At this point, some younger gaming fans may not even remember what G4TV is today, or at the very least never watched it. Back in 2004, G4 was an ambitious television network created by a partnership between NBC Universal and Dish Network. While other networks had similar tech-focused shows, there had never been a television network designed and oriented to the audience of video game fans. The TV network was on air for about 12 years before unceremoniously shuttering entirely in November of 2014.
Now that same brand, six years later, has announced plans for making a "G4" comeback in 2021. As for what that means, there likely won't be another official announcement until later this year at least, or early next year. It does mean that the television network that once suffered a long and drawn out retirement is attempting to make a return in a very crowded market of gaming news and entertainment, especially with the internet and ubiquitous video streaming. It's big deal because many are wondering if history will repeat itself, or if G4's brand name is enough to stand out on its own.
The Long and Drawn Out "Death" of G4
Back during an era where high speed internet was not as ubiquitous as it certainly has become, G4 (or G4TV) was the best alternative for fans to get any of their gaming news or entertainment in a mainstream capacity. G4 was initially born out of TechTV, which merged with the tech-focused channel and dissolved all of TechTV's original shows in favor of video game programming. With iconic shows like Attack of the Show or X-Play, fans had access to gaming news and entertainment on cable with G4. While the network saw some initial success in the year or two after the TechTV merge in 2004, eventually ratings started to decline and G4 shows were scaling back production.
Producers and executives attempted to broaden the demographic of G4 viewers, attributing the decline in ratings to the supposedly narrow audience for gaming content on TV. From then on, ratings continued to decline as open time slots were beginning to fill with runoff reruns from other NBC channels. Eventually the beginning of the end of G4 came when DirecTV dropped the G4 network entirely in 2010, likely due to the decline in ratings. From there, G4 slowly began to restructure and drop original programming entirely, even a planned rebranding under the Esquire Network that never took place. From there, the channel continued to air shows like American Ninja Warrior among other NBC re-runs until officially shuttering by the end of 2014.
G4's Seemingly Random Resurrection
Of course, G4's vocal fanbase fought to keep the show alive until iconic show hosts like Adam Sessler and Olivia Munn were let go in the midst of the declining channel. Now with G4 making a grand return, seemingly without the old talents involved (yet), this obviously has a lot of fans cautiously curious. People are right to be skeptical of G4's return if the channel intends to go back on air as another television channel, but it's not likely. More than likely G4 would return in online form, which in a vacuum is a good idea, but G4 would be competing the many hundreds of popular gaming networks on the internet in 2021.
Considering the official social channels of Attack of the Show and X-Play also shared the G4 revival video, it's almost certain some of the channel's most popular programming are returning as well. Presumably the sharing of this video by both shows' social channels means Attack of the Show and X-Play are returning, it's very possible other original shows like The Screen Savers or Proving Ground could return as well. The question is whether these original programs, which are apparently returning without their original hosts, can differentiate themselves from other well-established, gaming-related programming already on YouTube or Twitch. It's certainly a tough ask, especially considering the fate of G4's original TV run.
Reviving G4 Amongst a Modern Gaming Audience
Of course the question on everyone's minds is likely whether or not G4 could last in the gaming industry in 2020-2021. Obviously at this point it's hard to say; given the context of G4's downfall from television doesn't exactly instill confidence in its revival. Not only that, but stars like Adam Sessler or Olivia Munn were reportedly not contacted to return to the shows they originally hosted. A lot of what's remembered about G4's identity was its iconic hosts, just as much as the programming itself. The team responsible for G4's return likely recognizes that TV is a non-starter for video game programming, but there's a few options for G4 starting anew in online media.
G4 would make a big splash if it partnered with a similarly large and influential online media company that typically focuses on games. Some fans have thrown around the idea of G4 partnering with a bigwig gaming-related network like Rooster Teeth. Adding Attack of the Show alongside Achievement Hunter or Inside Gaming programming could potentially revive some of G4's oldest series for modern audiences. G4 could take the more traditional TV-focused approach and partner with a streaming service like Netflix or Hulu to bring exclusive programming to those platforms. This kind of move would make a lot of sense, but with Netflix's propensity to cancel shows that just don't perform as well, G4 would walk a finer line on streaming platforms.
The future of G4 is likely something fans never expected to even consider again, but the network is returning in some way. Fans are right to be cautious, as this sudden brand revival could either be drastically different, or familiar in a very bad way.
The G4 network is slated to return in 2021.