Bravo Planning ‘Top Chef,' ‘Real Housewives' Multiplatform Games

Ad supported games will be playable at BravoTV.com, on iPhone

By Alex Weprin -- Broadcasting & Cable, 4/1/2010 10:19:08 AM

Bravo is planning an expansion into the iPhone and online game business. The network has three games on tap for this summer, based on its Top Chef and Real Housewives franchises.

All three will be playable at BravoTV.com, with the Real Housewives game also available for download in the iTunes App Store. The games will be advertising supported when they launch, as well as Facebook Connect enabled, letting users post scores and challenges to their Facebook pages.

The first game, "Top Chef Food Fight," will launch in April, and lets users impose their picture on top of former "cheftestants" bodies, earning points and badges as they make a mess in the kitchen.

The second game, the "Real Housewives Hidden Object Game" will be available in May, and has players trying to find items the housewives need to attend their next social event. Each scene will be based around a different installment of the Real Housewives franchise, i.e. dinner at an Italian restaurant with the New Jersey cast, or backstage at a fashion show with the Atlanta cast.

The third game, "Who Is Top Chef?" launches in June, and features fast paced mini games testing users agility, speed and memory, with the results tallied up and badges awarded depending on how the players perform.

Games, both web-based and on devices like the iPhone, have become popular ways to expand a television show's brand to new platforms. In addition to serving as a promotional tool, they can also drive some revenue through advertising or by charging for the application. When tied to a new season of a show, as Bravo is doing with Top Chef Masters and the Real Housewives of New Jersey, games can add buzz, and keep hardcore fans immersed in the show's universe.

"We know from our other social media initiatives how much our fans love to engage and connect with each other, so this is a perfect fit for our fans to experience Bravo on a whole new level," said Lisa Hsia, senior VP of digital media, Bravo Media, announcing the games. "They can live the life of a 'Real Housewife' or test their kitchen prowess with the cast of Top Chef, allowing them to be part of Bravo in a whole new way."