App stores are a truly complex and deep world, making it difficult to have a complete understanding of them. Occasionally, apps with interesting premises become hugely popular, whether they are the most downloaded games that add a twist to existing ones, or productivity apps that make our daily lives a little easier. A while ago, two apps appeared that promised to change everything forever, but they eventually disappeared. These were Q12 Trivia and HQ Trivia, TV-style quiz shows that promised to let us win money by answering questions.
It was in 2020 when both apps vanished, as we reported at the time. Without a trace and without much explanation, thousands of users lost access to the service. The concept was simple: at 10:00 PM, we had to connect to the app and answer a series of real-time questions. If successful, we could win $500, but total prizes over time could reach up to $2,000.
What happened to Q12 Trivia and HQ Trivia?
Both companies had very similar fates. HQ Trivia was the more successful and promising of the two and fought its closure until the end. In fact, it came very close to surviving, as it could have signed a continuation deal with a powerful investment group formed by several banks. However, its fate was sealed when this group saw that the app was not financially viable.
This lack of profitability was marked by the few users who were willing to continue playing day after day, leading the company to lay off all its employees (25 in total) and shut down on February 14, 2020. It seems that despite the app’s global success, the lack of agreement on a possible acquisition and the withdrawal of investors exacerbated existing management and organizational issues. Neither $15 million nor 2.3 million players could save it.
The fate of Q12 Trivia was much less transparent. At the end of 2019, the company announced that it would be offline for two days due to a major update they wanted to implement. Unfortunately, this update never materialized, and the app has been dead ever since. The company was not communicative at all and disappeared without providing many details, leaving users feeling abandoned.
It’s worth noting that Q12 Trivia had attracted more than 100,000 viewers for each of its shows, so its downfall was quite significant, especially considering the app had been plagued by complaints from some winning users who claimed they had been blocked by the administrators for months.
From that point on, the two hosts disassociated themselves from the project on their social media accounts and personal profiles. Later, it was revealed that the company responsible for the app closed its subsidiary in Mexico, presumably due to a lack of funding.
With the closure of both apps, the fate of projects aiming to bring television formats to the mobile world was sealed. This also demonstrated that a new format required new ways of connecting with the audience.
