The recent departure of Adam Sessler from G4 caps off the television network's short and troubled history with yet another low point. From its inception in 2002 to the present, G4 has struggled to gain an audience large enough to sustain its ambitions. The loss of their largest and arguably most respected host can only spell more trouble, and possibly oblivion for the network. How did the only network dedicated to the most lucrative medium in America get to this point, and where could it possibly go from here?
Talent allegedly showed up only to have programming cancelled.
If you've paid attention to what they've about since their resurrection, this is anything but a surprise. A shame to those who've lost gainful employment (of course), but this was destined to be a precarious setup from the start.
They were great at one point...but times have changed...
It's like comparing og youtubers to today's massive streamers. The internet and trends change very quick.
I don’t think they were ever great financially. I doubt G4 ever really made that much money.
OG YouTubers weren't motivated by money, only passion. That's the primary difference.
The comeback was cool at first, but then every video turned into a 45min+ podcast. And while i enjoy a podcast from time to time, not EVERY video needed to be that
The channel is finally being taken behind the shed.
Many memories as a kid. I wish there still was a Video Game channel
i drive by their HQ every morning on my way to work, its gonna be weird not seeing that sign any more.
G4 was great. Used to watch it every morning before school. I remember watching that old school one called "Starcade" and my Dad walking out into the living room getting hyped to see it finally on TV again. So many good shows... until it became a rerun station for Ninja Warrior and Cops. RIP.
Sadly, G4 died a long time ago. Someone just finally decided to bury the corpse.
As one of the last writers at G4@Syfygames (the last vestige of their online games journalism), I felt this was coming for a while. I'm honestly surprised that it's taken this long, with how it was treated by the higher ups who own the channel.
Doesn't change the fact that it's a huge bummer though. :(
On this week's episode, former co-host of G4’s X-Play and the current president of TheoryHead, Adam Sessler, joins host Josiah Renaudin to talk about the new games media landscape. They cover modern game reviews, how we talk about games, the importance of sites like Waypoint, how X-Play was done from episode to episode, the brilliance of Horizon: Zero Dawn's design, and what Adam's up to now.
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F this clown
He ruined God of War Acension because he's easily offended and sucked at playing it so they had to dumb it down for his sappy ass.
Uh...
Sony Santa Monica develops the game while Sony publishes.
If it was dumbed down it was by those two parties. Stating that they changed the game due to one individual is asinine as either
1) Sony Santa Monica and Sony then gave into the supposed demands of one individual and altered the game
2) Sony Santa Monica and Sony dumbed down the game based on their own opinion
Or 3) Sony Santa Monica and Sony wanted to push multiplayer with God of War Ascension then dumbed down the game to get individuals into the multiplayer with the micro transactions they introduced with the same title.
Either way it didn't come down to Sessler. He wasn't directly creating the game, publishing the game, or even involved outside of critique.🙂
I don't think his sphere of influence can impact a game and its development. However, he has made some statements I do not agree with but it doesn't take away that Xplay was fun to watch. They'd both shit on JRPG's almost every time and I'd shrug and still play them, lol.
Actually if Adam did a mock review for Sony it could have heavily influenced aspects of the game.
Mock review for those that don't know is when a publisher hires a game critic to do a mock review for internal use/feedback only. It gives them a sense for how it will review upon release.
@dirkdady: For them to want a mock review they'd had to have doubts with the product. Further for them to change aspects of the game comes down to Sony & Sony Santa Monica. They wouldn't do so unless they thought the feedback was valid.
Even still Sony & Sony Santa Monica would be involved in a green light. Not Sessler, again.
Huh? Only thing I recall getting changed because of him was the name of a trophy.
Hardly something that would ruin the game as a whole. They didn't even remove the trophy....just renamed it.
I've never been a personal fan of Adam Sessler but hearing his insights about game industry (or specifically in being a gaming journalist) is quite interesting.
I used to watch both those shows all the freaking time. I lost a lot of respect for Sessler after some of his ridiculous rants though. God Of War was the first wtf seriously moment, and then the whole backing out of the industry because of the share button thing was just the icing on the cake.
His review of Bioshock Infinite did it for me. He talked about that mediocre game play experience like it was the greatest game he had ever played. Didn't make sense to me honestly.
He literally just started contradicting himself and having little meltdowns toward the end, it would almost be funny if it wasn't kind of sad. Like I said, I used to watch X-Play all the time back in the day.
I'd post links just to show you what I'm talking about but my phone is ghetto and it's not worth the effort. Just look it up, it's not hard to find, he started slipping bad.
I lost complete respect for him the day he was at some E3 post conference show completely drunk off his ass, barely coherent, and just cynical as all hell. Claimed he had a cold, and was on cold medicine, even though he was fine early that day, and the next day seemed like he was not sick at all.
I've only enjoyed about half of the content he ever was a part of, and I did enjoy when he did interviews, because he was always fair, and even pushed hard on some questions at times, but his reviews either seemed shilled or extremely biased.
After that though he just started thinking his own opinion on how the industry should behave made him intolerable. Particularly his rant about not getting free stuff from the console markers. It's like the guy went off his meds, and all you ended up seeing what the bat-sh*t crazy side that just makes you uncomfortable to watch or be around.
Aos was trash. Screen Savers was better. Extended Play stomps X-plays crappy skits with interns and lame jokes.
Sessler was the one main reason I watched it.
G4 has been done for years...
Millions will still tune in for E3 week, but other than that...I have no reason to watch anymore. Has nothing to do with Sessler, but more about the lack of game related programming.
We need a channel that would replace G4 for good!
That's okay. I've always watched attack of the show more anyways.