Xplay

Xplay
File:New-xplay.jpg X-Play 2006 logo
Starring	Adam Sessler (1998-present) Morgan Webb (2003-present) Lauren Fielder (1998-1999) Kate Botello (1999-2002)
Country of origin	USA
Production
Running time	approximately 20 minutes
Original release
Network	TechTV
Release	1998 – Present

X-Play (previously GameSpot TV and Extended Play) is a video-game review television show. The program airs on G4 in the United States, on G4techTV in Canada, Fuel TV in Australia, on Ego in Israel and Jack TV in the Philippines. The show is hosted by Adam Sessler and Morgan Webb. Sessler is the original host of the program; he has co-hosted in the past with Lauren Fielder and Kate Botello. X-Play began on ZDTV in 1998 as GameSpot TV where Sessler co-hosted with Fielder for the show's first year, then co-hosted with Botello up through 2002. The show was renamed to Extended Play in 2001 after ZDTV changed to TechTV and the partnership with Ziff Davis' GameSpot ended. Botello left in early 2002, and Sessler hosted the show by himself up until April 2003, when Webb joined the cast and the show was renamed to X-Play. It is the only original TechTV show to entirely survive the May 2004 merger of G4 and TechTV. It is the highest rated show on G4. [1]

History

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G4 Studio #3: the 1st X-Play set in Los Angeles

GameSpot TV, Extended Play, and X-Play all originated in San Francisco, California. Over the show's eight year history, it has gone through numerous changes, in more than just name.

GameSpot TV

In the days of Gamespot TV, the show was filmed on a simple ZDTV studio set consisting of faux-brick walls, randomly positioned TV monitors (running the GameSpot TV logo and assorted videogame footage), and functioning Gauntlet Legends and Rival Schools arcade game cabinets. For the occasional special episode, filming would move off-site to another location, such as the Sony Metreon arcade, and numerous game conventions such as the Classic Gaming Expo and E3. Each episode would start off with "Game News", where Adam Sessler would give a brief overview of top news stories on the GameSpot website. Game reviews were run in a segment known as "The Grill" (games were graded on GameSpot's official .1-10.0 system), "Spotlight" showcased special content such as interviews with industry leaders and "Game Breakers" (featured strategy guides and hints for various recently released games). New episodes would debut on weekend mornings at 10:00 a.m. eastern.

Extended Play

When GameSpot TV converted to Extended Play, the show moved entirely to the Metreon, and took on a very simple style and format. Filming consisted of co-hosts Sessler and Botello and a small single camera crew, the show featured strictly game reviews and game hints, and the 10-point grading system changed to a 5-point system. New episodes debuted once a week at 9:00 p.m. eastern. Like GameSpot TV, certain special episodes would be filmed elsewhere. In August 2002, the series became a daily program with a mix of repeats and first-run episodes airing Monday-Friday at 4 p.m. ET, with the Friday at 9 p.m. berth also kept. After the departure of Botello, Sessler continued to host at Metreon by himself until the change to X-Play in April 2003.

X-Play San Francisco

When X-Play debuted, the show moved back to the TechTV studios from the Metreon, and Morgan Webb came onboard as co-host, leaving her previous hosting duties on TechTV's The Screen Savers and Call For Help. X-Play had a larger scale than that of Extended Play, but it still maintained an extremely simple and spartan style. Filming was done in TechTV's Studio B, home to the sets of Call For Help and TechLive. The filming setup was increased to three cameras; a main floor camera, a Jibcam for high angle shots, and a black-and-white handheld DV camera, which would be cut to suddenly and intermittently throughout episodes.

X-Play's primary set consisted of a single couch, coffee table and television (with working game consoles) positioned in the middle of the large studio floor, but hosts Sessler and Webb would migrate around various areas of the studio, normally not even going to their actual set until the end of the program. Each episode would typically conclude with Sessler and Webb playing one of the consoles on the TV. The show's format consisted primarily of game reviews and previews (with some previews being conducted as live in-studio demos by Morgan and Adam), with an occasional game-related sketch thrown in for comedic value.

The Disembodied Voice was also introduced to the show at this phase in its history. This unseen announcer would begin each episode with an often over-the-top introduction to which the hosts usually responded or commented (these comments varied widely, ranging from total non-sequiturs to Gilbert and Sullivan references to current events).

Unlike its predecessors, X-Play had more of an edge, containing some adult language and more mature subject matter. As a result, it was paired in a programming block with the network's other new show, Unscrewed with Martin Sargent. X-Play originally ran new episodes five nights a week at 11:30 p.m. ET, but it was moved up to 11:00 ET soon after.

X-Play Los Angeles

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X-Play logo, 2003-2006

G4 purchased TechTV in May 2004, and X-Play moved from San Francisco to Los Angeles. The show was filmed in a small studio set resembling a lounge or "rumpus room". The set contained an anonymous functioning arcade cabinet (adorned with X-Play logos), a sofa and a coffee table (the latter ostensibly built with Tetris blocks), a bar counter and stools, and two chairs positioned in front of a plasma TV. The TV was used at the show's introduction to run preview footage of the games featured in each episode. Sessler and Webb would move back and forth between the different areas of the set throughout the show. Use of this set was discontinued after the May 1, 2006 episode.

X-Play Los Angeles 2

On April 29, 2006, G4 announced that - following the network's May 9-12 coverage of E3 2006 - X-Play and Attack of the Show would relaunch, with both shows getting new graphics and new sets. In the case of X-Play, these changes started on May 8. Upon first hearing word of this relaunch, visitors to the X-Play message board expressed concern that one of the changes made to the show would be G4's firing and subsequent replacement of Webb and Sessler. This was not the case: as evidenced by the new opening sequence and episodes, Adam and Morgan remain as the sole hosts of X-Play.

The new set is a large, black, open area containing assorted TV monitors, a video wall, large glass marbles on the floor (of which the announcer once joked about the hosts being scared of tripping over), a large 3-D hanging X-Play logo (the new logo uses brighter colors than the former, and is meant to resemble a video game control pad and console), and a video globe that displays the logo (and other assorted footage) during the hosts' banter. There are no chairs or couches to sit on - the hosts stand the entire time and move around the set, entering it at the show's introduction, and leaving it when a review begins and when the show concludes.

Reviews and coverage

The video game reviews on X-Play use a five-point rating scale;

• 5 - Perfect. A must-own game.
• 4 - Great. The game may have a couple of faults, but it's still worth buying.
• 3 - Average. Nothing special, possibly worth a rental or purchase for casual fans of the game or genre.
• 2 - Poor. Can only be recommended as a rental for serious fans of the game or genre.
• 1 - Terrible. The game is very poorly designed, to the point of actually being unplayable.

Games that score a 5 (and many that score a 4) are compiled for both an annual holiday buyer's guide episode known as the Non-Denominational Winter Season Buyer's Guide, and an end-of-the-year "Best Of" show that categorizes the games according to system or genre (racing, platformer, etc). However, it is incredibly tough for video games to score a 5 or even a 4. It's quite often to hear about the X-Play staff being rather biased with their reviews, favoring games from specific vendors and series rather than the game itself. For this, their reviews are generally disregarded by the viewers and often critizied.

X-Play is also known for its in-depth on-site coverage of video games at annual conventions including the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Tokyo Game Show, and Electronic Entertainment Expo (E³), although the latter two events have been covered by the entire channel since TechTV merged with G4. Similar to the holiday review guide, an annual Best Of E³ episode showcases buzzworthy games for all of the current systems, leading up to what X-Play believes to be the most promising game of the year. The show has also been known to cover the Game Developers Conference (GDC).

X-Play contains edgy, mature, sometimes controversial subject matter and somewhat objectionable language (as it has since its' original TechTV days), but new episodes now generally debut at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

• X-Play lost its 11:00 p.m. ET/PT time slot on April 10, 2006
• X-Play lost its 6:00 p.m. ET/PT time slot on September 5, 2006
• X-Play lost its 3:00 p.m. ET/PT time slot on November 6, 2006

Trademarks and Various Themes

X-Play has been around long enough for fans to recognize certain themes and characteristics that keep popping up from time to time. Some find them amusing, others find them annoying ... however, there can be no doubt that these "trademark moments" have become a huge part of the show's continuity and overall appeal.

Dik-Dik!

Adam used to occasionally say "Dik-Dik" on-air, and in the days of TechTV regularly wore a "Dik-Dik" t-shirt. This is in reference to the manga and anime series Ultimate Muscle, which contains a character named Dik-Dik Van Dik, whose Japanese name is "Gazelleman." Sessler has said in interviews that he likes the phrase "Dik-Dik" because it's a subtle way to legally use questionable words on TV. Due to a G4 policy stating that all on-air talent must be supplied with a stock wardrobe (as opposed to TechTV, where personalities were allowed to wear their own clothing on-air), Sessler no longer wears the Dik-Dik shirt on X-Play.

"Morgan's Not a Gamer"

Many people have called into question the fact whether or not Morgan is really a fan of video games; they would find it easier to believe that (as a young woman) she was hired simply for her looks to draw in the male demographic, while reading from a script to give the "illusion" of someone who is knowledgeable in the world of gaming. While Morgan has repeatedly gone on record saying that she does in fact play games, the accusation still comes up from time to time (in their review of Point Blank, a sentient version of the Wikipedia logo actually asked Morgan, "Is it true that you play video games?").

Interns

The "X-Play Interns" have played a tremendous part in the show's segments and have become a fan-favorite. They are commonly seen wearing a white undershirt with the word INTERN scrawled across the chest in black permanent marker. Interns are accountable for much of the game footage seen on screen, which gets reused in other G4 shows (like Cheat! and Cinematech), and need to be adept at game-playing and finding critical scenes/glitches/humorous text within games. In addition to having to perform in numerous segments, X-Play interns also play a role in other behind-the-scenes work at the show. Some of the past X-Play interns have eventually been hired full-time within the overall G4 company itself. The first intern to be hired was actually Jason Frankovitz who would become best known as the show's disembodied voice until he left in early 2005. Albert Iskander (known best for his role as "Leader of the Yu-Gi-Oh Gang") would eventually be hired as a Production Assistant for G4's "Video Game Vixens" and later for "G4TV.com". Gene Yraola would eventually work into G4's Games Editorial Department (the liaisons between the shows and the actual software/hardware companies). Eric Acasio got hired onto the X-Play staff as a production assistant. At the beginning of 2006 Emily Mollenkopf got hired onto the Attack of the Show staff as a production assistant.

• From Los Angeles, California: Gene Yraola, Chuck Wilkerson, Eric Acasio, Albert Iskander, Chris Wilson, Issac, Geoff Pinkus, Brian Flores, Russ Brock, Emily Mollenkopf, Kenny, Megan, Alex Villegas, Stephan
• From San Francisco, California: Chris Ivarson, Kevin Theobald, Matt Ketterer, Desiree Peel, Jana Suverkropp, Blake Yoshiura, Kevin Yuen, Jason Frankovitz

The Screaming Intern, played by Robert Manuel, in reality is not an intern for the show but an actual producer and X-Play intern coordinator.

"Celebrity" Guest Appearances

Celebrity "impressions" are often featured on the show, via cut-out images of famous people with a moving jaw section (aka the Flappy Heads). Past impressions have included:

• Arnold Schwarzenegger
• Steven Seagal
• Bob Dole
• Al Pacino
• John Madden
• Paris Hilton
• Sean Connery
• Patrick Stewart
• OJ Simpson
• Pete Rose
• The Beatles
• Barry Bonds
• John Malkovich
• Andrew Dice Clay
• Ozzy Osbourne
• former FEMA Director Michael Brown
• George Lucas
• Adolf Hitler
• Jason Giambi
• Sammy Sosa
• Batman
• Michael Jackson
• Shaquille O'Neal
• Jacques-Yves Cousteau
• Sean Combs
• Milli Vanilli
• Adam Sessler
• Zinadine Zidane
• Abraham Lincoln
• George Takei
• Dane Cook
• Tommy Tallarico
• Star Jones
• Tiger Woods

Real Guest Appearances

When X-Play was still a part of TechTV, personalities from other shows on the network would often make guest appearances (including Leo Laporte and Unscrewed's Martin Sargent and Laura Swisher). This continued after the merger with G4, with Attack of the Show host Kevin Pereira and G4tv.com's Tina Wood.

Recently, X-Play has even persuaded pseudo-celebrities that are not affiliated with G4 (such as Tony Little and Kato Kaelin) to appear on the show.

Pop Culture References

The X-Play writers are often trying to keep their jokes "fresh" by poking fun at the latest current events, either in Hollywood (Tom Cruise and the Brokeback Mountain movie being prime examples), sports (the steroids scandal in baseball or Ben Roethlisberger's motorcycle accident) or on the global scene (Dick Cheney shooting a companion during a hunting trip and the death of Steve Irwin).

Censoring Violent Video Games

During reviews, cropped images of kittens are often used to censor particularly violent or grotesque sequences. In a similar fashion, images of puppies were used in a review of Dead to Rights 2 and images of babies were used in a review for The Suffering: Ties That Bind.

Hatred

There are several gaming titles/genres/issues that co-hosts Adam and Morgan have pledged eternal hatred towards. These include (but are not limited to):

• Card battle games such as Yu-Gi-Oh!
• Games based on anime series (in one episode, Adam and Morgan stated that "we don't actually hate anime games, we just hate games that suck ... and it just so happens that most anime games do suck.").
• Escort missions, where the player is forced to keep an NPC character (who has its own health meter) from dying. This often proves difficult when the NPC's A.I. is so insufficient that they continuously place themselves in harm's way (leaving the player with little or no chance to save them).
• Japanese dating simulation games like Sexy Beach 2
• Repetitive games like the Dynasty Warriors series
• The repetitiveness and frequent release of Mega Man games ("The Mega Man Effect")
• The fact that there are so many World War II strategy and first-person shooter games on the market (during the review of Moscow to Berlin: Red Siege, Morgan remarked "That's it! No more World War II games! It's stated in my contract that I only have to review 75 World War II games a year, and I already hit my quota back in March!").
• Video games based on existing IPs (like games based on current movies or TV shows), since they are usually rushed to the market to cash in on the latest craze and end up being painful to actually play (such as the Charlie's Angels or Da Vinci Code video games).
• Barbie Horse Adventures: Wild Horse Rescue (Morgan has often called this the worst game ever made)
• Jonny Moseley and the ridiculous comments made in his video game Jonny Moseley Mad Trix
• Japanese RPGs (this is Adam's personal pet peeve, as his biggest gripe is against those who claim that the Final Fantasy series is perfect in every way ... although he did openly admit that Final Fantasy VI was his favorite 16-bit RPG).
• The G4 network itself. It is widely rumored (though extremely difficult to verify) that Adam and Morgan were unhappy with the transition from TechTV to G4TV programming, and certain "hints" at this malaise can be picked up if one is to "read between the lines". For example, during a review for the game Dragon Booster, various fake ad graphics blocked out most of the screen while promoting G4-esque show (The Man Show and Fastlane). Fans took this to mean that X-Play was growing tired of loud and disruptive in-show ads blocking out their own skits and graphics.

Physical Abuse On Set

One recurrent theme is to give X-Play the appearance of an exceedingly violent working environment. When Adam and Morgan aren't depicted as putting the interns in harm's way (either while performing some menial task or simply for their own amusement), then Morgan is often the one shown dishing out the physical abuse directly towards her co-host. This has manifested itself in various slaps and punches whenever Adam does or says something that annoys or offends Morgan (which is quite frequently). In a "special" episode presented as a mock-documentary on the history of violence in video games, Adam found himself the victim of various "violent attacks" and in the last scene of the episode, Morgan landed several blows to Adam's person with a baseball bat.

Humiliating the Sess

Adam Sessler enjoys working a self-deprecating brand of comedy, in which he lets himself become the object of ridicule and derision, whether at the hands of himself, Morgan, or others. This includes expressing his lack of bladder control, an unhealthy obsession with fudge, bad luck with women, poor education/social status, and hatred for his own life and lack of purpose in the world.

Examples of Adam's masochistic comedy include dressing up in women's clothing (like a yellow cheerleader's uniform or the skimpy outfit that Morgan wore during her Maxim photo-shoot), claiming that he was molested as a child, stapling himself in the crotch, or striking himself in the temple with a hammer when a game becomes too boring to play.

On rare occasions, his self-pity and melancholy manages to earn him Morgan's sympathy (on even rarer occasions, a comforting hug from Morgan), but most of the time, it just annoys her (and sometimes, even to the point that she simply walks away from him).

Viewer Mail

Sometimes, at the end of an episode, Adam and Morgan will read a selected letter, e-mail or video mail written or recorded by a fan of the show. On rare occasions, the chosen message will be positive, but more often than not, the message is either a foolish question or hate mail from a fan who feels that X-Play did not give a certain game a "fair" score. Quite often, the letters contain numerous typographical errors.

The X-Play Boards

According to the show's staff and crew, in addition to suffering unflattering viewer mail, Adam and Morgan are the subject of even more ire through the show's official message board. The vitriol spewed forth on the forums has become so well-documented that the X-Play staff even produced a "music video" dedicated to the message board's denizens entitled "On the X-Play Boards" (MP3 format).

The song was written and performed by Marque Phahee and the Bling Dongs (X-Play staffer Mark Fahey with an acoustic guitar), featuring the X-Play After School Choir (comprised of Morgan, Adam and various X-Play characters) and is (supposedly) the lead track from the X-Play: The Musical motion picture soundtrack.

Sketches and segments

Various recurring segments and comedy skits have been used throughout the show's history by the X-Play writers.

Main article: X-Play's sketches and segments

Recurring (and not so recurring) characters

X-Play has amassed a large group of fictional characters that will pop up during the show from time to time, often to bring some light-hearted comedy during game reviews.

Main article: List of X-Play characters

The X-Play Book

On October 22, 2004, TechTV (in association with Peachpit Press) published the book The X-play Insider's Guide to Gaming : All You Ever Wanted to Know About Video Games From G4techTV's Brutally Honest Experts (ISBN Number 0735714355). Written by Marc Saltzman (along with the X-Play Cast) and weighing in at a hefty-468 pages, this tome was chockful of game reviews, cheat codes, and Q&A sessions with the cast and crew. Adam and Morgan even went on a nation-wide book-signing tour to help promote their literary endeavor.

X-Play: The Online Game

"X-Play: The Online Game" is a short Flash game created by the San Francisco-based company Orange Design (graphics and audio by Sean Talley, programming by Fearghal O'Dea). In the game, you can play as big-headed versions of either Adam (whose main weapon is Slippy the Fish) or Morgan (whose main weapon is her fists), as they battle zombies, pirates, and radioactive Dik-diks.

Video podcast

On November 11, 2005, G4 started offering free podcast videos from X-Play - short videos of popular segments, previews, and reviews from the show that are updated daily on iTunes for viewing on computers and portable devices.

External links

• X-Play official site
• X-Play Reviewed Games Database
• The X-Play Insider's Guide to Gaming
• "X-Play: The Online Game" mirror site