½ Off

½ Off is a pricing game played for a cash prize of $10,000 as well as an additional cash bonus and uses small prizes. On primetime specials, the prize is raised to $25,000. While on Big Money Weeks, the grand cash prize is often $100,000.

Gameplay

The contestant is shown three pairs of small prizes, one pair at a time. One item in each pair is marked with the correct price, and the other is marked at half off its actual price. The contestant must choose which of the pair is marked half off; if they do, he or she wins both small prizes. Pricing all three pairs correctly awards the contestant a $1,000 cash bonus which is his or hers to keep, regardless of the final outcome of the game.
There are also 16 boxes displayed onstage, one of which contains the grand prize. For each correct guess with the small prizes, half of the empty boxes are removed from play (down to eight, four, and then two boxes, respectively, for each correct decision). Once the three pairs have been played, the contestant must choose one of the remaining boxes he or she believes contains the grand prize.

History and behind the scenes

½ Off was created by former FremantleMedia employee Mandel Ilagan and premiered on May 28, 2004 (#2935K). It is the first pricing game to premiere since Rich Fields became permanent announcer. Its set is the most expensive prop ever built for The Price is Right. The game was originally planned to be played for a car, with a set of keys in one of the boxes instead of money. The game's method of revealing the contents of the box is similar to that of the retired pricing game Fortune Hunter.
Even though ½ Off wasn't played perfectly on the day it premiered, the $10,000 was won anyway. But on June 7, 2004 (#2951K), the game's second playing, the contestant guessed all three pairs correctly and won the $10,000 by picking box #10.
½ Off recieved its first loss on September 21, 2004 (#2972K).
Under Bob Barker's tenure, the game was played perfectly 14 times.
Since September 28, 2010 (#5242K), contestants win a flat $1,000 bonus for correctly guessing three prizes with the ½ Off price. From October 19, 2007 (#4045K, aired out of order on November 20) to June 9, 2010, contestants won $500 for each pair of prizes priced correctly, for a $1,500 total cash bonus, which was theirs to keep regardless of the outcome. From May 28, 2004 (#2935K) to June 7, 2007 (#4024K), correct guesses only won the associated items.
A notable playing from April 17, 2007 (#3952K) involved a contestant picking box #4 at the very beginning of the game. After he eliminated 8 boxes, box #4 was still there. Unsurprisingly, he still chose #4. The box had the $10,000 and Bob was stunned.
½ Off was featured as the Million Dollar Game on The Price is Right $1,000,000 Spectacular episode on April 11, 2008 (#029SP, aired out of order on March 14). After winning the $25,000, the contestant was given the option to risk the cash already won for a chance at $1,000,000 which had been hidden in one of the remaining fifteen empty boxes. The contestant decided to keep his $25,000 and not take the risk.
On September 25, 2013 (#6423K, aired out of order on October 14, originally rescheduled to air on October 16), during Season 42's Big Money Week, Cassidy Schlitz won the game for $101,000. Cassidy is also the second daytime contestant to win $100,000 in a pricing game (Ani Khojasarian, who won $100,000 playing Pay the Rent on April 22, 2013 (#6321K, aired out of order on April 24) during Season 41's "Big Money Week," was the first). It was offered again on October 24, 2016 (#7661K), and it was also won.
In the entire history of ½ Off, only twice has a contestant-- Pamela Claraty on April 15, 2010 (#5124K, aired out of order on April 16) and Rodger Landers on January 24, 2014 (#6585K, aired out of order on April 3, originally rescheduled to air on March 10)-- guessed all the small prizes incorrectly but still managed to find the $10,000 box.
On February 12, 2010 (#5035K), the ½ Off doors were changed from black to purple with yellow stripes.
Beginning on March 5, 2015 (#7034K, aired out of order on April 9), the opening spiel is changed to "You have a chance to win $10,000 because you'll be playing 1/2 Off."
In the College Rivals Shows (March 31, 2017, #7865K, aired out of order for the March 23, 2017) AND the Thanksgiving College Rivals (November 22, 2017, #8103K), Keegan Giles from the Army won $10,000 and Glenda Tamblyn of Auburn gets nothing, which means that Lauren Leddo (Alabama) gets $1,000.
On January 16, 2018 (#8172K, aired out of order on February 6), the entire set received a new color scheme.
½ Off has received 85 wins, as of October 8, 2018 (#8441K, aired out of order on October 11).
It has been lost 33 times when the contestant got it down to 2 boxes, most recently on May 14, 2018 (#8341K).
On February 19, 2018 (#8221K, aired out of order on February 22), during big money week, ½ Off was played for $20,000, and it was won.
On March 8, 2018 (#8244K, aired out of order on January 11) during Publishers Clearing House week, contestant Jose Ruba won a $20,000 bonus for being the first contestant to win a pricing game. It was played in the second slot.
On May 2, 2018 (#8323K), the losing horns were not played. It was also the only game fully lost (save for winning $1,000) in that episode other than winning the 3-digit item on Any Number.

Trivia

Three of the six items cannot end with an odd number if it was being selected as the one that is half off its actual retail price.
The most number of times this game was played in any season was 26.
Under Bob Barker’s tenure, he would always have the audience count to three whenever a contestant was about to open a box. Since Drew Carey became host, this was discontinued.
The money was never hidden in box #13 until December 13, 2010 (#5351K).

Pictures

First Version

Premiere Playing (May 28, 2004, #2935K)

Final Playing with Bob Barker (June 7, 2007, #4024K)

1/2 Off as a Million Dollar Game (April 11, 2008, #029SP, aired out of order on March 14)

Cassidy's $100,000 Win from September 25, 2013 (#6423K, aired out of order on October 14, originally rescheduled to air on October 16)

Rodger's Unbelievable 1/2 Off Win (January 24, 2014, #6585K, aired out of order on April 3, originally rescheduled to air on March 10)

Raymond's $100,000 Win from October 24, 2016 (#7661K)

1/2 Off for $20,000 (February 19, 2018, #8221K, aired out of order on February 22)

Second Version

1/2 Off's New Paint Job (January 16, 2018, #8172K, aired out of order on February 6)

Jose's PCH Win (March 8, 2018, #8244K, aired out of order on January 11)

12-Year Old Contestant Plays 1/2 Off (March 21, 2018, #8263K)

1/2 Off for $50,000 (October 8, 2018, #8441K, aired out of order on October 11)

YouTube Videos

The Price is Right 1 2 off premiere

The Price is Right

The Price is Right Million Dollar Spectacular 3 14 08, pt. 2

The Price is Right - Half Off - 10 14 2013

another $100,000 win from 1/2 off (October 24, 2016, #7661K)