Uproar.com – The Fun, Fun, Fun has Gone Away
Written: Mar 24 '05 (Updated Sep 09 '06)
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I enjoy playing online games. It’s relaxing, fun, and one has the opportunity to play with near and distant family and friends (and meet new people) in online game rooms. Online gaming is a great way to bring people together. Uproar.com is one game website.
Why Uproar?
Uproar has seen a lot of changes during the many years I have played on the site. I discovered the website when I purchased a Hoyle Table Game CD, which offered not only games to play with robot companions ... but the opportunity to play those same games online with real people. When I first started playing at Uproar, my favorite games were cribbage and pachisi. I played regularly in the tournaments offered on the site, and enjoyed the people I met. It was a wonderful experience. Then the website changed.
Uproar.com and Hoyle
Uproar no longer supports Hoyle games. The Hoyle games offered an enriched gaming area, including a way to create your own playing character. Uproar did revamp some of the Hoyle games, such as pachisi, so that variations of the Hoyle games are on the website. But the games are not as detailed. Pachisi is the one reason I occasionally return to Uproar. I love the game, and my favorite gaming website (Pogo.com) does not offer pachisi.
Advertising -- A Definite Downside
Before I begin explaining the games offered at Uproar, let me open with one of my gripes about this website. Once upon a time, the site was family friendly. The advertising was at times obnoxious with flashing banners and movement, but it wasn’t distasteful. I met parents online who were happy to let their pre-teen children play the games.
Today, I would strongly caution parents to check the Uproar website before letting their children play in the rooms. The advertising is much more suggestive. Currently there is a “sex kitten” advertisement sponsored by a dating website that I would not want children to view.
There is no way to avoid the advertising. I tried using a popup blocker, but the game windows would not open. To play on Uproar, you have to open yourself to popup window advertising.
Icoins – Earn While You Play
Uproar offers icoins as a reward for playing their games. Each game offers a different amount of icoins depending on various factors such as your score or whether you placed first, second or third place in a game. These icoins can be redeemed for raffle ticket entries for prizes. Uproar keeps track of your icoin balance so that you don’t need to manage it yourself.
Registering to Play
Many of the games are free, but you must register with Uproar to play the games. Uproar has a disclaimer that you must be 18 years or older to register. There is a link on the left side of the home page that says “Register Now” or “Log In”. If registering for the first time, you will need to provide your name, address, e-mail address, phone number, birth date, gender and create a user name.
Navigating the Website
The Uproar home page is in oranges and red. At the top of the page is a large banner advertisement. The page is a mixture of links to areas on the site and large advertisements.
At the Top
Above the advertising banner are text links that read: Home, Lotto, Games, Game Shows, Arcade, Multiplayer, Prizes, Entertainment. Beneath the advertising banner is a search window where you can search the Uproar website. There is also a drop-down window that offers a selection of games to choose from. This menu does not include all of the games on the website, though one of the selections is “See All Games”.
To the Left
There is the option to Log into the site or to Register if you are not already a member. When you log in, your icoin balance is displayed. There is also a link to add your favorite games so that links to those games show on the page. Access to “My Account” is also available through a text link.
Beneath this is the “Daily Poll”. The poll is usually silly and offers a multiple choice answer selection. Today’s question is: A man should never wear – ... and the answer choices are: pink or heels. Click on one of these answers to earn 25 icoins. Every thousandth entry wins 1,000 icoins. When your answer is submitted, a popup window appears showing the current poll results.
Under this poll is the “Daily Stumper”, which also pays 25 icoins and offers a chance to win 1,000 icoins. The trivia questions vary daily. Today the question is: Which of the following foods is not toxic to the common pet parrot? The answer choices are: avocado, chocolate or broccoli. Submit your choice, and the next screen reveals the answer and the percentage of votes each answer received.
In the Middle
An area titled “Uproar Features” is displayed at the top. The main categories to click on are: Games, Let’s Play (web games, premium games, etc.), Cash Tournaments, Health & Fitness, Game Shows, Prizes, E-mail.
Beneath this is a large advertisement. Ironically, the one I am currently viewing is for Uproar’s rival, Pogo.com. Underneath the advertising is a section titled “Uproar Entertainment”. It has the appearance of a news section with links to click for further information about the featured stories.
The last section in the middle is called “Community Quote”. Members can submit short quotes by well-known people or create their own quotes and post them online. The writer’s user name appears after the quote, so nothing is anonymous.
To the Right
The top section features “Uproar Quick View”, a flash driven advertisement of various Uproar games. The entire section is animated, flashing or moving in some way.
Beneath this is another section titled “Play Games”. Here is a short list of free game links to click. Underneath this section is one titled “Hot Prizes” where a few popular prizes are listed to entice you to spend icoins. And then another large advertisement of Uproar games appears.
At the Bottom
Text links are placed across the bottom of the home page. They read: Help, Privacy Policy, Privacy Pledge, Your California Privacy Rights, Terms & Conditions, Rules.
Playing Games
By clicking the “Games” link at the top of the Home Page, you can view the entire list of games available for play. These games are organized by category. There are also icons beside the game titles to indicate whether the games are multiplayer, award cash prizes, or if downloads of the game are available.
Bingo
4 different styles of bingo games are available. Two of them offer cash prizes.
Board & Tile
Backgammon, Checkers, Kung Fu Chess, Mah Jong, Mah Jong Solitaire, Pachisi
Brain Teasers – these are single-player games
Alchemy, Bounce Out, Collapse, Color Code, Diamond Mine, Fill It, Gem Drop, Jiggy
Game Shows – group games based on television game shows
Card Sharks, Family Feud, Match Game, Password, To Tell the Truth
Card Classics
Freecell, Pyramid, Social Solitaire (played with others), Solitaire, Tri Peaks, Gin (single player), Hearts (multiplayer), Spades
Trivial Pursuit
Trivial Pursuit (multiplayer), Genus, Silver Screen, Music, 1980's, TV
Word Games
Acrophobia, Drop Words, Letter Lift-Off, Spellbound, Text Twist, Word World
Special
How Low, Sumo Volleyball, Planet 8 Ball
My Gaming Experiences
During the years, I have played a wide variety of Uproar games. Each game has a Rules button that can be clicked to explain how the game is played. Here are my thoughts regarding some of the games. Keep in mind that each game requires time to load. While you wait, large ads flash vying for attention.
Pachisi
Entering the pachisi area, one is greeted with apparent confusion. Once you learn how to interpret the site, it is easy to navigate the pachisi room. A spreadsheet of the tables and online players is presented. A pachisi game can play with up to four players. Each line on the spreadsheet represents a table and the players who are currently playing. The word “Join” appears where there is an empty chair. Click the word “Join” to enter the table and begin play. The object of pachisi is to move your four playing pieces around the board to Home. This is a game of strategy and is sometimes a free-for-all when players land on one another’s pieces sending them back to Start. There is a discrete ad at the right of the playing area as well as a larger chat area to type messages back and forth among the players in the room.
Trivial Pursuit
There are several variations of this classic game to play. Choose a version, and a new window opens. At the top of the screen are several categories. You need to correctly answer the multiple-choice questions for each category in order to win the game. I just went into the Silver Screen version of this game, and currently, a large “classmates” ad covers half the trivia question, which makes playing difficult.
Solitaire
This is the classic version of the solitaire card game. The cards are small, and those with eye problems might have difficulty viewing the numbers on the cards. A card shuffling sound is made when the cards are dealt. Click and drag the cards to move them. The sound is not in sync with the movement of the cards.
Tri Peaks
I enjoy playing Tri Peaks. It’s a fun solitaire card game. Uproar makes it a bit of a challenge, though, since the cards are small and some of the card numbers are blurred. I’m not the only one to notice this. Other players have complained. While you play, a large advertising banner is directly above the game, and another large flashing advertisement is to the right of the game area.
Gem Drop
Drop gems onto the game board to create clusters of three or more of the same gem. The clusters vanish as they are matched. The object is not to let the gems reach the top of the game area. Like the Tri Peaks game, there is a large advertising banner above the playing area and another one to the right.
Text Twist
You have two minutes to unscramble the letters presented to form words. The game board shows how many words you need to form, including how many letters are in each word. Like the Tri Peaks and Gem Drop games, there is a large advertising banner above the playing area and another one to the right.
Familiy Feud
This is like the television game, except you play against other online players. A succession of ads appear on the screen until the next game is ready to start. The questions start with: We surveyed 100 people, and then a question appears. There are several flip-doors, just like on the real Family Feud program, that open when you guess the correct answer. You are allowed three incorrect answers before you are banned until the next question. Points are awarded for correct answers. There are also speed rounds. A name/score tally appears at the right of the game. There is a large advertising banner above the playing area and another advertisement to the right.
Bingo Blitz
Fill three bingo cards as the numbers appear on the screen. Fill in the pattern and click the Bingo gong to win the cash prize shown. Cash prizes are small, usually around $2 or $5. In checking out Bingo Blitz today, I see the “sex kitten” dating ad is prominently displayed along side the game.
How Low
When I remember, I play this free lottery guessing game. The object is to correctly guess the lowest number that no one else playing the game has chosen. The game is offered daily, and each player is given the opportunity to guess five numbers. The following day, the winning number is shown along with the winner’s name. There is also a statistical list that shows the number of players for the previous day, the number of guesses made, the most chosen number, the lowest unchosen number ... as well as overall statistics such as the lowest winning number and the highest winning number. Once I won the $10 prize.
Premium Games
There is also an area sponsored by LetsPlay.com that features “premium games”. Registration is required. I have never been in this area but checked it out for this review. This area of the site does not offer much in the way of an explanation. The site says registration is free. I clicked on the “User Agreement” link to see what the site was about ... but the agreement is printed in small black print on a medium-dark blue background. Talk about hard to read! The agreement mentions credit card use and that players have to be 18 or older. From what I can see, many of the games offered on Uproar are also available on the LetsPlay website. There are also other games (here are some listed in order as they appear) – Betty’s Beer Bar (help Betty serve cocktails), Be Trapped (a murder mystery game), Panda Craze (help pandas escape the evil zoo keeper), Atlantis Adventure (undersea puzzle rescue adventure game). The site also lists a refund policy that mentions deposits and withdrawals ... which leads me to speculate that registration is free but other parts of the site require a fee. Note that LetsPlay also has a link to potential advertisers boasting that their website has “over 30 games ... which attracts the affluent, adult gamer.”
Jackpot E-mail
Another thing I have never participated in is the Jackpot E-mail. The website says, “Every time you open an email, you’ll automatically be entered into Jackpot Mail’s guaranteed $500 daily sweeps....” There is a form to fill out to register for a free e-mail account. There is also a link at the bottom of the page for the Sweepstakes Rules and a User Agreement.
Cash Tournaments
I have never played in a cash tournament. Uproar offers this area under the name World Winner where you can set up an account. The website does not explain much about the cash competitions other than to offer a sign-up form and list some of the games (Blockwerx, Cubis, Swapit, Solitaire Rush, 8-Ball Pool, Word Mojo).
Uproar -- My Account
By clicking the “My Account” link, this opens a window where you need to log in again to view your account information. This page lists your name, address, user name, birthdate. There is an area that shows the prizes you have entered. The current icoin balance is also displayed as well as how many icoins you have spent in Uproar raffles. Another section tells whether or not you are a current member of the Platinum Club.
From this page you can also edit your member profile. Again, you have to reenter your password. On this page you can update your contact information should it change. Uproar states that it can only deliver prizes to members with up-to-date contact information.
Platinum Club
In order to belong to the Platinum Club, you must visit the Uproar site five out of seven days and either play a game, enter a prize drawing or play the How Low game. As a member of the club, you are entitled to enter prize drawings that only Platinum Club members are allowed to participate in. For example, these are the current Platinum Club prizes offered: 7" vertical DVD player, dual weight memory scale, Star Wars computer game, micro leather phone case.
Prizes
There are daily, weekly and monthly prize drawings. The prizes have a wide range of appeal and value. For example, here are some of the current prize offerings: 7" vertical DVD player, Bose wave music system, car, shower radio, Texas Hold’em Poker game, Jimmy Buffet CD, $25 Domino’s Pizza gift certificate, book light, jar opener, and cash prizes of either $50 or $75.
You are allowed to enter up to 200 tickets for each prize. One ticket costs 5 icoins. However, you are only allowed to enter 9 tickets at a time. And, of course, you are subjected to advertising while waiting each time for those 9 tickets to process.
My latest prize is a $25 Super Gift Certificate that arrived via U.S. mail. I was shocked to receive it since Uproar did not e-mail me that I had won the prize. (They used to send e-mail notification.) There is an area on Uproar where you can check who has won prizes, but I rarely view the listings.
I have been fortunate over the years to win a few Uproar prizes, everything from once winning the How Low $10 prize, to a few dollars in Bingo Blitz, computer game software, and some restaurant and store gift certificates. I have never won a large prize. Considering all the people that I am sure have never won a prize ... I consider myself very lucky!
Summary
Uproar has definitely changed from when I first joined. Some days I contemplate quitting the site and playing exclusively on Pogo.com. Pogo offers a richer gaming experience and a feeling of community. Uproar is a much colder place these days. I no longer experience the warmth and comraderie that the site once offered. The only reason I stay is that Uproar offers pachisi, a game I enjoy, and so far Pogo does not. When Pogo finally decides to include a game of pachisi or one like it ... goodbye Uproar.
Update -- September 9, 2006
Thought I would share the news that the Uproar.com website has posted a notice that it is closing. Here is what part of the notice says: "As of 11:59pm Eastern Time on September 30, 2006, uproar.com will no longer be an active web site and participation in the uproar.com games will no longer be available."
I hope you have found this review useful.
Enjoy your day,
Dawn
http://dlstewart.com
Additional Information
http://www.uroar.com
Uproar is affiliated with The Flipside Network, a division of The Vendare Group.
Please read my other reviews:
Pogo.com (online games)
Hoyle Table Games (software)
Hoyle Card Games (software)
Dell Sudoku and More puzzles
PennyPress Family Variety Puzzles and Games
PennyPress Tournament Variety Puzzles
PennyPress Master’s Variety Puzzles
PennyPress Approved Variety Puzzles
TV Guide (new format)
Westclox Commander Alarm Clock with Snooze Button
Concord Eye-Q Digital Camera
Canon PowerShot A400 Digital Camera
Copyright 2005 Dawn L. Stewart
Recommended:
No
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