G4 is shutting down. The Comcast-made network, which originally ran from 2002 to 2014, “struggled throughout 2022,” after its 2021 revival, according to the Washington Post. The network has recently lost its president, more than 20 crew members, and host of the revived Xplay show Indiana “Froskurinn” Black. This, combined with low viewership, has brought down the network for a second time.
What is G4?
G4 was the first television network dedicated to gaming in its original run. At the time, it was known for shows such as Attack of the Show!, X-Play, and Ninja Warrior.
The mix of athletics, video game reviews, and geek culture brought a dedicated fanbase–but not the financial success needed for Comcast to continue pursuing the project.
After a 2014 cancellation, it returned in November 2021. It brought back its flagship shows (while rebranding X-Play to Xplay) and seasons of Ninja Warrior that had never aired in the US. The network even attracted several content creators from YouTube, Twitch, and the eSports community.
Not Enough Community Interest
However, this ultimately wasn’t enough, and G4’s second collapse mostly mirrored the first. The main difference is how much faster it happened and with less fanfare. According to accounts from employees, people were locked out of essential services, including Google Drive, and the G4 Los Angeles facility was abruptly shuttered.
With many individual content creators having their own communities in today’s gaming sphere, there was always the risk of the new G4 not being able to attract enough clicks and eyeballs.
G4 may be over, but the memories will remain. Read our News Section for more updates.
