The future for some pricing games

[tpirfansince1972]

With gas and prices at all time record highs in America, I'm wondering how certain pricing games might be affected.

Specifically Bullseye, Check-Out and Grocery Game.  Check-Out and Grocery Game are quite difficult to win as it is.

Both adjusted for inflation back in 1989 if memory serves.  I know in more recently years, Grocery Game went from $20-21 range to $20-22.

I can't help but wonder if the show will re-adjust for season 51, considering they really haven't done so very much for over 3 decades.

Wondering if they will adjust the $2.00 range for Check-Out at all too.

[pannoni1]

Check-Out, probably not for awhile unless if there's severe inflation that basically rivaled the disco years in terms of its length. It actually had its range upped in 2001. $2 today is worth (or will be worth in about a year or two with the current inflation)  approximately 50 cents when the game debuted in 1982.

Grocery Game had its winning range increased from $20-$21 to $20-$22 in 2016, so although that was pretty recent, the rather low total may imply that they'll start needing to use cheaper products in order for this game to continue. Still, a $2 spread today is eight times its original 25 cent spread, and $2 is still worth more than what a quarter in 1972 was, although that may be crossed over in a few years. Still, if there was a tweak, it would be more on the lines of simply going from $30-$32 or so, since due to the lack of electronics, the base is easily adjustable.

But Bullseye still has the exact same $10-$12 target since 1989, and unlike the other games, it actually makes the game TOO easy by simply turning it into the "pick 2 or 3 of what you think are the most expensive products, and you'll win" game. Perhaps $15-$18, $20-$24, or even $25-$30 is due.

Coming or Going, Freeze Frame, and Side By Side certainly could be adjusted for five digits just like Squeeze Play and Push Over have done on special occasions. CoG could easily be played for a car, with 2 the common digit since so many cars end with a 2, with $21,342 or $24,312 being a sample setup. The same with Side by Side with $12,159 and $15,912 being a sample pairing for that trip to the Maldives, with the movable digits portion having three digits in a narrower font instead of two, and the electronics adjusted to fit the narrower digits. Freeze Frame could have four choices with $1X,X in term next two digit choices, making four reasonable possibilities. $205, $39, $223, $52, $237, $12, $217, and $03 could be a sample setup for a car. It would be a great way to spice up these otherwise unremarkable quickies, and allow for the occasional NCFC.

Range Game probably will keep its $150 Rangefinder longer than Hole In One keeps its $500 bonus though.

[SeaBreeze341]

With the mention of Side By Side, it has me thinking that they missed an opportunity to allow five digits when they decided to update the prop a couple years back.  Meanwhile I didn't think much of Bullseye having the same range for over 30 years.  I think it's still fine right now, but probably something that should be addressed in a couple years.

The Coming or Going plan I love (for five digits).  I might be a little surprised if it doesn't play out this way in a year or two

[PimpinJC]

Would not surprise me if Golden Road finally abandons the start of the game to be a cheap grocery item.  I can’t see finding enough flexibility to keep using <$1 grocery items and still being able to work with the first item.

Although that is crazy to think that the show has been able to work with such a constraint for 47 years when every other game has adapted to inflation.

[BillyGr]

With the mention of Side By Side, it has me thinking that they missed an opportunity to allow five digits when they decided to update the prop a couple years back.  Meanwhile I didn't think much of Bullseye having the same range for over 30 years.  I think it's still fine right now, but probably something that should be addressed in a couple years.

Would Side by Side need any actual change to have 5 digits?  They have to put the numbers on each time anyway, so just use slightly smaller/narrower numbers if needed and put 3 on one part (could be either), as long as it allows both halves to make sense (like 12 and 145, so it could be $12,145 or $14,512 as one example).

The other items (like Bullseye as you mention and even Grocery and Check Out from the original posts don't really need to be changed. 
There are still plenty of items that cost $1.xx to $5.99 for Bullseye, Grocery can have anything up to $22 by itself if they wanted to, or anywhere below that (since you can use multiple items, so even something that was $15.99 would work as long as other items could add up to $4.01-$6.01 either singly or in combination) and Check Out doesn't really matter, as you are picking the cost (other than if there is a limitation on the display of having a total that exceeds 4 digits (aka more than $99.99).

That is a possibility for Golden Road, but being it only gets played a few times a year, and the price of the item doesn't really matter (as long as they find one that has the number they need), there is probably not that much issue there either.

[Torgo]

Up the cash bonus in Gas Money to $20,000. (But make it so you only get that "extra" $10,000 if you win; otherwise, the game breaks.)

[gamesurf]

Make a spinoff of Now or Then called "Here or There", "Here" being the US, "There" being the equivalent cost of that product in some other stated country

"The baby formula has a price of $35. Is that the US price, or the UK price?"

[pannoni1]

There has to be a disclaimer that the prices shown are at the nominal exchange rate in USD during the day of taping in order for this to apply. To continue the theme, the game would usually be played for a trip to the country being featured in that playing. But very few people are familiar with the concept of prices in other countries. A lot of designer fashion is quite a bit cheaper in France or Italy compared to North America, while McDonald's is often quite a bit more overseas. It's probably never going to happen.

Make Your Move is another game that is due for an upgrade. The same electronics have been in place since 1989, so they could upgrade with a touchscreen display that allows for both a 5-3-2 and a 4-3-2 setup, where the sliding panels can be adjusted to fit both schemes. They could also simply fill in one end with an extra digit that could be added (similar to Dice Game in the 1980s) affixed to the main set if they can't get a full redesign, and then simply make a five-digit version of the green prize slider.

[SeaBreeze341]

I wouldn't mind a Make Your Move upgrade, but I would prefer if they went to a 5-4-3 structure instead of a 5-3-2 (or 5-4-2).  I'm not sure if it's at the top of their to-do list.

On a related note, and I planned to bring this up not too long ago on the boards, but I wouldn't be against an upgrade to games like Switcheroo and Any Number.  I get that the goal in both is to win a car, but I would love to see 3-digit prizes (instead of 2) for 4 prizes.  Meanwhile, the other Any Number prize could move to 4 digits (you'd give away the first number away free).  I briefly mentioned both in chat a while back.  I don't think it's imperative to make that move, but I'd love to see it down the road.

As for the Golden Road opening sub-$1 prize, I agree in terms of its demise.  Yes it's not played much if at all anymore, but I don't think it would be a crime to just simply use a small prize to start the game.  Given the increase in everything, if nothing's coming down soon, not much would be worth 99 cents or less.  Still, what's the big deal

[gamesurf]

There has to be a disclaimer that the prices shown are at the nominal exchange rate in USD during the day of taping in order for this to apply. To continue the theme, the game would usually be played for a trip to the country being featured in that playing. But very few people are familiar with the concept of prices in other countries. A lot of designer fashion is quite a bit cheaper in France or Italy compared to North America, while McDonald's is often quite a bit more overseas. It's probably never going to happen.

ftr “Here or There” was a joke, it might work on a HYO as a gag but there’s no way something like that would fly on the actual show

As for the Golden Road opening sub-$1 prize, I agree in terms of its demise.  Yes it's not played much if at all anymore, but I don't think it would be a crime to just simply use a small prize to start the game.  Given the increase in everything, if nothing's coming down soon, not much would be worth 99 cents or less.  Still, what's the big deal

Smaller items contrast better. You’re starting with something little and insignificant, but you work your way up to a Maserati. Gameplay-wise there’s no reason you can’t use an $72 blender instead of an 72˘ can of cat food, but the cat food does a better job selling the narrative of “tiny thing leads to big thing”.

That novel aspect of Golden Road IMO makes it worth spending time hunting down *something* that costs 72 cents if at all possible.

[BillyGr]

ftr “Here or There” was a joke, it might work on a HYO as a gag but there’s no way something like that would fly on the actual show

Smaller items contrast better. You’re starting with something little and insignificant, but you work your way up to a Maserati. Gameplay-wise there’s no reason you can’t use an $72 blender instead of an 72˘ can of cat food, but the cat food does a better job selling the narrative of “tiny thing leads to big thing”.

That novel aspect of Golden Road IMO makes it worth spending time hunting down *something* that costs 72 cents if at all possible.

The other fairly easy option is (if you can't find that item for 72 cents) would be to find one that costs $2.72.  Doesn't change the game play at all (since for the first item you are still choosing between 2 and 7) but might (at some point) be easier to find.

[JT]

Too bad Any Number has had a piggy bank for almost 50 years.  Then in Golden Road, they could have an actual piggy bank and say it all begins with the change in this Piggy Bank that can help you win this ________.  Then they won't have to search for grocery items anymore and they can just make the piggy bank any two-digit amount from 12-98 cents! 

[Alfonzo]

Too bad Any Number has had a piggy bank for almost 50 years.  Then in Golden Road, they could have an actual piggy bank and say it all begins with the change in this Piggy Bank that can help you win this ________.  Then they won't have to search for grocery items anymore and they can just make the piggy bank any two-digit amount from 12-98 cents!

What law says that it can't be in two games?! Heck, they could call it "Our Famous Price is Right Piggy Bank"!

[tpirfansince1972]

Once upon a time, way back "in the day" I do believe the grocery item used in Golden Road was a fee plug too.  But it seems like it has been decades now (at least the 1980s) since the grocery item was plugged. 

They could borrow from Temptation, and start with a goldfish bowl full of one dollar bills.  And should the player crap out and not even win the first prize along the Golden Road, they still could keep the sub $100 cash prize as a consolation.

Or another idea, borrowing from the "Wizard of Oz" theme, start each game with a pair of ruby slippers and under each one would be a different digit, one of which would be the missing digit in the first prize's price.