[quote name=\'rollercoaster87\' post=\'242136\' date=\'Jun 9 2010, 12:48 AM\']Point taken. Other than one bids, showcases, and a few games, the whole show is an exercise in guessing and is not much more "cerebral" than a lottery show. Y'know, I've always wondered how people would view Price if even once, CBS decided to go all 1950s on the viewers and play the show with just bids, using the hour to just play the game twice over, with the two winners playing the showcase.[/quote]
It's pretty much the same reason as why there are different types of games in a casino--some people like blackjack, others play craps, and others slot machines. Ultimately, they all have house edges and can't be beaten in the long run, which means the casino could just take half of your money right when you walk in the door with the same end result. But that doesn't mean it isn't fun to play, and people have their preferences based on which they think is most enjoyable.
Likewise, most of the pricing games are variations on "guess the number," but it's the way they are packaged, and presented within the larger framework of the show itself, that makes it fun. Plinko and Punchboard, for example, could both be played with contestants drawing slips of paper from a hat with the same results. The physical aspect of dropping chips/punching holes is exciting though, and much better television.
