak Media CEO Marc-Antoine d'Halluin, former Lovefilm exec Nick James and Rod Henwood former head of the Harry Potter digital platform Pottermore.
Twitch’s live game show ‘Stream On’ premieres March 8th
Last December, Twitch announced that it would be making a live-streaming reality show, Stream On. In it, Twitch creators who need a boost to make streaming a full-time gig compete against one another in a series of challenges, Survivor-style, for a grand prize of $60,000, delivered across 12 months. Now the details are out, with the live game show set to debut with 14 competitors on March 8th at 3:00 pm PST.
Live trivia hit HQ comes to Android on January 1st
Intermedia Labs is making good on its promise to deliver HQ for Android by the holidays, if only just. The company has revealed that it's planning to make its previously iOS-only live trivia show available to "all" Android users by January 1st. The app arrived in limited beta on Christmas, and Intermedia is "working quickly" to expand availability over the following week. In short, just wait until the new year if you can't jump in right away.
HQ's live trivia is coming to Android in time for the holidays
Since launching in August the HQ app has been attracting hundreds of thousands of players to its twice-daily live trivia games, but so far they're all playing on iPhones. Now, a tweet indicates that Android users will be able to get in on the action soon, since "HQ has a nice little stocking stuffer coming your way." The game came from two Vine co-founders and has seen as many as 400,000 people logging on at 3 and 9 PM ET to try and win cash prizes of up to a few thousand dollars by answering trivia questions. We've seen some attempts at this before, including NBC's short-lived Million Second Quiz game show/app and the Xbox Live game 1 vs. 100. There are other games like Trivia Crack and Quiz Up, but they don't have the same live event hook, while Family Feud Live features tournaments for cash prizes but also contains subscription fees and pushes in-app purchases heavily.
The 'Candy Crush' TV show debuts on CBS July 9th
For whatever reason, Candy Crush is making the jump from addictive game to primetime TV game show, and CBS has revealed it will premiere July 9th. Unfortunately (or fortunately) it's a little too late to get cast as one of the two-person teams that will play the game. You and a partner are missing out on the opportunity to "use their wits and physical agility to compete on enormous, interactive game boards featuring next generation technology to conquer Candy Crush and be crowned the champions." That's the kind of action that will be available to you on Sunday nights this summer -- choose wisely, and remember Game of Thrones doesn't come back until July 16th.
Gaming TV show 'Starcade' is making a comeback
Veteran gamers will have more than a few fond memories of Starcade, the first video game-oriented TV show. Well, it's about to come roaring back: Shout Factory has bought the rights to create a reboot of the series. It's too early to say how they'll modernize the format, but the early '80s original had a mix of game-specific trivia questions and competitive play -- we'd expect something in that vein. The new team is working with the original production company and creators, too, so it's not just a token nod to a familiar name.
The Engadget Challenge: 2017 edition
The most ridiculous spectacle to ever grace the Engadget stage is back as the Engadget Challenge returns for 2017. This time out, we're testing to see if people's knowledge of tech companies is as deep-rooted as their love of fast food. After all, since most toddlers can identify the McDonald's logo from 30 paces, we should be able to guess Twitter from a couple of vague hints, right? Right?
Candy Crush is becoming a game show
Candy Crush, the once ubiquitous mobile game behemoth that's now played almost exclusively by my aunt, is getting its own game show. CBS announced on Tuesday that it is teaming up with King Games and Lionsgate to produce the hour-long series. Details on game mechanics are still sparse but the network did explain that 2-person teams will "use their wits and physical agility to compete on enormous, interactive game boards." The series will be executive produced by Matt Kunitz, the guy behind Fear Factor and Wipeout, however there's no word yet on who will host or when the series will premier.
Dara O Briain to host gaming show 'Go 8 Bit' on Dave
British broadcasters have always struggled to create quality TV shows about video games. Aside from Gameswipe and Videogame Nation, few programmes have done the medium justice. Just look at the response to GTA docudrama The Gamechangers. Still, every so often a production company will take another crack at the idea. The latest attempt is Go 8 Bit, a game show presented by comedian Dara Ó Briain (who is also doing the Robot Wars reboot) and video game journalist Ellie Gibson. The first series will air on Dave this autumn and consist of six 60-minute episodes.
The Engadget Challenge: Multitasking
The most ridiculous spectacle to ever grace the Engadget stage at CES is over. But you can relive the magic of the Engadget Challenge right here. We're never satisfied doing just one thing at a time any more. We're Snapchatting with one hand and Googling with other. If we're looking up actors on IMBD while watching TV, that's not even "multitasking" anymore, that a "second screen" experience. But, the truth that nobody wants to admit is, they're not really as good at multitasking as they think they are. We're going to prove that point in episode two of the Engadget Challenge.
The Engadget Challenge: Living vicariously through others
The most ridiculous spectacle to ever grace the Engadget stage at CES is over. But you can relive the magic of the Engadget Challenge right here. We spend much of our modern lives exploring the world through other people's social media accounts. You may have never been to the Grand Canyon, but your friend's Instagram feed makes it feel like you've seen it all anyway. While you can experience the places and things via social media, the question is can you be an active participant. Can you actually accomplish something through the eyes and hands of another? We seek to answer that very question in our first episode.
PBS Game/Show offers a defense of cheating, even in multiplayer
No stranger to courting controversy, the latest episode of PBS' thought-provoking YouTube series Game/Show posits the idea that maybe cheating in video games isn't such a bad thing after all. First, the video draws a distinction between those who repeatedly flout the rules to ruin a game for others, and those who exploit a game simply to enhance their own enjoyment. The former group is commonly known as "griefers," and the video makes no attempt to defend what they do. However, it argues that the remainder are people attempting to create "optimal strategies" for the game, which then contributes to the overall evolution of said game. As an example, the video highlights the practice of quick-scoping in first-person multiplayer shooters. While this exploit allows practiced snipers to use their high-powered rifles with the same speed and accuracy as a pistol, the video points out that quick-scoping has become so prevalent that it is now regarded as just part of the game. Though once decried by fans, the technique has become ingrained and altered the way the game is played on a fundamental level, much like the slam dunk in professional basketball. Watch the video, see what you think, then leave your thoughts in the comments below. Alternately, skip the video, leave a comment anyway, then smugly pat yourself on the back for cheating on this video about cheating. [Image: PBS]
PBS Game/Show asks: Can permadeath teach us to live better lives?
The latest episode of PBS' ongoing Game/Show series poses an interesting question: Does DayZ and other permadeath games teach us how to live better lives? Game/Show thinks so, positing that the threat of a permanent end to a gaming experience ultimately adds more weight to the time within that experience, creating even more moment-to-moment tension. Of course, the downside is death anxiety, the awareness that our end will come at some point. But video games are unique in that they allow us to confront our own demise at any time and learn from it – which isn't something we can say about life. Yet?
NBC plans 'The Million Second Quiz,' a twelve-day, 24 / 7 game show
Second screen experiences connected to TV shows haven't exactly set the world on fire, but NBC will give it another try with a new game show this fall. The Million Second Quiz is being promoted as a non-stop, twelve day trivia game with an "unprecedented level of interactivity" for viewers. In a move that harkens back to our memories of 1 vs 100 on Xbox Live a few years ago, viewers at home can play along and possibly win a spot on the show. While the competition will go on around the clock, the show airs during prime time. It will broadcast live from an "hourglass-shaped structure" located in Manhattan where the four reigning champs will reside as long as they can stay on top throughout the two week competition. Once the million seconds are up, the four champions will face off for a cash prize of up to $10 million. We'll need more details before we can decide if this is more Ultimate Ninja Warrior or Oh Sit! / Splash / Bet On Your Baby (these are all real game shows, we promise), but it's one to keep an eye out for when the all new shows debut.
Draw Something game show pilot coming to CBS
CBS will team up with Zynga to produce a pilot for a primetime gameshow based on the mobile game Draw Something. CBS beat a number of other networks in a bidding war to take on the Sony Pictures Television, Embassy Row, and Ryan Seacrest Productions project.Ryan Seacrest, Michael Davies, and RSP CEO Adam Sher are teaming up as executive producers on the project. The show has players and celebrities use their drawing skills to win money. Seacrest's website added that "viewers at home will also be able play along and compete with for prizes using phones and tablets, ushering in a new era in game show viewing."Seacrest is not anticipated to be the host of the show, according to Variety.
Joystiq hands-on: 1 vs. 100 (Xbox Live Primetime)
Originally announced during E3 2008, the Xbox Live Primetime channel and its flagship "program," 1 vs. 100 are finally close to going, well ... live. We recently participated in a 1 vs. 100 Live episode, competing against players locally in San Francisco, as well as Los Angeles and Redmond, Washington. While we found the core of the game very similar to other video game "gameshows" (Buzz! Quiz TV for PS3 comes to mind), the live presentation -- including the opportunity to win Microsoft Points and XBLA games -- is undeniably engaging and ambitious.Read on after the break to hear about our experience and to find out what to expect from the first "season" of the game that may very well eat your social life.%Gallery-51712%
