The last couple of nights I’ve been checking out the Canadian beta for 1 vs 100 on Xbox Live. The premise behind the game is similar to the popular game show of the same name. You have “The One” facing off against “The Mob” of 100 other players. The twist to it is that it’s all playable online over Xbox Live, so pretty much anyone with a Gold XBL account can play and be picked to play. Those who aren’t picked to be the one or the mob gets to play as part of the crowd. The live version of the game has a real host and the whole thing is presented like an authentic game show.

1 vs 100 the one

So far I’ve played the extended play version of the game, which is simply a half hour, 37 question quiz, open to everyone. By playing it you can improve your chances of being picked to the mob or as the one. The Canadian beta features exclusively questions pertaining to Canada, which is quite cool. I have to say of all the stuff on Xbox Live this is what I’ve enjoyed the most. I’m not a hardcore gamer myself, so I find that playing a game that requires smarts instead of dual analog dexterity appeals to me.

After playing it a couple nights my only beef with the game is how it won’t actually tell you where you rank in the scoring hierarchy. I know from what I can glean from the limited stats they offer that I’m in the top 10-15% of players, but since I don’t rank outside the top 10 there is no info on how well I’m doing in the game. There have been over 7000 other people playing when I’ve been on, so it would be nice to know how I’m stacking up.

I’m totally giving props to Microsoft for this whole thing. It really is an innovative idea and great use of the Xbox Live service. It just feels like this could be the next wave of entertainment. Game shows onto themselves are very universal, so giving people the opportunity to get in on the action at home just feels natural. If you have a Gold account on XBL this game is definitely worth checking out. The beta is running until May 24th, so you still have a couple days to get in on the fun.