An ode to $ale of the Century

[CoreyArcher]

For quite some time, I've considered $ale of the Century my favorite game show, but the syndicated run currently aired by GSN gave me pause in the run-up to the introduction of the winner's board. Several weeks of champions winning with $55 or $60  or similar low scores and struggling to get past the first- or second-level prize became quite tedious, and, for the first time ever, I found myself ambivalent to seeing "new" episodes. Then comes the winner's board, in which we throb to the excitement of a champion matching a $1,500 shopping spree.

It's all got me thinking about the format in general: Is it a testament to the versatility of a clever format that it has had so many incarnations through the years, or do the many incarnations through the years point to inherent weaknesses in the $ale/Temptation format, or a little bit of both.

[TLEberle]

When done well, it is done brilliantly. When executed poorly, it's an excrement hoagie.

I've said it before and will say it again; if they took the Money Game and welded it to the shopping format like Temptation did then you could have something that would have gone farther than spring 1989. Sure, you have a winner every day and big money thrown about, but it neuters the whole point, which was "how far will a champion back herself". As a kid I didn't like the first end game because who cares if they take the motorcycle or play on? The good part is done. Temptation managed to thread this needle by having large prizes on offer plus the Ten in Sixty round to build the jackpot--it was in fact the chance at a huge prize that creates tension where a $3,000 entry level prize just can't.

[Thunder]

If the shopping endgame was cumulative (as in Prize #1 costs $90 with Prize #2 & Prize #1 costs $175), it would have been better for me.

Would it be safe to assume that only a minority of players bought an endgame prize and left?

[TLEberle]

Would it be safe to assume that only a minority of players bought an endgame prize and left?

From remembering the episode guide that was cobbled together it seems like most of the champions who returned ended up losing instead of cashing out. I couldn't say anything to that portion of the daytime show, but I would bet that it was similar.

[Thunder]

Thanks.

When the lower-level prizes weren't really tempting nor cumulative, it became "Can you win 9 games in a row?"

Once the Winner's Board was there, it seemed to make the game a lot more fun. Jim Perry really was able to show his skills in the Instant Bargain rounds when the players knew they only had to beat the other players.

/Then came Instant Cash and completely ruined the fun. Fooey.

[TLEberle]

/Then came Instant Cash and completely ruined the fun. Fooey.

You misspelled "made it all the more awesome."

/The champion on Matt's episode when on to stop when she reached the car level, and she did so by virtue of the $15 she won via three tiebreakers.

[CoreyArcher]

Is it me or didn't the Fame Game lose some punch when it went to all prizes — the Joy Games carpet and the gold dumbbells and the parquet flooring? The lack of cash spaces and mystery money or pick again is a drag.

[TLEberle]

Is it me or didn't the Fame Game lose some punch when it went to all prizes — the Joy Games carpet and the gold dumbbells and the parquet flooring? The lack of cash spaces and mystery money or pick again is a drag.

What's this then? When did the change happen? I can understand that they get the carpet, dumbbells, food processor or carpeting/flooring for free, but you're right, those aren't as awesome as the chance at a few benjamins.

[tyshaun1]

Is it me or didn't the Fame Game lose some punch when it went to all prizes — the Joy Games carpet and the gold dumbbells and the parquet flooring? The lack of cash spaces and mystery money or pick again is a drag.

What's this then? When did the change happen? I can understand that they get the carpet, dumbbells, food processor or carpeting/flooring for free, but you're right, those aren't as awesome as the chance at a few benjamins.

I'm sure he's referring to the randomization of the Fame Game board. Watching it now, I can't figure out for the life of me why they changed it, unless they just wanted to blunt an element of its network competition. It took away at lot of the drama of that round, IMO.

Tyshaun

[CoreyArcher]

Is it me or didn't the Fame Game lose some punch when it went to all prizes — the Joy Games carpet and the gold dumbbells and the parquet flooring? The lack of cash spaces and mystery money or pick again is a drag.

What's this then? When did the change happen? I can understand that they get the carpet, dumbbells, food processor or carpeting/flooring for free, but you're right, those aren't as awesome as the chance at a few benjamins.

I'm sure he's referring to the randomization of the Fame Game board. Watching it now, I can't figure out for the life of me why they changed it, unless they just wanted to blunt an element of its network competition. It took away at lot of the drama of that round, IMO.

Tyshaun

No, I'm referring to the fact that they removed cash from the Fame Game, a change that happened before the Press Your Luck ripoff kicked in.

[PYLdude]

Is it me or didn't the Fame Game lose some punch when it went to all prizes — the Joy Games carpet and the gold dumbbells and the parquet flooring? The lack of cash spaces and mystery money or pick again is a drag.

What's this then? When did the change happen? I can understand that they get the carpet, dumbbells, food processor or carpeting/flooring for free, but you're right, those aren't as awesome as the chance at a few benjamins.

I'm sure he's referring to the randomization of the Fame Game board. Watching it now, I can't figure out for the life of me why they changed it, unless they just wanted to blunt an element of its network competition. It took away at lot of the drama of that round, IMO.

Tyshaun

No, I'm referring to the fact that they removed cash from the Fame Game, a change that happened before the Press Your Luck ripoff kicked in.

Are you positive about that? Because I'm fairly certain cash amounts continued to be available after the randomizer came into play.

[Marc412]

Yeah, they eventually added the cash back, as well as the "$___ or Try Again".

[TLEberle]

I'm sure he's referring to the randomization of the Fame Game board. Watching it now, I can't figure out for the life of me why they changed it, unless they just wanted to blunt an element of its network competition. It took away at lot of the drama of that round, IMO.

I disagree with this completely--the tension is what will be won. They could have spun a wheel, drawn cards or bingo balls, opened boxes or stopped a bouncing light, the method doesn't matter, it is the answering of the question that is exciting.

[PYLdude]

I'm sure he's referring to the randomization of the Fame Game board. Watching it now, I can't figure out for the life of me why they changed it, unless they just wanted to blunt an element of its network competition. It took away at lot of the drama of that round, IMO.

I disagree with this completely--the tension is what will be won. They could have spun a wheel, drawn cards or bingo balls, opened boxes or stopped a bouncing light, the method doesn't matter, it is the answering of the question that is exciting.

Agreed.

If anything, I would argue that the randomizer was a good addition because it took something that was already dramatic (can I find the money card they hid on the board) and added a little more tension to it (are my reflexes and visual acuity good enough to stop the bouncing light at the right time). If there was any cutting of the drama, it was that you knew where they money cards were placed before the board started rolling and even then that's subjective because that's info they gave you at the end of the last Fame Game anyway.

[danderson]

Thanks.

When the lower-level prizes weren't really tempting nor cumulative, it became "Can you win 9 games in a row?"

Once the Winner's Board was there, it seemed to make the game a lot more fun. Jim Perry really was able to show his skills in the Instant Bargain rounds when the players knew they only had to beat the other players.

/Then came Instant Cash and completely ruined the fun. Fooey.

Jim Perry was always great. like when someone hit a win card and could win a car with that drumroll sounding daytime Sale was only version i was exposed to in original broadcast