One of SPOnG’s favourite Xmas pastimes was getting our elderly relatives in front of the telly and showing them Buzz! The Music Quiz. So we were happy to hear that Sony is planning the next in the Buzz! Series, scheduled for release this Easter, the cunningly titled, Buzz! The BIG Quiz.
Buzz! The Music Quiz is a game that is unashamedly mainstream, in that pretty much anybody can pick it up and play it. Apart from that is, the under-10’s in SPOnG’s Christmas household, who, after the Christmas turkey had been demolished, just sat there and looked a bit bemused at granny getting all over-excited because she’s had one too many Snowballs.
To denominate the fact that the quiz is big, it is BIG in BIG CAPITAL LETTERS. SPOnG first misread this as Buzz! The BIC Quiz, which lead us onto all sorts of strange ponderings on the fairly limited possibilities for a quiz about shaving bits and pieces [Ed: or cheap pens that have been chewed to much, they're next to useless].
But no, this is more than a quiz about disposable razors [or pens], and, as you could probably guess, it’s also more than a quiz just about music. Questions in Buzz! The BIG Quiz could be on anything, with picture, audio and video clips covering subjects from film and sport through to music and the slightly annoying, zany presenter Buzz's own brand of crazy general knowledge.
Buzz! The BIG Quiz extends the format of the last version and adds in a little bit more cut-throat competitiveness, giving contestants more chances to steal points from each another in new rounds like 'Hitman'. Lots of the popular rounds also return, such as the pretty hectic 'Pass the Bomb' round. Why change a winning format?
Buzz's new studio also has room for up to eight players, so contestants from Buzz! The Music Quiz can enjoy the ultimate quiz show experience!
The major selling point of what is now the Buzz! Quiz series, in SPOnG’s opinion, are the innovative controllers. A monkey, even a stupid monkey, could quite easily be trained to use the big red buzzers.
Buzz, the game’s presenter, according to the Sony press release issued yesterday, has the following to say about the game: "After the success of my groundbreaking new format show Buzz! The Music Quiz, I knew that SCEE would soon be back knocking at my door. I have of course had other offers but am delighted to stay with my friends at SCEE... of course this is about more than money, it's about giving full flow to my creative genius!"
He, of course, didn’t say any of this, as he is a made up character in a game designer's head. The above quote was written by a kooky PR person at Sony who is, somewhat misdirectedly attempting to build up the character into something of an icon. They also went on to tell us a load of stuff about Buzz’s assistant, Rose, ‘"the ultimate gameshow babe!" It’s not important, so we’ll not repeat it.
Here at SPOnG we think this is possibly not the best marketing strategy. Just push the fact that the game has got massive red buzzers that any idiot can use, even your batty old gran when she’s high on advocaat and lemonade. Then it will fly off the shelves even faster this Easter.
Guesses on what Sony will call the inevitable third iteration of the Buzz! Quiz series this coming Xmas in the forums below please.
Buzz! The Music Quiz is a game that is unashamedly mainstream, in that pretty much anybody can pick it up and play it. Apart from that is, the under-10’s in SPOnG’s Christmas household, who, after the Christmas turkey had been demolished, just sat there and looked a bit bemused at granny getting all over-excited because she’s had one too many Snowballs.
To denominate the fact that the quiz is big, it is BIG in BIG CAPITAL LETTERS. SPOnG first misread this as Buzz! The BIC Quiz, which lead us onto all sorts of strange ponderings on the fairly limited possibilities for a quiz about shaving bits and pieces [Ed: or cheap pens that have been chewed to much, they're next to useless].
But no, this is more than a quiz about disposable razors [or pens], and, as you could probably guess, it’s also more than a quiz just about music. Questions in Buzz! The BIG Quiz could be on anything, with picture, audio and video clips covering subjects from film and sport through to music and the slightly annoying, zany presenter Buzz's own brand of crazy general knowledge.
Buzz! The BIG Quiz extends the format of the last version and adds in a little bit more cut-throat competitiveness, giving contestants more chances to steal points from each another in new rounds like 'Hitman'. Lots of the popular rounds also return, such as the pretty hectic 'Pass the Bomb' round. Why change a winning format?
Buzz's new studio also has room for up to eight players, so contestants from Buzz! The Music Quiz can enjoy the ultimate quiz show experience!
The major selling point of what is now the Buzz! Quiz series, in SPOnG’s opinion, are the innovative controllers. A monkey, even a stupid monkey, could quite easily be trained to use the big red buzzers.
Buzz, the game’s presenter, according to the Sony press release issued yesterday, has the following to say about the game: "After the success of my groundbreaking new format show Buzz! The Music Quiz, I knew that SCEE would soon be back knocking at my door. I have of course had other offers but am delighted to stay with my friends at SCEE... of course this is about more than money, it's about giving full flow to my creative genius!"
He, of course, didn’t say any of this, as he is a made up character in a game designer's head. The above quote was written by a kooky PR person at Sony who is, somewhat misdirectedly attempting to build up the character into something of an icon. They also went on to tell us a load of stuff about Buzz’s assistant, Rose, ‘"the ultimate gameshow babe!" It’s not important, so we’ll not repeat it.
Here at SPOnG we think this is possibly not the best marketing strategy. Just push the fact that the game has got massive red buzzers that any idiot can use, even your batty old gran when she’s high on advocaat and lemonade. Then it will fly off the shelves even faster this Easter.
Guesses on what Sony will call the inevitable third iteration of the Buzz! Quiz series this coming Xmas in the forums below please.
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Comments
DoctorDee 20 Jan 2006 10:00
1/4
What's best about Buzz, apart from the great party spirit of spitefullness and hatred it engenders, is how completely unlike the songs they are meant to represent the ones in the game sound.
Of course, they couldn't licence all the real songs, so they do hideous K-Tel style imitations, without words. They kind of sound like they are played on a farfisa organ, by a retard with no hands.
So as well as working out if the song in question is "From the 70's", "On Motown Records" or "Recorded by Dead or Alive (3.5)", you also have to work out what the song in question is. Sometimes this is impossibly hard, even if it's your favourite song ever, by your favourite band ever, the singer of which you once had after-gig sex with, and you were just listening to it on your iPod 20 seconds before playing the game.
Tons of fun for all!
Of course, they couldn't licence all the real songs, so they do hideous K-Tel style imitations, without words. They kind of sound like they are played on a farfisa organ, by a retard with no hands.
So as well as working out if the song in question is "From the 70's", "On Motown Records" or "Recorded by Dead or Alive (3.5)", you also have to work out what the song in question is. Sometimes this is impossibly hard, even if it's your favourite song ever, by your favourite band ever, the singer of which you once had after-gig sex with, and you were just listening to it on your iPod 20 seconds before playing the game.
Tons of fun for all!
Jay 20 Jan 2006 12:49
2/4
That's a bit of an over-exaggeration - the majority of the music in there is OK. But some of the tunes, admittedly, are terrible covers, which is a bit of a piss-take in a quiz game that is solely based upon listening to audio clips.
The game is still a good laugh though, but I can't help but feel that it's a bit of a rush job and could have been so much more. Maybe they'll get it right with this next one...
The game is still a good laugh though, but I can't help but feel that it's a bit of a rush job and could have been so much more. Maybe they'll get it right with this next one...
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Jay 20 Jan 2006 13:49
3/4
That's a bit of an over-exaggeration - the majority of the music in there is OK. But some of the tunes, admittedly, are terrible covers, which is a bit of a piss-take in a quiz game that is solely based upon listening to audio clips.
The game is still a good laugh though, but I can't help but feel that it's a bit of a rush job and could have been so much more. Maybe they'll get it right with this next one...
The game is still a good laugh though, but I can't help but feel that it's a bit of a rush job and could have been so much more. Maybe they'll get it right with this next one...
DoctorDee 21 Jan 2006 20:27
4/4
Jay wrote:
That's a bit of an over-exaggeration - the majority of the music in there is OK
It's a great game, to be sure. But the music sucks.
It's sooooo badly played.
I'll only answer the once if that's OK with you.