1 vs. 100 (2009 video game)
A live multiplayer game show for Xbox 360.
1 vs. 100 was a free, ad-supported Xbox 360 game that turned the TV trivia show into a live multiplayer event. Hosted by avatars, it pitted a single player against a hundred others, with thousands more watching and competing as the crowd. Microsoft ended it after two seasons, though revival rumors emerged in 2021.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Microsoft Game Studios
- Composer
- Anthony Phillips
- Released
- November 19, 2009 (WW)
- Genre
- Game show
- Modes
- Multiplayer
- Platforms
- Xbox 360 (Primetime)
Facts from the source article.
Summary
The game was released in two formats: 1 vs. 100 Live and 1 vs. 100 Extended Play. In the Live version, a single player, called The One, competed against a hundred-player group known as The Mob, while everyone else made up The Crowd. The One could earn up to 10,000 Microsoft Points, and if The Mob managed to eliminate The One, its members split the prize and each got an Xbox Live Arcade game. The top three players in The Crowd also received an XBLA title. Both hosts and participants appeared as Xbox Live Avatars. The game was offered at no cost to Xbox Live Gold subscribers, with funding from advertisements. Each season ran for 13 weeks, featuring 30-minute Extended Play sessions and two-hour live episodes on Tuesdays and Fridays (Fridays and Saturdays during the first season). Season 2 launched on November 19, 2009 in France, Germany, the United States, and Canada, and the following day in the United Kingdom and Ireland. On July 15, 2010, Microsoft announced there would be no third season. In November 2021, reports surfaced that a revival was in development at AltspaceVR, part of Microsoft’s Mixed Reality division.
Gameplay
At the start of each 1 vs. 100 Live round, one player was selected as The One and 100 as The Mob, based on weekly, round, and season scores. The rules mirrored the television show: a question with three choices was posed to both The One and The Mob. If The One answered incorrectly, the game ended and the prize money was split among The Mob. If correct, Mob members who answered incorrectly were eliminated. The payout increased for every tenth Mob member eliminated. The One could quit with winnings at intervals or continue. The Crowd allowed hundreds of thousands of players to compete alongside The One and The Mob; the top three Crowd members won an Xbox Live Arcade game. The Crowd also provided one of three 'helps' The One could use to lock in an answer: Trust the Mob (majority of The Mob's answer), Trust the Crowd (majority of The Crowd's answer), or Trust the Top 10 (majority of the 10 top-scoring players in the current round; called 'Trust the Brain' in season 1, using the top performing player). If The One failed the first three questions, helps were used automatically. Crowd performance improved chances of being selected for The Mob or The One, based on speed, accuracy, and number of questions answered that week. A player could be The One only once per season and a Mob member once per Primetime episode. Each season offered an additional 200 gamerscore. Extended Play eliminated The One and the crowd, making all players part of a limitless Mob in a 30-minute show with 37 questions. No prizes were awarded in Extended Play, but participation increased selection chances for Live episodes. Players could submit questions via a web interface.
Development
Manuel Bronstein, director of 1 vs. 100 for Microsoft Studios, described the game as the realization of Microsoft's 'vision for programmatic interactive experiences' delivered via Xbox Live Primetime. Originally scheduled for November 2008 with the 'New Xbox Experience' update, it was delayed along with other Primetime content. Bronstein noted that the game was in development for over a year due to technical challenges, such as ensuring hundreds of thousands of people saw the host and answered questions simultaneously while handling prizes and preventing cheating. Microsoft met with producers of American Idol and Survivor before partnering with Endemol and selecting 1 vs. 100 'because of its social elements.' Joerg Bachmaier, senior VP of digital media for Endemol, said the Xbox Live version was a replication of the show on another platform, but more active. Microsoft called the first season a 'pilot season,' with future seasons dependent on advertiser revenue. Sprint and Honda each paid around $1 million to sponsor the first season. Ex Machina provided technology and services for the multiplayer trivia application, including a content management system for questions, answers, metadata, and multimedia, with real-time leaderboards. An open beta for Canadian gold subscribers ran from May 8 to May 24, 2009, and was extended to the USA on June 1, 2009. On July 10, Microsoft began awarding actual prizes in the North American beta. The beta season lasted 13 weeks, ending August 31, 2009. The UK open beta began July 10, 2009, and Germany and France on July 12, 2009.
Reception
Yahoo Games reported they 'found it very hard to put down the controller' during a press play test, and while the game might not 'revolutionise primetime entertainment,' with proper publicity Microsoft could have a winner. Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins of Penny Arcade commended the game for its authentic game-show atmosphere and natural social avatar-based gaming, contrasting it with perceived flaws in Sony's PlayStation Home. The game was downloaded over 2.5 million times, leading Microsoft to extend the beta season by two weeks. Microsoft claimed the North American version surpassed the Guinness world record for 'most contestants in a game show' with over 114,000 simultaneous players.
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