The thing about X-Play is that it's obviously the result of a terrible marketing experiment and a desperate bid for ratings. My guess is that "the video game show" has been failing on Tech TV for a while now... but they keep it around because it fits the network's theme and it's cheap to produce. This particular reinvention of the show reeks of overdone EXTREME ATTITUDE, hoping to lure in the 14 year old gamer crowd. Which is silly since the average gamer's age is like 25.

I've always liked Adam Sessler. He still needs somebody to teach him how to talk and gesture on tv, because he always hunches his shoulders and makes us look up his nose. Straighten up and head down, Mr. Sessler. But I liked him because he was smart about gaming, and his host bits and commentary displayed that... this was back in the GameSpot days, before it relaunched as "Extended Play."

Now on X-Play, they've forced Sessler to act as Average Dumb Gamer. Now he has to make snide comments about how his co-host plays, drool over the most boring average titles, and generally act like a hyperactive pre-teen. My gut feeling is that he's being coerced to act this way so the show appeals to Young Adults 14-25... but I just know it's not the true, smart Adam of shows gone by. They ran a clip on one of the shows I watched called "How We Choose The Games We Review," showing Adam behind-the-scenes getting excited about the upcoming flood of Guaranteed Unjustified Hit games like Doom 3 and Halo 2. The Adam Sessler who preferred Ico must have died inside.

Another sad aspect of the New Adam is the interplay between him and Morgan Webb. Now, ever since the "Extended Play" days with co-host Kate Botello, we've known that Adam has to show off and "be funny" with his women. Its grown especially annoying on X-Play. Every segment intro shows Sessler mugging for the camera and speaking in tongues while Webb slowly steps away. Then they trade a few snarky, obnoxious gibes with each other. She is the straight man to his crazy man. And she's around to look good, which was probably another bullet point on that revamp memo.

I do appreciate enthusiasm. I like the new slick graphic look. I like the bits where they actually play the game live and discuss it. And I like when they take a crap game to task and honestly warn viewers against it. But the "comedy" skits and snide barbing between the hosts make it tough to stomach. If you trimmed that crap out, you'd have more time for actual gaming stuff.

Adam, be smart again. And keep the nose down.