Gphoria Roundup [Archive]

OUX

08-10-2005, 06:47 AM

I really don’t have much of an opinion about this except that G4 is probably the most tactless network ever. With all the “Hot Coffee” going around you'd think they would maybe watch their promotions a bit. But no, in the “pre Gphoria” (They only part I watched) they parade 4 porn stars across the red carpet. *Sigh* Well for whoever cares here’s the list of crowned winners of the “The Mother of All Videogame Award Shows.” (http://www.g4tv.com/html/about/press/showrelease.asp?pressrelease_key=81)

XxSATANxX

08-10-2005, 07:22 AM

Holy Crap does G4 blow.

I have been keeping track of the old gang via systm.

Used to have ZDTV on 24/7

Justin_McElroy

08-10-2005, 07:30 AM

I would request only that no one debate their choices. You might as well debate the color of footy pajamas that homeless people decide to wear.

fitbabits

08-10-2005, 07:46 AM

Link appears to be borked. I keep getting redirected to the Microsoft site.

zipR

08-10-2005, 07:48 AM

This is the link:
http://www.g4tv.com/html/about/press/showrelease.asp?pressrelease_key=81

bapenguin

08-10-2005, 07:52 AM

fixed the link.

I've also been listening to the TWIT podcast as well as diggnation and systm.

PantherModern

08-10-2005, 07:56 AM

Yeah, G4 is teh suck. I really can't stand them anymore. Thank goodness for quality ex-techtv-star podcasts.

netcraazzy

08-10-2005, 07:58 AM

I used to like Tech TV untill they merged with G4, now they both suck big time. I can't stand to watch ANY televised game award shows, they are just oozing with poor taste and over the top bullcrap.

atariv8

08-10-2005, 08:08 AM

What markets are they testing that support the direction G4 is going? With all the "mature" humor do they really think they appeal to 16+? Thier jokes were old 6th grade circa 1983.

You could see the pain and despair on the faces of the old TechTV people as they had to endure the new "cool game KiDz". There is a gaming market out there that isn't stupid and enjoys good, tasteless humor done right!

ldi222

08-10-2005, 08:17 AM

I would like to see some sort of current news aspect of G4 where they would cover in depth some of the interesting issues in gaming today such as the political environment and developer publisher spats like valve and vivendi.

The video reviews can be cool and I like cinematech and arena could be really good if it was really plugged into any real clan tournament scene.

What really bothers me the most about G4 though is the dripping sarcasm of morgan web and adam. They are so condescending, even to games they like and their attitude is almost always one of "Im sorry this is so lame but our audience is a bunch of stupid geeks and we are too but we act this way to try and be cool anyway."

OUX

08-10-2005, 08:26 AM

I think the thing that bothers me the most about the whole things is that they didn't show any developers that I saw. I would much rather see them make a big deal for the developers at a GAME award show than see B list actors and idiots like Ron Jerermy squawking. And I don't know about you guys but I am not one to "bling bling" why is all their promotions towards the gangztas? Is there really a market for it? Or maybe everyone here is a gangzta and I am the only one different.....

themulf

08-10-2005, 08:31 AM

Im going to put the crap marketing aside of G4, which is some pop culture BS, mixed with drag racing down the throte, crap crap, to complain on how Halo 2 won so many awards. That game is a rushed disapointment, that i didnt hace much fun playing.

Justin_McElroy

08-10-2005, 09:08 AM

Please step off my man Adam Sessler (http://getthesugar.blogspot.com/2005/08/dr-strangehair-or-how-i-learned-to.html)

Ernst_Jager

08-10-2005, 09:24 AM

As bad at the G4 network in general can be (to MTV like for my tastes), there are still some good hosts and decent shows on there. I think again (as always with anything even remotely nerdlike or game related) it has become common place to flame and moan about how much TechTV was godlike before G4 bought them. Well I for one am glad I don't have to watch fucking RobotWars every other hour or suffer thru Call for Help. ZDNet sucked plain and simple. Whoever says otherwise is just trying to look retro cool. The production quality wasn't even public television good.

The Mystery Cow

08-10-2005, 09:34 AM

Speaking of TechTv hosts, does anyone know if there's any backstory as to why Kevin Rose left the network? Was it just to work on diggnation and systm?

Adam Blue

08-10-2005, 09:58 AM

G4 is really not too bad. It's got a lot of information and they talk a lot about current subjects. Cinematech is an awesome idea too.

Draknodred

08-10-2005, 10:06 AM

I would like to see some sort of current news aspect of G4 where they would cover in depth some of the interesting issues in gaming today such as the political environment and developer publisher spats like valve and vivendi.

What really bothers me the most about G4 though is the dripping sarcasm of morgan web and adam. They are so condescending, even to games they like and their attitude is almost always one of "Im sorry this is so lame but our audience is a bunch of stupid geeks and we are too but we act this way to try and be cool anyway."

I agree about the the first thing, that would be nice, the only thing close to that is "The Feed" once a night in Attack of the Show, but that's not enough...

About Morgan and Adam I don't really agree, I enjoy their reviews as they try and make them interesting, but I don't think their attitudes are like that at all but that could be just me, I think a lot of it has to do with the writing for x-play too...

but G4 can be alright sometimes, I don't like a lot of the shows, and a lot of the times it's reruns... but I do like X-Play and Attack of the Show, but I really hate all the sexuality on the network, it really brings it down... They make it seem a lot of times like gamers are guys that are crazy horny or some shit like that, I just want to watch tv about some videogames and tech stuff not that other bullshit, I get enough of girls in real life =)

motor

08-10-2005, 10:08 AM

G4 is really not too bad. It's got a lot of information and they talk a lot about current subjects. Cinematech is an awesome idea too.

The problem with G4 (and a lot of the micro-networks on cable) is that there isn't enough there there. You just can't fill up a channel with news and reviews about video games. I would much rather have a good hour long show on twice a week that combined the best of the entire network. The trick to having good content is having enough so that you can throw the lowest quality stuff out. Trying to program a network for even 8 hours a day 7 days a week means that they sprinkle good bits in with tons of garbage, which means that they don't have the money to hire good hosts, which means people never settle into watching the show or having any strong affiliation with any program.

I mean there are a lot of good ideas in there (cinematech, icons, a fan based 10 ten list on interesting topics, interviews with developers). I just think they would have really been able to clean up by making this stuff into a show instead of trying to make a poor quality network. With more and more people having dvr's (especially tech-savvy gamers) I think it is a much better strategy to try and get people to add your program to your list then get the much smaller viewship of people flipping to your channel and seeing garbage, or something they have watched before and flipping away.

Kefkataran

08-10-2005, 10:08 AM

I actually do like Adam Sessler. Honestly, I enjoy Attack of the Show and X-Play a fair ammount. Do I expect beautiful examples of videogame journalism and in-depth coverage? Nah. I just expect a fun show that seems like it's made by a bunch of friends who are sitting around chatting about nerd stuff. I get that, ocassionally I find stuff I like, and I enjoy.

Most the other stuff on the network I hate or ignore (minus a few cool shows like Cinematech). As for the words... well, like anyone is going to take any videogame awards that give Halo 2 game of the year seriously.

Justin_McElroy

08-10-2005, 10:26 AM

hell yeah, that's my man Kefkataran leaping to the Sess's defense. Did I convince you to love his heart?

OUX

08-10-2005, 10:43 AM

The Mystery Cow

08-10-2005, 11:20 AM

I would have to agree that some shows are good, cinematech and x-play being good examples. (Though I may just like X-play because of Morgan Webb I haven't completely decided yet.) I would like to see their sex go too. Video game Vixens? WTF mate?!? I think that G4 is run by a bunch of people who AREN'T gamers and are pandering to the stereotype of the gamer. Which anyone who games knows isn't true because true gamers are hard pressed to tolerate each other sometimes. ;)

Video Game Vixens? Hell, what about the entire "Whip Set?" Can ANYONE tell me what shows about drift racing and custom rides has to do with gaming?

It seems to me that the G4 people, much like MTV a decade ago, are slowly trying to move from genre-focused to lifestyle-focused programming - to rein in the "underground" culture. And, like MTV before them, they are poised to fail miserably (in our eyes, perhaps not in the bottom line).

Kefkataran

08-10-2005, 11:30 AM

I was actually creeped out, Justin, by how well-thought-out your whole article was. I think it's actually a fair, SERIOUS defense of him!

much like MTV a decade ago

A decade ago? How about right now?

PixelSamurai

08-10-2005, 12:05 PM

Video Game Vixens is the most mind-numbingly stupid program I have ever seen. First of all, you really only have enough content for one episode (hottest video game character) which is pretty stupid anyway. They actually think there is enough content for a series here, and so they have really pointless categories like "most raunchy" or some such bullshit. The fact that it's 3 actors saying "Yeh her pixelz is teh hawt!" makes it all the more painful. I even like Seanbaby's website, but he should be dreadfully ashamed of himself for agreeing to be a "judge."

Kefkataran

08-10-2005, 12:29 PM

I even like Seanbaby's website, but he should be dreadfully ashamed of himself for agreeing to be a "judge."

Seanbaby's on this show? Ugh. Oh how the mighty have fallen.

Ernst_Jager

08-10-2005, 01:00 PM

Draknodred

08-10-2005, 01:09 PM

Video Game Vixens was painful to watch. The worse part was the DDR dancer they hired to hopefully draw in viewers. She had to totally be either a stripper or non-famous pornstar (as in fluffer) Hal Sparks has to be on crack or some other drug.

Actually she was a go-go dancer http://www.teemaree.com/ , but don't rag on her, she just did what they paid her to do, even if it was ridiculous... also she was also on geek fantasies, http://geekfantasies.com/

but I do agree Videogame Vixens was ridiculous... I hated that show, it made me ashamed of the network... it's their programming like that that sickens me... but on seanbabys defense, he got paid and all he had to do was talk about videogame girls, I would do it if they paid me =)

Cyrano

08-10-2005, 03:09 PM

G-phoria had a really nice tribute to Ralph Baer. It was nice to see him get that kind of recognition. It was the only decent part of the show.

Kefkataran

08-10-2005, 03:18 PM

G-phoria had a really nice tribute to Ralph Baer. It was nice to see him get that kind of recognition. It was the only decent part of the show.

It's good to hear there was at least one decent part.

KarmaGhost

08-10-2005, 08:09 PM

I watch Attack of the Show and occasionally X-Play. I can't really comment on any of the other shows, other than Video Game Vixens, which was bad to the point where other G4 hosts were making fun of it.

EDIT: Oh, I should add that I think "Seanbaby" has been the best guest host on AOTS.