Here are the three trailers for the Ludia games:
Family Feud: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wp4Z2JqViiw
The Price Is Right: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXteLNdURBg...re=channel_page
Press Your Luck: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stWeNJtafdM...re=channel_page

I have to admit: PYL looks cute enough that I'd probably get it just for the novelty. :)

I looked at the trailer for the Feud game, and I have a couple comments:
1) I only saw 4 players on each side, not the usual five.
2) I didn't see the Bullseye round being played--will it be included?

How many people are going to be disappointed that the PYL board isn't faithful to the original show (at least based upon the trailer)?

No one, hopefully.

If this doesn't shut people up about complaining about the boards, I don't know what will!

Regardless of others say about the board, I am stoked just to play it!

I love the fact in the trailer, the kid Whammies with Whammy Santa have a "¢" shield where the adult whammies have the "$" shield....

Here are some notes and observations about (the PC/Wii version of) Ludia/Ubisoft's newest release, Family Feud 2010!

- The music used in the menu is the Combs music. Most music in-game is from the Karn era.
- The game is faithful to the pre-Bullseye format, down to round five (and beyond, if necessary) being sudden death. If both families can't provide a correct face-off answer, the question is thrown out.
- During the Fast Money round (in which you're given 90 seconds, a bit too high in my opinion) the point values of the answers you gave will be revealed even if you reach 200. Unless you gave it, the #1 answers are not revealed.
- The set is pretty well designed - everything is very pretty and accurate.
- A nice touch is that your character actually smacks their plunger when you press the corresponding button, even if you're a little too late.
- When it comes down to your family, the captain is your created avatar; the other three members are randomly assigned.
- The recognition system is usually really good... almost too good. (Example: In one question, I typed in "rock"... it gave me "Accident" on the board which, I assume is because it's a synonym for "wreck" which kinda sounds like "rock." ) On a related note, it did not give me "yard stick" when I typed "yardstick."
- If you provide an answer already on the board, it doesn't notify you... it just gives you a strike.
- Single player mode's goal is to win twelve episodes, each against a family with a small backstory. Solid mode, nothing too fancy. Each episode you successfully complete earns you extra pieces for the avatar.

All in all, a pretty nice effort by Ludia. I would say it's just about worth the twenty dollars. When compared vs. the iWin version, each has its pros and cons so it probably differs by each person and what he/she is looking for on whether or not you want that or this. There's definitely some things that could be improved upon but it's probably the best in-store platform release of Family Feud to date.

P.S. As evidenced by this photo, the computerized families on the game are pretty hip to the current slang. ;)

The Wii version differs a bit from Chad's PC review...

* The game autocompletes answers, offering up to 4 possible answers.
* Fast Money is 90 seconds.


Through Saturday, Toys R Us has a Buy 1 Get One Half Off offer on select video games, including both the Wii and DS versions of TPiR 2010 and Feud 2010. Thus, you can get the Feud 2010 Wii game for $20 if you don't mind spending $40 on TPiR. I'm not a big Feud fan. It's worth $20-30 for the Wii. I wouldn't pay $40 for it.

If you're interested in the avatar upgrade offered on the Ubisoft site, the password is PRIZES. There. I saved you 3000 rewards points. Thank me later.

You're right about 90 seconds on PC, too. Must've had something else on my mind. :)

Which, I believe, is also accurate to the show. I've seen this happen at least once pre-O'Hurley, and I'm presuming more recent incidents just aren't aired.

Wait, no it isn't...if neither face-off participant charts, the question would go to next in line on the family of the first buzzer-er. Has that changed?

On the game's sudden death, it only goes once to each family, since there's one answer. On the game's regular question, there's at least two chances to answer, the second by next-in-lines.

The description I would use for a parser that does what you state does include the word "really", but the word "good" is nowhere to be found.

It's not like the iWin version nor any other computer or video game version of the program never gave credit for an answer where it wasn't due. I don't expect perfection because I know that it is not possible.

Yes it has changed. I presume they started editing it out as the years wore on, but at least once in the Louie edition, the two people at the podium missed the question and Louie said words to the effect of "when you both screw up the question, we say WE screwed up the question. And you get another shot." Cue audience applause, Louie changes the card on his clipboard, and the whole spiel started again.

-Jason

Last week was the fall toy show in Dallas, TX; and reportedly next year Endless games will release the fourth edition of Family Feud, with the same type game board used by MB and Pressman. A prototype box is shown under the "What's New," option at their website, and shows the original series logos (the Whitman motif on the box itself, and a photo on it of apparently an MB version, with the "block," style logo).

A separate report mentioned that Pressman was showing a prototype game based on the new LMAD show!

I really like the way the Feud logo looks on the box, but I wonder why they're not using the current logos for that and Newlywed. It's crude and imperfect, but here's a mock-up I did using the current logo and the motif they chose.

I stumbled upon some screenshots of PYL 2010 for the DS. The big board graphics are rather disturbing.

Here they are:
http://www.vgchartz.com/games/gamescreens..../6463703aaa.jpg
http://www.vgchartz.com/games/gamescreens..../2628067aaa.jpg
http://www.vgchartz.com/games/gamescreens....s/307722aaa.jpg
http://www.vgchartz.com/games/gamescreens..../4078457aaa.jpg

At least with the second pic, you can actually touch the plunger on the touch screen.

Disturbing? What were you expecting for a portable game system with a 256x192 resolution? Maybe these Wii screenshots are more acceptable.

Two questions:

Why is there a timer next to the plunger? (Nice that they made the plunger touchable, though.)

Are these shots showing board configurations that made it into the game, or the preliminary configurations that Ludia has said will be corrected? (The fourth picture includes a "Go Back 2 Spaces" in which the arrows point off-screen.)

Who knows, maybe they WILL use the current logo, if and when the actual game comes out! It was first announced two years ago, at the 2007 Fall Toy Show, and the prototype box DID show the current logo.

Maybe they'll use the current GSN Newlywed Game logo as well, when that comes out.

Anyone play the PYL game that came out today yet? I rented the Wii version on my way home from work today. I've only played a few games. Single player mode is set up like FF Wii is, where you try to beat sets of contestants. You stop the Big Board just like you do in FF on Wii. It's good to know that the haggard looking layouts that were seen in the preliminary screen shots didn't make it in the game from what I've seen so far. From what I've played the more realistic looking ones did make it in. I just read on g-r that JC said there are 8 different BB configs for each BB round. I haven't really seen anything drastically different yet.

My only gripes that I have right now it that I've hit BIG BUCKS a few times in round one, and one time it gave me a trip (was most expensive prize on the board I guess, did not give me the BB square) and two other times I hit BB, it said "Stop at Big Bucks!, $200!" with the $1500 space showing, and not a $200 space in sight....and it gave me $5000, in round 1?!? You only hear about 3 seconds of the board spin sound effect when you spin then it fades out and all you hear is the crowd cheering if you haven't stopped the board yet. Finally, the last thing I have found is that the only prizes on the board are trips (instead of other generic named prizes they could have used like CAR, TV etc), and it gets kind of annoying hearing "You've won the trip" all of the time.

Other than that it looks pretty good from what I've played so far, but like I've said I haven't gotten too far into it yet.

Also, it plays a snippet of the REAL, on-air PYL theme when they spin the podium around to the Big Board, so music clearance wasn't an issue, they just went with the pilot sounding theme in the intro instead.

ONLY gripes?

Those sound...significant. Especially the outright bugs.

That's some fine programming work there, Ludia.

Can you link us to some of the games you've worked on?

Well, I only RENTED the game ;-)
Had I plopped down the $40.......

Anyway, that whole BB thing happened on my first game. I believe I hit it one other game and it was correct, and one other time it gave me the most expensive thing on the board again (true meaning of Big Bucks I guess). I wasn't really paying attention during the $5000 fiasco, but I'm pretty sure I had about $5k+ then all of a sudden had $10K+ after hitting BB. Maybe that problem stems from them going back in and changing the board patterns, and forgetting something somewhere.

So far it's still been playable and I haven't seen that glitch happen again since, we'll see what happens. I'll see how my wife likes it when she gets home. From what I've played so far I have had fun.

The Whammies aren't that bad either, no "voices" from what I've seen so far though. A lot of classic throwbacks, and some new ones thrown in too (I had an "America's Got Talent" themed Whammy once).

http://fredsmythe.com/resume.html

More than you, junior.

I do not make my living as a computer game programmer, but I can sure tell when a game is crap.

Time to debut this?

Here's some video of gameplay from YouTube courtesy of GameShowGamer (with good examples of "BIG BUCKS! You won the trip!")

I've never liked that fallacy of shutting down the critic because they aren't professionals in the field they're criticizing. And even if we accept that here (as Chris has done some of his own programming), what is your point? That Ludia should be forgiven for these mistakes because they try really hard and they're really swell guys? Some of those bugs/"style choices" would really bother me if I spent cash money on the disc to find them out. I appreciate their connection to the fan community, but you don't get into games to put out titles with mistakes. You shouldn't, anyway.

-Jason

Okay time for me to whine about the new PYL 2010.

PROS:
- The actual buzz-in and pass sound effects are authentic to the show's
- The introduction is just like the show's
- Actual theme music is used between rounds
- You have to acutally swing down the remote to buzz-in and stop the board
- Most spaces are in their proper place

CONS:
- The fonts for the spaces are wrong (I had a feeling this was gonna happen)
- The big board sound effect is used for only 2 seconds after the board appears on the screen. And its the '83
version, at that
- The sound effect to add spins to for the player is not original (not a big deal)
- The prize spaces are non-descriptive (no words, just a picture (i.e. plam tree))
- The color of the spaces aren't original, but close and don't change in some squares
- The "4" and "7" on the eggcrate display are really lousy
- The prize spaces are not removed once hit
- The whammy foghorn is cut off halfway through

When it comes to the question rounds, there are 4 multiple choice answers. One answer is removed after a contestant buzzes in. Question difficutly ranges from easy to medium. The version on gameshowvideogames.com (I hate to say) has better big board graphics. However, it's an improvement from the DVD version. I will probably have more fun with it if I had a buddy or two to play it with. Not really worth $40, but $30 maybe. Be sure to rent it first if you're skeptical.

And one other thing. I know the original theme wasn't used and the pilot version was remade. Does that make sense? I don't see how the original theme wasn't remade. I'm sure it would've sounded great.

I know I'm being really picky, I think I (and maybe some others) were let down here. Let's hope the 2011 version is dead on. Or... maybe there will be a plug and play game to show improvements. I will be having more fun with Wii Fit Plus than this. Enough complaining. Thanks for bearing with me on this one.

Yo, gang. I'm not sure at all why I'm being attacked. It was not a slam at Chris. I knew he worked in games with Microsoft, I just didn't know what department and I was curious to see the parallels between his expertise and what Ludia produces. I don't appreciate the rudeness at all.

I'm not going to pile on, but your original comment did come across as a bit harsh, although I understand where you were coming from.

Well, it looks pretty. My biggest gripe based on that is the too-fast board, but all the other problems are keeping me away from this one. Hopefully, like Nate said, they take another swing at PYL and improve it. They have the look down pat. Now they need everything else to meet it.

-Jason

The PC version works the same way, except they gave me the trip with Big Bucks instead of the $1250.

My only gripe was that my girlfriend wanted to play against me, but sadly she had to wait her turn. Otherwise its a decent game.

Totally agreed, but I think it's funny how we've seen other programmers (namely Curt King) get most, if not all of that down pat with less.

Re-reading after the knowledge that you did know what Chris has done, ok - now if you had made that known in your original request, you probably wouldn't have been slammed.

ObPYL2010: While it's not the PYL handheld, I just don't know if I'd spend money on this. IIRC, JC_Ludia had mentioned when trying to get the game boards right that he only had a certain amount of time to do it. Maybe that's part of the rush job when it comes to some of the issues aforementioned.

I'm surprised no one else has picked up on this, but it sure as hell stood out for me in that YouTube video:

In round one, every trip space (airplane icon) is worth $3000.
In round two, every trip space (island icon) is worth $4000.

Every. Single. Time.

That's more than one programmer and quality tester at Ludia functioning at their absolute laziest. And that's a guarantee of me not plunking down my money.

While I appreciate the support, gang, in the interest of full disclosure I want to be up-front about this: I don't code. I write words and promote things, depending on what hat I have on on a given day.

That said, what I *do* do, especially what I've done at Microsoft over the last wow-it's-almost-been-three-years, has me working pretty closely with a wide variety of games, casual and otherwise, and between my co-workers and my circle of friends I'm basically surrounded by people who work in pretty much every stage in the development process; enough to have gleaned a thing or two about how the process SHOULD work, and certainly enough to know crap when I see it.

And this thing, just like TPiR and FF before it, has we-outsourced-everything-to-Eastern-Europe-and-didn't-care-to-budget-for-quality-control-or-maybe-we-outsourced-that-too written ALL over it. No matter how much kissing-of-hands and shaking-of-babies the head honcho does over at G-R, the fact is that the finished product is hacked together and bugs that really aren't all that hard to find aren't getting smoked out. Other people might be okay with that, and really that's what Ludia counts on, but my standards are a bit higher than that. I've been playing these games for thirty years, and I've played enough bad ones, thanks. Life's too short. :)

Really, Ludia looks at this like the new Jay Leno show: It doesn't matter if it sucks, because it costs a lot-lot-LOT less than a triple-A title to develop and therefore expectations are a whole lot lower and they make money a whole lot sooner, especially if you can take basically the same code and release it on every device you can think of with a microprocessor and a screen on it. I'm expecting this thing to show up on my goddamn electric razor by the end of the week.

Their audience is not the people who are looking for a quality video game, their audience are the people who will buy it because of the logo on the cover. And there's enough of those people for them to make money.

Probably true, but unless that amount of time was "less than 48 hours" (and trust me, it wasn't), he knows he has access to a bunch of people who not only know that information EXACTLY, but several who would be more than willing to pass it along without asking for so much as a Special Thanks To mention in the credits. So I don't buy that excuse.

Ok, I bought the game today since it was owed to me as a birthday present and I have two complaints with it. 1. I was heartbroken the game didn't have the original theme playing like on the show when it was originally in its hey day, and it only does the spin music for about 3 seconds then cuts off. I wish it would do it the whole time. 2. The prizes need to have a little more of a mix up on the value and I don't see how much of a pain it would have been to add some more graphics for prizes. Other then that I did find it entertaining, but those little things would have been really nice if they wanted to keep true to the game.

Then explain that in your reply, elaborate. A curt one-line question like yours smacks of impudence, and it looks like you're seeking to discredit Chris just for the sake of discrediting Chris. There's no such thing as tone of voice on the Internet.

Threads Have Meanings, coming soon to a TV near you?

OK, my 2 cents:

Overall, I felt that the game had the potential to be great, not just mediocre as it is due to shortcuts that Ludia decided to take. From a layman's perspective, a lot of the strategy of the game is lost with every prize in the game worth $3000 or $4000, regardless of round; and is it just me (and my computer), or is the A.I. in the game dumb as bricks? Virtually every round I've played has at least one contestant earning 0 spins, and the most one of them has earned is 2 spins. I could go fanb- with it and wonder why that "JC_Ludia" claimed they couldn't obtain the series theme, yet they use a portion of it when it transitions to and away from the board rounds, and the board melody in the trailers and online game is the complete 2nd one, not a chopped and screwed version of the 1st, it's like they knew it would catch flack........ but I digress.

In short, it's definitely the best home version of the show, but if it sells well enough, I certainly hope that the next version is better thought out.

Tyshaun

I think the dumb contestants may have something to do with the fact that you play through episodes. Maybe the contestants get smarter, and maybe there's a Larsen caricature on the final game (I know that the latter is wishful thinking, to say the least.)

The game looks good for the most part, but the rest is sloppy. The killer, though, is that they had all of the materials to make the game really great in both gameplay and sound. There are countless episodes on Youtube, a Wikipedia page, numerous game show/PYL forums and newsgroups....not to mention any assistance Fremantle could possibly give. It's already been said, but there are many of us who would have helped if it would have made the game better. I don't know if the Ludia people have ever posted here, but it seems awkward that they'd only post on the G-R forums for a non-PiR game.

Oh, and the voice guy for PYL 2010 sounds like the guy from the iWin Feud games. That voice gets pretty darn annoying after a few games.

I have nothing wrong with Chris' comment. As a paying consumer, why should you not be able to critique something without being "in the biz" so to speak.

I think it is great that they released a classic game. It has been a while since I saw a company release a video game based on a show that does not have a current run. Yes, that is a positive. However, they are some things, from the sounds of it, that could really use some tweaking.

When a company decides to release a game like this, I think it would be wonderful if they brought a "true fan" on board to help with it development, and to test a version before it is put into major release.

-Ryan

For the sake of discussion, why should Chad be responsible for other people misinterpreting his question, just because it was direct and to the point? Should every message come with a disclaimer just in case someone might take it the wrong way?

For the record, I cringed when I first saw the message because I saw that there could be multiple interpretations, and frankly, I wasn't completely sure what he meant by it myself. But now he's explained himself. Ought to be the end of it.

My biggest gripe:

The big board sound. How do you have a WHOLE QA department go through a game, and not realize that the Big Board sound is broken on the Wii? It works fine on the PC version, but it just cuts off on the Wii. I doubt that they will patch the Wii game either.

Playing this with a group is fun enough, lots of the problems seem to fall away in a group/party setting.

That is the big problem in this media form, you can only take it at face value. I certainly think Chad explained himself and what he meant in the previous post. It is way to easy to interpret things on multiple levels when you just read a simple line of words on a page.

I certainly 'jumped' to the post as being more along the line of "If you think it is so bad, then show us what you did" versus "I want to see some of your work". Anyways, my apologies to Chad for my reply being to quick to pass judgement on his post.