Launched on the ZDTV network in 1998, X-Play (previously known as GameSpot TV and Extended Play) has been one of the very few television shows dedicated to video games in the U.S.. The half-hour show features game reviews, hands-on demos, trailers, and more.
Attack of the Show began airing in 2005, covering technology, web, and video game culture. Both programs aired over a thousand episodes each, and helped launch the careers of various personalities including Adam Sessler (who left X-Play in April after hosting the show for 14 years, reportedly due to a contract dispute).
I really don't get why they are changing G4 to a completely different demographic. If that's what they want to hit, sure, start a new channel and get rid of G4, but this is like Lifetime trying to slowly become Spike.
If anyone has any idea, I'm interested. I don't know that much about the TV industry.
I for one am happy those garbage shows are canned. G4 is no longer anything like Tech TV was. I hope Reviews on the Run and Electric Playground live on still in Canada (and hopefully elsewhere too).
I want to say i'm dissapointed but once Adam Sessler left that killed any interest i had in the channel. I definitely feel like Adam had the purest " gamer" opinion and with him gone meh i could go to well......essentially the internet to receive game-related entertainment , previews, and etc.
Its sad, but they've filled X-Play with so much garbage in the last few years that I only watched it when they were doing game convention coverage. I've never liked Attack of the Show. Always seemed to play to the wrong demographic. I remember the Screensavers and miss their show. People on there generally knew what they were talking about and it wasn't just a bunch of actors that were kind of geeky. NBCUniversal does this thing all the time though. Remember when SciFi channel use to play science fiction shows? Now we get wrestling on Syfy. WTF?!? Oh well. Personally I see more online shows and series' getting the kind of funding used on network TV and more people abandoning the set-top-box for online content, like we're already seeing with TechTV and G4 type shows.
Once Sesslar left they started having non-gaming segments on X-Play which seemed really stupid. Why would anyone who wanted to see a chat with some romantic comedy B-List celeb expect to see that on X-Play? G4 already had non-gaming related programs for that, but now it looks like they want to be a low-rent SpikeTV ripoff (and that's saying something). I'm sure the number-crunchers at G4 are saying "Well our video game shows have had slipping ratings, so it must be that people aren't interested in video games anymore." The ratings are slipping probably as a direct result of them decreasing the actual gamer-centric content on their supposedly gamer-dedicated shows! It's a self-fulfilling prophecy. So why would anyone watch G4 now when their videogame coverage is going to be reduced to something like what GameTrailers is on SpikeTV?
Why make something like GQ magazine, why not give something like fastcompany? A mix of the digital culture with also a progressive business slant. I personally like to see more tv about design, and designCo could be that. Who needs another channel giving us a shallow stereotype of masculinity? GQ is a mix of softcore-porn and men's fashion. Cable is really trying hard to push me away from subscribing... There are so many web series, like previously mentioned, that can get contracts to air on cable... sounds like cheap content for a tv producer.
Do it! I've been without cable for a few months now. While the initial adjustment was a little weird I feel awesome about it now. I'm one of those who will probably not go back ever. The only issues are with live tv, such as sporting events, but there's ways around that (as if I needed a reason to go to a sports bar on a sunday afternoon). Netflix plus hulu means I watch most of my shows still, which I mean seriously how many shows do most of us watch? like 5%?
Not surprised if only for awhile now the station had been combining over game type shows within the confines of x-play or aots and the sheer amount of the shows cops and cheater's kinda were showing where their demographic lies, O and let's not forget Campus PD and the movies to round out the programming, and as other people have said the two shows in question have become quite watered down so its no wonder they will be canned, as a side note one of the guest host's was trying to be a dooshbag like Daniel Tosh and failing at that.
It's kinda sad, but understandable. I used to pvr these shows to watch them when I had time, then it started to get to the point where I would fast forward through most of the show and only watch about 10 minutes. Now I don't even feel they are worth the space on my pvr with all the changes they've made and only watch when there's nothing else on and I want to waste some time.
If anyone has any idea, I'm interested. I don't know that much about the TV industry.
/agree
Will miss the original Ninja Warrior.