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Report: G4 to become the Esquire channel
Cable network G4 will be rebranded as the Esquire channel, acquiring the magazine's name and branding sometime in the early part of next year, The Hollywood Reporter, uhm, reports. The deal has been finalized between G4-owner NBCUniversal and Esquire-owner Hearst Corporation, according to The Hollywood Reporter's sources, and production of new content aimed at a "metrosexual" male audience is said to be underway.While the channel's new content will feature some gaming-oriented material, subjects such as fashion, cooking and travel will also be covered in an attempt to capture a more sophisticated male audience. As X-Play and Attack of the Show have already been cancelled, we doubt any of G4's late gaming content will be resurrected in the channel's new form. We are, however, looking forward to finding out how to recreate Nathan Drake's designer look for an off-the-rack price.
X-Play's EVO tournament special airs tonight
In case you missed the live, streaming video of the EVO tournament, the special EVO edition of X-Play will be on G4 tonight. Even if you saw every fight, this sounds worthwhile -- it's more than just fighting game footage!
Kratos offers some 'Sex Therapy' in X-Play music video
Real or not, this God of War music video is absolutely hilarious. Set to Robin Thicke's "Sex Therapy," the music video made its premiere on X-Play tonight. We've learned two things from watching this clip: 1) Kratos' character design looks ridiculous outside of the game's context and 2) Kratos should never, ever show his "softer" side. Too bad this video isn't going to be used by Sony for promotional purposes. As revealed by this behind-the-scenes video, it's a rather elaborate experiment conducted by G4. It is quite possibly the greatest thing the network has ever done, and deserves a look after the break.
Massively and G4TV's The MMO Report
If you're a fan of G4TV's The MMO Report, you may have noticed a mention of a certain favorite MMO news site on the last two episodes. Why is that? We've teamed up with G4TV to provide the best MMO news to a wider audience. In this week's episode, host Casey Schreiner discusses The Secret World's viral marketing campaign, Global Agenda's upcoming launch and the obvious connection between Star Trek Online's newly-announced Cardassians and E!'s Kardashians. Look for the complete episode embedded below, and new episodes every Thursday night on G4TV's The Feed and X-Play.
G4 belatedly broadcasting 2009 Game Developers Choice Awards
Are you bummed that you'll be stuck at home over the next week, far away from the action and excitement of the 2009 Game Developers Conference? Fret not -- we've got your back as far as GDC-related news is concerned, but if you want to see footage of the glitzy, glamorous Game Developers Choice Awards (which will take place this Wednesday), you can fulfill your peculiar desire by flipping your teevee-box to G4, where X-Play will be airing the ceremony in its entirety.Bizarrely, they'll be broadcasting the event on April 10, more than two weeks after the awards will be handed out. The program might be a bit too tardy to be worth watching, but since we'll have told you all the winners by that point, you could easily score a few bucks from some unaware acquaintances in a GDCA prediction pool.
Thanks to Vin Diesel, Dark Athena has multiplayer
At least that's what Mr. Diesel, owner of Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena co-developer Tigon Studios, told G4TV's X-Play this week. When asked if his studio's upcoming remake of 2004's Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay will feature online multiplayer, he had this to say: "Big props to the whole team working on this because we were well into production in the game and I begged for some multiplayer component on this and everyone rose to the occasion and created something really compelling."And we must say, between the recently released Riddick demo on Xbox Live and Diesel's starring role in Wheelman, the actor turned development studio owner has been making quite a name for himself in the video game industry. Now all we need is a Vin Diesel/50 Cent mashup full of ulaks and exploding ramps. We can dream, can't we?%Gallery-38368%
Free Realms video preview focuses on character creation and gameplay
There are so many massively multiplayer online titles on the horizon that it would be hard to pick a staff favorite among the Massively writers, but one game that consistently draws 'oohs' and 'aahs' from us is Free Realms from Sony Online Entertainment. We're not alone in wanting to know more about the game. Adam Sessler from G4's X-Play recently got some screen time with Free Realms associate art director Sebastian Strzalkowski.Strzalkowski walks the viewer through character creation, which is done via the Free Realms website before the game itself actually launches. As the interview progresses, he mentions that a storyline runs through the game's quests, but players aren't locked into following along with it. A wide variety of mini-games will be on offer, as the accompanying footage shows off. SOE's hope is that the mix of various types of activities in the game (plus pets and social networking) will hold appeal for its younger target audience as well as the parents of those gamers. We've got the video embed of X-Play's Hands On: Free Realms Game Preview after the jump.
G4 makes staff and schedule cuts to X-Play, Attack of the Show
G4's X-Play and Attack of the Show have been hit by cuts and layoffs. Following up on information given to us by reliable sources -- that the network's two flagship shows have been hit by reductions -- a G4 representative sent us a statement confirming much of the information.X-Play, which upped its production schedule back in December, will now be reduced to three original episodes per week. Attack of the Show will now air four original episodes per week. Both shows will scale down starting March 2. Although G4 would not comment on "personnel matters," it could confirm that fewer episodes did result in a staff reduction. Cost saving will go into "more original programming in 2009." The network was clear to state that "this is not a budget cut" and G4 "remains dedicated to these core franchises." As always, if you were affected by the layoffs or have more information, please feel free to contact us.
Video footage released of unique MMO "Love"
When you think of the sheer amount of work that a development team puts into an MMO, it's no wonder that we're talking about years of effort needed to produce a solid title. Now, imagine what it would take for one person to do it all on his own, while incorporating innovative concepts into the gameplay. That's exactly what Eskil Steenberg is doing. He's the one man army behind Love, an in-development MMO that boasts a unique art style, and is heavily geared towards gamers who enjoy exploration and world building. G4TV's X-Play has an excellent video preview of Love, which explains the basic concepts of the game. It gives us a look at the environments and hints at the world shaping possibilities that players will be able to harness. Each of Love's worlds (which should support up to 200 players) is distinct from others, being in a near-constant state of flux. There's still no word on when Love will be released, but you can be certain we'll be keeping an eye on this title. If you'd like to see what Love is like, you can check out X-Play's video footage below the cut.
Warhammer Online wins X-Play MMO of the Year
Just days after our own Best of 2008 were announced, G4 TV show X-Play has confirmed Warhammer Online as the best game release of the year. Their reasons mirror many voiced here including the RvR combat system, solo-able character classes, and public quests.Other contenders mentioned in the segment were World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King and Age of Conan. Each brought a new twist to the party, but ultimately could not top Warhammer in originality. So congratulations to Mythic for all that they've achieved in 2008. We can hardly wait for more improvements coming in 2009.
Didn't see the X-Play inFamous footage? Catch up now
Miss the inFamous footage on X-Play last night? You can watch the full 12 minute video after the break and see Sucker Punch's Nate Fox talk through a section of the game. The video actually raises our excitement for the game, though there's still a lot of the game that's a real unknown quantity and it seems that they're saving a lot of stuff for us to discover as we play. Though Fox does start talking a little more about morality choices and power upgrades in this video. We're looking forward to more upcoming information that is revealed between now and the game's release in Spring.
X-Play's The Conduit footage, without having to watch G4 [update]
[Update: YouTube has pulled the video.]If you don't spend your whole day watching G4TV -- perhaps because you don't like watching reruns of Heroes with big chat windows covering half the screen -- you probably missed X-Play's exclusive preview of The Conduit. Luckily, some dude with a YouTube account did not! The segment features a bit of introduction to the story (something about government secret agent), as well as Sega's Josh Morton extolling, and demonstrating, the first-person shooter's Wii controls.Most important, though, is the fact that X-Play's segment is composed almost entirely of gameplay footage, which is vaguely ironic. Why is it that most game trailers do their best to avoid long shots of actual in-game footage, and yet a non-publisher-produced TV show is loaded with it?%Gallery-25003%[Via Nintendo Everything]
Fable 2 wins top honors in X-Play's 'Best of 2008'
The moment you've all been anxiously anticipating is finally here! The winners of X-Play's "Best of 2008" awards have finally been announced -- though perhaps a bit prematurely, as Calvin Tucker's Redneck Jamboree won't be hitting store shelves 'til next week. Fable 2 took the gold in the "Game of the Year" category, beating out Gears of War 2, Fallout 3, Metal Gear Solid 4, Grand Theft Auto IV, Left 4 Dead and Resistance 2.X-Play made some solid choices for the winners of other categories -- The World Ends With You took home "Best Handheld Game", Rock Band 2 clinched the "Best Music/Rhythm Game" category, MGS4 won "Best Action/Adventure Game", and Fallout 3 beat out Fable 2 in the "Best RPG" category. So, for those playing along at home, Fable 2 is the best game that came out this year -- but not the best RPG. Can someone whip up a Venn diagram to try and explain this one to us?
Hands on video footage of superhero MMO Champions Online
Gamers in that sweet spot where massively multiplayer online games and comic books intersect have long enjoyed playing City of Heroes, and are likely to well into the future... but clearly there's more room in the superhero game genre. Some MMO players are looking forward to a superhero-themed game with a different take on the genre than what's been done before. For them, the upcoming game Champions Online has some appeal. G4tv's X-Play recently took notice of this and interviewed Bill Roper, the Cryptic Studios Design Director, about what Champions Online has to offer gamers. The video interview, "Hands On: Champions Online", is in two parts. First Roper speaks with Adam Sessler, introducing the game concept, its setting, and creating your own personal nemesis in Champions Online as you progress. Afterwards Morgan Webb delves a bit more into the core game mechanics of Champions Online, such as how loot will augment your avatar, and the incentives to play in groups with other people -- one of the key reasons gamers jump into MMOs in the first place. Roper goes on to address the possibilities of gameplay on both PC and consoles. In fact, the gameplay shown throughout the videos is done with an Xbox 360 controller. Roper also reiterates the Champions Online release date, which he says is still slated for Spring 2009. If you'd like to see what all the fuss about this new superhero MMO is about, we've got both videos embedded for you below the cut.
Felicia Day talks WoW addiction, characters, oldschool PC gaming
G4TV's X-Play interviewed the lovely Felicia Day on video about her soon-to-return web video series The Guild and her past gaming experience. Fans of Ms. Day and her show will eat it up no matter what we say, of course, but we will note that she reveals what her main World of Warcraft character was and what games she played when she was a kid.Be sure and watch the video after the break, but if you just want the information (we'd think you'd be more interested in seeing Felicia Day's delightful personality than raw data, but here goes): her main was a Warlock (who apparently did some Alchemy on the side), and she had Priest and Mage alts. She grew up playing everything from Zork to Wizardry to Nethack, and has mostly been a PC gamer rather than a console one. We buy it -- she's got cred!Day is doing these appearances to promote The Guild's second season, which debuts exclusively on Xbox Live today.
X-Play delves into Wrath of the Lich King
X-Play took a look at the upcoming Wrath of the Lich King expansion for World of Warcraft and while no new ground was covered on the information front, they did get a look at one of the final battles in the Death Knight starting quest line. Of course, if you're trying to avoid any sort of spoilers concerning the Death Knight or generally anything WotLK-related, you may not want to risk taking a look at the segment.Worry not though, because as we said there ain't much meat on them bones. One thing the segment does point out is that this expansion is yet again aimed solely on high-level content. The subject isn't new by any means, but it did serve to remind us that old-world content could really use some love from Blizzard once in a while. You can find the video after the break.
G4's X-Play reviews Warhammer Online
As we now enter the second full week of Warhammer Online's live service, reviews of the Mythic Entertainment title are continuing to be released. One analysis in particular you might want to check out is X-Play's review of the game. They liked it quite a bit, citing Public Quests as a major improvement to the MMO formula and lauding Mythic's efforts to "make PvP feel as friendly as PvE." Voiced by Adam Sessler, the piece also gives a lot of credit to the Tome of Knowledge. Though the game's main thrust (RvR combat) only gets a small amount of coverage, that's regarded enthusiastically too. The show's only complaints surround technical hiccups the launched title still struggles with. Despite that, Warhammer still ends up with a 5 ... out of 5. Read on below the cut for the full review. Did you enjoy this? Make sure to check out all of our previous Warhammer Online features, and don't miss any of our ongoing coverage as Massively goes to WAR!
X-Play extends to one hour in December
G4 television president Neil Tiles has announced on the company's website that video game infotainment program X-Play will become an hour long during December. The growth spurt can apparently be blamed on all the holiday releases and titles coming in 2009. If the show succeeds in its extended play format, it may find the change permanent next year.X-Play went to a daily half-hour format earlier this year, seeing host Adam Sessler take the managing editor position of the stalwart show. Say what you will about X-Play, but the show has survived every iteration of its network over the last decade -- even when its title didn't.[Via BD]
X-play opens the Stargate and brings back Stargate Worlds gameplay video
G4's X-play gained access to the FireSky Studios where the developers are hard at work on Stargate Worlds. G4 was allowed to open the Stargate and returned back with gameplay footage, while undergoing their mission they infiltrated Studio Head Dan Elggren, Creative Director Chris Klug and Art Director Howard Lyon. As for game footage Elggren took a character through several environments of a pre-alpha build and played through an assault on a drug lord stronghold on the alien planet Lucia. The game is looking great, albeit some video lag in some parts. No earth-shattering revelations were disclosed, but if you'd like learn about the game be sure to check out all our SGW coverage.
Warhammer Online interview on X-Play
We feel that we should preface this piece of news by telling you stalwart Warhammer Online fans that there's no fantastically new information about the game discussed in this interview. Even the gameplay footage is stuff we've already seen. Instead, this seems more about telling people who haven't heard of EA Mythic's upcoming labor of love Warhammer Online why they should be interested in the game. Both Paul Barnett and Jeff "The" Hickman talk to Morgan Webb about their game and while Paul looks particularly tired (with very good reason, though) he still sells the game with his usual plucky-yet-fierce demeanor.World of Warcraft is of course mentioned by Webb, but they guys do a pretty good job steering the discussion away from Blizzard's golden boy and towards why their game will be worth all of our time. We imagine that it would be tough to try and overtake a conversation when you're up against both Jeff and Paul, as they're equally charismatic guys. So check it out, the video isn't very long and should entertain you a little bit what with Paul's semi-incoherent rambling about soccer hooligans and posh English people on drugs.[via Keen and Graev]
