The return ofG4in late 2021 was quite a shock. For many,G4’s availability from 2002 through 2014 helped make them the video game fan they are today. G4’s closure was heartbreaking, with few predicting it would ever return. Now G4’s back, and while nostalgia (and reruns ofNinja Warrior) have given it a boost, G4 is also having to work to redefine itself for a new era of gaming coverage. With that in mind, G4 has announced that it has signed Twitch streamer AustinShow as both an on-air talent and a creative executive for the platform.AustinShow is well known on Twitch for his successful talk shows and game shows, including the Love or Host dating show. G4 is hoping to capitalize on AustinShow’s viral online popularity and success as a host by giving him his ownG4 game show. It’s titled Name Your Price and will feature contestants guessing at the price of certain “rare and interesting” items from the internet. Name Your Price’s biggest attraction, however, will be that contestants are other Twitch users and content creators.RELATED:G4TV Host Speaks Out Against Sexism in the Games IndustryAs noted, however, AustinShow won’t solely be hosting Name Your Price for G4. He’s also being signed as a creative executive. What that means specifically isn’t clear, but G4 does say that he’ll be producing content “tailored to Twitch” while still embracingG4’s unique cable TV distribution.
Between signing AustinShow, the Name Your Price game show, and AustinShow’s focus on reaching Twitch audiences, G4’s goals are more than apparent.Twitch is the modern year video platformfor gamers. That’s not something G4 as a platform can become, but it’s absolutely something that G4 can tap into for content. If G4 wants to attract an audience that loves video games and watches a lot of video, then this seems like a fitting direction.
To be fair, while AustinShow is certainly popular, he’s a bit of a unique personality when it comes toTwitch content creators. While his shows do average tens of thousands of viewers, he averaged less than 10 hours of streaming a month through 2021. That makes him unique among Twitch streamers, but perhaps perfect for G4.
AustinShowfans can see the first episode of Name Your Price when it airs first on his Twitch channel on February 10. The show will then be broadcast on G4 the following week on February 15. Expect to hear more information about the Twitch streamer’s newG4game show over the next week.
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