More new GS games coming soon

[TLEberle]

"Entrys." (sigh)

Perhaps the least irritating of the faults is that the clock stops to enter a guess. I think I'll sleep at night sticking with my box o' party games.

[Crazy Packers Fan]

The biggest change per the website is the potential to use video and audio clues. The scoreboards have been updated as well. Unfortunately (and I know I've been yakking about this for years) Daily Doubles are still picked at random by the program. There's a special command teachers can use to force a Daily Double ("to help a player or team that's behind") but it still keeps this otherwise impressive unit from being a must-buy for would-be home game players. I imagine my supergamer friends would tolerate a clumsy workaround, but it still bums me out they insist on keeping it this way.

I really thought about getting it, because I wanted the video and audio clues, as well as the ability to wager down to the dollar. But the opportunity to get it for 1/3 of the price was too much to pass up.

At first I didn't think the Daily Double thing was a big deal, but then I realized how much it could screw up the game. If you put your easiest clues in the $200s, and the Daily Double ends up being triggered in a $200 clue, the player has an extremely easy shot at doubling up. The situation becomes worse in Double Jeopardy!, when there is more money that can be wagered and more of a chance that the Daily Double will end up in the top row.

It's the type of thing that casual players or children may not pick up on, but there are smart players who would figure out the correct strategy instantly.

[The Ol' Guy]

Heading back to the ol' fashioned box games, the Imagination Games version of Lingo was something I never saw in any brick-and-mortar store in my area. Other than the "Five Below" overstock store mentioned in a previous post, did anyone else find Lingo on a store shelf instead of having to order through a website? Thanks.

[Jeremy Nelson]

A whole shaky-cam video playthrough, in two parts!  See what makes you stop watching first: the gameplay or the commentating.

The commentating.  I couldn't even make it to any of the game play.

I had to watch on mute. That was really bad. Why do all of these guys have to read every single thing that pops up on the screen? I don't think too many blind people watch YouTube in the first place.

Really? You win a million dollars for each successful Winners Circle? There's no buildup to a Million Dollar WC at the end of the game? That, to me, seems like the equivalent of playing the final boss first in a video game, then going back to kill his/her lesser powered minions. If I conquer the game in a matter of minutes, what's left to keep playing one player mode? A small decision like that really tanks the game's replay value.

The killer here is that although it seems to be a Wii exclusive....for now....there's still no semblance of Mii support. This game is just bad, and it seems like their efforts are getting worse each time.

[JakeT]

As bad as all of the aforementioned points may be, they all pale in comparison to the fact that, while going for the money in the Winners Circle (during the actual timed gameplay), NEVER...not even ONCE...is the actual big pyramid game board shown.  Would it have been so difficult to have cut to a wide shot of the board after either a correct answer or if the player passed?  And finally, at that monumental moment when the 6th and final correct answer has been given, for a second or two, the damn game goes QUIET!  No bells...no music...just a pregnant pause before the unknown voice announces the $1,000,000 win.  

What a f*!king joke!

Before now, I had kinda felt that most of the jabs taken at Ludia in the past were mostly rather nit-picky...but I now stand corrected.  With all due respect, Ludia sucks balls...big wrinkly saggy balls...

Jake

[Crazy Packers Fan]

The killer here is that although it seems to be a Wii exclusive....for now....there's still no semblance of Mii support. This game is just bad, and it seems like their efforts are getting worse each time.

There won't be. There hasn't been any Mii support in any of the Ludia game show games. Instead, they use a rather poor avatar system.

[Bob Zager]

RE:  Minute to Win It Ultimate Party Pack:

I saw it at my local Wal-Mart....in the Clearance aisle already. They only had 2. It was around $12. I never got a good look at it but it's about the size of ice cream you would buy in a bucket (or a little smaller). Looks like something Legos would come in. Also spotted the "board game" at K-Mart.

Hey, thanks for the info!  I didn't think of looking in the clearance section!  After going to both Walmart stores in my hometown, and not finding it, I went to the nearest one out of town, and found about a dozen of them at that store (clearance price $9)!

Now, some news that has me confused:

Before the annual Toy Fair in New York, Endless Games announced that a children's version of Password, called Picture Password, is coming out this year.  On EG's facebook page, somebody asked about any new game show games, and the rep from EG said, "No new game shows - we're focusing on kids' games and family games for 2011."

http://issuu.com/anbmedia/docs/tfefeb11/103?mode=a_p

Well, either they meant no new game show titles, or possibly an ad appearing in the same publication I referred to earlier, was printed before officially announcing products coming.

The ad showed Picture Password, as well as 50th Anniversary Password, plus two card games--Password Lightning Round and Family Feud Strikeout--with Steve Harvey pictured!

[RyanCDN]

A whole shaky-cam video playthrough, in two parts!  See what makes you stop watching first: the gameplay or the commentating.

The commentating.  I couldn't even make it to any of the game play.

I have to agree with Matt.  When the guy let's out a "nice" for the Sony logo showing up, I was done.  This "promotion" or review goes hand in hand with Ludia quality.  I wonder what this game would have been like if THQ did it . . . we can only wonder.

-Ryan

[Matt Ottinger]

A whole shaky-cam video playthrough, in two parts!  See what makes you stop watching first: the gameplay or the commentating.

The commentating.  I couldn't even make it to any of the game play.

I have to agree with Matt.  When the guy let's out a "nice" for the Sony logo showing up, I was done.  This "promotion" or review goes hand in hand with Ludia quality.

The specific point where I lost it was when he said -- in earnestness and without the slightest trace of irony -- "I kid you not" that the top prize was a million dollars.

[vtown7]

A whole shaky-cam video playthrough, in two parts!  See what makes you stop watching first: the gameplay or the commentating.

The commentating.  I couldn't even make it to any of the game play.

I have to agree with Matt.  When the guy let's out a "nice" for the Sony logo showing up, I was done.  This "promotion" or review goes hand in hand with Ludia quality.

The specific point where I lost it was when he said -- in earnestness and without the slightest trace of irony -- "I kid you not" that the top prize was a million dollars.

I am curious to know, given that the top prize is One MEEEEEELION dollars, what the individual boxes are.  Somehow, I can't picture the host going "Well, you didn't win the grand prize, but let's see... two... four fifty... six... seven fifty, seven hundred and fifty dollars".

Of course that would require me getting hold of the game, then subjecting friends to it.  Pass.

Ryan.

/"and you win a new wardrobe item!"
//still have my Sierra 2001 version, and find it works better.  Frankly, so does the 1988 Box Office version...

[Strikerz04]

I am curious to know, given that the top prize is One MEEEEEELION dollars, what the individual boxes are.  Somehow, I can't picture the host going "Well, you didn't win the grand prize, but let's see... two... four fifty... six... seven fifty, seven hundred and fifty dollars".

Of course that would require me getting hold of the game, then subjecting friends to it.  Pass.

Ryan.

/"and you win a new wardrobe item!"
//still have my Sierra 2001 version, and find it works better.  Frankly, so does the 1988 Box Office version...

I was an idiot and bought that thing last night. Surely, the 2001 version is far superior (too bad I lost it).
For the record, its $10K each on the first level, and $25K each on the second level.


It was very uninspiring (given I cleared the WC in 38 seconds), and realized perhaps that I should've taken the girlfriend's advice and got "Minute to Win It."

[Tony Peters]

This really does not bode well for a television revival of the Pyramid format.

Along with most new formats/shows being so uninspired IMO, I'm just about ready to give up on the whole game show scene (only holding on to Jeopardy! for however long it lasts as a quality entity).

[Joe Mello]

Along with most new formats/shows being so uninspired IMO, I'm just about ready to give up on the whole game show scene (only holding on to Jeopardy! for however long it lasts as a quality entity).

Because clearly, a show in its third version is an "inspired format".

/Of course it is; it was inspired by its first two versions.
//waka waka waka!

[Matt Ottinger]

This really does not bode well for a television revival of the Pyramid format.

Much like we're seeing from Norm Blumenthal in the Concentration thread, Pyramid was very much a product of one zealously protective producer's vision.  Stripped of that, you sometimes get lucky with a remake, but there's usually something about it that just feels wrong, not just to us fans, but to the general public.  I have no doubt that a Pyramid remake could be successful, but the odds would seem to be against it.

[Bob Zager]

Endless Games' Facebook page is now showing some of their new games for 2011, including 50th Anniversary Password, and Picture Password for kids.

It's kinda odd that, although these are just prototype boxes, Picture Password uses the logo from the 1971 revival, and the 50th Annivesary edition shows the logo introduced last year (on their 6th edition) in the foreground, and the 1971 logo in the background.

There's no mention of the card games I'd mentioned in a previous post.