Pricing Game Discussion, fleshing out Money Game

[Nick]

Yes, that has actually bothered me. But not as much as "Credit Card" for a game that was really an ATM machine.

Except the name fit because, as Barker would say, you couldn't exceed your credit limit on your credit card with your purchases.  The ATM prop was a fit since cash advances are a thing with credit cards.

Another working title might be "Mad Money", especially if all you win is money, it would make you mad.

I don't think so.  A pessimistic title not only makes for poor television, this focuses on losing the game, not winning it.

"Pick a Pair" would have worked - they just would have had to come up with another name for the current Pick a Pair from the early 80s.  Other options besides Front and Back could have been:  Half and Half?  Nine Pairs? Hidden Price?

More specifically, "Pick Two Pairs".  "Pick a Pair" would only be half the game.  "Half and Half" has some potential since you're looking for the front and back halves of the car.  I'd say "Nine Pairs" is about as generic as Money Game.  "Hidden Price" doesn't fit for me because the price is not hidden.  It's right there in front of you.  You merely need to choose it (and it's definitely not blind guessing).

I really like the suggestion of "Front and Back".  Plus, it hearkens back to "the old front and back trick" they used to refer to when the winning pairs were side by side on the board.

It's a shame "El Cheapo" would never fit as a good name.

[tpirfansince1972]

One other thing I wish the show had, especially with the original board, is using the Pricedown font for the dollar signs.

[mechamind]

A pessimistic title not only makes for poor television, this focuses on losing the game, not winning it.

...as posted on a forum where (almost) everyone loves 3 Strikes.

But really, a game could have a "pessimistic" title and still be a favorite. Mad Money isn't that title, though.

[Nick]

...as posted on a forum where (almost) everyone loves 3 Strikes.

But really, a game could have a "pessimistic" title and still be a favorite. Mad Money isn't that title, though.

Perhaps that better expresses what I was attempting to say while attempting to remain polite.

[MrPlinko]

Probably the best alternate name-- the car price is hidden among the nine pairs, and your job is to find it before you only win money.

I love Money Game, but "Hidden Price" is even better!

Joe

[brosa0]

"Pick a Pair" would have worked - they just would have had to come up with another name for the current Pick a Pair from the early 80s.  Other options besides Front and Back could have been:  Half and Half?  Nine Pairs? Hidden Price?

Money Game was called Half & Half in both the Netherlands series and the UK's Joe Pasquale-hosted series.

I'd love to see Money Game get a makeover or at least a new color scheme every few years just to freshen it up given how often it gets played.  It doesn't need to be digitised.  It'd be great to see it played on the stage occasionally too instead of always on the turntable.

[SamJ93]

Here's a radical idea for a redesign: do the numbers absolutely need to be arranged in a 3x3 grid? Obviously, the original set had to put them close together so they could be seen on camera all at once...but in the widescreen era, they can afford to be a little more creative.

So my proposal: change the name to "Money Tree," relocate the game back to center stage and space the numbers out in a random-looking pattern on a tree graphic. The rules, of course, would remain unchanged, but the game would become much more visually interesting and engaging. Drew could even introduce the game with the tagline "not only does money grow on trees on our show...but cars do too!"

[JT]

Here's a radical idea for a redesign: do the numbers absolutely need to be arranged in a 3x3 grid? Obviously, the original set had to put them close together so they could be seen on camera all at once...but in the wide-screen era, they can afford to be a little more creative.

So my proposal: change the name to "Money Tree," relocate the game back to center stage and space the numbers out in a random-looking pattern on a tree graphic. The rules, of course, would remain unchanged, but the game would become much more visually interesting and engaging. Drew could even introduce the game with the tagline "not only does money grow on trees on our show...but cars do too!"

Very creative!  Would actually like to see a completely different new cash game with that name at some point!

[tpirfansince1972]

Sam that is such a cool idea!  Love it!  They could even do themed trees like at Christmas or for Arbor Day for example.

[Nick]

Sam, that is a fantastic suggestion, and I wouldn't put it past the current showrunners to do such a thing since they like to spend lots of money redesigning existing games (though, admittedly, this one could have greater impetus behind it).  It may jeopardize Money Game as the all-purpose backup car game if they make it into something too elaborate, but as a viewer, I really don't care about that.

Obviously, the original set had to put them close together so they could be seen on camera all at once...but in the widescreen era, they can afford to be a little more creative.

The original set most certainly had a far slimmer budget on which to be built, and that's probably the driving factor behind why it was the way it was.  While the current use of a jib cam allows for wider shots to show more elaborate sets, you still need to be able to capture everything in a 4:3 frame for where the feed is broadcast as such (lest you screw up the shot royally as Bart did with this one.  All these years later, I still can't believe how badly he missed this shot).

[therealcu2010]

While the current use of a jib cam allows for wider shots to show more elaborate sets, you still need to be able to capture everything in a 4:3 frame for where the feed is broadcast as such (lest you screw up the shot royally as Bart did with this one.  All these years later, I still can't believe how badly he missed this shot).

You really don't, actually. It's 2024. 16:9 has been the standard for some time now. Does CBS even send a 4:3 feed to the five people still on CRT TVs? My market has letterboxed the feed for years.

Most providers don't even send out analog feeds anymore. They are freeing up bandwidth to improve internet connectivity instead.

When I watched the Season 38 episodes on Pluto last summer, many of which I was seeing in HD for the first time, I couldn't help to think just how much wasted space there was in the frame.There is absolutely no reason not to use the whole frame.

[Thatgameshowguy]

All these years later, I still can't believe how badly he missed this shot.

Bart was not a good director. At all.

[justinbergner]

One of the easiest car games. Three choices for first two digits.  Either get it right on 1st, 2nd, or 3rd try.  Then you have six choices for the last two digits, but really five when you eliminate the season number.  No less than a 50% chance, and above 60% if you eliminate the season number and are slightly more likely than even chance (i.e 1/3) to get the first two digits right on your first try. 

You can check out my recently published book "Solving The Price Is Right" to learn more!

[Nick]

Bart was not a good director. At all.

To be fair, that shot you captured was the result of Barker deciding he didn't want the back of his balding head to be visible anymore as he ascended the Home Base steps (not that Bart did a great job with it, but's it's not as egregious as some of his other lacks of effort).

[SeaBreeze341]

I guess I would have just had the cameras focus on the studio audience before cutting to Bob & the contestant already in place at the Turntable