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You Don't Know Jack (franchise)

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You Don't Know Jack
Genre(s)Party
Developer(s)Berkeley Systems, Jackbox Games, Starsphere Interactive, Iron Galaxy Studios, Webfoot Technologies, Flipside.com
Publisher(s)Sierra On-Line, THQ, Jackbox Games, Berkeley Systems, SPELGRIM.Com, Majesco Entertainment, TopWare Interactive, Warner Bros. Games, Tsukuda Original, Telltale Publishing
Platform(s)Microsoft Windows, Macintosh, PlayStation, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii, Nintendo DS, iOS, Apple TV, Android, Roku, OUYA, Nintendo Switch, WebTV
First releaseYou Don't Know Jack
October 22, 1995
Latest releaseYou Don't Know Jack: Full Stream
October 17, 2018

You Don't Know Jack is a series of video games developed by Jackbox Games (formerly known as Jellyvision Games[1]) and Berkeley Systems, as well as the title of the first You Don't Know Jack game in the series. You Don't Know Jack, framed as a game show "where high culture and pop culture collide", combines trivia with comedy.

While it is primarily a PC and Mac-based franchise with over two dozen releases and compilations for those platforms, there have been a few entries released for consoles: two for the original PlayStation, and the 2011 release which had versions for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Nintendo DS and Wii. In 2012, Jackbox Games developed and published a social version of the game on Facebook[2] with cross-platform versions subsequently released for Roku, iOS,[3] Android[4] and Kindle. On November 5, 2013, the majority of the franchise's many volumes and spinoffs were reissued onto Steam[5] by Jackbox Games.

On November 18, 2014, You Don’t Know Jack 2015 was released as part of The Jackbox Party Pack on Windows, macOS, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and later Nintendo Switch, iPad, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Nvidia Shield, Apple TV, and Xfinity X1. On October 17, 2018, You Don't Know Jack: Full Stream was released as part of The Jackbox Party Pack 5 for the same platforms as You Don't Know Jack 2015, with the exception of PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

History

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In 1991, Jellyvision's former identity, Learn Television, released the award-winning film The Mind's Treasure Chest, which featured lead character Jack Patterson. When Learn Television sought to use new multimedia technologies to create a more active learning experience, the company teamed up with Follett Software Company and developed "That's a Fact, Jack!", a reading motivation CD-ROM game show series covering young adult fiction, targeted to 3rd through 10th graders. The game would give a title for a child to read, and then ask questions related to that title.

The idea for You Don't Know Jack began while That's a Fact, Jack! was still in development. The game's title comes from the more vulgar version of the phrase: "You don't know jack shit".

Gameplay

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The game can be played by up to eight players, depending on the version. All versions of the game feature the voice of an off-screen host, who reads questions aloud, provides instructions regarding special question types, and pokes fun at the players. The game usually opens with a green room segment, in which the players are prompted to enter their names and given instructions for play. Each game lasts for a number of questions, commonly 11 in later games.

The category of the questions may be pre-determined, or selected by one of the players. Most questions are multiple choice and must be answered within a time limit. Depending on the game, players answer separately or buzz in to give an answer. Correct answers awards money while incorrect answers (or sometimes not answering) deducts money. The money value of each question vary across a game. There are occasionally other question types offered (see below).

Players are also given the opportunity to "screw" other players, which forces them to answer the question or make the question harder to answer. Players choosing to "screw" receive additional money if the "screwed" players answer incorrectly, but may be penalized if otherwise.

Question types

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The majority of You Don't Know Jack questions are multiple choice, with four possible choices. Some questions are fill-in-the-blank, requiring a typed response.

Special questions are also played during the game. Each version of You Don't Know Jack has its own different types of special questions. Some of the most common are the "DisOrDat", in which players must determine which of two categories the given subjects fall under (such as if if Jay Leno was a daytime or a nighttime talk show host, if orecchiette is a type of pasta or a parasite) and the "Gibberish Question", involving a nonsensical phrase whose syllables rhyme with a more common phrase or title (for example, "Pre-empt Tires, Like Crack" could be the gibberish to The Empire Strikes Back).

Jack Attack

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The final round of the game, called the Jack Attack in most versions, is a word association question. A word, phrase, or name appears in the middle of the screen, to which the player must find associated words or phrases that fits the overall category. For example, Star Wars might be the associated word, and the correct answer fitting "movie stars" could be Harrison Ford. For each associated subject, several potential matches appear and the players win money by buzzing in when the correct match appears, or by selecting the correct matches.

In all versions of the game, the running total of each player's score is not shown anywhere on the screen during Jack Attack, and this part of the game is usually accompanied by ominous music or ambient sounds. This creates tension between players because of the uncertainty of ranking, and the unsettling atmosphere.

Game show theme

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Throughout the You Don't Know Jack franchise, there has been a running theme of You Don't Know Jack taking place on a self-titled televised game show where the players are the contestants. This idea is shown by satirical fake commercials that can be heard while starting the game, and in most games, after the game has finished.

Hosts

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The following is a list of the hosts throughout the You Don't Know Jack series.

  • Nate Shapiro (voiced by Harry Gottlieb)
  • Guy Towers (voiced by Andy Poland)
  • Buzz Lippman (voiced by Peter B. Spector)
  • Cookie Masterson (voiced by Tom Gottlieb)
  • Josh "Schmitty" Schmitstinstein (voiced by Phil Ridarelli)
  • Bob (voiced by Andy Poland)
  • Jack Cake (voiced by Paul Kaye) – The host of the British version .
  • Quizmaster Jack (voiced by Axel Malzacher in Vol. 1 and Kai Taschner in Vol. 2, Vol. 3: 'Abwärts!', & Vol. 4) – The host of the German versions.
  • Masatoshi Hamada – The host of the Japanese version.
  • Troy Stevens (played by Paul Reubens) – The host of the 2001 You Don't Know Jack TV show.

Releases

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This is a list of the You Don't Know Jack games released:

PC/Mac

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Main series

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  • You Don't Know Jack – September 12, 1995
    • You Don't Know Jack Question Pack – 1996
  • You Don't Know Jack Vol. 2 – November 30, 1996
    • Regional versions released in the UK, Germany, France, and Japan.
    • Released in Germany as You Don't Know Jack.
    • Released in Japan as You Don't Know Jack Presented by Masatoshi Hamada.
  • You Don't Know Jack Vol. 3 – October 31, 1997
    • Released in Germany as You Don't Know Jack Vol. 2.
  • You Don't Know Jack Vol. 4: The Ride – November 30, 1998
    • Released in Germany as You Don't Know Jack Vol. 3: Abwärts!
  • You Don't Know Jack Offline – September 8, 1999[6]
    • Contains 800 questions from The Netshow plus 200 new questions.[7]
  • You Don't Know Jack Louder! Faster! Funnier! – March 28, 2000
    • The sequel to Offline.
  • You Don't Know Jack 5th Dementia – November 1, 2000
    • The first game with online functionality.
  • You Don't Know Jack Vol. 6: The Lost Gold – December 1, 2003
    • Released in Germany as You Don't Know Jack Vol. 4, featuring online functionality.
  • You Don't Know Jack – February 8, 2011[8]

Spin-offs

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  • You Don't Know Jack Sports – September 30, 1996
  • You Don't Know Jack: The Netshow – 1996
    • Required an Internet connection.
    • The servers went offline in 2000.
  • You Don't Know Jack Movies – April 30, 1997
  • You Don't Know Jack Television – May 9, 1997
  • You Don't Know Jack Sports: The Netshow – 1997
  • You Don't Know Jack HeadRush (a teen spin-off game) – April 20, 1998

Console

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  • You Don't Know Jack – September 8, 1999 (PlayStation)[6]
    • Features questions from Vol. 3, Movies and Offline.
  • You Don't Know Jack Mock 2 – November 1, 2000 (PlayStation)
    • Features questions from Vol. 4, Louder! Faster! Funnier! and 5th Dementia.
  • You Don't Know Jack – February 8, 2011 (PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS)
  • You Don't Know Jack – June 11, 2013 (Ouya)

Jackbox Party Packs

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  • You Don't Know Jack 2015 - November 18, 2014
    • Released as part of The Jackbox Party Pack.[9]
    • Includes 15 episodes from Ouya and Party.
  • You Don't Know Jack: Full Stream - October 17, 2018
    • Released as part of The Jackbox Party Pack 5.[10]

Mobile

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  • You Don't Know Jack – April 2011 (iOS)[11]
    • Removed from App Store in 2012.
  • You Don't Know Jack – 2012
    • Based on the Facebook version.
    • Release:
      • iOS - December 13, 2012
        • You Dont Know Jack Lite – 2012 (free version)
      • Android - May 21, 2013
  • You Don't Know Jack Party - September 19, 2013 (iOS)
    • Based on the 2011 and Ouya versions.

Other

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  • You Don't Know Jack (tabletop edition) by Tiger Electronics - 1998
    • The game came with 500 general knowledge questions on 125 cards; additional 113-card, 450-question expansion packs with TV, Movies and Sports themed trivia were also released.
  • You Don't Know Jack – 2007–2008
    • Online beta game on the You Don't Know Jack website.
  • You Dont Know Jack – 2012 (Roku)
  • You Don't Know Jack (Facebook) – May 26, 2012
    • Shut down on March 1, 2015.

Reception

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The You Don't Know Jack series shipped 500,000 units by December 1996.[12] Shipments in the United States alone rose to nearly 1 million by February 1998.[13] By 2001, the You Don't Know Jack series had totaled sales of 3.5 million copies.[14] YDKJ sold above 4.5 million copies and drew revenues above $100 million by 2008.[15]

Inside Mac Games named You Don't Know Jack 2 the best puzzle game of 1996. The editors wrote that it "continues the high standards established by Berkeley's breakaway classic".[16] It received a score of 4 out of 5 from MacUser.[17]

You Don't Know Jack Movies was a runner-up for Computer Gaming World's 1997 "Puzzle Game of the Year" award, which ultimately went to Smart Games Challenge 2. The editors called Movies a "hilarious party game", and noted that it "came a close second".[18]

You Don't Know Jack XL won two 1996 Spotlight Awards, for "Best Script, Story or Interactive Writing" and "Best Trivia or Puzzle Game".[19]

You Don't Know Jack Vol. 3 was the finalist for GameSpot's 1997 "Best Puzzles and Classics Game" award, which ultimately went to Chessmaster 5500. The editors wrote, "[I]f it weren't for the addition of the Threeway question format (which is a complete dud), You Don't Know Jack III would have reached instant-classic status."[20]

You Don't Know Jack Vol. 4: The Ride won Computer Gaming World's award for the best classic game of 1998. The editors wrote, "You Don't Know Jack Vol. 4: The Ride ranks easily as the best since the first of the series found its way into the CGW Hall of Fame. And for that we salute the folks at Berkeley Systems and Jellyvision, game designers who really do know Jack, at least where our funny bones are concerned."[21] It also won the 1998 Spotlight Award for "Best Trivia, Puzzle or Classic Game" from the Game Developers Conference.[22]

You Don't Know Jack: Huge received a score of 4.5 out of 5 from Michael Gowan of Macworld, who wrote that the game "will strain your brain while amusing you with its witty banter and rapid-fire action."[23] In 1998, The Huge collection was named the 48th-best computer game of all time by PC Gamer US, whose editors called it "essential stuff."[24]

Other media

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You Don't Know Jack appeared as two books: You Don't Know Jack: The Book and You Don't Know Jack: The TV Book. Both were published in 1998 by Running Press.

There was also a Tiger Electronic tabletop game of You Don't Know Jack, emceed by Nate Shapiro. It featured question cards with a number code on them and a grey button to open a sliding door to show the answers. It was the first game to feature 4 players instead of 3 players. There were also "Sports", "Movies", and "TV" question packs that were sold separately. A standalone handheld version was also released.

An actual television show version of You Don't Know Jack had a brief run on ABC in prime time during the summer of 2001.[25] It starred Paul Reubens (the actor and comedian best known for his character Pee-wee Herman) as over-the-top game show host Troy Stevens, with Tom Gottlieb's 'Cookie' as the announcer. The show lasted only six episodes, as it received very little buzz and most You Don't Know Jack fans weren't even aware of its existence until long after its cancellation.[citation needed] A previous attempt had been made by Telepictures Productions and Warner Bros. Television in 1996, produced by Ron Greenberg in Chicago; this version, intended as a weekday syndicated show, was not picked up (after initial tests and run-throughs necessitated a retooling of the show; Telepictures subsequently chose to drop the project).[26][27][28][29][30]

After the You Don't Know Jack TV show ended, another show from the makers of You Don't Know Jack called Smush aired on USA Network in late 2001. It was a game of taking two or more words and combining them into one long word. The show started late at night, but was later pushed to later and later times, even up to 3:00 A.M.; until it was eventually canceled.

In 2001, AMC released You Don't Know Jack about MonsterFest, an online game on their website emceed by Schmitty, and the MonsterFest movie marathon was hosted by Clive Barker and Carmen Electra, who gave clues for the game.

References

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  1. ^ "Jellyvision changes name to Jackbox Games". GamesIndustry.biz. 5 June 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-12-02. Retrieved 2013-11-18.
  2. ^ "'You Don't Know Jack' Returns as Facebook Game". Mashable.com. 30 May 2012. Archived from the original on 2013-12-03. Retrieved 2013-11-24.
  3. ^ "You Don't Know Jack Hops from Facebook to Mobile, and It's So Much Better For It". Kotaku.com. 10 December 2012. Archived from the original on 2013-12-20. Retrieved 2013-11-24.
  4. ^ "Apps of the Week: You Don't Know Jack, Dashlane Password Manager, reClock and more!". AndroidCentral.com. Archived from the original on 2013-11-29. Retrieved 2013-11-24.
  5. ^ "You Don't Know Jack series arrives on Steam". Destructoid.com. 6 November 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-12-03. Retrieved 2013-11-22.
  6. ^ a b Fudge, James (1999-09-08). "Two JACK games Ship". cdmag.com. Archived from the original on 2003-01-30. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  7. ^ Fudge, James (1999-05-14). "YOU DON'T KNOW JACK Offline Coming in September". cdmag.com. Archived from the original on 2003-01-30. Retrieved 2023-04-21.
  8. ^ "THQ Jacks up Video Gamers This Winter with You Don't Know Jack(R)".
  9. ^ "The Jackbox Party Pack – Jackbox Games". Retrieved 2021-05-08.
  10. ^ "The Jackbox Party Pack 5 – Jackbox Games". Retrieved 2021-05-08.
  11. ^ "You Don't Know Jack on iPhone App Store". iTunes. Archived from the original on 2012-11-12.
  12. ^ "Berkeley Dives into Bars with 'You Don't Know Jack' | WIRED". Wired Magazine. December 1996. Archived from the original on 2018-04-20. Retrieved 2018-09-16.
  13. ^ "You Don't Know Jack Goes Japanese". gamespot.com. February 1998. Archived from the original on 2000-03-08. Retrieved 2018-09-16.
  14. ^ Gay, Verne (June 16, 2001). "'Jack' on the Box". Newsday. Archived from the original on July 10, 2018.
  15. ^ "Jellyvision, Creator of YOU DON'T KNOW JACK, Reboots Its Game Business, Appoints Industry Veteran Mike Bilder as General Manager". marketwired.com. 2008-08-12. Archived from the original on 2018-04-20. Retrieved 2018-09-16.
  16. ^ "1996 Games of the Year". Inside Mac Games. Vol. 5, no. 2. 1997. Archived from the original on February 18, 1998.
  17. ^ Loyola, Roman (April 1997). "The Game Room". MacUser. Archived from the original on June 4, 2000.
  18. ^ "CGW Presents The Best & Worst of 1997". Computer Gaming World. No. 164. March 1998. pp. 74–77, 80, 84, 88, 89.
  19. ^ "Spotlight Award Winners". Next Generation. No. 31. Imagine Media. July 1997. p. 21.
  20. ^ "GameSpot's Best & Worst Awards for 1997". GameSpot. Archived from the original on August 16, 2000.
  21. ^ "Computer Gaming World's 1999 Premier Awards; CGW Presents the Best Games of 1998". Computer Gaming World. No. 177. April 1999. pp. 90, 93, 96–105.
  22. ^ "Archive / 1999 Spotlight Awards". Game Developers Conference. Archived from the original on July 3, 2011.
  23. ^ Gowan, Michael (February 1999). "Name Your Game; From Goofy to Gory, Macworld Reviews 48 Ways to Play". Macworld. Archived from the original on August 10, 2001.
  24. ^ "The 50 Best Games Ever". PC Gamer US. Vol. 5, no. 10. October 1998. pp. 86, 87, 89, 90, 92, 98, 101, 102, 109, 110, 113, 114, 117, 118, 125, 126, 129, 130.
  25. ^ You Don't Know Jack at IMDb (2001 television game show)
  26. ^ Dretzka, Gary (18 August 1996). "Does this sound familiar? Attractive young singles-separated..." Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2020-05-07.
  27. ^ Conklin, Judy Hevrdejs and Mike (3 June 1996). "DISNEY'S RICHES CAN'T LURE PRINCESS TO ITS KINGDOM". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
  28. ^ "You Don't Know Jack (1995) Ad Blurbs". MobyGames. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
  29. ^ Schneider, Michael; Adalian, Josef (2000-06-27). "ABC gamely backs C-W's 'Jack' quizzer". Variety. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
  30. ^ "Smarty-Pants Host of 'You Don't Know Jack': He's Got Game". Los Angeles Times. 2001-06-20. Retrieved 2020-05-15.
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