PlayStation LifeStyle » Buzz!

Buzz! Dev Exclusivity Runs Out, Looks Toward Digital Pastures

Kishen Patel — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 03:02:40 +0000

The PlayStation exclusive trivia game series, Buzz!, from Sony Computer Entertainment Europe has been around since the PS2 days. Although the property itself is under Sony’s control, the development exclusivity by Relentless Software with the publisher has ended. Now that they are freed from Sony’s leadership, what’s next for the Buzz! developers?

In an interview with the now independent developers, co-founder of the studio, Andrew Eades, explains that the next step in the team’s vision is to disembark from retail releases and explore the digital distribution market. According to Andrew Eades:

“Our real strategy going forward is to change the company from a disc-based, console games company only–which is what we were, we were only PlayStation 3, we were only console, we were only quiz, in fact. We wanted to change the company to have much more breadth and embrace the new digital platforms we saw coming in.”

So what’s wrong with the retail market for the developers of Buzz! and Blue Toad Murder Files? In the words of the studio co-founder, retail space is simply geared towards the hardcore:

“The whole retail market is becoming very much about pillar titles for a hardcore audience –so we have to find a new way to get to our audience, and that is digital, episodic, various different platforms – including PlayStation, that remains our main platform.”

Also cited in the interview with GamesIndustry.biz is the differences between a franchise like Buzz! and another like Call of Duty. Without a doubt, both franchises may require the same sort of attention during the development process but, when it comes time to ship, the casual versus hardcore appeal of the respective titles don’t warrant the same multi-million dollar marketing push for both titles.

When it Comes to New PS3 Titles… You Don’t Know Jack

Mike Hartnett — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 22:48:55 +0000

Ah 1995, the original PlayStation had been out for a year with sales a’ blazing, Coolio was sitting pretty on the Billboard top 100 chart, and a certain gentleman by the name of Jack, of whom you don’t know, was smart-mouthing his way into PC gamer’s hearts. Well, Jack is back… with a vengeance, and this time around he has his sights set on the PS3.

THQ has confirmed that the classic trivia hit You Don’t Know Jack will be heading to the PS3, 360, Wii, and DS on January 25th, 2011. Needless to say, the PS3 and 360 versions will feature full online support so you and your friends can compete to see who really “knows Jack”. This newest iteration will feature classic game modes “DisOrDat” and “Jack Attack”, along with the new “Wrong Answer of the Game” mode. Trivia buffs should be on the lookout, as the original You Don’t Know Jack really stood out when it released back in ’95 and will definitely give Buzz! a run for its money.

Be sure to stay tuned to PlayStation LifeStyle, as we’ll be sure to bring any and all new details on this title as we get em’!

[Source]

Buzz! Quiz World – PSP Review

Anthony Severino — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 18:47:12 +0000

Buzz! Quiz World! for the PSP aims to capture the same game show themed trivia fun you’d have in your home with the console versions of Buzz!, but with the added ability to take the trivia on the go with you. Buzz! is back as your host ready to quiz you (and your friends or family) with a broad variety of questions, modes, and more.

Like all Buzz! games, you’ll be given various trivia questions for you to answer. Questions are asked in accordance with each themed mode. Some modes have you looking at pictures, listening to music, or being asked your standard text questions. The questions range from moronically easy, to outright difficult and frustrating. The game boasts over 3,000 general knowledge questions, which you can expand upon by purchasing downloadable add-on packs. We tested out the video game pack priced at $2.99, which we conclude to be a must have addition to the game.

Since this is the PSP version, you wont be using the buzzers the franchise has become famous for. Instead answers are mapped out across the PSP’s face buttons, which can get a tad confusing when you are acting in haste to beat the timer. However, that will not get in the way of your enjoyment.

The game’s presentation is flawless; it’s easy to understand, it’s slick, exciting and colorful. Even more colorful is the host, Buzz’s, personality. If you’ve played other Buzz! games you’ll already know of Buzz’s zingers, although he’ll find new ways to humiliate you this time around.

Unlike most portable versions of console games, Buzz! doesn’t sacrifice any feature. In fact a it offers more in the way of variety when it comes to the modes available on the portable version, with a robust single player mode. The single player mode is a bit tedious; it’s set up like a tree, and you’ll need to answer a certain amount of questions in a certain amount of time to earn points. You’ll need points to proceed past each stop in the single player “tree”. As your reward, the single player mode gives you a chance to work toward unlocking additional characters to play as.

Where the game really shines is in it’s multiplayer modes, available in both infrastructure and ad-hoc, allowing you to play Vs. friends near and far. By far the most enjoyable would be the pass and play modes so you can see the look on your friends faces as you show them your trivia skills.

Sick of the questions the game offers? Make your own questions at MyBuzzquiz.com and play them online. Not that creative? Give someone else’s created questions a try. Sadly you cannot actually download these questions, so you’ll have to be online to play the MyBuzz quizzes, and you’ll only be able to play them in single player mode.

Buzz! busting your chops a little too much? You can take Buzz’s place as in the unique “quiz host” mode where you’ll be able to ask up to 6 of your friends questions, keep score, and ultimately deciding who out of your friends is the best at trivia.

Overall Buzz! Quiz World for the PSP does what it aims to do, it brings the same trivia with attitude you know and love from the PS3 to the PSP, so you can take it anywhere in the world you go. However the franchise is much better suited for use in a home with buzzers as the game was originally intended, something that just cannot be replicated on a portable gaming device.

PlayStation LifeStyle’s Final Score

Over 3,000 questions

Slick, colorful presentation

Expandable though DLC or MyBuzzQuiz.com

PS3 Review – Buzz! Quiz World

Anthony Severino — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:41:08 +0000

Buzz! Quiz World, the second game of the highly-successful Buzz! franchise to grace the PlayStation 3 has just been released in time for the holiday season. With so many games under the Buzz! name, what makes this one worth your purchase? We buzz in with the answer inside our full review…

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Buzz!, here’s a quick run-down of what to expect from the series. Buzz!, the comical, chop-busting game show host will ask you various questions, chosen from 10 “chief” categories such as sports, music, etc. To shake things up beyond your normal trivia, each round has a “twist”. One round has you tossing a bomb with a lit wick back and fourth in a question-answering game of “hot potato”. Another example has you trying to buzz in as fast as possible, and if you answer correctly before the other contestants you get to chuck a pie in their face; two pies and you’re out! You compete in these themed rounds until you reach the Final Countdown which puts you atop a slowly depleting pedestal until only one contestant is left standing.

Buzz! Quiz World at first seems like more of the same. However, this time around there is much more variety, not just in the questions themselves, but in the available game modes and rounds as well. There’s also new contestants and new buzzer sound effects (my favorite is “tequila”).

Along with your standard game mode, there are other modes that change up the way the rounds are presented to you. One such mode lets you completely tailor the experience to suit your desires. Another sets you up to play only the “crazy” game rounds. Once you select your preferred game mode, you’ll see another feature new to the series.

You’ll be asked to input the first letter of your name. From there you are allowed to select a name from a preset list of names. There is a reason for this preset list, as Buzz! will actually speak your name during the course of the game. Nifty feature right? WRONG! Immediately two of the people who I roped in to test the game with me were alienated as their names weren’t on the list. One person was forced to choose “babe” and the other “ziggy”. I was even unluckier thanks to my name, Anthony, being included on the list, which resulted in me being obnoxiously referred to as Tony for the entire duration of the game. This was annoying enough to keep me from choosing my own name on future games.

PlayStation Release Horizon 11/09/09

Kishen Patel — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:03:37 +0000

While these last few weeks have been big in terms of AAA-title releases (and spending budgets for that matter), this week will undoubtedly be the most impactful to the industry as a whole. But in case you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years, find out what’s the big deal in this weeks PlayStation releases.

PS3 -

PSP -

Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble (11/10)
Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 (11/10)

PS2 -

Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 (11/10)
Dora the Explorer: Dora Saves the Crystal Kingdom (11/12)

Since we already know what’s going to be on the majority of the population’s purchase list, what ELSE will you be getting?

Decide What You Want In The Blue Toad Home Space

Sebastian Moss — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:26:26 +0000

PlayStation Home, the PlayStation 3‘s avatar based virtual community, has grown in leaps and bounds since it’s official launch nearly a year ago with a wide variety of Home spaces from various top games as well as the mysterious alternate reality game Xi. One of the most popular spaces on the online platform was the Buzz! Home space, based on Relentless Software‘s award winning franchise. At this year’s Eurogamer Expo PlayStation LifeStyle managed to ask Relentless Software‘s Producer, Jade Tidy, whether their newest game, Blue Toad Murder Files, would also be getting a Home space.

Tidy told PSLS that:

“I’d love to have one, the Buzz! one went down really really well, and I’d love to do something, like murder in the dark, or something like that. At the moment we just don’t have time, we just need to finish making the game first of all, because we are still working on the later episodes, but yeah, if we can do something like that in the future, I’d love to do it, I’d love to hear people’s suggestions of things that they like for it as well, so if you’ve got any come on to our forum and give them to us”.

Check out PlayStation LifeStyle’s entire video interview here.

PSLS Interview – Jade Tidy From Relentless Software

Sebastian Moss — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:12:01 +0000

At this year’s Eurogamer Expo PlayStation LifeStyle had a chance to interview Jade Tidy, producer of Blue Toad Murder Files, from the award winning Buzz! creators Relentless Software, covering everything from the game to Home spaces, motion control and much more.

Check out the full interview below:

Click here to view the embedded video.

The first episode of Blue Toad Murder Files: The Mysteries of Little Riddle is due out in December on the PlayStation Network, exclusively for the PlayStation 3.

First Screens Revealed for Blue Toad Murder Files

Cameron Teague — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 02:48:41 +0000

Relentless Software, developers behind the widely popular Buzz! quiz games has released screenshots for its upcoming game Blue Toad Murder Files. This will be the companies first self-published game and is set to release on the PlayStation Network December 17th.

In the game 1 to 4 players will be given the task of Investigating murders and interrogating citizens in the town of Little Riddle. You will also be using your powers of observation and search for clues as you try to unravel the mystery. The game will be played across 6 episodes with over 90 puzzles to be solved and will be exclusive to the PlayStation 3.

If you would like to learn more about the game then check out the recently setup webpage at http://www.bluetoadmurderfiles.co.uk. Here you can check out Murder Files, Download Wallpapers and go behind the scenes.

[Source]

Buzz! Quiz World Boxarts Revealed

Kyle P. — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 07:49:27 +0000

SCEE has released the final box art for the newest addition to the Buzz! series, Buzz! Quiz World. Buzz! Quiz World will feature two versions, the first is a standalone game which retails at $39.99, while the second version includes the game and a whopping four buzz controllers. What fun is Buzz!, when you are by yourself?

Buzz! Quiz World hits stores shelves later this year.

[Source]

Scene it? Pressing on the PS3 Buzz!

Kishen Patel — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:08:43 +0000

When Scene It? was announced for the PlayStation 3, it was only natural for Buzz! owners to wonder if they needed to purchase all-new controllers, or use the DualShock 3 exclusively. This, however, has been answered for trivia fans all over.

Since the PS3 version is not planned to be released with handheld peripherals, like its 360 counterpart, this can both be great news and disappointment for prospective buyers of Scene It? If casual trivia fans are willing to purchase Scene It? for the PS3 but do not already have Buzz!, why not just get the other?

With the ability to create your own quizzes and DLC already on the PlayStation Store, will you purchase Scene It? if you already have Buzz! for PS3 or would you rather just play with your controller? Post your thoughts in the comments below.

[Source]

Buzz Quiz World Fact Sheet

Kyle P. — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 08:00:33 +0000

Buzz Quiz World Fact Sheet

Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc.

Developer: Relentless Software

Genre: Social Gaming/Trivia

Players: 1-8 Players

Platform: PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) computer entertainment system and PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable) system

Peripherals: BUZZ! wireless Buzzers for PS3

Launch Date: Holiday 2009

The BUZZ! franchise is back and better than ever with the series’ encore performance on the PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and the PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable) system, BUZZ! Quiz World. Developed by Relentless Software, BUZZ! Quiz World provides an ultra-realistic quiz show experience, putting you and your friends in the contestants’ seats.

BUZZ! Quiz World for PS3 allows players to define their BUZZ! quiz experiences exactly how they want with several new customization and personalization options. Players can choose to play a short or long game and they can even select the round types and question topics.

BUZZ! Quiz World for PS3 tests players’ trivia talent with over 5,000 new questions, enhanced online multiplayer “Sofa vs. Sofa” action, and exciting new rounds and characters, all in a glitzy new TV-studio setting. Utilizing the fun and easy-to-use BUZZ! wireless Buzzers helps players to top off this totally immersive quiz show experience.

BUZZ! Quiz World for PSP boasts online infrastructure support for the first time. Now, not only are there over 3,000 new general knowledge questions in a bigger and better single player mode, players can also access MyBUZZ! content on-the-go. BUZZ! Quiz World for PSP will also be supported post-launch with additional PSP-specific expansion Quiz Packs available on the PlayStation Store.

KEY PS3 FEATURES

BUZZ! puts you at the heart of the show – With hundreds of player names to choose from to create your own personal profile, BUZZ! now gives commentary in the game about you, your family and friends and how you’re playing!
Make the game you want to play – Choose the rounds you want to play, the subjects you want to answer and make the game you want to play in the most customizable BUZZ! quiz game yet.
BUZZ! Quiz World for PS3 features over 5,000 new general knowledge questions including hundreds of pictures and videos.
New rounds and new contestant characters add more fun to your quiz. Send your friends into the goo in the new ‘Over the Edge’ round, or prey on your opponent’s knowledge in ‘On the Spot.’
Take on friends and family with 8 player local multiplayer quizzing.
Go online with the enhanced ‘Sofa Vs. Sofa’ mode and challenge the nation, or the world!
Download extra premium quiz packs exclusively from PlayStation Network and extend your quiz experience.
Create your own quizzes with MyBUZZ! about any topic imaginable and add them to your game. The quizzing now need never end!
Get Your BUZZ! Face On’ with PlayStation®Eye support – Take pictures during your BUZZ! games at key moments and relive your highs, lows and glorious victories!

KEY PSP FEATURES

New single player mode – Challenge the four quiz boards to show you’re a true Quiz Master and earn new trophies and unlockable characters.
BUZZ! Quiz World for PSP offers over 3,000 new general knowledge questions including hundreds of pictures and videos.
Exciting 6 player ‘Pass Around’ quizzing that requires just one PSP to get your party buzzing!
Play 4 player online infrastructure mode and take on other quiz fans across the world, or share you game with up to four other PSP owners with Game Sharing.
New MyBUZZ! support – Download and play MyBUZZ! UGC quizzes directly on your PSP. Wherever you are, you will never run out of quizzes again!
Download extra premium quiz packs exclusively from PlayStation Network and extend your quiz experience.
New multiplayer and solo rounds and new contestant characters add more fun to your quiz.

Buzz! Up Your Home Space

Anthony Severino — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 12:33:16 +0000

Home has received another game space today. This time in the form of the Buzz! HQ. The Buzz! HQ will pit 64-players against each other in a battle of wits. The game is very fast paced, requires team work, and the Buzz! buttons are interactive.

To answer questions in the game space you will have to step onto the correct colored button before time runs out. The Home community management will be around the space all day today, so make sure to look out for them. PS Blog has updated to let us all know that they are currently experiencing glitches in the space right now and are working to fix it right now. I have included a video below for everyone to see the wacky fun to be had in the space.

Click here to view the embedded video.

As always, stay here on PlayStation Lifestyle for all the latest news on your favorite console.

[Source]

Buzz!: Quiz World First Details

Kyle P. — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 02:03:22 +0000

Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) has announced at E3 2009 that its global hit franchise Buzz! is about to get bigger, better and even more personal with brand-new title Buzz!™: Quiz World for PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) and PSP™ (PlayStation®Portable). The world’s favourite sharp-witted gameshow host Buzz! has been busy preparing a general knowledge experience that’ll knock your brains out in an all new, ultra-personalised experience that makes you and your friends the stars of the show. With brand new rounds, characters and more play options than ever before, the greatest quiz show on Earth is about to get even better when Buzz!: Quiz World arrives later this year for PAL territories.

The PS3 version has your name all over it – literally. Buzz!: Quiz World lets you build your own personal player profile and tracks how well you’re doing – not through a leaderboard but through the words of Buzz himself. He’ll address you by name and he’ll keep notes on what you’re good at and what you’re not – and he’ll make you, your family and friends giggle with personal quips when you least expect it.

As well as 5,000 brand new questions, the game features new characters, new rounds including a highly messy gunge tank round (so watch your outfit), and a new range of game modes that let you choose exactly how you want to play – whether you fancy a quick, fun game with your friends, or a seriously entertaining clash of general knowledge brainpower with your family, Buzz!: Quiz World lets you decide. Sofa vs. Sofa online play has also been given a boost – now, with 8 player match ups for PlayStation®Network quiz battles.

The PSP version sees a whole raft of portable Buzz! firsts that makes it an irresistible offer to people who like to take their trivia on the go. As well as the 4,500 questions that you get with the game, Buzz!: Quiz World gives you access to the MyBuzz! quiz online portal so you can personalise your quiz with questions that you and other players have written – previously a PS3-only feature – and you’ll also be able to download extra quiz packs from PlayStation®Store to tailor your game to your favourite topics.

And – just as exciting – this new title lets PSP Buzz! fans play online with other players from around the world, as well as with up to four friends in the same room. There’s a new, improved Pass Around mode too where six players can play with just one PSP, passing it between them for shared trivia action – and an enhanced single player mode that lets you unlock new characters and earn trophies to prove that you’re a bona fide quiz master.

Whether you like to play on your own or with friends, at home or on the move, against Buzz! or against gamers across the world, Buzz!: Quiz World gives you all the choices and features you need to make you the star of the show. Arriving late 2009, it’s the most impressive, most versatile and most downright enjoyable Buzz! title ever – so get your trivia muscles warmed up and prepare to bash those buzzers.

BUZZ! is Hitting HOME

Kyle P. — Thu, 28 May 2009 23:24:35 +0000

Recently announced on the PS Blog; BUZZ! is the latest game to be getting the Playstation Home space treatment.

BUZZ! HQ will test the knowledge of yourself, and 63 other players, in a trivia show-like environment! The objective of the space is for the player to run around the environment, answering as many questions as they can. Something interesting to note is that the questions will be coming straight from fellow players!

All of the questions will be derived from the MyBuzzQuiz Website. No release date has been given for this interesting, yet, highly-original space.

Click here to view the embedded video.

[Source]

Visit The PlayStation Oasis

Azariah Ellington II — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 00:49:14 +0000

Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. (SCEA) will offer fans the opportunity to play, create and share with the PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) computer entertainment system as well as benefit a global environmental charity during the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival (Coachella), April 17 – 19 in Indio, CA.

For this year’s Coachella, SCEA has aligned with Global Inheritance, who designs interactive environmental programs to educate and inspire the next generation of activists. SCEA will make a cash donation to Global Inheritance, once 1,000 text messages are received from festival attendees during each day of the three-day event. To participate, attendees will take a photo of a JAGTAG (a 2D barcode) located inside the PlayStation area with their cell phone, then forward that photo to 524824. They will then receive a multi-media message back from Sackboy™, of the highly original and innovative first-party title, LittleBigPlanet™. SCEA’s donation to Global Inheritance, a fellow partner of Coachella, will assist the charity’s efforts to make recycling and alternative energy more of a reality.*

SCEA is hosting a lounge called the “PlayStation® Oasis” which is an interactive getaway for fans to experience the multiple features of the PS3 system, including gaming, videos, photos, music, network and home entertainment. The PlayStation Oasis is complete with air-conditioning, lounge chairs and internet connectivity for attendees to check email, post photos or watch videos via the PS3 systems. To add to the ambiance, a custom-created playlist of Sony® Music Entertainment artists who are attending Coachella, such as Cage the Elephant (April 17th), will be playing in the background.

At the PlayStation Oasis, attendees will be able to navigate some of the unique levels in the highly original world of LittleBigPlanet™, test their knowledge of music and Coachella through custom-designed quizzes on the ever-popular Buzz!™, and try rescuing a princess on the new PlayStation®Network title Fat Princess™. They will also get to see sneak peek trailers of some of the most exciting titles to come to the PS3 system this year, including InFamous™ and Ratchet & Clank®Future: A Crack in Time. Additionally, attendees can experience floating through clouds and blowing flower petals on the revolutionary Flower™, swing through a virtual garden on PixelJunk®Eden or test their gaming skills on titles such as Crash Commando™.