EvE TV: Is It Worth Paying For?

Frankly, my answer is no.

While StevieSG is certainly pleasant enough eye candy, SpiralJunkie goes from somewhat difficult to understand to downright incomprehensible, at least to my American ear. Throw in some guests and you've got fast speaking, mumbling, thick British accents, making anywhere from half to two-thirds of the show as impossible to understand as if they were speaking Mandarin Chinese. To make matters even worse (if that's possible), they waste a ridiculously long amount of airtime interviewing plastered British players at get-togethers. I have to wonder why they believe this idiocy would be interesting to viewers who are tuned in and paying to learn more about EvE, not to see what kind of immature assholes men become when they drink too much.

Can someone please explain to me why EvE TV is worth even bothering to take the time to watch much less actually pay for? I did my bit. I like the idea of EvE TV, and I'm very inclined to do what I can to support new media, so I invested five bucks in some J-credits. Now that I've seen the first three episodes, I'm certainly not inclined to spend any more on this unless and until there's significant improvement.

As someone who makes media myself, I'm probably a bit hyper-critical, but I feel I have the right to be. The media I make is free to all...if you don't like my radio show, you don't have to listen, there's no price of admission required just to tune in. When I'm being asked to pay by the minute for it in advance, I've got a right to expect certain things, such as being able to understand what the fuck they're talking about without an interpreter. I also certainly have the right to expect that when I pay to watch a show about a game I love that the show is actually about that game with information useful to me as a player, and not have almost half of it taken up by interviews with drunks with almost nothing relevant or even intelligent to say. If I want that, I'll order the latest "Girls Gone Wild" video...at least then I'll get to see some pretty girls show off their tits.

In order for me to consider dropping more money on this show ever again, the first thing that needs to happen is SpiralJunkie needs to either be replaced or forced to take some voice lessons. Based on the on-air staff they currently have, if I were producing this show StevieSG and Farjung, who are at least consistantly understandable, would be the lead team, with StevieSG conducting the interviews. In addition, I'd insist that only those who can make themselves understood to Americans as well as Brits would be featured as guests. I know they have telephones in England, and I'd like to see them employed to bring on some Americans as guests...you know, from that country where the vast majority of EvE players live?

In all honesty, I'd be a lot less critical if I weren't being asked to actually pay money for this. In my opinion, this show is just far too Brit-centric to be of much value to anyone on this side of the Atlantic. Great idea...poor execution. EON Magazine costs money too, but the vast majority of its content is useful, comprehensible information, and that makes it a very worthwhile purchase. By that standard, EvE TV just doesn't measure up.

Better luck next time, folks.