Review of G4

The history of G4 TV is complicated. It began in April 2002 as the first network dedicated entirely to video games. But in May 2004, Comcast purchased TechTV, a broader network with a general focus on technology, and merged the two channels. After a brief period known as G4techTV, both the “tech” and “gaming” angles folded into what marketing executives call a male lifestyle umbrella—the current G4 TV, which so many young men have come to know and love. Viewers can expect lots of women, low-brow comedy, blockbuster movie news, popular music, iconic TV shows like Star Trek and Arrested Development, and, of course, video games. Ripe TV fans might notice a few similarities between the networks, whose competition is one of the fiercest that the online world has seen yet. It’s also worth noting that after being interviewed on NBC’s Today Show, famed lifecaster Justin of Justin.TV compared his experience with the television network withhis experience on G4 TV, who he said was far better prepared, organized, and staffed with knowledgeable journalists.

G4 is categorized by show. Whether the shows were made for the network’s online audience or its traditional TV viewers, the latest episodes of each can be viewed online at any time with earlier installments in the archives. The in-house player is known as “The Pile” and is divided into several sections, most of which are inspired by the most popular shows in the repertoire. “X-Play,” one of the vestiges of the original format, features reviews and previews of upcoming video games, while “Cheat!” offers up the latest gamer tips and codes. The programming is always changing, but you can be sure to find shows that cover viral videos, blog news, hot girls, extreme sports, classic shows like “The Man Show,” and anything else that’s popular with G4’s demographic. For example, at the time of this writing, there’s a slew of shows emphasizing street culture, from graffiti art to underground hip hop. But some of the network’s other stalwarts include “Icons,” which airs interviews with celebrities, and “Attack of the Show,” the flagship program that contains a news segment known as the Daily Feed, a roundtable argument called The Loop, and feature stories on comics, girls, and cinema.

Nocturnal Emissions is a show that probably hits closest to home for G4’s target demographic. Dedicated to exploring violence and porn in video games, it’s surely a hit amongst its post-pubescent tech savvy male base.