Pure Pwnage

Channel: ABC 2
Day & time: Monday, 9.00 p.m.
To watch full episodes of Pure Pwnage, CLICK HERE

You have to hand it to the ABC; they know how to appeal to niche audiences. They’ve always been a channel with something for everyone but with ever more channels at their disposal, it’s become even easier. One such show that exemplifies their commitment to variety is Pure Pwnage (pronounced ownage for the uninitiated). Now, I’m all for more exposure on gamers and their hobby, but to be honest this isn’t the most inspiring of spotlights .

Pure Pwnage was (and may again be) an internet-based series that has received an adaptation for the Canadian cable television channel, Showcase. The TV series acts as a reboot for the web-series, re-introducing the main characters, and inserting a few new ones. It follows the day to day routine of Jeremy, aka ‘teh_pwnerer’, a self-exalted ‘pro-gamer’. His brother, Kyle, is a wannabe film director who decides to record his brother’s antics, almost all of which involve playing video games. The crux of the first series deals with Jeremy’s mum forcing her son to get a job and get involved in real life. As a mockumentary, Pure Pwnage does have laughs in there — but only for gamers, and even then it’s often at a stretch.

Most of the acting, set-ups, and stereotypes are forced and awkward. To think that the average viewer might turn on ABC 2 one night and see these ‘gamers’ makes me uneasy. Sure, stereotypes are often used for humorous effect, but here it does far more harm than good. Must culture and society continue to dwell on out-dated typecasts? These jokes were funny years back, but now they’re old and painful. The ‘leet’ speak that Jeremy uses is a horrible example—nobody says ‘pwning n00bs’ anymore without being ironic, and even then only around people they know well enough. Jokes involving physical fitness levels, anger management problems and social awkwardness have all been done before, and probably better. These attempts at humour further cement negative opinions of non-gamers, and have little effect on gamers beyond the age of fifteen. In the end, that’s what the main issue is—the level of maturity.

While it may seem admirable that ABC is trying to give gamers coverage, the level of maturity is woeful. It’s not just Pure Pwnage that gives gamers a bad name. Good Game has run for a number of years now, and markets itself as a show “by gamers, for gamers”. This is not a good thing. The hosts apparently only try to appeal to gamers under the age of eighteen. Their jokes rely on the same tropes as Pure Pwnage. The reviews are often misplaced and misinformed, further muddied by terrible internet memes. If the ABC thinks this is what mature gamers want, it’s time to rethink that plan of action.

That being said, Pure Pwnage does have a right to existence. The web-series proved terribly popular, and the transition to television provides not only better production values, but also a chance for a bigger market. There are moments of quality in there, particularly when Jeremy is shown to not just be a basement-dwelling, narcissistic, power-nerd. We see that gamers are human, and do have skills, it’s just that sometimes they are hidden beneath an ego the size and bulge of Western Australia. Hopefully the series continues this theme and brings it more to the fore. And while I mentioned the over-done humour, there are some hilarious references that gamers will get a giggle from.

Pure Pwnage is in a difficult spot. Its relevance hasn’t managed to make the jump despite the sleek new look. It won’t appeal to a general audience, and those it does try to draw in will most likely be offended by the majority of the content. With a little more thought and consideration, it could appeal to the ever-maturing demographic of gamers.

Thomas Wilson