* Game 2, Round 4 - Miscellaneous - Product/Brand Misfires:
This round is about famous product launches that tanked and were
quickly taken off the market.
1. This Microsoft product was launched in 2006 and developed in
conjunction with Toshiba, but it lacked popular appeal and
failed to swipe enough market share from its competitors.
On 2011-10-03 Microsoft announced its discontinuation of its
hardware, encouraging users to transition to the Windows Phone.
What was the product?
2. Introduced in 1994, one of the first digital cameras, QuickTake
was a 0.3-megapixel camera that took 640x480 images, of which it
could store 8. The camera had a built-in flash, but no focus
or zoom controls. There was no way to preview photos on the
camera; you had to offload them to a computer to see them,
It also retailed for a pretty steep $600-$750. Which company
produced this product?
3. In 1999, this famously titillating women's magazine once
made an ill-advised foray into dairy products, introducing
a "sophisticated and aspirational" yogurt brand. It was
discontinued after a mere 18 months. Name the magazine.
4. Launched in 1992, this product was marketed as a caffeine-free
"clear alternative" to normal colas, connecting clearness with
purity and health. Revenue benefited from its novelty after
its launch, but sales quickly nosedived. Name the product.
5. Introduced in 1957, this line was supposed to be the car of the
future, but critics trashed its design and its air of modern
excess at a time of economic recession. It was discontinued
after 2 years, selling only half of the 200,000 units the
company was expecting.
6. In 1996, McDonald's launched the "adult-oriented" product, which
featured a circular piece of bacon, slivered onions, and a
"secret" mustard and mayonnaise sauce, promoting it with a
$150,000,000 ad campaign. However, customers were turned off
by the high price and unconventional ads, and consumer groups
were upset by the higher caloric content. What was the name
of the product?
7. In 2000 this company debuted a line of colognes for both men
and women: Black Fire, Territory, Cool Spirit, Destiny, Hot
Road, and Legendary. But that failed to capture the wallets
of its customers. What company launched this misfire?
8. In 1998 Frito-Lay's new line of fat-free snacks sure sounded
too good to be true, and it kind of was: The company replaced the
fat in its popular snack brands with a compound called Olestra,
which subsequently caused major cramping, "anal leakage", and
other digestive complications for many people. What was the
name of this product?
9. In 2013 Google pioneered this wearable technology, but by 2015,
after 2 years of disappointing sales, it discontinued the
product's development. Privacy concerns, reported bugs, low
battery life, bans from public spaces, and an inability to live
up to the hype all stymied public adoption of the technology.
What is the product?
10. Several video games have failed over the years, but arguably
none as spectacularly as this movie-tie-in game that was created
by Atari. With only 5 weeks spent in development, the game
was notoriously difficult and sold miserably. Atari buried the
leftover copies in a landfill. What was the name of the game
(and the movie it was based on)?
* Game 2, Round 5 - Audio - Cover Songs
In the original game, you would have heard a clip from each song.
Here we'll give you the title and name the person, people, or band
who made famous the version you would have heard. And you must
name the *original* person, people or band who wrote or performed
the song.
1. "Without You", sung by Harry Nilsson.
2. "Cocaine", sung by Eric Clapton in 1977.
3. "I Love Rock 'n Roll", sung by Joan Jett.
4. "Blinded by the Light", sung by Manfred Mann.
5. "Nothing Compares 2 U", song by Sinead O'Connor.
6. "I Will Always Love You", sung by Whitney Houston.
7. "I Fought the Law", sung by Joe Strummer of the Clash.
8. "Christmas Canon", sung by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
9. "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun"; sung by Cyndi Lauper in 1983.
10. "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)", sung by John "Flansy" Flansburgh
of They Might be Giants.
* Game 2, Round 6 - Canadiana Entertainment - Canadian Directors--
In each case, name them.
1. An Armenian-Canadian director known for the movies "The Sweet
Hereafter, Chloe", "Ararat", and others.
2. A Quebec moviemaker known for "The Decline of the American
Empire" and "Jesus of Montreal".
3. A Winnipeg director bordering on experimental, known for "The
Saddest Music in the World", "The Green Fog", and others.
4. Born in Scotland a long time ago, he is one of Canada's most
celebrated moviemakers. His "Neighbours" is a pixelated short
movie that won the Oscar for Best Documentary Short Subject
in 1952.
5. A more commercial moviemaker than the others mentioned above,
he directed "Ghostbusters" and produced "Animal House". His son
Jason is also a well-known director. Sadly, he (the father)
passed away in 2022. First and last name required.
6. Best known for the movies "Going Down the Road" and "Down the
Road Again". That's all you need to know. He passed away
in 2023.
7. This Canadian indie moviemaker directed "Dance Me Outside",
"Hard Core Logo", and "Highway 61", all featuring loads of
quirky characters.
8. Most successful in America where he made "Dune", "Prisoners",
and other commercial projects.
9. This recently deceased director was born in Toronto in 1931.
He is known for crowd-pleasing movies such as "First Blood",
"Weekend at Bernie's", and "The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz".
10. This director was born in Bracebridge, Ontario, in 1953.
She is known for such controversial movies as "American Psycho",
"The Notorious Betty Page", and "I Shot Andy Warhol".
* Game 2, Round 4 - Miscellaneous - Product/Brand Misfires:
1. This Microsoft product was launched in 2006 and developed in
conjunction with Toshiba, but it lacked popular appeal and
failed to swipe enough market share from its competitors.
On 2011-10-03 Microsoft announced its discontinuation of its
hardware, encouraging users to transition to the Windows Phone.
What was the product?
2. Introduced in 1994, one of the first digital cameras, QuickTake
was a 0.3-megapixel camera that took 640x480 images, of which it
could store 8. The camera had a built-in flash, but no focus
or zoom controls. There was no way to preview photos on the
camera; you had to offload them to a computer to see them,
It also retailed for a pretty steep $600-$750. Which company
produced this product?
3. In 1999, this famously titillating women's magazine once
made an ill-advised foray into dairy products, introducing
a "sophisticated and aspirational" yogurt brand. It was
discontinued after a mere 18 months. Name the magazine.
4. Launched in 1992, this product was marketed as a caffeine-free
"clear alternative" to normal colas, connecting clearness with
purity and health. Revenue benefited from its novelty after
its launch, but sales quickly nosedived. Name the product.
5. Introduced in 1957, this line was supposed to be the car of the
future, but critics trashed its design and its air of modern
excess at a time of economic recession. It was discontinued
after 2 years, selling only half of the 200,000 units the
company was expecting.
9. In 2013 Google pioneered this wearable technology, but by 2015,
after 2 years of disappointing sales, it discontinued the
product's development. Privacy concerns, reported bugs, low
battery life, bans from public spaces, and an inability to live
up to the hype all stymied public adoption of the technology.
What is the product?
10. Several video games have failed over the years, but arguably
none as spectacularly as this movie-tie-in game that was created
by Atari. With only 5 weeks spent in development, the game
was notoriously difficult and sold miserably. Atari buried the
leftover copies in a landfill. What was the name of the game
(and the movie it was based on)?
* Game 2, Round 5 - Audio - Cover Songs
10. "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)", sung by John "Flansy" Flansburgh
of They Might be Giants.
* Game 2, Round 6 - Canadiana Entertainment - Canadian Directors
5. A more commercial moviemaker than the others mentioned above,
he directed "Ghostbusters" and produced "Animal House". His son
Jason is also a well-known director. Sadly, he (the father)
passed away in 2022. First and last name required.
8. Most successful in America where he made "Dune", "Prisoners",
and other commercial projects.
* Game 2, Round 4 - Miscellaneous - Product/Brand Misfires:
This round is about famous product launches that tanked and were
quickly taken off the market.
3. In 1999, this famously titillating women's magazine once
made an ill-advised foray into dairy products, introducing
a "sophisticated and aspirational" yogurt brand. It was
discontinued after a mere 18 months. Name the magazine.
4. Launched in 1992, this product was marketed as a caffeine-free
"clear alternative" to normal colas, connecting clearness with
purity and health. Revenue benefited from its novelty after
its launch, but sales quickly nosedived. Name the product.
5. Introduced in 1957, this line was supposed to be the car of the
future, but critics trashed its design and its air of modern
excess at a time of economic recession. It was discontinued
after 2 years, selling only half of the 200,000 units the
company was expecting.
9. In 2013 Google pioneered this wearable technology, but by 2015,
after 2 years of disappointing sales, it discontinued the
product's development. Privacy concerns, reported bugs, low
battery life, bans from public spaces, and an inability to live
up to the hype all stymied public adoption of the technology.
What is the product?
10. Several video games have failed over the years, but arguably
none as spectacularly as this movie-tie-in game that was created
by Atari. With only 5 weeks spent in development, the game
was notoriously difficult and sold miserably. Atari buried the
leftover copies in a landfill. What was the name of the game
(and the movie it was based on)?
* Game 2, Round 5 - Audio - Cover Songs
In the original game, you would have heard a clip from each song.
Here we'll give you the title and name the person, people, or band
who made famous the version you would have heard. And you must
name the *original* person, people or band who wrote or performed
the song.
1. "Without You", sung by Harry Nilsson.
2. "Cocaine", sung by Eric Clapton in 1977.
3. "I Love Rock 'n Roll", sung by Joan Jett.
4. "Blinded by the Light", sung by Manfred Mann.
5. "Nothing Compares 2 U", song by Sinead O'Connor.
6. "I Will Always Love You", sung by Whitney Houston.
7. "I Fought the Law", sung by Joe Strummer of the Clash.
9. "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun"; sung by Cyndi Lauper in 1983.
* Game 2, Round 6 - Canadiana Entertainment - Canadian Directors
In each case, name them.
1. An Armenian-Canadian director known for the movies "The Sweet
Hereafter, Chloe", "Ararat", and others.
3. A Winnipeg director bordering on experimental, known for "The
Saddest Music in the World", "The Green Fog", and others.
4. Born in Scotland a long time ago, he is one of Canada's most
celebrated moviemakers. His "Neighbours" is a pixelated short
movie that won the Oscar for Best Documentary Short Subject
in 1952.
5. A more commercial moviemaker than the others mentioned above,
he directed "Ghostbusters" and produced "Animal House". His son
Jason is also a well-known director. Sadly, he (the father)
passed away in 2022. First and last name required.
8. Most successful in America where he made "Dune", "Prisoners",
and other commercial projects.
9. This recently deceased director was born in Toronto in 1931.
He is known for crowd-pleasing movies such as "First Blood",
"Weekend at Bernie's", and "The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz".
10. This director was born in Bracebridge, Ontario, in 1953.
She is known for such controversial movies as "American Psycho",
"The Notorious Betty Page", and "I Shot Andy Warhol".
* Game 2, Round 4 - Miscellaneous - Product/Brand Misfires:
1. This Microsoft product was launched in 2006 and developed in
conjunction with Toshiba, but it lacked popular appeal and
failed to swipe enough market share from its competitors.
On 2011-10-03 Microsoft announced its discontinuation of its
hardware, encouraging users to transition to the Windows Phone.
What was the product?
2. Introduced in 1994, one of the first digital cameras, QuickTake
was a 0.3-megapixel camera that took 640x480 images, of which it
could store 8. The camera had a built-in flash, but no focus
or zoom controls. There was no way to preview photos on the
camera; you had to offload them to a computer to see them,
It also retailed for a pretty steep $600-$750. Which company
produced this product?
3. In 1999, this famously titillating women's magazine once
made an ill-advised foray into dairy products, introducing
a "sophisticated and aspirational" yogurt brand. It was
discontinued after a mere 18 months. Name the magazine.
9. In 2013 Google pioneered this wearable technology, but by 2015,
after 2 years of disappointing sales, it discontinued the
product's development. Privacy concerns, reported bugs, low
battery life, bans from public spaces, and an inability to live
up to the hype all stymied public adoption of the technology.
What is the product?
* Game 2, Round 5 - Audio - Cover Songs
In the original game, you would have heard a clip from each song.
Here we'll give you the title and name the person, people, or band
who made famous the version you would have heard. And you must
name the *original* person, people or band who wrote or performed
the song.
4. "Blinded by the Light", sung by Manfred Mann.
5. "Nothing Compares 2 U", song by Sinead O'Connor.
* Game 2, Round 6 - Canadiana Entertainment - Canadian Directors
In each case, name them.
1. An Armenian-Canadian director known for the movies "The Sweet
Hereafter, Chloe", "Ararat", and others.
These questions were written to be asked in Toronto on 2025-09-22,
and should be interpreted accordingly... For further information
please see my 2026-03-10 companion posting on "Questions from the
Canadian Inquisition (QFTCI*)".
* Game 2, Round 4 - Miscellaneous - Product/Brand Misfires:
This round is about famous product launches that tanked and were
quickly taken off the market.
1. This Microsoft product was launched in 2006 and developed in
conjunction with Toshiba, but it lacked popular appeal and
failed to swipe enough market share from its competitors.
On 2011-10-03 Microsoft announced its discontinuation of its
hardware, encouraging users to transition to the Windows Phone.
What was the product?
2. Introduced in 1994, one of the first digital cameras, QuickTake
was a 0.3-megapixel camera that took 640x480 images, of which it
could store 8. The camera had a built-in flash, but no focus
or zoom controls. There was no way to preview photos on the
camera; you had to offload them to a computer to see them,
It also retailed for a pretty steep $600-$750. Which company
produced this product?
3. In 1999, this famously titillating women's magazine once
made an ill-advised foray into dairy products, introducing
a "sophisticated and aspirational" yogurt brand. It was
discontinued after a mere 18 months. Name the magazine.
4. Launched in 1992, this product was marketed as a caffeine-free
"clear alternative" to normal colas, connecting clearness with
purity and health. Revenue benefited from its novelty after
its launch, but sales quickly nosedived. Name the product.
5. Introduced in 1957, this line was supposed to be the car of the
future, but critics trashed its design and its air of modern
excess at a time of economic recession. It was discontinued
after 2 years, selling only half of the 200,000 units the
company was expecting.
6. In 1996, McDonald's launched the "adult-oriented" product, which
featured a circular piece of bacon, slivered onions, and a
"secret" mustard and mayonnaise sauce, promoting it with a
$150,000,000 ad campaign. However, customers were turned off
by the high price and unconventional ads, and consumer groups
were upset by the higher caloric content. What was the name
of the product?
7. In 2000 this company debuted a line of colognes for both men
and women: Black Fire, Territory, Cool Spirit, Destiny, Hot
Road, and Legendary. But that failed to capture the wallets
of its customers. What company launched this misfire?
8. In 1998 Frito-Lay's new line of fat-free snacks sure sounded
too good to be true, and it kind of was: The company replaced the
fat in its popular snack brands with a compound called Olestra,
which subsequently caused major cramping, "anal leakage", and
other digestive complications for many people. What was the
name of this product?
9. In 2013 Google pioneered this wearable technology, but by 2015,
after 2 years of disappointing sales, it discontinued the
product's development. Privacy concerns, reported bugs, low
battery life, bans from public spaces, and an inability to live
up to the hype all stymied public adoption of the technology.
What is the product?
10. Several video games have failed over the years, but arguably
none as spectacularly as this movie-tie-in game that was created
by Atari. With only 5 weeks spent in development, the game
was notoriously difficult and sold miserably. Atari buried the
leftover copies in a landfill. What was the name of the game
(and the movie it was based on)?
* Game 2, Round 5 - Audio - Cover Songs
In the original game, you would have heard a clip from each song.
Here we'll give you the title and name the person, people, or band
who made famous the version you would have heard. And you must
name the *original* person, people or band who wrote or performed
the song.
1. "Without You", sung by Harry Nilsson.
2. "Cocaine", sung by Eric Clapton in 1977.
3. "I Love Rock 'n Roll", sung by Joan Jett.
4. "Blinded by the Light", sung by Manfred Mann.
5. "Nothing Compares 2 U", song by Sinead O'Connor.
6. "I Will Always Love You", sung by Whitney Houston.
7. "I Fought the Law", sung by Joe Strummer of the Clash.
8. "Christmas Canon", sung by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
9. "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun"; sung by Cyndi Lauper in 1983.
10. "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)", sung by John "Flansy" Flansburgh
of They Might be Giants.
* Game 2, Round 6 - Canadiana Entertainment - Canadian Directors
In each case, name them.
1. An Armenian-Canadian director known for the movies "The Sweet
Hereafter, Chloe", "Ararat", and others.
2. A Quebec moviemaker known for "The Decline of the American
Empire" and "Jesus of Montreal".
3. A Winnipeg director bordering on experimental, known for "The
Saddest Music in the World", "The Green Fog", and others.
4. Born in Scotland a long time ago, he is one of Canada's most
celebrated moviemakers. His "Neighbours" is a pixelated short
movie that won the Oscar for Best Documentary Short Subject
in 1952.
5. A more commercial moviemaker than the others mentioned above,
he directed "Ghostbusters" and produced "Animal House". His son
Jason is also a well-known director. Sadly, he (the father)
passed away in 2022. First and last name required.
6. Best known for the movies "Going Down the Road" and "Down the
Road Again". That's all you need to know. He passed away
in 2023.
7. This Canadian indie moviemaker directed "Dance Me Outside",
"Hard Core Logo", and "Highway 61", all featuring loads of
quirky characters.
8. Most successful in America where he made "Dune", "Prisoners",
and other commercial projects.
9. This recently deceased director was born in Toronto in 1931.
He is known for crowd-pleasing movies such as "First Blood",
"Weekend at Bernie's", and "The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz".
10. This director was born in Bracebridge, Ontario, in 1953.
She is known for such controversial movies as "American Psycho",
"The Notorious Betty Page", and "I Shot Andy Warhol".
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