The Game Show Forum > The Big Board
Game shows overdue for a remake
TimK2003:
--- Quote from: Loogaroo on August 16, 2024, 05:47:13 PM ---I disagree - the mini-games were the only way they could incorporate premium prizes like high-end trips and cars into the mix. And since they always incorporated the dice into the mini-games, you could at least get more mileage out of your main gimmick that way.
No, the problem was that almost nobody was willing to risk losing the game. Even in situations where the only bad roll was a 3, even in games where the columns had nothing but cash ($1K in column 1, $3K in 2, and $5K in 3 was done several times over the course of the run), players could not be convinced to roll the dice. And it's not even that they were holding out for a bonus round with a big jackpot; even in 1987 a $10K bonus round was considered middle-of-the-road, and the odds of winning it weren't that great. So players were actively avoiding the game's primary mechanic to play a bonus round with maybe a 15% win rate. That's not good television, whether or not you have the mini-games.
--- End quote ---
As far as the early passes when there are only 1 couple of bad rolls, that's the fault of the contestant coordinators. The CC's should either weed out the "overly cautious" players in mock games in the tryouts, and/or emphasize "going for it" unless the odds are clearly not in the roller's favor.
In this day and age, that's all the current contestant coordinators want in a possible contestant -- over-caffeinated people who will go all the way, or wanna-be actors who will follow the rules given to them.
Instead if of the mini-games, offer the "premium prizes" if a player clears 2-3 columns in the same game (2 for trip, all 3 for a car or $10,000). That would also encourage players not to pass so early. You could also go first-incarnation of HR, and offer a ½ luxury prize space in the two columns that can't be cleared in one roll. Again, to spur more all-or-nothing rolls.
But if you do this on GSN, the mini-game for super prizes issue is pretty much moot!
jage:
It's even worse on GSN, if all you are playing for is 500 points and $1,000 for winning the game.
I guess you could give an insurance marker for each column cleared or game won.
JasonA1:
I'm sure we covered a bit of this before, but regarding High Rollers, I can see why so many people passed. On Card Sharks, you might risk calling high/low on a 6. Odds are on your side, and your penalty for being wrong is a free play of the cards for your opponent, who might still be at the starting gate. If they fail, we go to another question.
On that all-cash High Rollers board, I'm risking the one bad roll for the potential to clear a $5,000 column (if indeed that column totals 12 or less at that point). If I clear anything, I only keep it by winning the game. If I come up with the one bad roll, my opponent wins that entire game of the match, and the cash columns are gone, to boot. In the long run, I'd rather try to win my way to the Big Numbers, where I'm guaranteed to win SOME money at least, and then play another match. Perhaps the original recipe of "one prize to a number" fixes some of this.
If this gets into bigger gambling probability, the difference of High Rollers (or any game show) vs. the casino is one losing round at the craps table doesn't mean they send me home. Not unless I do this.
-Jason
Joe Mello:
--- Quote from: JasonA1 on August 16, 2024, 08:06:41 PM ---Perhaps the original recipe of "one prize to a number" fixes some of this.
--- End quote ---
I wouldn't think so, especially since there were no insurance markers in that version of the front game.
I think $ale also suffers a bit of "the game discourages the players from playing," and it would likely only get worse with a modern adaptation. It's not that the format was entirely bad, but I feel like the biggest reason the show resonates with us because it asked a lot of questions quickly.
While I'm not terribly interested in seeing any game shows come back (I'd rather have new twists on old concepts) I feel like some formats would work in the current climate.
-Since hidden defector games seem to be all the rage, it would make sense to break out The Hustler or Dirty Rotten Cheaters
-With games like The Floor and 1% Club receiving acclaim, maybe another game of cleverness like Pass The Buck
-During the trivia app craze, I'm surprised no one really leaned into something like Paranoia
JasonA1:
--- Quote from: Joe Mello on August 16, 2024, 11:16:16 PM ---
--- Quote from: JasonA1 on August 16, 2024, 08:06:41 PM ---Perhaps the original recipe of "one prize to a number" fixes some of this.
--- End quote ---
I wouldn't think so, especially since there were no insurance markers in that version of the front game.
--- End quote ---
I was abbreviating because I tend to be verbose: I meant an overall changing of the main game to that mechanic, keeping what worked in the revivals (i.e. the insurance markers). In today's prize-lite world, if a revival had every number worth $x in cash, or if each concealed a mystery cash amount, at least you get the enticement of saying every number you clear is worth something (if you win the game).
-Jason
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