Is that punctuation I hear?

As a child, only one thing came close to the awesomeness of playing my favorite video games, and that was watching shows about my favorite video games. I used to get so excited as I tuned into classic programs like GamesMaster, hoping to get a glimpse of some elusive title that I was looking forward to. This was, of course, before the internet, when the only way to see a video of a game in action was on television.

These days, things have changed a little. With so much info easily accessible, video game television really has nothing to offer, much like print magazines. Enthusiasts who wish to catch up on all the latest news on their TV are forced to watch crap like G4, the channel that one day decided no-one wants to watch shows about video games unless they're being talked about by hot women, and people would rather hear about which game character has the nicest boobs than, say, which game you should be spending your money on this week.

Enter Yahtzee. You know him; he's the one whose alter-ego is a little mouthless guy on a yellow background who has a lot to say about the poor quality of games. Joining together with Australian friends Matt and Yug, he brings us Game Damage, a new show that has info on all the goings on in the world of our favorite pass time, with sketches and funny parts to help keep things lighthearted. They are hoping to pick up a spot on network TV, so have released an online pilot to show broadcasters what they can do.

So how is it? Well, it's a nice attempt, but I think they need a little more practice before it becomes anything spectacular. I'm sure lots of people have been looking for the opportunity to rip on Yahtzee (for a change), and now they may have it. I'm not going to be too cruel, but if I can offer one piece of creative criticism, it's that Yahtzee just seems to be trying too hard. I think that after spending so much time in character for his Zero Punctuation reviews, he's forgotten how to talk about games normally, so comes off as a little forced during most of the show; I'm sure this will improve in subsequent episodes though. Also, the sketches aren't as funny as I would have expected, considering they came from the man who brought us this.

Anyway, it's still worth a watch if you have half an hour to kill and want some game info. I haven't decided if I'm going to post these weekly (or whenever they're released), as this factor will depend on the quality of future episodes, but here's the pilot anyway. It may not quite be the same as watching Sir Patrick Moore's disembodied head handing out challenges to hopeful youngsters, but then again, what is?