Fans of the popular live streaming trivia app, HQ Trivia, were in for a real treat Wednesday night. For the first time ever, an HQ Trivia game was sponsored by a third-party. According to reports, Warner Bros., the company behind the blockbuster Ready Player One, struck a sponsorship deal with HQ Trivia for $3 million. The sponsorship resulted in a six-figure jackpot ($250,000), which was split among the winners of Wednesday night’s game.
Ready Player One Meets HQ Trivia
For those of you who don’t know, a standard HQ Trivia game typically requires the player to answer 12 increasingly difficult questions in a row to win. However, on special occasions such as this, the rules are a bit different. Wednesday night’s game, for example, required players to answer an additional 3 questions in order to win. On top of this, most of the questions were based on the 80’s pop culture references that make up the film. By the end of the night, only 12 “HQuties” remained, winning over $20,000 each.
I WON THE BIGGEST HQ GAME EVER!!!! @hqtrivia pic.twitter.com/0WbRYpXM65
— J Varn (@jasonvarneyy) March 29, 2018
While the massive jackpot was certainly exciting for players, there was some concern that advertisements could ruin the game. But after seeing how the event was handled, it’s safe to say there’s no need for concern. While both HQ Trivia and Warner Bros. put some serious effort into promoting the crossover event, it certainly did not take anything away. There were no in-game ads playing between questions or annoying product placements. Instead, beloved host Scott Rogowsky simply incorporated some Ready Player One references into his typical pregame speech. Add in some Ready Player One themed questions and that was about the extent of the in-game advertising.
After the success of this sponsored event, one thing is for certain: there will be plenty more in the future. At the very least, Warner Bros. $3 million deal covers an additional two events. While we don’t have any details on these events yet, they’re sure to draw millions of players, just like Ready Player One.
Did you get to experience the HQ Trivia – Ready Player One crossover event? Are you excited for more of these events (and bigger cash prizes) in the future? Let us know in the comment section.
