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The Game Show Forum => The Big Board => Topic started by: JasonA1 on March 19, 2005, 03:36:59 PM

Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: JasonA1 on March 19, 2005, 03:36:59 PM
In discussing "On the Spot" in another thread here, I came up with this topic. What games do you think are really confusing? And which do you think are really truly simple, but dumbfound contestants?

I really don't see why "Double Digits" got such a bad rep among us fans. It's really simple. I feel Bob just made it confusing with his wordiness condition back during the early years of the show. "Mystery Price" was something I understood, but I really felt it was wayyyy to much for the average contestant.

-Jason
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: Don Howard on March 19, 2005, 03:40:02 PM
[quote name=\'JasonA1\' date=\'Mar 19 2005, 03:36 PM\']Which do you think are really truly simple, but dumbfound contestants?
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The Check Game
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: Dbacksfan12 on March 19, 2005, 05:11:36 PM
Hit Me.
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: Monarx on March 19, 2005, 05:15:23 PM
[quote name=\'Modor\' date=\'Mar 19 2005, 05:11 PM\']Hit Man.
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Is that the one where you get the prices before the prizes?

I think Split Decision fits here.  It's really simple, but apparently contestants suck.
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: tvmitch on March 19, 2005, 05:30:51 PM
I think Hit ME is one of the easiest games ever on the show - and no contestant ever understands it. "We'd like to give you this prize. Duh."
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: BrandonFG on March 19, 2005, 05:33:45 PM
[quote name=\'mitchgroff\' date=\'Mar 19 2005, 05:30 PM\']I think Hit ME is one of the easiest games ever on the show - and no contestant ever understands it. "We'd like to give you this prize. Duh."
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That's the game I couldn't think of. I knew it was something that the board always ragged on contestants for, but couldn't remember which game. Hit Me by far.

Anyone who tries to literally hit me will find my foot in their ass. :-P
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: TunaHead on March 19, 2005, 06:14:04 PM
There are no confusing games on the show. It is a matter of some contestants not having enough brain cells to either watch the show, or understand the rules.
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: Matt Ottinger on March 19, 2005, 07:01:23 PM
[quote name=\'TunaHead\' date=\'Mar 19 2005, 07:14 PM\']There are no confusing games on the show. [/quote]
Well, I'm glad that was cleared up for us.
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: Desperado on March 19, 2005, 08:28:01 PM
Double Prices boggles  my mind every time I see it.
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: SamJ93 on March 19, 2005, 09:00:41 PM
Desperado, you're joking, right?  The most confusing game is obviously One Right Price.  I mean, Double having just one prize is bad enough, but then they throw in TWO prizes for One Right Price...it's a miracle it's won at all!

(I disclaim any and all responsibility for exploded Sarcasm Detectors resulting from the reading of the post.)

--Sam
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: Robert Hutchinson on March 19, 2005, 09:47:36 PM
Bonkers seems to cause even the moderately intelligent contestants to put the first disc above the 7 for the living room group. Contestants turning to the audience in most pricing games are admitting they don't know much about prices--contestants turning to the audience in Bonkers are admitting that they need to play a friendly game of Acey-Deucey. With me. For money.
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: TunaHead on March 19, 2005, 11:13:28 PM
[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Mar 19 2005, 07:01 PM\'][quote name=\'TunaHead\' date=\'Mar 19 2005, 07:14 PM\']There are no confusing games on the show. [/quote]
Well, I'm glad that was cleared up for us.
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Ya know Ottinger, if you're going to quote me as such, make sure to quote the whole post, not just bits and pieces as you see fit to make me sound like an ass.
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: Dbacksfan12 on March 19, 2005, 11:15:34 PM
[quote name=\'TunaHead\' date=\'Mar 19 2005, 11:13 PM\']sound like an ass.
[/quote]
Yes, you do.
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: Kevin Prather on March 19, 2005, 11:17:29 PM
*steps back and watches the spit hit the spam*
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: clemon79 on March 19, 2005, 11:43:09 PM
[quote name=\'TunaHead\' date=\'Mar 19 2005, 09:13 PM\'][quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Mar 19 2005, 07:01 PM\'][quote name=\'TunaHead\' date=\'Mar 19 2005, 07:14 PM\']There are no confusing games on the show. [/quote]
Well, I'm glad that was cleared up for us.
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Ya know Ottinger, if you're going to quote me as such, make sure to quote the whole post, not just bits and pieces as you see fit to make me sound like an ass.
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He was being economical. The entire post made you sound like an ass.
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: JasonA1 on March 20, 2005, 01:04:16 AM
Coming back from our forays into bad jokes and flaming, I will say "Hit Me" threw me as a kid because it always seemed they would come out of the prize descrip with Bob saying "[such and such] has seen Hit Me before, where do you want to start?" It made no sense to see a bottle of pills with $36.33 in front of it, see a new number and then a card. Once I got online, I found out the rules.

-Jason
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: joshg on March 20, 2005, 03:01:24 AM
Ooh, that 'Any Number' game makes my brain sweat. I mean when they threw in that one digit that repeats... utter chaos!

And don't get me started on 'Pick A Number'.
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: dougal18 on March 20, 2005, 04:33:56 AM
Plinko.  Where do you put the discs?
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: tvwxman on March 20, 2005, 06:24:09 AM
[quote name=\'Modor\' date=\'Mar 19 2005, 11:15 PM\'][quote name=\'TunaHead\' date=\'Mar 19 2005, 11:13 PM\']sound like an ass.
[/quote]
Yes, you do.
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Reply of the day!!!!!!!!!

Lighten up, Francis.
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: TunaHead on March 20, 2005, 09:34:20 AM
[quote name=\'tvwxman\' date=\'Mar 20 2005, 06:24 AM\'][quote name=\'Modor\' date=\'Mar 19 2005, 11:15 PM\'][quote name=\'TunaHead\' date=\'Mar 19 2005, 11:13 PM\']sound like an ass.
[/quote]
Yes, you do.
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Reply of the day!!!!!!!!!

Lighten up, Francis.
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Wow, if that is the reply of the day, you guys need to get a life...
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: Matt Ottinger on March 20, 2005, 12:38:58 PM
[quote name=\'TunaHead\' date=\'Mar 20 2005, 12:13 AM\']Ya know Ottinger, if you're going to quote me as such, make sure to quote the whole post, not just bits and pieces as you see fit to make me sound like an ass.[/quote]
[quote name=\'TunaHead\' date=\'Mar 19 2005, 07:14 PM\']There are no confusing games on the show. It is a matter of some contestants not having enough brain cells to either watch the show, or understand the rules.[/quote]
Well, I'm glad that was cleared up for us.
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: Don Howard on March 20, 2005, 01:00:31 PM
[quote name=\'TunaHead\' date=\'Mar 19 2005, 11:13 PM\']Ya know Ottinger, if you're going to quote me as such, make sure to quote the whole post, not just bits and pieces as you see fit to make me sound like an ass.
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Bill Rogers, who is Revlon's next guest on The $64,000 Challenge?
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: Dbacksfan12 on March 20, 2005, 01:26:31 PM
[quote name=\'TunaHead\' date=\'Mar 20 2005, 09:34 AM\']Wow, if that is the reply of the day, you guys need to get a life...
[/quote]
If we need to "get a life", why are you still posting here?
Quote
Well, I'm glad that was cleared up for us.
Line of the day....plus?
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: joshg on March 20, 2005, 04:57:41 PM
[quote name=\'TunaHead\' date=\'Mar 20 2005, 12:13 AM\']Ya know Ottinger, if you're going to quote me as such, make sure to quote the whole post, not just bits and pieces as you see fit to make me sound like an ass.[/quote]
[quote name=\'TunaHead\' date=\'Mar 19 2005, 07:14 PM\']There are no confusing games on the show. It is a matter of some contestants not having enough brain cells to either watch the show, or understand the rules.[/quote]

Are you also the resident grump at the TPIR shrine, too?
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: jmangin on March 20, 2005, 05:21:29 PM
[quote name=\'matchgame\' date=\'Mar 20 2005, 04:57 PM\'][quote name=\'TunaHead\' date=\'Mar 20 2005, 12:13 AM\']Ya know Ottinger, if you're going to quote me as such, make sure to quote the whole post, not just bits and pieces as you see fit to make me sound like an ass.[/quote]
[quote name=\'TunaHead\' date=\'Mar 19 2005, 07:14 PM\']There are no confusing games on the show. It is a matter of some contestants not having enough brain cells to either watch the show, or understand the rules.[/quote]
Are you also the resident grump at the TPIR shrine, too?
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No--but he is the resident butthole on any game show site with a message board.
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: chris319 on March 20, 2005, 05:37:20 PM
Quote
The most confusing game is obviously One Right Price. I mean, Double having just one prize is bad enough, but then they throw in TWO prizes for One Right Price...it's a miracle it's won at all!
Players of Double Prices and One Right Price have the same odds of winning as someone who has made all the right moves in Half Off. A player who makes one little flub in Half Off has the same odds as someone who botched three out of four small prizes in Bonus/Shell Game.

Just thought I'd throw that in.
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: Steve Gavazzi on March 20, 2005, 06:42:58 PM
Tuna, I say this as your friend:  for your own sake, stop.
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: GPeefalt on March 21, 2005, 12:36:31 AM
[quote name=\'chris319\' date=\'Mar 20 2005, 05:37 PM\']
Quote
The most confusing game is obviously One Right Price. I mean, Double having just one prize is bad enough, but then they throw in TWO prizes for One Right Price...it's a miracle it's won at all!
Players of Double Prices and One Right Price have the same odds of winning as someone who has made all the right moves in Half Off. A player who makes one little flub in Half Off has the same odds as someone who botched three out of four small prizes in Bonus/Shell Game.

Just thought I'd throw that in.
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Which is why the prize for 1/2 Off is 3 times the sum of the prizes in DP or 1RP.
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: Mr. Bill on March 21, 2005, 11:51:35 AM
Just my 2 Barker Bucks worth -- I nominate Balance Game for one of the most confusing games.  It wasn't enough to know the prices, you had to calculate which prizes in which combination to put on each side of the scale to get it to balance.

At least the contestant got to take home a Barker Buck for a souvenir....
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: cmjb13 on March 21, 2005, 11:58:44 AM
Barker Dollar, not buck
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: TunaHead on March 21, 2005, 12:32:54 PM
[quote name=\'cmjb13\' date=\'Mar 21 2005, 11:58 AM\']Barker Dollar, not buck
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Oh dear lord.. Can we say Anal?
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: SRIV94 on March 21, 2005, 01:22:56 PM
[quote name=\'GPeefalt\' date=\'Mar 20 2005, 11:36 PM\']Which is why the prize for 1/2 Off is 3 times the sum of the prizes in DP or 1RP.
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Seems to me that "Double Prices" is being played nowadays for better prizes than that.  I think that statement would've been truer 10 years ago, but I'm sure I've recently seen prizes in the $7,000-$8,000 range being played for in DP.

Doug -- and the countdown to 1100 continues
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: chris319 on March 21, 2005, 04:26:49 PM
Grand Game is played for the same prize as Half Off and the odds are much better.
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: TunaHead on March 21, 2005, 04:57:39 PM
[quote name=\'chris319\' date=\'Mar 21 2005, 04:26 PM\']Grand Game is played for the same prize as Half Off and the odds are much better.
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Grand Game perfect pricing including the $1000 prize: 3 selections left, 1 of which being correct = 33% chance of winning

Half Off with perfect pricing = 2 boxes left, 1 containing the 10K = 50% chance of winning

How are the Grand Game odds better?
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: Rastaub on March 21, 2005, 05:09:35 PM
How are the Grand Game odds better?
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I think the point  Chris is trying to illustrate is that with Half Off, you can price the items perfect and still manage to lose, where as w/ Grand Game, if you lose it's because you priced the grocery item wrong and thus lost the game yourself or decide to stop at 1K.

This in itself proves why Half Off doesnt work (at least IMO) You price perfectly and then have a chance at winning zip.
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: CarShark on March 21, 2005, 06:39:41 PM
[quote name=\'Rastaub\' date=\'Mar 21 2005, 05:09 PM\']This in itself proves why Half Off doesnt work (at least IMO) You price perfectly and then have a chance at winning zip.
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[/quote]That's precisely why it works to me. The big reveals at the end of the two games are so different. Having perfect pricing guarantee a win would make the big box reveal at the end useless. That's the way it is with luck games, and why I like Secret "X" and Joker more than Bonus Game and Shell Game. The one moment where you find out whether they win or lose isn't blown.
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: TunaHead on March 21, 2005, 07:23:35 PM
Quote
This in itself proves why Half Off doesnt work (at least IMO) You price perfectly and then have a chance at winning zip.
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So you'd like to remake Bonus Game and Shell Game, just this time with the Pastel Pukefest, and just give away $10,000? That's all it is, under your rules, is Bonus/Shell cloaked in pastel puke. Now what fun is that? Bad enough we already have 1RP and DP running around the set together. Or at one time, we had Squeeze Play and Gallery Game together.
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: ChuckNet on March 21, 2005, 07:50:01 PM
Mystery Price...while trying to explain the rules over the phone, all I got from the party on the other end was a befuddled "huh?", unless it was just my explanation...LOL

Chuck Donegan (The Illustrious "Chuckie Baby")
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: SamJ93 on March 21, 2005, 07:56:49 PM
I don't think that 1/2 Off should be made a guaranteed win if you price everything correctly, but maybe there should be another, much smaller cash prize in the other box as some sort of consolation...say...$500?

It's something, and wuldn't it be a funi (sorry, couldn't resist) to have the contestant lift the lid and just see 5 $100 bills fly out of the box?

--Sam
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: chris319 on March 21, 2005, 10:39:16 PM
Grand Game:

100% chance of winning $1

4/6 chance of winning $10

3/5 chance of winning $100

2/4 chance of winning $1000

1/3 chance of winning $10,000

Contestant has pricing information so game is not pure chance.

Half Off:

15/16 chance of winning nothing

7/8 chance of winning nothing

3/4 chance of winning nothing

1/2 chance of winning nothing

Choice of boxes is pure chance.
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: TonicBH on March 22, 2005, 01:56:12 AM
[quote name=\'SamJ93\' date=\'Mar 21 2005, 07:56 PM\']I don't think that 1/2 Off should be made a guaranteed win if you price everything correctly, but maybe there should be another, much smaller cash prize in the other box as some sort of consolation...say...$500?

It's something, and it wuldn't it be a funi (sorry, couldn't resist) to have the contestant lift the lid and just see 5 $100 bills fly out of the box?

--Sam
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It's funny, but I think this would be a nice twist to see a few boxes with like consolations of $100 or $500 or maybe just one dollar.

But then you have the problem of the game being having aspects too similar to Punch-a-Bunch.
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: zachhoran on March 22, 2005, 08:30:00 AM
[quote name=\'chris319\' date=\'Mar 21 2005, 10:39 PM\']

Half Off:

15/16 chance of winning nothing

7/8 chance of winning nothing

3/4 chance of winning nothing

1/2 chance of winning nothing

Choice of boxes is pure chance.
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Only the first scenario would have the player win nothing if they didn't find the box with the $10K. The other three scenarios imply that two, four, or six small prizes are won, respectively(both small prizes are won when they pick the Half Off price correct, no?). SMall prizes are not nothing, even if it's a Kids II Crib Light and a Crocodile Dentist game :)
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: jmangin on March 22, 2005, 08:44:05 AM
Don't forget that the boxes in 1/2 Off aren't randomly eliminated; the order of the boxes to be removed are programmed into the computer controlling the game before the show.

It might be too confusing to have consolation prizes in the boxes.  Think of this scenario:  the contestant opens the box and money falls out.  He/she gets all excited but doesn't realize that its only $500 instead of $10,000.  It just seems more complex than it needs to be.
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: zachhoran on March 22, 2005, 08:57:07 AM
[quote name=\'jmangin\' date=\'Mar 22 2005, 08:44 AM\']

It might be too confusing to have consolation prizes in the boxes.  Think of this scenario:  the contestant opens the box and money falls out.  He/she gets all excited but doesn't realize that its only $500 instead of $10,000.  It just seems more complex than it needs to be.
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Make it like Shower Game and put confetti in some of the other boxes, and Dolphins and Friends in others.
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: TunaHead on March 22, 2005, 09:06:36 AM
[quote name=\'zachhoran\' date=\'Mar 22 2005, 08:57 AM\'][quote name=\'jmangin\' date=\'Mar 22 2005, 08:44 AM\']

It might be too confusing to have consolation prizes in the boxes.  Think of this scenario:  the contestant opens the box and money falls out.  He/she gets all excited but doesn't realize that its only $500 instead of $10,000.  It just seems more complex than it needs to be.
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Make it like Shower Game and put confetti in some of the other boxes, and Dolphins and Friends in others.
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Well, that sounds like a winner right there, lemme tell ya..
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: Matt Ottinger on March 22, 2005, 11:51:38 AM
[quote name=\'jmangin\' date=\'Mar 22 2005, 09:44 AM\']Don't forget that the boxes in 1/2 Off aren't randomly eliminated; the order of the boxes to be removed are programmed into the computer controlling the game before the show.[/quote]
It's not random because of the needs of the game (they can't "randomly" accidentally remove the right box), but it's still a game of random chance that you can lose despite doing everything (within your control) perfectly.

Heaven knows it's not the only one. Secret X, Punch-A-Bunch, even Plinko can be lost despite doing all the pricing parts correctly.  Probably lots of others.
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: clemon79 on March 22, 2005, 11:58:56 AM
[quote name=\'Matt Ottinger\' date=\'Mar 22 2005, 09:51 AM\']Heaven knows it's not the only one. Secret X, Punch-A-Bunch, even Plinko can be lost despite doing all the pricing parts correctly.  Probably lots of others.
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Joker comes to mind, too, for what that's worth. As does Spelling Bee.

If the smallest card in the Card Game bid deck is $1000 now, then you can't lose that one simply by bad draws, but you could back in the day when they still had increments of $100 in that deck, even if you knew the exact price of the car.

At least at the Punchboard you're guaranteed to walk away with fifty bucks assuming you win all of the punches.
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: jmangin on March 22, 2005, 12:06:12 PM
My point about randomness was related to putting consolation prizes in some of the boxes.  What's the point of putting consolation money in a box if it will be one of the first 8 eliminated?

I like non-car games that still have a chance of losing if you price the game perfectly.
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: Frank15 on March 22, 2005, 12:14:58 PM
There're key differences between Half Off and other heavily luck-based games:  there are no other pricing games, besides Half Off, that offer such high odds of winning absolutely nothing* despite doing absolutely everything right.  Sure, you can win nothing in Joker doing absolutely everything right, but the odds of that are only 20%, compared with 50% for Half Off.  And in games like Pass the Buck, you may only have the same 50% shot of winning the car with perfect pricing, but the odds of winning something, period, are considerably higher, car or not.  It may not be the only game with low odds of winning, and it may not be the only game where you can win nothing**, but really, what other games combine both elements?  It's the combination of the two that some of us find a little bit unsettling.

*Not counting SPs.
**It may be possible in Plinko, but it's also ridiculously unlikely.
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: zachhoran on March 22, 2005, 07:23:27 PM
[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Mar 22 2005, 11:58 AM\']


If the smallest card in the Card Game bid deck is $1000 now, then you can't lose that one simply by bad draws, but you could back in the day when they still had increments of $100 in that deck, even if you knew the exact price of the car.

At least at the Punchboard you're guaranteed to walk away with fifty bucks assuming you win all of the punches.
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You'll win cash in Punch-a-Bunch just by getting one small prize. The smallest card in the Card Game deck is still $500.
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: clemon79 on March 22, 2005, 08:54:07 PM
[quote name=\'zachhoran\' date=\'Mar 22 2005, 05:23 PM\']You'll win cash in Punch-a-Bunch just by getting one small prize.
[/quote]
Which has nothing AT ALL to do with the discussion, which is about games where you can goose-egg despite a perfect pricing performance.

But, of course, Zach CAN'T STAND for there to be a conversation he's not in the middle of.

Go away, Zach. Forever, if possible. I don't want you here. I'd say "we", but there are still some misguided souls who think you serve a useful purpose around here.
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: zachhoran on March 22, 2005, 09:33:11 PM
[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Mar 22 2005, 08:54 PM\']

Go away, Zach. Forever, if possible. I don't want you here. I'd say "we", but there are still some misguided souls who think you serve a useful purpose around here.
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He won't go away, unless the non-misguided souls who are the moderators tell him to go away.
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: aaron sica on March 22, 2005, 09:35:58 PM
[quote name=\'zachhoran\' date=\'Mar 22 2005, 09:33 PM\']
He won't go away, unless the non-misguided souls who are the moderators tell him to go away.
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*waves to Bonnie*
Title: Confusing TPIR Games
Post by: tyshaun1 on March 22, 2005, 09:53:43 PM
[quote name=\'zachhoran\' date=\'Mar 22 2005, 09:33 PM\']He won't go away, unless the non-misguided souls who are the moderators tell him to go away.
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Well apparently Zach's real name must be Karl Malone.

Tyshaun