CSC 216 F09/wwtbam

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? - Java Edition

Objective

Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? - Java Edition is a powerpoint final exam review for CSC216 which offers very large imaginary cash prizes for correctly answering 15 consecutive multiple-choice questions of increasing difficulty.

Participants and props

Preferably, 1 contestant, 1 host, and the class as the audience.

Here's the link to the flash version of the Power point [flash: link]

Here's the link to download the powerpoint: [ppt: link]

Here's the link for "Ask the audience" submission: [googledoc: ask the audience]

The script/rules

Traditionally, one contestant is asked increasingly difficult general knowledge questions by the host; however, any amount of contestants can play for this edition. Questions are multiple choice: four possible answers are given (labelled A, B, C and D), and the contestant must choose the correct one. There are 3 "lifelines" or help options that the contestant can choose (1 of each, to be explained in Lifelines section). On answering the first question correctly, the contestant wins X amount of imaginary dollars. There is no time limit to answer a question; a contestant may (and often does) take as long as they need to ponder an answer. After the first few questions, the host will ask the contestant if that is their "final answer." Upon making the answer the final answer, it cannot be changed. The first few questions usually omit this rule, unless the contestant has guessed a wrong answer (at which point, the host is hoping the contestant will take the hint), because the questions are generally so easy that to require a final answer would significantly slow the game down; if the contestant were to give a wrong answer before obtaining the first guaranteed amount, the contestant leaves with nothing. Subsequent questions are played for increasingly large sums (roughly doubling at each turn). On the first few questions, some choices often have trivial answers.

After viewing a question, the contestant can "take the money" (or rather "get the check" or "walk away") that he has already won, rather than attempting an answer. If the contestant answers a question incorrectly, then he loses all the money he has won, except that the $1,000 and $50,000 prizes are guaranteed: if a player gets a question wrong above these levels, then he drops down only to the previous guaranteed prize. This means that the players can always attempt the $2,000 and $64,000 questions without fear, since they are guaranteed the previous amount even if they get the answer wrong. The question values are not cumulative.

The game ends when the contestant answers a question incorrectly, decides not to answer a question, or answers all questions correctly, thus usually letting the host rip the check for $500,000 apart and winning the top prize of $1 million.

Lifelines

If at any point the contestant is unsure of the answer to a question, he or she can use one or more "lifelines". After using lifelines, contestants can either answer the question, use another lifeline, or walk away and keep the money. Each lifeline can only be used once.

Fifty-Fifty (50:50): The contestant asks the host to have the computer randomly eliminate two of the incorrect answer choices, leaving the contestant with a choice between the correct answer and one incorrect one (usually the incorrect answer that "blended in" with the correct answer).

Ask the Audience: The contestant asks the studio audience which answer they believe is correct. Members of the studio audience indicate their choices using the Googledoc audience response system.

Ask-A-Friend: Contestant may ask one friend.