Working with that metaphor, my foot got stuck somewhere on the sidewalk.

Drop the Bomb is a trivia game created by a two-man development team of myself, Cory Anotado, and Joshua Roehrig. The game took six months to develop, and one month to test. The goal of the game was to create a popular trivia game which had a heavy replay factor and the ability to “go viral” and spread using social networking websites. Even with testing and development, there were problems with distribution and code that seriously hindered the success of the game.

The original design called for a challenging quiz game with stunning graphics and intense game play. To meet this design visually, I started with creating the graphics in Photoshop. I wanted the game to feel grungy and industrial, as an homage to the “bomb” part of the title. Distressed, scratched metals and steam are almost omnipresent in the design and layout of the game’s graphical user interface. The music used in this game was graciously donated by Craig Stuart Garfinkle, who composes music for television game shows such as Russian Roulette on the Game Show Network. The composition, entitled Black Box, is a hard grunge rock song with industrial distortion.

The gameplay was designed homage to two classic game shows by famous game show  creators and producers Jack Barry and Dan Enright: The Joker’s Wild and Bullseye. Drop the Bomb’s gameplay is split into two rounds: The Question Machine and the Bonus Plant. In the Question Round, the player must answer questions delivered by the Question Machine. Each contract of questions consists of a category, an amount of questions and a dollar amount. The player should then answer every question in the contract correctly to continue. If the player answers a question incorrectly, the player gets a strike and the contract ends. Three strikes and the player’s game is over. If, when the player receives his contract, a Bomb appears instead of a dollar amount, then the player must answer every question in the contract. If the player gets a Bomb question incorrect, then her game is over instantly.

If the player correctly answers enough questions to accrue $5,000, then he moves on to the Bonus Plant. Here, the game shifts from a game of skill to a game of luck. In the Bonus Plant, the player receives one spin for as many questions as she answered correctly during the Question Machine round. When the player takes a spin, the Bonus Plant machine’s windows reveals three dollar amounts. Those amounts are added together and added to the jackpot. The player can then choose to spin again if there are any spins remaining. If a Bomb appears in any of the windows, then the jackpot is reduced by half. The round ends if the player opts to bail out of the round, the player uses all his spins, or if three Bombs appear during the course of the round.

The game features extra features for social networking and monetization. With special assistance from Newgrounds.com founder and developer Tom Fulp, Drop the Bomb was able to add support for Newgrounds Medals, which are achievements linked to a user’s Newgrounds account. The same application programming interface, or API, used to access the Medals are also used in Drop the Bomb to serve advertisement to players. Using technology available from Mochi Media, an in-game high score board with the ability to use Facebook Connect to compete with Facebook friends was also implemented. The Mochi Media high-score board also allowed for tracking how many times the game was played.
On the content side of the game, 500 questions created between myself and Joshua in varying categories. Originally, the plan was to write the questions to maintain a difficulty level equal to a $8,000 or $16,000 question on Who Wants to be a Millionaire?. As time went on, however, the questions ranged in difficulty from simple, common-knowledge questions to esoteric, truly trivial questions.

After launch, several problems existed that truly hindered the success of this game, all of which were made clear by the many commenters worldwide at our release point, Newgrounds.com.

The first concern that a large part of the players of this game showed concern about was the American-centric nature of the questions. The World Wide Web is just that: worldwide. Despite the best efforts of myself and Joshua to write questions that were as neutral as possible to cater to as wide an audience as possible, many of the questions were based on American culture, such as American politics, American music and American movies. Even though I thought televisions shows such as Family Guy or influential topics such as World War II had mass interest, it seems as if a worldwide audience thought otherwise. “…there’s one thing that I very much dislike, and that’s the fact that it’s so US-centric. I imagine it’d be difficult for you to avoid for topics like ‘TV,’ but for ‘Movies,’ ‘Sports’ etc., it really should be possible to come up with questions that even an international audience will have a chance at answering,” says reviewer Schneelocke. Frustration ran deep for reviewer FFKonoko: “Christ, this couldn’t be much more biased towards America. How about some more questions that require knowledge of the rest of the damn world, please?”

The second content-related concern was that the questions were too difficult. Reviewer Vortigern noted, “However, there is no real progression of difficulty in this game. You jump in and BAM, you’re hit with a random, incredibly difficult question from out of left field.” Reviewer Nuse took the esoteric nature of some of the questions and criticized it thusly: “This game is crazy, does anyone REALLY know all these type of things? I mean really, how am I supposed to know what the guy down the street fed his dog last night at 11:52. Come on, these questions are soooooooo narrow it is impossible to really win unless you get lucky.”

One code-related problem came in the form of problems that only existed online. Glitches with the Newgrounds Medals and the Mochi Media high score board that never came up during development interfered with achievements during the game. Many complaints of not being able to achieve certain medals ran rampant in the feedback section of the Drop the Bomb page on Newgrounds.com. Although during testing, I was able to attain every medal, once the game was put online, several medals were unattainable. Also, an exploitable glitch came up when three bombs appeared during the Bonus Plant. The game would loop between the high score board and the Bonus Plant, resulting in multi-million-dollar high scores that are otherwise unattainable. That pads the high score board with fraudulently-attained scores, adds more work for myself to maintain the high score board and turns people off from trying to attain high scores by playing again.

Other complaints gave constructive criticism and suggestions for future iterations of the game. One major request was a choice of difficulty levels. People wanted a choice of difficulty levels in order to fully enjoy the game. To do so would require little more work on our part and is something that will seriously be considered in different games.

The game itself isn’t bad. It’s, for the most part, solidly coded and a fun experience. With 500 questions, it can take a while for a player to get a repeat question. The game rewards players who exhibit both intelligent skill and sheer luck. Drop the Bomb has excellent graphics and features that promote interactivity. However, the short-sightedness of anticipating our target audience in both knowledge base and knowledge level as well as unexpected errors with third-party software hindered the success of what could have been an amazing game.

Cory’s Top Five Mash-Ups

1. Low Groove (Flo Rida vs. Earth, Wind and Fire) by Party Ben. My theory: putting lousy rap songs to vastly superior 70s-era funk or disco will always equal something awesome. This makes Flo Rida’s annoying, unbearable “Low” not just tolerable, but rather awesome.

2. Single Ladies (In Mayberry) (Beyoncé vs. The Andy Griffith Show) by Party Ben. Now, this is a mash-up. Here’s the formula: take two songs which could very well be considered polar opposites, and jam them together like uncomfortable cousins at a staged wedding. Bonus points: mash up the video. Give this one a listen, and you’ll be simultaneously tickled pink and bewildered. (And if you haven’t already figured this one out: Party Ben’s one of the best and most popular mash-up artists on the intertubes. Get to know his work; it is the best.)

3. Sweet Home Country Grammar (Nelly vs. Lynyrd Skynyrd) by DJ Mei-Lwun. Here’s another great example of taking two songs which are basically polar opposites and mashing them up together. The reason I like songs like this is that, on a very deep and metaphorical level, it can show that people’s differences only separate them so much, and that if used properly, differences can bring people together. (That’s a little too deep for something as silly as mash-ups. I apologize.)

4. Yeah In The Sun (Weezer vs. Usher, Ludacris and Lil Jon) by DJ Mike. The entire Jay-Zeezer album (which is Jay Z’s Black Album remixed with Weezer’s Blue Album) is a wonderful experiment that stands up to the test of time, mainly because the Black Album is amazing, and the Blue Album is one of Weezer’s finest. Mix them together skillfully, as DJ Mike did, and you have yourself a fine album. The mash-up I’m focusing on, however, is a bonus track on the Jay-Zeezer album, and it’s Island in the Sun by Weezer, mashed up with Usher’s Yeah song. It’s a jammin’ tune. (Peace up, A-Town down.)

5. Jam on Sesame Street (The Sesame Street Theme vs. Newcleus). To end this top-five, I’m throwing a new favorite that I haven’t gotten sick of yet. Take the hot 80s flow of rap group Newcleus and mix it with a sped-up version of the theme to the children’s show Sesame Street (which I still consider sacred ground; no one fucks with Sesame Street without respect and reverence. Those puppets taught me how to read, damnit) and you’ve got a real cool jam that is difficult to not dance to.

Cory’s Top Five TV Shows

1. Arrested Development. I know I say that these aren’t in particular order, but I’ll be damned if Arrested Development isn’t the most clever, funniest and smartest show that ever aired on network TV. Every character plays their part to the fullest in every episode, and the complex foreshadowing that only become funny after watching a few times. The funny keeps up enough that watching the same episodes over and over don’t get old, they get better, like a fine wine. Buying the DVDs would not be a huge mistake.

2. Scrubs. Ignoring the current season that’s airing on ABC (mainly because it’s fresh, new and should be treated as a spin-off anyway), Scrubs is one of the few single-camera sitcoms that I could, again, watch over and over again. The story lines are interesting, and the fact that the entire show was taped pretty much in one giant hospital-cum-production lot is the icing on the cake. Coupled with the fact that every episode has at least one song to go and buy from iTunes, Scrubs runs the gamut for entertainment.

3. The Price is Right. Christ, again with the game shows. Yes, yes, it’s a game show, but it is an influential game show. It’s single-handedly shaped the landscape of daytime television. It’s given us catchphrases, a wicked awesome fight scene, numerous Family Guy skits and something to look forward to when you’re home sick from school. Its format hasn’t changed in over twenty years and even though people give Drew Carey a hard time, he’s still a great host for a show that remains an American institution.

4. Law and Order. In the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate, yet equally important, groups: the police, who investigate crime, and the district attorneys, who prosecute the offenders. Law and Order has been the de facto standard for procedural crime shows since its inception in 1990. (Christ, it’s been almost 20 years.) Even though the people change, the times change, and the courts change, the intrigue that the show (and its spin-offs, which are almost as good, if not better, than the original) provides in its hour-long slot leave little to be desired.

5. Chappelle’s Show. Now almost long forgotten, Dave Chappelle’s foray into sketch comedy was another game changer that deserves frequent second looks. As Richard Pryor did in the 70s, Dave Chappelle used racial stereotypes and taboos in order to not just be funny, but for America to take a long hard look on how race is treated in the modern age. Sadly, the show was canceled after the third season due to someone crossing the line, and if Dave Chappelle thought the line was crossed, then the line must have been very crossed. Still, the shows are a humorous and poignant look at race issues in America.

Cory’s Top Five Podcasts

1. The Rachel Maddow Show. MSNBC’s most logical and smartest host (just barely eking out Keith Olbermann), Rachel Maddow’s full show appears on a one-day delay on iTunes. Full show. 40-some odd minutes. For free. That shit is insane. Thank you, MSNBC.

2. The Preston and Steve Show. Preston and Steve are two of the funniest morning DJs in the world. Howard Stern is lame, fuck Danny Bonaduce and any other morning show on radio, despite what you think, is inferior to the Preston and Steve show. If you disagree with me, subscribe to Preston and Steve for a week. Listen to the show and, if after 5 days, you don’t love this show, then I will give you a cheesesteak for your valiant efforts.

3. Old Jews Telling Jokes. I am extremely not Jewish, but I still find Old Jews Telling Jokes very funny. There’s no surprise about what this podcast is about: it’s a bunch of old Jewish people, backed with years of telling their corny jokes, in front of a plain white background, telling the corny jokes they’ve told for years and years. And yet, something about an old geezer telling an extremely dirty joke? Never gets old.

4. The Onion News Network. This shouldn’t even need to be said. Consistently rated five stars on iTunes, the Onion News Network is truly America’s finest news source. Taking satire further than satire has ever been taken before, it’s refreshing to see someone stick it to not just cable news, but morning shows, government access and sports news, all in one podcast. It’s a must-watch.

5. This American Life. The greatest magazine show in the history of media. It’s like 20/20, but better, more touching, more… pertinent. Ira Glass has his timing down pat, the stories selected always fit the theme of the show, and the themes of every episode are engaging and intriguing. This is another one of those “if you’ve never listened before, listen a couple times” and I guarantee, you will love it.

Cory’s Top Five Movies

1. Slumdog Millionaire. The combination of dynamic storytelling, amazing visuals and a surprisingly accurate portrayal of a game show make for the best movie of 2008, by far.

2. Quiz Show. Yeah, yeah, I know. Two movies with game shows in them. Rest assured, dear reader: White Men Can’t Jump will not appear just because Rosie Perez’s fine ass appeared on Jeopardy!. Robert Redford’s directorial debut chronicling the rise and fall of the 1950s quiz show is less about the game show and more about the drama between everyone involved.

3. Up. I’ll admit it: the movie made me cry. Then it made me laugh. Then it intrigued me. Then it warmed my heart. Just like a good Disney movie should. Pixar has a hard time doing any wrong.

4. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Although not a great translation of Douglas Adams’ book, the H2G2 movie was entertaining enough for me to watch over and over again and enjoy it. Not many movies do that, which is why The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy gets on the list.

5. Helvetica. I know that I really should not be making Top Five lists since I put shit like Helvetica on the list, but give me a chance to explain. Gary Hustwit’s documentary Helvetica is not just a movie about a font; it’s the on-screen experience of a group of influential people discussing the aesthetics that most forget but no one should take for granted.

At the very least catch phrase fodder for American pop culture, Family Feud is one of the staples of game shows in America today. Originally a spin-off of the bonus round from Match Game, Family Feud has been surveying 100 people, with the top 5 answers on the board, for over 30 years.

1973’s Match Game was, in 2 words, da bomb. The combination of host Gene Rayburn, the massive amount of celebrities, and of course, the dirty questions, made for a ratings smash. One of the regular celebrities, Richard Dawson, shows an incredible amount of competence in playing the game, plus a charisma and likability that made for excellent television. Mark Goodson and Bill Todman, always the forward thinkers, decided to convert the Super Match portion of the Match Game into a new show, and cast Dickie Dawson in the starring role.

The Family Feud debuted on July 12, 1976 on the ABC network at 1:30 P.M., right after your local news. Lackluster ratings prompted ABC to move the show to 11:30 A.M., right before your local news, and the ratings took off. Family Feud remained a powerhouse for ABC’s morning lineup until 1984. The success of the show led to a nighttime weekly syndicated version in 1977, then a twice-weekly version in 1979, then a nightly version in 1980, foreshadowing the painful over-saturation of Who Wants to be a Millionaire in the future. After some bad time slot changes, ABC canceled the daytime version on June 14, 1985, and the syndicated version followed in September of the same year.

On July 4, 1988, CBS premiered the revival of the Feud at 10:00 AM with comedian and audience warm-up man Ray Combs. Following in the tradition of the previous Feud incarnation, a nighttime syndicated version was created two months later. On June 29, 1992, CBS extended the show to an hour, added a new round (the sometimes-loved, sometimes-hated Bullseye round) and christened it the Family Feud Challenge. New episodes of the daytime show aired until March 29, 1993 and reruns continued until the show’s final cancellation on September 10, 1993. The syndicated version also added the Bullseye round, but kept the length to a half-hour. The syndicated Feud stayed on air until May 27, 1994, when Richard Dawson took over the reigns due to declining ratings at the request of Jonathan Goodson, who inherited Goodson-Todman Productions when Goodson died in 1991.

The syndicated 1994 version of Family Feud was an attempt to modernize the Feud. The set, which combined the intentionally old-timey style of the original Feud with the mid-90s styling of blue blocks of glass and brushed metal, looked cheap. The traditional five-family team shrunk to four, and the Big Board changed from a complicated system of placards, trilons and stagehands to a CGI graphic added in post-production. Dawson, who had quit smoking and drinking by this time, was a quieter, less sauced version of his 70s self, which disappointed most. Despite an early kick in ratings, the O.J. Simpson trial proved to be too much competition for the New, Shiny Feud and the last new episode aired on May 26, 1995.

Four years later, the Feud returned to syndication on September 20, 1999, where it remains to this day. Most people remember Louie Anderson’s wheezing, huffing, out-of-breath job, immortalized in an episode of Scrubs. Anderson hosted the Feud from 1999 to 2002 and saw the top prize double from $10,000 to $20,000. Anderson was allegedly bored with the job (and let’s also say Craft Services stopped manning the jumbo deep fryer) and his last episode was on May 8, 2002. Al Borland took over the hosting job on September 16, 2002. Richard Karn (his real name, honestly) proved to be awkward in front of the camera (and if you want proof, watch him going to commercial and try not to cringe) but somehow lasted with the show for 4 seasons. J. Peterman took over the reigns in 2006, with a fancy, shiny set and a charismatic host. Family Feud is now in syndication and on GSN.

An interesting diversion from the history of Family Feud is the Celebrity version of the show, hosted by Al Roker in the summer of 2008. John O’Hurley was busy hosting Some Stupid Celebrity Circus Shit on CBS and was not available. Celebrities and their families competed in a game that somewhat mirrored the Family Feud Challenge: 2 preliminary games of the Feud were played, with the winners of each taking part in a 3rd game to play a final bonus round for even more money. The only episode of note was the episode with the cast of The Office, American Gladiators and My Name is Earl, mainly because the Office stars didn’t bother to act like morons, but were actually funny. The graphic and set changes that were made for Celebrity Family Feud, for the most part, were carried over to the syndicated version with O’Hurley.

Those are strong words coming from someone who spent four years of his college career caring for the amateur, fledgling radio station as if it were his own child. But yes, I messed up a bit and I need to get it off my chest.

There was a transitional meeting at the end of my term as General Manager. That meeting’s purpose was to lead the incoming managers in the right direction of leading the station. I missed that meeting due to personal matters I rather not speak about in public. That’s where my messing up started and ended. I should have attended that meeting or at the least I should have rescheduled that meeting so I could have attended.

Where are we now? A general manager that can’t type, an executive board purely devoid of diversity, of gender, race or musical preference, and a podcasting system set up where only one person podcasts their shows. As much as the General Manager would love to blame me for all his ills, the facts that there has been zero innovations at the station, zero interest outside of doing shows, and zero interest in upgrading the station’s equipment show that the problems facing WEXP are much more than me missing one meeting. It’s the Adam Bagni-like, proud attitude of the current GM that worries about the station once more.

Leadership is important. The current GM is not showing the proper leadership. My worry is, I have a feeling he doesn’t even know it.

Also, http://www.facebook.com/coryanotado bitches.