Heavy Editing: Spike TV Vies to Make Gaming Telegenic

Electronic Gaming Business, Nov 19, 2003

To Spike TV producer Scott Fishman, watching somebody else play video games on TV is worse than being consigned to a day in the video editing bay. "It's like watching grass grow," he tells EGB from the set of "Party with Spike: Video Game Special," which previewed nominees for the upcoming Video Game Awards show that airs live on Dec. 4 (Spike TV 9:00 pm -11:00 pm ET/PT).

With deeper cable penetration than G4 and Game Show Network, both of which are carrying game-related content, Spike TV's VGAs could be the single biggest mass media exposure for the industry ever. Both Fishman and the VGA's consulting producer, g-net Media are determined finally to crack the code of presenting gaming on TV - mainly by not showing too much gaming.

The core concept behind lifting gaming TV from its dweeb-like reliance on video packages of game play is to cherry pick the most likable aspects of games, characters, graphics, music and high points of action and fold them into more compelling TV genres. To wit, one segment in the upcoming VGAs will be The Secret Life of Games, a look at familiar game characters when they are not in their native environment. "We've got some comedic, entertaining ways that we interact with characters outside of their video games," says Fishman. "Our point of view is how can we use games and gaming elements to make entertaining properties."

Likewise, the VGAs will have a mixed media presentation involving an unnamed UbiSoft property that blends live action figures with in-game characters. "It's not about watching someone in the competition," says Fishman. "I think you can celebrate the creativity of the gaming industry, the animation, the sound, and the complexity of the game play." Spike TV is actively discussing ways of developing game properties into standard TV fare such as animated series or short form interstitial media that can run in small segments on Spike TV. "This is the kickoff to what we hope will be a long relationship with publishers," he says.

Trespassing on Game IP

Breaking free from conventional, magazine-style video game coverage on TV comes with a learning curve, says David Getson, CEO, g-net media, which is producing many of the segments for the VGAs and consulting on production. "It's brand new and confusing for the video game industry and TV programmers," he says. "Just getting them to green light using their media in the way we want to use it on the show was challenging because it was new."

Getson's 15-person company is focused on refitting game material for a better TV close-up. He already provides video to AOL's gaming channel and is working on two animated pilot shows using game content. "Sometimes it's repurposing a game engine to make an animated series, and sometimes we incorporate game footage inside other animated footage. Our mission is to make broadly appealing entertainment out of and around video games."

The company helped broker relationships between Spike TV and game publishers, and ultimately most major publishers are participating enthusiastically in the VGAs. In some ways, Spike TV and g-net are asking these companies to do things other media companies will not, release their intellectual property to be used in contexts that are not always in keeping with the game, such as overdubbing game play with comedic dialogue. "The games industry is just opening its eyes to the marketing value of using its IP and games media as entertainment. It's the best way to sell - to entertain your viewers," says Geston, "It's becoming clear that there are a lot of ways to reach consumers other than 30-second spots."

The Missing Male

And for cable TV, it is all about reaching a particular consumer, the 18-to 34-year-old males who are famously fleeing TV viewing this season. Viacomowned Spike TV is focused on that exact demo and since re-branding itself as a men's channel several months ago has enjoyed some traction with series like Average Joe and a cartoon starring Pam Anderson as a superhero stripper (?!). Gaming scores very high for this crowd and fits right in, says Fishman, who participated in network focus groups around the country in recent months to determine what sort of game and awards programming this audience preferred.

"There are no podiums, no speeches, no 'thank you's,'" says Fishman. "They want entertainment, a cool host and, oh, way down the list, yeah I guess we have to give awards." Smirky comedian David Spade will host in the irreverent style of MTV's music video and movie awards shows, aiming to be unpredictable. The game and music connection gets underscored with acts like POD and Lil' Kim and others still being booked.

Unlike other awards shows, the VGAs will replace presenters with celebrity game advocates (including game characters themselves) who will discuss their own enthusiasm for a nominated title. The show also follows the previeworiented nature of the industry and breaks from awards convention by presenting exclusive peeks at games coming to market next year.

The VGAs are partnering with game publishers only on content this year in order to maintain the objectivity of the awards. "We don't want sponsorships," says Fishman. "If you have a video game award show sponsored by EA - that skewed a little weird for us."