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''Consolevania'' is a video games
TV show A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed bet ...
filmed in and around
Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
, Scotland. It is notable as one of very few online TV shows to make the leap onto broadcast TV as the show ''
videoGaiden ''VideoGaiden'' is a Scottish computer games television show that was broadcast by BBC Two Scotland. Its creators and presenters, Robert Florence ("Rab") and Ryan Macleod, were responsible for the internet-distributed videogaming show '' Consolev ...
'', which has had four series shown on BBC Scotland. The name ''Consolevania'' is a reference to
Konami , is a Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, it also produces and distributes trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, pachinko machines, slot machines, and arcade cabinets. Konami has casino ...
's long-running horror-adventure game series '' Castlevania'' and was chosen by Rllmuk forum members before the first episode was shot. Fittingly, the first game reviewed on the show was '' Castlevania: Lament of Innocence''. The
first episode A series premiere is the first aired installment of an episodic entertainment series, most often a television series. In the United States, many series premieres are aired in the fall time or, for mid-season replacements, either in the spring or ...
was filmed in early 2004 and initially distributed on CDs posted out by the team. Eventually all episodes became distributed online via the BitTorrent
peer-to-peer Peer-to-peer (P2P) computing or networking is a distributed application architecture that partitions tasks or workloads between peers. Peers are equally privileged, equipotent participants in the network. They are said to form a peer-to-peer ...
network, although an archive of

first and second series downloads now exists and lower quality http downloads are released concurrently with the more recent BitTorrent releases. On January 23, 2017, it was announced vi
Patreon
that a new series of Consolevania was planned for production. The first episode of the new run was released on February 18, 2017, and the show is following a regular monthly release schedule.


History

''Consolevania'' was first released online in 2004, presented by
Robert Florence Robert Luke McBrian Florence (born 29 July 1977) is a Scottish presenter, comedian and writer who starred in the BBC comedy sketch show '' Burnistoun''. Early life Robert Florence was born on 29 July 1977 and was raised in a working-class fa ...
, former writer for
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
comedy ''
Chewin' the Fat ''Chewin' the Fat'' is a Scottish comedy sketch show, starring Ford Kiernan, Greg Hemphill and Karen Dunbar. Comedians Paul Riley and Mark Cox also appeared regularly on the show among other actors such as Gregor Fisher and Tom Urie. ''Ch ...
'', and Ryan Macleod. Primary coverage was of console games; however, since the donation of a PC by sponsor
Alienware Alienware is an American computer hardware subsidiary of Dell. Their product range is dedicated to gaming computers which can be identified by their alien-themed designs. Alienware was founded in 1996 by Nelson Gonzalez and Alex Aguila, and is ...
at the start of Series Two, PC games have also been reviewed. Much of the audience for the early episodes came from various online
discussion forums An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. They differ from chat rooms in that messages are often longer than one line of text, and are at least temporar ...
, in particula
Rllmuk
(itself seen by many as the spiritual home of Consolevania) an
NTSC-UK
The show gradually gained a substantial
internet The Internet (or internet) is the global system of interconnected computer networks that uses the Internet protocol suite (TCP/IP) to communicate between networks and devices. It is a '' network of networks'' that consists of private, pub ...
following, largely by
word of mouth Word of mouth, or ''viva voce'', is the passing of information from person to person using oral communication, which could be as simple as telling someone the time of day. Storytelling is a common form of word-of-mouth communication where one pe ...
, and began to attract the attention of both mainstream and video gaming media. Following the description of the show by Sky News as having "something that almost every other games show ever created has lacked: true passion for the subject matter," the BBC expressed interest in the show, reportedly since it garners "more viewers than some shows they produce already.". The show received widespread underground popularity and is now a global entity. BBC Scotland commissioned a games review show from First Person Shooters in a similar vein to ''Consolevania'', titled ''
videoGaiden ''VideoGaiden'' is a Scottish computer games television show that was broadcast by BBC Two Scotland. Its creators and presenters, Robert Florence ("Rab") and Ryan Macleod, were responsible for the internet-distributed videogaming show '' Consolev ...
''. This was broadcast on BBC Two Scotland from November to December 2005 for six weeks. In April 2006, it was reported that ''Consolevania'' had acquired the movie rights to the Jeff Minter computer game Hover Bovver. Though they had claimed that the adaptation would be released at some point in 2007, there have been no further updates since. With no statements issued by Minter about the status of the arrangement, it is presumed that the movie did not get any further than
pre-production Pre-production is the process of planning some of the elements involved in a film, television show, play, or other performance, as distinct from production and post-production. Pre-production ends when the planning ends and the content start ...
, or even enter it. New episodes of ''Consolevania'' were released online on an irregular basis, and, in response to much critical acclaim, a second run of ''videoGaiden'', featuring lengthier episodes, was commissioned by BBC Scotland and aired in late 2006. The third series however, has hugely focused on internet-only episodes of which 18 were made and released over a six-month period. The only material that was made specifically for broadcast were just three "TV Specials". The decision to focus so heavily on internet output seems to be in line with a soapbox piece from the second series. In this segment, Robert Florence stated that television is a dying medium and that the BBC needed to accept this and embrace internet programming, an area they currently do not understand. On October 10, 2008, Series 4 premiered o
Consolevania.com
alongside a newly redesigned website. Series 4 was presented in a new way, with separate segments being uploaded frequently to
YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
. These segments were also used in new "high quality digest" episodes of compiled and exclusive content.


Format and style

The show primarily consists of a mixture of video game-related comedy sketches,
review A review is an evaluation of a publication, product, service, or company or a critical take on current affairs in literature, politics or culture. In addition to a critical evaluation, the review's author may assign the work a rating to indi ...
s of both newly released and older video games, and occasional
preview Preview may refer to: Theatre, film, television * Preview (subscription service), an early subscription television service in the United States * Preview (theatre), a public performance of a theatrical show before the official opening * Previe ...
features highlighting forthcoming titles, especially those that appear unusual or eccentric. The lighthearted
comedic Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...
approach of the show is met with clear passion for video games and knowledge of the medium's history. The program has sometimes experimented with unusual
visual effect Visual effects (sometimes abbreviated VFX) is the process by which imagery is created or manipulated outside the context of a live-action shot in filmmaking and video production. The integration of live-action footage and other live-action foota ...
s, such as flash edits and periods of
slow-motion Slow motion (commonly abbreviated as slo-mo or slow-mo) is an effect in film-making whereby time appears to be slowed down. It was invented by the Austrian priest August Musger in the early 20th century. This can be accomplished through the use ...
. Much of the humour is referential, expressing knowledge of a variety of video games of both mainstream popularity and relative obscurity. This ability to mock the video game industry whilst remaining affectionate toward it is typical of Consolevania's style. Where previous video game TV shows such as ''Bits'' and '' Thumb Bandits'' claimed irreverence with their use of swear words but still were forced to operate within the established systems of television production, Florence and Macleod are able to dictate the content of their own show without the need for
censorship Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient". Censorship can be conducted by governments ...
to avoid offence. Examples of content likely to be restricted on United Kingdom television are the inclusion of characters such as
Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
and
John Wayne Gacy John Wayne Gacy (March 17, 1942 – May 10, 1994) was an American serial killer and sex offender who raped, tortured, and murdered at least 33 young men and boys. Gacy regularly performed at children's hospitals and charitable events as " ...
, although these characters are for the most part mocked in the show as opposed to praised in any way. The fact that the show is self-produced by Florence and Macleod's own production company has presented some issues of budget. In the first series, the equipment was mostly rented, and as such the release of the shows were very irregular. An upshoot of this lack of budget was the
microphone A microphone, colloquially called a mic or mike (), is a transducer that converts sound into an electrical signal. Microphones are used in many applications such as telephones, hearing aids, public address systems for concert halls and publ ...
used by the team, an
omnidirectional Omnidirectional refers to the notion of existing in every direction. Omnidirectional devices include: * Omnidirectional antenna, an antenna that radiates equally in all directions * VHF omnidirectional range, a type of radio navigation system for ...
device attached to a bent wire coathanger covered in red
duct tape Duct tape (also called duck tape, from the cotton duck cloth it was originally made of) is cloth- or scrim-backed pressure-sensitive tape, often coated with polyethylene. There are a variety of constructions using different backings and adhesi ...
. It was frequently thrown at whichever character or presenter was on camera at the start of each sketch or review. However, there was no sign of the microphone at the start of the second series and the show's creators claim it was buried after a night of drunken revelry. Eventually, during the show's 'Independents Day' episode, it was unearthed and so may find itself in service once again. Some of the show's other recurring themes and sketches include: *The team engaging in various physical activities whilst shouting "tap tap tap" (in reference to 'button bashing' athletics games such as ''
Track and Field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping eve ...
''). *The misadventures of Adolf Hitler and his bizarre cohort El Zomba (see below), the former apparently interested in taking over the show for his own nefarious purposes, the latter being his sometime assistant and possibly lover. *John Gacy's "Kiddies' Corner", where the notorious serial killer reviews video games aimed at children. *Impromptu interviews with members of the public about games, conducted by one of the show's most popular characters, an American known only as Legend (see below). *Video game cosplay, with an emphasis on the ridiculous. *'' Overblood'', a video game the team display a passionate distaste for. Perhaps also an issue of budget, there was some inconsistency in the lengths of early episodes, varying runtimes between 45 minutes to an hour. However, the show's creators claim they have now found a format they are happy with and consequently later episodes have been just over 30 minutes in length. At the start of the second series, a basic awards system has been introduced, where the team awarded gold, blue, or brown ribbons to video games that they consider exceptional (gold), very good (blue), or particularly poor (brown). However, as the next episode abandoned this system for one based on
Jeff Minter Jeff Minter (born 22 April 1962) is an independent English video game designer and programmer who often goes by the name Yak. He is the founder of software house Llamasoft and has created dozens of games during his career, which began in 19 ...
using a torch, it is likely that the new ratings system was never intended to be taken seriously.


Video game industry satire

''Consolevania'' often satirizes major industry figures and companies, both with impersonating caricatures (such as
Lionhead Studios Lionhead Studios Limited was a British video game developer founded in July 1997 by Peter Molyneux, Mark Webley, Tim Rance, and Steve Jackson. The company is best known for the ''Black & White'' and ''Fable'' series. Lionhead started as a br ...
developer
Peter Molyneux Peter Douglas Molyneux (; born 5 May 1959) is an English video game designer and programmer. He created the god games '' Populous'', ''Dungeon Keeper'', and ''Black & White'', as well as ''Theme Park'', the ''Fable'' series, '' Curiosity: Wh ...
) and the manipulation of press conference videos for humor (
Reggie Fils-Aime Reggie is a given name, usually a short form of the name Reginald. It may refer to: People * Reggie Bonnafon (born 1996), American football player * Reggie Brown (disambiguation), multiple people * Reggie Bush (born 1985), National Football ...
of
Nintendo of America is a Japanese multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles. Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produced handmade playing card ...
and
Sony , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professiona ...
's
Ken Kutaragi is a Japanese engineering technologist and businessman. He is the former chairman and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), the video game division of Sony Corporation, and current president and CEO of Cyber AI Entertainment. He is known ...
, among many others).
Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washin ...
's
J Allard J Allard (born James Allard, on January 12, 1969 in Glens Falls, New York) is the chief executive officer of Project 529, a company that builds software for cyclists and law enforcement. Prior to starting Project 529, Allard was chief technology ...
is also frequently satirized. In a QuizVania segment in Episode 2.

Allard is listed 2nd in the list of "10 Things that are an Embarrassment to the Games Industry". During this suggestion, the message "Act your fucking age" is flashed on screen. In Episode 2.1, Consolevania presented a video game proposal to
Rockstar Games Rockstar Games, Inc. is an American video game publisher based in New York City. The company was established in December 1998 as a subsidiary of Take-Two Interactive, using the assets Take-Two had previously acquired from BMG Interactive. Foun ...
for a "next-generation" title, ''Manpuncher vs. Boxhead''. This consisted of a video short resembling a '70s police drama starring a gruff anti-authority figure who punches children and fights villains who all conveniently use the same 3D model to cut production costs. Rockstar politely rejected the proposal. In recent episodes, the ''Consolevania'' team have issued taunting challenges for a street fight to
Codemasters The Codemasters Software Company Limited (trade name: Codemasters) is a British video game developer based in Southam, England, which is a subsidiary of American corporation Electronic Arts. Founded by brothers Richard and David Darling in Oct ...
and Rare. On 13 September 2007, Consolevania made a major splash with an incisive satirical parody of a Halo 3 promotional advertisement. The parody addressed an under-discussed issue with Xbox Live online gaming—the bad behaviour of a large proportion of the subscribers.


References to Consolevania in popular culture

*In the video game
Grand Theft Auto IV ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' is a 2008 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the sixth main entry in the ''Grand Theft Auto'' series, following 2004's '' Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas'', and the e ...
, one of the possible addiction levels in the statistics view is "Bummed in the Gob," a reference to an incident in which Robert Florence was dared to say the phrase "bummed in the gob" during a television interview. *In the video game The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion's expansion pack Shivering Isles, a house has a pair of shoes on the roof in reference to Rab Florence's review of the original game, where he stated he enjoyed placing shoes on the roofs of buildings via the use of magic for fun. Florence's review took place before the release of the expansion pack.


Cast

*
Robert Florence Robert Luke McBrian Florence (born 29 July 1977) is a Scottish presenter, comedian and writer who starred in the BBC comedy sketch show '' Burnistoun''. Early life Robert Florence was born on 29 July 1977 and was raised in a working-class fa ...
- One of the show's two reviewers, using the
pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...
Mr. Robert, he also plays the parts of John Gacy, El Zomba, and Xbox Live World Champion, Legend. *Michael S. Hoffs - Plays the role of Hitler and
Peter Molyneux Peter Douglas Molyneux (; born 5 May 1959) is an English video game designer and programmer. He created the god games '' Populous'', ''Dungeon Keeper'', and ''Black & White'', as well as ''Theme Park'', the ''Fable'' series, '' Curiosity: Wh ...
, though Michael has not been featured since the second episode of the second series. *Ryan Macleod - The second main reviewer, as Mr. Ryan. He also plays Sammy Miller. *Kenny Swanston - Introduced into the show in the third episode (though playing an unnamed, masked wrestler in the firstEpisode 1 Commentary
/ref>), Kenny is seen repeatedly antagonising and bullying Mr. Robert and Mr. Ryan, both of whom are intimidated by his presence. He berates them for their incompetence and forever telling others that he will "show them how it's fucking done". Their fear seems justified, as Kenny's particularly violent lessons tend to involve a thorough beating or, at their very worst, liberal use of
Force lightning The Force is a metaphysical and ubiquitous power in the '' Star Wars'' fictional universe. "Force-sensitive" characters use the Force throughout the franchise. Heroes like the Jedi seek to "become one with the Force", matching their personal wil ...
. At the end of Series 2, Kenny left the Consolevania TEAM to become the leader of the Dreamcast Universe, however, he returned in the first episode of Series 3 for reasons as yet unknown. *Joanne Daly is a series regular and also appeared in each episode of the BBC sister show videoGaiden. She is also responsible for Consolevania.com's current design. *Louise Stewart has been featured in a variety of supporting roles, along with Louise's young sister Courtney Stewart, who vexes Gacy. *Allan Miller joins the cast in series three as the paranoid 'Ziggy Springsteen', a representative of the sponsors. * Limmy, first seen in series 3 as overconfident 'Zack Eastwood', he also was in many episodes of videoGaiden series 3. *Richard Rankin, introduced in the reviews section of the Consolevania website, makes his debut in the show in the second episode of the third series—appearing in a starring role in "
Ken Loach Kenneth Charles Loach (born 17 June 1936) is a British film director and screenwriter. His socially critical directing style and socialist ideals are evident in his film treatment of social issues such as poverty ('' Poor Cow'', 1967), homelessn ...
's
Halo Halo, halos or haloes usually refer to: * Halo (optical phenomenon) * Halo (religious iconography), a ring of light around the image of a head HALO, halo, halos or haloes may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Video games * ''Halo'' (franch ...
". Many members of the cast work behind the camera as crew, either directing, filming or later editing the show.


Recurring characters

*Legend - A brash American who claims to be the Xbox Live World Champion, having defeated Lisasimpson45 in both Mech Assault and
Halo 2 ''Halo 2'' is a 2004 first-person shooter game developed by Bungie and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox console. ''Halo 2'' is the second installment in the ''Halo'' franchise and the sequel to 2001's critically acclaimed '' ...
deathmatch. The main street interviewer in the show, he hails from
Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee ...
in
Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
, and wears a Russian
ushanka An ushanka ( rus, уша́нка, p=ʊˈʂankə, from , "ears"), also called an ''ushanka- hat'' ( rus, ша́пка-уша́нка, p=ˈʂapkə ʊˈʂankə), is a Russian fur cap with ear-covering flaps that can be tied up to the crown of the ...
. An interview with Rab and Ryan in GamesTM Magazine in February 2007 suggested that Legend is unlikely to return in Series Three due to the fact that the team are unkeen on 'comedy that takes the piss out of unwitting members of the public'. *John Gacy - Based upon the serial killer
John Wayne Gacy John Wayne Gacy (March 17, 1942 – May 10, 1994) was an American serial killer and sex offender who raped, tortured, and murdered at least 33 young men and boys. Gacy regularly performed at children's hospitals and charitable events as " ...
, this is one of the more controversial characters. A clown dressed in top hat and black coat, he presents the "children's" section of the show. Most of the humour in his segments consists of
Freudian slip In psychoanalysis, a Freudian slip, also called parapraxis, is an error in speech, memory, or physical action that occurs due to the interference of an unconscious subdued wish or internal train of thought. Classical examples involve slips of ...
s inadvertently revealing that he's a paedophilic
serial killer A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A * * * * with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...
, or reading out "fan" letters which contain pleas for help before quickly correcting himself. *Hitler - Constantly frustrated and depressed following his defeat in
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, Hitler's segments are vitriolic diatribes about his dissatisfaction and struggles with video games and the internet. He was about to commit suicide during the show's Christmas Special, but reconsidered after he was visited by a Guardian Angel claiming to be Patrick Moore. When Moore showed Hitler how fantastic the world would be if he had never existed (in reference to ''
It's a Wonderful Life ''It's a Wonderful Life'' is a 1946 American Christmas fantasy drama film produced and directed by Frank Capra, based on the short story and booklet ''The Greatest Gift'', which Philip Van Doren Stern self-published in 1943 and is in turn loos ...
'') he gained a new sense of purpose in life, and headed off to make the world miserable and make ''Consolevania'' his own. *El Zomba - Hitler's cohort and life partner (Hitler once despairs that he/she is once again pregnant) and an ogre-like character (Mr. Robert, wearing only a Mexican wrestling mask and tape around the groin). He is incompetent in the extreme. *Sammy Miller - Consolevania's safety advisor, commenting upon gaming safety and the potential side-effects of video games, many of which subsequently befall him. *Shigsy - The presenter of "The Shigsy Show", he is a
lecherous Lascivious behavior is sexual behavior or conduct that is considered crude and offensive, or contrary to local moral or other standards of appropriate behavior. In this sense "lascivious" is similar in meaning to "lewd", "indecent", "lecherous", ...
sock puppet A sock puppet or sockpuppet is a puppet made from a sock or a similar garment. The puppeteer wears the sock on a hand and lower arm as if it were a glove, with the puppet's mouth being formed by the region between the sock's heel and toe, and ...
. As his nickname may suggest, he is supposed to represent Nintendo's game designer and artist, Shigeru Miyamoto.


See also

*
VideoGaiden ''VideoGaiden'' is a Scottish computer games television show that was broadcast by BBC Two Scotland. Its creators and presenters, Robert Florence ("Rab") and Ryan Macleod, were responsible for the internet-distributed videogaming show '' Consolev ...
* Charlie Brooker's Gameswipe


References


External links


Consolevania
- official website
videoGaiden
- BBC homepage for Consolevania's spin-off show
consolevania on blip.tv
- blip.tv page for consolevania
consolevania on iTunes
- iTunes link for consolevania
NTSC-uk speaks to Consolevania
* {{IMDb name, 1625152, Robert Florence
"What's wrong with games TV?"
by Robert Florence at
GamesIndustry.biz Gamer Network Limited (formerly Eurogamer Network Limited) is a British mass media company based in Brighton. Founded in 1999 by Rupert and Nick Loman, it owns brands—primarily editorial websites—relating to video game journalism and other ...
. 10 August 2006. 2004 web series debuts 2009 web series endings Scottish television shows British comedy web series Scottish satirical television shows Television shows about video games