Millionaire Changes

[mxc0427]

[quote name=\'MSTieScott\' post=\'246008\' date=\'Aug 16 2010, 07:37 PM\']The one question I have that I don't see answered -- what happens if a contestant answers incorrectly during round one?[/quote]

All contestants leave with $1,000 as a consolation prize.

[MSTieScott]

[quote name=\'Jeremy Nelson\' post=\'246011\' date=\'Aug 16 2010, 07:52 PM\']That's the thing; I think the questions still pay out by level of difficulty, it's just that they're all jumbled on the money tree.[/quote]
From the press release:

Now, the first question of the game could be worth $25,000 and quite possibly paired with the easiest question of the day. Conversely, contestants could end up facing a more difficult question attached to a lower dollar amount – or anything in between!

[Jeremy Nelson]

[quote name=\'MSTieScott\' post=\'246013\' date=\'Aug 16 2010, 06:59 PM\'][quote name=\'Jeremy Nelson\' post=\'246011\' date=\'Aug 16 2010, 07:52 PM\']That's the thing; I think the questions still pay out by level of difficulty, it's just that they're all jumbled on the money tree.[/quote]
From the press release:

Now, the first question of the game could be worth $25,000 and quite possibly paired with the easiest question of the day. Conversely, contestants could end up facing a more difficult question attached to a lower dollar amount – or anything in between!

[/quote]
So that's what I get for not reading the press release. Oh well.

Shenanigans. Calling it.

[mxc0427]

[quote name=\'MSTieScott\' post=\'246013\' date=\'Aug 16 2010, 07:59 PM\']

Now, the first question of the game could be worth $25,000 and quite possibly paired with the easiest question of the day. Conversely, contestants could end up facing a more difficult question attached to a lower dollar amount – or anything in between!

[/quote]

And this is why walking away will only give you 1/2 your bank, because if the 10th question is only for $100, that question will still give you your entire bank (if you choose to decide to walk after answering 10 questions correctly.)

[TLEberle]

[quote name=\'chad1m\' post=\'245990\' date=\'Aug 16 2010, 01:24 PM\']I find it most interesting that the difficulty level and dollar values will now be independent.[/quote]"What has four legs, a tail, and barks?"
"Erm, dog, C, final answer."
"Dog is right for $25,000!"

or

"What is the name for the upper bound of which the mass of a white dwarf cannot exceed?"
"I guess I'll say A. Chandrasekhar's Limit. Final Answer. (sigh)."
"That's correct, you've added $300 to your bank."

That's not interesting. That's a bad scene that will unfold many times over.
(And wouldn't you know it, Scott Robinson already covered this upthread. But it is worth repeating anyhow.)

[TLEberle]

[quote name=\'mxc0427\' post=\'246010\' date=\'Aug 16 2010, 04:52 PM\']Here we go again. People judging the game already based on day 1 of the release.[/quote]You must be new here.

[Neumms]

[quote name=\'clemon79\' post=\'245993\' date=\'Aug 16 2010, 04:34 PM\'][quote name=\'Neumms\' post=\'245992\' date=\'Aug 16 2010, 02:29 PM\']...this looks like a Kenny Rogers plastic surgery to me.[/quote]
Outside of Alex's description, have you seen it yet?
[/quote]

No, but gosh, what a vivid description! That Alex is a regular Picasso at painting a verbal picture!

[davidhammett]

[quote name=\'mxc0427\' post=\'246012\' date=\'Aug 16 2010, 07:58 PM\'][quote name=\'MSTieScott\' post=\'246008\' date=\'Aug 16 2010, 07:37 PM\']The one question I have that I don't see answered -- what happens if a contestant answers incorrectly during round one?[/quote]
All contestants leave with $1,000 as a consolation prize.
[/quote]
I read the press release and Buzzerblog... is that clearly stated in either of those?  I would assume the player goes home with nothing, especially if they haven't answered *anything* correctly.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'Neumms\' post=\'246031\' date=\'Aug 16 2010, 09:34 PM\']No, but gosh, what a vivid description! That Alex is a regular Picasso at painting a verbal picture![/quote]
I think you prove my point.

[Craig Karlberg]

New rules, new set, same problems.  First off, taking away the Hot Seat is just another sign this show's in desperation mode.  They may've jumped the shark when they brought in the clock.  Now removing the Hot Seat means that only Ask the Audiemce & the top 4 questions are basically the "Classic" Millionaire.

Round 1 sounds interesting untill you realize the thought of risking 50% of your bank every time.  That means you may leave the round with no more than $34,250?  The only good thing about it is the Jump the Question lifeline.  You get 2 to start with.  But, what happens on question 10 & you decide to use the Jump the Question lifeline.  Is that possible?  I mean, if you don't like the question at that point, do you go straight to the "Classic" Millionaire tier?  I don't see why having just 1 JTQ is not good enough.

As I said before, taking away the Hot Seat is a sign of desperation.  The idea of more interaction is fine but do we REALLY need to remove the Hot Seat for that?  Next to Phone-a-Friend, the Hot Seat was iconic to the show.  Somehow, I'm not sure if I wanna see the show again(even though I don't watch it as much as I use to).  Oh well.

[Loogaroo]

I think most of us have a right to turn up our nose at a format change based on the description alone. If it were reported that Jeopardy! was abruptly adding a chimpanzee on the set to select the clues by flinging poo at the monitors, my first reaction wouldn't be "Now now, let's watch an episode; it might end up working after all."

WWTBAM has been tinkering with the format excessively as it is, when you consider the clock, nixing two of the original lifelines, the faux tournament, and then the too-much-money tree. These changes have officially destroyed the show's credibility. Hard to believe that almost exactly 11 years ago, this show was so phenomenally successful, a large part of it thanks to the simplicity of the format. Now it's turning into something that would make Jay Wolpert scratch his head.

[clemon79]

[quote name=\'Loogaroo\' post=\'246040\' date=\'Aug 17 2010, 01:30 AM\']If it were reported that Jeopardy! was abruptly adding a chimpanzee on the set to select the clues by flinging poo at the monitors, my first reaction wouldn't be "Now now, let's watch an episode; it might end up working after all."[/quote]
Are you kidding? I would TOTALLY watch that.

[chad1m]

[quote name=\'Loogaroo\' post=\'246040\' date=\'Aug 17 2010, 04:30 AM\']Now it's turning into something that would make Jay Wolpert scratch his head.[/quote]Funny you should mention that...

[mxc0427]

[quote name=\'davidhammett\' post=\'246037\' date=\'Aug 17 2010, 02:41 AM\'][quote name=\'mxc0427\' post=\'246012\' date=\'Aug 16 2010, 07:58 PM\'][quote name=\'MSTieScott\' post=\'246008\' date=\'Aug 16 2010, 07:37 PM\']The one question I have that I don't see answered -- what happens if a contestant answers incorrectly during round one?[/quote]
All contestants leave with $1,000 as a consolation prize.
[/quote]
I read the press release and Buzzerblog... is that clearly stated in either of those?  I would assume the player goes home with nothing, especially if they haven't answered *anything* correctly.
[/quote]

I work with Alex, and that's what he told me. Also, this was acknowledged by someone on another WWTBAM-themed forum who went to a taping.

[WarioBarker]

My first words upon reading the press release were "Are we sure Fremantle has nothing to do with this?", quickly followed by "Are we sure the show isn't trying to kill itself?"

Now, the first question of the game could be worth $25,000 and quite possibly paired with the easiest question of the day. Conversely, contestants could end up facing a more difficult question attached to a lower dollar amount – or anything in between!

Seriously, what the hell?! That's not exciting; that's completely and utterly overhauling the gameplay into a mess that promises a trainwreck (as has been explained above) and problems similar to the 50:50 in its last 1-2 seasons.

The legendary “Millionaire” Hot Seat is gone and both the contestant and host Meredith Vieira will now stand throughout the show, allowing for more personal interaction and uninhibited emotion as the contestant accumulates winnings.

This is the exact same thing Michael Davies did with his most recent Pyramid pilots, claiming it would "bring the show to its feet". Why are shows so concerned with having people stand all the time?! And with the new set you might as well oust Meredith, strap the contestant to a bed, and have the computer host the show.

[T]his upcoming year promises to be a real game changer! From the very first question, viewers will see more strategy, unpredictability, excitement and tension ... the same great [show], but with some new twists and turns that will add even more risk, reward and fun.

From the very first question, I see the money and difficulty being almost entirely irrelevant to each other, resulting in a very uneven playing field from game to game. I see high risks on low rewards (and vice versa), with lowest-common-denominator questions making some obscenely-rich while others have to forfeit half their "earnings" just to quit on a super-hard question worth $100; and I definitely see no fun in getting rid of Ask The Expert, Double Dip, and the show's centerpiece for no discernible reason...

All this said, I will watch this year -- if for no other reason than to watch a trainwreck. :-) A shame, though -- before this plethora of changes, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? was pretty awesome.