Charlie Brooker's Gameswipe
Encyclopedia
Charlie Brooker's Gameswipe was a special one-off British
, video game culture show by Charlie Brooker
, aired in September 2009 during the BBC's Technology season. Following on from Brooker's Screenwipe and Newswipe, Gameswipe featured reviews of various video games and consoles as well as an insight into the video game industry.
In the show, Brooker reviewed Wolfenstein, 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand
and The Beatles: Rock Band
. The show also contains contributions from Dara Ó Briain
, Robert Florence
, Ryan Macleod, Rebecca Mayes and Graham Linehan
.
GamesWipe is not affiliated with the news and gaming review website www.Gamewipe.com
said of the show: "It’s fair to say that the reaction from the industry to last night’s TV debut of Charlie Brooker’s Gameswipe was mixed. But if its intention was to offer an informed, reasoned and mature take on the games industry of both past and present, then it’s hard to regard the show as anything other than an overwhelming success."
that he would consider working on either a further episode of Gameswipe or, potentially, a brand new series, though he added that he himself may choose not to present the show.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, video game culture show by Charlie Brooker
Charlie Brooker
Charlton "Charlie" Brooker is a British journalist, comic writer and broadcaster. His style of humour is savage and profane, with surreal elements and a consistent satirical pessimism...
, aired in September 2009 during the BBC's Technology season. Following on from Brooker's Screenwipe and Newswipe, Gameswipe featured reviews of various video games and consoles as well as an insight into the video game industry.
Format
The one-off special was very similar to its predecessors, in that Brooker, along with a camera and various games consoles, reviewed and previewed video games in the same style as Screenwipe. Brooker claimed that it would attempt to prove that video games can be just as engaging as television and just as dumb. He said to "Expect pixels, joypads, some of the world's weirdest games, celebrity cameos and the occasional sound effect.”In the show, Brooker reviewed Wolfenstein, 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand
50 Cent: Blood on the Sand
50 Cent: Blood on the Sand is a third-person shooting video game developed by Swordfish Studios and published by THQ for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The game was released on February 20, 2009, in Europe and February 24, 2009, in North America and serves as the sequel to 50 Cent:...
and The Beatles: Rock Band
The Beatles: Rock Band
The Beatles: Rock Band is a 2009 music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games, and distributed by Electronic Arts. It is the third major console release in the Rock Band music video game series, in which players can simulate the playing of rock music by using...
. The show also contains contributions from Dara Ó Briain
Dara Ó Briain
Dara Ó Briain is an Irish stand-up comedian and television presenter, noted for hosting topical panel shows such as The Panel and Mock the Week....
, Robert Florence
Robert Florence
Robert Florence is a Scottish presenter, comedian and writer from Glasgow, Scotland, best known for starring in the popular BBC comedy sketch show Burnistoun, and the video-game review shows Consolevania and Videogaiden. He was a core writer of Chewin' the Fat and with Iain Connell wrote the...
, Ryan Macleod, Rebecca Mayes and Graham Linehan
Graham Linehan
Graham Linehan is an Irish television writer, actor, comedian and director who, often in partnership with Arthur Mathews, has written or co-written a number of popular television comedies...
.
GamesWipe is not affiliated with the news and gaming review website www.Gamewipe.com
Reception
The debut airing of Gameswipe drew 361,000 viewers, outdoing the typical performances of both Screenwipe and Newswipe. UK video games trade magazine MCVMarket for Home Computing and Video Games
MCV is a United Kingdom-based trade magazine which focuses on business aspects of the video game industry, including game retailing. It is published every Friday and is available freely online or via print subscription...
said of the show: "It’s fair to say that the reaction from the industry to last night’s TV debut of Charlie Brooker’s Gameswipe was mixed. But if its intention was to offer an informed, reasoned and mature take on the games industry of both past and present, then it’s hard to regard the show as anything other than an overwhelming success."
The future
In October 2009 Brooker told MCV MagazineMarket for Home Computing and Video Games
MCV is a United Kingdom-based trade magazine which focuses on business aspects of the video game industry, including game retailing. It is published every Friday and is available freely online or via print subscription...
that he would consider working on either a further episode of Gameswipe or, potentially, a brand new series, though he added that he himself may choose not to present the show.