Before there was Good Game, there was The Zone:
The Zone was a TV show that ran on Australian TV during the nineties. I watched it religiously as a kid thinking that a TV show dedicated to gaming was the best thing ever.
Looking back however, My God is this show a product of it's time: never mind the reviews focused on SNES or Megadrive, witness the cringe-worthy terminology, boundless enthusiasm and the opeing titles utilizing random 3d graphics over house music.
Funny thing is that this TV show came at a time when gaming is a niche activity. Now, of course, gaming is enjoyed by many people of many backgrounds - something that Good Game understands entirely. In fact lets do a comparison: Good Game is made by people who are gamers, passionate about their craft and know their audience. The Zone, conversely looks like it's trying to appeal to a wide audience and acting in a manner to what someone thinks as 'nineties cool'. I've heard Bajo & Hex being criticized for looking and acting like they're from another planet but that's nothing compared to the stilted manner that The Zone comes across as. Interestingly enough, as the show went on, it gradually moved away from gaming and collapsed into nonsense that was painful to watch.
Still, as I've said, to see a TV show focused on gaming was a big deal and I enjoyed watching The Zone a lot. And besides, if it wasn't for this show, we might never have seen Good Game - so I'll take that for what it's worth.
For more info on The Zone go here
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