02Sep2010
New “Millionaire” Website Launches; Play the New Game
Who Wants to be a Millionaire launched their new website today. You can see some shots of the new set, what some of the graphics and other things will look like, and the complete list of new rules. More importantly, though, you get to play the new game. A Flash version containing the new rules, graphics, and music is included. I’m getting a kick out of many of the doom-and-gloomers who are now saying, “Hey, this is pretty fun,” like I’ve said from the start, but there we go. Take a look around, play a game, and let us know what you think.
Just won the million…and the $1 million question that I got sure looked AWFULLY familiar… :-)
Heh… I think I got the same $1 million question… :-)
was it the LBJ oval office frescena question.
Yes.
I absolutely love the new music. ^_^ It’s not quite as good as the original, but it fits the now game much better than the old ever could. Plus, I was getting tired of the old stuff anyway.
Did Matthew Strachan compose the new music?
Weather or not the new season will be any good will still come down to the questions themselves–I’d love it if I could get on and they are as easy as the online game just was–won $1M!!!
The set does look good, and I am so glad for that podium, at least they wont’ be standing in the middle of nowhere looking goofy.
As much as I never say anything one way or the other about music, and I think the new music is fine, it just doesn’t seem to match the excitement of the old.
Tried the online game….and found it challenging and intrigueing, to say the least!!! After 10 tries I finally made it to be a game winnning millionaire!!! THIS ROCKS!!!!
I love it and agree with everything you said.
It’s definitely different, but it still somehow manages to have that millionaire DNA infused into it. There will definitely be a learning curve here. And sad to say we now lose the infamous zero dollar winners.
By the way, the monitors and podium, I love em. They’re simple, basic, and they ground the contestant to one mark. Does anyone else get a nice UK Deal or No Deal vibe from it?
It definitely feels like they’ve closed off the set, from an obvious gap for the camera crew, to being completely surrounded by audience. The pictures at least suggest as much. Again points for adding to the claustrophobia of the game.
Ill be watching.
This format is great and now that I have seen and played it online, I have no qualms about it…except for the music. As Wayne mentioned, it is not as dramatic as the old, but that’s ok. Millionaire will still be great this season. I’m pumped and excited for the new season to start. Only 10 more days!!
Ok I swear I’m blind I can’t find where the set photos are on the site help anyone? But that new music is killer I love it & I’m addicted to the new style of game play already. BTW Alex in case you didn’t see my Tweet Family Feud is taping 5 special episodes with the stars of TNA Wrestling on Saturday. I’m going so I’ll let you know if anything interesting is changed for these shows at all. It seems like these will be the only special shows of the season. Hopefully they decide to tape another season down here because I am having way too much fun I’ve already been to around 7 tapings. Sept. 13th can’t come soon enough for the new seasons of Feud & Millionaire
I don’t see them either. I do like the new Hot……ummm, Desk?
I have been excited for the new Millionaire from the start and the addition of an online game just adds to the thrill! I’m actually looking forward to the looming development of the iPhone app!
Alex, question. If you have a jump the question left for the million dollar question, can you jump it and win the million automatic?
No, if you jump any question, you pass it but you don’t get the money for it. So for instance if you answered the $100,000 question and Jumped the $250,000; your bank would still be at $100,000 and you’d go for $500,000. You’d just bypass that question, not earning the money. Think of it like the Tournament of Ten money situation, a bit.
So if you would jump the million dollar question I’d have to imagine Meredith would punch you because you pass the question, you don’t get the money for it, and you’re out of questions so it would just be a walk-away.
Even more to the point: the rules specifically forbid using Jump the Question on the $1M question. If you don’t use ‘em by $500K, they’re gone.
An interesting math situation arises if someone saves the jumps until part 2. If someone jumps twice from 100K to the last question, they’d get a 10:1 payout on a 4:1 situation. In Vegas terms, that’s an extremely good bet.
Even if someone had no clue about the answer, might this make a person more inclined to say “final answer” if they only risked 75K instead of 475K?
It absolutely would make them more inclined, the first question at the Classic level is still the “risk/reward” question weather you jump from $100K to anywhere higher or not. Always worth the guess if you can narrow the answer down.
But it is certainly not a strategy to jump just to get to the $1M question as you are still potentially throwing away money you would bank for knowing the lesser questions.
Face it, a walk is a walk at $100K or $1M, and a wrong guess yields the same result, so better to have the choice of walking with $500K instead of guessing because you don’t have much to lose.
Considering there were people in the Tournament of Ten that were only risking $25,000 for a potential $950,000 gain, and only ONE person went for it, I don’t think many Millionaire players use Vegas odds.
The game is fun, although there’s not enough questions in the game. I won the million in about 10 minutes. I do however look forward to seeing this new format on TV.
The game is fun, but there aren’t enough questions. Heck the game itself doesn’t have a time limit unlike all other previous versions, so you could google the question Phone-a-friend style.
That said, i was able to “dissect” it enough to answer some questions about the new shuffle format in our minds as well as some other misc. stuff.
- The Million Dollar Question is not “Jumpable”. I saved one jump left going to the Million Dollar Question and it was blacked out. So if anyone reaches the $250,000 question without using those jumps (or the $500,000 question with one lifeline left)… unless you know the answer to that question, use them then.
- Categories aren’t shown in the top tier of the money tree…until you actually get to the question. (I don’t know if this is different for the actual game.)
- From the get-go, you are guaranteed $1,000. So even if you lose the first question, you still get $1,000. No more of those infamous $0 losers anymore.
- Music is completely different. The theme you heard in the promos is the new theme. Unlike the music scores from most international versions and previous US versions, nothing from the original Strachan scores are used…as far as i know. The music is alright, but it’s not as dramatic as the old though.
The new format is really growing on me and it’s a great refresh Millionaire needed. The only change that i would like to see with this though is probably a fourth lifeline, but other than that, it’s pretty good.
The $1M is not jumpable because that would equal a walk, so there is no need to have it.
I hope when you say “not enough questions” you mean overall if you were to play the game 20 times, but if you think the money tree is too short, it is only one less question. I’m sure this game was released now for people like us who had doubts to make us feel better–and what a great PR move! Don’t worry, they are sure to release more content for the online game when the season starts.
I agree they should show the categories, may help someone decide if they want to use a jump at a certain point in the game.
Yeah, two jumps is weird, and there should be 50/50 or double dip again.
For the “Not Enough Questions”, the former part. The 14 question money tree is alright.
The online game is simply awesome. excited for the new season…think this will work !
My first question had the wrong answer saying that the “meatball logo” belonged to the CIA, rather than NASA.
Hmmm, this music sounds very… umm… new game show.
I’m still torn on the music, but the game is awesome!!!
I like the game. The music isn’t bad, but I don’t think they needed to change it. I’ll get used to it, but I would have preferred the old music, or maybe if they use the old music for the classic millionaire section, I could live with that compromise.
I really want to see just one person walk away with $50.
Is that technically possible? I would think they would make it a $1,000 house minimum à la Wheel of Fortune, but I suppose the rules don’t prohibit it (although, in that case, you might as well just take a guess and hope you’re right!).
Well I guess that comes to strategy, why walk with a bank lower than $2K, better to guess. If you’re on the show and haven’t figured that much out, you deserve to get less!
Love the new game! I’m ashamed to say this, but the first round is really tough! I used up all my lifelines in the first five or so questions twice. Fortunately, I had my brain power to take me to $250,000 on my second try! :D
I think the new format will really do well. Although I really wish on occasion we had original Millionaire tapings with the original money tree and the three original lifelines (with no fourth lifeline and no tweaking the money tree). We had two millionaires with that format, and no millionaire (aside from Sam Murray) from the succeeding formats.
I really like the correct answers music on the Classic Millionaire questions. ^_^
The music is much better
I mean the theme music.Not the music during the game.
I’ve played the game eight times and have won the million 3 times. I love the game and I think there will be more big winners. Millionaire Rocks!
Played it, it left me feeling cold. It’s not my thing.
I hate the new format and music. The music sounds like something Fox Sports thought up for Baseball or something. Really does not fit the show in my opinion. Plus, the show, if you get down to it, is just 14 questions to $1 Mil. Whoopie doo. Take away one question, toy with the first 10 questions and change the rules about leaving. You think about it, it’s still the same show, but just looks different. It’s unnecessary, IMO.
BTW- I can’t find the pictures either. Link?
Just as I said after my set visit, the gameplay itself is pretty exciting. I still have issues with the music, though. The reworked theme song is pretty good, and most of the cues are decent, but the question background music is way too generic and unmemorable. Millionaire music needs to be dramatic, it needs to rise in tension, and it needs to bore into your head.
Also, it should be noted that this is the first time in 10 years that US Millionaire has gotten a new online game (not including that video-based game from a few years ago, which never really received any support after its launch and quickly fell into obscurity, although it is still out there). The new website is nice, too. It’s clear that the powers-that-be are really trying to build hype for this new format.
I urge everyone to try out the season premiere on September 13, even if you’re on the fence about the new format. I think this will turn out better than most people think.
OK, I finally got to the second round, but lost on the second question! I’m beginning to really like it. By the time it airs on Sept. 13 I will feel like I already know the game! Let’s see how it goes, I’m keeping an open mind. I hope they start off with some really good contestants to get it going.
Can someone tell me all of the new music cues? Please?
I really believe (after trying the game myself) that this is one of those “try it, you’ll like it” scenarios. Once you’ve played it, gotten used to it, it grows on you.
(Not to sound bad or anything, but a lot of the stage one questions repeated on consecutive plays…)