All Stories FeedABC: Good Gamer “made life difficult”
ABC TV has issued a further statement in the light of the online feud that has spilled out from behind ABC2′s Good Game.
It denies statements made by Jeremy ‘Junglist’ Ray (pictured, left) that he was replaced because of gender and blames his behind the scenes performance allegedly making life “difficult for the rest of the team.”
Ray made comment on the Good Game message board following a joint statement issued by the members of the team that he has been replaced was because “they wanted a girl on the show.”
A spokesperson from ABC has today issued the following statement to TV Tonight:
The ABC categorically dismisses Jeremy Ray’s assertion that he was replaced because of his gender.
The reason for replacing Jeremy Ray was ongoing behind the scenes performance based issues. Jeremy Ray’s performance issues were severely impacting the quality and smooth-running of the show, as well as making life difficult for the rest of the team.
Replacing Jeremy Ray has nothing to do with “mass appeal” and a desire to get a female host on the show. The Good Game team is sad and disappointed he has taken this attitude. The program already enjoys mass appeal to its target audience. His replacement was nothing to do with getting a female, it was a matter of getting the best possible person for the job.
Stephanie Bendixsen is a modern young gamer with a passion for video games and for the culture that surrounds them, Hex will present pertinent, intelligent and engaging video game information in an interesting and accessible way.
At its heart Good Game will be exactly the same it has always been – the show for gamers by gamers – with a new energy and fresh perspectives on gaming. In addition to the existing program, in 2010 Good Game’s on air presence will expand to include Good Game: SP on ABC3 – a show catering to the needs of younger gamers (8-15).
Earlier this week the network added a new co-host claiming it wanted to refresh the format.
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Junglist Tribute:
youtube.com/watch?v=ui67M4YImlI
Yes of course she was the best person for the job, since her application/audition was for a hosting position in a childrens program. Now after such a blatant lie, I’m sure the rest of the statement has just as much credibility. Just like the credibilty of her backstory.
What is it with that jacket that Bajo was wearing on tonight’s news episode?
Clearly they did not get “the best person for the job”.
Games are only rated to 15 so that already covers the 8-15 demographic by default, and the Australian Bureau Of Statistics states the average gamer is mid-30s.
Hex is nice, but no pedigree.
Leave Jeremy, swap “Hex” for Rei & you might be onto something.
Btw, google “Junglist” & “Hex”. 8P
I’m not sure if they go to this site (the good game team) as i wish them well in whatever format they have. However I have one wish for hex and bajo which is to slow down when speaking. When you have two fast speakers talking about a game the review lost my attention rather quickly as to what was being said.
Bajo’s reaction to it all is of most interest. So there was obviously some pressure to play and review games in one day. Which was no doubt managerial and which Bajo (not being as hardcore as Jung) probably agreed with. But that’s just nonsense.
You cannot play and review a game in one day.
That’d be like getting David and Margaret to review 30 movies a week.
They get to review 5 and spend time thinking and discussing it. Movies cost $12 and go for 1-2hours.
Modern Games cost $100 and can be anywhere from 8hrs to certain categories that technically require weeks.
And if the sacking was all about work ethic, why didn’t they just tell him that in the Interview or constructively work a solution. Perhaps it just came down to them wanting 1 day reviews and Jung not going along with it….. It’s strange that theyve taken 5years to come to that position though. No?
Somethings a miss at the ABC!
Poor effort ABC. Really poor, Jung was awesome. Bad idea to replace with a n00b.
So… Mr … er.. “Junglist” we have noticed your repeated inability to turn up to work on time has begun to impact upon the production flow of our show. This matter has now forced us to take an action which, as much as we know we will regret, has become entirely necessary. But before I go through with this may I just ask why the repeated lateness and why have you been unable to concentrate on the job?
“well… I stay up late playing video games”
Seriously though- I like this guy because he doesn’t come across like a plastic TV host. He is presents the way I feel a gamer should present. I don’t know if he acts like a pre-madonna all day or if all he did was pwn his boss at COD4- The ABC will no doubt defend this decision to their dying breath, and with decisions like this, lets hope that breath comes soon.
But in the mean time we can at least sit back and enjoy the show the ABC has made of themselves with all theses constant excuse changes.
RIP, good game guys.
ZOMGWTFBBQ! Seriousy? Because he made it difficult? Wow. You should be bloody grateful ABC! He’s no Naomi Campbell at least!
Grow some Balls ABC.
And if you wanted a show to capture a younger audience, why not have TWO shows?
This is stupid and ridiculous and utterly bewildering. I’m so angry at how the ABC have handled this. Especially the mistreatment of Jeremy ‘Junglist’ Ray.
What pathetic excuses. Worse than the reasons that OJ Simpson had put forward when he tried to steal some trophies.
Sounds like B.S. to me from “our” ABC.
I have to be honest and say the new host and dynamic of the duo dousnt work. I would rather see the other guy go because now its just a guy and a chick. No offense, i may seam that way too but its bad chemestry. A car game lacked a rev-head to review it. Its unballanced and bad producing. Not funny either. Bring back j
@ Andrew – Attack of the Show and Good Game are nothing like each other with the exception of a now M/F host setup.
Do you actually watch either show?
I give the handling of Junglist’s sacking by the ABC, One and a Half out of Ten Rubber Chickens….
I don’t know what to believe now. If he made life difficult for the staff, then maybe it was the right decision to fire him. But if they’re saying this just to try and quell the raging fans, then I’d prefer to have him back please. Stephanie is a cool chick but to be absolutely honest, you can tell she’s only a casual gamer who has never competed in any tournaments, and who wants to be an actor more than anything else.
Andrew, it’s actually in primetime on a Monday night if you realise there are more than just 5 channels in Australia. It’s also the most downloaded show on the ABC site as well.
If this was true then they would not have stated that they were moving him to a role behind the scenes.
Junglist was told otherwise in That meeting abd there is no reason not to believe him.
A TV show presenter being difficult!!?!?! No Way!
>_>
boo hoo – he apparently made life difficult. Small question . . . what were you ratings like?
give it a month . . . what are your ratings like now?
boo effing hoo.
I don’t see this fiasco ending anytime soon. And the next episode of good game is going to be judged even more by the fans.
I will give it a shot, but so far the first half of the ‘new format’ has bothered me. I really despised GG once Kapowski left, feeling Bajo could never fill his shoes. I was right, and now they have two bad co-hosts wrestling for control over a train wreck. I loved the original, but shortly after Bajo came in, I stopped watching it though started again earlier this year. I am unsure if I will continue watching this past maybe the next few episodes ‘just in case’, but my hopes are very, very low.
I’m really disappointed in the turn of event for the show. Shows like GG and At the movies are great because of the chemistry between the hosts, you can’t simply replace one and expect the show to be just as good. I know you will try to make the content and direction the same as before, but if I wanted just good content I would go to any number of great gaming review sites like IGN. People watch the show for that chemistry and now that it has been taken away, the show will always be a former shadow of itself.
Oh dear, it is going to be lobotomised with a rule 16 xbox blonde. IMHEIUO (In My High Exalted Informed Unassailable Opinion) the ABC ‘management’ s&p cretins that orchestrated this stupidity think they are dealing with kiddies ‘games’ when it is Ineractive Entertainment. What are their names/credentials? If the standard drops..well..
Fired for making life difficult? Do you have any idea how many managers and presidents and CEOs we’d have on Earth if everyone who made life difficult behind the scenes was sacked? I’ll tell you how many: 9.
Frankly, his in-front-of the scenes performance was what made the show great. His reviews told me everything I needed to know and nothing I didn’t. I was on the fence about buying Aion and Junglist’s opinion was what I was going to go with. And that’s *exactly* what the show is supposed to do: inform about games.
Who cares! Who the hell watches this show anyway? It’s like on the middle of the night on a Friday isn’t it?
”Stephanie Bendixsen is a modern young gamer with a passion for video games”
She’s also hot too from pics I’ve seen, so hey maybe I’ll even tune in now! good work ABC! lol
They are obviously trying to make it more like Attack Of The Show or something.. too bad the male host has no wit or charisma like the guy on that show.
I gotta say if it was Bajo the one to go I wouldn’t have cared but Junglist was the best thing about the show.
I’ve signed the petition to bring him back even though I know its unlikely to do anything but frankly I just want the ABC to know they can’t just make an executive decision and F over the guy who made the show what it was, as well as the loyal followers of GG and not get the backlash they deserve.
As a female myself I’ve got nothing against Hex but the last show left me cold, if only the ABC would have just added her as a 3rd host and especially not done that piece of sh*t intro.
I won’t be watching again : (
Public not falling for the spin,begin the hatchet job on the man.
I don’t even care if he was hard to work with, the show was a success, they should of realized they would ruin it. Half of the professional actors are hard to work with but they are still used because they make good productions.
What a typically vague excuse.
On screen he was the best part of the show. Good knowledge, reviews, presenting ability, interviews and had chemistry with his co-host. In three years we never heard any rumours of behind the scenes problems.
But an ABC spokesman assures us that his off screen performance was poor.
I feel a lot of animosity towards the ABC. The initial decision was poor and justifiably scrutinised. Now they are trying to clumsily bury the issue.
Bajo’s comments have made me think twice about this and I’m now feeling like a mutual mate stuck between two ex’s. Can’t we just bang their heads together and start again?
“Stephanie Bendixsen is a modern young gamer with a passion for video games and for the culture that surrounds them, Hex will present pertinent, intelligent and engaging video game information in an interesting and accessible way.”
Should read:
“Stephanie Bendixsen is a modern young Female gamer with a passion for video games and for the culture that surrounds them, Hex will present pertinent, intelligent and engaging video game information in an interesting and accessible way.”
What a joke, the ABC can get lost as far as I’m concerned. Bajo + Jung were good together, but if the ABC are keen on ruining that, then I don’t care, they lost my viewing.
Go do your own show Junglist!
Travodo88 “Yeah he made life difficult…by not being a female…”
Best quote I’ve heard yet.
In my earlier post I meant to say “more time for game reviews”. It is well-known that many game producers put extra expense into the earlier parts of a game, in the expectation that, with hundreds of games released each year, game reviewers will not penetrate deeply. It is simply impossible to properly test and review a game with hundreds of hours of playtime in a single day. A cynic would suggest that axeing a host mid-season is a publicity stunt – if not, then it is an appalling decision and heads should role.
I can understand the argument that you need time to properly review a game, but if they need to make the episode and he’s not finished what are they supposed to do? You’ve got to do the best you can with the time and resources you have. ABC have been caught out by their own spin but it would been extremely poor form to release a press statement saying someone was leaving a show because they were a pain. It’s interesting that when you create this idea of talking directly to your audience and giving them a sense of ownership in a show it can really backfire on you.
Tim Bennett says:
>Expect to see more games that can be reviewed within a few hours. Dumbed down indeed.
It is telling that the ABC avoids this point. Any *real* gamer knows that some game genres require more time to assess than others. And as you point out, RPGs in particular can be enormous. So an ABC policy that demands all games be reviewed within 24 hrs, simply isn’t in the best interests of viewers, who want an accurate review before they buy a $100 game.
Now, I have heard a rumour out of the GO! department at Nine that they are looking at doing a Gamer show next year – certainly fits into their target demo. I wonder who they might have in mind now as a host ? Hummmmmmm !!!
So were ABC lying to us before, or are they now? Are they denying that Jeremy was told directly from management it was to broaden the audience by introducing a female host? It sounds like they’re now trying to find any lame excuse to cover things up. If this was the issue – why wasn’t he told the real reason? None of this would have flamed up if that was the case.
Jeremy’s been there for 5 seasons – 100 episodes – surely one wouldn’t get that far with “performance issues”? We know there have been issues about the time it takes to review some of the more complex games (RPGs, multiplayer etc) is this the performance issue they speak about?
So demanding more game reviews is a “performance issue” … they haven’t replaced him with an inexperienced host chosen for her gender and visual appeal – it is “a matter of getting the best possible person for the job” … the spin-doctors had six days to come up with an explanation, and this is the best they can do!!!! – hilarious …..
In one of Jeremy’s posts he said ABC management wanted them to play the games and film the review in the same day. Anyone who plays modern games knows this is impossible (most games are 8+ hours) if you want a Good review. Maybe his “difficult” behavior was wanting to do Good work. This whole thing has tainted the show so badly, regardless who is in the right. I can’t see myself watching anymore.
farwell ABC….
“This week, our review of the first three hours of Fallout 3. Hex, what did you think of this one?”
Expect to see more games that can be reviewed within a few hours. Dumbed down indeed.
So they didnt want to refresh the format? Its because of his performance that he was replaced?
So they are basically contradicting their own press release.
Smells like damage control to me. Story keeps evolving to suit their needs.
Mass market appeal at the cost of integrity and credibility. Might pay off for them until the “casual gamer” trend blows over and all the hardcore gamers have already gone elsewhere for gaming news and impartial reviews.
>”Stephanie Bendixsen is a modern young gamer with a passion for video games”
Actually no. Steph is actor first, gamer second. Everyone under a certain age can safely call themselves a “gamer”. However there is a world of difference between someone who is a real gamer, and someone who is a casual gamer.
I would like to know what links Steph has with the gamer scene. Has she ever competed in tournaments? Has she written any articles on games that were published?
As Bajo likes to say: Booollllocks!
Changes are always made for many reasons. Just because one of them is official, doesn’t mean the other reasons didn’t count. Jeremy Ray’s high standards could just be the scapegoat reason.
ABC spindoctors. Honestly you’d think they could come up with something better.
Legal reasons would not prevent them talking about him being sacked for his Behaviour. Because Junglist would be the one suing them and I Doubt that he would.
You gotta remember they can say this crap all day without it meaning anything or having any substance. But as long as they keep it out there to confuse people it’s working.
They also said a few days ago that it was time management that was the problem. What next ABC, he parked in a disabled parking space? Rubbish.
that sounds like as big as lie as the story about Hex having to go away to a counsellor because she was addicted to video games. Little too late ABC, I don’t believe anything you say…
@cjschrissouth: it would have been poor form for ABC management to make such a statement about a former employee. Instead, it looks like they tried to help Junglist save face in the wake of his sacking, but the implementation of this was so ham-fisted that it completely backfired on them. Agree that this is great publicity for the new Good Game: SP show though. I had no idea it was coming to ABC before now.
Yeah he made life difficult…by not being a female…
I don’t believe it.
I’m so sick of people these days using the words “sex” and “gender” interchangeably. If Junglist’s dismissal was a gender issue, they could’ve just asked him to femme it up a bit.
Aunty could not have paid for the advertising this story has got. Now everyone knows about Good Game: SP
so…….uh…im confused.
if only theyd told us that at the start!
then none of this would’ve happened!