G4 Being Rebranded - New Focus Aims to Be a GQ-Like Station for the Modern Male

[Shawn Zipay]

NBC Universal is looking to completely rebrand the G4 television station. They look to change things up so much that the station, as you know it, will be nearly unrecognizable after the transformation.

NBCU wants to make the station more like "GQ", a station that will appeal to the "modern male". The modern male apparently having "interests span beyond the dorm room or messy bachelor pad. The guy-centric net is mulling a more sophisticated look while remaining true to its tech and vid game roots."

G4's roots stem back to 2002 when it began as a purely videogame focused station. As the years wore on, the focus shifted to other realms, including the addition of countless reruns of COPS, Cheaters, and American Ninja Warrior.

This past year, Kevin Pereira, the creator of Attack of the Show!, stepped down from his position and left the network. Adam Sessler and Olivia Munn both also left, leaving behind relative unknowns to try to fill the voids.

This rebranding leaves the future of these shows in question. At this point, anything is possible and we'll know more come early 2013.

(via)

[K-16]

Now when I say this, I only say this as a personal opinion and do not intend for anyone to agree with me here... But "a more sophisticated look while remaining true to its tech and vid game roots" is a paradox to me, making this achievement nearly impossible.

I suppose Apple/Steve Jobs changed that notion on the tech side, but I can't really see video games having a strong enough focus while showing programs for an even more mature audience. They might as well consolidate all tech and video game shows into one daily show and have the rest open for the other stuff, rather than claiming to stay true to what put them on the radar in the first place.

Besides, was G4 still focused on tech and video games this whole time? Didn't they stop years ago or something in favor of style over substance? I don't know, I stopped watching ever since they stopped airing The Electric Playground. And are the words "vid game" commonly used? I don't see it in urban dictionary and this is the first time I've seen this truncated variation. Looks "cool" and "hip."

[Buveed]

I'm surprised it existed this long.

[DunkinSPE]

G4 was only going to be as good as the programming it offered. When they lost a lot of the key folks they had in place it just kind of fell flat. Re-branding sometimes works. But I'm not sure a more GQ style network will make the cut. Tech savy folks tend to dwell on forums and the web for a lot of their info. The one aspect that made G4 worth watching was the good mix of gaming reviews and personality that its better hosts brought to the table.If done poorly a re-brand will complete the turn of G4 into another MTV clone where you look back and wonder where did the original concept go.

[nemes1s3000]

Was the host of G4 TV that talentless retard called Olivia Munn?

[Shawn Zipay]

Re: G4 Being Rebranded - New Focus Aims to Be a GQ-Like Station for the Modern Male

"G4 TV" isn't a show anywhere. However, she was co-host of Attack of the Show! but left over two years ago.

[CptainCrunch]

Re: G4 Being Rebranded - New Focus Aims to Be a GQ-Like Station for the Modern Male

Now when I say this, I only say this as a personal opinion and do not intend for anyone to agree with me here... But "a more sophisticated look while remaining true to its tech and vid game roots" is a paradox to me, making this achievement nearly impossible.

I suppose Apple/Steve Jobs changed that notion on the tech side, but I can't really see video games having a strong enough focus while showing programs for an even more mature audience. They might as well consolidate all tech and video game shows into one daily show and have the rest open for the other stuff, rather than claiming to stay true to what put them on the radar in the first place.

Besides, was G4 still focused on tech and video games this whole time? Didn't they stop years ago or something in favor of style over substance? I don't know, I stopped watching ever since they stopped airing The Electric Playground. And are the words "vid game" commonly used? I don't see it in urban dictionary and this is the first time I've seen this truncated variation. Looks "cool" and "hip."

I was actually going to post something very similiar up. GQ style just doesnt bring PC and console gamers into mind when talking video games. Even their forums lack maturity and I dont see this going toward the demographic.

But, who knows? Maybe this is something needed in the industry and no one relizes it. Its been degrading for many years now.