Why G4 TV isn’t about games anymore: Money

[saprano]

At least we now know why that channel is a peice of sh@#t now.

The first show I ever watched on G4 was Filter. I admit, I enjoyed it, as any top ten countdown involving games and a remotely attractive Asian woman is going to be enjoyable, but I also wondered how long could it go on for and still be watchable. I mean there were only so many countdowns the show could run through and still be interesting. This problem was kind of emblematic of the entire station though. Not enough content to keep on maintaining interest from the general public. Ratings plummeted and the station reformatted itself.

Now the station is on a 35 month role of increased ratings, according to G4’s President, Neal Tiles on G4’s Open Source page. This is because, he says, they aren’t solely focusing on games anymore, despite the eyer of many of the stations fans. In fact most of the gaming programming has been removed from G4 to allow for shows like Star Trek and Cops because it brings in bigger ratings. Tiles says that this does not mean that gaming will be removed completely from G4 and that the station is not becoming another Spike. After explaining that he wants G4 to be the television station for the “Xbox/YouTube/iPod generation,” Tiles then hit everyone who still had hopes of a station completely devoted to gaming with the hard hand of reality.

Now will every show on G4 be tech, videogame, web-related, etc? While I wish it could, it’s unfortunately not possible in order to grow the network…we need to balance what will define us vs. what has mass appeal…because, first and foremost, we are a business and not a “public service.”

I don’t want to agree, because in theory an all video game channel sounds amazing, but I’m forced to. There just wasn’t enough to keep G4 interesting and I don’t know if there ever could be. Gamers go to the web for their news (thank you, by the way) and can get almost any information the second it is released. Meanwhile a 24 hour television station would seem behind the times with whatever they were doing. Add to this that there really isn’t any old gaming shows the station could use for filler when original programming wasn’t running and you have a station showing the same shows over and over until not even the hardcore gamers are tuning in anymore. It just seems that the medium of gaming was not meant to be covered 24/7 on television. Why this is would take a far more in depth study but I just can’t be angry at G4 for wanting to make money and “all gaming, all the time” was just not doing it for them.

[Spike68]

that channel hasn't been worth crap since G4 bought out Tech TV. The Screen savers with Leo Laporte was a great show it actually was worth watching, non-bias reporting and very helpful. Unlike AOTS that show is basically a commercial for microsoft.

[xtop]

i watch cops on g4 more often than i watch gaming related stuff.

[dadkins]

Originally Posted by Spike68

that channel hasn't been worth crap since G4 bought out Tech TV. The Screen savers with Leo Laporte was a great show it actually was worth watching, non-bias reporting and very helpful. Unlike AOTS that show is basically a commercial for microsoft.

TechTV died before Comcast/G4 bought the corpse.

[reiella]

Y'know, Spike did a damn good job reinventing themselves.

They went from The Nashville Network, to being Spike, very very effectively.

G4, well they just spewed the MTV line, We don't show music, we provide music entertainment...

It's a good point though, I mean, how many freaking times can I be made to watch the same segments over and over again.

[DetroitSportsFan]

The only shows I watch on G4 are Attack Of The Show and X Play.

I will watch Cops or Ninja Warrior if there's nothing else on.

[AliceT]

OMG you mean a company is only trying to make money? the nerve of them!

[actionhank]

Originally Posted by Spike68

that channel hasn't been worth crap since G4 bought out Tech TV. The Screen savers with Leo Laporte was a great show it actually was worth watching, non-bias reporting and very helpful. Unlike AOTS that show is basically a commercial for microsoft.

Haha screen savers I loved those guys, used to watch them all the time

[saprano]

you want a real gaming channel? wach gameplay HD.

[Blinkman987]

AotS is one of the worst offenders on the channel. Their rare product demos feel more like a marketing commercial, and most of the show is filled with myspace bullshit and viral videos. It's like Internet - The Movie.

Kevin should be taken out back and shot. I don't trust a word that comes out of his mouth.

[saprano]

yea he talks alot of crap, do you know on yesterdays show he said he AGREE'S with EA buying take2! what? he said ea doesin't make bad games and it woud be good for take2 if they bought them

[AlexCruz]

I haven't had G4 in years, but I remember it used to be one of my favorite channels. I see now they show Cops on there. Wow. *tisk* *tisk*

[Mxr5150]

I hate when Cable Nets do that. Thanks for starting the trend MTV and Vh1.

[Aaron]

G4 is t3h_suxx0r now.

[SilverFireshot]

I used to watch TechTV religiously. Then it became G4TechTV which was ok. I missed Screensavers but I could still watch the channel. I moved out and didn't have satellite for awhile and then when I came back a couple of years ago, it had turned into Spike TV 2.

Hell, the one gaming show they have left is X-Play and even that has gone downhill.

[Stuart_Larkin]

I was excited when G4 took over TechTV only because I loved having a ALL video game channel and at the time since I had Direct TV, I couldn't get G4.
But would have been happy if simply G4 went to direct tv without taken over TechTV. But these past few months... G4 has really gone down the drain for me....
Yes it's the same thing that happened to MTV.
TNN is still better then Spike...

[Nerdkiller likes BD]

Originally Posted by Stuart_Larkin

Yes it's the same thing that happened to MTV.

Yeah, 80's and 90's MTV ruled the world. I love watching Beavis and Butthead. Now, the channel is a kid friendly, pop music s*itter.

[mightypen]

Originally Posted by Spike68

that channel hasn't been worth crap since G4 bought out Tech TV. The Screen savers with Leo Laporte was a great show it actually was worth watching, non-bias reporting and very helpful. Unlike AOTS that show is basically a commercial for microsoft.

I agree with this. Occasionally I listen to Laporte on XM, but its not the same.

[Stephie_is_a_dork]

Originally Posted by saprano

yea he talks alot of crap, do you know on yesterdays show he said he AGREE'S with EA buying take2! what? he said ea doesin't make bad games and it woud be good for take2 if they bought them

But Take2 is still refusing EA's offers, right? RIGHT?!? I hope you're not saying EA succeed in their hostile takeover attempt, if so, I haven't heard that report yet. EA sucks hard.

Anyhoo, back on topic...I watch Ninja Warrior once in a while, but as a GAMING channel, G4 fails miserably. On the rare occasion I catch their video game related programming, their Microsoft bias makes me change the channel in digust.