Microsoft has confirmed that 1 vs 100, the successful Xbox Live game show, will not be coming back for a third season. Instead, the innovative incentive to sign up for Xbox Live Gold will cease to be, and the team working on the project will be reassigned to new programs.

“When we started on this journey, we knew we were creating an entirely new genre of entertainment that would be a continually evolving concept,” said Dave McCarthy, General Manager, Microsoft Game Studios. “We’re very proud of the ‘1 vs 100’ team and their accomplishments, and are excited to apply what we’ve learned to future programming.”

This is a real shame, as 1 vs 100 really was one of the best things about Xbox Live Gold. It helped justify the $5 a month asking price, as it delivered a unique game-show experience that made for fun play alone, or with friends. Hell, even without the ability to win real prizes, it was still pretty cool to be able to compare scores with others, and put your mind against thousands of others at any given time.

The press release is below. We're hoping that this is simply a marketing move, like releasing a crappy "New Coke" only to bring back the original as "Coke Classic." In other words, our fingers are crossed that 1 vs 100 will be back soon due to "unprecedented popular demand." Sure, it would be playing with our feelings, but now that we don't have the ability to play it we sure to miss it.

“1 vs 100” on Xbox LIVE Takes A Bow After Two Seasons

After two successful seasons, "1 vs 100" on Xbox LIVE will not be returning for Season 3.

This pioneering show which combined the best of TV experiences and interactive video games was a ground-breaking pilot in an entertainment genre that will continue to grow and evolve. During the Beta season, more than 114,000 people played "1 vs 100" on Xbox LIVE simultaneously, setting an official Guinness  world record for the most contestants in a game show.

“When we started on this journey, we knew we were creating an entirely new genre of entertainment that would be a continually evolving concept,” said Dave McCarthy, General Manager, Microsoft Game Studios. “We’re very proud of the ‘1 vs 100’ team and their accomplishments, and are excited to apply what we’ve learned to future programming.”

The “1 vs 100” team is now focusing their skills and applying the technology used to develop “1 vs 100” to new projects that will be unveiled in the future.

[Source]