The Game Show Forum > Game Show Channels & Networks
Arrrrrrrsssseeeeniiiiooo Haaaaalllll,
tyshaun1:
The definition of game, paraphrasing Merriam-Webster.com, is a competition where the contestants play directly against each other and can affect each other's participation. A contest is one where a participant is not affected by another, but is decided by a third-party, such as a judge or supervisor. Therefore, shows such as Jeopardy! or WOF can be considered true "games", since the outcome is decided by the players, whereas shows such as Star Serach and American Idol differ becasue they are decided, not by the players, but by outside parties.
Tyshaun
CaseyAbell:
--- Quote ---A contest is one where a participant is not affected by another, but is decided by a third-party, such as a judge or supervisor.
--- End quote ---
You mean the participants in a "contest" aren't affected by one another? I don't understand. If somebody else does better than me in a contest, I lose. If everybody else does worse than me, I win. My outcome is very directly affected by what the other participants do. This doesn't look like any real distinction between a "contest" and a "game". In fact, it looks like a hair that failed to get split.
Now, I think the comment about judging is the real difference, but not between a "contest" and a "game." I don't think there's much real difference between a contest and a game at all. That's why people often use the words interchangeably to describe, say, three Jeopardy CONTESTants playing against each other.
I do think there's a real distinction between what most people call a "talent contest" and what most people call a "game show." And it has to do with the subjectivity of the judging, which is extreme on talent contests and held to a minimum on game shows.
Wow, this is getting weird. But it's still kinda fun.
tyshaun1:
[quote name=\'CaseyAbell\' date=\'May 6 2004, 01:08 PM\']
--- Quote ---A contest is one where a participant is not affected by another, but is decided by a third-party, such as a judge or supervisor.
--- End quote ---
You mean the participants in a "contest" aren't affected by one another? I don't understand. If somebody else does better than me in a contest, I lose. If everybody else does worse than me, I win. My outcome is very directly affected by what the other participants do. This doesn't look like any real distinction between a "contest" and a "game". In fact, it looks like a hair that failed to get split.
Now, I think the comment about judging is the real difference, but not between a "contest" and a "game." I don't think there's much real difference between a contest and a game at all. That's why people often use the words interchangeably to describe, say, three Jeopardy CONTESTants playing against each other.
I do think there's a real distinction between what most people call a "talent contest" and what most people call a "game show." And it has to do with the subjectivity of the judging, which is extreme on talent contests and held to a minimum on game shows.
Wow, this is getting weird. But it's still kinda fun. [/quote]
But their and your performance in a contest is not for you or them to decide, it's someone else's. Like what happened on American Idol a couple of weeks ago, the stronger singer lost out to a couple of generally considered weaker ones. As opposed to a game, where YOU control you and your opponent's fate (unless it's the R word ;)). Finally seeing the difference?
You are assuming that just because your performance in a contest is better than someone else's, you'll automatically win. This has consistently been proven to be not the case. Whereas in a game, if you don't do better than your opponent, you lose. The end.
Tyshaun
CaseyAbell:
--- Quote ---You are assuming that just because your performance in a contest is better than someone else's, you'll automatically win. This has consistently been proven to be not the case. Whereas in a game, if you don't do better than your opponent, you lose.
--- End quote ---
I'm sorry, but this is really losing me. Are you saying that Jeopardy ISN'T a contest between the three, er, CONTESTants? What else is it then? Again, I think the distinction you're trying to make between a "contest" and a "game" is simply unjustified by the common usage of the two words. I would use both words to describe Jeopardy, and I think most people would agree with me.
This is clearly territory where exact proofs are impossible. But it's still fun to shoot the breeze.
JacksonBrowne1980:
star search was a cool show in the 1980s; i dunno the specific date in 1983 it aired on, but it did premiere in 1983.
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