GameDamage (Yahtzee's new show)

[The Irrelevant Gamer]

1. The show has potential. Not as immediately hilarious as ZP, but I'll watch it a few more times to see how it goes.

2. The way Yahtzee stared into the camera was unnerving.

 

[TheBluesader]

I like the more intellectual bent. Same thing I come to the Escapist for. Serious and authentic but not pretentious.

I'm not a big fan of the host lineup. They're all okay, but I get the feeling that the only reasons the three were put together was so that Yahtzee could make fun of Matt, and Yog could make some pithy remark to separate them. Yeah, we get it, Yahtzee is Mr. Negativity and it's funny. I don't know if I could stand this sort of contrivance for episode after episode. I really found myself just wanting to hear Yahtzee talk about games by himself, and that's what Zero Punctuation and his own site is for.

So...maybe they could audition a few more people? Maybe, GASP, a real girl gamer? Not the G4 spokesmodel types. It would be nice to see something like that.

Sorry, I'm nitpicking. It's pretty good. Nice authentic gamer feel. Here's hoping they don't get too into the skits, though. Skits are always the death of these shows.

BTW, I'm pretty sore that Yahtzee didn't mention The Longest Journey when he was talking about adventure games with great stories. Of course I don't like Monkey Island, so...

 

[WhiteHowl]

I like the more intellectual bent. Same thing I come to the Escapist for. Serious and authentic but not pretentious.

I'm not a big fan of the host lineup. They're all okay, but I get the feeling that the only reasons the three were put together was so that Yahtzee could make fun of Matt, and Yog could make some pithy remark to separate them. Yeah, we get it, Yahtzee is Mr. Negativity and it's funny. I don't know if I could stand this sort of contrivance for episode after episode. I really found myself just wanting to hear Yahtzee talk about games by himself, and that's what Zero Punctuation and his own site is for.

So...maybe they could audition a few more people? Maybe, GASP, a real girl gamer? Not the G4 spokesmodel types. It would be nice to see something like that.

Sorry, I'm nitpicking. It's pretty good. Nice authentic gamer feel. Here's hoping they don't get too into the skits, though. Skits are always the death of these shows.

BTW, I'm pretty sore that Yahtzee didn't mention The Longest Journey when he was talking about adventure games with great stories. Of course I don't like Monkey Island, so...

Most of the Australian Gamer's podcast featuring Yug and Matt are pretty funny. Adding Yahtzee into the mix just enhances the sheer idiocy of it all and makes it that much funnier. I was actually expected Yahtzee to say a Joss Wheadon hate remark and then having a huge argument with Matt seeing as that is usually hilarious.

 

[TheBluesader]

Most of the Australian Gamer's podcast featuring Yug and Matt are pretty funny. Adding Yahtzee into the mix just enhances the sheer idiocy of it all and makes it that much funnier. I was actually expected Yahtzee to say a Joss Wheadon hate remark and then having a huge argument with Matt seeing as that is usually hilarious.

As long as it's an actual edited real fight, then sign me up. That's good TV. If it's some pre-scripted "oh, you" thing, ugh, no. They seem to be doing a mix of the two, so I'm not sure what to make of the tension.

 

[Samurai Goomba]

The Questions:

1: What do you think of it? Is it something that you would be interested in?
2: Did you think that Yahtzee was slightly more socially awkward than you thought?
3: What do you think candy has to do with gaming, if it has anything to do with it at all?

The Answers:

1. Honestly? Not as good as either the Australian Gamer Podcasts or Yahtzee's reviews. Yahtzee was very subdued, Matt wasn't nearly as funny as he usually is (because everyone else was drowning him out) and Yug just wasn't funny. Period. Don't get me wrong, the Podcasts are hilarious, Yahtzee is hilarious, and Matt is hilarious. The show just isn't meshing the way it should. The two skits, as mentioned, were very typical of gaming humor. In other words, not funny.

All in all, the show was still about a thousand times better than most gaming shows. *Sigh*

2. No, I thought he was exactly as socially awkward as I expected. Did anyone really expect anything different? It's the difference between having anonymity and not having it.

3. People who play online games are often overweight as a result of eating too much candy.

 

[cuddly_tomato]

I don't think it worked in a TV format. These three are fantastic on their podcast bit but this just didn't work for me. I think it is the fact they had to actually perform for the camera as well as do their things with the games. It distracted them from what they are really good at.

 

[Elurindel]

Twas a good show in places. Maybe scale it down to 20 minutes instead, and you've got a winner. Did anybody else have problems sending an email to the mailbag? I tried sending one, but it just kept bouncing back for some reason...

 

[zen5887]

I liked it and I would love to see it as a TV show.

Yahtzee was good in this, I'm not a big fan of Zero Punctuation but I liked him in this, he seemed more.. Controlled.. Rather then talking really fast for 4 minutes.

I hope it picks up on TV rather then a website.

Plus its always good to see aussie content, specially about video games

Ohh fun fact: I walk past the buildings he was standing in front of when he was doing the physics engine every morning.

Phht who cares

 

[Lukeydoodly]

It was OK I guess. I might keep watching it.

 

[MissShortosity]

It has potentual, but there are several aspects that need serious improvement.
Most notably the couch scene. They might as well start off with a cameraman who isn't drunk or totally disinterested. Matt would be talking, and the camera would be focused on Yahtzee, and then just as Matt would finish, it would turn to him and Yahtzee would start talking...
That and I think they needed more visuals on the games they were reviewing, just so you weren't looking at their... umm... beautiful faces all the time
And, as you would in a pilot, they all seemed kind of uncomfortable.

 

[Galletea]

It's alright, I think what people have said is 'uncomfortable-ness' is deliberate on Yahtzee's part. It was overly long, the Metal Gear jokes didn't really work, and there was one sketch group too many. Other than that though, it was good.

 

[OldManProdigy]

Well i liked it but mostly because I'm already a fan of Yahtzee, Yug & Matt's.

Their podcasts on the Australian gamer website are quite good entertaining stuff, just three guys talking about what they love and generally goofing off and having fun (like a warmhearted sitcom almost, just not g rated.) I hope to see more of this sort of thing in live action and so hope GameDamage delivers.

On that note i can see why not many are having good first impressions (the folk at YouTube are ripping it to piece but then again it's YouTube so...) give it a chance i say, it has tremendous potential.

 

[Spartan Bannana]

Why is Matt the only one with a normal name?

 

[SnowCold]

Its ok. though no one would watch it if it weren't for yathzee

 

[redikulis]

Here we go

1. i dont know if yahtzee will read this one even though i mailed it to them but, firstly this show is already being done and better
(See Good Game: http://www.abc.net.au/tv/goodgame/)

secondly the jokes were good but overplayed, like the master chief was a giggle then turned to bore the second time around. MGS was good, duke was about 6/10, good but not great.

thirdly, for a show about games there was very little depth of the gaming segments, it was more like 3 dudes having a chat rather then reviewing or previewing.

finally the MMORPG bit is gonna get old quick, all MMORPGs have very very similar control and layout and such its just gonna be that dude saying every week "well the controls and looks are very similar to WOW"

2. I actually thought yahtzee to be the most charismatic of the 3, mind you he was spewing liquid hate like he usually does, but even if i hadnt seen him in ZP i would remember him. The other 2 are easily forgotton because they have no outstanding traits. It's as if i and one of them are having a conversation on a bus cause he happened to sit in the seat next to me where they talk and i listen, no real depth just trying to fend off boredom.


3. damned if i knew... well? chicks seem to like candy yeh? well sometimes? use it as an enticement to get them to play video games or something.


Anyway another gaming show would be great but this one isnt looking promising for a network to pick up.

 

[KyoraSan]

Everyone loves Yahtzee. He's only so much better in person, live.

"My love is deranged and strange..."

 

[Melaisis]

More interesting than Russ Pitts repeating the word 'The Escapist Show, only on The Escapist!' for 11 minutes.

 

[Locque]

*token first post dance*
Eh, there's some potential, but the fact that this was a pilot was painfully evident. If they're going to keep talking I'm assuming there will be more footage of them doing something interesting, or game footage, because the three of them sitting around on the sofa was starting to drag more than the skits. (Though the Halo guy made me smile inwardly)
The idea is great, the execution, not so much. This can improve with experience/corporate sponsorship. Also, it worked better when they were quoting from a script (yahtzee's speech on adventure games) than when they improvised (Matt's wincingly painful straying off topic).
I do think think this needs work, but that's more than can be said for most pilots.