Microsoft Cancels 1 Vs. 100, Plans 'Future Programming'

After a successful two-season run, Microsoft will no longer run 1 vs. 100 on Xbox 360, the broadcast game programming based on the television trivia show of the same name. The game's official site displays "A Fond Farewell," with the show set vacant and gently darkened. In a statement to media outlets, Microsoft Game Studios GM Dave McCarthy said: "When we started on this journey, we knew we were creating an entirely new genre of entertainment that would be a continually evolving concept." "We're very proud of the 1 vs. 100 team and their accomplishments, and are excited to apply what we've learned to future programming," he added. 1 vs. 100, a game show that challenges users to balance their own knowledge of trivia with that of a "mob" of an initial 100 users, aired in the U.S. and the U.K. in 13-week seasons starting in November 2009. Users could be selected to be the "one" or join the mob, and gameplay sessions were later run with programming content and interviews with industry special guests. It's apparently been a constructive way for Microsoft to experiment with live, ad-supported game content, as the program has always been free to Xbox Live Gold subscribers. Tracking firm Nielsen chose the game as the focal point of a recent analysis on Xbox Live play habits and demographics, finding that players averaged more than 70 minutes of continuous playtime during sessions of 1 vs. 100 -- although the live event showed higher engagement, with average playtime coming in at 87 minutes. During the show's first season -- which was never referred to as a "first season" at the time, suggesting that it was the success of that initial run, not a long-term plan, that led to further programming -- Microsoft said that the show drew some 114,000 simultaneous contestants at peak.