http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0...5E15306,00.html

Story:

THE ABC is set to debut a new TV show for gamers.

Scheduled to premiere on the digital-only ABC2 on September 19, Good Game will also be repeated in gamer-friendly time slots and be available online through the ABC's video on demand service.

The show will feature reviews, gaming news, and gaming and hardware tips. Hosts include Jeremy Ray (tagged "Junglist") and Michael Makowski ("Kapowski") and technical guru Miles Tulett ("Dr Daneel").

Producer Janet Carr said the show would "tread a fine line", catering to both demanding hard-core gamers and newer players. The show was well aware it was catering to a tough market. "The gaming community are harsh critics," Ms Carr said.

Ms Carr said she had been working on another series for ABC2 when the digital channel's management put out a call for ideas for new series. She and Mr Ray put together a proposal that eventually became Good Game.

A pilot episode was made in May.

Describing herself as a hard-core gamer, Ms Carr said she started out on Nintendo's venerable Game and Watch handhelds. "I've been Nintendo all the way through," she said, saying that she now played on all platforms.

Current favourites included Counter-Strike and World of Warcraft.

The show had been developed with the knowledge that many viewers would tune in via the ABC's PC-focussed video on demand service, Ms Carr said. On-demand viewers would be able to select segments that interested them, she said.

The show will also be linked to online forums that will go live with the first episode

It's heartening that they acknowledge how harsh gamers are. It sounds like they're not taking the same path as previous game shows on commercial TV. As long as they steer clear of trying to appear "with it" and "zany" and all other various cliches... and actually treat the subject with a level of seriousness, I'll be happy.

Sounds really promising, i'll definitely be tuning in. *Kisses HD Set Top Box* I knew it would come in handy one day. :P

Hello Cybershack! What a waste of time that show is. Awful. Anyone remember 'The Zone' back in the day? I was a really young, but I absolutely loved it.

Sounds interesting, I'll check it out, ABC 2 is on Foxtel Digital :) , I could also watch it on the PC as well.

Sick, they didn't dissapear!

Our mod got contacted from on the guys from the show a few months ago, but I donno what happened after that. :\

Known about this show for a while now actually. Found out about it around the same time that the first episode of Shittyshack went to air and have been patiently waiting ever since. I saw the promotional video thing that is on the Good Game website and yeah, the show looks like it will be the type of show that we (as gamers) would certainly enjoy. So will definitely be catching the first episode on the 19th.

Now I just need to work out whether I will be watching it via the set-top box or via the PC. Both are in the loungeroom but if mum is using the set-top box, I might not be able to use that. Hmm. Might kick her out of the loungeroom on the 19th.

So did anyone watch this? Pretty lame, too much silly jokes, not too impressed with it. Might tune in next week though, since there's something on the Wii apparantly.

Thought it was mostly good...it's clearly aimed at PC gamers with all the refrences.
Couldn't stop laughing at the Roffle Cup name. :lol:

If there were parts you didn't like, you should do what they said at the end, and go to their site and give em feedback.

Yeah I suppose I could, but I'll probably watch a few episodes before I would actually provide feedback, just to get a better idea of the show.

I forgot it was even on, I switched over at 8.46pm, cursing myself because I was watching 'The Wedge' at that time, well, actually I was playing 'Another Code' on the DS whilst occasionally glancing at the TV >_>

Show's okay, except for that stupid puppet. I noticed the guy on the couch was playing Shadow of the Colossus but it could've been pre-recorded. Otherwise I thought it was alright, A LOT better than Cybershack and less irritating

3/5 from me

for anyone with Foxtel Digital on Fuel TV (a sports! channel) on weekdays in the morning there is a games show called X-Play its pretty good but i think most of the episodes are old.

X Play is ok, but again a bit annoying, all these video game shows have in my opinion silly jokes, but I suppose thats because its not like they're going to offer the latest news with the internet and all, so they have to do something to differentiate themselves.

For a first episode I thought it was pretty decent. It was nice to see Shadow of the Colossus being played (or so it seemed) and also Gamecube controllers! Yeah, perhaps my excitement towards that is a little weird but who would have thought that we'd see a GCN controller as the first controller in a game show?

The actual content of the show wasn't too interesting to me to be honest.

WoW - not interested (although that chick wasn't bad, I guess)

CS:S - not interested (although it was cool to see some multiplayer gaming being filmed - that's always fun to watch)

Saints Row - interested but the review focused far too much on the theme rather than the actual game

and yeah that was it I think. At this stage I'd give the show a 4/5 but I will watch a few more episodes before I decide my final opinion on the show.

Ok I thought i'd bump this because i'm watching cybershack and right now they are reviewing Jade Empire...WTF? When does good game return, i need a half decent game show on tv again??

...perhaps the most frustrating thing of all is that despite her looks, I can't stand Erin McNaught. Is it just me, or is she complete and utter crap at presenting?

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. We need a show that portrays gaming as a sport, rather than reviewing games. I remember ages ago the SBS had a special on professional video gamers in Korea, and as part of it they showed one of their Counter-Strike clan matches in the same way you would see a game of football being televised, and I was riveted.

^ Although it is cut up and edited to fit as a segment within the show, at least Good Game are showing footage of gamers playing their games competitively. It's a start, at the very least.

As for Erin, she's not hot...

I don't wanna waste my time watching games on tv! I prefer playing them and I have my own opinion and taste, plus the webs full of news and reviews that I can look up whenever I want!! TV gaming sux!

As crazy as it sounds I agree, she screams dumb arse and a dumb arse hosting a show on my fav subject is a turn off man.

Jade Empire just got a PC release which would explain why it is being reviewed.

Yeah I saw it advertised on Steam, "Special Edition" apparantly..

Just a heads-up, apparently the show is returning for its second season this week. Same time as last year, on Tuesdays. Of course if you miss the telecast you can download the episode from the website, so yeah.

Just incase anyone was interested. I'll certainly be watching again.

Yeah I saw the first episode of the season which was basically a look back at the first season, so the first true new episode is coming back this week. Looks like one of the hosts (Kaposki?) isn't coming back, well he wasn't on last week...

Yeah he left the show due to other life commitments or something. PALGN had an article a while ago about it and that they were looking for a new host, telling people how they could go about possibly being that new host and so on. Obviously they've found their new host now and yeah, season 2 is here. :)

Missed the premier to the second season, why would they re-cap the first season when there is so much to talk about? Weird. Wasn't too bad at all last night, new co-host provided some decent insights into Resistance: FoM and he seemed quite comfortable throughout. I reckon they should stick with the "Cool Wall" segment though, alot of potential laughs there.

Ah shit, I missed the episode ah well :P

^ So download it, foo'. :P

Last season I was taping the show and watching it later but now I think I will just download it. Seems to be the easier option for me.

Anyway, I liked the first proper episode of season 2. It's good to have the show back that is for sure. That new host actually looks really familiar, but I can't place why. :unsure: Looking forward to what they are going to have on Motorstorm next week, especially if it is a similar review to the one they had for Resistance. Oh and yes I agree, Cool Wall has to stay.

Ain't heard about this, probably because I'm in the US, although isn't the name a bit, I don't know, PRETENTIOUS?

Someone mentioned X-Play: words cannot express how much I hate that show. Words cannot express how much I hate Morgan Webb. I want to shove a Wii controller down her throat. That show is crap, they don't even provide good reviews. It's just them repeating the same damn jokes over and over with Morgan Webb talking in her "high school drama production" voice. You know what I'm talking about.

This is the thing. The hosts (and producers) have to realise that the audience want something which is a little more informative and entertaining - like a show of Top Gear - and not have some wannabe reporter trying to act all crazy and kooky and "with it" like some music video show.

The audience isn't turning eight years old.

I know exactly what you mean, XPlay is on Foxtel (i.e. pay TV) in Australia, and yeah it is pretty shit. There are too much crap jokes, in fact that would be the whole show, that Adam Sessler guy has been around for a while though, he used to host Gamespot TV, which was actually pretty decent, but these days virtually any videogame TV show is all about the stupid jokes.

I suppose with the internet and broadband now, you dont need a TV show to see footage of videogames, back in the day that's what was great about these shows, you could see footage of unreleased games. With the internet the TV shows have lost this impact I guess and have resorted to this shit.

Even Good Game, with that stupid monkey puppet they got rid of that now right?

Yeah the monkey was sacrificed in the first season, thank god. oh man that monkey was bad, not funny at all.

Anyone catch this last night, great episode. Highlight for me was the Zack and Wiki review, the hosts are getting more and more insightful every week which is great to see. Anyone still watching this??

There was a Zack & Wiki review?

Nice!

Apparantly some EBs are selling it already!!
I MUST OBTAIN IT AND SO SHOULD YOU! :D

Really!? Which EB's specifically??

Hey Borg grab my copy so I don't miss out. (or not, but I really hope that it is still available when I finally get my Wii)

Anyway I haven't seen the second episode of this season yet but I am still watching the show. Really glad to see that they are getting more and more popular as the show continues and I hope one of the next things they are allowed to do is extend the show to an hour. That would rock.

My brother picked up the game for me, as I was at work all day, he said there was only two left! :o

Didnt get the last one for you though Nismo :P . Well there could be more in the back ... not sure, but I'd say Zack & Wiki is one of those games that wont released in huge quantites ... which is a shame.

Hopefully it sold well enough for a sequel .. or even just for the first game to get a wider distribution, because it's sooo awesome! :D

If EB are stocking it, I'll get it in a fortnight. I've already spent next fortnight's pay <_<

But yeah, I thought it was a great episode.
I want to play Lost Odyssey now.
Watching the review rekindled my love for games with long drawn out storylines/cutscenes, turn based battles, and whiny girlyman protagonists :D

Off topic post again but you know, I think I might just import my Wii when I finally get around to it. I have more chance of getting Zack and Wiki from America than I do here...

It was pretty hard to find in America as well though ... but at the same time US Wii would get you games earlier so yeah ...

On the topic of Zack & Wiki .. SO AWESOME :D