Xplay is an American television program dedicated to video games, blending in-depth reviews and industry news, which primarily aired from 1998 to 2013 across two networks. Originally launched as GameSpot TV on ZDTV (later rebranded as TechTV), the program premiered on July 4, 1998, and featured hosts Adam Sessler, Lauren Fielder, and John Villarreal, focusing on gameplay previews and critiques. In 2001, following the end of its partnership with Ziff Davis' GameSpot and TechTV's rebranding, the program adopted the name Extended Play before settling on X-Play in 2003. Sessler continued as the lead host, joined by co-hosts Kate Botello (2000–2002) and Morgan Webb (2003–2013).

The series moved to G4 in 2004 after Comcast's acquisition and merger of TechTV with the gaming-focused network, where it ran until its conclusion in 2013 amid G4's rebranding efforts. The program's original incarnation ran for 1,378 episodes, and was praised by critics for its accessibility, entertaining presentation, host chemistry and personalities, and ability to provide engaging yet digestible coverage of the video game industry. It briefly revived in 2021 on a rebooted G4 network, with returning host Sessler and co-hosts Froskurinn, The Completionist, and The Black Hokage, but the network shut down less than a year later in October 2022 due to low viewership.

History

Original series

GameSpot TV premiered on July 4, 1998, as one of the initial programs on the newly launched ZDTV cable network, which was established by Ziff Davis on May 11, 1998, to focus on technology and computing content. The program originated from a partnership between ZDTV and Ziff Davis's GameSpot website, emphasizing reviews and previews of video games. Production took place in San Francisco on a gritty set featuring a chained link fence silhouette and flaming TV screens, and was initially co-hosted by Adam Sessler, Lauren Fielder, and John Villarreal. Early viewership was low, with 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. with Kate Botello replacing her on April 29, 2000.

ZDTV was acquired by Vulcan Ventures in November 1999, and the network rebranded to TechTV in August 2000. On February 17, 2001, GameSpot TV was retitled Extended Play to distance it from the GameSpot branding, and it became part of TechTV's live broadcasting endeavor, which resulted in a high turnover rate. Extended Play survived post-9/11 economic cuts and layoffs that affected other programming. Botello exited on March 29, 2002. On April 28, 2003, Extended Play rebranded to X-Play, premiering in TechTV's new late-night programming block, upon which it became the network's top-rated program. Morgan Webb was introduced as Sessler's co-host at this time. 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. The acquisition led to staff layoffs and what Sessler described as a poorly handled transition that strained relations with the new owners. G4techTV would revert to G4 in February 2005. 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. Tensions rose between G4 and E!, who clashed over cultural differences. In December 2008, the show aired X-Large one-hour episodes for the month. Economic factors forced G4 to contract X-Play's schedule down to three nights a week starting on March 2, 2009; in addition, the show's timeslot was moved out of prime-time, and a number of X-Play staff members were laid off.

Sessler departed in 2012, with his final episode airing on April 25. Blair Herter acted as Webb's co-host for the remainder of the program's run. On October 26, 2012, G4 announced the end of production for X-Play as part of a brand overhaul, with a series of farewell episodes airing through the year's end. The program ran for 1,378 episodes, with the series finale airing on January 23, 2013.

Revival

In July 2020, G4 teased a revival of the network, set for a 2021 launch. Following a Thanksgiving reunion special featuring original G4 personalities, G4 confirmed on January 28, 2021, that X-Play would be revived. On February 12, Sessler was confirmed to return as the program's host.

The revival premiered on November 19, 2021, airing live-streamed episodes on Twitch and YouTube. During a "Gaming Grievances" segment in a January 2022 episode, co-host Froskurinn criticized the network's viewers, alleging a sexist backlash against her, particularly for not being as "bangable" as former G4 hosts Morgan Webb and Olivia Munn, who she claimed were objectified and harassed as "fake gamer girls." She made further allegations of dehumanizing comments and unconscious biases targeting her for being a woman in gaming, despite reading the same scripts as Sessler. Her remarks were shared on G4's Twitter and supported by Sessler. Following significant layoffs at G4 in September 2022, Froskurinn was let go from the network after Comcast bought out the remainder of her contract. Anonymous sources speculated that her exit was linked to a September 15 tweet where she posted an "I survived" meme, seen by some as insensitive after the layoffs. On October 16, 2022, Comcast Spectacor abruptly shut down G4 entirely, citing low viewership and failure to meet business expectations, ending the Xplay revival less than a year after its launch.

Format and content

Xplay primarily centers on reviews, tips and tricks, and previews for contemporary PC and console video games, as well as competitions, strategies, industry news and gossip. The program employs a 1-5 scoring system for its reviews. The reviews were initially provided by GameSpot and its sister site VideoGames.com. Between reviews, the hosts may perform sketches and redubbed game footage. Special episodes showcase short tours of popular gaming companies or in-depth visits to video game trade shows. Special guest interviews with celebrities discuss their gaming habits or games they star in. a musical episode, in which Sessler and Webb compiled the best video game soundtracks of all time, was the program's most expensive episode.

On January 14, 2008, X-Play shifted from its prior focus primarily on game reviews to a broader, daily news and entertainment-oriented structure. While the core review segment was retained, focus was expanded on breaking news, behind-the-scenes previews of games in development, interviews with industry figures, live hands-on gameplay demonstrations, and in-depth analysis of industry trends. Several new recurring segments and features were introduced, including: integration of tips and tricks content from G4's Cheat! series, presented by host Kristin Adams; regular "The MMO Report" updates on massively multiplayer online games, featuring Casey Schreiner; game challenges offering viewers opportunities to compete and win prizes; and exclusive hands-on gameplay demonstrations of upcoming titles. Because X-Play was Webb's first experience as a host, she studied with a voice coach to ease her transition from her previous role.

The program was originally produced and directed by documentarian Annaliza Savage, who served in this position until 2003. From 2008 onward, Matt Keil acted as the program's senior producer, with Wade Beckett as the executive producer. Other crew members during this period include writer Mike Demski and editors Dave Gleason and Justin Dornbush; by 2011, new editors included Brian Sullivan, "KORB!", and Sam Goldfien.

Sessler returned as the primary host of Xplays revival, Froskurinn departed in September 2022 shortly after a round of layoffs at G4.

References

  • X-Play Reviewed Games Database
  • ZDTV - Gamespot TV (ARCHIVED)