Pricing Game Discussion, fleshing out Money Game

[tpirfansince1972]

I know it's been tradition for quite a while now for the top center number to be the same as the season number.  I imagine for those who are LFaTs they would know to probably avoid selecting that, unless the show was in budget mode, since rarely if ever does it seem that number houses the front or back of the car.

It would be nice if once in a while they played Money Game on the stage again instead of always at the turntable.

I also still miss the original board, I preferred the red cards with the black numbers and the yellow cards with the dollar signs and the car halves on it.

This is indeed a tried and true game, a classic-classic, one that should endure for as long as the show itself does.

It is quite an anomaly too that one could end up winning more by making three mistakes than by making no mistakes.  Sadly due to taxes, any money that is won in this game probably gets absorbed and then some anymore.

[alansh42]

If you want to get a feel for what the cash values were like originally, inflation has been 7x since 1972. Giving the contestant 10x their cash wouldn't be far off, but I think the cash works better as a zonk than a decent second prize, like the piggy bank in Any Number.

[JayC]

Money Game is indeed a tried and true classic, and despite its very simple premise and set it is usually fun to watch because of how Drew and Bob before him will tease the reveal when it comes down to the last pick. I've always viewed Gridlock as a flashy imitation of Money Game with less room for error since it debuted.

[actual_retail_tice]

I have come around on Money Game in recent years. I used to dislike it pretty heavily and thought it was boring, but it is comparatively winnable and fast-moving and these days I like it. I only wish they would revamp the board.

[Alfonzo]

I have come around on Money Game in recent years. I used to dislike it pretty heavily and thought it was boring, but it is comparatively winnable and fast-moving and these days I like it. I only wish they would revamp the board.

So have I. I now consider Money Game as a nice, quick no-frills car game they can easily plug in at the end of the show to keep everything moving.

[William]

I've long wanted a Money Game set change, but feared the board would be digitized if they did it at this point. That would, however, kill the purpose of it being a quick and ready substitute game in case of a malfunction. Hopefully the staff realizes this if and when they get around to an update.

If you want to get a feel for what the cash values were like originally, inflation has been 7x since 1972. Giving the contestant 10x their cash wouldn't be far off, but I think the cash works better as a zonk than a decent second prize, like the piggy bank in Any Number.

This isn't a bad idea. In 1972, $150-$250 was a nice consolation to not winning the car. Not so much nowadays. Same thing with winning a $650 prize in Any Number.

[SamJ93]

This isn't a bad idea. In 1972, $150-$250 was a nice consolation to not winning the car. Not so much nowadays. Same thing with winning a $650 prize in Any Number.

Even back in '72, though, most contestants only really cared about the car. It doesn't matter if you offer them $100 or $500 or $1000 as a consolation prize, if they don't win the car it's all background noise. So from a budgetary perspective, the current amounts are perfectly fine.

[JT]

Doesn't anyone find it ironic that they called the game "Money" game when a)  the Money was never intended to be the top prize, it's the sole/consolation prize when you don't win the car and b) several games came along later where Money was the top prize:  Punch-a-Bunch, Grand Game, etc.  Back in the early days, they probably never figured they would have a game you play only for money.  I'm also kinda surprised they never altered Money Game's name once the cash games were introduced, but it's still standing strong 50+ years later!

[Alfonzo]

Doesn't anyone find it ironic that they called the game "Money" game when a)  the Money was never intended to be the top prize, it's the sole/consolation prize when you don't win the car and b) several games came along later where Money was the top prize:  Punch-a-Bunch, Grand Game, etc.  Back in the early days, they probably never figured they would have a game you play only for money.  I'm also kinda surprised they never altered Money Game's name once the cash games were introduced, but it's still standing strong 50+ years later!

The only other name I could think of for it is "Front and Back". Not too snazzy, huh?

[JayC]

I've long wanted a Money Game set change, but feared the board would be digitized if they did it at this point. That would, however, kill the purpose of it being a quick and ready substitute game in case of a malfunction. Hopefully the staff realizes this if and when they get around to an update.

If they do digitize, I hope it's just with the car and money graphics. The game becomes considerably less interesting if they stop having Drew pull up the card with the numbers for the reveal and it just becomes him tapping the screen IMO.

[Nick]

I know it's been tradition for quite a while now for the top center number to be the same as the season number.

This worked for season 35, since it appeared to be a reasonable choice, and worked again in seasons 40, 45 and 50.  I think trying to keep it up all the time is a bit much for an inside joke.

It would be nice if once in a while they played Money Game on the stage again instead of always at the turntable.

What would be even nicer would be a return of the nifty car reveal shot Breslow used to use in this game, with a long shot of Door #3 with Barker and the contestant at the left edge beside the Giant Price Tag as the door opened.  Rich DiPirro briefly revived it in One Away, and it was delightful.

The only other name I could think of for it is "Front and Back". Not too snazzy, huh?

Snazzier than Money Game.  I'd take it (and if that had been the game's name, we would have been spared the awkwardness of the Big Money Game format).

If they do digitize, I hope it's just with the car and money graphics. The game becomes considerably less interesting if they stop having Drew pull up the card with the numbers for the reveal and it just becomes him tapping the screen IMO.

Agreed.  Not sure where there would be any benefit to digitizing the game (Are art cards really that bad?).  It was always nice when Barker would sneak up on a do-or-die last pick by pulling the card slowly, which is an opportunity for suspense and genuine excitement you'd kill if you went digital with the game.

[shell_game]

Doesn't anyone find it ironic that they called the game "Money" game

Yes, that has actually bothered me. But not as much as "Credit Card" for a game that was really an ATM machine. (but for the record, I still really miss it)

[tpirfansince1972]

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

[JT]

The only other name I could think of for it is "Front and Back". Not too snazzy, huh?

"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?

[b_masters8]

Hidden Price?

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.