Author Topic: What is the process for PG retirement?  (Read 5484 times)

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Offline tpir04

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What is the process for PG retirement?
« on: June 28, 2018, 07:31:46 PM »
If and when a pricing game gets retired, as some have in the past, can somebody tell me the process of doing so? And how will the viewers know? Is there an on-air announcement or a Facebook post?
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Offline blozier2006

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Re: What is the process for PG retirement?
« Reply #1 on: June 28, 2018, 08:09:41 PM »
You just stop seeing the game, no announcement, no nothing. As a rule of thumb, if you go through a complete season without seeing a particular game, you can assume it's gone.

Offline whowouldeverhurtawhammy

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Re: What is the process for PG retirement?
« Reply #2 on: June 28, 2018, 08:20:38 PM »
As a rule of thumb, if you go through a complete season without seeing a particular game, you can assume it's gone.

...Unless it comes back years later with a refreshed set and/or rule changes, which that has occurred in recent years (i.e., Time is Money, Barker's Bargain Bar/Bargain Game).
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Offline ThatDonGuy

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Re: What is the process for PG retirement?
« Reply #3 on: June 28, 2018, 09:01:42 PM »
I think the only time the show has ever mentioned that a game has been "retired" (other than when a previously retired game is brought back, like Check Game) was in the 1990s episode of Decades Week - Drew mentioned that the five starting symbols for Cover Up were five of the six games retired in the 1990s (Gallery Game, Split Decision, Bump, Super Saver, Super Ball - the sixth was Give or Keep).

Here's a similar question: just when is it decided that a game should be retired?  When did somebody suggest, "You know, we don't really need Hit Me any more"?

Offline PIRfanSince72

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Re: What is the process for PG retirement?
« Reply #4 on: June 28, 2018, 10:14:13 PM »
I think the only time the show has ever mentioned that a game has been "retired" (other than when a previously retired game is brought back, like Check Game) was in the 1990s episode of Decades Week - Drew mentioned that the five starting symbols for Cover Up were five of the six games retired in the 1990s (Gallery Game, Split Decision, Bump, Super Saver, Super Ball - the sixth was Give or Keep).

Here's a similar question: just when is it decided that a game should be retired?  When did somebody suggest, "You know, we don't really need Hit Me any more"?

I can only offer speculation to your question.

I imagine several factors are considered when determining whether or not a pricing game should be retired.

Win/loss ratio for example.  If a game is lost too often (or perhaps even won too often), that may factor into retiring it. (Bullseye I/Double Bullseye)
Time constraints, especially since practically 30 minutes of the 60 now are commercials or bumpers.  Credit Card, a 5 prize game is gone due to this.
If the game is deemed too difficult for players to understand.  Mystery Price is a good example I'd say.  Hit Me is another.
Inflationary reasons may be considered, such as Poker Game.  In 1975 playing for four three-digit prizes was big, by 2007 it wasn't anymore.
Audience feedback, although maybe not as much now, but Shower Game was axed early on due to negative audience feedback.
The production staff dislikes a game, which is why Give or Keep was retired, as well as Telephone Game.
The game may not really fit the format of the show, Professor Price using trivia questions is a prime example of this.
Some pricing games led to only partial wins, Step Up was a prime example of this.  I know Roger said he preferred games that were win or loss only.
Prop malfunctions and/or destruction sometimes factor into games being retired (e.g. Penny Ante, Hurdles).
Some times the host/executive producer (Mr. Barker) would strongly recommend getting rid of a game due to him disliking it (Finish Line).
Some games are almost duplicates of other games (Clearance Sale was Easy as 1-2-3 but with price tags instead of blocks).
The host making an error with rules of a game (Barker - Super Saver, Carey - Make Your Mark).

Although I did do a post recently stating that I wish it were possible to have even more pricing games than the 77 currently used, certain pricing games featured on the show could be retired and I wouldn't mind at all.  That's Too Much! for one, Stack The Deck (unless they revise the rules somehow), Coming Or Going, Pay the Rent and One Wrong Price are all games that could be retired and not missed at all by me.

Offline rowlande

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Re: What is the process for PG retirement?
« Reply #5 on: June 29, 2018, 08:35:40 AM »
I just realized all of the games retired under the Carey era were multi prize games. No car games, grocery games, or small prize games were retired

Offline JayC

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Re: What is the process for PG retirement?
« Reply #6 on: June 29, 2018, 11:47:41 AM »
Joker was retired after Drew started, so that's one SP game.

I would guess for the multi-prize games they got rid of them mostly because of the amount of time it took to play them probably not being worth the low-excitement/reaction level for the games. Roger probably didn't want to retire more than the amount that he did when Drew came in, but once he was fired it was fair game to get rid of some more.

Offline jimme

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Re: What is the process for PG retirement?
« Reply #7 on: July 18, 2018, 09:23:44 PM »
I once got an e-mail reply to my question what Split Decision was retired?  They replied (paraphrasing), "Bob said contestants found the game difficult to understand, and asked that it be retired."

Offline Thatgameshowguy

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Re: What is the process for PG retirement?
« Reply #8 on: July 27, 2018, 08:51:49 PM »
I know I'm a bit late to the thread, but I'll add in this quote seen on the CBS website in 2002...

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Games are retired because they don’t seem to spark the same enthusiasm of other games.
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Offline actual_retail_tice

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Re: What is the process for PG retirement?
« Reply #9 on: July 28, 2018, 08:44:34 AM »
I think that only tells part of the story. It’s true that audience enthusiasm has been a deciding factor for retiring games, but usually only if there was something else wrong with the game where the staff needed to determine whether or not it was worth keeping.


Offline GuyWithFace

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Re: What is the process for PG retirement?
« Reply #10 on: July 28, 2018, 11:28:59 AM »
And the rules on why to retire a game have certainly changed since 2002 -- Make Your Mark was only retired because nobody wished to tell Drew that he had screwed up the rules, while Barker's Bargain Bar was removed and dismantled for simply having "Barker" in the name.
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Offline JohnHolder

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Re: What is the process for PG retirement?
« Reply #11 on: July 28, 2018, 02:40:30 PM »
And the rules on why to retire a game have certainly changed since 2002 -- Make Your Mark was only retired because nobody wished to tell Drew that he had screwed up the rules, while Barker's Bargain Bar was removed and dismantled for simply having "Barker" in the name.

I thought MYM was retired because they didn’t trust him to be able to explain it correctly in the future. BBB was brought back eventually without the Barker.

Offline b_masters8

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Re: What is the process for PG retirement?
« Reply #12 on: July 28, 2018, 03:55:49 PM »
BBB was brought back eventually without the Barker.

That's right-- as Bargain Game, which I think is a pretty good and quick game!

Offline GuyWithFace

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Re: What is the process for PG retirement?
« Reply #13 on: July 28, 2018, 04:52:32 PM »
I thought MYM was retired because they didn’t trust him to be able to explain it correctly in the future.
Not quite. Drew incorrectly explained the $500 (saying that the contestant would still win it if they opted not to switch the third mark and lost), nobody was willing to correct him, they let the game continue with his incorrect explanation as the "new rules", then retired the game after the taping.

BBB was brought back eventually without the Barker.
Yes, but I would argue that it could easily have been done in 2008 or 2009 without trashing the set and taking the game out of the rotation for three years.
« Last Edit: July 28, 2018, 04:58:52 PM by GuyWithFace »
The above is my opinion and mine alone.

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Offline Casey

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Re: What is the process for PG retirement?
« Reply #14 on: July 28, 2018, 08:13:43 PM »
And the rules on why to retire a game have certainly changed since 2002 -- Make Your Mark was only retired because nobody wished to tell Drew that he had screwed up the rules, while Barker's Bargain Bar was removed and dismantled for simply having "Barker" in the name.
Please then explain why Super Saver was retired?