The gaming community has greeted news of G4's forthcoming network relaunch with a mix of emotions. While shows like X-Play and Attack of the Show! were touchstones of gaming culture during the network's 2005-2010 heyday, the topics they covered and the conversations surrounding them have since migrated to online forums. Even former viewers with fond memories of the original network have expressed doubts about the relaunch's ability to remain relevant and compete with other information outlets, while there have been plenty who are equally excited for its future. After all, if the original G4 was shuttered, what hope is there for a revival nearly a decade later?
But for comedian, content creator, and co-founder of Maker Studios, Kassem Gharaibeh, the timing couldn't be better. Instead of the network being overtaken by online media outlets, Kassem tells Game Rant that believes that G4 was ahead of its time in its attempts to foster the sort of dynamic, online interactions seen on YouTube and Twitch today. Even though the original network lasted until 2014 before being shut down, the media ecosystem to support such a community didn't exist, even if the technology that enabled it was technically available. Therefore, G4 arrived prematurely, rather than being outpaced.
Kassem's optimistic take is not only refreshing to hear, but indicative of the sort of enthusiasm and mentality that are vital for the revival to succeed. That is not to dismiss his analysis as wishful thinking, however. In addition to its gamer-centric subject matter which didn't see much televised coverage elsewhere, G4 aspired to engage its audience in a broad spectrum. A life-long gadget geek, gamer, and comic book guy, Kassem fondly recalls chatting and interacting with fellow fans on G4's web forums, as well as watching the network's programming.
Next Level Engagement
When asked about the online paradigm-shift's impact on G4's relaunch, Kassem stated that the B4G4 content on YouTube and Twitch is indicative of what the new network will have on offer, but also had this to share:
"In terms of the programming itself, though there are format changes, G4 has always been good at engaging with their audience, and we now have more tools to do that. Instead of you know, dialing a phone number, getting through a phone screener, or faxing something live to a guy in a bear costume. [...] While, with TV, you have an idea of the demographic on that channel, but on Twitch we have the ability to really snipe our viewership. There’s an endless stream of possibility with the current landscape we have now."
G4 has always been a network that tailors its content to suit a specific audience: gamers and those with associated interests in tech and popular culture. It is very possible that tailoring content to such a narrow bandwidth of viewership was unfeasible for a television network. But gaming culture has grown exponentially since the original network went dark, while entertainment has simultaneously started catering to more and more niche interests. Rather than attempting to broaden the network's focus—one of several Hail Marys attempted in the last desperate days of the original G4—Kassem believes that the new network will be able to tailor content to viewers' interests with more specificity than ever before via social media and multiple content outlets.
This combination—ease of access for users to participate, and content that is razor focused on users' interests—will be key to the revamped network's strategy.
Rekindling Chemistry
Since signing on with the relaunch, Kassem has gone on record on Reddit and other forums stating he is a long-time fan, and as such, he is committed to capturing the original chemistry that made X-Play sing, which he reiterated once more:
"I am an old G4 viewer, and I want the things I loved about G4 to come back. But I want the company to do it in a way that reflects what’s happening right now. [...] Our goal is to bring everything they loved about old G4 and that chemistry, and just present it in a way where there’s newer faces, and newer ways to engage the audience. The goal is for it to do everything bigger and better than before—if that is possible—and I think it is."
Kassem is especially excited about the new faces and established personalities returning to the network. He stated that Adam Sessler, who was recently confirmed to be returning to G4, is his favorite games reviewer, and that Goldenboy, who was recently announced to be joining G4's line up, is his favorite e-sports commentator. While it has yet to be seen how well these personalities will gel and play off each other, G4 is clearly being careful with the talent they are curating. Each member of the new ensemble has their own super-power of sorts, covering distinctive bases.
The Man on the Street
Kassem was candid about his shortcomings as a commentator, admitting "there's not a lot I can give except a random joke here and there," with regards to video games. In terms of content, his specialty lies with comic books and pop culture. But Kassem's signature contribution is his hosting abilities.
Given his passionate discussion of audience engagement, it should be of little surprise that Kassem is most excited about interacting directly with fans. Kassem's enthusiasm is coming from a place of experience too; he won the 2013 Streamy award for Best Host, beating out competition like Larry King. Kassem stated that some of his favorite content from the original G4 network were the episodes where the gang went to E3, Tokyo Gameshow, and other conventions, speaking directly to the community they catered to.
Readers can find B4G4 content on YouTube and Twitch, prior to the G4 relaunch expected to happen later this year.