General Random Conversation..

[desmondTUTU 0]

Been called up for Jury Service.

Anyone ever done it?

 

Do you want to go or not?

[The Fish 8989]

I've put this in the Games section, but I thought it merited a place here as well.

 

 

 

Charlie Brooker interview: Why are there no computer game TV shows?

Published Friday, Nov 29 2013, 18:07 GMT | By Alex Fletcher | 15 comments

Charlie Brooker has spoken to Digital Spy about the lack of computer game shows on mainstream TV, arguing that they are neglected because of the false stereotype that the medium is aimed primarily at children.

The most famous computer game TV show, Channel 4's GamesMaster, ended in 1998 and Brooker said that the BBC is reluctant to ever expand on his one-off review show Gameswipe.

© Channel 4

Charlie Brooker's How Gaming Changed the World

> Charlie Brooker plays video games with Jon Snow - video
> Charlie Brooker's 5 computer games that changed the world

Brooker is hosting a documentary for Channel 4 on the history of gaming this weekend, and the writer and comedian said that the lack of gaming on TV "boils down to a lack of imagination".

"Games are an evolving media and there are lots of topics of discussion around them. A video game can be anything from The Last of Us, which is an HBO boxset in video game form, to Fruit Ninja, which apparently even David Cameron was addicted to - there's a large variety of games and there's more to talk about now than there were a few years ago," said Brooker.

"The focus of games is changing. The focus of games in the '90s was how long can you survive, how many points can you get, that sort of thing. That lent itself to shows like GamesMaster. Now, games are more like movies and they have a narrative and an overall experience.

Watch a classic clip from GamesMaster:


"A lot of it boils down to a slight lack of imagination from TV companies. I mean cars, cars are a thing. Everyone uses them, but caring about them and loving them is a niche hobby. But Top Gear is an accessible mainstream show that lots of people watch and there's no reason you couldn't do something like that with video games, people just haven't really tried."

Commenting on Gameswipe, the Black Mirror writer said: "When we did Gameswipe, at the time it did better than the other episodes of Screenwipe. I remember the day after it went out, a computer games magazine contacted the BBC and asked if they'd planned to do any more and they just said, 'No'.

"We hadn't asked for a series or anything like that, I just think it's the sort of thing that most TV commissioners don't understand. They can't really get a handle on it. It's a thing that TV doesn't know how to do, because the only attempts they had had are things like GamesMaster. Consequently, they think the show has to be aimed at kids."

He added: "[Gaming] was on TV more in the '80s and '90s, even though it's a bigger business now, which is strange.

"All the channels are more fragmented now, so what are seen as specialist topics are on specialist channels. But really, video games are way more popular than prog rock, but BBC Four seem to air nothing but prog rock documentaries. It's really quite weird. It's weird that the BBC don't cover them at all."

Charlie Brooker in 'Weekly Wipe'

Brooker argued that the presumption that computer games are designed for children is "ridiculous", claiming that it would be as absurd as saying all movies are for children because there are Pixar films.

"When you look at the history of video games, in the early years with Pong and Space Invaders, they were aimed at adults," said Brooker. "They were adult recreation. Morecambe and Wise used to advertise the Atari for Christ's sake. And machines used to be found in pubs. The idea that they are for children has just stuck though and it's basically because they have games in the title.

"It makes them sound inherently frivolous and a child-like thing. That's why people seem to get angry when they see a game with violence or swearing in it. There is a wrong assumption from people that these things are aimed at children."

Charlie Brooker's How Video Games Changed the World airs on Saturday (November 30) at 9pm.

 

 

Thoughts?

[Howmanheyman 26791]

I've put this in the Games section, but I thought it merited a place here as well.

 

 

 

 

Thoughts?

aye, you need to grow up.

 

[Andrew 4218]

aye, you need to grow up.

 

 

 

[Monkeys Fist 38744]

 

Do you want to go or not?

Want doesn't come into it.

[desmondTUTU 0]

Want doesn't come into it.

 

There are ways

[Monkeys Fist 38744]

I'm sure there are.

But why would you want to 'get out of it'?

[desmondTUTU 0]

It's mind numbing and gets in the way of work.

[Monkeys Fist 38744]

I've never understood that attitude.

That's not a dig at you personally, just never been able to to fathom the " get out of it" approach.

[ewerk 26303]

It's mind numbing and gets in the way of work.

And those cocks won't suck themselves.

[Monkeys Fist 38744]

[Christmas Tree 3997]

And those cocks won't suck themselves.

[Monkeys Fist 38744]

Police helicopter crashes into a pub in Glasgow.

Shit the fucking bed!

http://news.sky.com/story/1175697/police-helicopter-crashes-into-glasgow-pub-roof

[catmag 336]

Just watching the live news reports now. People still trapped inside the pub

[desmondTUTU 0]

And those cocks won't suck themselves.

 

What a cheap joke from a cheap little person.

[The Fish 8989]

aye, you need to grow up.

 

Kind of proving my point there marra. If I'd said movies or music, you'd not have had that gut reaction (for all it was light-hearted), would you? Yet computer games are still dismissed as a kids thing. Which is odd to me; as the writing, art and high production values that go into games like Last of Us, Grand Theft Auto, even FIFA surpass 90% of TV and a hell of a lot of Hollywood.

 

But because you played Mario and Sonic when you were a bairn, it's a bairn's toy.

 

I see playing an hour of a game like Last of Us as a better use of my time and attention, than parked on the sofa watching Coronation St (or whatever).

 

I was chatting to my house-mate about something similar, she's the kind of girl who, when I'm enjoying Boardwalk Empire, BBC 4 Documentaries or even Soccer Saturday, will ask if I'm watching that... now, because I can't be bothered with the arse-ache I'll often relinquish the remote only to find her putting on I'm a Celebrity, or X-Factor or one of the Faked-Reality shows like Geordie Shore. Her argument is that when she gets back from work, she wants to switch off and not think. I'd have thought she could do that just as well when there's something of quality on the TV, but apparently not. I've had the misfortune to watch a couple of the Faked-Reality shows and, honestly, nothing happens. Yet they draw huge viewing numbers. I cannot work it out.

 

I cannot understand that behaviour on a daily basis, I mean sure, watch some Sitcom or some Channel 4 pseudo-documentary on occasion, but everyday resigning yourself to a sea of grey? No thanks. There's great TV out there, but it's swallowed up by loads of shit, that people just accept and sit stupefied until it's bed time.

 

I'd rather play a computer game, at least it's interactive.

[Howmanheyman 26791]

Kind of proving my point there marra. If I'd said movies or music, you'd not have had that gut reaction (for all it was light-hearted), would you? Yet computer games are still dismissed as a kids thing. Which is odd to me; as the writing, art and high production values that go into games like Last of Us, Grand Theft Auto, even FIFA surpass 90% of TV and a hell of a lot of Hollywood.

 

But because you played Mario and Sonic when you were a bairn, it's a bairn's toy.

 

I see playing an hour of a game like Last of Us as a better use of my time and attention, than parked on the sofa watching Coronation St (or whatever).

 

I was chatting to my house-mate about something similar, she's the kind of girl who, when I'm enjoying Boardwalk Empire, BBC 4 Documentaries or even Soccer Saturday, will ask if I'm watching that... now, because I can't be bothered with the arse-ache I'll often relinquish the remote only to find her putting on I'm a Celebrity, or X-Factor or one of the Faked-Reality shows like Geordie Shore. Her argument is that when she gets back from work, she wants to switch off and not think. I'd have thought she could do that just as well when there's something of quality on the TV, but apparently not. I've had the misfortune to watch a couple of the Faked-Reality shows and, honestly, nothing happens. Yet they draw huge viewing numbers. I cannot work it out.

 

I cannot understand that behaviour on a daily basis, I mean sure, watch some Sitcom or some Channel 4 pseudo-documentary on occasion, but everyday resigning yourself to a sea of grey? No thanks. There's great TV out there, but it's swallowed up by loads of shit, that people just accept and sit stupefied until it's bed time.

 

I'd rather play a computer game, at least it's interactive.

I'm going to be completely honest here with you, Fish, I just saw 'computer tv game show' and thought you meant a Family fortunes type show with no humans on. Now I've actually read your post I catch your drift and wonder how the fuck I drew that conclusion?

 

I thought there is/was television shows about computer games as it happens but will take your word for it that there isn't. As for the kids only liking computer games that obviously isn't the case especially the games now are a bit like films in their own right however you've got to admit there's something a bit teenager-ish about spending hours playing these games for working adults, (particularly adults with other halves and/or kids). That's just the way I see it though and I don't claim to be in the majority. (I'd rather play a computer game than watch x factor/coronation street/geordie shore/soccer am though so I'll give you that!)

[The Fish 8989]

I'm going to be completely honest here with you, Fish, I just saw 'computer tv game show' and thought you meant a Family fortunes type show with no humans on. Now I've actually read your post I catch your drift and wonder how the fuck I drew that conclusion?

 

I thought there is/was television shows about computer games as it happens but will take your word for it that there isn't. As for the kids only liking computer games that obviously isn't the case especially the games now are a bit like films in their own right however you've got to admit there's something a bit teenager-ish about spending hours playing these games for working adults, (particularly adults with other halves and/or kids). That's just the way I see it though and I don't claim to be in the majority. (I'd rather play a computer game than watch x factor/coronation street/geordie shore/soccer am though so I'll give you that!)

 

Ah, makes sense now,

 

re: the bit in bold, I think that's the perception, but to be honest weren't we simply trying everything when we were teenagers anyway? The medium was only coming to prominence when I was a teen (mid-late 90s) so it stands to reason that adults weren't playing it then. They hadn't grown up with it and given the nascent stage of development games were in, I can't blame them for not wanting to pick it up. My Dad says they're daft toys, yet he'll play solitaire on the laptop and when I explain he's playing a computer game, he asserts that he's not, he's playing cards on a computer. Lunacy.

 

The systems that play games are now establishing themselves as "media centres", so they're moving out of the bedroom and taking pride of place beside the Sky box and stereo. Mums are doing their keep fit through it, pre-schoolers are playing "learning games" on it, Dad is playing FIFA and then the lad is playing Call of Duty online with his mates.

 

I'd be curious to see a tv show that appealed to the mass market about something that is still considered a niche hobby. It's still frowned upon to say you play computer games, despite some girls playing every facebook browser game going, they'd still say they don't play computer games.

 

It's weird is all.

[ewerk 26303]

[The Fish 8989]

I love that gif.

[Christmas Tree 3997]

Schoolboy error by Mrs CT when buying me some jeans this morning

 

 

Not a chance!

[Andrew 4218]

Missing the balloon seat?

[Gemmill 34425]

Non elasticated waist.

[Christmas Tree 3997]

 

Just the most revered date in the mack calender

[Meenzer 14035]

Schoolboy error by Mrs CT when buying me some jeans this morning

"Straight"?