While app-based live game show HQ Trivia took the US by storm in 2017, app-based quiz shows are also gaining popularity in China with more and more apps launching since the end of 2017.
As the live game show app Chongdingdahui (冲顶大会) went live in the end of 2017, more and more apps like Zhishichaoren (芝士超人 in Chinese, meaning “Cheese Superman”) and Millionaire Hero powered by ixigua.com have gone viral following the surging popularity of live game apps.
It’s worth noting that Chongdingdahui has seen over 5.64 million installed users as of January 14, whereas Zhishichaoren has over 2.09 million users, according to a report from the Chinese mobile data research firm Jiguang.
Also, both games have a large number of active users. The number of daily active users (DAU) for Chongdingdahui has exceeded 3.81 million, and Zhishichaoren sees over 1.74 million DAU as of January 14.
Other than that, the live quiz games powered by existing live streaming platforms have also drawn in users for those platforms. For example, Toutiao’s ixigua.com, the platform that released Millionaire Hero on December 25 in 2017, saw 19.07 million daily active users on January 14, according to Jiguang’s report.
However, it’s unclear how long the live trivia game hype may last. Industry experts have been questioning the profitability (in Chinese) of the business model as apps keep pouring money for prizes to attract more players. Also, cheating issues may persist as programs that help players cheat have emerged and players can even purchase “resurrection coins,” or “lives” on Taobao.