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Author Topic: The $1 Million Pyramid...  (Read 12942 times)

clemon79

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The $1 Million Pyramid...
« Reply #30 on: November 22, 2007, 12:35:01 PM »
[quote name=\'tpirfan28\' post=\'170236\' date=\'Nov 22 2007, 08:19 AM\']
I don't see what's completely wrong with the following system:
[/quote]
Then let me show you.
Quote
Two $1,000,000 tournaments a season
This.
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BrandonFG

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The $1 Million Pyramid...
« Reply #31 on: November 22, 2007, 01:01:06 PM »
[quote name=\'tpirfan28\' post=\'170236\' date=\'Nov 22 2007, 11:19 AM\']
I don't see what's completely wrong with the following system:

- three eight-week tournaments for $100,000
- winners of the tournaments play for $1,000,000
- Two $1,000,000 tournaments a season
[/quote]
Again, you're giving away a guaranteed $2.3 million per season, not including the main game bonuses like "Super Big Mystery 7-11 minus 1 and sometimes 5", and umm, regular Winner's Circle wins. You put all that together for 200+ episodes, and you're looking at well over $3 million...in one season. Besides, 1) do you really think viewers want to sit through eight weeks of TV just to see someone win $100,000, and 2) putting a time limit on the tournament one of the things that made Donnymid such bad television.

My first point brings up my whole guaranteed money vs. offered money debate. Millionaire, Deal, and Power of 10 may offer $1 million per episode, but the chances of that happening are slim to none. And if it appears they're giving away too much money too soon, they can easily alter things to make it more difficult, because they're not guaranteeing anything.

With your biannual tournaments, you're setting yourself up for a Lesko situation, and I don't mean pretty nipples.
« Last Edit: November 22, 2007, 01:01:52 PM by fostergray82 »
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clemon79

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The $1 Million Pyramid...
« Reply #32 on: November 22, 2007, 01:17:04 PM »
[quote name=\'fostergray82\' post=\'170247\' date=\'Nov 22 2007, 10:01 AM\']
Again, you're giving away a guaranteed $2.3 million per season, not including the main game bonuses like "Super Big Mystery 7-11 minus 1 and sometimes 5", and umm, regular Winner's Circle wins. You put all that together for 200+ episodes, and you're looking at well over $3 million...in one season.[/quote]
And this is the entire problem with the concept; yes, "The $1,000,000 Pyramid" rolls off the tongue nicely, and it's fun to draw sets and pretend you're the announcer and bounce up and down in your chair imagining obscene amounts of money being given away, but Brandon just pointed out the elephant in the room, since my knock was that twice a year wasn't often enough if that's what you're going to name the show, and Brandon's (100% correct) point is that a realistic prize budget won't even support *that*.

The sweet spot between not-looking-like-you're-trumpeting-a-false-number and fiscal feasibility just doesn't exist here, folks.

If you REALLY want to do something like this, you do not get to call it "The $1,000,000 Pyramid." Period. At best, you bring back the $100K show and title, and you have the $100K winners back once a year to play in a Tournament of Tournament of Champions Champions of some kind. And the very fact that I just used the phrase "Tournament of Tournament of Champions Champions" in a grammatically-correct fashion should tell you how silly the best-case scenario is.
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Jay Temple

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The $1 Million Pyramid...
« Reply #33 on: November 22, 2007, 03:23:16 PM »
Is it symbolic that I can no longer read the format? (I get the image from the home page and a message that I can't actually view the page.) Anyway, I thought it was going to be once a week, not a strip.

(tongue in cheek) Here's a format that you could reasonably call The $1,000,000 Pyramid and have a workable prize budget (for prime time). Over the course of an hour, two players play four games. The first time you win in the Circle, you earn $125,000. Each time after that, you double your winnings to that point. $125,000 x 2 x 2 x 2 = voilą, $1,000,000.
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DoorNumberFour

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The $1 Million Pyramid...
« Reply #34 on: November 22, 2007, 03:36:37 PM »
[quote name=\'Jay Temple\' post=\'170266\' date=\'Nov 22 2007, 03:23 PM\']
Is it symbolic that I can no longer read the format? (I get the image from the home page and a message that I can't actually view the page.) Anyway, I thought it was going to be once a week, not a strip.

(tongue in cheek) Here's a format that you could reasonably call The $1,000,000 Pyramid and have a workable prize budget (for prime time). Over the course of an hour, two players play four games. The first time you win in the Circle, you earn $125,000. Each time after that, you double your winnings to that point. $125,000 x 2 x 2 x 2 = voilą, $1,000,000.
[/quote]
I don't know, but somehow it would be boring for me to watch the same 2 teams of two play 4 games and 4 winners' circles.

You COULD make it a sort of Grand Game-esque payout:

10-100-1000-10,000-100,000-1,000,000

But you don't earn the stated amount for EACH correct, just the highest one you turn over.
« Last Edit: November 22, 2007, 03:37:30 PM by DoorNumberFour »
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clemon79

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The $1 Million Pyramid...
« Reply #35 on: November 22, 2007, 03:38:36 PM »
[quote name=\'Jay Temple\' post=\'170266\' date=\'Nov 22 2007, 12:23 PM\']
(tongue in cheek) Here's a format that you could reasonably call The $1,000,000 Pyramid and have a workable prize budget (for prime time). Over the course of an hour, two players play four games. The first time you win in the Circle, you earn $125,000. Each time after that, you double your winnings to that point. $125,000 x 2 x 2 x 2 = voilą, $1,000,000.
[/quote]
Man, am I glad your tongue is in your cheek there, because between "two players play four games" and "the first win is worth $125,000", you might as well bring in Maury Povich to host it, too.
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clemon79

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The $1 Million Pyramid...
« Reply #36 on: November 22, 2007, 03:39:47 PM »
[quote name=\'DoorNumberFour\' post=\'170268\' date=\'Nov 22 2007, 12:36 PM\']
You COULD make it a sort of Grand Game-esque payout:

10-100-1000-10,000-100,000-1,000,000

But you don't earn the stated amount for EACH correct, just the highest one you turn over.
[/quote]
No, you really couldn't. You REALLY couldn't.
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Kevin Prather

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The $1 Million Pyramid...
« Reply #37 on: November 22, 2007, 03:47:47 PM »
[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'170270\' date=\'Nov 22 2007, 12:39 PM\']
[quote name=\'DoorNumberFour\' post=\'170268\' date=\'Nov 22 2007, 12:36 PM\']
You COULD make it a sort of Grand Game-esque payout:

10-100-1000-10,000-100,000-1,000,000

But you don't earn the stated amount for EACH correct, just the highest one you turn over.
[/quote]
No, you really couldn't. You REALLY couldn't.
[/quote]
If I'm reading that right, he's saying that getting 5 out of 6 categories in the WC is worth $100,000? $100,000 for losing? Good night.

[quote name=\'Jay Temple\' post=\'170266\' date=\'Nov 22 2007, 12:23 PM\']
Is it symbolic that I can no longer read the format? (I get the image from the home page and a message that I can't actually view the page.) Anyway, I thought it was going to be once a week, not a strip.
[/quote]
You can't? It still works on my computer.

/Wow, I didn't realize the board automatically nested consecutive posts.

dzinkin

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The $1 Million Pyramid...
« Reply #38 on: November 22, 2007, 04:05:42 PM »
[quote name=\'whoserman\' post=\'170271\' date=\'Nov 22 2007, 03:47 PM\']
/Wow, I didn't realize the board automatically nested consecutive posts.
[/quote]
It does if the second message is posted within one minute of the first.

PalCatIN

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The $1 Million Pyramid...
« Reply #39 on: November 22, 2007, 07:56:28 PM »
Here's the idea I had for a $1,000,000 Pyramid.  I don't know how well it might work, but here it goes.

The front game would work as usual.  Normal tie breaks would simply send the winner to the WC.  Tie scores of 21-21 would pay $10,000 to the winner, unless 2 of these ties happened on the same day, in which case the second one would pay $25,000, regardless of who won the first one.

The bonuses would be the "Big 7" and the "Mystery 7".  The "Mystery 7" would play for a prize (Fridays would always be for a car).  The "Big 7" would be just as it used to be, except raising the $500 to $5,000.  I think I remember hearing that $500 was the prize for that.  Please correct me if I'm wrong.

As "whoserman" came up with, the WC amounts would be progressive.  However, in a nod to the show's history, the amounts would start at $10,000 for the first win (you stay at a level until you win it).  The second win would be $25,000, the third $50,000, and the fourth, $100,000.  Yes, this eliminates the $20,000 version which occurred between the $10,000 and $25,000 versions, but I figured 6 progressions might be too many.

The fifth and final level would be a little different.  If a player makes it through all 4 previous levels, within their five day limit, their fifth "level" would be the $1,000,000.  This would be an aggregate total, so it would actually be worth $815,000.  "Bonus money" from WC losses, "Big 7"'s, "Mystery 7"'s, and 21-21 tie breaks would not be aggregate.  IOW, if you won 2 "Big 7"s, and the $1,000,000 level, you'd leave with $1,010,000.

In order to appropriately increase the difficulty for level 5, a hidden fourth row of four categories (they would already be on the board, the board would just "rise up" to reveal the fourth row) would come into play.  The time would be increased to 100 seconds (keeping the 10 second per category average time in tact).  If the team completed the whole Pyramid, the contestant would win the $1,000,000.  The "loss money" would be available only be on the top "6" categories, and in the same amounts as usual, since their opponent would not have access to the bottom 4, and the WC score determines the champion.

If no contestant won the $1,000,000 during the first 6 weeks of play, the seventh week would start off with a "top 3 players" tournament, just like the $100,000 version.  The three fastest $100,000 winners (or the highest amount won by at least three people if there were no "$100,000" winners) would "round-robin" with daily high scorer coming back on the next day.  If a tie should be achieved, the player with the single fastest "7 in 30" time from that day would come back.  This would ensure that the player who "loses" rotates out, instead of the possibility of someone getting "blocked" by continuous ties.

This time all 10 categories would provide bonus points (to decide high scorer of the day), and the only money available would be the $1,000,000 in the WC.  The bonus cards would not play.  However, the 21-21 tie breaks would still offer money.  Of course, as in the regular games, if the $1,000,000 is won, it becomes that winner's aggregate total for WC money.  It is not an additional $1,000,000.  The tournament would continue until a winner was reached.

What do you think?

Steve McClellan

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The $1 Million Pyramid...
« Reply #40 on: November 22, 2007, 08:57:23 PM »
[quote name=\'PalCatIN\' date=\'Nov 22 2007, 04:56 PM\']What do you think? [/quote]
"...and that's how you play. It looks like we're out of time now, so join us tomorrow when we'll play our first game. Be sure to watch: someone might win $25,000, then go to the winner's circle to play for TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS!!!"
« Last Edit: November 22, 2007, 08:59:32 PM by Steve McClellan »

BrandonFG

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The $1 Million Pyramid...
« Reply #41 on: November 22, 2007, 09:25:59 PM »
[quote name=\'PalCatIN\' post=\'170280\' date=\'Nov 22 2007, 07:56 PM\']
The front game would work as usual.  Normal tie breaks would simply send the winner to the WC.  Tie scores of 21-21 would pay $10,000 to the winner, unless 2 of these ties happened on the same day, in which case the second one would pay $25,000, regardless of who won the first one.
[/quote]
I like the 21-21 tiebreaker bonus, but the idea of giving someone $25,000 just because it happened twice in one show is crazy, esp. if they lost the first one. $5,000 is plenty for the winner.

Quote
As "whoserman" came up with, the WC amounts would be progressive.  However, in a nod to the show's history, the amounts would start at $10,000 for the first win (you stay at a level until you win it).  The second win would be $25,000, the third $50,000, and the fourth, $100,000.  Yes, this eliminates the $20,000 version which occurred between the $10,000 and $25,000 versions, but I figured 6 progressions might be too many.

The fifth and final level would be a little different.  If a player makes it through all 4 previous levels, within their five day limit, their fifth "level" would be the $1,000,000.  This would be an aggregate total, so it would actually be worth $815,000.

I agree with Steve, there's just way too much going on for a half-hour show. I still like Kevin's original idea, one tournament, broken down into a seeding format. I think some of you are trying to be too overdramatic, just to give away the million. A simple, elimination tournament, changing nothing more than the difficulty of material is just fine.
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Robert Hutchinson

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The $1 Million Pyramid...
« Reply #42 on: November 22, 2007, 11:39:36 PM »
I have to admit, I have a soft spot for the one part of that that I've thought of before--the progressive jackpot that requires you to clear each "rung" before it increases. Even if you make the top prize semi-insane, if you get the Pyramid format halfway right, at least you'll be awarding it to only the very best players.

But yeah, there's way too much "let's stop and explain" stuff going on in that idea overall.
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TLEberle

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The $1 Million Pyramid...
« Reply #43 on: November 23, 2007, 02:13:59 AM »
[quote name=\'Robert Hutchinson\' post=\'170291\' date=\'Nov 22 2007, 08:39 PM\']I have to admit, I have a soft spot for the one part of that that I've thought of before--the progressive jackpot that requires you to clear each "rung" before it increases. [/quote]I thought that was the best part of the recent Hollywood Squares revival myself.

PalCatIN is greatly overestimating the tolerance of the average viewer to put up with special rules, one-off bonuses and extra stuff. Pyramid is best left ungilded. To make the $10/$25k thing as a 21-21 tiebreak is just silly. Awarding a car as a bonus because it happens to be on a Friday? Do you want to be the one who wants to explain why Jim just won a laptop instead of a Ford Ranger? I don't. Or why one particular winner's circle has ten topics and the others six? Again, not me. And I'm not even sure what you meant here: "Normal tie breaks would simply send the winner to the WC."
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clemon79

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The $1 Million Pyramid...
« Reply #44 on: November 23, 2007, 05:12:02 AM »
[quote name=\'TLEberle\' post=\'170294\' date=\'Nov 22 2007, 11:13 PM\']
And I'm not even sure what you meant here: "Normal tie breaks would simply send the winner to the WC."
[/quote]
I didn't read through the whole thing (I've already learned my lesson with this particular poster) but that makes perfect sense to me: if the tiebreaker is breaking a 17-17 tie, as opposed to a 21-21 tie, there is no bonus.
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