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Xplay
Xplay (previously GameSpot TV, Extended Play, and X-Play) is a television program about video games. The program, known for its reviews and comedy skits, aired on G4 in the United States and has aired on G4 Canada in Canada (and briefly on YTV during its time as GameSpot TV), FUEL TV in Australia, Ego in Israel, GXT in Italy, MTV Russia & Rambler TV in Russia, NET 25 (GameSpot TV to Extended Play only) & Solar Sports in the Philippines.
The show in its previous incarnation is hosted by Morgan Webb and Blair Herter, with Kristin Adams (née Holt) and Jessica Chobot serving as special correspondents/co-hosts (Tiffany Smith, Alex Sim-Wise and Joel Gourdin also serve as correspondents during the show's run). Adam Sessler is the original host of the program; earlier episodes feature co-hosts Lauren Fielder and Kate Botello.
Xplay began on ZDTV in 1998 as GameSpot TV, where Sessler co-hosted with Fielder for the show's first year, then co-hosted with Botello up through 2002 (the producers of ZDTV originally had plans to air a video-game program when the channel launched called Extended Play that would be hosted by Simon Rex; however, when an agreement was reached with the makers of the newly created GameSpot website, plans for the original show's format were scrapped in favor of a GameSpot-branded program, and Rex was dropped as host).
The show assumed the previously rejected Extended Play moniker in 2001 after ZDTV changed to TechTV and the partnership with Ziff Davis' GameSpot ended. Botello left in early 2002, and Sessler hosted the show by himself up until April 2003, when Webb joined the cast and the show was renamed X-Play.
A new incarnation of the show was featured on the revived G4 network which operated from November 2021 to October 2022.
Preceding the launch of ZDTV on May 11, 1998, a program by video gaming website GameSpot was projected for a mid-summer release. GameSpot TV premiered on July 4, 1998, airing 30-minute weekly episodes that previewed and reviewed video games, featuring GameSpot editors such as Jeff Gerstmann and Greg Kasavin. The show's quirky set, with a chained link fence and flaming TV screens, gave a gritty vibe, though early viewership was low, with co-host Adam Sessler estimating around 10,000 per episode. The show secured notable interviews, including one with Gabe Newell about Half-Life. The Columbine High School massacre on April 20, 1999, lead to death threats against Sessler and a restriction on depicting gun violence on the show, which limited coverage of certain titles such as Grand Theft Auto III.
On February 17, 2001, GameSpot TV was retitled Extended Play and became part of TechTV's live broadcasting endeavor, which resulted in a high turnover rate. With the April 28, 2003, premiere of TechTV's late-night programming block, Extended Play was revamped, retitled X-Play and moved to this block, upon which it became a ratings success. Because X-Play aired at a later time slot than its predecessors, it featured more risque language and subject matter, and the previous gun violence restriction was lifted.
G4's acquisition of TechTV led to staff layoffs and a poorly handled transition that strained relations with the new owners. In September 2004, X-Play relocated to Los Angeles; the new set was conceived as a modern apartment that meshed the personalities of Sessler and co-host Morgan Webb. The crew's resistance to G4's culture inspired a creative peak, though a costly musical episode flopped. The limitations of television were highlighted by the rise of streaming platforms like YouTube and issues like the E3 2006 broadcast, which was interrupted by ads and FCC-mandated breaks, notably cutting off the Halo 3 reveal. From this point forward, X-Play struggled with declining ratings, exclusive content battles, and the inability to compete with instant online content.
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Xplay
Xplay (previously GameSpot TV, Extended Play, and X-Play) is a television program about video games. The program, known for its reviews and comedy skits, aired on G4 in the United States and has aired on G4 Canada in Canada (and briefly on YTV during its time as GameSpot TV), FUEL TV in Australia, Ego in Israel, GXT in Italy, MTV Russia & Rambler TV in Russia, NET 25 (GameSpot TV to Extended Play only) & Solar Sports in the Philippines.
The show in its previous incarnation is hosted by Morgan Webb and Blair Herter, with Kristin Adams (née Holt) and Jessica Chobot serving as special correspondents/co-hosts (Tiffany Smith, Alex Sim-Wise and Joel Gourdin also serve as correspondents during the show's run). Adam Sessler is the original host of the program; earlier episodes feature co-hosts Lauren Fielder and Kate Botello.
Xplay began on ZDTV in 1998 as GameSpot TV, where Sessler co-hosted with Fielder for the show's first year, then co-hosted with Botello up through 2002 (the producers of ZDTV originally had plans to air a video-game program when the channel launched called Extended Play that would be hosted by Simon Rex; however, when an agreement was reached with the makers of the newly created GameSpot website, plans for the original show's format were scrapped in favor of a GameSpot-branded program, and Rex was dropped as host).
The show assumed the previously rejected Extended Play moniker in 2001 after ZDTV changed to TechTV and the partnership with Ziff Davis' GameSpot ended. Botello left in early 2002, and Sessler hosted the show by himself up until April 2003, when Webb joined the cast and the show was renamed X-Play.
A new incarnation of the show was featured on the revived G4 network which operated from November 2021 to October 2022.
Preceding the launch of ZDTV on May 11, 1998, a program by video gaming website GameSpot was projected for a mid-summer release. GameSpot TV premiered on July 4, 1998, airing 30-minute weekly episodes that previewed and reviewed video games, featuring GameSpot editors such as Jeff Gerstmann and Greg Kasavin. The show's quirky set, with a chained link fence and flaming TV screens, gave a gritty vibe, though early viewership was low, with co-host Adam Sessler estimating around 10,000 per episode. The show secured notable interviews, including one with Gabe Newell about Half-Life. The Columbine High School massacre on April 20, 1999, lead to death threats against Sessler and a restriction on depicting gun violence on the show, which limited coverage of certain titles such as Grand Theft Auto III.
On February 17, 2001, GameSpot TV was retitled Extended Play and became part of TechTV's live broadcasting endeavor, which resulted in a high turnover rate. With the April 28, 2003, premiere of TechTV's late-night programming block, Extended Play was revamped, retitled X-Play and moved to this block, upon which it became a ratings success. Because X-Play aired at a later time slot than its predecessors, it featured more risque language and subject matter, and the previous gun violence restriction was lifted.
G4's acquisition of TechTV led to staff layoffs and a poorly handled transition that strained relations with the new owners. In September 2004, X-Play relocated to Los Angeles; the new set was conceived as a modern apartment that meshed the personalities of Sessler and co-host Morgan Webb. The crew's resistance to G4's culture inspired a creative peak, though a costly musical episode flopped. The limitations of television were highlighted by the rise of streaming platforms like YouTube and issues like the E3 2006 broadcast, which was interrupted by ads and FCC-mandated breaks, notably cutting off the Halo 3 reveal. From this point forward, X-Play struggled with declining ratings, exclusive content battles, and the inability to compete with instant online content.