Monday 24 February 2014

Review: The Pointless App!

Excitement in the teatime-quiz-show-app world yesterday (what do you mean that isn't a thing?) as the hotly anticipated Pointless game was launched on iOS, with an Android version inevitably 'coming soon'. As one of the approximately billion people who have appeared on the show since it snuck onto BBC2 back in 2009 I was naturally keen to take it for a spin, but could it live up to expectations or would it prove as disappointing as joining the 200 club?

Pointless App - introduce yourself!

First port of call is, of course, the cost. At £1.49 it's in line with arch-nemesis The Chase's own App, but in the age of freemium games it does merit a slight double-take. Given that my current personal favourite is the free - and amazing - QuizUp (see my review here) it's already facing stiff competition from the off, but as a TV tie-in it's competitively priced.

The game starts with
The tutorial in action.
Alexander Armstrong (I think - it's hard to tell
without the ears) clearly remembers me.
a tutorial, a nice touch as the game structure is necessarily rather different to the show itself. To my surprise this happened to immediately resolve one of the issues I'd been wondering about: will it use all-new questions or recycle some from the show? Understandably, it's very much the latter, which will come as little shock to those of us who have seen the programme evolve over the years as it endeavours to find new questions that still fit the format. Still, it was amusing to see that the very first question I was presented with in the tutorial was from one of my own shows - and Xander even suggests the (fairly obvious) answer I gave at the time. Encouragingly, as you can see from the screenshots below (click to enlarge), the numbers for every answer match up - reassuring us that we are dealing with genuine survey results and not something made up in some shady corner of Pointless HQ.

Making up the numbers
Tutorial done, on with the game! There are two options here: a single-player 'mini episode' style format, and a head-to-head version you can play against random challengers, your friends, or people you know on Facebook (most of whom probably don't quite fit in either category). If you're wondering how the game works before you shell out one 168th of a pointless answer, this is probably the bit for you.

All by myself

The single-player mode pits you against a computer-generated opponent on a single multiple-choice question (what used to be the regular round two format) - beat three bots this way and you make it to the final and, of course, win that coveted Pointless trophy. The final round itself will be familiar to all but the most recent Pointless fan, with three subject areas to choose from and one question lurking behind each. No multiple choice here, thankfully, as you have to type your own guesses (albeit without the 60 second time pressure). Get one pointless answer and the 'jackpot' is yours - typically £1,000 unless you picked up some £250 bonuses on the way - and you'll find yourself creeping up global and friends-only leaderboards of total prize money. (Although getting to the top may alert your colleagues as to why your productivity has mysteriously dropped of late...)

Winning friends while alienating people

Versus mode, meanwhile, takes advantage of asynchronous play as you battle opponents in a best-of-three affair loosely based on the head-to-head stage of the show. Each round is one question with four clues to be solved (such as a set of related anagrams or descriptions of Oscar winners). After giving your answer that clue is replaced and play passes to your opponent, with whoever has the lowest total after two turns winning the round. If it goes to a third and final round you're instead looking at a free answer (or 'Pointless Classic', as it should obviously be called) style question to take things up a notch.

Unlike the solo mode, play is further enhanced here by two power ups: 'reveal' (which gives you the highest-scoring answer) and 'hint' (which shows you alternate letters of the lowest-scoring answer). In a prudent design move neither of these tells you how much that answer is worth, so you've still got some decisions to make. As you'd expect you're given some bonuses for free (a rather generous 20 of each, in fact) but once they're gone you're looking at £1.49 a pop for an additional 25, so spend them wisely.

The 'hint' bonus in action (top row on the right).
Now all I need is an opera that fits L_ TRAVIATA...
The good, the bad and the ugly

The fundamental mechanics of the game, then, are perfectly sound, but there are a few areas that strike me as minor mis-steps. The first of these are those bonuses which, at their most basic level, strike me as undermining the integrity of a competitive quiz game. The hint especially often makes things exceptionally easy, and it's hard to see how anyone could take much pride in a victory earned that way. Combine this with a lack of a time limit and the latitude for cheatery is clear. Consequently anyone who particularly cares about whether they win or lose probably won't want to challenge strangers, but against trusted friends it's far less of a concern.

Only three guesses? But I can think of so many!
Another issue I've both seen raised by others and experienced myself are bugs. Teething troubles are perhaps to be expected on launch day, but when you encounter three in your first half-dozen games you do start to worry. Of particular concern was one question where the United States was a pointless answer to "countries with a population larger than the UK". This seems so implausible you'd initially presume it a mistake, but as we've all seen equally incredible results on the show you're left not entirely sure what to believe. There have also been some issues with seemingly correct answers not being accepted. Again, one would hope these will be gradually fixed over time, but the frequency with which they seem to be cropping up suggests more time could have gone into text parsing.

On a more positive note, while the re-use of questions from old shows may seem a drawback to some, I think overall it's a sensible decision. With over 500 episodes of material (and presumably even a back-catalogue of ones that didn't quite make the cut) there is, I suspect, an enormous database hiding under the surface. The list-based nature of the show itself, meanwhile, makes the App unusual in being able to offer free text answer fields instead of the near-ubiquitous multiple choice making for a more interesting quiz experience. Admittedly it's a touch frustrating when you're left wondering how to spell samarium but in situations like that it probably serves you right for trying to be a smartypants. (Relatedly, I was impressed to see that their periodic table was seemingly up to date: the relatively recent 2012 addition of livermorium didn't catch it out).

Well I've had a lovely day...

Overall, the Pointless App is a perfectly solid translation of a hugely popular TV format, and I suspect for many of the show's fans it will prove a fantastically addictive enemy of their free time. The general aesthetics of the game are pleasant, with all the familiar sounds of the show and enjoyable caricatures of the hosts reflecting its not-too-serious charm.

I will, admittedly, probably stick to the more pure quizzing domain of QuizUp, but as someone who is sufficiently obsessed with quizzes to maintain an entirely unsuccessful blog about them I'm probably not typical of the Pointless App's target market. While particulars such as the bonuses and no time penalty aren't my cup of tea, that's primarily as someone who's more interested in the quiz itself than the format of the game. The opening-day bugs, meanwhile, will doubtless be ironed out with time.

All this, and more, could be yours for just £1.49!
The success of the show itself is a testament to its excellent fundamentals: common knowledge is ok, uncommon knowledge is awesome. As long as that remained its foundation the Pointless App merely had to avoid disaster to be an enjoyable time-waster - thankfully they've achieved much more than that. I'm optimistic the game will continue to be developed and new features added (a multiplayer mode that simulated an entire show could be spectacular fun with a group of friends, for example), but as-is it's a more than welcome addition to the quiz App scene. I just hope they thought to block access from quarter past five on weekdays: it'll be distracting their audience for months.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For shorter quiz ramblings, follow me on Twitter @statacake

Sunday 23 February 2014

The 27th Amendment to the United States Constitution took over 200 years to be Ratified

Your targets this week:

1+ out of 11: Well done, you beat us!
4+ out of 11: We'd have won with you on our team!

A reminder that The Ones That Got Away below are presented as they were to us. To give you that unique pub quiz experience any inaccuracies/ambiguities are included and addressed in the excuses. (Oh, and you may notice that this quiz featured a round inspired by Black History Month.)

The attendees
1) The statistician
2) The doctor
3) The engineer

The ones that got away
Question 11
1) In describing which of his films did Quentin Tarantino say "we'll sell you the whole seat but you'll only use the edge of it"?
2) The 'Duke of Exeter's Daughter' is another name for which medieval torture device?
3) In which city's airport did a $50 million diamond heist take place in 2013?
4) The number 6.626 x 10⁻³⁴ is associated with which scientist? Hint: the answer fits into a crossword with the following spaces/letters: _ A _ _ _ _ _ _ _
5) Who is Kamala Khan?
6) What was the first original series to be streamed on Netflix?
7) What was the birth name of Martin Luther King?
8) What two word term describes the voyage whereby African slaves were taken to the Americas?
9) Nominated for nine Academy Awards, the film 12 Years a Slave is based on whose memoirs?
10) The 15th Amendment to the United States Constitution gave what to African Americans?
11) Name the person pictured.

The answers


Poll results: 23 votes. 20 of you did better than us of which 5 would have helped us win! The average voter scored 2/11.

The excuses


The alternative questions
1) Six characters in Reservoir Dogs are known by pseudonyms of the form "Mr." followed by a colour. Name four of them.
2) What practice, generally considered a form of torture, involves pouring water over a cloth covering the face of a bound captive causing them to violently experience the sensation of drowning?
3) Along with Pokémon Diamond and the enhanced remake Pokémon Platinum, which organically derived gemstone lends its name to a fourth generation game in the Pokémon series?
4) Name the large telecommunications company whose founder also lends his name to the SI unit of electrical conductance.
5) Nightrunner, a French-Algerian Muslim traceur was recently enlisted to fight crime under the aegis of which DC Comics hero?
6) Lilyhammer is, predictably, set in the Norwegian town and 1994 Winter Olympics host Lillehammer, which means one last hurrah for a topical Winter Olympics question! The Nordic combined event involves competitors competing in which two sports?
7) Which Civil Rights advocate (and widely tipped presidential candidate) was assassinated on June 6 1968 - just two months and two days after Martin Luther King?
8) Which appropriately-named West African country was colonized during the 19th Century largely by freed slaves from the United States?
9) One of 12 Years a Slave's nine Academy Award nominations includes Best Director for Steve McQueen who also won the 1999 Turner Prize. Which Croydon-born artist, whose own entry grabbed rather more of the headlines, did he beat to this particular honour?
10) Given its reference to the 1776 Declaration of Independence, in which year did Abraham Lincoln deliver his Gettysburg Address?
11) The 1356 Battle of Poitiers was a major incident in which (slightly inaccurately titled) series of conflicts?

The answers

Sunday 16 February 2014

Bonus Question
Olympics Quiz!

The Winter Olympics are afoot, and the obligatory late nights (compounded by the rather inconvenient time difference between Sochi and Montreal) mean I've taken some time out of my regularly scheduled quizzing programming. To partly atone for this, then, I've put together a short Olympics quiz!

At two rounds of 20 questions, it shouldn't test the patience of even the least Olympically-inclined individual, and is made up of either things your local pub quizmaster might expect you to know, or things I think are fun. It's unashamedly brief (blame the seemingly endless 5am curling sessions...) - if you have your own favourite Olympic factoids do please let me know (either by commenting below or via Twitter @statacake).

Round 1
1) According to its designer (and co-founder of the modern Olympics) Pierre de Coubertin what do each of the five Olympic rings symbolize?
2) A traditional part of any Olympic opening ceremony is the Parade of Nations, where it is customary for the athletes representing Greece to enter first, and the host nation to enter last. However, this posed a slight problem in 2004 when Athens hosted the Games. What was their solution?
3) How many Summer Olympic Games have been cancelled due to World Wars?
4) Elected in September last year, in which sport did International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach win Olympic gold in 1976?
5) A favourite of quizmasters at this time of year - the tug of war (yes, really) at the 1908 Olympics was a clean sweep as Great Britain took all three medals. What linked the three teams?
6) Iran threatened to boycott the 2012 Olympics in London, complaining that the logo appeared to spell what word?
7) What anthem was played when British athletes won gold medals at the 1980 Summer Olympics?
8) Which events of the 1956 Melbourne Olympics were held in Stockholm, Sweden, due to issues with some competitors entering Australia?
9) With a total of 1010 medals across the nine Summer Games at which they competed, which country has the highest average of medals per Games?
10) In 2012 London became the first city to host a third Olympic Games, but how many times in total has the United States hosted the Olympics (summer or winter)?

The answers


Round 2: pictures!
Pictograms for Olympic sports have been a regular feature since the 1948 Games in London. I've taken five pictograms from each of the two most recent Olympics - Sochi and London - all you have to do is identify the (specific) sports represented.


The answers

Sunday 9 February 2014

The green 'l' in the Google logo supposedly reflects the company's rule-breaking ethos

New! Your targets this week:

1+ out of 9: Well done, you beat us!
2+ out of 9: We'd have won with you on our team!

The team name: This quiz should have a boners round [It featured a special round on sex education]

The attendees
1) The statistician
2) The doctor

The Ones That Got Away
1) A 30 second advert for this year's Super Bowl reportedly cost $4 million. How much did one cost for the 1967 Super Bowl? a) $13,200; b) $37,500; c) $120,000; or d) there were no adverts that year.
2) What was the name of the search engine research project, developed by Larry Page, which ultimately proved to be the precursor to Google?
3) Which car manufacturer originally manufactured aircraft engines, with their logo often (but inaccurately) being claimed as inspired by a propeller?
4) Launched in 1970s but suffering a severe drop in sales in the following decade, what type of product was the unfortunately-named 'Ayds'?
5) How many Israeli athletes were killed in the Munich massacre at the 1972 Olympics?
6) Which year's Olympic Games were said to have acted as a catalyst for the host country's democratization?
7) Which group had a 1991 hit with the song Let's Talk About Sex?
8) Identify this food or drink from three clues:
    a) It was named for the number of ingredients it contains
    b) It was introduce to England from India in the early 17th Century
    c) A version of this is named after a US state
9) Identify this food or drink from three clues:
    a) Its name comes from the Latin for 'pertaining to a pen'
    b) One substitute for this can be hog rectum
    c) It's rich in B vitamins but high in cholesterol

The answers


Poll results: 31 votes. 27 of you did better than us of which 13 would have helped us win! The average voter scored 1.6/9.

The excuses


The alternative questions
1) This year saw Super Bowl XLVIII which, at six characters, is quite a long-winded way of writing the number 48. But which past Super Bowl required seven Roman numerals to write?
2) What single word, when searched for via Google, returns the result "Did you mean: nag a ram"?
3) Recorded on the day of Jimi Hendrix's funeral, which singer-songwriter performed the song Mercedes Benz just three days before her own death, thereby joining Hendrix in the infamous '27 Club'?
4) What do the letters of the condition AIDS stand for?
5) Their name made up of a colour and a month, which organization carried out the Munich massacre?
6) Which renowned quizzer (and member of BBC2's Eggheads) was rewarded for winning the first series of Going for Gold with tickets to the Seoul Olympics?
7) Which character from the (inexplicably popular) Peppa Pig series is currently described as follows on Wikipedia: "He is quite lazy, round in the Tummy and refuses to admit that his tummy is big. He is an engineer or an architect as he is seen in many episodes with blueprints."
8) What device, made of two strips of metal bound around a cotton tape reed, is traditionally used in Punch and Judy shows to give Punch his distinctive voice?
9) Squid are examples of what type of animal, the word deriving from Greek for 'head-feet'?

The answers

Sunday 2 February 2014

The pronunciation of 'Arkansas' was made official by state legislature in 1881

The team name: Cochon Damned

The attendees
1) The statistician
2) The doctor

The ones that got away
1) Logophobia is an irrational fear of what?
2) What are the three main ingredients of a Tequilla Sunrise, as specified by the International Bartenders Association?
3) What are the first names of the two Aprile brothers in The Sopranos?
4) Which actor plays a blind man in the 1989 comedy See No Evil, Hear No Evil?
5) What is the surname of Judge Judy?
6) In which New York borough is Yankee Stadium?
7) What type of fruit is an Arkansas Black?
8) According to the UN World Population Prospects 2010 report, which country has the greatest life expectancy at birth?

The answers


Poll results: 34 votes with the average voter scoring exactly 2.5/8!

The excuses


The alternative questions
1) An open letter in the Daily Telegraph last week sparked ridicule after (incorrectly) claiming that which word does not 'exist' because its first half has a Latin root while the second half has a Greek one?
2) Which English rock band's biggest hit came in 1999 with a song about tequilla? Its lyrics include "Tequilla, it makes me happy, con tequilla, it feels fine".
3) In music, the initialism SATB is used to refer to four major voice types. The S stands for 'soprano', what are the other three?
4) In which 1998 Disney film did Eddie Murphy voice a Chinese dragon named Mushu?
5) Name either of the two comedians who wrote and starred in the late 90s BBC2 comedy This Morning With Richard Not Judy.
6) Named after the title applied to Major League Baseball's chief executive, what trophy is awarded to the annual winners of the sport's World Series?
7) Which appropriately-chosen scientist lends his name to the first personal digital assistant developed by electronics giant Apple?
8) Give the three four letter words, all anagrams of each other, which can mean (i) the Japanese parliament; (ii) to make an alteration; and (iii) the rise and fall of sea level.

The answers