28Aug2008
“Millionaire” Menu Graphic
Sorry for no updates yesterday. I was really busy and if one of our many writers doesn’t write anything beyond me, nothing shows up. I’ll try to fix that. But it’s been extremely slow regardless. Valleycrest Productions provided us with a pictures of Who Wants to be a Millionaire‘s new “Millionaire Menu”, though. It’s similar to a picture we posted a bit ago. Interesting new look, though.
Courtesy of Valleycrest Productions Ltd.
All these new aesthetic changes are nice and I love the new category menu but that still doesn’t hide the fact of the new hideous time limit.
These new changes are like putting rainbow sprinkles on a pile a poo. It might make it look better but it doesn’t hide the fact that new game play stinks to high heaven.
Meridith Vieira, if you’re reading this, now is the time for you to call it quits. Millionaire has jumped the shark.
I don’t know if Millionaire has jumped the shark. In a way the time limit is nuts. But when i really think about it would you get tired of seeing a contestant sit there for 5-10 mins debating about the right answer? I do think a lot more time should be thought out when you get past $25,000 and especially at the million dollar question. I think there trying to speed up the gameplay a little more. Now if only primetime Deal would speed up the gameplay I think more people would watch it again.
Scott I don’t think you understand. The thing that attracted a lot of fans to Millionaire when it first started was it defied all game show logic. For example
1. It was the first game show where you could when a million dollars in one show. ($1,000,000 Chance Of a lifetime was the first show to give away a million but you had to win three games and three bonus rounds to do it.)
2. It had very high production values, which especially for a game show in America was unheard of at that time and now every new game show that comes along tries to emulate it.
3. It had high quality music and sound effects that reflected the tension of the show
4. It was the first prime time game show in about 8 years (If memory serves me right the last prime time game show before that was “The Big Deal” and that was a huge flop). Also because of Millionaire we now see a new resurgence in prime and regular game shows period. All the games that were on just before millionaire premiered were The Price Is Right, Jeopardy, Wheel Of Fortune and a couple of small rinky dink game shows on cable.)
5. It was the first game show ever to give a contestant unlimited time to answer a question. This was a huge innovation in game shows for the simple fact that giving a contestant unlimited time added to the drama, tension and mystique to the show.
(I know there are other examples how this was a innovative show for it’s time but I they were the big 5.)
In other words if you take any of those elements away it is no longer Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, It maybe a game show but it’s not the one that we all fell in love with.
When you think about that the new premise is you have to answer 15 questions in a short period of time it makes it feel like a bonus round, in other words a after though. This is like something right out of the late ‘70s early ‘80s. WWTBAM might as well have orange shag carpet on the floor, cheap lighting, cheesy synth music and for good measure they should put a whole can of aqua net in Meredith’s hair. Then maybe when a contestant loses she could say something like “Ah that’s to bad. What consolation prizes do we have Johnny?” And then Johnny speaks tells how they are going home with a year supply of turtle wax and Stouffer’s frozen dinners.
I don’t know if you noticed but the contestants in these pictures look like they are high off caffeine. I think with Deal Or No Deal’s popularity that WWTBAM is trying to appeal to that audience which is why I think they have this new time limit. Think about it, people high on caffeine + time limits can only equal people going home with less money.
It also completely changes the psychology of the game. Contestants have now gone from easy going with the questions themselves being the noose to contestants high on caffeine with the time limit being the noose.
WOW! Just WOW!
Shon,
I say “wow” about you, my friend.
It only changes the psychology of the game if you let it. Under that pressure of being on TV and the time limit, some people might crack, but how likely do you think that is?
The psychology does change fundamentally, I don’t deny that. What I do think is that people are smart enough to adjust their line of thinking to the game. They know they have a time limit, so what they need to do is either make a snap judgment or ration it. I think someone “high on caffeine” would have the bearings enough to do that. They’d be wide awake, wouldn’t they? ;P
Another thing I see is that people generally answer questions in the first round within five seconds and very rarely hit snags. I’d have to believe that in the second and third rungs if they see the questions and the answers first, they’d try to think about it and then use a lifeline. It’s a different strategy, but it’s still Millionaire. To me, nothing is more exasperating in Millionaire than watching someone hem and haw at a question that seems like common knowledge. The clock will eliminate that.
Sam that’s what I thought too so I went back and played the old PC edition of WWTBAM (since that had the time limits and all) and I swear if I would have had a minute or two longer (preferably no time limit) on each question I would have gotten it. With the way the questions are written on Millionaire you can figure them out if (1) you have inkling as to what the answer is (2) you have the time to work them out. BTW you are right on in the fact that if a person already knows a question then the time limit doesn’t affect them.
You have to at least agree with that 15 seconds for the first level and 30 for the second level and 45 for the last are ridiculous. I think that’s what I’m really upset about. Couldn’t have the time limit at least be fair like one minute for the first level, 2 for the second and unlimited for the last. That’s what I don’t get; the most interesting part of the game with the more difficult questions should have more time dedicated to it (and not 45 seconds a question). It’s more interesting as the viewer to watch. I can understand why there would be a time limit especially in the beginning but once you get past the $25,000 there should be no time limit.
Maybe 30 secs stage 1, 60 secs stage 2, no limit stage 3…
Shon, I know you’re referring to the 80′s syndie show w/Jim Lange, not the 2000 Gordon Elliott clone It’s Your C o a L (the first prime time game that gave a solo player a $! Million win…
Sam, if you’ve seen the times where players zonk out in the first five questions, you’d see the psychology of the game isn’t altered – if you freeze, you freeze, and no time limit can help that…
I just think the time limit is nice because it’s only a 30-minute show. On the Regis Philbin version, the game was dragged out more, and I think that the reason is because they had the time to do such things.
Besides, don’t you just hate it when people sit for a long time trying to answer common sense questions?!
Damion
Shon,
I do not agree that 15 seconds for the first tier is ridiculous. Those are made to be quick and easy, and only the uninformed on a particular subject (nursery rhymes, Hannibal across the Alps, etc.) are tripped up. Like I said before, my guess is that most people are getting these first tier questions in under five seconds, including time it takes to say the answer and make it final.
I still stand by my reasoning for that going up to the second tier. Thirty seconds is longer than it seems. I think “time rationing” will be adopted quickly, and you’ll see people trying to think first and saying they’d use a lifeline in the last 5-10 seconds possible if they don’t know. The first few people should know what they’re getting into. Unless these contestants are completely clueless, I think they should be fine.
MikeSant,
Right. The failures I can recall were basically caused by either not knowing common sense questions, or making a snap judgement for who knows what reason.
This should really be seen in HD. I can't tell how many times "Millionaire" should be in HD on ABC (especially syndication).
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