Good Game

10:00am – Thursday, January 1 on ABC2

Good Game is the show for gamers by gamers and it’s back in 2012 to make sure all your games are good ones.

Each week Bajo (Steven O’Donnell) and Hex (Stephanie Bendixsen) and reporter Goose (Angus Ronald) will review the latest games, talk to the brains who created them and investigate the culture and issues surrounding this industry that has forever changed how we choose to entertain ourselves.

2012 will see the gaming industry try to outdo the phenomenal success of 2011. There’ll be at least two new consoles and possibly the announcement of the next generation of Xbox and Playstations. There’ll be new versions of some of the classics and innovation with entirely new games. Plus we’ll continue to see the massive take-up of gaming on smart phones and tablets.

Games will continue their march into the mainstream and Good Game will be there to feature it all with its mix of expert analysis and entertaining shenanigans.

Doctor Who, ABC1, 10.21pm

Why not have a Doctor Who fix on a Saturday night? The series has been running for decades. This episode’s synopsis: As the shadows rise, the Doctor forges an alliance with the mysterious Professor River Song. But can anyone stop the Vashta Nerada?

Good Game, ABC3, 7.34pm

Time ABC3 had a mention in our TV picks! Join passionate gamers Hex, Bajo, and Darren the robot, for the latest and greatest gaming news and events, top gaming tips, reviews and more.

The Voice Encores, GO!, from 10.35pm tonight.

Missed The Voice this week and want to see what it is about? GO! Are encoring the US reality import at 10.35pm tonight. as well as 4.35pm Sunday afternoon.

The Voice, this week, was GO!s highest rating premiere show to date. In this, the replay of the first episode that aired last Tuesday, the judges Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton turn their backs on contestants and listen closely to judge and ultimately choose which of them they want on their teams. Well worth giving a go – on GO! New episodes air 7.30pm, Tuesdays.

Engineering Connections, SBS ONE, 7.30pm

Richard Hammond (how many shows do these Top Gear guys do!) discovers how engineers drew inspiration from unlikely sources to make a 3km bridge across the Gulf of Corinth in Greece earthquake proof. Design features from ring-pulls, hammocks, toboggans and steel chimneys were employed to protect the structure from the natural hazards posed by its location, including high winds, unstable terrain and one of the most active seismic fault lines in Europe.

CSI: NY, GEM, 8.30pm

It’s a new episode and it’s in HD apparently. The CSIs probe the murders of a journalist and his friend, who were investigating gold fraud. One victim was gunned down and the other one was beaten with a gold bar.

The Dark Knight, Nine, 10.00pm

Whether you have seen the movie before or this is your first time, it is well worth giving a go. Batman teams with District Attorney Harvey Dent to continue dismantling Gotham City’s criminal organizations. However, the Joker emerges from the shadows and threatens to undo all their good work.

8:30pm – Tuesday, May 3 on ABC2

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s the Good Game Superhero Special.

Join hosts Steven ‘Bajo’ O’Donnell and Stephanie ‘Hex’ Bendixsen as they don their tightest superhero tights to leap tall buildings in a single bound and take a look back at the colourful history of video game superheroes. From Superman on the Atari 2600 to Batman: Arkham City on the Xbox 360, no super game will be left unturned in this very heroic Good Game special.

Bajo and Hex reflect on their own favourite superheroes and hero-themed games, as well as investigate the challenges a game developer faces when turning a well-known and well-loved superhero into a playable videogame character. Some of the world’s best known game developers also discuss the highs and lows of video game heroism, we meet a real-life Aussie superhero, and a whole lot more.

Good Game, the show for gamers by gamers, and Good Game: Spawn Point, the show for younger gamers by gamers both return to ABC TV for 2011.

Good Game returns to the new timeslot of Tuesday at 8.30pm on ABC2, from February 8, and will screen right through until December.

This should please the millions of World of Warcraft players who are often left with nothing else to do on a Tuesday night but stare at a login screen whilst the game servers undergo their weekly maintenance.

Good Game host Steven ‘Bajo’ O’Donnell says… “People did not actually believe we originally asked for Good Game to be broadcast on Tuesdays because of the WoW server issues but it’s true! I was finding it tricky to keep all my stuns on the healers, whilst tweeting and watching the show on Monday nights, so this is a good move.”

Host, Stephanie ‘Hex’ Bendixsen adds… “Often embargoes are enforced until Monday USA time, which meant we were sometimes forced to hold off on some of our reviews. Hopefully, the move will mean we can review new games on the show quicker.”

Good Game: Spawn Point (Good Game SP) returns to ABC3 on Saturday February 12, and will continue to get three screenings on the channel each weekend.

The presenter line-up remains unchanged with Bajo (Steven O’Donnell) and Hex (Stephanie Bendixsen) at the helm, helped (or hindered) on Spawn Point by DARREN the Data Analysing Robot for the Ruthless Extermination of Noobs, ably voiced by highly respected games journalist, James Cottee.

7:25pm – Saturday, September 25 on ABC3

Saturday, 25 September 2010 Good Game: SP (Spawn Point) is hosted by passionate gamers Hex (Stephanie Bendixsen) and Bajo (Steven O’Donnell) and is the sister program to Good Game on ABC2.

This is a show for young gamers by gamers, and features a family friendly mix of gamer reviews, stories about gaming culture and plenty of audience interaction.

In this episode, Good Game: SP has received a high volume of emails for their segment ‘Ask Good Game’ so Hex and Bajo are on a mission to answer as many as possible. They will also invade another Aussie lounge-room to find out how they divvy up their gaming time, and if you fancy flying a virtual plane or two, Good Game: SP takes to the skies to review Hawx 2.

To view this episode of Good Game: SP please log onto the ABC TV Publicity website at www.abc.net.au/tvpublicity Good Game:SP and Good Game are available for download and streaming on ABC iView after broadcast.

7:25pm – Saturday, May 15 on ABC3

Good Game: Spawn Point (Good Game: SP) showcases the wonderful world of video games.

Hosted by passionate gamers Stephanie Bendixsen or ‘Hex’, as she is better known in the gaming world and Steven ‘Bajo’ O’Donnell they will keep you up-to-date on the latest gaming news and events, top gaming tips and reviews. Joined by not so nice Robot, Darren (Data Analysing Robot for the Ruthless Extermination of Noobs), Good Game: SP is the show for younger gamers by gamers. Good Game: SP draws on stories about gaming culture and encourages plenty of audience interaction.

7:30pm – Saturday, February 20 on ABC3

This is the teen sibling to ABC2′s hugely popular Good Game. Hosted by passionate gamers Hex (Stephanie Bendixsen) and Bajo (Steven O’Donnell), Good Game: Spawn Point (SP) is the show produced for gamers, by gamers.

Hex and Bajo will review family friendly games, update the audience with news and hot tips from the gaming world and introduce a raft of new segments made especially for Spawn Point. The show will run for fifteen minutes and will be available for download and streaming on ABC iView.

ABC TV RATINGS HIT ANOTHER NEW HIGH IN 2009

In a year dominated by fierce competition between networks and the launch of four new free-to-air channels, ABC TV has increased its share of free-to-air viewers in 2009 by broadening its appeal through ABC1 and ABC2.

ABC TV recorded a prime time share of 17.1% (weeks 7– 48, free-to-air 5 city) 0.1 of a point higher than 2008, which had previously been its most successful ratings year ever.

Complementing the increase in share within the free-to-air TV market, ABC iView  has recorded a 140% increase in monthly average visits compared to 2008 and in October there was a record 1 million visits.  In addition, more than 7 million vodcasts of ABC content have been downloaded in 2009 (to end of October).

2009 is the first full year that ABC2 has been part of the ratings cycle and its people share during prime time increased to 1.2% – double that of 2008.  In week 46, ABC2 hit a new peak to reach 2.6 million viewers or 17.6% of the 5 city population.

Kim Dalton, Director of ABC TV said “The free-to-air TV landscape this year is hardly recognisable from even just 12 months ago.  I’m delighted that ABC TV has been able to grow its audience in this tough environment, and in fact, has been at the forefront of this revolution. Come December 4, even more viewers are set to come on board with the launch of the new kids’ channel, ABC3.”
 
FTA Share State by State:
Sydney: Total ABC TV Share is 18.8%. (2008 ABC1 share was 17.7%)
Melbourne: Total ABC TV Share is 15.8%. (2008 ABC1 share was 16.8%)
Brisbane: Total ABC TV Share is 16.0%. (2008 ABC1 share was 16.8%)
Adelaide: Total ABC TV Share is 16.8%. (2008 ABC1 share was 16.2%)
Perth: Total ABC TV Share is 18.3%. (2008 ABC1 share was 17.1%)
 

Top 6 Programs on ABC1
5 Cities
·         Spicks and Specks  – 27th May (1.6 million; 32.5% FTA Share)
·         The Chaser’s War on Everything  – 27th May (1.5 million; 32.1% FTA Share)
·         Midsomer Murders – 4th October (1.5 million; 31.2% FTA Share)
·         The Gruen Transfer – 20th May (1.3 million; 26.1% FTA Share)
·         New Tricks – 13th June (1.3 million; 31.2% FTA Share)
·         Australian Story – 22nd June (1.3 million; 24.7% FTA Share)
 
Top Programs on ABC1 by City
Sydney – The Chaser’s War on Everything  – 27th May (514,000; 34.9% FTA Share)
Melbourne – Spicks and Specks – 5th August (493,000; 33.3% FTA Share)
Brisbane – Spicks and Specks – 27th May (294,000; 33.0% FTA Share)
Adelaide – Midsomer Murders – 30th August (179,000; 33.5% FTA Share)
Perth – Midsomer Murders – 4th October (210,000; 35.8% FTA Share)
 
ABC2’s five city audience continues to grow.
 
ABC2’s free-to-air people share has increased during prime-time to 1.2%, double compared to last year.
 
ABC2’s 24 hour weekly reach peaked in Week 46 2009 at 2.6 million or 17.6% of the 5 city population.

ABC2’s 24 hour average weekly reach has increased in 2009 to 2.1 million or 14.5% of the metro population – an increase of 122% compared to last year (951,000).

In 2009, ABC2’s free-to-air people share has increased during daytime to 3.0%, up from 1.1% in 2008.
 
Top 6 Programs on ABC2 2009 ytd
·         Junkyard Wars  – 2nd September (165,000)
·         Scrapheap Challenge  – 29th June (155,000)
·         The Chaser’s War on Everything – 30th July (152,000)
·         Movie: Charade – 15th August (147,000)
·         Movie: The Glenn Miller Story – 19th September (140,000)
·         The Gruen Transfer – 14th May (138,000)
Program Performance (5 Cities)
 iView data is sourced from WebTrends since April. Vodcast downloads information is sourced  from WebTrends Jan-Oct 2009.
 
ABC NEWS & CURRENT AFFAIRS week 7-48

ABC News (weekdays) is averaging 1 million this year and recorded 74,000 views via ABC iView.

7:30 REPORT week 7-48
7.30 Report’s series average this year is 831,000. It achieved a peak episode audience of 1.2 million on 9th February. It recorded 61,000 views via ABC iView and a further 104,000 vodcast downloads (program segments).

AUSTRALIAN STORY
Australian Story’s series average this year is 981,000 (up from 891,000 last year). It achieved a peak episode audience of 1.25 million on 22nd June with In Cold Blood, the story of a son’s mission to catch his mother Doris Owen’s killer. There were 71,000 view of the program this year via ABC iView.

FOUR CORNERS
Four Corners this year is achieving a series average of 819,000 on ABC1 and was the most viewed program via ABC iView with 243,000 views since April.
A peak episode this year was The Code of Silence on 11th May 2009. On ABC1 this episode achieved a five city audience of just over 1 million. The interest in this episode continued and it recorded 135,000 views in May on ABC iView.
 
MEDIA WATCH
Media Watch achieved a series average of 736,000 this year, peaking at 936,000 on October 12. It recorded 149,000 views via ABC iView and 869,000 vodcast downloads this year.
The special, Media Watch – 20 Years: Stuff Ups, Beat Ups and Barneys, on May 7 achieved a five city average audience of 926,000 with a FTA share of 20.7%.

SPICKS AND SPECKS
This year, Spicks and Specks achieved a Total ABC series average of 1.3 million (up from 1.2 million on ABC1 in 2008)
This year it was the most viewed program on ABC TV across the five cities and No.1 in Melbourne and Brisbane.

THE CHASER’S WAR ON EVERYTHING
Series 3 achieved a Total ABC series average of 1.3 million. On ABC1 it was the No.2 most viewed program in the 5 cities and No. 1 in Sydney.
The program recorded 187,000 vodcast downloads this year. It recorded 139,000 views via ABC iView and was the most viewed program via ABC iView in July.

THE GRUEN TRANSFER
Series 2 achieved a Total ABC series average of 1.3 million across the five cities in increase on 2008 (1.25 million on ABC1). On ABC1 it appeared among the top five programs this year across the five cities.
The program recorded 258,000 vodcast downloads this year. It recorded 70,000 views via ABC iView and in April it was the most viewed program on iView.  

KIDS
Among children aged 0-12 years, average weekly reach across ABC1 and ABC2 children’s timeslots is 1.3 million (54% of the 5 city population aged 0-12).
ABC1 (Mon-Fri 6am-10am & 3pm-6pm) Among preschoolers aged 0-4 and children aged 5-12, ABC1 retained the highest audience across all FTA networks and STV channels in its Monday to Friday children’s TV slots.
 
ABC2 KIDS – ABC2 achieved the highest audience among preschoolers across all FTA networks and dedicated STV children’s channels in its Mon-Fri 10am-4.30pm Kids slot, 30.4% share up from 13.5% in 2008.

ABC iView
·         Since April 2009, there have been 6.2 million views of programs via ABC iView.
·         In 2009ytd, ABC iView has recorded a monthly average of 610,000 visits – up by 140% compared to the 2008 monthly average of 255,000.
·         This year, ABC iView has recorded a monthly average of 206,000 visitors – up by 60% compared to last year (August to December 2008 monthly average was 129,000).
·         In October 2009, ABC iView recorded its highest ever number of visitors and visits. 286,000 visitors and 1.054 million visits to ABC iView.
·         Visits have grown at even a faster rate than visitors meaning users are visiting ABC iView more often.
·         The most viewed programs included a range of genres, local and overseas content, and programs broadcast on ABC1 and ABC2:
o   Four Corners
o   United States of Tara
o   Good Game
o   Doctor Who
o   The Chaser’s War on Everything
o   Media Watch

Vodcasts
There have been 7 million downloads of ABC Vodcasts this year.
Most downloaded ABC TV programs include:

Good Game (902,000 downloads)
Media Watch (869,000)
triple jtv  (825,000)
The Cook and the Chef (341,000)
Gardening Australia (335,000)

TV Data – OzTam
On-line date – WebTrends

8:30pm – Monday, June 8 on ABC2

In a special program, Good Game is turning back the clock to the golden age of gaming. A time when some of the very best brains ever to work in games design made the very best games of their careers, and when Good Game hosts Bajo and Junglist first began their serious love affair with video games.

The 1990s was a time of massive technological advances. The internet moved from connecting academics in universities to people in their own homes. Nintendo and its mascot Mario went head to head with Sega and its mascot Sonic. Zelda and Donkey Kong went from being 2D flat sprites to fully fleshed out 3D characters and we threw out our bulky game cartridges and embraced the compact disk.

If you were a gamer playing in the 90s you’re going to get the warm and fuzzies reliving the glory days. And if you were not, you’ll understand how this golden age has left a powerful legacy that still influences how we choose to entertain ourselves today.

Good Game is the award-winning TV and online show for gamers by gamers bringing Australians their weekly dose of news, reviews and industry interviews from the exciting, creative and rapidly expanding world of video games.

Good Game Pings The 90s will be repeated on ABC1 – Friday, June 12 at 11:50pm

Tonight, Good Game presenters Bajo (Steven O’Donnell) and Junglist (Jeremy Ray) will announce the winner of phase one of the Good Game ‘Game’ project which opened early this year.

In an Australian first, ABC TV and the Australian Film Commission, have invited the Good Game audience to bring their creative ideas together to construct their own playable online game. The game prototype will be built by Australian development company Infinite Interactive.

Over 800 applications were received, from entrants 10 to 54 years of age. Game ideas received ranged from Outback Rescue (rescuing lost tourists) to Full Turtle Racket (about baby sea turtles) – two entries suggested building a game based on John Howard. But it was Troy, aged 33 from Wollongong, whose game idea, Office Wars, caught the attention of the judges.

The Office Wars concept: you are the average Joe or Jill, working in the average office. You want to make it to the top and will do anything to get there, no matter how sneaky, underhanded and deceitful that may be (you can even go as far as to actually WORK HARD if need be, but only as a last resort). Your ultimate goal is to get promoted and make it to “The Top”.

When told by the Good Game team that he had won Troy said “I am very excited and scared about being a winner. I come up with most of my ideas walking to or from work.”

Steve Fawkner, CEO Infinite Interactive says “Office Wars is one of those ideas that just makes you say “why didn’t I think of that before?” It contains that wonderful mix of novelty, familiarity and inspiration that we were hoping to find in the Good Game ‘Game’ project.”

Amanda Duthie, Head Arts, Entertainment and Comedy, ABC TV says “Move over Solitaire, Office Wars gives a whole delicious new take on power games at the office. Bosses beware.”

Lori Flekser, Director of Film Development at the AFC says “Wow! The Good Game ‘Game’ continues to harness incredible creativity, humour and energy. And we’ve only just begun!”

So, now the fun part begins. Office Wars is in the hands of the Good Game audience, who will be called on to develop such elements as characters, story line and level design – a whole bunch of prizes, including two mentorships with the developers, will be up for grabs.

You can check out the top 20 game ideas on the Good Game site abc.net.au/goodgame.

More details about this creative venture can be found at abc.net.au/goodgame. Good Game screens 9pm Mondays on ABC2, is repeated Fridays after triple j tv on ABC1, and is available for download at abc.net.au/goodgame.