Only Kinect

I was given a press release a few days ago but it was embargoed until today  for whatever reason. Anyway, it’s quite exciting, it’s about a new video game and also features some news on the next series of Only Connect currently filming:

Are you good at connections? How’s your lateral thinking? And are you READY TO PARTY? Because BBC4’s hit TV quiz series Only Connect is coming to YOUR XBox 360 this Fall!

ONLY KINECT (TM) for MICROSOFT XBOX 360 (TM) KINECT (TM) is a brand new family party experience that puts your knowledge of the world around you and the things that connect other things that maybe you’ll never have considered to the ultimate test! With ONLY KINECT (TM) for MICROSOFT XBOX 360 (TM) KINECT (TM) you can experience all the fun and thrills of the TV show at home! Join host and poker player Victoria Coren as she guides you through the four fun rounds of ONLY KINECT (TM) for MICROSOFT XBOX 360 (TM) KINECT (TM). All your favourite rounds are included:

• What’s the connection!
• Complete the sequence!
• The Connecting Wall!
• Missing vowels!

ONLY KINECT (TM) for MICROSOFT XBOX 360 (TM) KINECT (TM) also features an all new PARTY MODE featuring INCREDIBLE MOTION CONTROLS! (pictured)

Host Victoria Coren says “I’m thrilled to be involved with ONLY KINECT (TM) for MICROSOFT XBOX 360 (TM) KINECT (TM)!”

ONLY KINECT (TM) for MICROSOFT XBOX 360 (TM) KINECT (TM) will be released on download with three full episodes for 1200 MSP (TM) with pricing for DLC to follow.

Victoria Coren FAQ:
Q: What starting hands does Victoria normally choose to play in a game of Texas Hold ’em?
A: Only Connect-ors!

Well that does sound exciting doesn’t it? But there was a second attachment, a spokesperson from Presentable has released some information I’m going to paraphrase it in bullet point form:

• The new series will be going out in the Autumn, but we’re currently pitching for a late Friday post-pub slot. As such the questions are likely to be a bit easier than normal – one of the questions we’ve got in the semi-final is “what connects Margret Thatcher, John Major, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown,” you know, that sort of level.
• We’re ditching the heiroglyphs, we want something more people can associate with, so each question will now be hidden behind the faces of popular girl group Girls Aloud, with the sixth one featuring their manager Louis Walsh.
• We’ve got some really good celebs lined up for the celebrity Children in Need specials, I don’t think I’d be getting into trouble if I revealed we’ve got Terry Christian, Toby Anstis and George Lamb coming. You know, really good celebs.
• We’ve changed the missing vowels round. Everyone complains about the balance of it, how it feels like there are too many points avaliable in it. Well we’ve added an ingenious twist – every time the teams get a question right it adds a point to the central bank. At the end of the round both teams have to decide whether to split or steal the points. Pretty good eh? We think it will make for pretty electric television. Outgoing BBC Director General Mark Thompson has instructed all shows have some sort of brilliant Prisoner’s Dilemma aspect regardless as to whether it’s been ridiculously shoehorned in or not. “It makes all shows better. It just does.”

Blimey that all sounds rather unexpected. Looking forward to it!

If you’d like to play poker, I’m running a game this evening on Pokerstars, £5.50 to enter. Details here and all are welcome regardless of ability or league ambition, but make sure you sign up to the club (that’s free) in good time for me to admit you.