1/2 Off
5/28/2004 - Present
1/2 Off is a pricing game played for $10,000 in cash. A
contestant is shown 3 sets of two small items. In each set, one item is
priced exactly right, while the other is "1/2 off". Each time the
contestant picks the item that is 1/2 off, she earns the right to remove 1/2 of
a group of boxes, one of which contains the $10,000 in cash. There are 16
boxes at the beginning of the game, but that number can dwindle down to just two
if the contestant guesses correctly on all 3 sets of small items. After
the small item game is finished, the contestant picks the box hat s/he believes
has the $10,000 out of the remaining boxes. If it contains the cash, s/he
wins it.
1/2 Off was played for $25,000 on the
Bob Barker: A Celebration of 50 Years in Television special.
1/2 Off is one of the most elaborate pricing games ever
built, mainly for the ultra-cool effect that occurs when a contestant gets to
remove 1/2 of the boxes. When that happens, the "bad" boxes lower
magically from the platform where there are sitting.
This game was created by long-time game show fan Mandel
Ilagan. The original idea was for the game to be played for the car, but
that was switched to cash during the tweaking of the show by the producers.
The contestant gets the right to open the box to see if the
money is inside in a reveal nearly identical to that of retired game Fortune
Hunter.
When Drew Carey took over the show in
2007, $500 bonuses were added for each small item that is guessed correctly,
meaning the total prize winnings for the game is $11,500.
1/2 Off is the 3rd game to premiere
in the 32nd season after Time is Money and Coming or Going.
 |
 |
| $10,000 in cash? Is it Punch
Board? |
Nope, it's 1/2 Off! |
 |
 |
| Here's the platform with the small
items. |
One of these is priced right, the
other is 1/2 off. |
 |
 |
| She guesses the grill, and
she's right! |
1/2 of the cash boxes are
therefore removed, leaving 8. I wonder if they go to China like
the blocks in Push Over? |
 |
 |
| She guessed 2 out of the 3 small items
correctly, leaving her with 4 boxes. She picks lucky #7... |
...and it has the cash!! |