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The State of G4

Nega-Brent

By Nega-Brent
in Gaming

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Nega-Brent Post Whore

Nega-Brent

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A recent TV Week article claims that G4 ranks 57th of 64 basic cable TV Networks

Comcast is consolidating its West Coast entertainment networks, bringing G4 management under the E! Networks tent.

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E! and Style chief Ted Harbert has been given the newly created title of CEO, Comcast Entertainment Group. He will continue to report to Comcast Programming Group President Jeff Shell. G4 President Neal Tiles, who joined the network in September 2005, will now report to Mr. Harbert.

G4's executive staff will move into E!'s Los Angeles offices. Sources said layoffs among the G4 staff are likely, though Mr. Harbert said it's too soon to tell.

"When there is consolidation, if we find there's overlap in administrative and support positions, we'll have tough calls to make," he said. "But we haven't looked at that yet."

Mr. Harbert said he has not yet decided whether G4's Santa Monica production facilities will move as well. "They're shooting shows in very expensive space, but we're already maxed out at this building," he said. "I don't know what the answer is, but nothing will happen for a while."

Mr. Harbert's duties for E! and Style will not change. As for G4, Mr. Harbert said he will weigh in on programming decisions but emphasized that Mr. Tiles will continue to run the network.

"I believe that when somebody has a title that says they run the operation, they should run the operation," he said. "My main job is to fight to get him resources [from Comcast] for programming and marketing. They don't have nearly enough of a marketing budget."

Since Comcast launched G4 in 2002, the network has had a difficult time gaining traction. Its video game brand attracts demographically desirable young male viewers, but too few of them. During the third quarter, G4 was ranked 57th out of 64 basic cable networks.

In the past year, the channel has tried to expand its brand to a general-interest young men's network with acquisitions including "Star Trek" and "Arrested Development."

"I do agree with the vision of going after young men more than just going after gaming," Mr. Harbert said. "Gaming has been demonstrated as being too narrow."

Did you think G4 as it exists was a joke of a television network? A mockery of once was a good (Tech TV) television network? Well with E! in charge of G4, it's only going to get worse. They undoubtedly plan to assault what few viewers they have with their idea of gaming culture "style and fashion" with interviews from "hip" celebrities like Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan.

My guess is that Paris' favorite video game is "that one with the Donkey, Chutes and Ladders. That's hot."

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J-Stop Post Whore

J-Stop

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This is about a month or two old already. It happened around the time they premiered the Jammie Kennedy Experiment.

Judging by the fact they picked up Cops and a show called "The Block" which is a reality show about "extreme" snowboarders, there will never be a rejuvenation of Tech TV.

Some of the shows on G4 are fairly tolerable, though. Cinematech and Action Blast are decent, but everything else is shit. Even Attack of the Show and X-Play seemingly get worse with every new episode.

They're watchable, but it's like having a choice between drinking expired milk, where one is only slightly less past it's prime then the other.

The only time AoTS is good is when Kevin is on and they have a video game portion of The Loop, mostly because he gets away with some heavy shit, like vowing not to buy EA games for his PC when EA was one of the sponsors that week. Aside from Kevin, if anyone can get through an episode that has the 'stoner' guy (Zack?) and the ditz with the huge tits who gives out so much false sex advice that Dr. Ruth would spin in her grave, then consider yourself to have a high threshold of pain.

As for X-Play. Ugh. The new season started out pretty well, but quickly became skits again that no one gives a shit about, and now G4 is toting Webb around like crazy on each of their shows. Either Sessler handed in his contract, or they want to stop all those "Morg4n isnt a gamer LOL" e-mails they probably get everyday, I don't know. All I know is that if I have to sit through another "Morgan Minute" to see one review on X-Play, I'm going to become an hero.

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Alundra Post Whore

Alundra

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Being a huge fan of TechTV, G4 isn't even good enough to be called the former shadow of the once great network. My family was one of the first satellite customers in my city when it first came out, and I just sat and waited for The Screen Savers when it used to be shot in that little computer room in the studio with Leo and (I think her name was Megan?). Once Pat and Leo left TTV when the merger approached, and Martin Seargeant and Kevin Rose were moved up to show hosts, I gave up on the show althogether. I watched TSS for how intelligent it was, I didn't care that it wasn't about video games, it was just a very intelligent show hosted by two people that knew exactly what they were talking about.

Oh, and they actually had a fucking studio audience that wasn't trained to laugh.

As annoying as Chris Perillo was, Call For Help was possibly one of the best condensed computer help shows on TV for years and years, I seriously came home from school every day at 4 and watched the show even if they talked about Mac garbage.

But since I moved out and have my apartment, I chose not to get premium cable since I really don't watch too much TV besides AS, and I haven't really missed any of the stations shows at all. It was nice to watch CinemaTech because it was a well-composed show that had a very nice thematic flow to it.

X-Play has not been the same since they stopped shooting it in The Metreon in San Fran, I think alot of creative direction was taken from Sessler and handed over to a group of writers that have tried to emulate his great style, but have failed horribly. In some sketches, you can tell he's not even remotely captivated by what he is doing, something that he did wholeheartedly back when it was just Extended Play.

It's a shame, but I really don't care anymore, as long as Leo keeps up with that he is doing, I am happy.

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Alundra Post Whore

Alundra

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You mean Mac greatness.

Well, being someone who has to use a Mac and PC, I have come to find that Macs have really nothing on the PC except for streamlining filesharing and making keystrokes alot easier. I have used most programs on both platforms (Photoshop and Illustrator), and I have actually had faster render time and less technical problems.

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Gundampilotspaz Post Whore

Gundampilotspaz

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Well, being someone who has to use a Mac and PC, I have come to find that Macs have really nothing on the PC except for streamlining filesharing and making keystrokes alot easier. I have used most programs on both platforms (Photoshop and Illustrator), and I have actually had faster render time and less technical problems.

Since getting my Macbook I'm under the opinion that if you don't game you should be on a Mac.

I wish I could sit down with a desktop Mac, as I'm not able to be as much of a poweruser with the resolution that the Macbook gives me.

But XP is a great platform as well, Mac is just easier. When I formated by PC it took forty minutes to an hour to get it up and running to the way I wanted it. (including drives and third party stuff, and I was lucky to get a build with all the windows updates already on it not having that would have extended the time a great deal.)

The Mac just took a quick update and install of VLC, Openoffice, and Firefox and I was ready.

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Alundra Post Whore

Alundra

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Since getting my Macbook I'm under the opinion that if you don't game you should be on a Mac.

I wish I could sit down with a desktop Mac, as I'm not able to be as much of a poweruser with the resolution that the Macbook gives me.

But XP is a great platform as well, Mac is just easier. When I formated by PC it took forty minutes to an hour to get it up and running to the way I wanted it. (including drives and third party stuff, and I was lucky to get a build with all the windows updates already on it not having that would have extended the time a great deal.)

The Mac just took a quick update and install of VLC, Openoffice, and Firefox and I was ready.

We have G5's at college and I sit behind them for hours upon hours and they really have done nothing to make me want to do something, I just prefer a universal playform that allows me to have the freedom to customize and utilize different programs that aren't compatible with Macs.

And yes, you can crash a Mac, I did it last semester moving a few PSD's around.

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Samurai Drifter Post Whore

Samurai Drifter

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Did you think G4 as it exists was a joke of a television network? A mockery of once was a good (Tech TV) television network? Well with E! in charge of G4, it's only going to get worse. They undoubtedly plan to assault what few viewers they have with their idea of gaming culture "style and fashion" with interviews from "hip" celebrities like Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan.

My guess is that Paris' favorite video game is "that one with the Donkey, Chutes and Ladders. That's hot."

Well, as retarded as it is, it won't affect me any, because I never watch G4. It already sucks ass.

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The Jock Nerd Nugs

The Jock Nerd

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What I really miss is "Anime Unleashed", which got me hoked on anime in the first place. And imo i don't think X-Play was to terrible, but there is just nothing worth watching anymore. We were so close to actually getting a good network on TV with Tech TV but like everything else good it had to be brutally ass raped and filled with piles of steaming dog shit.

/end rant

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