Draw Something, the hugely popular Pictionary inspired drawing game app from developer Zynga, will soon be turned into a Channel 4 gameshow.
Channel 4 will soon be launching Draw It!, a gameshow to be aired on Friday nights, developed in conjunction with Sony Pictures Television’s Victory Television, best known for making Who Wants to be a Millionaire.
Draw It! will work by having two teams made up of a contestant and a celebrity work through three rounds of drawing challenges, earning gold coins and possible cash prizes. Whoever makes it to the final round will be aided by the two celebrities to defeat a time sensitive challenge.
“There’s a creative side to everyone, sometimes more obvious than others, and the show will really tap into that with a race against the clock and plenty of humour,” said Victoria Ashbourne, Victory Television’s Managing Director.
Expected to air in a 5pm tea-time slot, Channel 4 is expected to expand the gameshow into a multi-platform experience, allowing viewers to play along with the show, akin to the format offered by The Million Pound Drop.
The Draw Something app was released in March last year, with creator OMGPOP acquired by Zynga for a reported $180 million (£117 million) just six weeks after the game launched. In those six weeks, Draw Something had already been downloaded more than 35 million times.
American TV network CBS ordered a pilot of a Draw Something gameshow for US audiences last year, but has chosen not to carry the show through to a full series.
Draw It! has the potential to be a tea-time show success, similar to Noel Edmonds' Deal or No Deal Channel 4 gameshow.
Angry Birds developer Rovio has already extended the Angry Birds franchise to a number of different product lines, including merchandise and product placement. Rovio recently launched Angry Birds Toons, a cartoon series version of the popular games via a dedicated channel within the existing apps.
A Draw Something 2 release date has been confirmed as "coming soon", tipped to provide a new range of sketching and connectivity options.
Via: Marketing Week
