G4 Cancels Videogame Programming
- Thread starter Sarah LeBoeuf
- Start date
Newsflash!
People who play a lot of videogames don't watch a lot of TV.
The core gamer demographic is also the demographic that watches the least television, so there really isn't any point in making television about the things they're interested in, because they don't watch television.
There are a number of reasons for this, firstly because they're busy playing videogames, but also because when you've grown up playing videogames you've grown up accustomed to on-demand entertainment, which TV isn't. When you're accustomed to on-demand entertainment it's really inconvenient and annoying to have to go back to watching things when the TV station feels like broadcasting it.
You know what they watch? Youtube. You know where the constant videogame news and coverage you would see on a dedicated TV channel is? Youtube. You know what's on demand? Youtube.
So, stuff that no-one in its target market watched got cancelled, and nothing of value was lost, basically.
People who play a lot of videogames don't watch a lot of TV.
The core gamer demographic is also the demographic that watches the least television, so there really isn't any point in making television about the things they're interested in, because they don't watch television.
There are a number of reasons for this, firstly because they're busy playing videogames, but also because when you've grown up playing videogames you've grown up accustomed to on-demand entertainment, which TV isn't. When you're accustomed to on-demand entertainment it's really inconvenient and annoying to have to go back to watching things when the TV station feels like broadcasting it.
You know what they watch? Youtube. You know where the constant videogame news and coverage you would see on a dedicated TV channel is? Youtube. You know what's on demand? Youtube.
So, stuff that no-one in its target market watched got cancelled, and nothing of value was lost, basically.
I never did see the point in watching a TV channel about gaming. Most gamers aren't 'fans' of gaming, they're actually involved with gaming. So it seemed like a doomed concept from the beginning, but the early years did apparently produce some interesting shows. I'm only familiar with it because of my time spent listening to Leo Laporte and his occasional waxing rhapsodic about it.
All TV is now is fodder for DVRs, so I have to wonder how much longer they'll hold up the pretense. As long as advertisers buy advertising, I guess.
All TV is now is fodder for DVRs, so I have to wonder how much longer they'll hold up the pretense. As long as advertisers buy advertising, I guess.
This has been a long time coming. X-Play went from being an everyday thing to a once a week thing and it made perfect sense. I liked some of the G4 personalities, like Abby and Kevin, but Adam was the real heart of the team, so to say. I stopped watching when he left, like most people here. I used to LOVE Feedback, but mostly because Adam was there.
I still remember the episode that got me hooked on the show. Golden Mullet awards 2004. Haven't found the episode since though. I stopped watching back when their video game reviews were obviously biased. OK, Gears of War got a large enough audience that GoW2 can have the majority of the episode to itself...
Wait, you now want a full episode just for Brutal Legend? It could be a good game, but there's other stuff out there you know.
2 episode special on why CoD MW2 is such an amazing game? Nope.
(not bashing cod, but no game deserves an hour of my time to advertise over any other)
Wait, you now want a full episode just for Brutal Legend? It could be a good game, but there's other stuff out there you know.
2 episode special on why CoD MW2 is such an amazing game? Nope.
(not bashing cod, but no game deserves an hour of my time to advertise over any other)
That's not entirely true, up until around 2007 they actually did have some quality geek oriented gaming programs, then for some reason they dropped those in favor of cops reruns and random shows about breaking crap.Ultratwinkie said:It was always a fanboy wank. Ever since it started.MorganL4 said:I quit watching G4 right around the time I started frequenting this site (which was about 3 months before I finally decided to become a member.) Naming Fable 2 game of the year really threw me..... Decent game, but in comparison to Fallout 3? Umm NO. Now this wouldn't have been such a big deal except that that channel ( and their website marketed that game like it was the 2nd coming of Christ.) So, to me it appeared a sell out.Neronium said:
At this point, G4 has kind of fallen out of memory..... It is odd to watch Olivia Munn doing an actual acting job in The Newsroom though ( yes she can actually act, and well by the way)
Farewell TV For Gamers ( oh wait, you dropped that tagline 5 years ago) Farewell...... Cops/Cheaters reruns.... I'd say you'll be missed but we will probably see you on another channel in a week or 2.
"Oh look military shooters! YAAAAAAY."
"Strategy games? fuck that nerd shit."
"RPGs? What is this faggotry? WE WANT MOAR COD!"
That was their entire range of emotions on every gaming show on there. Ever.
G4 TV is for COD frat boys who need to talk about COD every hour of every day for the rest of their lives. Not for gamers.
They praise whats popular, not whats good.
No one remembers Code Monkeys? Only good show on there.
Sessler was nothing more than a tool(if you were upset about MML3 canning, you're an entitled, crybaby fanboy) and Tallarico was the biggest dumbass in the industry(remember, he gave SSBB a 3 cause Kirby was in it, no other reason and the only games he liked were generic brown grey shooters and games he worked on). So I'm glad it's gone.
Sessler was nothing more than a tool(if you were upset about MML3 canning, you're an entitled, crybaby fanboy) and Tallarico was the biggest dumbass in the industry(remember, he gave SSBB a 3 cause Kirby was in it, no other reason and the only games he liked were generic brown grey shooters and games he worked on). So I'm glad it's gone.
huh ...
G4 is still around eh? bummer :/ I'd thought the plug would a been pulled on that waste of air space by now
G4 is still around eh? bummer :/ I'd thought the plug would a been pulled on that waste of air space by now
Living in Australia I have Good Game, which is just one show as opposed to an entire channel, but from what I see here it's better than the entire of G4 combined. You can find episodes online if you're interested.
I'd love for this to be the opportunity for a new gaming channel to emerge. Maybe even do something interesting like have it as an app on the 360 or something like that. I'd like to have a channel to have on in the background while gaming that could be on 24/7 like G4 was whenever I PC or handheld gamed. Wishful thinking on my part, though.
Hmmm, I always wonder about things like this.
I'm wondering if G4 is giving up on the video game programming pre-emptively due to the new console generation being on it's way. Every once in a while I hear all this stuff about how intergraed it used to be, and it makes me wonder if the gist of things is that most video game programming is probably going to be through the game systems themselves, so it's pointless for TV to try and compete. Dropping this stuff early in theory would give the hosts doing this now a chance to get involved in/ready for the new format.
I don't really watch G4, and I guess it's been gradual, but it seems like a pretty odd transition overall. With MTV you could at least understand the issues to some extent, only so many new videos being produced (which were increasingly expensive, with little return to the artists unless they sold the viewing rights to the network), and oddly the increasing role of MTV as a sort of youth culture channel, which is what it exclusively became after a while. G4 doesn't really seem to be following a clear path towards transitioning into something else as far as I can tell. Who knows, maybe it's just dying.
I'm wondering if G4 is giving up on the video game programming pre-emptively due to the new console generation being on it's way. Every once in a while I hear all this stuff about how intergraed it used to be, and it makes me wonder if the gist of things is that most video game programming is probably going to be through the game systems themselves, so it's pointless for TV to try and compete. Dropping this stuff early in theory would give the hosts doing this now a chance to get involved in/ready for the new format.
I don't really watch G4, and I guess it's been gradual, but it seems like a pretty odd transition overall. With MTV you could at least understand the issues to some extent, only so many new videos being produced (which were increasingly expensive, with little return to the artists unless they sold the viewing rights to the network), and oddly the increasing role of MTV as a sort of youth culture channel, which is what it exclusively became after a while. G4 doesn't really seem to be following a clear path towards transitioning into something else as far as I can tell. Who knows, maybe it's just dying.