iPhone App Support

The Buzztime Mobile Playmaker - Version 1.0

Visit our Mobile Playmaker information page!

This page contains important notes and known behaviors that we plan to address in later versions of the App.

• The Buzztime Mobile Playmaker App isdesigned to be used in conjunction with the TV’s at your favorite Buzztime location as an alternative to our traditional Playmaker boxes.
• You may use the 3G Network to connect and play with your iPhone; however, you must have a Wi-Fi connection if you are using your iPod Touch.
• Game play begins at 11 am, local time. You may not be able to log in to your location, or may get an error message stating that no games are available, if you try to connect prior to 11 am.
• If, for any reason, you cannot connect after a few tries, please restart the App. Reconnecting will help ensure a good connection.
• The first version of the Mobile Playmaker does not support the following games: Pro Pick’ Em, Fantasy Football, QB1, Sports IQ or Race Day.

Languages:
English

Requirements:
Compatible with iPhone and iPod Touch
Requires iPhone OS 3.0 or newer

Get more information on focus testing the Buzztime Mobile Playmaker App!

Known Behaviors:

1. Remote Play
2. Location Look-up and Site Services
3. Error Messages
4. Wi-Fi Connections
5. Wi-Fi versus 3G on iPhone
6. Battery Life
7. Incoming Text Messages and Phone Calls

Remote Play: Buzztime is well aware that you currently don't need to physically be in the site you've connected to from your iPhone in order to interact with the game that is playing in the location. Our intention was to allow users to really get their hands on the application in order to provide feedback. The next update to the application will include a GPS lock-in feature, which will only allow you to connect to a location that is within a tight radius of your GPS location. Once implemented, players will not longer magically be able to be in two locations at once!

Location Look-up and Site Services: Currently, upon launch, the app creates a list of five nearby sites that you to connect to. This list is comprised of all local Buzztime locations based on their GPS coordinates. In some cases, the sites presented may be several miles away from where you are… as in the case of rural areas. Our goal is to always give Buzztime users options and, while you may have a favorite location to play in, this site list is intended to introduce players to broader options for Buzztime locations in their area. In the next update to the application, we'll be adding "distance" information on the location screens, giving you a better idea of where local sites are in relation to you. Also, with the implementation of the GPS lock-in, you'll only be able to connect to the site that is within GPS range. That means no more playing in Manhattan when you're sitting in New Jersey!

Error Messages:

• Log in failure: This message is presented when the log-in process has failed. Usually, this issue corrects itself within moments. We suggest that you try to log in again, making sure you use accurate credentials.
• Site Not Available: This message is presented when the location's system is either offline or there are intermittent network connectivity issues. These issues can resolve themselves, please try again!

Wi-Fi Connections: A Wi-Fi connection is required for users on the iPod Touch. Some users may find that Wi-Fi connections can tend to be less robust than 3G connections. There can be several reasons for this, including the location of some site's access point, which may be placed in the admin offices or the storerooms, preventing strong connections. There also may be obstacles in the location that can interrupt Wi-Fi connections, such as excessive TVs, microwaves, and competing Wi-Fi access points. When developing the App, Wi-Fi connections were tested both inside Buzztime's Test Lab, as well as out in the retail locations. The Wi-Fi connectivity passed our QA process with flying colors and continued to perform beautifully during Apple's certification process.

Wi-Fi versus 3G on iPhone: The application and the iPhone's native operating system handle the switch between Wi-Fi and 3G gracefully when Wi-Fi is enabled in the "Settings" menu.

Battery Life: Battery life is affected by several user settings within the iPhone operating system. Things like screen brightness, screen dimming, push e-mail settings, and volume all have an effect on battery life. In our testing, we reduced battery utilization as much as possible and then measured performance on the App. We also measured performance with all of those adverse settings in place. The data we have compiled indicates that 3 hours of game play in a mixed-settings environment would utilize approximately 25% of the battery on a full charge.

Incoming Text Messages and Phone Calls: In the current iteration of the Mobile Playmaker, you're booted out of the app if you respond to an incoming push notification or text message, or if you accept an incoming phone call. In these situations you'll need to re-launch the app and log back in to the retail location again. In a future release, we're introducing a function called "Call Interrupt". Call Interrupt will return a user to the app and to the current question being asked, provided your time on the call was less than 5 minutes. If you remain on a call for more than 5 minutes, you'll need to re-launch the app and log back in to the location.

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If your questions are not answered above, or you are experiencing problems with the App, please email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it