27 October 2012
Is anyone playing Clucks?
I still maintain an AOL email address, and one of ads on the log-in page is for an iOS game called Clucks. Apparently AOL is trying to shed its old image and move into the mobile content business. I downloaded the free app several weeks ago but didn't try it out until today.
As you can see in the video, it is a mobile version of the old party game Taboo.You try to get your opponent to guess a certain word without using certain other words. For instance, you would try to get someone to guess the word "basketball" without using the words "court", "ball", or "dunk". The game makes use of video to record your clue and voice recognition to make sure you don't cheat and use any of the forbidden words in your description. Unlike many other iOS games, Clucks is actually taking advantage of the capabilities of a smartphone in a clever way. So why doesn't anyone seem to be playing it?
Whenever I decide to try a new game or write a post about it, I do a quick search on Google to see what other bloggers are saying about it. I'll be the first to admit that I don't always have my finger on the pulse of pop culture, and a game could be catching on like wildfire and I'm just coming to it late. However, when I did a search for reviews of Clucks, almost everything I found was dated 27 Sep 2012 (the date the game launched). There is very little information after that date, though. I've sent out several invitations to play through the app, too, and haven't gotten a nibble yet.
Several of the articles I read about Clucks featured comments from AOL spokespeople saying that this game is the first step in reinvigorating the AOL brand. Grand plans, but I think they need to focus on getting higher visibility for the game first.
UPDATE: An AOL spokesperson mentioned in the comments section of this post that the game will be open to non-Facebook users soon. That may help lure a few more people into playing.
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2 comments:
Dani, I'm the product manager for Clucks and I just came across your post. First, thanks for downloading our app. We're working really hard to gain more exposure for Clucks, and we've garnered some impressive coverage. There are numerous reviews and posts after Sept 27th, many of them glowing, and I'm not sure why you're not seeing them. We understand the limitations of the app and we're in the process of allowing non-Facebook users to create an account. This will open up the game play to more people than just your Facebook friends. This will be in the next release, along with a host of top-secret features in the next few weeks, so keep your eyes peeled! It sounds like you haven't had a chance to play Clucks yet, and I have a few suggestions for you. First, you can play barnyard rounds to get the general idea of how to play. Barnyard rounds don't require you to choose a partner, as they're selected for you from our curated database of videos that other Clucks users have submitted. These are really fun, and I can attest that they're super-funny. Also, you can play sponsored rounds where you can play games with movie directors, actors, actresses and many other cool people. Thanks for writing about this!
Marison
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