So what’s better than Trivia Night at the bar? How about Live Game Show Trivia Night at the bar! On Tap sat down with District Trivia’s Nick Groves and Jared Stern to learn about what’s in store for the future of bar gaming. Launching at Tommy Joes on Mondays starting July 30 and Acre 121 on Monday August 6, Nick and Jared are unleashing a whole new concept that will turn your run-of-the-mill trivia night into something fresh, interactive and exciting. Using themes from three popular game shows, Weakest Link, $25,000 Pyramid and Family Feud these trivia studs are introducing Game Show Trivia Night. You wanted more DC – well, now you’ve got it!
On Tap: Tell me about live “Game Show Trivia Night”.
Nick Groves: First let me say, this idea has been percolating since September 2010. Our goal was to come up with something that would be as big of a draw as trivia, but even more interactive. We wanted to use a different format and because everybody loves game shows we decided to create a live game scenario. We decided on Weakest Link, $25,000 Pyramid and Family Feud because they all allow a large number of players at any given time. So we got
together with our software developer R. Winston Shideler of WinstonGames.com, and designed a format that would allow one host (per bar) to run the show. The graphics are great and the functionality works plus [it] gives bars and customers another option!
OT: How is this new live game show experience different?
NG: What’s interesting about this concept – it’s a partial stage show/partial game show. It’s fast paced. We do our short little interviews with the players just like they do on TV. In the audience people will be drinking, having fun, rooting on their favorite players and listening to all the ridiculous answers that are given. We designed this experience to fit within a two hour block and each game is played twice. For example, if we start with Weakest Link, we play the game exactly as it’s played on TV – you go around, answer the questions, bank the money, vote people off and at the end of it you’ll have a winner and that winner gets a spot in the final showcase showdown at the end of the night. After that, those 10 people sit down and we bring up 10 more and play $25,000 Pyramid and so on.
OT: So tell us about the prizes? Can you really win $25,000?
NG: (Laughs) Well, maybe down the road. Right now District Trivia does have a plan for game show tournaments with a possible top prize of $18,000. For regular game show night, prizes range from gift cards [and] bar tabs, to $1,000 cash prizes.
OT: Any “interesting” experiences so far?
NG: We did our beta test at the Barking Dog in Bethesda. Honestly, we were surprised and amazed at the unbelievably hysterical answers people were giving. This one couple, during the pyramid game, they picked the category “magic” and the first word that came up was “trick” so the guy looks at his girlfriend and says “what’s something that a hooker does for money?” and his girlfriend responds “makes penises disappear?” We were like, ha-ha, ok, not exactly – it was great! You know, the right host is important, too, and they are part of what makes the experience. For family feud we want a Richard Dawson, for weakest link we want a British chick who will insult people – personality is everything.
District Trivia will be expanding Game Show Trivia Night to ten area locations by November 1. For more information on District Trivia and how to participate in Live Game Show Trivia, visit www.districtentertainmentllc.com.
