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So What's All The Hype Over HQ Trivia Game Show App?

SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX 5) -- A live trivia game show app has become a daily addiction for a growing number cellphone users.

It's called HQ Trivia.

A group of employees at KPIX 5 decided to try it out and see what all the hype is about.

After downloading the app, they joined some 800,000 people struggling simultaneously to correctly answer 12 questions in a row, get all of them right, and win a share of the $2,500 prize.

Miss one multiple choice question, and you're out.

Winning, even what can turn out to be relatively small amounts, is a big deal.

One woman's emotional response after an $11.30 win went viral.

"Oh my God," she suddenly screams. "I won $11!"

Check her out.

The game is so popular, some players are developing strategies, like Googling HQ Trivia.

But fans say 'Googling' the answers won't work because you only have ten seconds to respond. There's not enough time.

The game can be glitchy.

"We noticed that one of the girls was playing and she clicked the right answer, and it kicked her out of the game," said Gina, who was part in the KPIX group.

It can also be hard to stay connected.

The game's founder says they're working on it. "It is unfortunate, but we're paving new ground here," says Russ Yosupov. "This kind of thing hasn't been done before."

And there could be more changes coming soon.

Right now, HQ Trivia's investors are paying the prize money. The founder says players will probably have to watch ads in the near future.

After all, their (the investors) game is making money and for now, fans are playing along.

A couple of notes from the game's fine print: winnings must total at least $20 before players can claim their cash. They might have to win a couple of times to reach that amount.

Players also have to collect their winnings within 90 days or forfeit the money.

Also, any information HQ Trivia collects about players may be shared with its "affiliated" businesses.

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