For Phrase Frenzy Fans – An Update
Caught off guard? Yes. To say we were caught off guard by the response to our Phraze Frenzy portfolio page would be an understatement. We knew the game was extremely popular, but had no idea just how much the game community wanted it to return. You certainly made that very clear. 
So, we have decided to revive it under a new name, built on a completely new platform and we plan to launch it in Facebook. We added this to our production schedule just over two weeks ago and we’ve made significant progress, working it in among the other projects on our plate. We have made a ton of progress on the backend of the site, the stuff that is invisible to the user. We have a lobby, chat and some game functions working already. So, we’re well on our way.
Now, what should we call it?
We received some excellent suggestions in the comments and we want to get some of the ones we liked in front of you here.
Word War
Word Fury
Word Herd
Pop Phrase
WhirlWords
Frenetic Phrases
Frantic Phrase
Phrase Flow
Word Whirlwind
Phrase Craze
Super Phrase
Thanks for lighting our fire! We’d love to hear your thoughts.
Lol. Lol.
I guess at this point the one thing that everyone is looking forward to will be the response that Jeff receives from the game developer. Until then we will all have to just play the waiting game (keeps fingers crossed)…
OK, Phrase Frenzy fans. We’ve made the decision to shelve this project indefinitely.
We simply have other projects that require our full attention and we don’t see this changing in the near future, and our attempts to find partners to work on this with us have turned up empty.
Thanks for all of your comments (especially you, @jediknight) and for expressing your desire to see this game come back.
Here’s the best idea ever, give another company whatever you guys have now and be done with it since it’s not important to you. We care about the game just as much as you guys do (or at least we thought you cared)! You don’t want it, give it to someone else!
Tatianah, anyone can do anything they want with this idea. Nobody can copyright game play. And none of the old code we have or the server code we deployed or the lobby system we created in the last year will have much value to anyone wanting to build it on their own. Seriously, anyone who has the skill is fre to go for it. Several people in this thread appear to know a great deal about what it take to actually build a game, so perhaps one of them will step up. We’d be happy to see it come to life again.
As for our caring… we created this game. When I say that I mean this: we didn’t just build it. Phrase Frenzy was ours from concept to creation to finally selling it to Game Show Network. So, to say that we don’t care about it is not even close to reality. Zeek is in the midst of severe growing pains. It’s all very good, but we haven’t even had time to update the design and layout of our own website.
Now, I’m going to go be the 12th person to sign the online petition: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/official-phrase-frenzy-petition.html
BOO-URNS. It was nice seeing other Phrase Frenzy fans! Take care everyone…
Well there’s the surprise of the century…
Thanks a lot Jeff, I knew I could always count on you.
…sigh…
Jeff Turner is Mongolian. May the force be with you, Zeek interactive.
He’s a Mongolian? Of course! That explains everything!
I’m thinking a general boycott on all Zeek games is called for……..what’s with them thinking they know better than the fans/players what games we want out there? How much clearer do we have to be that we want phrase frenzy and NOT whatever stupid games they are “working on”?! WTF Zeek? And Jeff, you tell ‘em for us that we’re extremely disappointed and I for one will never play another of their games unless/until it’s PF.
This is just great. We have been waiting for how long now? I checked this a few times a week, because I thought Zeek would realize how much we want this back. But no, apparently our comments did nothing. Well, thanks for leading us on, and as bunnyhop said: “I for one will never play another of their games until it’s PF.”
YOUR MAKING A LOT OF PEOPLE MAD!
PF FANATICS LIKE US DIDN’T WAIT SUCH A LONG TIME FOR IT TO BE SHELVED.
SCREW IT.
THIS IS STRAIGHT UP BULL!
YOU KNOW YOU COULD HAVE JUST PUT UP BACK THE OLD ONE!
LilShawty211… no, sorry, we could not have just put “the old one” back up. The old version of the game was written in Shockwave. It’s an outdated format. A new game requires a complet rewrite from scratch. Gang, we created this game originally. We know exactly what it takes to build it and what kind of programming and time is involved. We also love the game as well, again, we created it. We’re just not in a place where we can make it happen right now.
Ya know, Jeff, PF FANATIC (the other one who wrote in caps) really made a good point and, I for one, hadn’t looked at it that way. Shockwave still operates and powers other games. Why wouldn’t it be possible for us (the users) to continue to download the Shockwave updates to continue to make it work? If hundreds and thousands of us were playing it regularly using Shockwave, I don’t understand the need for a different format either. If it’s outdated, jeff, how is it possible for other games to be using it?
Did you ever simply consider hiring a computer game whiz, on a one-time short-term contract, whose one and only job would be to update the game? 2-3 weeks (or whatever it would take a “whiz”) to update the game the way you say is necessary and then that’s it. They don’t work for you beyond that. You could recup the cost of hiring that person with some of the many ads we be viewing before entering the game (like we had to put up with before). Pretty easy to do this.
Or sell it to someone who will make it a priority and get it done in the next month(-ish).
25-26 months it’s been “off the air.” Not that many fewer months since you told us all, and got us hyped up, that you were making extraordinary progress.
Thanks, PF FANATIC, for pointing this out!
pfFanAtik (the other one), three things.
First, we’re not interested in building this is a format that would not allow us access to Facebook. For that, the game needs to be flash.
Second, we sold the existing Shockwave code to GSN. We no longer own the rights to that code. They own the rights and they control what can be done with it.
Lastly, game play is not copyrightable, so any of you can feel free to create this if you like, using any of the suggested methods outlined by commenters in this stream.
Hi, Jeff –
It’s good to have a discussion about this – I’m not arguing with you, just wanting to discuss. So …
You are not building this, at the moment, and “seem” to have given up on the idea of building it in Shockwave or any other format. However, addressing your Point #2, it would seem easy and reasonable enough to contact GSN to regain the rights to the Shockwave code, since they no longer host the game and have future intention(s) to do that.
And, to address #3, you could certainly put it out to people the idea of working on it, under your supervision since you created it and know the most about it, and completing it to some of the people here, so that you keep your word about doing so and keep your oh-so-loyal fan base. After all, Jeff, in this job market, I’m sure there are many people who would love even a part-time job … and it’s in California!
C’mon Jeff, stop looking for ways this can not work and sounding so defeated and look for ways that it can, because you know it can.
Oops! I meant that GSN has no future intention(s) to host this game.
(nudges jeff) psssst…open your eyes jeff. WAKE UP!!
Wake up to what, Jedi?
possibly Jedi means for you, Jeff, to wake up to other ways of getting this done… because there’s always options and plan B’s out there if you are willing to look for and consider them…just sayin’…
I’m with the Hopping Bunny on this. You rock and have earned more carrots for the month.
If this is actually going to happen, when would be a potential release date?
There’s a surprise. We all need to find a way to bond together on this till it happen. Our voice is never heard anywhere
I agree 100% will. If we ever want to see this game come back one day then we should start an online petition or do something else of that nature to show the strong support of the Phrase Frenzy community. I mean, there are Facebook fan groups and everything. It’s unbelievable just how many people (myself included) want to see this game return.
jeff rides mongolian ponies
There’s no way you can prove that.
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/official-phrase-frenzy-petition.html
SIGN UP!!!!!!!!!!
^^ Good idea! ^^
Alright peeps…I loved loved loved this game as well. But really? You are harrassing, or nagging might be a better word, this developer because it hasn’t been put back online yet. I mean, most people would come write a comment, check up on the blog once in a while and go on with their lives…
So, we have decided to revive it under a new name, built on a completely new platform and we plan to launch it in Facebook. We added this to our production schedule just over two weeks ago and we’ve made significant progress, working it in among the other projects on our plate.
B.S.
Random322, actually, it wasn’t B.S. We run a fairly active development company. It’s just coincidence that at this same time in our history, as we were about to hit a lull in production, our client load increased dramatically. We’ve grown more that 100% in the time since this post was written and we haven’t slowed down. We haven’t even been able to get our new site template up. The cobbler’s children have no shoes. It’s all good, for us. For those of you who loved the game that we created (and by created I mean this: it was our original concept, we are not just the people who coded it), perhaps not such a good thing. I’ve tried my best to be open and honest with you all here in this comment stream that has become a sort of user forum. I’ll continue to do that.
ppsshhhahhahaha
Please bring this game back!!
I am also a HUGE fan of phrase frenzy. I’ve been following this thread since GSN removed the game from their site. I just wanted to give Jeff a thumbs up for hearing the fans even if you can’t do anything for us right now. Also, so hilarious that you signed the petition to bring back phrase frenzy. On a side note I haven’t been back to GSN’s website, because there was nothing left for me there
Has any progress been made on this?
I don’t believe that Zeek is still focused on working on Phrase Frenzy. I can’t say that with 100% certainty, but I have a strong indication that that’s the case.
Andrew, about 20 comments back I said this, “We’ve made the decision to shelve this project indefinitely.” You are correct.
What games do you currently have in production?
We have no games in production currently.
So what’s stopping Phrase Frenzy?
All of the other projects we have in house.
thumb twiddlin and handjackin
How very true Jedi…
…and riding those Mongolian ponies, huh, JEDI? So, Jeff, why don’t you share with your loyal and eternally optimistic fans what else it is that is keeping Zeek from working to bring back phrase frenzy? Like, what exactly do you mean by “other projects we have in house”? If there are no games currently in development, what exactly are you guys working on? And why can’t one person devote a portion of their workweek to bringing back our game?? We don’t understand………. is it just those Mongolian ponies or why is all we hear, “Neigh neigh neigh”?
@bunnyhop we’re busy working with clients on their paying projects. Rebuilding Phrase Frenzy is not a simple project and would take away time from the projects that pay our bills and keep everyone here employed. Simple as that.
THAT SLOWED HER UP.
@ Jeff: Do you think there is ever going to be a time when you unshelve our game? Or by indefinitely, are you really saying you’re done with it forever?
Bunnyhop, forever is a very long time. I’ll say this again… we created this game. We didn’t just build it, the game was our idea. So we dig it. It’s not something we want to give up on. But we need to put the right resources to it to make it worth doing. Right now, we simply don’t have that luxury. So, I’m saying indefinitely, not forever.
well, that’s something to be hoppy about, Jeff! Thanks for the clarification between “indefinitely” and “forever”!
LOL
Pewsistant wittle wabbit.
@ Retrogressive: lol! well, somebunny’s got to stay on Jeff about it – you see, he’s a mongolian without his own “hare”
I’ve read his bio and about the different projects he’s involved with. He’s got a pretty big plate he is trying to work off of. Zeek was involved with the web side of one of the radio stations close by. I know they have many things they are involved in. Phrase Frenzy will come back…just give’em time.
It’s good to see passionate people on both sides of the issue.