Buzztime Survey

BuzztimeNation · **Joined:** Thu Sep 06, 2018 5:26 pm **Posts:** 26

liljol wrote:

scar wrote:

Last time I did a survey they took away some of the rankings and started repeating games during the week, launching a large player rebellion. Perhaps an insight into coming changes before they are launched could provide a sanity check for you ?

Well, hell. Some sort of attempt to contact players for JUST A LIL INSIGHT might have been welcome before the rollout of Movie Night Trivia and Pop Culture Trivia. :roll:

To me, it is bad enough that these spinoffs of Lunchtime Trivia double whammy Saturdays by both reducing Countdown games and reducing network wide games. The worst part, though, was their introduction during the 2016 Triviapalooza, which destroyed that Saturday not only for those attending, but also for those looking forward to competing with them at other sites throughout the network. Why their introduction was thought by whomever it was to be so incredibly important to insist on doing so that specific weekend will likely never be understood by more than a few of us.

What was Triviapalooza?

BuzztimeNation · **Joined:** Thu Sep 06, 2018 5:26 pm **Posts:** 26

BUD wrote:

Hi Mark, welcome to Scar. Hope some of the old farts, who like things the way they were in 1999, don't bother you too much. :mrgreen:

The BT system must evolve just not too drastically. Please keep the "check ins" and "in game extras" like earning worthless items out of BT. (like medals :roll:

) That kind of kid's video game stuff will drive all the remaining players away. However, very few players (< 5%) used the app anyway, only in a emergency if there are no working tablets. If new features are added only in the app it could be fine.

YOU MUST KEEP THE TABLETS/PLAYMAKERS. Phone only will never work. That question was not in the email version??

First, as director of Marketing not Game Operations which is/was Vladimir, we need to focus on Marketing ideas. What has happened to the networks ads? There used to be a lot of beer, liquor and movie ads, not so much to none now? Also the marketing to the small non chain locations seems to be non existent, what's going on there? There is no need to roll out new things if there are no new locations to offset the locations dropping BT.

I took the survey and was shaking my head at most of the items in the 1st question in the email or the 4th question in the above different survey. 95% of that extra junk is not needed. Please just concentrate on getting the app to actually work as well as the tablets!!! The old iPhone version was slow to respond and rarely would get through a game without freezing up. (playing on my Verizon LTE data, not wifi)

The ability to connect with other players would be a plus.

More non BWW locations is the huge key to more players and players staying longer.
Also maintaining the stability of the system in terms of "all tablets locking up" during game play still needs to be addressed. It has been better, but not gone. Yes, I know that's a question for Operations not Marketing.

Thanks for joining Mark and hope you stop back in when you can.

Thanks for the warm welcome and the great feedback. I certainly appreciate the POV that this group of players brings and wholeheartedly agree that the experience needs to be enhanced without too much disruption. Your input is critical in that effort.

BuzztimeNation · **Joined:** Thu Sep 06, 2018 5:26 pm **Posts:** 26

MitchWolf wrote:

I did the survey ... Gave good input to it

Right on thank you!

BuzztimeNation · **Joined:** Thu Sep 06, 2018 5:26 pm **Posts:** 26

Brutus wrote:

I'm one of the younger fairly regular players around here that I'm aware of and even I don't use the app much. I only use it if I can't get a playmaker/tablet in time for the game or if there isn't one available. Based on this survey, if there are thoughts of going away from tablets/playmakers completely, I think you will lose a large portion of players you still have without gaining new ones. Like many people, the biggest things I see are that you need more locations and you need better training when you do an install at a location.

Most of the questions on the survey are not going to mean much at all to your core players.

It's clear a lot of players in this community really like the tablets and classic playmakers. We do want to develop the app so that it becomes at a minimum on par with the tablet. Unlike most in this community, there are a lot of players outside of it who prefer to use the mobile app. We definitely don't want to lose you guys!

-BO- · **Joined:** Wed Mar 10, 2010 3:20 pm **Posts:** 2291

BuzztimeNation wrote:

Appreciate all the feedback and really see an opportunity to expand our footprint in SD and rest of CA to make it easier for our players to connect and compete. Tried looking up BadFart and couldn't locate what you're referring to...

BadFart? That's greatness.

Badbart is a yahoogroups message board for NTN/Buzztime players that has been running for 20 years now.

BUD · **Posted:** Mon Oct 15, 2018 11:51 am

BuzztimeNation wrote:

liljol wrote:

For what lil it may be worth, as of a moment or two ago this lil old grump shared the links to this thread and the survey to the BadBart Facebook page, for the benefit of those there not subscribed here.

Appreciate all the feedback and really see an opportunity to expand our footprint in SD and rest of CA to make it easier for our players to connect and compete. Tried looking up BadFart and couldn't locate what you're referring to...

That is BadBart not Fart. :lol:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1122495 ... 5/?fref=nf
There is a BadBart yahoo group as well.
Bart was BT's side face logo from the late 80s/early 90s. Check out the old playmakers in the BT lobby.

Wheelie was a BT employee and regular contributor on here. He was in a wheelchair hence his name. He was let go from BT in one of the down sizings many years ago. There hasn't been much BT voice on here since.

The main problem with the phone app besides being slow compared to the tablets is the loss of phone use while using the BT app. Most people play for 2, 3, 4+ hours. We need our phones for other things, we would miss BT questions answering our texts, calls, emails etc. (unless we buy a second phone just for BT, which won't happen) Then there's the killing of the battery at a quick rate. Too much to even consider using the phn app full time. I'll guess the majority of those using the php app are only playing a 1/2 hour or so.

Triviapalooza is a yearly BT get together with players coming from all over the country. BT sends in about 75 tablets to the venue.

Thanks for getting back on here when you can.

Gogetem · **Joined:** Mon Jan 11, 2010 11:31 am **Posts:** 785

Maybe I missed it, but I saw no reference to OS11. The app does not work with the new OS. BT has said that they plan to do nothing to update the app so that it will work. This means that anyone that gets a new iPhone is out of luck as far as the app is concerned.

BuzztimeNation · **Joined:** Thu Sep 06, 2018 5:26 pm **Posts:** 26

-BO- wrote:

BuzztimeNation wrote:

Appreciate all the feedback and really see an opportunity to expand our footprint in SD and rest of CA to make it easier for our players to connect and compete. Tried looking up BadFart and couldn't locate what you're referring to...

BadFart? That's greatness.

Badbart is a yahoogroups message board for NTN/Buzztime players that has been running for 20 years now.

I guess i read that wrong. Still like the idea of it being call BadFart FWIW!

BuzztimeNation · **Joined:** Thu Sep 06, 2018 5:26 pm **Posts:** 26

Gogetem wrote:

Maybe I missed it, but I saw no reference to OS11. The app does not work with the new OS. BT has said that they plan to do nothing to update the app so that it will work. This means that anyone that gets a new iPhone is out of luck as far as the app is concerned.

The app currently doesn't work on anything beyond OS10. We are working on bringing the app back by end of year.

liljol · **Joined:** Sun Jan 10, 2010 8:41 pm **Posts:** 2497

BuzztimeNation wrote:

What was Triviapalooza?

Well, hell. Triviapalooza is/was a player organized gathering held once a year, most recently in August. In its early years it was well supported by Buzztime - not only would a rep spend the weekend, but a good amount of Buzztime swag would be provided the attendees. I'll leave it to others to add other details.

liljol · **Joined:** Sun Jan 10, 2010 8:41 pm **Posts:** 2497

BuzztimeNation wrote:

-BO- wrote:

BuzztimeNation wrote:

Appreciate all the feedback and really see an opportunity to expand our footprint in SD and rest of CA to make it easier for our players to connect and compete. Tried looking up BadFart and couldn't locate what you're referring to...

BadFart? That's greatness.

Badbart is a yahoogroups message board for NTN/Buzztime players that has been running for 20 years now.

I guess i read that wrong. Still like the idea of it being call BadFart FWIW!

Well, hell. Maybe there was an inadvertent finger fumble, considering that the F key is not that far from the B key.

liljol · **Joined:** Sun Jan 10, 2010 8:41 pm **Posts:** 2497

BuzztimeNation wrote:

It's clear a lot of players in this community really like the tablets and classic playmakers. We do want to develop the app so that it becomes at a minimum on par with the tablet. Unlike most in this community, there are a lot of players outside of it who prefer to use the mobile app. We definitely don't want to lose you guys!

Well, hell. Assuming that Mobile App will be updated to work with iOS 11, suggest including some sort of restriction that would allow it to work only if devices are within proximity of a subscribing site, and especially so if enhanced capability includes being able to see questions and choices on devices.

Brutus · **Posted:** Tue Oct 16, 2018 7:44 am

liljol wrote:

BuzztimeNation wrote:

What was Triviapalooza?

Well, hell. Triviapalooza is/was a player organized gathering held once a year, most recently in August. In its early years it was well supported by Buzztime - not only would a rep spend the weekend, but a good amount of Buzztime swag would be provided the attendees. I'll leave it to others to add other details.

Yeah, as others have said, this happens yearly, most recently was at Ben's PourHouse in Boston back in July. There was Buzztime Swag and BT did have about 70 boards or so there. Last year was in Texas, and previously many years in SW Ohio. Next year is planned for Chicago the third weekend of July (at least as of now). The last time a BuzzTime rep showed up that I remember was Jamie Hilton 3 years ago, although someone may have been at Texas but I didn't make that one.

Rackme32 · **Joined:** Sat Jan 30, 2010 5:13 pm **Posts:** 272

liljol wrote:

Well, hell. Assuming that Mobile App will be updated to work with iOS 11, suggest including some sort of restriction that would allow it to work only if devices are within proximity of a subscribing site, and especially so if enhanced capability includes being able to see questions and choices on devices.

iOS 12.

Also, the Sitefinder needs a total rewrite. As it is now, it's nearly useless.

Gypsy · **Posted:** Wed Oct 17, 2018 7:32 am

BuzztimeNation wrote:

Unlike most in this community, there are a lot of players outside of it who prefer to use the mobile app. We definitely don't want to lose you guys!

You’re saying that you have personally met someone who *prefers* the app?

I live on my phone. I travel extensively and I do everything but create powerpoints on my phone. I’m writing this right now on my phone, in about a 2-pt type, maybe smaller. I have apps for everything.

I was always the first to offer up a playmaker to use the app, but I absolutely did not *prefer* it.

The numbers on the app are in a different order than they are on a tablet for some of the games. If you’re playing one of each, that can cause a delay. The app simply didn’t work much of the time and would kick me out. The only value of the app during play is that it was another board.

The best part of the app for me was that it would locate the nearest Buzztime bars. I would like the app to come back for that alone. Whenever I got to my hotel room, I’d open the app and it would ask where I was playing and show me the five nearest bars. That was fanstastic and I definitely miss that. But to play on it? Nope. Only useful when we ran out of boards.

GYPSY

I find it very difficult to believe that anyone preferred the app to the playmakers.

scar · **Joined:** Sun Jan 10, 2010 6:57 pm **Posts:** 2218

Anyone who preferred the app didn't care about their score, IMHO.

DRoll · **Joined:** Wed May 23, 2018 5:03 pm **Posts:** 42

Our team (BWW-Kent) relies pretty heavily on the app. This has become even more prevalent as the number of working tablets continues to decrease at the restaurant. Several of us, including myself, have not upgraded our iOS for several cycles or have brought older phones/tablets so everyone can have a device.

The restaurant's WiFi can be spotty, so the ability to play on the app using data is often helpful. We have had issues with players being kicked out of the app, but this seems to have decreased a bit recently.

Obviously, we are an outlier, but the app has been used quite heavily our team, and we are hoping that it does make a full return.

GONE D · **Joined:** Mon Sep 19, 2016 9:33 am **Posts:** 710

Gypsy wrote:

The app simply didn’t work much of the time and would kick me out. The only value of the app during play is that it was another board.

NCYCLO at the Tailgate plays on his phone every Tuesday for this very reason. There are nine of us squeezed together on a pair of four-tops, and usually he and SPOON, the only two of the nine who have the phone app, sit at the other end of the table, but last week I was sitting across from NCYCLO during Showdown (he doesn't play Brainbuster), and the app kicked out on him 7-8 times in an hour. I lost count. There was an almost incessant stream of nearly polite mutterings coming from him, so I had to ask, "Is this unusual?"

"Not really." He always switches to a playmaker when one becomes available.

Gypsy · **Posted:** Wed Oct 17, 2018 1:08 pm

I delayed updating my operating system as long as I could, but eventually I had to acquiesce when I bought a new phone. I hope they bring back the app compatible with iOS12, but I would never choose to use my phone if a playmaker were available

liljol · **Joined:** Sun Jan 10, 2010 8:41 pm **Posts:** 2497

Well, hell. Knowing well that others here and elsewhere will not agree with me, nevertheless the time seems right to level a longstanding, serious criticism on Buzztime's question writing.

For far too long, for Lunchtime Trivia and Countdown format questions with five choices, too often one of the choices is an obvious throwaway. If the writers were doing so to try to be funny, it is way overdue that this stop. Most of the time the throwaway choices are NOT funny, and reflect poorly on Buzztime's product quality.

There was a time when one weekly game, Glory Daze, was written that way deliberately. It did serve its purpose as a comic relief change of pace. However, Buzztime's question writers have played this forward into the general question database ad nauseam.

Suggest that maximum consideration be given to not only stopping the writing of general database questions with silly throwaway choices, but also reviewing existing questions and replacing throwaway choices with more challenging ones. As noted before, the product quality suffers greatly due to the excessive throwaway choices.

Gypsy · **Posted:** Wed Oct 17, 2018 8:16 pm

Hey, LILJOL, what is the liquid in your veins called? :lol:

-BO- · **Joined:** Wed Mar 10, 2010 3:20 pm **Posts:** 2291

I was lucky enough to be one of the first to field test the tablets when they were released nearly six years ago. The test is described in detail with pictures here. viewtopic.php?f=43&t=2169

I noted two major(IMO) issues with the tablet involving game play at that time, to this day I don't believe either of them have been rectified. Please check out the thread. Thanks.

This is the time of year I REALLY miss QB1.

Jim · **Joined:** Sun May 08, 2011 9:39 am **Posts:** 294

The great thing about the phone app is that it allows people to log in from home or work and get players plus points without playing a game or spending a penny. It's amazing how many people on the players plus leader board get more points a day than their game play would earn. It's important to improve the phone app to keep these people.

SoCal RHYNO · **Posted:** Thu Oct 18, 2018 8:42 pm

Jim wrote:

The great thing about the phone app is that it allows people to log in from home or work and get players plus points without playing a game or spending a penny. It's amazing how many people on the players plus leader board get more points a day than their game play would earn. It's important to improve the phone app to keep these people.

Agree with Jim here. I mentioned this in the survey as my No. 1 problem with the app. Nothing like spending way more money and getting way less PP+ than those playing the app at home. I realize PP+ points aren't everything in this game but it used to be a good indicator of one's dedication to the game.

-BO- · **Joined:** Wed Mar 10, 2010 3:20 pm **Posts:** 2291

Jim wrote:

The great thing about the phone app is that it allows people to log in from home or work and get players plus points without playing a game or spending a penny. It's amazing how many people on the players plus leader board get more points a day than their game play would earn. It's important to improve the phone app to keep these people.

SoCal RHYNO wrote:

Agree with Jim here. I mentioned this in the survey as my No. 1 problem with the app. Nothing like spending way more money and getting way less PP+ than those playing the app at home. I realize PP+ points aren't everything in this game but it used to be a good indicator of one's dedication to the game.

WTF? I was assuming Jim's post was sarcastic, or at least hoping.

If you are not in a BT site you should not be able to login and get credit for anything, even if that something is totally useless. Who gives a crap if the people that never visit a site never login again?

Cell phone GPS is accurate enough now that BT could easily reduce the distance to 0.25 mile in order to login to a site.

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