What does heavy drinking, Dance Dance Revolution, Nerf guns and some webcams have in common?
A game show.
After a "pilot" in July for "GUI"--Gaming Under the Influence--27-year-old Lakeview TV producer Jared Hoffa is launched a more permanent version of the game show Friday. The revamped format that debuts at Debonair Social Club and will be live-streamed online at www.theguishow.com will now be a weekly event at the club, with some new twists for contestants.
"We're trying very hard to make this work, really make it a programmed thing," said Hoffa, who also co-hosts the show.
The format is simple. Three gamers take turns playing one another in two different games--last week it was "Mario Kart Double Dash" and "Dance Dance Revolution Ultramix." But Hoffa said things get more difficult when drinking is thrown in the mix. If you win, you stay in play, but you also have to drink. At random points, contestants will also be pelted with Nerf darts from the "GUI Girls." To mix things up even more, Hoffa's added a new instant poll for online viewers, who can decide the next distraction.
"During a round, we might ask (viewers) 'which of these two needs to get more drunk?'" he said.
The idea originally came from popular game shows in Korea, but with the addition of alcohol, the playing field becomes a lot more level.
"Even if you're a really good gamer, if you can't handle drinking a lot can change," he said.
Hoffa said his goal is to see the show reach a nationwide audience, but said he has no intention of turning it into a TV show. Instead, he's hoping for a word-of-mouth spread that will attract sponsors--and eventually revenue--to the show, so he can start offering prizes--beyond the free drinks--to contestants. He also said he has spots open in a few weeks for contestants, and those interested can contact him via his website to let him know why they would be a good fit.
"You get to game and drink for free in front of a live audience, you can't go wrong there," he said.
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