Classic Game Room

Classic Game Room
The Classic Game Room Mark 3 title card, as of 2016.
Genre	Video game reviewer, sketch comedy
Created by	Mark Bussler David Crosson
Starring	Mark Bussler (1999–present), David Crosson (1999–2000), Derek Buck (cameos; 2010–2015)
Theme music composer	Tom Myers
Opening theme	"Flock of Cowboys"
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	13
Production
Location(s)	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Editor(s)	Mark Bussler
Running time	Varies, usually 2–9 minutes per episode
Production company(s)	Inecom, LLC
Distributor	FromUSAlive (1999–2000) YouTube (2008–2013, 2014–present) Dailymotion (2012–present) Metacafe (2012–2014) Amazon Prime (2016–present)
Release
Picture format	1080p WMV / FLV / MOV
Original release	Original series: November 7, 1999 – October 23, 2000. Revived series: February 28, 2008 - present
External links
Website

Classic Game Room (commonly abbreviated CGR) is a video game review show produced, directed, edited and hosted by Mark Bussler (b. 1975) of Inecom, LLC. The show reviews both retro and modern video games along with gaming accessories, pinball machines, and minutiae such as gaming mousepads and food products. The show broadcast its reviews via video-sharing website YouTube under the screen name 'Lord Karnage' until late 2013, when they moved to Dailymotion, citing issues with YouTube.

On May 8, 2014, via the Classic Game Room's Facebook Page and YouTube channel, it was announced that the show would again be posting episodes on YouTube. Usage of their own website, which has its own rating and comments system, is encouraged.

Originally titled The Game Room and presented by Mark Bussler and David Crosson, it was the first professional video game review show on the internet. Founded by Bussler, it launched on November 7, 1999 on the internet startup website FromUSAlive.

At first, the presenters planned to review mainly then-modern games, but after a segment on older games proved to be popular, the show began reviewing earlier titles. The show was run on a tight US$50 budget, so improvised special effects were used. However, the low-budget nature of the show led to slow episode production rates, and when revenue failed to cover the costs of running the show, The Game Room was canceled on October 23, 2000.Tokyo Xtreme Racer 2 for the Sega Dreamcast was the last game to be reviewed on the show. Crosson moved on, while Bussler would spend the next 8 years producing and directing documentaries on American history, such as Expo: Magic of the White City, and working with actors such as Gene Wilder and Richard Dreyfuss.

The show returned as Classic Game Room HD (HD standing for Heavy Duty according to Bussler) on February 20, 2008, hosted by Bussler. Dave appeared at the end of the show's first episodes, Captain America and The Avengers, where Mark asked him what he thought of the game.