2.5 Game Show Scenarios

Some believe that the most popular game types will be those linked to a TV game show, generating revenues through sponsoring or by charging for participation. Game show scenarios have numerous variations. The most challenging and intriguing are those scenarios that arise when presenting a contest among viewers of a live game show or replaying a recorded game show.

Consider, for example, replaying an episode of Hollywood squares (see Figure 2.12) or some trivia game show. At the beginning of the replay, the viewer can select to activate a play-along option. If that option is not selected, the show is replayed without interactivity. If that option is selected, then at specific applicable time periods, the viewer is presented the question before the participant and given the option to select an answer before the participant can answer that question. Once the participant answers the question, the viewer selection option is disabled. If the viewer selected the correct answer, his or her score is updated accordingly . When applicable , and depending on the rules of the game, an incorrect answer may suppress subsequent questions until a new session begins. When the score achieved by the viewer is sufficiently high, that viewer may be given some award.

Figure 2.12. Hollywood squares courtesy of Microsoft (Web TV plus) [MSTV].

Allowing competition among viewers adds some sizzle to this scenario. If a live show is enhanced with play-along features, it is possible that a real-time comparison between viewer responses could be enabled. The name of the viewer with the fastest response time or the best answer could be broadcast and perks could be granted; viewers may be rewarded (and get very excited) by having their name broadcast as winners in real time during the show. When play-along mode is applied to a pre-recorded show, the response time or scope could be recorded in a central database for evaluation at some later time.

The viewer experience is assumed to be as follows . During the replay of the program, prior to the presentation of a question to a contestant, the appropriate pop up question's text transitions in smoothly. If the viewer did not select an answer before the contestant did, the question transitions out smoothly. If the viewer selected the wrong answer, some indication is presented and the question transitions out smoothly. If the correct answer is selected in time, the score and perks awarded are displayed. The accumulated score is displayed continuously at the bottom of the screen. Additional trivia questions could be presented during the commercials. At the end of the program, the list of perks awarded is displayed, accompanied by a URL where this list could subsequently be accessed.

Otrikon has successfully implemented DinoTrivia (see Figure 2.13). ABC has iTV versions of its blockbuster show Who Wants To Be a Millionaire? , as well as of Monday Night Football, Sunday Night Baseball and Football. The Enhanced TV (as opposed to iTV) implementation of the Millionaire game show allows viewers to play the same game as the contestants on TV. When the four potential answers to a question come up on the screen, the viewer can choose one of the answers. A leaderboard link enables cross country iTV competitions. Further, viewers can join a fastest finger contest: The faster the viewer answers correctly, the more points are granted.

Figure 2.13. Sample game show applications courtesy of Ortikon (www.ortikon.com).

Such scenarios entail several requirements. The questions in the game show should be sufficiently short to communicate using short text. The answer periods expire before the show participants answer. The questions should be multiple choice questions with answers that can be easily selected from a remote control. During the period of interactivity, the numeric pad of the remote control passes events to the application and does not cause a channel switch.