Author Topic: Pat Sajak's Lucky Letters (Read 3133 times)

Matteo · « **on:** June 02, 2006, 10:21:37 PM »

Has anyone seen this yet? found it on MSN's zone.com

http://zone.msn.com/en/root/deluxe.htm?cod...fID=04-11055797

It's really quite addictive. I think it could work as a real show.

Robert Hutchinson · « **Reply #1 on:** June 02, 2006, 11:00:39 PM »

I believe we talked about it back when it had just started. Other than the (inevitable) repeating of Pat's stock lines during the game, and the tendency for the crosswords to be imported into the game without certain modifications ("See 24-Across" with no way to reference, themed answers without even the hint of a title for the puzzle [although I found that to be its own perverse challenge]), I thought it was good stuff.

Robair · « **Reply #2 on:** June 03, 2006, 01:21:15 PM »

The thing is great as a computer game, but Penny Press is adapt it to print -- which may be interesting for awhile, anyway. Pat Sajak's Get-A-Letter Crosswords takes the standard computer-generated 13x13 crosswords and codes four letters with a star, a triangle, a circle and a square. When one of those letters is solved, a solver can place those letters anywhere there is a like symbol. It makes easy crosswords even easier, but a lot of hardcore solvers won't touch the easy books even without the ruse added by Sajak.

clemon79 · « **Reply #3 on:** June 03, 2006, 03:30:34 PM »

[quote name=\'Robair\' post=\'120264\' date=\'Jun 3 2006, 10:21 AM\']
Pat Sajak's Get-A-Letter Crosswords takes the standard computer-generated 13x13 crosswords and codes four letters with a star, a triangle, a circle and a square.
[/quote]
If they're computer-generated, they're not gonna be thematic, though, right? One of the things I enjoy about crosswords are the thematic clues.

Robert Hutchinson · « **Reply #4 on:** June 03, 2006, 09:03:08 PM »

Penny Press wouldn't know a thematic crossword if it bit them on their (2 wds.). Or, at least, they wouldn't back when I was still buying their magazines. (Dell had the advantage of challenging themed crosswords, and GAMES had that plus the ability to make an entertaining *easy* crossword.)

As for the idea for the magazine--eh. I get the cross promotion, and I can't think of a better celebrity name to put on your easy crossword book than Pat Sajak's, but the whole point of filling in like letters in the computer game is to make the puzzles solvable against the clock. If you need another hint for "Feline friend (3)" while you're just waiting for the bus, well . . .

davemackey · « **Reply #5 on:** June 04, 2006, 08:25:47 AM »

[quote name=\'Robert Hutchinson\' post=\'120298\' date=\'Jun 3 2006, 09:03 PM\']
Penny Press wouldn't know a thematic crossword if it bit them on their (2 wds.). Or, at least, they wouldn't back when I was still buying their magazines. (Dell had the advantage of challenging themed crosswords, and GAMES had that plus the ability to make an entertaining *easy* crossword.)
[/quote]

Anything "new" in a Penny Press or Dell book is most likely computer generated, or an old grid reclued to bring some of the references up to date. They have totally done away with freelancers. I think Dell's done away with their one book of themed crosswords (Crosswords Crosswords) because it went pretty much all reprint and they probably needed the room on their schedule for more Sudoku and Kakuro titles.

As the creator of some of those "entertaining easy crosswords" that show up in Games, I thank you for the kind words. I've got one coming up in the September World of Puzzles.

Robert Hutchinson · « **Reply #6 on:** June 04, 2006, 02:03:37 PM »

[quote name=\'davemackey\' post=\'120330\' date=\'Jun 4 2006, 08:25 AM\']Anything "new" in a Penny Press or Dell book is most likely computer generated, or an old grid reclued to bring some of the references up to date. They have totally done away with freelancers.[/quote]

I realized after I posted that I didn't mention that I hadn't opened a Dell or Penny Press publication in about 10 years. Aren't they both under the same umbrella now, or something?

Quote

As the creator of some of those "entertaining easy crosswords" that show up in Games, I thank you for the kind words. I've got one coming up in the September World of Puzzles.

Hey, neat. I keep running into you folks lately. (Online, anyway.)

zachhoran · « **Reply #7 on:** June 04, 2006, 07:23:48 PM »

[quote name=\'davemackey\' post=\'120330\' date=\'Jun 4 2006, 08:25 AM\']

Anything "new" in a Penny Press or Dell book is most likely computer generated, or an old grid reclued to bring some of the references up to date. They have totally done away with freelancers. I think Dell's done away with their one book of themed crosswords (Crosswords Crosswords) because it went pretty much all reprint and they probably needed the room on their schedule for more Sudoku and Kakuro titles.

[/quote]

When did Dell Champion Crossword Puzzles(and its sister Dell Champion Variety Puzzles) kick the bucket? That too was a similar layout to Crosswords Crosswords IIRC.

rialtus · « **Reply #8 on:** June 05, 2006, 03:00:01 PM »

[quote name=\'Matteo\' post=\'120240\' date=\'Jun 2 2006, 09:21 PM\']
I think it could work as a real show.
[/quote]

Crossword puzzles as a game show... Hmm... Cross-Wits anyone?