Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Game On! TWIT's take on gaming

Article first published as Game On! TWIT's take on gaming on Technorati.




Where does an avid gamer go for gaming news?  Traditional sources might give a new release a few sentences buried underneath the horoscopes and celebrity gossip.  Of course a game publisher might have an IPO that makes it to the business page.  If it doesn't have the World of Warcraft in its catalog, however, don't count on a lot of coverage.

Of course most gamers already know where to get the best information on games.  PC Gamer, Internet Gaming News and Electronic Gaming Monthly are probably the de facto sources.  Sites like HardOCP or PC Perspective have gaming reviews usually in concert with coverage of the latest enthusiast PC hardware.   The trouble is that the content can be a bit dry which may lead you to less authoritative but more entertaining sources.

Your path to gaming enlightenment continues to  a virtual avalanche of gaming podcasts and YouTube videos of purely subjective value.  Like every other aspect of the digital age a gamer is subjected to information overload.  That puts you right back where you started relying on flashy marketing and developer pedigree when you're eyeing your next 100 hour time sink.

If you've been paying attention to the current TWIT.tv lineup you may have another option on your list of gaming information.  One of the newer shows on TWIT, GAME ON! hosted by Brian Brushwood (scamschoolbrian) and Veronica Belmont (TekZilla) debuted January 15th.  After 5 episodes (not counting the November beta) the new show is shaping up to be an entertaining take on gaming. 

The show is partially scripted by Justin Robert Young (NSFW, Itricks.com) and takes a lighthearted but informative look at all things gaming.  The weekly show/podcast consists of gaming news, reviews, humorous skits and interviews with gaming movers and shakers like Rob Krekel, sound designer for Uncharted 3 and Curt Schilling (of baseball fame), chairman of 38 studios (Kingdoms of Amalur:Reckoning).

The overall feel of the show harkens back to the ZDTV/TECHTV gaming show Gamespot TV (now X-play on G4 network) except platform coverage isn't as limited.  Most gaming shows tend to focus on consoles almost exclusively.  Game On! covers consoles too but equal time is given to PC and mobile platforms as well. 

In support of the show a weekly televised LAN party, Shut Up and Play! hosted by Glenn Rubenstein (formerly of Gamespot and CNET)  has guests including Game On! hosts and production staff playing popular multiplayer games with viewers.   A recent development is the "grudge match" between Brushwood and Rubenstein for often humorous stakes.

Game On! follows the general TWIT formula of audience participation but relies less on the real-time nature of most TWIT programming.  Feedback comes from email and twitter posts at the end of the show rather than the live chat room.  This allows the hosts more control over the shows pacing and content.

Coupled with the scripted portions of the show there's a more polished feel that keeps the audience engaged but allows the end product to rise above the average gaming podcast.  As a cornerstone for TWIT's designs on being a major player in IPTV the show fulfills its role well.  It's likely that Game On! and TWIT's other more structured offerings such as their daily tech news program Tech News Today (TNT) or Triangulation will likely lead the TWIT IPTV lineup.

Game On! is available live on the TWIT network Sundays at 6PM Pacific with Shut UP and Play immediately following.  Game ON! is recorded as a weekly podcast and is usually available the following Monday.

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