EXCLUSIVE Set Report

[Misp]

I have new million dollar question sound from online game.

[GSK]

Sept 11, 2010 5:01:54 GMT -5 Misp said:

I have new million dollar question sound from online game.

Yea. We all do.
regisfan.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=showusyourstuff&action=display&thread=676

[FrankT]

The Jump the Question cue is new as well!

There's also Ken Basin's question there too. Are they trying to rub it in? :\

[FinalAnswer19]

Sept 11, 2010 10:09:33 GMT -5 FrankT said:

There's also Ken Basin's question there too. Are they trying to rub it in? :\

No..they just needed a question..

[deltaik24]

Hah! Anyone who watched the tenth anniversary would be a fool to get it wrong! I remember the answer off the top of my head and it was a year ago.

*flashback*

"No, It's not the final answer and you just lost a lot of money. It's fresca!"

*I fall of my sofa in angst*

What a night...

[GSK]

New video: www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1268449651879&ref=mf

[leimeisei]

I'm officially excited to see how it works out. Despite all the flashy new features and rules, it looks to be essentially the same game at its core (a multiple choice test). We'll see I guess...

[FrankT]

Actually, I'm a little scared. And I know it's irrational! I can't 'elp it!

[RegisFan]

Well, what was everyone's first impression of the new season?

Overall, the premiere was entertaining. Ironically, a lot of the new music was drowned out by the audience, so people couldn't really hear some of the (not so bad after all) new cues. The fact that the intro sequence was just superimposed over the cheering audience was a little disappointing.

The Hot Zone (that's my new personal term for the "Hot Seat" podium- let's spread that around the internet, folks ) looked very nice. The set color changes looked good, and the giant screen worked great. The lights were a little weak, I've got to say. I already knew that the lights didn't go down on each question, but even when they did they looked pretty weak on the television. I miss the full, sweeping light effect from previous seasons.

Meredith was great, as usual. She seems to have adapted just fine to the new format.

Overall, I stand by my previous conclusion. Yes, the show is good. Do I like the old format better? Absolutely. I miss the theme music (even if the new music isn't bad, it just lacks the punch of the old score), I miss the Hot Seat, and all the other things that have made "Millionaire" what it is for the past 11 years. That being said, can I live with this format? Sure. It should be fun. The randomization of the dollar values actually adds a lot to the game. It's very enjoyable as a viewer to see a contestant win big quickly, as opposed to waiting through several questions before the cash prizes get bigger. I don't think many people are going to get to Classic Millionaire, though. Most contestants are either going to walk away or lose it all before getting to that level of the game. Perhaps it was designed that way, perhaps not, but I foresee many contestants leaving with $1,000. Nevertheless, I encourage everyone to keep watching and supporting what is still a classy, exciting, and entertaining show.

[deltaik24]

The lighting scheme was so refreshingly different. Anyone agree?

[GSK]

Agreed completely. I love it. I actually recorded half the show with my PSP camera so I can reprogram my Millionaire studio in Activeworlds to match it (or at least come close).

[RegisFan]

Sept 13, 2010 17:45:59 GMT -5 deltaik24 said:

The lighting scheme was so refreshingly different. Anyone agree?

Oh yeah, the multicolored lighting on the set looks fantastic. It was really cool in person, too. The lights can do lots of things that they don't do in the show, actually.

The stage turning green for each correct answer and red for each incorrect answer is definitely one of the best new effects.

[Reidb1700]

Well, here is my scoop on this whole new show. But first, Mech, thank you so much! My DVR for some reason started to record everything on NBC starting last night, so it got deleted.

I'll divide this into five sections and come out with an average. The five sections are as follows, music, lighting scheme and graphics, first impression, enjoyability, preferability.

Music: The music was very good, I liked how they added a little color to some of them. For example, the question cues on the Flash Game were really boring and didn't have a punch, now that they added another overlay, it is very good! They were definitely not as good as the classic one's, as they didn't pack a "punch". Also I do agree with Regisfan, there were problems with the audience being too loud, so I hope that they fix that in the near future. Rating: 4 out of 5

Lighting Scheme and Graphics: I really enjoyed the lighting scheme, it was bright and fun. I liked how the set turned green when correct and red when incorrect. The colors to me seemed like they popped out much more. I will agree with Regisfan, I didn't like how they didn't make it as dramatic as they could have with the old version. And I also wished they would make the audience section much darker. To me, it was too bright and I would rather focus on the contestant, not the audience's reactions (And I don't know if it was just me, but did the audience act like a studio audience on an infomercial? You know, kind of like they "try" to look like they are very interested?). The graphics were very good, I think that it captured the Millionaire style very well. The only differences were a gold band and more squared off edges. Rating: 4 out of 5

First Impression: I was so excited to see it. Nobody could be on the TV, I was the one using our laptop and the TV. So really I just made everybody watch it or go do something else. To me when I saw the set, I was very surprised. It was changed a lot more than what I expected, but I think that it looks good. Although I do wish the audience rows were higher, and the contestants "bring-along" was higher. The first impression for me was very good though, it seemed like a show that I could watch. Rating: 3.5 Out of 5

Enjoyability: It was a lot of fun to watch, the suspense of what the value would be, what would happen next, etc. Everything seemed to "mold" together quite well, but there were a few "chips". In that regard, it was a good show, but I think it could be better in the things that I have stated above. If they do that, it will turn into a good show. Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Preferability: Which do I prefer, the classic or the new one. Really they are both excellent formats, and they both are very unique. Will the new one ever be the classic Millionaire that we all know and love? No, it will not. The classic Millionaire is what we grew into liking, that is what kick started the "Millionaire Craze". But there are great things about this! It is a fun and suspenseful show to watch, and it keeps the same basic concept, answer multiple choice questions to climb a ladder to the $1,000,000! Rating: Classic Millionaire (no rating)

Conclusion: This version of Millionaire is very fun, it is suspenseful, exciting, and overall an good format change. The music was better than the Flash Game on the website. The set and graphics molded well, but I do wish the audience wasn't lit as much, I wish there was a more dramatic lights-down, and I wish the audience placement was better. I think that overall it was a great show, it will probably not capture the Millionaire that we loved, but it is something that I think all Millionaire Fans, young and old, tall and short, big and small, will like this game. And without further adue, my final verdict is... New Millionaire Rating: 4 out of 5

Thank you for reading my lengthy review, I hope that you all will learn to grow onto this game as much as I have.

Notes: Regisfan, I love your idea of the "Hot-Zone". Very creative, and kind of helps keep the Millionaire tradition running with a "Hot..." something!

Also if you find any mistakes or missed pieces, just let me know!

[RegisFan]

Haha, we should petition the studio to make "Hot Zone" the official terminology.

You know, it's really only a few minor nitpicks that keep this format from true greatness. The whole package is quite good overall. If they just tweaked a few minor things here and there it would feel a lot more like the classic format, and I think people would respond to it better. No matter how good this format is, the average television viewer who stumbles upon the new format is going to feel slightly alienated because it's such a radical departure from what we had before. It will be very interesting to watch the ratings for these first few weeks.

Also, the promotion for the new season was really great. Kudos to whoever came up with the new online game/Facebook updates/send Meredith to talk shows/NYC Radio Challenge approach to really get word out there. No matter what you think of the updated format, you can't deny that the people behind it are really doing their job of selling their new product.

[Mech]

I like the format for the most part. I'm glad they started to use some of the lighting abilities on their set that have been there since Super Millionaire and that they never bothered to use until now. They could use some rework on the moving lights, though. Their movement is kind of boring and not thought out too well. Crank it up, people. Giving them some pretty nice movement patterns throughout the show would be nice and really add a kick of excitement.

I wish they spent a little more time on construction with the set, however. I didn't notice until partway into the show that the new jumbo screen was installed in the southeastern arch (the one that was never used for anything in classic millionaire) and it would have been nice to put in some of those lighted staircases on either side and maybe adjusted the lighted floor path that connects the archway to the "hot zone"

The music didn't bode well with me. It seems pretty dreary and boring. It would have been much nicer if they just made something similar to the old versions where it changed slightly for each question, regardless of the value of the question.

Regarding the audience, it worries me that they've made it much more noticeable that they surround the contestant now. While it's always been the case, they are lighting them up pretty good. In the last few seasons they've had a lot of trouble filling the audience (even asking the audience of Regis & Kelly if they would like to come see the show) and if that trend continues it's going to be harder to hide missing rows upon rows of people.

Just my initial thoughts! Hopefully they'll make a few small changes (mostly with atmospheric lighting) that will spruce up the show.

Mech