Exclusive: Vulture releases new trivia games
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Telematrix. Photo: Courtesy of Vulture
Vulture, New York magazine's entertainment news brand, is launching a TV version of its popular movie trivia game and expanding Cinematrix to theaters, executives exclusively tell Axios.
Why it matters: Media companies are investing in puzzles and other games to attract and retain subscribers and boost engagement amid ongoing competition for attention and ad dollars.
How it works: Just like Cinematrix, Telematrix is a 3x3 grid where players identify answers that align with the clue at the top and side.
- Starting February 26, Telematrix will be released twice a week. Games will be released on Mondays and Thursdays, and scripted and unscripted TV will be separated. The frequency could increase and TV categories could blend, Vulture editor-in-chief Neil Janowitz says.
- Vulture also has partnered with Screenvision to create a version of Cinematrix for the cinema advertising company's pre-show, available at 2,300 U.S. theaters and on 14,000 screens, Screenvision's senior vice president and creative director Ted Bolan says.
- That experience showcases one box of the 3x3 grid. The current game debuted on Feb. 17 and is about actor Harrison Ford, given his role in "Captain America: Brave New World." After a 10-second countdown, the answer is revealed along with a QR code that directs to Vulture's site.
Zoom in: Vulture is still partnering with the team behind Movie Grid for the new game but is doing more of its own data collection and verification to incorporate unscripted TV.
- "We have such a robust reality readership," Janowitz says. "It's such a central part of our TV coverage and our audience that we just felt like it'd be a huge sort of oversight, mistake, missed opportunity not to for our players."
Zoom out: The launch of Telematrix coincides with the one-year anniversary of Cinematrix.
- Vulture said Cinematrix is consistently one of its top performing pages based on monthly page views and attracts both subscribers and non-subscribers.
- Recent noteworthy moments include director Edgar Wright posting a completed grid, where he was featured, and saying he plays daily. Lin-Manuel Miranda commented that he placed in the top 14% for that game.
What's next: New versions of Cinematrix for Screenvision's pre-show will be released monthly. The arrangement is an unpaid partnership but could incorporate co-sponsored games in the future, Janowitz says.
- Vulture also is looking to more regularly release guest grids in response to the enthusiasm for actress Julia Fox's.
