Page 2 of Do you think a good quality gaming show could still work on TV?

Again thanks to a mate (cheers Matt) I thought this was great.

WARNING! Some Bioshock Spoilers (kind of)

The Jackal

Quote:
I`m talking about a show for 18+ that would go out at a primetime. Kind of like The Gadget Show I guess, but for games.

You couldnt do it. I think its pretty much that simple. One way or another you would end up with such a niche audience that it wouldnt be worth doing on a primetime channel.

xleague is at the hardcore end of the spectrum and gamer.tv is at the other. Anything else just looks like patronising s***.

I mean, you say 18+ at `primetime`. What would make it 18+? Swearing? Naked chicks? People hate that as it just seems false.

There are just so many niche gaming content channels at the moment (1up podcast, Eurogamer.tv, xleague, etc) I find it really hard to believe anyone could make money out of a hard marketed show on a major channel.

However, if I did have a large pot of cash to p*** away I would, basically, rip off Vidz, but with games, with me and my mate paul presenting, set in an indie games store. I would have `S*** Retro Game of the Week`, where we lay into an old classic for not being any good, I would have a feature where we trolled xbox live games and, basically, rip on nerds.

Before you say it, it wouldnt be like consolevania, because it would be good and not hideously overrated.

I would love to see a decent quality show on computer games, but I am not sure if it can ever work.

The first obstacle is that gaming is still seen by many in the `media` as something done by kids. It`s just not taken seriously.

The other problem is that it is a vast subject to cover. If you only have an half hour show, if you try to cover all gaming formats (X-Box, Sony PS2/3, Wii, PC, Handhelds, etc.), that leaves very little time per format, per show. On the other hand, if you exclude formats (say for instance, PC gaming), you run the risk of losing the integrity of the show, and falling into the trap that a lot of previous shows have fallen into - only showing the games that`ll appeal to the largest audience, which is oftentimes games aimed at kids, which brings us back to the first obstacle.

i dunno if anyone has mentioned it but there is a gaming show on Bravo on sunday mornings (Gamer TV, i think it is called). it is pretty good as it is mostly game footage with a voiceover reviewing the games and it avoids the trap that Gamesmaster fell into (i.e. Dominick Diamond trying to turn the show into the tv equivalent of a lads mag).

VideoGaiden (BBC2 Scotland show by the Consolevania people) is back soon.

Videogaiden Website is doing some weekly 10min shorts as a preview for the new series.

another one is there now (you can still view last weeks)

I`ve been enjoying the Gaming Championships on Sky over the past week..

Something like that with expert gamers in a league format (regional then national?) with game reviews chucked in I think would work.

Gamer.tv`s last ever show this weekend ( on later this afternoon again on Bravo 2, tomorrow 11ish Bravo 1) :( Didn`t know until the presenter (whose name has completely slipped my mind introduced the show by announcing it!) 6 years it`s been going he said!

Shame, as I quite liked to sit on the sofa and watch full screen game footage, rather than a small pc window, but I guess these days you can watch demo footage through the consoles on your TV, or on PC it`s no hassle now to watch good quality full screen footage.

Must admit Admars I do quite like watching VideoGaiden. Is it broadcast UK wide or only up here in Scotland?

Sp00ky

I haven`t watched Videogaiden for ages, it was too much hassle :(

It was only on on BBC2 Scotland, which i think Satellite viewers down here can get, but on cable, we can only get BBC1 Scotland, not BBC2 Scotland. Last time I checked anyway.

I emailed BBC (as did many ppl according to the consolevania forums) asking if it would get broadcast nationwide, but there was some crappy reason why it wouldn`t. I think something along the lines of it being classed as a "regional" programme, so no-one would care out of Scotland!?!?!?

For a while I`d dl torrents of the show if I could find them, as the quality from BBC`s website was quite poor, so I lost interest.