Arcade Equation

[Weehawk]

If:

DONKEY KONG = 3

CENTIPEDE = 2

BURGERTIME = 4

STAR WARS = 4

TEMPEST = 1

and

x = ( [ (FROGGER) * (GRAVITAR) ] / [ (SPACE INVADERS) * (KRULL) ] ) * (ZOOKEEPER)

where the asterisk ( "*" ) indicates multiplication and the slash ( "/" ) indicates division:

What is the numerical value of x ?

For the first person to post the correct answer that does not already have one, I have a t-shirt:



If you already have one you can PM me the answer and I will credit you in the thread.

If you do post the correct answer, don't give the secret away so others will have to figure it out themselves.   

[Weehawk]

A few more data points:

SPECTAR = 3

PENGO = 2

RED BARON = 7

DIG DUG = 2

ASTEROIDS = 4

[homerwannabee]

Yeah I actually know the answer for once, but I already have the awesome shirt.

[Weehawk]

Yeah I actually know the answer for once, but I already have the awesome shirt.

Actually, you're on the right track, but still haven't gotten the number.

[danman123456]

Ha im on no track but my brain is like jell-o here.

[Weehawk]

A couple of extreme cases:

JUNGLE KING = 0

BALLOON BOMBER = 11

[DaLar]

X = 9,6 

[Weehawk]

X = 9,6 

No, I'm sorry. There aren't two answers, those being 9 and 6.

Just kidding. I know you're from Europe and over there they use commas instead of decimal points to represent decimal points. 

The answer is 9.6. Please PM me your address and size for the shirt. (This won't be the first one I've sent to Denmark, believe it or not.)

Of course the real challenge here was to figure out how the numerical values are assigned to the game names (and that's a hint right there). I'll leave it undisclosed for a time in case anyone else still want to figure it out on their own.

When you have figured it out, feel free to gloat in the thread.   

[Josephjo]

Congrats DaLar

A=1
B=2
D=1
O=1
P=1
R=1

PB BOARD?

X = ( (3*4) / (1*5) ) * 4

[Weehawk]

Congrats DaLar

A=1
B=2
D=1
O=1
P=1
R=1

PB BOARD?

X = ( (3*4) / (1*5) ) * 4

QIX = 1

[VON]

Ah.  It finally came to me.  Good puzzle Weehawk = 8 

[Weehawk]

Good puzzle Weehawk = 8

I suppose so. On the other hand:

GOOD PUZZLE WEEHAWK = 5

[Weehawk]

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What determined the numerical value of the game names?

The number of enclosed spaces in the letters as they appear in standard uppercase.

The letters A, D, O, P, Q, and R each have 1. The letter B has two.

So the value, x, to be determined was given as:

x = ( [ (FROGGER) * (GRAVITAR) ] / [ (SPACE INVADERS) * (KRULL) ] ) * (ZOOKEEPER)

First, let's actually color code the parentheses for clarity. The parentheses that have no others embedded in them will be red, the parentheses (shown as square brackets) that only have red parentheses in them will be blue, and the ones that have the blue brackets in them will be green.

x = ( [ (FROGGER) * (GRAVITAR) ] / [ (SPACE INVADERS) * (KRULL) ] ) * (ZOOKEEPER)

Now let's substitute the values:

FROGGER = 3

GRAVITAR = 4

SPACE INVADERS = 5

KRULL = 1

ZOOKEEPER  = 4

which gives us:

x = ( [ (3) * (4) ] / [ (5) * (1) ] ) * (4)

We can now remove the red parentheses as they don't contain any expressions:

x = ( [ 3 * 4 ] / [ 5 * 1 ] ) * 4

Then do the arithmetic in the blue brackets:

x = ( [ 12 ] / [ 5 ] ) * 4

The blue brackets now don't contain any expressions and can be removed:

x = ( 12 /  5  ) * 4

Then do the arithmetic in the green parentheses and remove them(I'll use decimal notation for the fraction):

x = 2.4 * 4

And finally.

x = 9.6

QED

[homerwannabee]

I'm ticked off that I couldn't do basic order of operations.  Low point for math in my adult life.  Funny thing is I had no problem figuring out the pattern.  Which surprisingly stumped some real smart people here.

[syscrusher]

I'm ticked off that I couldn't do basic order of operations.  Low point for math in my adult life.  Funny thing is I had no problem figuring out the pattern.  Which surprisingly stumped some real smart people here.

You actually don't need any parentheses for this equation since there is only multiplication and division.  You can remove them all and work it left to right.