Oct 17

Oct 17 011 - Never Stop Playing

G4 TV.

I'm starting off the show a bit off script, but also, on script. About a few hours ago, before recording. I got news that G4 closed it's doors, and every employee, from the hosts and talent, to the producers and writers, to the business makers and managers and production offices just lost their job. To make it worse – they found out through Twitter from Wario64 or from Deadline.

Not from the company themselves, not in a company slack. Nothing. That is fucking terrible. And I hope every person I've ever gotten to know bounces back, and does something amazing.

This week's article, is about game journalism not being what it used to, it's already recorded and everything, so congrats, free audience, you're getting TWO articles this week.

If you want to support me, I'm on Patreon at Patreon.com/jordanhass and I hope to plug many of the recently laid off people here in the weeks ahead.

But for now, LET'S TALK ABOUT ME.

I still somehow have a podcast where I give opinions and read them and maybe you'll like them. This is the closest thing to “hosting” and “writing” and I guess now “journalism” I could do at the moment, given my own limitations and my own frustrations

G4, to me, seems like a smart idea. I think the need for a “journalist” market is still necessary. And yes, even a comedy clubhouse like they were aiming for. However, the budget that they spent on building out the office is more than Upright Citizens Brigade with the same amount of reception as a high school theater play.

I already can read the Internet and hear the reactionary assholes say it’s “because it went woke” or “it's because of Frosk”, but if you believe any of that bullshit – you should know it's not the case. Reactionary conservatives will make content for people to react to and knee-jerk get angry. This is Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity, and they are effective at communication to their audience, but maybe aren’t the target audience for, a progressive-skewing news show like Last Week Tonight.

However, there is a concession – these places spent years trying to cultivate an identity, those reactionary numbnuts don't have the finances of a multi billion dollar corporation to worry about, and if the off chance they do something abhorrent, will double down with a “are you triggered snowflake” like a dad throwing beer bottles at the TV finding out gays can get married.

No, the simplest reason G4 went down boils down to something I've said time and time again – communication.

If you notice the news, the people found out THROUGH TWITTER, that's not slack, that's not a company email or even a meeting. Just “thanks”. And if that's at the TOP OF THE LADDER, what about when they were active? What about all the deals that took place, new hires, objectives and goals?

If people lost their job, or were having expired contracts, they knew day of, that's it. Barely any time to say goodbye, and that included when talent like Kevin Pereira left the company.

Besides the poor communication with company, it's all around, from unsure about streaming schedules, unsure about what the services should be, it seems like everybody there was working last minute on everything, and when met with criticism from the community, and NOT from the “it's woke” dorks, but from people concerned about direction and branding – was met with pushback.

They were told “everything is good”, but it turns out, no, it's not good. And the sad part is the community and fans, which is the secret sauce, is left confused tonight, just as much as the former employees.

If you want my take – the original idea was esports, it’s Comcast Spectacor, the sports channel, but the licensing and clearance was getting pricey, and when you don't have much to air on TV cable because COVID, the pivot was to push the backup shows – Xplay, Attack of the Show and it's two new shows, Invitation to Party and Boosted.

Boosted was a esports news show that was stemmed from The (BLEEP) esports show, a comedy news show from Ovilee May and Frosk, but now with commentator Goldenboy. There's just a problem – they can’t air esports clips, or secure gaming content because TV rights to air games is challenging. This isn't the show they wanted, but for a while felt like a classic G4 show about multiplayer video games like smash brothers and Valorant. Even though, I think the original idea was to be “The Daily Show” – get clips from streamers, see players do meltdowns, commentators say really awkward small talk and pair it up with skits and jokes to make it accessable to everybody. It didn't happen.

Invitation to Party was a really good D&D TV show hosted by B Dave Walters as they had Ify and Xander, D&D Twitch Vets play with Kassem G, Frosk and Fiona Nova as they go through Waterdeep and learn about the underground societies and come face to face with THE GREAT AND POWERFUL ZANITHAR. It actually had a great audience outside of the typical G4 fan, and was the most watched content, even if it was around 40,000 at it's highest turnout. And like every successful show, with great lighting and music and story – they pulled it. No season two, and if asked, they are told “it's happening” when it isn’t. So another bad business decision – not continuing with a successful show. Maybe it’s cost or something.

Then we can get to the G4 classics – attack of the show and XPlay.

Attack of the Show was a daily hour show on television, and it was a chaotic variety show. There's news, there's interviews with celebrities, there's Internet videos and gadget reviews and surprises. But, the show isn't that anymore – as the network decided “it's twitch first, cable second” – the show isn't exactly going that direction anymore. Instead I would compare it to a podcast studio with the occasional “Jimmy Fallon game” – yes there is Internet clips, and “The Feed” but with the focus now on VR Pictionary, or Pickleball, or playing hide and go seek inside the studio like it’s the Korean Comedy Series “Running Man”. If you wanted the news and nerdy talk, there was Vibe Check and Fresh Ink for Disney Plus recaps, and specials here and there – but are more low key, than what is expected. The show that's done daily for an hour, sometimes pretaped, is now must-live for 2 sometimes 3 hours, even if it's only edited for an hour.

A twitch audience, isn't a YouTube audience, isn't a TikTok audience, and G4 thought they could have it all, and in many parts, burnout it’s crew members who tried to do everything at the same time. Instead of sticking with one segment.

They really did bust their ass with content and comedy, but it wasn't until the closing weeks when “The Feedback” existed did we get this great news show from the company.

And even then – to reciprocate the earnings, they would need 6 figure viewers constantly there isn't a “subscription” service to watch the content like Giant Bomb or Rooster Teeth, there isn’t a built-in audience like Kinda Funny, so to expect the results of like-minded websites in short-time, and enough to break even, is very risky, especially when you're always against “guy with a webcam on twitch”

XPlay is still a great part of the new G4, wonderful producers, wonderful skits, and a real love of video games. A show that let Adam Sessler be the Andy Rooney of video games, while bringing in The Black Hokkage, Jirard Khalil and Frosk as new faces – while the feedback constantly was “it's not the XPlay I remember” because they are used to a 22 minute show with reviews and host banter - a show that existed on Mainline G4’s Cable Channel. It wasn't what users were getting on Twitch and YouTube., which instead was a 20-30 minute video essay or extended review that wouldn't be fully broadcasted on Cable, but cohesive in it’s breakdown of video games. Or if it's the twitch, everything from gaming podcasting to game playthroughs, with the “XPlay” branding, but without any real, COMMUNICATION, this is an extended version of XPlay and might be used on the show. If G4 was about gaming content – cost was it. And unfortunately, close minded freaks just take a three minute rant in January as “the beginning of the end” when there are hundreds of hours of other content that proves them wrong consistently.

Again, the problem is communication – if the audience wanted Game Journalism and a feel of XPlay like the TV show, a simple thing would've been to just upload the episodes, but understandably. The focus is instead on comedy and content. But when you lose a talent like Abby Russell, and then later you see hosts like Black Hokkage go, both of which have publicly said it’s management – that should be a sign things aren't ok. Even if there are funny and talented folks working there.

Did you know about Face Check? They had an esports show for the longest time, but little promotion on the network, even though it's getting more views than many XPlay and attack of the show videos.

Did you know Scott the Woz didn't want to be a G4 host, he was just trolling but wound up with a deal? Maybe vet the content creators you're trying to get.

Did you know they had a show in the works with Kitboga? That was meant to be an be animated series, but then because animation is expensive, got shortened to a 10 minute special?

Did you know they hired CodeMiko, but had been suspended from Twitch several times only to be only used three times – guest appearances on Attack of the Show?

In fact, the last big show they had was Austin Show and Will Neff with Name Your Price and Hey Donna. In fact, Name Your Price was even at Twitch Con with thousands in attendence, and through Austin’s YouTube Channel, has reached nearly 500,000 views. IT ACTUALLY IS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL PIECE OF CONTENT ON G4 AND IT'S NOT G4S.

When there was a major cut in crew weeks ago, it was met with sadness, but there was attempts to make the concept continue working – the team at G4 really did fight to the bitter end to make it work. But if you ask me, in all sincerity, what “killed G4”

It isn’t a Frosk rant, nor is it even an abundance of content creators as talent, or it’s “branding” - it's really simple.

The investors wanted immediate return on investment capital, and the viewership and financial return wasn’t there. No amount of Decanter Sets is enough to fix the poor management at the top of this.

You obviously had really talented people working there, but it sounded like a high school clique mixed with trying to explain to your mom what “League of Legends” is and why it's a really popular global game.

It's communication and the need for a TV cable channel (and collecting the small subscription numbers) and not the need to compare it to Kinda Funny, RoosterTeeth or Giant Bomb in it's model.

Honestly, these are big time content creators, amazing talents like Gina Darling and The Completionist, they cultivated their audience for years, and even if this went under, they still have an audience to chat with – and in it's closing weeks, having producers like Jake Bennett and Emily Rose and having people like Vanessa Guerrero just try and do little projects like a “fighting game tournament” or a “Movie Book Club” was what this place should've been at the beginning.

Bringing in talented faces and experimenting with fun ideas, and being a content wheelhouse, similar to IGN or What's Good Games or Mega 64 or Smosh.

You didn't need millions of dollars in a studio space, and the need to promise everything to these Internet Famous Faces. “you'll be a TV star” isn't sufficient if it's not in that many homes, and your personal channel gets more views than some of the streams.

I know it's sounding very bleak and sad at the moment, but for most people from G4, it was never the last step, many wound up in other areas, did you know Blair Butler was the screenwriter for the horror movie “The Invitation”? Guy Branum was in “Bros” it might take time, but you'll bounce back, bigger and better, friends.

It's not the outcome I wanted, obviously. I was expecting a reboot of Starcade with me as host and a gaming PC as the grand prize, but hey, you never know with these things.

My hope is many of these talented folks make a content channel, without the need of Comcast breathing down their necks, and they bring in some of these hosts and talents to help out with building things together.

Similar to how Greg Miller left IGN to start kinda funny, and how Jeff Gerstmann left Gamespot to Giant Bomb, and is currently running solo.

I'm positive there's still a need for this bizarre content, and if they can pull the resources together, we could see the next Planet Scum or Nerdist. I'm sure of it.

Anyway, let's start the show.

GOTHAM KNIGHTS

If you have been listening to the podcast, and let's face it. It's a podcast and a blog and it's an oversaturated medium, so most likely “not really”, you would know about some of my segments from the “YouTube Wormhole” that I go through every week, to my “game reviews based on what I’ve seen online”.

So this week, I slated it to record my “Gotham Knights” review. I pre-ordered this game for months, essentially ready to play it myself. And yet, it turns out based on what I'm seeing online – the game isn't good!

From 30 fps on console, to dialogue that's awkward to the “living la vida loca” cover, it's a lot to unpack. But it dawned on me – people are getting advanced copies of this game. Many of which, clearly not for review but the content creation bandwagon that comes with it.

Rather than debating “advance copies” vs pre-orders and how it could backfire. Because it's clearly evident on this one, and obviously game journalism at a steadily decline in favor of SEO driven content creation, that favors “Outrage Culture” and “Clickbait” over quality editorial. I decided to take this moment to put it into perspective from my point of view.

I might be wrong about all of this, there might be “truth”, but it's all a feeling, it's the Colbert Report “Truthiness” as it were, and kids, ask your parents about “Colbert Report” because that was probably a thing in their college years.

I come from a firm belief – gaming is a place for everybody, lots of genres lots of indie developers and big AAA titles, it's just like movies and television, just more interactive.

Obviously, the industry has evolved time and time again, I've been listening to “Game Boyz II Men” with Glenn Rubinstein (formally of Gamespot, also a really smart voice in podcast production and professional wrestling) and Jeff Gerstmann (formally of Gamespot and the founder of Giant Bomb, who has recently left to pursue a solo tour on “DopeAssVideoGames.com” and Energy Drink reviews because why the hell not) and this week, they were talking about being in high school or high school graduate age at the time of CES in Vegas in 1992. A time BEFORE the E3 that you read about, and the history of booth babes, Nintendo interns sweating in Mario costumes and yes, the expansive world of cons and events from the Pax and Pax East, to the MagFest and even the Summer Games Done Quick.

It's always evolved, and when you think early on, there really wasn't that much coverage of gaming, and then you had your GamePro and EGMs and then suddenly the Internet boomed, bloggers reigned. That was the worldI where I suddenly got slightly involved with game coverage, and then a slight bit of community blogging at Destructoid and ScrewAttack before deciding “wait a minute, I could just get a WordPress and do it myself”

Granted, I'm now on a squarespace and really need to update the place, but I’m digressing.

It's weird, being a 30-something and seeing that Internet revolution take place. From crappy MIDI covers of the prodigy on a geocities to now today with twitch con drama and NEVER STOP MAKING CONTENT.

And honestly, for the last few years I have felt like giving up on just everything online. There's really no need for a “Jordan” to come along and talk about movies and video games, hell, there are like a dozen game show podcasts now, including an OFFICIAL ONE ON JEOPARDY I'm really not needed!

I admit, there are big bouts with this constantly. Am I talented enough? Funny enough? Am I that likable? And I do think at times the answer would be “yes” but it's more “yes, but”

Yes, but it's too late, typically.

I like to think I know my talents, but time and time again, my brain goes “but actually you don’t, because look at the numbers” and like every social media guy out there. It gets to you.

You grind and grind and grind and try and perfect your voice and hone your voice and, by the time you d o, you're well into your 30s and there are people half your age that ran laps around you. Granted they probably have an upper hand with the ability to afford a 5D camera and audio equipment and maybe even book an editor, but me, I'm still a one man show. Wow that’s way depressing out loud AND in written form.

But today’s subject is gaming coverage, and it's going to probably be a big recurring topic here. Not to be about “EFFIX” because, let's face it – those dorks just wanted social conservative opinions, and not conversations about why representation matters – which if you are growing up in a mostly rich, suburban, middle class upbringing, you would most likely ignore. And if in rural, don't give a shit because the world around you is constantly pissing in your Cheerios for you to care.

It's a very very niche subject, gaming. And now with places like twitch existing, the saying of “everybody's a critic” holds true, and in the social media age – is about gaming the system in really tacky or unsavory ways. That's where you get the low effort “$15 to buy the best team” or “describe your favorite game in emotes” weak ass engagements and the thrilling “hot take” where you can find every opposing viewpoint online.

Thing you like bad? Thing you like problematic, thing you like good because somebody thinks it's problematic, just grossness all around. And unfortunately, journalistic websites can't compete.

So Gamespot covers marvel movies, IGN recaps house of dragon and so on. Every place has had to pivot in one form or another.

Again, this isn’t to go “ew, stick to gaming”, these places don't really have a choice, it's going to appeal to as many people as possible, that's the Internet 2022. Giant Bomb reviewed Dragon Ball episodes, Nextlander has movie nights, and I could keep going on.

Should we continue with the “content groups” of the world? RoosterTeeth does similar with it's content, as does KindaFunny (but with a really cool set – did you see their new set? Makes my Podcast look like a lemonade stand) and yes, G4 as well. Although, to be frank – I loved Full Screen Attack and Fresh Ink, even if it's just recaps.

Almost every gaming podcast is about 20% gaming and 80% anything else, from movies they’ve seen, theme parks they went on and just things they've watched. LOOKING AT YOU MEGA64, DON'T FORGET THE THEME SONG.

Smosh will cover this stuff, as will Fandom and probably every YouTube channel, let's not kid ourselves. It's the “consume, vomit, and consume vomit” strategy, where all content is meant to be consumed and disposed of, like a McDonald's hamburger wrapper.

You're probably wondering “Jordan, do you have a bone to pick with these people?” and the quick answer is, Yes, Because they didn't make me one of the Try Guys!

But the honest answer is no – every place I've mentioned have been doing this shit for years, and have had to learn to adapt with the times and what works and what's fun. And it takes a whole lot of trial and error, and they have cultivated audiences for that reason.

Even Though it's very creepy when people online try to “Sex and the City” you with the people in whatever group they watch. Who is the “Rich Evans” of your group chat? Who is the “Tim the Tat Man” in your friend circle? I have no fucking clue, I'm Jordan. If I wanted to play that game I'll get on Buzzfeed or play Role Models in Jackbox.

The point is – game journalism is decomposing in favor of online video content and podcasts, and for a publisher, it's easier to give a review copy to a streamer and pay them to play it than the risk of a reviewer borking the Metacritic score before launch. Even with a “day of launch” or “days before launch” NDA attached.

It feels like, and this is where I was leading all this up to – it feels like there are separate games being played and it's all about clout and it's a popularity contest. And if you are what many twitch streamers and podcasters – the below double digits. You don't matter. And should remain the consumer.

But unless you’ve cultivated your personality a decade ago, have managed to keep a group of friends together enough to not get at each other’s throats, or have enough good looks to be a TikTok dancer or Instagram Model – you do not matter.

And if your tweet suddenly “blows up” that's your only chance to plug your podcast, your sound cloud, or let's face it – a company paid you $50 to plug their company. The equivalent of a podcaster reading about Magic Spoon, the cereal with the same “hint of flavor” as La Croix, with all the mouthful of styrofoam peanuts.

I'll probably never get sponsors at this point, I should really plug the Patreon, but nevermind.

So here's the point I'm about to make – when places like Fanbyte and G4 and Game Informer are laying off people, and a piece like Fandom buys some properties, most likely leading to more layoffs.

More and more people are going to be thrown into the same toxic cesspool as esports athletes who have retired and content creators who just want to start shit for the purpose of causing drama.

The expanding on different areas isn't working, and the thought that this could be a “viable job” is slowly being pushed out the door the more we're seeing feuds between content creators and the people who fund it – twitch and YouTube, but also others.

This is telling me, 100%, I do not matter. If I preorder the game or not, it does not matter. Even if I like these comic book characters, it doesn’t matter.

The only people that matter, are the ones that get that clearance and that advanced copy to maybe talk about and maybe play.

But they are so burnt out, because if they need to make enough views to break even, or overwork themselves with 6 different podcasts and 3 YouTube shows that it leads them stressing out.

And the ones left are the ones wanting to talk about the game, review and discuss the game, even if they have been covering your stuff for ages – is also seen as “just a number” in circles.

I'm not saying there isn’t a need for journalism, accountability, especially in stories like what happened with Blizzard is extremely important. But the more everything is pivoting to social media, the fomo of who gets press kits and special treats. SORRY NOT EVERYBODY IS A BLUE CHECKMARK with press agents and managers. Some, are just writers who just decided to continue writing, and just play what they want casually.

And I guess it's a simpler life for many, but the more you're hearing about “social media being important in hiring” the more I just want to continue being horny on main and liking all these erotic fanarts and your Zero effort shitposts like “goldfish crackers that go hard”

For me, I figure, it’s just an oversaturated market, and eventually there will be a time when I should just give it up and just quit.

It already feels like me throwing $60 at a game before it's out isn't as important as somebody with 2 million followers getting a copy and saying “oh wow cool” over and over, so. Why should I bother giving a shit?

The only positive – Gotham Knights looks like garbage, before I even install it. And while the compassionate, game journalist and reviewer in me is saying “have a heart Jordan, these developers got budget cuts slashed, had to work in a pandemic, probably had to pivot after The Avengers game had similar reception, all while under a tight crunch” but the spiteful, petty, no-company-back, non-youtube-play-button, non-get-the-right-connections, tells me “it's just a shit game, and most people will just watch somebody play it, see it's garbage and never touch it anyway, and then watch them talk about Black Adam or something else”.

I don't even think I have an audience for this “wall of text” and “read aloud the wall of text”, but I'll give it a go for just another while longer.

It's this or just cry under the desk and figure “wow, I wasted all this time. I really should’ve just been a math teacher instead”

Or just another hack comedian talking about my YACKING BROAD OF A WIFE… if I had a wife, or a husband, or just any sort of partner, God, I'm lonely.