If you’re logged in to Facebook or can hack a friend’s profile and haven’t used the Jeopardy! App, go here now - Jeopardy! App. Seriously, it’s way better than reading this post. But come back and I’ll share a fan’s perspective. It’s a good one.
Run out of episodes already? Yeah, me too. It’s quite addicting.
Here’s the news: GSN Digital launched a social game on Facebook based on an adaptation on the Jeopardy! television program. It started as a closed beta of 10,ooo users on March 28, and has since had moderate success. You can view detailed metrics and track its progress at appdata.com.
In other news: IT’S AWESOME.
The user interface is very smooth: I watched the intro videos and was able to understand the rules of play in under a minute, I’ve experienced no glitches or error messages, navigation is simple, and the graphics are pretty slick. I haven’t played the Wii Jeopardy! game, but something about caricaturing Alex Trebek into one of those over-sized Mii heads is just wrong. Jeopardy! on Facebook is all business.
The gameplay is slightly different as well. You get limited number of Passes and 2x Multipliers, which are convenient and a nice twist on the classic game. There are 3 rounds, just like TV, but only 2 Double Jeopardy! questions. They are similarly unpredictable/predictable as the show, depending on how often you watch. The questions are all multiple choice to dumb it down for Facebook, which is probably a good thing. That game on TV is impossible. And great. All questions are timed to simulate the fast pace of the actual game, and to discourage cheating/Googling. I’m sure you can cheat easily enough, but why? Is nothing sacred anymore in our wireless world? I had to explain to a friend that playing Words with Friends while using a dictionary app is dishonest. He said “Why?” and gave me this blank, soulless stare for like 15 seconds. Anyway, the game plays pretty nice.
The social aspect is probably the most newsworthy item in this post and should have probably been my lede, but I’ve buried it down here in the spirit of being edgy. OK, so as you’ve probably realized, your winnings and stats are compiled in real time and displayed as a weekly or all-time format right next to your friends’ scores. Mmmm, “friendly” competition. I’m not going to lie, dominating in trivia is my favorite. “Try and beat your friend’s score!”, while not a new concept in social games, has never been this intense. Naturally, all your stats come with a button to share, so let the trash talking begin. And don’t be afraid to get all Larry Bird with it.
Now, I’ve been a fan of the Jeopardy! television program since I was a kid, as many of you know. I watched the majority of Ken Jenning’s historic 74 game run, I’ve seen the changes in sets over the years, and even watched the Watson debacle, so I might be a bit biased, but this is the finest social game I’ve ever played. Well, it’s also the only one I’ve ever played. No, I’ve never played Farmville, and I de-friend people who send me moronic requests to “water their crops” or “find their lost cow,” but that’s a topic for another day. The Jeopardy! app features a ‘Help a friend’ feature, however, of which I’m a huge fan and inclined to participate in because of the direct benefits associated with that type of altruism. Great way to market the game, by the way.
In conclusion, I’m still pretty far off from actually purchasing any Facebook credits, but this game might actually be worth it. Remember people: Play it, love it and talk your trash, but treat the game with respect.
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