As you well know, we here at the Monkey Cave are always keeping a sharp eye on what’s coming down the pike, so we can alert you to the good, the bad, and the utter suck. I know, I know, it’s a sacrifice but one we’re willing to make for you. Just you, though. No one else.

Now, I know what you’re thinking, “Abraxas, you’re a handsome fella.” And, you’re right. I am.

I also know what you’re thinking now, “Abraxas, I want to watch TV with content aimed at me, a gamer, while I am checking out cybermonkeydeathsquad.com, how can I do that?”

Well, you’re in luck, because there is
GoodGametv.com.

Goodgametv.com is an internet based “TV network” that provides original content shows, such as Debuffed, Dashboard, Road to Pro, and GamerReaction.

I know what you’re thinking, “Abraxas, that sounds a lot like G4.”

You’re right. It is a lot like G4, except it has fewer original shows, isn’t broadcast on cable, and you can watch it on your computer at any time, has less commercials, and it doesn’t have reruns of Cops, thankfully.

I will say this- GoodGameTV gets the future. They understand that the future of broadcast TV isn’t 3D televisions, Blu-Ray or HD signal, the future is streaming video over the internet to a dedicated audience.

It’s too bad 95% of their content blows.

Good Game TV as a concept is great, but it is seriously hurt by a weak line up of entertainment. The bizarre machinma show Dashboard being the nadir of the programing line up. Dashboard offers some odd story telling, and by odd I mean boring, with a overly enthusiastic fan-boy-esque review of a game shoved into the middle.

For the home-schooled: machinima is a portmanteau of the words machine, cinema, and anime. Machinima is a short narrative filmed using video game assets, such as Call of Duty or Halo, along voice-over for dialog. It evolved out of documenting mulitplayer game play in the late 90’s.

Which isn’t to say that it’s all doom and gloom for entertainment at GoodGameTV. Two shows, No Reset and Debuffed offer some promise- provided they grow out of sophomoric writing and low-level acting.

Seriously, opening conversation for characters should not be, and I am going to quote here, “Hey. Hey. Hey. What’s up?”

No, really. It shouldn’t be. I get that real people talk like that. I talk like that. You talk like that. But I don’t want to watch a show that has a faithful reproduction of three people meeting in a breakroom. Real dialog functions as metaphor for character and desire/goals while furthering conflict and plot, damn it!

Oh, and both No Reset and Debuffed have cute girls in the cast. Which is always nice. To quote my friend Styx, whom I forced to watch the shows with me for a non-Monkey reaction, “Oh, she’d get it.” He likes red-heads.

Anyway.

Cute women, with some okay looking guys, will go a long way towards getting viewership.

And, the “reality” show, Road to Pro. It’s about a guy trying to get into the pro league for video gaming. No, really, there is a pro league for gaming. Heck, the South Koreans have an entire channel dedicated to watching Starcraft games. Seriously, they do. If you think there is such a thing as reality TV you should watch the show. Because you’ll believe that one is real too.

The downside of GoodGameTV, aside from a lackluster line-up, is the subscription fee. It ain’t youtube, so any jackass can’t load up a video. They are professionals and need to get paid, yo. The subscription is $3.99 a month. Which may seem a little high, but consider that iTunes charges you ¢.99 per episode at a minimum, GoodGameTV is a bargain, even if they only have two shows really worth watching.

The reality of GoodgameTV is the same as the one for G4, way back when it was TechTV. It’s a startup. They don’t have a lot of money to drop on high-line talent, and take the best of who’s willing to work cheap. If you want to get on the bandwagon while the wagon is being built, head over to GoodGameTV.com and sign up for their free trial.

When you’re not glued to cybermonkeydeathsquad.com for all the latest updates, that is.