Comments on: The Rise and Fall of G4 and Gaming TV http://girlsdontgame.com/2008/01/07/the-rise-and-fall-of-g4-and-gaming-tv/ Everyone knows girls don't play video games. Sat, 22 Nov 2008 09:13:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1.2 By: Daniel Primed http://girlsdontgame.com/2008/01/07/the-rise-and-fall-of-g4-and-gaming-tv/#comment-783 Daniel Primed Tue, 08 Jan 2008 10:50:32 +0000 http://girlsdontgame.com/2008/01/07/the-rise-and-fall-of-g4-and-gaming-tv/#comment-783 I don't see these gaming TV shows because I am in Australia and don't have cable TV (not that I am interested in cable). So its interesting listening to your take on things. I do watch quite a few internet shows such as Pure Pwnage, Screw Attack, Retronauts and a lot of the stuff on Gametrailers.com such as Bonus Round. I also watch some of the video reviews of games done by some people I know. I have seen some Mega64 and I thought that it was very tasteless. Sorry but I can't understand why they recieve so much attention. I'd be interested to get your thoughts on shows like Bonus Round, Screw Attack and Pure Pwnage. I don’t see these gaming TV shows because I am in Australia and don’t have cable TV (not that I am interested in cable). So its interesting listening to your take on things.

I do watch quite a few internet shows such as Pure Pwnage, Screw Attack, Retronauts and a lot of the stuff on Gametrailers.com such as Bonus Round. I also watch some of the video reviews of games done by some people I know.

I have seen some Mega64 and I thought that it was very tasteless. Sorry but I can’t understand why they recieve so much attention.

I’d be interested to get your thoughts on shows like Bonus Round, Screw Attack and Pure Pwnage.

]]> By: Peter Twieg http://girlsdontgame.com/2008/01/07/the-rise-and-fall-of-g4-and-gaming-tv/#comment-784 Peter Twieg Tue, 08 Jan 2008 13:35:48 +0000 http://girlsdontgame.com/2008/01/07/the-rise-and-fall-of-g4-and-gaming-tv/#comment-784 Obviously I'm not Gloria, but I love Screw Attack. I think it's the closest thing to a true gaming channel that one could hope for. The major problem with a gaming <i>channel</i> is that being able to run a 24/7 schedule may require a lot more content than what can be easily created in a niche market. While perhaps with enough time G4 would accumulate a sufficient library of old material to avoid having to use non-gaming filler or repeats, it's hard to imagine them creating content at the <i>rate</i> at which other networks do in order to stay fresh and command a healthy userbase. They'd probably need a couple dozen regular shows, and I imagine that they just don't have that. Part of the problem as I see it is that reporting on gaming is an inherently-limited medium, limited largely by the rate at which actual news in the gaming world is released (or created, that's another option), which might not be that much. Then beyond your flagship news shows, you would need a lot of shows like the Super Mario Bros. Super show which were gaming related and able to consistently capture an audience. I don't think G4 has had any luck with this so far, but I imagine that there's a lot of fan-created and independently-owned material which would be worthy of broadcast. A lot of the better machnisma stuff comes to mind, they could easily have machinisma-based shows of various genres set in various settings if the industry became professionalized. In the end, though, I'd question whether a gaming channel is really necessary. I think what might be more successful is a channel which caters to the broader interests of the "internet generation" - MTV fails in this regard, but perhaps something will come along which will not. Obviously I’m not Gloria, but I love Screw Attack. I think it’s the closest thing to a true gaming channel that one could hope for.

The major problem with a gaming channel is that being able to run a 24/7 schedule may require a lot more content than what can be easily created in a niche market. While perhaps with enough time G4 would accumulate a sufficient library of old material to avoid having to use non-gaming filler or repeats, it’s hard to imagine them creating content at the rate at which other networks do in order to stay fresh and command a healthy userbase. They’d probably need a couple dozen regular shows, and I imagine that they just don’t have that.

Part of the problem as I see it is that reporting on gaming is an inherently-limited medium, limited largely by the rate at which actual news in the gaming world is released (or created, that’s another option), which might not be that much. Then beyond your flagship news shows, you would need a lot of shows like the Super Mario Bros. Super show which were gaming related and able to consistently capture an audience. I don’t think G4 has had any luck with this so far, but I imagine that there’s a lot of fan-created and independently-owned material which would be worthy of broadcast. A lot of the better machnisma stuff comes to mind, they could easily have machinisma-based shows of various genres set in various settings if the industry became professionalized.

In the end, though, I’d question whether a gaming channel is really necessary. I think what might be more successful is a channel which caters to the broader interests of the “internet generation” - MTV fails in this regard, but perhaps something will come along which will not.

]]> By: James http://girlsdontgame.com/2008/01/07/the-rise-and-fall-of-g4-and-gaming-tv/#comment-787 James Tue, 08 Jan 2008 16:44:48 +0000 http://girlsdontgame.com/2008/01/07/the-rise-and-fall-of-g4-and-gaming-tv/#comment-787 For me, there never really was a rise of G4 channel, it was just an "MTV-ised" version of what it used to be when is was TechTV, and ZDtv before that. These channels actually did cater to the internet generation, although it was early for that when it first came on-air (spring 1998). There were many great shows on covering computer repair (Call for Help), tech news (Tech Live), video games (Extended Play with Adam Sessler)and of course The Screen Savers (think ATOS but entertaining and relevant with hosts who knew and cared about the subjects they covered). For me, there never really was a rise of G4 channel, it was just an “MTV-ised” version of what it used to be when is was TechTV, and ZDtv before that. These channels actually did cater to the internet generation, although it was early for that when it first came on-air (spring 1998). There were many great shows on covering computer repair (Call for Help), tech news (Tech Live), video games (Extended Play with Adam Sessler)and of course The Screen Savers (think ATOS but entertaining and relevant with hosts who knew and cared about the subjects they covered).

]]> By: Daniel Primed http://girlsdontgame.com/2008/01/07/the-rise-and-fall-of-g4-and-gaming-tv/#comment-791 Daniel Primed Wed, 09 Jan 2008 01:54:30 +0000 http://girlsdontgame.com/2008/01/07/the-rise-and-fall-of-g4-and-gaming-tv/#comment-791 Yeah I agree with you alot Peter. Although I think that there is a way to add a bit of length to these programs etc. Game trailers, videos and movies. Especially around the time of expos and conventions like E3 when there are 100s and quite often 1000+ videos of new media on sites like GameTrailers.com. I think that in a few years a website like GameTrailers will eventually have their own TV channel. They already have a plethora of gaming media, quality gaming shows, they accept community videos and of course they are affiliated with Screwattack. Yeah I agree with you alot Peter. Although I think that there is a way to add a bit of length to these programs etc. Game trailers, videos and movies. Especially around the time of expos and conventions like E3 when there are 100s and quite often 1000+ videos of new media on sites like GameTrailers.com.

I think that in a few years a website like GameTrailers will eventually have their own TV channel. They already have a plethora of gaming media, quality gaming shows, they accept community videos and of course they are affiliated with Screwattack.

]]> By: Odan http://girlsdontgame.com/2008/01/07/the-rise-and-fall-of-g4-and-gaming-tv/#comment-870 Odan Sat, 12 Jan 2008 22:12:56 +0000 http://girlsdontgame.com/2008/01/07/the-rise-and-fall-of-g4-and-gaming-tv/#comment-870 I remember when G4 was called Tech Tv and had some great programming. Yah the shows didn't have all the fancy lights and such, but it actually was good. They took out all the crap and just had the facts. Really enjoyed it back then, Robot wars was great in the day. X-Play was far better when they could have more fun , Morgan is the reason that show is still around, cause she is hot and has boobs, not that she is actually smart and plays the games cause she enjoys them. Forget the name of the show but it was an hour where they helped out people on the computer, showed how to even mod your PS2 and things like that. But G4 ruined it. Think they need to make a channel just for things like X-play and american gladiators. Just silly fun, not cops and star trek. I remember when G4 was called Tech Tv and had some great programming.
Yah the shows didn’t have all the fancy lights and such, but it actually was good.
They took out all the crap and just had the facts.
Really enjoyed it back then, Robot wars was great in the day.
X-Play was far better when they could have more fun , Morgan is the reason that show is still around, cause she is hot and has boobs, not that she is actually smart and plays the games cause she enjoys them.
Forget the name of the show but it was an hour where they helped out people on the computer, showed how to even mod your PS2 and things like that.
But G4 ruined it.
Think they need to make a channel just for things like X-play and american gladiators.
Just silly fun, not cops and star trek.

]]> By: Mark http://girlsdontgame.com/2008/01/07/the-rise-and-fall-of-g4-and-gaming-tv/#comment-952 Mark Thu, 17 Jan 2008 15:23:01 +0000 http://girlsdontgame.com/2008/01/07/the-rise-and-fall-of-g4-and-gaming-tv/#comment-952 Gloria, i remember watching G4 before it was G4, back in the Tech TV days, when attack of the show was still the screen savers, but with more interests on tech than on sex, and X Play was just a fledgling on the air, and before Cheat got Cristian Holt. If you ask me, the best days of G4 where before G4, and that the taking over of Tech TV really changed what the station was about. hell, i remember when Sara Lane, Kevin Rose and Parerra where still sub hosts on the SS. And who can forget Kevin Roses "home row'd". He and Sarah where the geek heart of ATOS, but they got hitched and went around the world, leaving us with Kevin 2 and several co hosts. Gloria, i remember watching G4 before it was G4, back in the Tech TV days, when attack of the show was still the screen savers, but with more interests on tech than on sex, and X Play was just a fledgling on the air, and before Cheat got Cristian Holt. If you ask me, the best days of G4 where before G4, and that the taking over of Tech TV really changed what the station was about.
hell, i remember when Sara Lane, Kevin Rose and Parerra where still sub hosts on the SS.
And who can forget Kevin Roses “home row’d”. He and Sarah where the geek heart of ATOS, but they got hitched and went around the world, leaving us with Kevin 2 and several co hosts.

]]> By: McNeeley 2.0 http://girlsdontgame.com/2008/01/07/the-rise-and-fall-of-g4-and-gaming-tv/#comment-969 McNeeley 2.0 Fri, 18 Jan 2008 22:05:51 +0000 http://girlsdontgame.com/2008/01/07/the-rise-and-fall-of-g4-and-gaming-tv/#comment-969 G4 was never called TechTV Tech TV was born as ZDTV as a joint venture between Ziff Davis and Paul Allen's venture group called Vulcan Ventures. It was CNN for Silicon Valley in the days when the Internet was actually exciting because it really was new. As formats changed and the focus shifted from business to home, and Ziff Davis's role was minimized, TechTV was born and it was truly about as good then as it ever was going to be. G4 was a separate channel. As G4 was on the rise, it started to become clear to TechTV that the market simply wasn't there to support a full fledged 24/7 network solely on computers and the Internet, and the shine was wearing off of the newness of online culture. So, G4 buys TechTV, lays nearly everyone off, keeps a few shows, retools, and now I understand it's just Adam and Megan. I want to say that I have met Adam Sessler and spoken with him for several hours about the gaming industry. He wears the doofus mask on the show, but he's smart as a whip and understands the gaming industry from all angles. It's not just gaming... it's production, marketing, all aspects of the business. He's a great host, but he's far more than that. I realized that some of you are young enough to not really know a world without the Internet. It's weird for me to imagine (I'm only 41) but if you are 20 or thereabouts then you live in a world where theres always been an "online". I was involved in several early Internet companies (I'm no one important, just had jobs in a few interesting places) and I gotta tell ya... watching the commercialization and "boom" of the Net was like getting a rare chance to witness the Gold Rush. Many industries go boom and bust and often we never really notice, but the Internet's emergence was like watching someone rewrite reality in front of your eyes. Anyway, I just found this site using StumbleUpon and thought I'd post. This is a really good blog and I hope you folks have lots of success. G4 was never called TechTV

Tech TV was born as ZDTV as a joint venture between Ziff Davis and Paul Allen’s venture group called Vulcan Ventures. It was CNN for Silicon Valley in the days when the Internet was actually exciting because it really was new.

As formats changed and the focus shifted from business to home, and Ziff Davis’s role was minimized, TechTV was born and it was truly about as good then as it ever was going to be.

G4 was a separate channel. As G4 was on the rise, it started to become clear to TechTV that the market simply wasn’t there to support a full fledged 24/7 network solely on computers and the Internet, and the shine was wearing off of the newness of online culture.

So, G4 buys TechTV, lays nearly everyone off, keeps a few shows, retools, and now I understand it’s just Adam and Megan.

I want to say that I have met Adam Sessler and spoken with him for several hours about the gaming industry. He wears the doofus mask on the show, but he’s smart as a whip and understands the gaming industry from all angles. It’s not just gaming… it’s production, marketing, all aspects of the business. He’s a great host, but he’s far more than that.

I realized that some of you are young enough to not really know a world without the Internet. It’s weird for me to imagine (I’m only 41) but if you are 20 or thereabouts then you live in a world where theres always been an “online”.

I was involved in several early Internet companies (I’m no one important, just had jobs in a few interesting places) and I gotta tell ya… watching the commercialization and “boom” of the Net was like getting a rare chance to witness the Gold Rush. Many industries go boom and bust and often we never really notice, but the Internet’s emergence was like watching someone rewrite reality in front of your eyes.

Anyway, I just found this site using StumbleUpon and thought I’d post. This is a really good blog and I hope you folks have lots of success.

]]> By: Klear http://girlsdontgame.com/2008/01/07/the-rise-and-fall-of-g4-and-gaming-tv/#comment-1008 Klear Sun, 20 Jan 2008 23:54:53 +0000 http://girlsdontgame.com/2008/01/07/the-rise-and-fall-of-g4-and-gaming-tv/#comment-1008 I hate G4.. I hate G4..

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