Good Game: Spawn Point

Good Game: Spawn Point (abbreviated as Good Game SP or GG:SP), is a spin-off (also described as a "sister program"^[1]) of the original Good Game, and reviews video games that are rated G or PG. The show professes to be "For young gamers, by gamers". It debuted on ABC3 on 20 February 2010. Good Game Spawn Point is now the highest rated show broadcast on ABC3.^[2]

Production

There is perhaps a misconception over whether Good Game: Spawn Point is for all gamers or just younger gamers. Though the tagline might imply otherwise, it has been explicitly stated on the show and in promotional material that it is a family show, and as it reviews G and PG games it is suitable for all ages. The ABC has described the show as "featur[ing] a family friendly mix of gamer reviews, stories about gaming culture and plenty of audience interaction".^[1] The show sometimes gives behind the scenes looks at production studios, such as Bubble Gum Interactive, which was showcased on 2 July 2011.^[3] PlayStrat said, "The standard "Good Game" edition is a more adult oriented series - which includes reviews of games that fall into more mature classifications (i.e. they include violence, sexual content, profanity). It's good, therefore, that the show has the "Spawn Point" variant to allow the younger crowd to get their fill as well. Even as an adult gamer, I occasionally like to watch the games reviewed on Spawn Point as some I wouldn't mind playing".^[4]

The show originally ran for 15 minutes, but was extended to 30 minutes per episode from Series 2, Episode 21 on 2 July 2011.^[5][6] Bajo said, "The 30-minute show will allow us to review more games, produce more stories about game culture and delve deeper into gaming’s rich history".^[7] Janet Carr said Spawn Point "is achieving a total TV share of 16.2% among children 5-12 years old and it’s average audience share is up 114% on series one. Series two has been extended due to the enormous response from the audience and it will give gamers more ways to interact with the show and make it their own".^[7] In 2011, the Spawn Point reaches 166,000 viewers per episode.^[8] From Series 2, the show currently airs at 9 AM on Saturdays. Originally it aired at 7:25 PM on Saturdays.

In 2011, Good Game offered their viewers the chance to be game testers for the racing game Alternator. If selected, they had to play the game, record any bugs they found, and fill out a questionnaire.^[9]

As the show is "for younger gamers", it is not suitable to review games rated M, MA15+ or R18+. Hex says "occasionally we might give you a glimpse of a mature title but only where it's necessary to make a point", and adds that the contentious content would always be excluded.^[10]

On 1 July 2011, TV Tonight said "Together with ABC2′s Good Game, Good Game: SP has reached over 1.3 million vodcasts, the most downloaded vodcasts of any ABC programme this year. ABC3’s Good Game: SP website has recorded 254,000 visits and 1.6 million page views since January."^[7]

Bajo said Ask Good Game is "my favourite part of the show, reading those letters and making the noises".^[11] He added "It's my dream that one day kids might look back on GGSP in the way I look back on shows from my youth, I hope we do it well enough that this might happen."^[11]

Presenters

Current hosts

• Steven "Bajo" O'Donnell (Series 1–present)
• Stephanie "Hex" Bendixsen (Series 1–present)

Supporting hosts

• D.A.R.R.E.N. the Robot (Data Analysing Robot for the Ruthless Extermination of Noobs) (Series 1-present)
• Gus "Goose" Ronald (Series 2–present)

Former hosts

• Jackson "Ajax" Gothe-Snape (Series 1)

Guest host

• Kayne "Tremmers" Tremills (Series 1): Guest hosted on 26 June 2010 in Series 1, Episode 19. He replaced Bajo as he was at E3 2010.

Segments

All series

• Reviews: Review segments are presented by the host throughout the show. Each time a current game is discussed while footage is shown to the viewers. At the end a rubber chicken rating (a number out of 10) is given to the game. Two games are usually reviewed during each show. Some reviews are also replayed from the main show.

Highest scoring games

• Portal 2 (Bajo - 10; Hex - 10)
• Trials Evolution (Bajo - 10; Hex - 9.5)

Lowest scoring games

• Reload (Bajo - 0.5; Hex - 2)

• Ask Good Game: A main weekly segment where questions are answered from viewers.
• Meet the Spawn: This segment meets gamers who discuss their gaming interests.

Individual series

Season 1 (2010)

• One Face Review: In this segment, people send in pictures of themselves rating a certain game, series or character using their thumbs and the results are all tallied up with the final verdict being awful, average, or awesome.
• Spawn Selects: An online poll on the official website allows viewers to vote for a game or character out of three choices that share the some topic, for example, space, RPG or music, with the highest voted game given the chance to be talked about by the hosts.
• GG:SP Dissects: Shows what makes up a game, such as the spawn point or cutscenes.
• 5-Up: This segment counts down the top five gaming related subjects. Only one of these aired, which was taken from the main show.
• Let's Cheat With D.A.R.R.E.N: D.A.R.R.E.N gives out a cheat for a game.

Season 2 (2011)

• I'm No Noob: D.A.R.R.E.N sets a challenge for viewers, such as to reach the highest score they can get in a game, and send in a screenshot of it. The best entries are often given prizes.
• D.A.R.R.E.N's Dictionary: D.A.R.R.E.N explains the definition of a game related term.
• Gamer News: This segment presents gaming news from worldwide.
• So You Want to Work in Gaming: The segment takes a look at some people who have turned their passion for gaming into a real life career.
• How it Works: Goose visits some experts to find out how game features work.
• Feature Stories: Goose takes to the streets for some sleuthing, investigating and interviewing.
• Level Up with D.A.R.R.E.N: D.A.R.R.E.N provides helpful tips for a game.

Season 3 (2012)

• D.A.R.R.E.N's Data Dump: D.A.R.R.E.N 'dumps' valuable gaming information straight into the minds of Spawnlings. It is similar to D.A.R.R.E.N's dictionary but the information is on a more technical gaming or computer concept rather than a simple in-game term, and isn't restricted to games; such : Amigaas "Hacking" which relates to the hardware side of a computer.
• D.A.R.R.E.N.'s Time Warp: D.A.R.R.E.N time travels through time and talks about gaming history.
• Video Game Postcards: D.A.R.R.E.N and Goose go to video game locations.

Season 4 (2013)

• Gaming Around the World with D.A.R.R.E.N: D.A.R.R.E.N gives the viewers a look at gaming in different countries and explains the country's impact in gaming.
• D.A.R.R.E.N Does Devs: D.A.R.R.E.N has a personal interview with a game developer.
• This Is Your EXTRA Life: Goose has a deeper look at the history and story behind one of the characters featured in one of the games reviewed.

Season 5 (2014)

• D.A.R.R.E.N's Challenge: Similar to the "Name That Game" segment on the original show, D.A.R.R.EN gives the viewer a trivia question about a game. The answers is revealed at the end of the show.
• The D.A.R.R.E.N Report: A more detailed version of the "Data Dump" segment, except the topic is to do with one of the games reviewed.

Season 6 (2015)

• D.A.R.R.E.N's Challenge: Similar to the "Name That Game" segment on the original show, D.A.R.R.EN gives the viewer a trivia question about a game. The answers is revealed at the end of the show.
• D.A.R.R.E.N's Data Dump: D.A.R.R.E.N 'dumps' valuable gaming information straight into the minds of Spawnlings. It is similar to D.A.R.R.E.N's dictionary but the information is on a more technical gaming or computer concept rather than a simple in-game term, and isn't restricted to games; such : Amigaas "Hacking" which relates to the hardware side of a computer.
• Spawn Point League: Bajo and Hex compete in gaming challenges to find out who will earn the title of the 2015 Spawn Point League Champion and reign supreme!

Online content

Good Game, like its parent show has a lot of overflow onto the internet via various social media platforms. A fan-made Facebook has been set up, with 340 likes.^[12] The show is one of the 20 featured playlists in the ABC3 YouTube channel, and has 1116 views.^[13] Just like Good Game, Good Game: SP episodes are available for download and streaming on ABC iView after broadcast.^[1] Bajo said, "Every three seconds we get an email from a spawnling".^[7]

Critical reception

PlayStrat gave Good Game: Spawn Point a rating of 10 out of 10 rubber chickens (the show's own unique rating method). It added, "Question: can we now have the regular edition be expanded to 45 minutes? Just kidding!".^[4]

External links

• Official website
• Official forum

References