Interesting take on WoF

[parliboy]

Not really. Remember that you give up half your bank if you quit during "Who wants to win random dollar amounts".

[PYLdude]

Not really. Remember that you give up half your bank if you quit during "Who wants to win random dollar amounts".

That doesn't invalidate my point. The way I see it, by tossing more cash your way in the first portion of the game the "struggle" doesn't exist anymore. And that's factoring in the possibility of having to walk before the second round.

The way I see it, unless it falls just so that the player knocks out the top two values on jumps or simply doesn't get a good stack of questions walking away with at least $25,000 is easier to do than it was when the producers were being stingy pricks with the questions.

[TLEberle]

The way I see it, unless it falls just so that the player knocks out the top two values on jumps or simply doesn't get a good stack of questions walking away with at least $25,000 is easier to do than it was when the producers were being stingy pricks with the questions.

Given that the prize budget has shrank over time instead of increased, I'd be curious to see if you have some numbers to bear that out.

[Hastin]

That's changed since the game's format radically changed, hasn't it?

To an extent, and I agree with the points here, but the syndicated show started out as an almost carbon-copy of the primetime show. It only took a couple of seasons before they started tweaking the lighting and making it more 'friendly' of a show. Even with the format change, the show isn't the dark and moody that it was circa 1999.

From a player perspective, it's absolutely easier to walk with $25k on the 'super-mix' format, but we just don't see that many great players on the stage anymore. At least with WoF, there's a simple game in there (one that's too simple for the amount of $ they are giving way, IMHO).

[TLEberle]

Despite the author's bone to pick with not-so-hip puzzles, a Wheel of Fortune with heavy pop culture influence, combined with an audience fragmented by age and 500 million avenues for content, is asking for blank stares. Maybe in the rabbit ears days you could get away with it more, but they almost have to keep it broad by design.

But wait a minute, Wheel of Fortune has long been a cultural touchstone, in that whatever is popular in the times will show up. The only difference between "The tribe has spoken and "You are the weakest link, goodbye" and "I could sure use a donut" is that damn near everyone knows what the first two phrases come from. And at least those are real phrases, as opposed to "I'd love to go whale watching" from last week. In any event, why should Wheel of Fortune avoid topicality, when Jeopardy and Millionaire go to that well frequently?

What I would draw from her observations is that they do give money in a way that suggests it falls from trees. Hey, here's three grand for a little ol' toss-up! Here's a thou for losing! Have a hundred grand!

The show makes over $100 million a year. For them they may as well have the key to the printing press.

[Unrealtor]

Despite the author's bone to pick with not-so-hip puzzles, a Wheel of Fortune with heavy pop culture influence, combined with an audience fragmented by age and 500 million avenues for content, is asking for blank stares. Maybe in the rabbit ears days you could get away with it more, but they almost have to keep it broad by design.

But wait a minute, Wheel of Fortune has long been a cultural touchstone, in that whatever is popular in the times will show up. The only difference between "The tribe has spoken and "You are the weakest link, goodbye" and "I could sure use a donut" is that damn near everyone knows what the first two phrases come from. And at least those are real phrases, as opposed to "I'd love to go whale watching" from last week. In any event, why should Wheel of Fortune avoid topicality, when Jeopardy and Millionaire go to that well frequently?

I'm with you on liking a little bit more pop culture to show up, but they've been doing puzzles that are well-known but not frequently-used phrases for years. It's practically as much a part of the show as "I'd like to buy a vowel", as is my other pet peeve with their writing: making puzzles overly wordy. Back in the day, you might have had "beach umbrella" as a thing, but now it's "a row of brightly-colored beach umbrellas" or whatever will actually fit.

[Brakus]

Smug pretension and naked elitism: it's what you'd get if Casey Abell and Jeremy Soria had a kid.

Hey, I lurk, but I'm not dead. But it's good to know the more things change, the more they stay the same.

[Matt Ottinger]

Smug pretension and naked elitism: it's what you'd get if Casey Abell and Jeremy Soria had a kid.

Hey, I lurk, but I'm not dead. But it's good to know the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Best as I can tell, this is the first time anybody's bothered to mention your name in about two and a half years.  We'll catch you back here in 2014, OK?

[J.R.]

If we say "Brakus" backwards, will he go back to his dimension?

[Steve Gavazzi]

If we say "Brakus" backwards, will he go back to his dimension?

No, we have to make him say it.

Matt, do you have the ability to get into Jeremy's account and post from it?

[PYLdude]

Smug pretension and naked elitism: it's what you'd get if Casey Abell and Jeremy Soria had a kid.

Hey, I lurk, but I'm not dead. But it's good to know the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Yes. You're still a whiny little hemorrhoid.