Three Brisbane boys are forging a name for themselves in the international scene. They have created "Game Damage," a pilot television show that has been widely described as "The Top Gear of Gaming," with a blend of humour, natural chemistry, and industry insight.
Videogames are big business, with major game releases beating cinema box office records by increasing margins. Media coverage of this growing industry has been dominated by the US, but three Australians are making a change, putting an Australian spin on a global medium.
GameDamage is a new project set up by three local games industry veterans, Guy "Yug" Blomberg and Matt Burgess from AustralianGamer.com, and Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw from the Zero Punctuation reviews. www.AustralianGamer.com is an independent Australian site created and run entirely by Yug and Matt, and has grown from a small hobby site to one regularly read by hundreds of thousands of Australians every month. Zero Punctuation (http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation) is a weekly review by Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw that has become something of an internet phenomenon, reaching several million international viewers every week.
Yahtzee, Matt and Yug met through the games industry, became good friends; and discovered they shared an interest in making something new and unique for an international television audience.
"We want to offer something really different to what's out there." says Guy ‘Yug’ Blomberg. "GameDamage is first and foremost an entertainment show. We want it to be funny even if you're not really into games."
The formula has a lot of potential, with shows like Top Gear and The Footy Show pulling in bigger numbers than their demographic of hardcore car and sports enthusiasts. Like those shows, Game Damage is based around the chemistry and dynamic of very different personalities. Seeking potential interest from an international market, the trio have taken the unusual step of releasing their pilot on the internet.
Released online in mid-December via YouTube.com, the Game Damage pilot was viewed by more than a quarter of a million people in less than two weeks, and was placed in the top ten featured videos for gaming worldwide. A month later, Game Damage is still one of the most viewed; most frequently ‘favourited;’ and highest-rated Australian gaming video on YouTube.com.
The trio, as well as their producer, a veteran of the Australian TV industry, have received offers from international networks and sponsors and are currently evaluating all offers to determine the best vehicle to bring the show to their eager fans.
For more information view the pilot at www.gamedamage.net