My G4TV rant
Since this is the tenth anniversary of this network, it's time for me to give my thoughts on it.
G4TV is a network that's owned by Comcast. When I first learn about this network in May of 2002, I fell in love with it. The reason why is because this network is a cartoon network version of video games; the channel has everything related to video games. We had Gamespot TV and Electric Playground (depending on where you live), but they were precursors to this. There are things about video games that I wasn't aware of, thanks to this network, like E3. I appreciate that this network doesn't tell us everything about video games because less is more. Also, the Library doesn't have books on this stuff as far as I know. Years later, the network started a campaign to recycle electronic waste called G-Cycle. Here are some of the shows they have and what they cover.
Judgement Day: reviews video games, plus old ones.
Cheat!: gives you cheat codes and secret ways to beat the game.
Filter: does top 10 lists.
Arena is a multiplayer gaming competition.
Pulse: Covers news related to video games.
Portal: is a machinima series that mixes comedy and drama together. Plus, have information segments.
G4TV.com: is a talk show that interacts with people online.
Players: shows us celebrities playing their favorite games.
Icon: shows you the history of gaming companies and franchises.
G-Phoria: is a video game awards show that happens once a year.
This network has started to go downhill in 2004 when Comcast bought Tech TV and merged with G4TV, Tech TV deals with technology. This merger excites me because it was a tech channel. Screen Savers is a show that keeps us up to date with computers and technology. I remember one episode that shows you how to build a lightsaber. Sadly, this merger came at a price that is they got rid of most of the shows I mentioned before because most people behind both networks were fired. We did get two shows out of this deal, they are X-Play and Attack of the shows. X-Play is just Judgement Day, but it's more of a comedy, and Attack of the shows is there to replace Screen Savers. That show talks about pop culture and general news. 2005 G-Phoria wasn't that good because it looks like it was trying to appeal to the MTV crowd.
After 2005, things have gotten worse for the channel. The network aired episodes of Cops, Cheaters, America Ninja Warrior, and movies they think don't suck. OK, this wouldn't have bothered me if we still had game-related programs. Trying to branch out shouldn't come at the expense of what this channel was suppose to be. They do cover movies and TV shows if they are video games that are license-based games. We can thank Neil Tiles, the President of G4 at the time, for why the network is this way. He said guys want to play games, not watch a bunch of shows with game footage on the screen. What the Fudge!?! So, it's OK to use game footage for ads, but it's not OK to use it to give context about what you're talking about with video games. Is this a joke!?! The only thing this network aired that I liked was the reruns of Beast Wars because I didn't have them on DVD at the time. The network ruined that by editing the episodes to make them shorter, thanks a lot. I'm sorry, there are other shows like Marvel Anime and Code Monkey. I like Code Monkey because it was a comedy about the characters that get involved in gaming history, and the animation is 8-bit. Sadly, that show only lasted one year.
Neil Tiles stepped down as President, but the damage was done. The channel tried to cater to fans by bringing back old video game programs called G4 rewind, but that wasn't enough. Plus, we didn't know the airtime for it. It's sad to see this network become a shell of its former self in such a short time because more could've been done with this network. The two gaming shows are not enough to justify this network's existence, and they are starting to lose their quality over time. Due to G4TV going down the toilet, it's hard for me to keep track of what's going on in the video game community because I don't have one single reliable source. If this network wants to cover other forms of media, it should have just used Attack of the Show.
Overall, I just want this network to return to its former glory or die. Well, that can be tricky because the internet is starting to rival this network. Heck, you can argue that this network was released at an awkward time. I'm sick of seeing it trying to become the next Spike TV.