這款應(yīng)用可能是電視的未來(lái)

在大多數(shù)日子的下午3點(diǎn)和9點(diǎn)，全美各地的千禧一代都會(huì)停止手頭正在做的事（無(wú)論他們是在工作，參加宴會(huì)，還是在喝酒），轉(zhuǎn)而收看每天兩次的HQ Trivia直播。這款移動(dòng)應(yīng)用是一檔直播的12個(gè)問(wèn)題游戲節(jié)目，通常會(huì)吸引多達(dá)40萬(wàn)參與者——超過(guò)美國(guó)有線新聞網(wǎng)(CNN)白天電視觀眾的一半，盡管它其實(shí)并沒(méi)有社交網(wǎng)絡(luò)，并且將用戶生成的內(nèi)容保持在最低限度，更不用說(shuō)每天有98%的時(shí)間都是離線的。

HQ似乎無(wú)視移動(dòng)視頻制作的一切規(guī)則，但越來(lái)越多的評(píng)論家認(rèn)為它可能是“電視的未來(lái)”。

這款應(yīng)用是由視頻分享應(yīng)用Vine的聯(lián)合創(chuàng)始人打造而成。 Vine被Twitter收購(gòu)，后來(lái)被關(guān)閉。HQ的魅力在于它挖掘了一個(gè)令人上癮的利基市場(chǎng)：瑣事。除此之外，它的另一大創(chuàng)新是將實(shí)況視頻游戲化，用真金白銀為參與者提供獎(jiǎng)勵(lì)（獎(jiǎng)金通常在1千美元到1萬(wàn)美元之間，由贏家分享，不管贏家有多少人），并且邀請(qǐng)一些富有魅力的節(jié)目主持人輪流主持——其中包括備受喜愛的“智力測(cè)試?yán)系彼箍铺亍ち_戈夫斯基——任何一位參與者都有可能一炮而紅。但正如《精靈寶可夢(mèng)Go》這類游戲所示，任何轟動(dòng)一時(shí)的新玩意都有可能成為明日黃花。這種良好氛圍能夠持續(xù)下去嗎？

首席執(zhí)行官魯斯·尤斯圖夫已經(jīng)遇到了麻煩。他在一篇傳閱甚廣的文章中威脅要解雇羅戈夫斯基。（不久之后，兩人在Twitter上發(fā)布了一張氣氛愉快的合影，對(duì)這個(gè)過(guò)節(jié)一笑置之。）就在這款應(yīng)用的制作商據(jù)稱正在尋求1億美元估值之際，競(jìng)爭(zhēng)正在變得日益激烈：匿名社交網(wǎng)絡(luò)Yik Yak的一位聯(lián)合創(chuàng)始人，為iOS和安卓設(shè)備打造了一款名為The Q的競(jìng)品。不難想象Facebook也在醞釀打造一款類似應(yīng)用。HQ或許非常棒，但它很容易模仿。這一點(diǎn)是毫無(wú)疑問(wèn)的。（財(cái)富中文網(wǎng)）

譯者：Kevin?

Most Days at 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. millennials across the country stop what they’re doing—be it work, dinner parties, or drinks—and tune into twice-daily broadcast of HQ Trivia. The mobile app, a live 12 question game show, regularly draws about 4000,000 players—more than half the daytime audience of CNN. That’s despite having virtually no social network, keeping user-generated content to a minimum, and being off-line 98% of the day.

HQ has seemingly defied every rule for mobile hitmaking, and yet increasingly, reviewers gush it just might be “the future of TV.”

The app was built by the cofounders of Vine，the looping video service acquired (and later shuttered) by Twitter. Its charm lies in mining an addictive niche: trivia. Add to that the program’s gamification of live video, real money payouts (typically $1,000 to $10,000 split between however many winners), and a rotating cast of charismatic show hosts—including the beloved “Quiz Daddy” Scot Rogowsky—and you’ve got yourself a viral sensation. But we’ve seen what can happen to faddish playthings (see Pokemon Go). Can the good vibes last?

CEO Rus Yusupov has already run into trouble, threatening to fire Rogowsky in a much-read article. (The two laughed it off in a jovial Twitter photo soon after.) And even as the app’s maker reportedly seeks a $100 million valuation, competition is mounting: A cofounder of Yik Yak whipped up a competitor, The Q，for iOS and Android, and it’s easy to imagine Facebook making a knockoff too. HQ may be brilliant, but it’s straightforward to imitate. On that, there’s no question.