Thursday, March 17, 2011

Why Dont Video Game Shows Exist Anymore?

I remember a time as a child there used to be a few video game shows that was TV whether it was Free TV (ITV and Channel 4) or Sky. There are three shows that I can remember

Gamesmaster (Channel 4 between 1992 and 1998)
Games World (Sky 1 between 1993 and 1995)
Bad Influence (ITV Yorkshire Production between 1992 and 1996)

These three shows formed my childhood in the later years leading to my Teenage years. These three shows were very good in their own way.

Gamesmaster was a show presented by Dominik Diamond and Patrick Moore apart from Series 3 done by Dexter Fletcher who I thought was good in small doses but Dominik was way better in the presenting role. Never saw Patrick Moore to be a gamer type probably someone who thought of doing the show just for money but thats my opinion.

There was Games World which I found more interesting probably because it was 5 days a week and it would have Monday and Friday doing the main show and the rest of the week covered by reviews, Live show and cheats in the first series. By the second series they had a series called Barry JoyPad's which featured a pre-fame David Williams from Little Britain which was a really funny show on a Tuesday, bit childish for my liking nowadays but hey. I remember Jet from Gladitors was in it and god she was hot.

Finally there was Bad Influence which was more a feature show on a Thursday afternoon on CITV when it was free TV and not have its own channel like now. I liked that they focused on the game in more detail than the other two shows and felt more for a younger audience but felt it didnt have the punch of GamesMaster and Games World.

In 1996 Bad Influence was put to dust as it was a shame that people werent watching that I have found out.

By 1998 all 3 of these shows were gone. Games Master didnt fit into the Channel 4 under their new controller I found out recently and ended a week before my 15th Birthday. Games World really sucked in 1998 by doing 15 minute segments every morning along with the new series that everyone knows as a Pokemon.

Its weird, I think it was also a period where I lost interesting in gaming in a way. I dont know I was more into watching music videos and TV shows also trying to get my coursework.

A lot of people take video games only for the younger market but thats not true maybe around that period of the mid 90's I would have believed that.

The mainstream media in my view dont take video games seriously at all unless it is the release of a new Grand Theft Auto or Call of Duty which have been labeled for Criticism for being really violent and real. There are times with the media that I feel that they only report on it when they havent tried out the game itself then I would believe their argument.

I have played of God Of War games and its more violent than them two but doesnt get the media coverage of them two games.

Im going off the point here, I know there are video game programming on Youtube and Internet but I do wish there was one show like the 3 I mentioned that was on TV but then again people have said TV is dead.

Ah well I thought I would leave you with clips from each of the 3 shows to give you an idea

Thanks for reading everyone

Barry

GamesMaster Series 1 Episode 1

Part 1



Part 2



Part 3



Games World

Beat The Elite (Friday Show from Series 1)

Part 1


Part 2


Part 3


Here is a clip with Games Mistress being played by Gladitor Jet


Bad Influence

Series 2 episode looking into the Atari Jaguar



Family Guide to Computers

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Yeah good point, i remember gamesmaster but not the other two dominic diamond was good in that can you also remember the sports show he done turnstyle on channel five? it was just after he done gamesmaster. But anyway im sure there is video games shows on sky tv somewere.