X-Play Extends to an Hour

Logan Frederick

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Aug 19, 2006
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X-Play Extends to an Hour



Gaming cable channel G4TV is extending the length of one of its most popular shows, X-Play, on a trial basis this holiday.

Coming off the momentum from its December 2007 show revamp [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/80210], G4TV's X-Play, one of the few gaming-related shows left on the network, will be adding an extra half hour of content this winter to accommodate all the extra content that comes out around the holiday season.

G4 President Neil Tiles explained in a post on G4's Open Source [http://www.g4tv.com/opensource.aspx], "I'm excited to announce that X-Play will expand to one full hour each weeknight for the month of December as we take a look at all the holiday releases and look forward to 2009 titles... this is a trial as well with the hope that if X-Play experiences marked growth during the month we will seek to expand the show permanently later on in early 2009."

Beyond simply covering more content, the move to lengthen one of the network's highest-rated shows might be to improve viewership network-wide. Tiles admitted that G4 saw a 43 percent drop in its male 18 to 34 year-old target demographic.

This summer, Tiles tested the "G4 Rewind," a block of gaming shows that are true to the network's original concept before Cops and Cheaters hijacked airtime. Rather than end the videogame blitz, Tiles confirmed that it will be continued as a 90-minute daily morning morsel of entertainment before more Wired for Sex is shown.

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Tread184

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Everything that could have gone wrong with TechTV/G4, went wrong. With the exception of Attack of the Show (sorta) and Code Monkey's. Oh how I miss the old X-Play style.
 

Logan Frederick

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Tread184 post=7.70429.691380 said:
Everything that could have gone wrong with TechTV/G4, went wrong. With the exception of Attack of the Show (sorta) and Code Monkey's. Oh how I miss the old X-Play style.
They're now run by the same people that run E!, and once you see how the shows are on that channel, you can see their poison gradually corrupting what they acquired from TechTV/G4.

Having an inside source of info into the sort of craziness that occurs in that building, I'm surprised they've not all gone insane. Imagine, if you will, the most condescending, vapid, media-worshipping airheads with not a lick of technical sense are now in charge of tech-related shows.
 

brabz

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I look back fondly on "The Screen Savers" when they had tech-savvy hosts who actually hacked and modded stuff that I was interested in. Kevin Rose and Alex Albrecht's Revision3 show, Diggnation, is really good, but it's more focused on tech news stories and new beers than modding. That said, nothing wrong with interesting tech stories from people who know their stuff, and I've been introduced to a few new beers I've come to enjoy.
 

s0ap sudz

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Aug 28, 2008
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I have never been a big fan of X-Play to begin with. Adam Sessler and Morgan Webb have absolutely no chemistry, and they're also annoying as hell. At least it will push Cops and Cheaters off the station more because those are even more dumb!
 

tendo82

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Nov 30, 2007
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Two things:

1. Cheaters and Cops are both incredible shows for a number of reasons too lengthy to discuss here.

2. What on earth are they going to talk about for an hour? I think another attractive female announcer is the ace up their sleeve.
 

islagatt

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There was a time, when the Earth, and the moon, were at war- wait no that was einhander, I'm thinking of when the only channel I watched was G4. That was when shows like Portal were still on. And I am still utterly and completely enraged by a) the ending of that series and b) that series' discontinuation. As for X-play; I want Morgan Webb and Adam Sessler to die painful deaths, preferably involving bleach and flaying. If not for their whiny voices, then for their painful arrogance and self-centered conviction that their judgement of games is impeccable. The clincher for that show came on the day they reviewed Armored Core Last Raven. At least for me. It wasn't mainstream, it wasn't going to be overwhelmingly popular, but they still decided to review it. Much like how they always decided to review anime-based games. I think it was just something for them to rag on. That's not a review, that's someone trying to cash in on the vitriolic humor of people like Yahtzee and Lewis Black.
 

Jhereg42

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Apr 11, 2008
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Of course they have lost viewership. Cops and Cheaters, while occasionally entertaining in a train wreck sort of way, are not something most people turn to G4 to watch. I do enjoy X-play, especially their parody shorts, so I think that the hour long show is going to be a good thing.
 

Susan Arendt

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Jan 9, 2007
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I, too, fondly remember the old days of Tech TV, when it was Extended Play and came from the Sony Metreon. Still, Adam Sessler is not only quite knowledgeable about gaming -- a rarity in a gaming host, I think we can all agree -- he's also an incredibly nice guy. No, seriously. I expected him to be a complete tool when I met him, but he was absolutely lovely.
 

Digikid

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Tech TV was good until G4 bought it....then it failed MISERABLY.

I miss Leo Laporte and Jacob whatshisname in the Screensavers show......BRING THEM BACK!!!!!!!!

Adam And Morgan annoying? Surely you have no sense of good hosts. They are AWESOME and tell things as it is. For that they will always have my respect and admiration.
 

Alone Disciple

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Tread184 post=7.70429.691380 said:
Everything that could have gone wrong with TechTV/G4, went wrong. With the exception of Attack of the Show (sorta) and Code Monkey's. Oh how I miss the old X-Play style.
Preach it brutha! Yeah, there is nothing tech about 2-3 hours a day of the repetitive low lifes on Cheaters or the huge block of COPS 2.0. I want the old format back too, as I only watch it anymore for AOTS and X-Play.

Reminds me back in the day when MTV used to play music videos too.
 

Royas

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Apr 25, 2008
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Gods above, how I miss the old TechTV. That was about the only station I watched at all (not a big TV guy here). Screensavers was probably my favorite, but it was all good. G4 really did a number on what was once a great channel.

What they hell is a lousy show like Cops doing on a supposed gaming channel anyway? Maybe I'm the stupid one, but I just can't get my brain around that one.
 

RabbitJunk

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Aug 4, 2008
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I belive they have messed up AOTS. It does not feel the same anymore like it use to, and x-play wow wtf are they thinking i just want morgan and adam reviewing and im happy.
 

Khazoth

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Adam Sessler, Sesslar, whatever the devil his name is.. Is one of the worst reviewers on the face of this earth and I do not say that lightly. He had the NERVE to call GTA4 innovative and original when it was a reskin of GTA3.. Sure its fun but it DIDN'T CHANGE ANYTHING. Oh, except giving your character a 'life' and how much can you really care about watching fake TV and listening to characters you'd rather be killing?
 

Jumplion

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Mar 10, 2008
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Jeez, nostalgia hits hard.

I like X-play for what it's worth (don't respond what I think you'll respond) and I always liked their previews and hands-on demos. Reviews, not so much, but I'm glad they got away from that in their "level-up" time because they never reviewed anything I or anyone else really cared about (Such as Naruto games, for the gameboy. Who the fucks going to care about a review for that?!?)

Sure, sure, you guys will all go "Oh, I miss TechTV. You don't know how awesome it was because you're too young" and all that stuff, but if you miss all the old shows go watch them in G4rewind and post on the forums demanding them back (since there is a chance they will run new episodes (highly doubt that if everyone keeps complaining)). I'd love to see some new Arena shows and Portal, and some other shows here and there.

But Cops and Cheaters have to go, and now Lost is coming along. Great...
 

Freakmonkey9

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Aug 28, 2008
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Jumplion post=7.70429.693738 said:
Jeez, nostalgia hits hard.

I like X-play for what it's worth (don't respond what I think you'll respond) and I always liked their previews and hands-on demos. Reviews, not so much, but I'm glad they got away from that in their "level-up" time because they never reviewed anything I or anyone else really cared about (Such as Naruto games, for the gameboy. Who the fucks going to care about a review for that?!?)

Sure, sure, you guys will all go "Oh, I miss TechTV. You don't know how awesome it was because you're too young" and all that stuff, but if you miss all the old shows go watch them in G4rewind and post on the forums demanding them back (since there is a chance they will run new episodes (highly doubt that if everyone keeps complaining)). I'd love to see some new Arena shows and Portal, and some other shows here and there.

But Cops and Cheaters have to go, and now Lost is coming along. Great...
I hate the new Xplay they are not even funny anymore, I thought the Naruto game reviews were a perfect chance to bring out the jokes.
 

Jumplion

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Freakmonkey9 post=7.70429.693757 said:
I hate the new Xplay they are not even funny anymore, I thought the Naruto game reviews were a perfect chance to bring out the jokes.
X-Play used to be funny?

What?
 

the monopoly guy

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May 8, 2008
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Good, this might mean more then one or two reviews a show. I liked their longer reviews, especially when they were bad games. And maybe Bob and Steve will return.

A man can dream, a man can dream...

And get rid of cops, get rid of cheaters, don't even follow through with space balls, no Lost, no Heroes (I realise they're good shows, but they don't belong on G4), no more 2.0, and for the love of god, get rid of cheaters and cop!


And I miss Braniac, it was like Mythbusters with more explosions, less science, and Brits.