X-Play Relaunch 1/14

[MattKeil]

I hadn't seen any mention of this, so I wanted to shamelessly plug it for a second. Today X-Play relaunches as a daily Monday through Friday show, with a much more "hardcore" angle on gaming. We're now taping the show the day it airs (just finished taping today's, in fact), in an attempt to remain topical and review stuff in as timely a manner as possible. There will be more interviews, in-studio demos, trailers, and other such good stuff.

If you've seen our E3 live coverage, it's similar to that, but we do a new show every weekday. It's on 8PM EST/PST on G4, and today we've got an in-studio demo of The Bourne Conspiracy courtesy of High Moon Studios, as well as a pretty cool interview with Shane Kim of Microsoft Game Studios. This is part of an ongoing push to feature more developers and gaming luminaries on the show.

Even if you've seen X-Play before and liked/disliked it, I urge you to check this new version out and see what you think. After many years we're finally getting the budget and the support to put on what we think will be a really slick, high-quality show about gaming that doesn't condescend. Obviously we'll be tweaking some stuff as we go, but this first week of shows has some pretty strong content. Feedback from Qt3ers is welcome, of course, as this is one of the few forums the team reads regularly.

[Vesper]

Did you get rid of the highly annoying disembodied announcer? How about drunk-vision shakey cam?

I haven't watched in probably almost 2 years.. but these are my memories of the show.

[stusser]

Looking forward to it, Matt. Xplay earned a season pass last year when you cut back on the unfunny skits and celebrity head pop-ins and focused more on gaming.

I'd love a show combining xplay's reviews with gamehead's developer profiles and onsite interviews/previews. Ideally without that obnoxious G4 chat bar taking up half the screen so I can record the 8PM rather than the 4AM showing.

[Ben Sones]

Yes, please, please say that the horrifically pointless chat bar is gone. Get rid of it in AOTS, too.

Other than that, I'm looking forward to seeing what you guys have planned with the new format.

[MattKeil]

No more announcer, no more shaky cam. They've both been gone for some time now.

The chat bar at the bottom is gone now, as well. There's an L-clamp that comes in with chat a few times an hour, but it squeezes the video picture so it doesn't cover anything up anymore. Instead there's a small one-line ticker at the bottom of the screen that scrolls current gaming-related news headlines (same as the one we had up for E3 2007), which I think works nicely.

[stusser]

it squeezes the video picture
That pretty much describes what I hate, yes. The chat bar hasn't actually covered anything for like 6 months. Hopefully it's less obtrusive; if not I'll continue to record the 4AM.

[Rob_Merritt]

I mentioned it. :{
http://www.quartertothree.com/game-talk/showthread.php?t=40732&highlight=xplay

[MattKeil]

So you did. Sorry Rob. I wanted to get something in the Gaming forum, anyway.

The chat squeeze is only a handful of seconds per show, it's not up the whole time anymore.

[Skipper]

I'll check it out Matt. X-play had a season pass with me until I got so much of a buildup that deleting the old ones became a chore. I have a new DVR (with auto-delete) and would love to get back into watching both this an AOTS. I needed a good excuse to tune in.

Thanks for the update.

By the way, the hosts haven't changed right? I was a little scared there when Morgan started her WebAlert deal that we were going to see a breakup of the Adam/Morgan team.

[Dirt]

Can you please move it back to 5PM PST?

[stusser]

The chat squeeze is only a handful of seconds per show, it's not up the whole time anymore.
Cool!

[beaker]

By the way, the hosts haven't changed right? I was a little scared there when Morgan started her WebAlert deal that we were going to see a breakup of the Adam/Morgan team.
Oh yeah, never change those two. They are so awkward and dorky that they are, according to my wife, "really endearing."

[Xemu]

Caught it this evening, thought it was pretty good. A lot better than the "goofy skit & shaky cam" X-Play of years past that drove me away from the show. Definitely tuning in again.

I did think it was pretty funny that the parade of crawling screen graphics completely obscured the two hosts' heads in the opening moments of the show. :)

[fuzzyslug]

The chat bar at the bottom is gone now, as well.

Yea! You mean there's a show behind that thing? I'll so miss the random commentary of the internet.

[Ben Sones]

Yea! You mean there's a show behind that thing? I'll so miss the random commentary of the internet.

You won't miss it too much, because they replaced it with an all new chat bar that takes up (I kid you not) 4/5 of the screen. Fortunately, it only comes up intermittently, but man, is it annoying.

Seriously, Matt, what is the argument in favor of that thing? It's got to be the result of some sort of nutty corporate edict ("Viewers love the Intarnets! You must put them up on the screen during the show!"), because I can't imagine that any actual viewers really want to watch the show in a postage stamp-sized window so that they can see random forum commentary during the show. I also dislike the crawl at the bottom of the screen (I dislike all crawls, and pine for the days when the only time you saw them was during Emergency Broadcast System tests), but at least that takes up less real estate.

Otherwise, the new format looks promising.

[Pumpkinhead]

I don't mind crawls as long as the information is useful. But random forum chatter is as far from useful as you can get.

After the demo of the Bourne game Adam said something like, "Boy that game looks great" in a way that looked like he was forcing himself to say it. I would have rather he said nothing.

It seemed as if Adam was forcing himself to say something positive about the demo to thank the guy for showing the demo.


.....Or maybe he liked the game and I read too much into it.


Anyway I liked the new format.

[fuzzyslug]

Someone figured out that everyone really wants to know what those guys you played in Halo last night are thinking.

[Ezdaar]

After the demo of the Bourne game Adam said something like, "Boy that game looks great" in a way that looked like he was forcing himself to say it. I would have rather he said nothing.

It seemed as if Adam was forcing himself to say something positive about the demo to thank the guy for showing the demo.


God forbid someone be polite to their guest.

edit: This gives me an idea for a new show. It could be like Oreilly but using developers and fans. They could scream at each other and the host could insult them. It would be like forums, but on TV! Please PM me for where to send the check.

[Skipper]

IAfter the demo of the Bourne game Adam said something like, "Boy that game looks great" in a way that looked like he was forcing himself to say it. I would have rather he said nothing.

It seemed as if Adam was forcing himself to say something positive about the demo to thank the guy for showing the demo.


.....Or maybe he liked the game and I read too much into it.

Adam comes off kind of kooky about well ... most of the time. I wouldn't read too much into it. I've read some positive remarks about the Bourne game so far so I think it probably was great to view from Adam's standpoint.

Adam's draw is his geekiness though. And, especially in reviews, he doesn't hold back. So I guess we will see what happens when the game finally gets reviewed.

[stusser]

The new 3/4 screen "L" chat bar is horrible. It's only on for a couple of minutes, but it truly takes obtrusive to a whole new level. I guess I could understand the impulse if it held ads for toothpaste or genital wart cream, at least then it'd be a revenue source, and I'd just shrug and stop watching the show. But that chat shit? What the hell, man? Guess I'll be sticking with the 4AM showing after all.

I'm not a fan of the news scroller either. Gaming news isn't exactly mission critical up to the minute financial data, and the new news segment covered the, well, news anyway. Hopefully it'll be gone at 4AM too.

As for the actual content-- a marked improvement, except for the brutally unfunny sketch and that vacuous chick with the cheats. We don't need a TV show about cheats, thanks. We have gamefaqs.

[jerri blank]

I haven't seen it, but I'm glad it will start being more current. I'd often catch it on the weekends to find them reviewing games that had been out several months. I could never figure out whether I was watching a new show or a rerun.

[MattKeil]

Dude, I totally just got to meet Chet after the Left 4 Dead demo. Perks of the job.

The demo turned out really well, and the game looks great. Definitely catch it if you're interested in the game or Chet.

[fuzzyslug]

Matt, can you tell us the reasoning behind the kool internet style chat? Is this a push from management or do you guys really think it is a good idea. Actually, you probably can't answer that.

Can you hint around and let us know what you think about it?

[divorced]

Wish this was available on the web. My satellite package doesn't cover it.

[Athryn]

So does this mean that G4 might start going away from the "butt beaming robot" Spike style network and maybe shift back towards being more serious, or are we still going to see crappy programming the rest of the time?

[MattKeil]

Matt, can you tell us the reasoning behind the kool internet style chat? Is this a push from management or do you guys really think it is a good idea.

The chat is handled on the network/master control level and has nothing to do with the individual shows.

[Dave Long]

The chat is handled on the network/master control level and has nothing to do with the individual shows.
So you're saying someone needs to get to this guy with a disc in hand? Gotcha.

http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/1/13/MCP.jpg

[chet]

I hold out no hope for the show when they are desperate enough to book me on the second one. Then again, we did supply some nice footage, so that may have made up for my presence.

And yes, yes, before the allegations start, I am more than just a pretty face for the game, I actually do some work.

Thanks for having me matt.

Chet

[Jason Cross]

I'll give it a look. I stopped watching awhile back because it seemed to be a little too...what's the word I'm looking for? Like "cynically over-produced" or something. Grasping at straws. I dunno.

I run into Adam Sessler a few times a year and he's always fun to hang out with. He knows his shit (except I *totally called it* about that PS3 Killzone trailer being fake) and I always get the feeling that the Adam I talk to isn't the Adam on the show...as if producers are telling him to go bonkers, and ham it up more, and don't say anything "unapproachable" that would show what he really knows about games. I'd watch a show featuring the Adam I know and grab a smoke with at trade shows, but that's not the one that was on the air, y'know? Morgan...you know considering that I'm regular friends (and coworkers/former coworkers) with Patrick Norton, Robert Heron, and Roger Chang (and Analiza Savage) you'd think I would have met Morgan even once. So I have no idea how much her on-air personality differs, but I typically didn't like the lines she spewed out the last year or so.

So I guess I'm saying a change of direction is a good idea, and enough to get me to TiVo-up a few episodes and give it another try. :)

Oooh waitamint...I can just go to tivo.com and add some shows to my home Tivo that way. Thanks, Tivo!

[extarbags]

And yes, yes, before the allegations start, I am more than just a pretty face for the game, I actually do some work.


Not according to this comic I've been working on.

[Bob Cherub]

Matt, I enjoy the show and don't have the minor, irrational quibbles most of the people have on here :)

One thing I'd love to see on the show is more gaming quirks, like I remember that time a long time ago where YOU showed everyone how to beat Sonic on Game Gear in like 5 seconds or something. I wish there was more stuff like that.

[Athryn]

I hold out no hope for the show when they are desperate enough to book me on the second one. Then again, we did supply some nice footage, so that may have made up for my presence.

And yes, yes, before the allegations start, I am more than just a pretty face for the game, I actually do some work.

Thanks for having me matt.

You looked nervous!


After finally getting to watch it, I have to say that the show is much improved. Adam and Morgan no longer look embarrassed to be there, and the show was actually full of information and stuff. The chat stuff wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be.

Now if you could only makeover the rest of the network in a similar vein.

[chet]

You looked nervous!


Yeah... I was. I think I am getting a little better each time, still weirded out in formal settings. At least I talked a little slower this time. Pretty much have two things running through my head during interviews. Slow down. Don't say fuck.

Chet

[jabroni]

Don't say fuck.
That reminds me of that slightly less composed TechTV guest (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_As-VbOxEs) from a while ago. I haven't seen this episode of X-Play yet, but I'm guessing it is less awkward to watch than that.

[Aszurom]

This show can only be saved by swapping the hosts out with Dr DRE and Ed Lover. Yo, G4 Games.

[Gladguy]

Hey, I'd love to check this out, but I think TechTV/G4 or whatever the hell it's called now has been dropped from the Canadian satellite lineup. Or at least shifted out of the package I get (which is practically every channel except the really lame ones).

Any torrents out there?

[chet]

They are recast on their website - http://www.g4tv.com

[Aszurom]

Wow, look at this sexy bastard.

http://www.g4tv.com/xplay/previews/19814/Hands_On_Left_4_Dead.html

Goddamn, Chet, I didn't recognize you without a long neck in your hand. Good thing they put your name on the screen.

[Guido Jones]

Yeah... I was. I think I am getting a little better each time, still weirded out in formal settings. At least I talked a little slower this time. Pretty much have two things running through my head during interviews. Slow down. Don't say fuck.

Chet

You did pretty well - you repeated the stuff about keeping the squad together a bit much perhaps. Game looks pretty damn neat, look forward to seeing it when it comes out. I'm sure I could look this up but I'm lazy: PC only, or getting ported to consoles?

As for my impressions of the new format for the show:

If this is the new and improved chat overlay, I can only imagine how terrible the old one was. That alone makes me not want to watch the show (and I understand you guys dont' have control over it).

Both my wife and I thought you should have actually shown what you were talking about in your top 5 list of bizarre characters, instead of just explaining them.

Overall it was okay. I kind of liked the old wacky format with the original announcer guy though, so what do I know :/

[stusser]

The old overlay was much less obtrusive, but it was on throughout 100% of the show. The current one is a minor improvement, believe it or not. Just tivo the 4AM showings, they don't have any of that crap.

[DennyA]

If this is the new and improved chat overlay, I can only imagine how terrible the old one was.
I read that at as "new and improved chet overlay" the first time I read it, and I was thinking "Damn, Guido, that's cold."

Nice job, Chet. Anxious to see the game. I did a few Screen Savers eps in my ZD days and I know how awkward and weird it is to do those segments.

[MattKeil]

Well, now that Chet is conveniently located in SoCal, we hope to bring him on more often as the game progresses, so no doubt he'll be an on-camera pro by the end of the year. Response on the segment has been extremely positive. Just like back at E3 2007, the viewers are crazy for Left 4 Dead. Hard to blame them, looking at that footage.

[gnmarsh]

Does anyone else have the problem where x-play is always set up by the tv listings as a new show? So even though my DVR is set up to only record new episodes I get to record it three times a day.

On the new format I like it. It felt a little less juvenile to me and I wasn't embarrased to watch it.

[Skipper]

Chet I thought you did great man. And the game is looking quite sweet at well. Zombies, guns, co-op multiplayer? Dude that's like the gamers holy trinity right there.

I watched the episode with a friend (his home got broken into, the guy has shit right now, but that's another story.) His comments on the show weren't as nice as some of ours. He didn't have a lot of love for Adam and Morgan, basically saying that their lack of chemistry is the problem with the show, not the chat bar. He compared the difference between AOTS and X-Play as "a real show versus two talking heads on an infomercial."

I'm not sure I followed that reasoning but there ya go Matt, an alternate viewer opinion. From my point of view the show was fine, I would lose the zany camera zooms during the short clips though. Example: The guy giving Halo 3 hints. They actually focused on the game or his face very little in that short clip. Most of it was moving overlay graphics or moving zooms on the guy talking. Like the camera guy was on crack.

[jerri blank]

Adam and Morgan no longer look embarrassed to be there, and the show was actually full of information and stuff.

I'm glad Adam is getting his dignity back after being forced to wear a black body suit and red silky superhero underwear when he and Morgan guest-hosted AotS last week. He then had to jump rope. I turned the channel, fearing there'd be more of the same.

I felt really bad for the guy, but he appeared to be a good sport about it.

Also, is Left 4 Dead still looking at a Summer 2008 release?

[Skipper]

I'm glad Adam is getting his dignity back after being forced to wear a black body suit and red silky superhero underwear when he and Morgan guest-hosted AotS last week. He then had to jump rope. I turned the channel, fearing there'd be more of the same.

I felt really bad for the guy, but he appeared to be a good sport about it.

Kevin and Olivia seem to take all that stuff in stride though. Maybe Adam and Morgan just don't do that stuff enough to be comfortable with it.

Some funny moments though were the treadmill run while broadcasting and eating fruit (Olivia later got sick if I remember right.) The episode where Oliva pelts a couple of show guys with a spring loaded gun, the recent bearded episode, etc. It's kind of fun to see what skit they come up with for the show.

[Dirt]

I'm sure Adam get's paid quite well for what he does.

[stusser]

Why would you think that? My understanding is that they're not doing so well. Those star trek reruns beat their original programming.

I'm always surprised when people say they enjoy AOTS. Takes all sorts, I guess.

[Garoun]

The chemistry comparison between AOTS and XPlay hosts is a bit amusing. I think Adam/Morgan seem to be more natural with each other; with Kevin/Olivia I always get an uneasy vibe like they are doing the show but not comfortable with their dialog/interaction. Kind of curious which is more accurate.

[Guido Jones]

I'm always surprised when people say they enjoy AOTS. Takes all sorts, I guess.

Yeah, AOTS has been horrible everytime I've ever watched it.

[Dirt]

The Hollywoodization of Morgan Webb continues. She was never fat by any measure of the stick, but she's pretty much lost all her paunch. She's pretty lean now.

Say, as people of the industry, why doesn't Adam and Morgan come to Qt3?

Edit: Did Adam lose weight too? Oh wait, it might be the shirt he's wearing. The black with gray lining thing could be slimming.

[stusser]

Who says they aren't here under different handles? That's certainly what I would do.

[Troy S Goodfellow]

Say, as people of the industry, why doesn't Adam and Morgan come to Qt3?

Adam has posted once. (http://www.quartertothree.com/game-talk/member.php?u=760)

Troy

[Guido Jones]

NM, Troy beat me.

[mono]

Here's the youtube link for that G4 vid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gH5gknePkcY

The game looks great, but the G4 site has a terribly slow video feed.

[DennyA]

Given the immature bullshit posted about Morgan in earlier X-Play topics, I could understand her not spending time here.

[VegasRobb]

Good luck Matt. The Left 4 Dead clip was cool.

[MattKeil]

The Hollywoodization of Morgan Webb continues. She was never fat by any measure of the stick, but she's pretty much lost all her paunch. She's pretty lean now.

Say, as people of the industry, why doesn't Adam and Morgan come to Qt3?


Talk about answering your own fucking question.

[Ben Sones]

Given the immature bullshit posted about Morgan in earlier X-Play topics, I could understand her not spending time here.

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing.

[DragonPup]

I just watched the episode with Chet on it(Hi Chet!). I like the format, but it did feel very tight for time. Like every second was precious because of everything the show was trying to do in only 30 minutes. Perhaps it might be better served trying a full hour show and see how that turns out. But at 30 or 60 minutes, it did feel like an improvement.

Also, as an aside for the network, please try for fewer penis pill commercials. A good friend of mine loves watching Ninja Warrior with his 9 year old son, but he simply can't when there are that many ads about getting a bigger, harder cock. Late night, go for it, but if G4 can not show them when kids are likely watching, that would be great.

[Rob_Merritt]

Talk about answering your own fucking question.

The internet: The only place where telling someone they lost weight and look good is considered an insult.

Anyways.... I haven't seen an episode since the relaunch but they are sitting on my TIVO for this weekend.

[SlyFrog]

The internet: The only place where telling someone they lost weight and look good is considered an insult.

She's a woman, so making any express mention of what she looks like is bad. Even though the show clearly works to make us consider what she looks like (love that new Loretta Swift hair by the way, reminds me of the last season of M*A*S*H*).

[MattKeil]

The internet: The only place where telling someone they lost weight and look good is considered an insult.

If Qt3 commented more often about the state of your paunch, you probably wouldn't browse as freely, either.

We just finished taping the Prototype demo for tonight's show. Really impressive stuff. There will be a tease video with gameplay up on the web shortly.

[Dirt]

This is why I hate Hollywood. They want their cake and eat it too. Can't take criticism from the spotlight? Find another job.

[MattKeil]

Or, y'know, don't read the forums where they're criticizing your looks. Problem solved!

Also, nobody in Hollywood eats cake. Sheesh.

[Dirt]

Or, y'know, don't read the forums where they're criticizing your looks. Problem solved!

Also, nobody in Hollywood eats cake. Sheesh.
Criticize? I'm applauding her efforts to look better on screen. You want me to sugar coat it too?

The catering service at G4 sucks.

[Theodore Rex DX]

The internet: The only place where telling someone they lost weight and look good is considered an insult.

You live in a world of make-believe. Telling somebody they lost weight, unless you are really good friends, is pretty fucking rude. Doing it on the internet just makes you look like a grubby loser.

[MattKeil]

You live in a world of make-believe. Telling somebody they lost weight, unless you are really good friends, is pretty fucking rude. Doing it on the internet just makes you look like a grubby loser.

Bingo.

[Dirt]

You live in a world of make-believe. Telling somebody they lost weight, unless you are really good friends, is pretty fucking rude. Doing it on the internet just makes you look like a grubby loser.
So is telling someone they need to eat a sandwich. It cuts both ways. She's a public figure, it comes with the territory. If you read a review, you'd criticize them for poor grammer or spelling, no matter how much meat is actually in the review. She's making a living partially off her looks; that makes it fair game for some degree of criticism.

[Guido Jones]

Yesterday's sketch was a bit painful - just went on to long. Tt was nice that Alcoholic Link was reprising his role, albeit without the alcohol.

[MattKeil]

So is telling someone they need to eat a sandwich. It cuts both ways. She's a public figure, it comes with the territory.

Yes, it is your right to be a classless goofball when it comes to Morgan Webb's appearance. Doesn't mean you have to do it, though.

[Dirt]

Yes, it is your right to be a classless goofball when it comes to Morgan Webb's appearance. Doesn't mean you have to do it, though.
Your heart is in the right place, but your expectations are skewed.

[Kadath]

G4 is still around? Didnt it become Spike TV or something? I dont think my cable company gets that. Are the shows available via iTunes or anything?

[MattKeil]

Your heart is in the right place, but your expectations are skewed.

Expecting you to behave yourself is a little ridiculous, I suppose.

[Dirt]

Expecting you to behave yourself is a little ridiculous, I suppose.
You're absolutely right, I can behave as I like; I represent no one but myself. As a employee of G4, I would expect your behaviour to be more professional, particularly in an X-Play thread. So much for that. Great representing there, dude. That's some good PR.

[Bob Cherub]

Checklist for any thread started by Matt Keil regarding X-Play

- Mention of missing TechTV
- Mention of G4 is not as good as TechTV
- Mention of missing Screen Savers
- Mention of AOTS is not as good as Screen Savers
- AOTS sucks
- Is G4 just Spike TV?
- X-Play has gotten better
- X-Play has gotten worse
- Morgan has a paunch
- Morgan is a man
- Morgan is hot
- The skits are funny
- The skits ruin it

It's a wonder Matt still posts here. I give him credit for wading through the shit.

Keep up the good work, Matt.

[MattKeil]

You're absolutely right, I can behave as I like; I represent no one but myself. As a employee of G4, I would expect your behaviour to be more professional, particularly in an X-Play thread. So much for that. Great representing there, dude. That's some good PR.

Yeah, you're right, I should show more respect to the people derailing my thread with tabloidy comments about the hosts' weight.

In much the same way as people miss the old TechTV, I miss the old Qt3.

[stusser]

It's a wonder Matt still posts here.
Industry and press folk read Qt3. He posted to plug his show. Why should anyone walk on eggshells?

The personal comments would be out of line, if those people were here to be offended. But they're not. Histotically we're pretty nice to community members when they're on TV. Nobody mentioned Chet's gorilla neck or Whitta's faggy accent, for example. ...Whoops.

[MattKeil]

Just because they don't post doesn't mean they're not "here."

[Dirt]

Yeah, you're right, I should show more respect to the people derailing my thread with tabloidy comments about the hosts' weight.

In much the same way as people miss the old TechTV, I miss the old Qt3.
Tit for tat?

The old Qt3? You mean like when Met_K went off on Brian Reynolds? Or the old sinner flame wars?

[MattKeil]

Tit for tat?

The old Qt3? You mean like when Met_K went off on Brian Reynolds? Or the old sinner flame wars?

Look, I miss Derek Smart, okay? There, I said it.

[Dirt]

You win.

[chet]

Matt, ignore Dirt. he is just upset because he can't find anything negative about my near perfect body. And Dirt, I was actually eating cake when the camera would cut away from my chiseled good looks.

A little tip to TV personalities everywhere, if you want to look slim, have me on your show. My perfect body will help brings yours up... or maybe it is in comparison yours will look good... not sure, if I listen to my mom it is because I am so pretty.

Chet

[Dirt]

I actually missed the episode you were on. Sorry to burst your bubble, chet. In honesty, I've gained 30lbs. in the past 2 and a half years. So, I'm just really jealous of Morgan having the will to hit the gym and slim down.

[jerri blank]

Yes, it is your right to be a classless goofball when it comes to Morgan Webb's appearance. Doesn't mean you have to do it, though.

And it also doesn't mean you should expect her to hang out here and read it.

I checked out the link to Sessler's one and only post, and the first reply to it was a crack about his hair. He didn't post anything after that. Can't say I blame him.

[Rob_Merritt]

Telling somebody they lost weight, unless you are really good friends, is pretty fucking rude.

What? Really, you've lost your mind there. I've never, ever seen anyone say, "that asshole said I lost weight, how dare they?"

I'm not debating this with you. You are just making stuff up to see yourself type.

Bingo.

You too? Maybe its a west coast thing?

[MattKeil]

Prototype footage is up on the web. The segment on the show tonight will feature all-different footage, and more of it. In particular, the bit where the giant mutant monsters are tossing aside NYC traffic while chasing you is pretty damn awesome.

http://www.g4tv.com/xplay/features/19852/XPlay_Xclusive_Prototype_Demo.html

[Athryn]

What? Really, you've lost your mind there. I've never, ever seen anyone say, "that asshole said I lost weight, how dare they?"

I'm not debating this with you. You are just making stuff up to see yourself type.



It's generally impolite to comment on someone's weight unless you actually are friends with them. Would you really, upon meeting someone for the first time, say "wow, you're fat!" or "wow you're skinny as a rail!"

I could give you a citation, but my Emily Post book is in a box somewhere, and this should honestly be a no-duh kind of thing, but the internet has taught people they can be assholes without consequences.

[SlyFrog]

Being serious for a moment, I think the problem here is that odd mixture of the fact that these people are on television and in the public eye, but others view them more as "friends," so you get this strange mix.

No one seems to criticize people talking about how Summer Glau (or whatever the hell her name is) looks. They may criticize them for being wrong, in that she really is hawt (or ugly), but it's just accepted that cracking jokes about random TV and movie personalities is a normal part of ordinary conversation (and for geeks in particular).

We have some here who really do not see why this should be any different for people like Adam and Morgan (particularly when most of it seems to be given in a fairly humorous way, and not in an, "Ugly bitch should have her throat cut," sort of way).

We have others who apparently know them personally, and take offense at something where they would never take offense in a Gary Bussey thread.

[chet]

I actually missed the episode you were on. Sorry to burst your bubble, chet. In honesty, I've gained 30lbs. in the past 2 and a half years. So, I'm just really jealous of Morgan having the will to hit the gym and slim down.

Dirt, I can send you an autographed 8x10 glossy if you want. Just specify if you want one with or without my adult acne showing.

Thanks!

Chet

[Theodore Rex DX]

What? Really, you've lost your mind there. I've never, ever seen anyone say, "that asshole said I lost weight, how dare they?"

I'm not debating this with you. You are just making stuff up to see yourself type.


You are from another planet, Rob.

[Orinoco]

I hear that Rob Merritt is a bit of a porker!

[Dirt]

Telling someone they lost weight implies that they were fat before.

Dirt, I can send you an autographed 8x10 glossy if you want. Just specify if you want one with or without my adult acne showing.

Thanks!

Chet
I want a picture of you poppin' 'em!

[Rob_Merritt]

It's generally impolite to comment on someone's weight unless you actually are friends with them. Would you really, upon meeting someone for the first time, say "wow, you're fat!" or "wow you're skinny as a rail!".

How could you say, "you lost weight, you look good" if you've never seen someone before? Saying someone lost or gained weight assumes you know what their previous state was and thus not meeting them for the first time.

You are from another planet, Rob.

Yeah the real world. Its a strange place.

I hear that Rob Merritt is a bit of a porker!

I won't deny this.

Being serious for a moment, I think the problem here is that odd mixture of the fact that these people are on television and in the public eye, but others view them more as "friends," so you get this strange mix.
...

We have others who apparently know them personally, and take offense at something where they would never take offense in a Gary Bussey thread.

True, very true.

[Dirt]

For the record, my critique was never about Morgan's weight. I have no idea how much she weighs and considering my own weight, I'm not in a position to criticize anybody for it. My critique is about her "Hollywoodization". Part of her charm was that she is a geek girl with good looks but humble sensibilities. Her transformation the past 6 or so months (hair coloring to a dusky blonde, eye-liner usage, etc.) just makes her yet another Hollywood Barbie doll. My expectations of Morgan hasn't changed, but that doesn't mean she can't do with herself whatever she wants. It's not about her, it's all about me and my broken expectations.

[Rob_Merritt]

it's all about me and my broken expectations.

Quote of the year. Maybe I'll change that to my xbox live motto? :)

Anyways, I'm watching the firtst show right now. Over all I like the update so far. The graphics, set, and over all flare are more appealing that the past couple of revamps.

/edit: I love the return of news and interviews. Makes the show feel more complete and professional.

[MattKeil]

Link to the full five minute demo from the episode tonight. I really do love the giant mutants knocking traffic aside to chase you.

http://www.g4tv.com/xplay/previews/19858/XPlay_Exclusive_Prototype_Demo.html

[Robert Sharp]

Prototype just looks so awesome!

One of the best things about X-Play to me is these demos and trailers. I don't like getting them online (video stops or I have to DL it or whatever). So it's perfect. I know everyone wants different things from the show but the television medium itself allows you guys to do cool things like show us a game in action rather than screenshots. I love it.

[Jason Cross]

Watched two of my tivo'd episodes last night. The new format is definitely better now. It's still not totally smooth - some of the transitions seem a little awkward - but we're really picking nits here. It seems less like heavily scripted doofusness (a new word!) that made me stop watching before, and more like a news/talk show about games. Which is good! It's the first week of the new format so they'll polish things up quickly and it'll probably be worth watching again. So yay, X-play folks.

Prototype - eh, I didn't really see what all the fuss was about. It doesn't seem like much of an evolution past Spider-man 2 or Hulk: UD. Or certainly Crackdown. I mean there are some neat ideas, but the static non-physics-y way cars seem to just pop into their pre-determined "being crushed" or "flying up in the air" animations didn't do much to convince me this is the next big next-gen must have game. I know it's early, but the game seems to lack a sense of direction and purpose - it's like "being free to do what you want" was taken almost too far, and you're just in a sandbox dicking around. Which can be fun for awhile, but I hardly want a whole game like that.

I guess I'll have to see more as it gets closer to completion.

[Robert Sharp]

To be fair though, wouldn't you put together the "dicking around" part first, and THEN work the game around it? I mean the plot can come later and they can try to provide some focus. At this point, they're working on the physics and models and such. It makes sense based on where the development cycle is.

Still, if it never gets that focus, it could still be an awesome game.

[jerri blank]

Matt, is Blair Butler still writing for X-Play? I think she's mega-cool.

[stusser]

Truly bizarre. (http://kotaku.com/354976/zero-punctuation-previews-going-to-x+play)

[Zylon]

I hate X-Play's new intro. I appreciate the nods to classic gaming, but the whole thing feels like the start of a grainy low-budget PBS documentary. The theme music is so low-key that it barely exists.

And that flying spinning hopping jumping "X" cursor. Argh. It doesn't just draw the eye, it DRAGS it.

[stusser]

You pick the weirdest things to complain about. The intro of all things upsets you, but you don't mind the useless cheat segments (I have gamefaqs, thanks) or the annoying "T-(cut)T-(cut)T-squared pro gamer in the hizzouze y'all /flex" bits, or the distracting bonging noise whenever they have a pop-up video info tidbit, or the chat overlays taking up 75% of the screen? Weird.

I actually like the new intro. The shots of retro games, the political bits, etc, all work for me. Not that it matters, since I watched it once and now 30 second skip past on my tivo. Same reaction as the other stupid segments of course; if I have to look in kristin holt's empty eyes one more time I'll start to cry, but they actually consume show time.

[Guido Jones]

I like the intro music actually. I agree with stusser on the other points as well. Although T-squared did actually show me something I didn't know about in CoD4, so thanks for that.

[stusser]

I actually like the idea of high-end competitive strategy being shown. It's not a bad idea, but the presentation is drek.

Oh, and the video viewer mail / virtual audience stuff is painful to watch too. There's a reason why most people aren't on TV. I skip past that also. Come to think about it, I only watch like 10 min out of each 22 min episode.

[Zylon]

You pick the weirdest things to complain about. The intro of all things upsets you, but you don't mind the useless cheat segments (I have gamefaqs, thanks) or the annoying "T-(cut)T-(cut)T-squared pro gamer in the hizzouze y'all /flex" bits, or the distracting bonging noise whenever they have a pop-up video info tidbit, or the chat overlays taking up 75% of the screen? Weird.
Hey, I'm just getting warmed up. May as well start at the beginning.

Don't you find it at all odd that they ashcanned the old intro -- which with all its custom artwork and animation must have represented a huge investment of time and effort to create -- and replaced it with a boring montage of stock footage that probably took some intern an afternoon to throw together?

Also Morgan is still going too heavy on the makeup.

[Athryn]

Also Morgan is still going too heavy on the makeup.

I wouldn't say that necessarily. What they *do* need to do, however, is come up with one consistent look for her. The impression I get from watching the show every day is someone is playing dress-up-doll with her: her hairstyle, clothing, and general appearance vary wildly from day to day, whereas Adam has a much more consistent look. I think they need to just settle on one look and stick with it, and preferably have that look not be the one with the stupid necklaces. If you look at most other television anchors out there, even the female ones, even on frothy entertainment shows, they always have a consistent look, and right now it's somewhat distracting to have Morgan's change on a daily basis.

[stusser]

I couldn't give less of a shit about what the hosts wear. I'd like more compelling content.

[Gedd]

Oh, and the video viewer mail / virtual audience stuff is painful to watch too.

I don't mind viewer mail, but that virtual audience thing needs to go. Half the time the video they're showing is of someone not talking, just looking around, while they're playing the question.

On the plus side, I appreciate some of the new(?) segments like Will Work For Games. And I'd take cheats and T-squared over skits any day of the week.

[Athryn]

I don't mind viewer mail, but that virtual audience thing needs to go. Half the time the video they're showing is of someone not talking, just looking around, while they're playing the question.

On the plus side, I appreciate some of the new(?) segments like Will Work For Games. And I'd take cheats and T-squared over skits any day of the week.

Virtual Audience is part of Attack of the Show, not Xplay.

[Gedd]

Virtual Audience is part of Attack of the Show, not Xplay.

Are you sure? (http://www.g4tv.com/xplay/va.aspx)

(I don't watch AotS)

[Athryn]

Are you sure? (http://www.g4tv.com/xplay/va.aspx)

(I don't watch AotS)

I haven't seen it on xplay, and I've seen it on AOTS, so I dunno, you tell me. In fact, I was watching AOTS last night and they were talking about the contest where the winners get to speed date the AOTS female host on Valentine's day.

[Gedd]

I haven't seen it on xplay, and I've seen it on AOTS, so I dunno, you tell me.

It's not an everyday thing, but it has been on a few times since I started watching in January. So yes, it's part of X-Play too (hence the link to the X-Play Virtual Audience signup).

[stusser]

Yes they have it also. Again not to imply that responding to viewer feedback on-air is a bad thing, but the presentation is horrible. In this case the presentation includes the content; beyond their hemming and hawing these mongoloids ask some truly inane questions. If they want to intelligently leverage their audience just get the forum monkies to vote on discussion topics and chat about the top ranks.

These segments are compelling because they expose the true personalities of the hosts through non-scripted dialog, not because they draw in some dipshit from idaho's extended family to see him chatting at 5fps on air. IMO of course.

[stusser]

After several months of the new daily format my opinion is overwhelmingly negative. There's just too much filler. Every episode has at least one bottom of the barrel oh my god I can't think of anything to fill up 4 minutes top 10 list bracketed by continuous "preview" videos direct from the studio's PR department, "cheat" segments that include such insightful inside information as doing daily quests in WoW (stretched out to two episodes in a row?!), banal blurry 5fps webcam viewer mail with random meth-heads from albuquerque, that obnoxiously unlikable t-bag-squared strategy guy, and the list goes on and on. I find myself 30 second skipping through a good 80% of each episode. They pile up on my TiVo and I occasionally delete them unwatched. It's getting pretty bad. This is simply low quality content.

New segments I like include the "head to head" roundtables, the previews that actually involve the developers in some manner (but even these are stretched out across an entire week or two), the Mr. Sark challenges (he's quite good on TV)... and that's about it.

They need to cut back to two or at most three episodes per week. I know that xplay is the only show that anyone watches on that channel, but they're making the classic mistake of assuming that will remain the case regardless of diluted quality. It won't.

[Athryn]

I know what you mean about the Cheat! stuff, the recent Wow segment was pretty embarrassing. I think that, out of all the new daily quests they could have picked, they picked the ones with the most annoying drop rates that require a lot of travel.

The one for Age of Conan last night was incorrect -- they recommended stopping to rest, where (from what I know) stopping to rest resets your multiplier, which isn't necessarily a good thing.

[godhugh]

I enjoy the show when I happen to catch it, however I will never forgive them for completely spoiling the ending of Persona 3 in the Persona 3 FES review.

[MattKeil]

They need to cut back to two or at most three episodes per week.

That's almost refreshing, because the most common "suggestion" we get is to keep it five days a week but make the show an hour long.

I enjoy the show when I happen to catch it, however I will never forgive them for completely spoiling the ending of Persona 3 in the Persona 3 FES review.

That was actually spoiled for me when I watched the segment in the studio, because I hadn't finished P3 yet. I was upset for a second, then remembered it's videogame mostly centered around grinding and dating and I didn't care.

[Athryn]

That's almost refreshing, because the most common "suggestion" we get is to keep it five days a week but make the show an hour long.

I wouldn't mind it being an hour long if that meant that you could go a little more in depth into some of the content. I do watch the show almost every night, and it feels sometimes like more time is spent on the graphics introducing the segments than the segments themselves. If the show were an hour long, perhaps those intros wouldn't feel as much like filler.

[stusser]

If you can generate 3.5 hours (not counting commercials) of compelling content per week, go for it. Right now you're between 40 and 60 minutes. The rest is filler.

I agree that the little CGI bits before each segment are distracting and way too long. But they probably add up to two or three minutes per episode that the producers don't have to worry about filling, so they serve a valuable purpose.

I don't know your ratings, etc, so maybe this format is working financially. And hey, I'm pretty unlikely to be representative. All I can say is mass deleting episodes from my TiVo unwatched means you've lost me.

[Bob Cherub]

I like the new X-Play, but count me as one who wasn't hyper critical of the old X-Play which seems to be the norm around here, for the most part (BRING BACK TECH TV!!!)

I do agree, however, that spoiling Persona 3 was incredibly obnoxious. I don't care how meaningless the game may be to you Matt, but spoiling the ending to a game without warning is pretty much shit. And this is coming from a long time dedicated viewer :)

[Gedd]

It's really kind of nitpicky, but I thought it was funny when the show started with a "Coming up on X-Play!" segment, followed by the show intro, followed by a "today on X-Play!" segment. It's only a few seconds, but just seemed odd to preview the show twice.

And while it's certainly not restricted to X-Play, I always find it funny when you ran multiple previews praising the game up and down making it seem like the best thing coming out...and then the review is two stars.

X-Play Ironman Preview #1 - "Wow this game looks awesome!"
X-Play Ironman Preview #2 - "Look at that! I can't wait to play this game!"
X-Play Ironman Preview #3 - "You're going to love this!"

X-Play Ironman Review - "Meh, two stars."

I know that's just how things work, but I still always get a laugh out of it.

[Bob Cherub]

Apparently you've never read a preview in any gaming magazine, ever.

[Gedd]

Apparently you've never read a preview in any gaming magazine, ever.

I know that's just how things work, but I still always get a laugh out of it.

Applies to magazines too (and I've said as much in other places).

[Neopythia]

Consider me in the camp of wanting to see more in-depth and "serious" attention paid to the industry and the people behind the games.

I try to avoid AOTS as I find it completely juvenile, but the occasional "round table" segments they have with Adam Sessler or industry journalists about current issues in gaming make for good television. I would love to see X-play have a similar segment.

I guess the point of g4 is to capture the 18-34 male demographic, but there are those of us out there that watch it that aren't 12 year old boys and would love to see some more informative programming. There's no reason every moment has to be about Butt Beaming robots or barfing unicorns.

As I think about it, perhaps X-play isn't the place for that kind of discussion and there is a void for a show that engages the video game industry and player on a more serious level.

[Guido Jones]

X-Play has roundtables.

[Dean]

I like the new X-Play, but count me as one who wasn't hyper critical of the old X-Play which seems to be the norm around here, for the most part (BRING BACK TECH TV!!!)


I think most of the TechTV people are over at Revision3 (http://revision3.com/).

And on subject, I've only started Tivo'ing X-Play for the past month or so, and I find I can get through an episode in about 10 minutes.

The news: watch that.
Cheat: Fast forward, if it's a game I play then I probably already know whatever they're saying, if it's a game I don't play, then I don't care.
Viewer mail: Fast forward. The viewers who bother to send in webcam messages are idiots.
Sessler vs. other Game journalists: start to watch it, fast forward once everyone starts telling me how hard the life of a game journalist is and what momentous decisions they have to make.
Previews: 9/10 times fast forward.
Reviews: Usually watch, except you can't ever actually see gameplay footage because they've shrunk it down to put the idiots in the chat room on.
Top 5/7/10 list: most times fast forward unless I want a giggle.

[Rob_Merritt]

Same here Dean. I'll save up a week or two of Xplay and blow through them in a hour on the weekends.

[Jab2565]

My one pet peeve with X-Play is when they stop everything to advertise another show on G4, that just bugs me to no end. I was also really annoyed when they spoiled Persona 3's ending as I was going to go back to the game with FES coming out.

[Neopythia]

As I posted, I realized I haven't seen the show since late last year. (For awhile it was on the old season pass, but I found myself fast forwarding through them or flat out deleting them.) I should probably check out the redesign before I open my big mouth.

[Brian Rucker]

They've moved G4 off of basic cable and I'm too lazy to change my service. Looks like my X-Play fix will be a vicarious one from now on.

[Wade42]

There's some X-Play content on Miro (http://www.getmiro.com/) if your Cable plan doesn't have it. :)

[Bob Cherub]

The Persona 3 thing was just inexcusable. It served absolutely no purpose other than a big fuck you to viewers. There's a reason why Persona 3 FES contains the ENTIRE PERSON 3 game as well.. you know, for those people who haven't played it yet. Whoever wrote that segment deserves to be sodomized with a light saber.

It was almost enough to make a long time viewer like myself stop watching. If something similar happens again, I will.

[MattKeil]

I don't know, I think the spoilers thing is blown out of proportion on a regular basis on the internet. If someone is so invested in Persona 3 that a spoiler from the ending is going to ruin the whole thing from them, why are they waiting eight months to play it?

We've also gotten hate mail for "spoiling" Aeris' death (in 2007), the end of Pirates of the Caribbean 2 (shortly after the release of 3), and mentioning aliens in conjunction with Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull. The Persona 3 spoiler is a lot bigger than any of those (well, maybe not Aeris, but after 10 years, you're on your own), but the fact remains that in the internet age, if you don't want to be spoiled, see/play/read it when it comes out.

[godhugh]

I don't know, I think the spoilers thing is blown out of proportion on a regular basis on the internet. If someone is so invested in Persona 3 that a spoiler from the ending is going to ruin the whole thing from them, why are they waiting eight months to play it?

We've also gotten hate mail for "spoiling" Aeris' death (in 2007), the end of Pirates of the Caribbean 2 (shortly after the release of 3), and mentioning aliens in conjunction with Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull. The Persona 3 spoiler is a lot bigger than any of those (well, maybe not Aeris, but after 10 years, you're on your own), but the fact remains that in the internet age, if you don't want to be spoiled, see/play/read it when it comes out.

Maybe, but that doesn't mean you have to go out of your way to spoil major plot points. Also, this particular attitude makes the statement from Monday's show (during the MGS4 segment) about how you don't spoil major plot points all the more laughable.

[ryan]

I was planning on seeing Indiana Jones this weekend. Hell. Lalalalalalalaaaa.

[Bob Cherub]

I don't know, I think the spoilers thing is blown out of proportion on a regular basis on the internet. If someone is so invested in Persona 3 that a spoiler from the ending is going to ruin the whole thing from them, why are they waiting eight months to play it?

We've also gotten hate mail for "spoiling" Aeris' death (in 2007), the end of Pirates of the Caribbean 2 (shortly after the release of 3), and mentioning aliens in conjunction with Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull. The Persona 3 spoiler is a lot bigger than any of those (well, maybe not Aeris, but after 10 years, you're on your own), but the fact remains that in the internet age, if you don't want to be spoiled, see/play/read it when it comes out.

Your attempt at rationalization is kind of amusing.

First of all, Persona 3 FES isn't just the expansion pack. It's not like you buy FES and it doesn't include the original game. It does. Therefore, someone, like myself, may have been waiting for it to play through Persona 3 and then the extra content. However, your asshat writing staff decided that apparently NO ONE IN THEIR RIGHT MIND would do that and decided to spoil the ending.

And even though it doesn't really apply to FES, not everyone plays through an entire game the moment it is released.

How about this, in the future just don't spoil shit. Imagine that! Would anything really have changed in the stupid FES review had your asshat writers not spoiled the ending? Nope.

I'm probably the biggest X-Play defender here but your attempts to rationalize it are idiotic at best. What's the desire to spoil things? Why would you do anything that might piss off a viewer. I doubt you have that many to begin with.

[MattKeil]

How about this, in the future just don't spoil shit. Imagine that! Would anything really have changed in the stupid FES review had your asshat writers not spoiled the ending? Nope.

Don't disagree, and as I said, the game was in fact spoiled for me in the same way as the viewers (I was playing it for the first time at the time the review was done), but I do find the current craziness over spoilers in games that really don't have particularly strong narratives to begin with to be rather strange. See: MGS4 embargo apologists.

I'm probably the biggest X-Play defender here but your attempts to rationalize it are idiotic at best. What's the desire to spoil things?

I don't see a "desire" to spoil things, and I really don't think the writer realized anyone would care. As I said, I was playing P3 at the time, too, and I heard the spoiler in the review, and said "HEY!" and then decided that if I really had wanted to remain spoiler-free, I should have played it earlier. Should it have been included in the review? No, I don't think it should have, and you're right, it wouldn't have changed anything to omit it. That said, my world didn't come to an end and the game was still enjoyable regardless.

Why would you do anything that might piss off a viewer. I doubt you have that many to begin with.

We're no American Idol, but more people watch now than at any other time in the show's 10 year history.

[Bob Cherub]

I'm glad for that cause I enjoy the show, mostly. However, it seems kind of silly to do things that generate hate mail (ie: spoil things that apparently are only done for your staff's amusement) that might cause people to tune out indefinitely.

[Slo]

I really like Xplay since the relaunch. Granted, I fast forward through all but about 10 minutes of it, but it's good. I like the gaming update, and I like that they've mostly abandoned the shitty skits. The middle 8 minutes or so is basically filler, but if they'd bring back Layla Kayleigh, that would be forgiven.

[Athryn]

I just really wish they would stop showing the "top 3 foods to hurl" during the commercial break. I tend to watch Xplay during dinner, and although it's Tivoed, and I fast forward, it is still disgusting, imo.

[stusser]

They need to cut back to two or at most three episodes per week.
Done and done. (http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3172851) Hopefully this cuts the filler. If so, I'll start watching again.

[MSUSteve]

I really enjoy X-Play and have watched it every day (though I'm always a few days behind and watch via DVR) since getting AT&T Uverse some months ago. I like that it's on everyday, but I don't think having three shows a week will hurt it at all. It'll just cut down on some of the filler stuff they're forced to throw in there. Of course, one could also argue that it cuts into coverage of smaller, lesser known games because there is less time to allocate to stuff like that.

I hope our buddy Mr. Keil has retained his job.

[Rob_Merritt]

I hope our buddy Mr. Keil has retained his job.

Agreed!

[stusser]

They had plenty of opportunities to cover indie games when they were on 5 days a week. They pooped out top 10 lists instead.

Bashing his livelihood aside, I also hope that Matt's OK.

[MSUSteve]

As long as we're discussing X-Play, has anyone ever noticed that Morgan Webb delivers every single line she says with the same intonation? At the end of every sentence (unless it's a question) her voice goes down in the exact same way. My girlfriend does a pretty funny impression to annoy me whenever I have X-Play on in the morning while getting dressed.

[nabeel]

Keil is OK. 'swhat I heard.

[Telefrog]

This is crappy news. I really enjoyed the show even through it's many iterations.

[Brad Grenz]

It would have been a cruel joke to tart him up and put him on camera Tuesday if he was losing his job.