first Trivia "pub" nights in virtual reality are here

"Virtual reality is linking players from around the world"

"Selfie" Photo of Buckerooni and Murderlirious in Bigscreen VR App for Occulus and Steam

Written By: Kevin Cochrane, Published June 13, 2019

​Lights illuminate the studio, and your eyes focus on the camera, hoping they’re not bulging like a cartoon character. Your flushed face signals what your soaked armpits already understand. You’re in it now. The camera swivels when your introduction sequence initiates. You hear your life distilled into a three-point package: occupation, hometown, and name. Hello, game show world, your skittish smile announces. My friends and family have told me I’m pretty good with trivia. I’m not so sure now, because I think I’m going to faint before we even make it out of the intro. But you’ve studied, logging the miles through topics from contemporary hip hop to ancient funeral rites. You consumed quality books from all kinds of genres, always with a notepad next to you, scrawled with insights and observations. You’ve traveled widely, and when you do, you’re not a tourist. You inhabit your travels, locating yourself in all the experiences and sights, glazing over nothing and accumulating knowledge with each footstep. So, of course, you’re terrified. But underneath those sweat glands, an elated confidence bubbles. No more practice tests. No more shouting answers from the couch. You’re competing in the moment and against other elite contestants. And you’re going to do more than just show up… Yet you haven’t expended a single frequent flyer mile or packed a suitcase. It’s a Thursday night, and a few friends have gathered in your apartment for this moment...

Virtually reality accomplishes what physical game shows can’t—access for all. By their nature, game shows must retain the element of exclusivity because of limited slots.

Screenshot of Unknown VR Dude from Bigscreen VR App for Occulus and Steam

But virtual reality opens up a new front in your trivia night battles through digital technology. With a head-mounted display and either a gaming console or VR system, you can enter into an immersive world.
 
Through the head-mounted display, VR generates a simulated environment like video games, except now, you’re the character. Sensors respond to your eye and hand movements, and the graphics shifts accordingly so you can operate as if you’re embedded in the environment.
 
Your trivia night forecast has been altered forever.
 
You and your friends can play trivia games through VR, whether it’s a game show format like Fat Bottom Trivia or Music Trivia Party.
 
Life commitments can make it difficult to gather for trivia night at physical location on a consistent basis.  VR provides a broader scope of options for gameplay, whether it’s meeting under the same roof or linking up online via different residences. We have officially gone global, and already hosted players from countries around the world. So far, only in English... but 2019 has been a great year so far, and it ain't over yet!

The social gaming element of VR takes your trivia battles beyond physical boundaries, pitting individuals and teams with competitors across the globe.

Hop online and match wits with like-minded challengers from Rio de Janeiro, Nairobi, Hong Kong, Brussels. Pick your continent, and you’ll find a clash of intellects waiting. Even in your home region, where proximity prevents a physical gathering, online VR connects you with those you otherwise wouldn’t have met.
 
This has already been accomplished in console gaming, such as with Madden tournaments. But the immense potential concerning the combination of VR and trivia games has become increasingly apparent. Now, the competitors themselves can act as the hosts and producers of virtual game shows. Imagine them establishing connections, organizing tournaments, and matching competitors with the level of difficulty they’d like to participate in.
 
Additionally, the fresh range of competitors can increase the palette of questions, where game creators receive contributions from reputable competitors. What better experience is there than to walk away from a game learning something new because you competed with those from other nations and cultures?
 
So you can have your Bigscreen experience, whether you’re on a business trip in your hotel room, at home with your kids, or gathered together at a VR tournament. When you can’t go to the studio, the studio comes to your eyes and your home.

With a mind packed full of trivia, it’s time for you to don the head-mounted display and deploy all that knowledge. Good games, good friends, and even better topics are waiting! 

"Selfie" Photo of Buckerooni and Everyone in "Buckerooni's Trivia Room"
Using Bigscreen VR App for Occulus and Steam

​To find out more about these possibilities, please find us on our discord server:  https://discord.gg/6cWTYq6