And Now... The Rest Of The Story

"Faith is believing what you know ain't so." - Mark Twain

Keep up the faith GB community!

Am i imagining things or did John seem really awkward in a annoyed kind of way? Maybe that's just how he always is?

This whole thing is crazy.

But you know what?

I like crazy.

So say we all! So say we all! So say we all!!!

@yoshimitz707: I should have elaborated. I meant as a parting gesture to Coonce.

This is not me being rude...believe me...but how can some of you not know who John Davison is/was if you follow gaming. He is John "Mo-fo" Davison for christsakes!!! He's edited more magazines, run more sites, managed more writers...drunk more beer and banged more quiff and pissed more blood and stomped more ass then any games media editor EVER!!!

I wonder how much of this deal is about Jeff's ego

Holy crap I remember this guy! I've been away from Gamespot for a long time.

Davison AGED...

I had no idea that John Davison is at the helm over at Gamespot, and thats a guy I've seen and read a lot of over the years, and have great respect for. So if John bosses over Gamespot, and Jeff, who I've followed sins 97, keep on doing what Jeff does, which most of the time is great, my vote is in. Ad to that Vinny, Dave, and Drew busting out the great stuff they now a days are famous for, and Patrick writing up some great articles/news, Brad publishes some interesting reviews, Ryan whipping up some quick-looks, and maybe a team-up for a new endurance-run, and no I didn't forget the Bombcast. WOW!!!!!! Just thinking of this is exhausting. And, since this has, at least to me, informed me of the "New" Gamespot, I for one will go back and take a, with fresh eyes, look at Gamespot again.

So to conclude this "new" rant, I'll finish with: Great times at hand!!! Now Jeff and John, do not disappoint us, cause I'll still be holding my whiskers up in the wind, and if I feel something smells wrong, I'll be doing like Bambi, and take of into the woods, hopefully tho minus the forest fire ^_^

So who fired Jeff?
I mean yes "the new management team" but surely everyone else in the company noticed it was a weird thing to do?
Was there seriously no one left in the company who could tell the new managers that it was a brash decision?

Under one condition, Jeff yells giantboooooooooooooooooooomb dat com at the end of the bombcast now, like he used to do for GS. 

I can already smell the weird!

Seriously though I wish everyone luck as they move forward.

Really good insight in this video. Jeff seems really happy as well do the guys. I can't wait to see what new content this deal will help create!

Hardcore Dave YES. and I still am stickin with GiantBomb. it's way more awesome than GameSpot.

I have no interest in supporting Gamespot in any form.

I think the biggest question that needs to be answered is "Will the Dovakin statue be making the trip with you to the new office?"

Like Jeff said, his journalistic integrity conflicting with ad revenue wasn't a problem (and he had worked at GameSpot since it was founded in like '96) until the company changed hands.

You could argue that "oh geez what if it changes hands into someone malicious or to people who don't understand what journalists do for a living", and while the company could (and probably will) eventually change hands, that isn't a prelude to another GameSpot controversial incident. Look at it from a business perspective - if this kind of debacle happens again where Jeff's journalistic integrity isn't allowed to flourish and they have to leave the company again, can you even fathom how much that would literally be PR suicide for the GameSpot company and would solidify only the most horrible reputation for it? No businessman, no matter how cartoonishly evil you guys seem to think they are, would ever do that. They know how much it hurt the company last time and they know that they can't lean on Jeff and get him to back down. They are going to do everything in their power to keep Jeff (and by extension, GiantBomb) happy, and that generally means letting them continue to do whatever the fuck they want.

If some of you guys are worried, you shouldn't be. Think it through and stop being so dramatic.

That said, full steam ahead, I'm glad that my bros at GiantBomb will finally be able to make a comfortable living now, they deserve it.

How is it that it's been like 4 years and the camerawork on On The Spot is still the worst shit ever?

Change!?!?! rabble rabble rabble rabble rabble rabble

sooo.... Jeff Gerstmann was fired from Gamespot (CBS management) because they said he (Jeff) couldn't be trusted after he gave a poor score to a review....

now they go work for them again?

this wont end well.

@patrick said:

@SevenRobotCats said:

@AlexanderSheen said:

@bunkerbuster05 said:

@SquirrelGOD said:

As I've been saying since this morning, I trust Jeff and the crew MUCH more than I trust whiny idiots on the internet who freak out over the weirdest crap. Giant Bomb with a bigger budget can only lead to more awesome things in my book.

Basically this.

This. I mean, those comments... jeez.

I know, I'm super excited to see what Vinny and Dave can cook up during big events like PAX, E3 and GOTY. Change is good!

Between the move to the original Whiskey office. To the addition of premium subs. To the switch to YouTube. To the addition of the meebo bar. People will complain and then return to just about everything.

Nice to see some voices of reason, and not voices of "DURRRR HOLY FLERP BLGGGGHERARRRRRRRRR I NEED TO FULFIL MY JIZZ QUOTA OFF TO 4CHAN FLERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRNNNNNG".

@LoveYouSomeEric:

But the quote you're using is extremely negative. lol. WHAT ARE YOU SAYING

Summary: Jeff is warned in the past about his honest game reviews; it came to ahead when he gave one for Kane & Lynch. A decent score would've given the site a lot of advertising money, but Jeff ruined it. They fired him for it. However, the true heroes are Brad, Vinny, Ryan, and Greg among others, that saw how dirty it was to fire a man for doing his job and left too. It was their actions and the outcry of gaming fans following the site that threw a wretch into that dirty corporate practice.

The result? Dedicated gaming fans supporting anything those guys did, resulting in Giantbomb. The decision to make it a Wiki site by joining Whiskey Media, is a smashing success. However, cost to keep the site going would result in a membership feature. Many fans, out of loyalty, gladly gave their money to help the staff eat. However, the exploding success of the site, still made the cost to keep it running hard, even with the memberships. Things were coming to ahead again, as the staff started to look for major investors, or the site was finished. Turns out the one that gave them the best deal, was the very site that fired Jeff for doing his job; now him and the rest of the staff are back where it all started, and are now eating good again, hence the symbolic message of them having pancakes, wings, and bacon during the "big announcement."

A nice internet story when you think about it. Good for them, I wish them the best. And Vinny can get his cable turned back on.

Dammit, this is my first time seeing John Davison. Fantasy vs Reality has left me heart broken. I'm probably stupid but for some reason I naturally assumed that he looked like a less stone face version of Daniel Craig.

@Switchthemunky said:

Now they've got a bit more cash, they should think about doing the World Tour.

That's exactly the sort of crazy homegrown spirit I feel will disappear with this move though... I mean think about it, that whole thing came about because of some drunk shit that was said on the street by the staff after spending the whole day livestreaming about topics as high brow as the best way to microwave bacon.

I can't see that taking place in this new office space. This really is an "office space" as well, a lot of that video stuff which organically developed in the WM open plan office and their original basement office just isn't going to happen on the 3rd floor of CBS towers...

I wouldn't want to hold them back and I'm happy the website is growing up but it's still sad to see.

@MmaFanQc said:

sooo.... Jeff Gerstmann was fired from Gamespot (CBS management) because they said he (Jeff) couldn't be trusted after he gave a poor score to a review....

now they go work for them again?

this wont end well.

Ryan mentioned the people involved in the firing, the managerial team to be more specific, don't even work there even more, and went on to say that they aren't even working in the same industry anymore. What's left? Friends like Kevin Van Ord, Jon Davidson(?), and others. Which works out, since I assume they'll be supporting each other but keeping articles and content separate with no say in each other's stuff. At least, that's the gist of what I've gotten from the live streams, twitters, and formsprings for today.

@denshuu said:

How is it that it's been like 4 years and the camerawork on On The Spot is still the worst shit ever?

I dont want to be too down on Gamesport, but Giantbomb's cameras and sets seem a letter grade above.

Oh boy, teaming up with a game site with paid reviews. How could this possibly go wrong?

I know this is just life, and this is very important for the giantbomb crew to grow. But for some reason I find it soulcrushing

I felt my subscription for GB was there to help them stay afloat,... stay independent..

I really cant say I will keep subscribing, knowing I'm supporting CBS.

Take care Jeff, I guess we probably wont get that game of SF together.

Dammit, this is my first time seeing John Davison. Fantasy vs Reality has left me heart broken. I'm probably stupid but for some reason I naturally assumed that he looked like a less stone face version of Daniel Craig.

@MindChamber: You can't play together because you don't pay him anymore? That seems a little hard.

A lot of people seem to forget that this website is still a business. As much fun as everyone working for Giant Bomb has, this is still their job, and they need to do what they feel is best for the business. They're all smart people, and I'm sure they wouldn't do this is it wasn't going to work out. And to whoever said management stifles creativity, management also likes money and success, and Giant Bomb has both.

I was all ready to freak out after hearing this on the Tested podcast. I'm still a little bummed that Tested, Screened, and Giant Bomb are no longer going to be in the same building, as the whole Whiskey cross-pollenization thing is one of my favorite things about the company. But this video and the preceding couple of news posts made me wonder why I'd doubt these crazy guys to begin with.

I've been a member of GB since day one, when the news hit the site yesterday like others I was worried. However, after watching this video I'm excited for the future and I'm glad to know that GS has improved and most importantly that GB will have creative control over their site.

@MmaFanQc said:

sooo.... Jeff Gerstmann was fired from Gamespot (CBS management) because they said he (Jeff) couldn't be trusted after he gave a poor score to a review....

now they go work for them again?

this wont end well.

Assuming that "them" is the same CBS management team from 2007, which it isn't, he already said so. I would still prefer GB be more like an independent site, but the internet is a business, and I can understand if the GB Staff want a more reliable bankroll.

Congrats guys, this makes for a really cool story.

Gamespot X GiantBomb

@AV_Gamer said:

Summary: Jeff is warned in the past about his honest game reviews; it came to ahead when he gave one for Kane & Lynch. A decent score would've given the site a lot of advertising money, but Jeff ruined it. They fired him for it. However, the true heroes are Brad, Vinny, Ryan, and Greg among others, that saw how dirty it was to fire a man for doing his job and left too. It was their actions and the outcry of gaming fans following the site that threw a wretch into that dirty corporate practice.

The result? Dedicated gaming fans supporting anything those guys did, resulting in Giantbomb. The decision to make it a Wiki site by joining Whiskey Media, is a smashing success. However, cost to keep the site going would result in a membership feature. Many fans, out of loyalty, gladly gave their money to help the staff eat. However, the exploding success of the site, still made the cost to keep it running hard, even with the memberships. Things were coming to ahead again, as the staff started to look for major investors, or the site was finished. Turns out the one that gave them the best deal, was the very site that fired Jeff for doing his job; now him and the rest of the staff are back where it all started, and are now eating good again, hence the symbolic message of them having pancakes, wings, and bacon during the "big announcement."

A nice internet story when you think about it. Good for them, I wish them the best. And Vinny can get his cable turned back on.

And now you can also keep supporting them through paid subscriptions so...they can eat better? Wait, if they aren't independent anymore, why are they locking content behind a pay wall? I guess once they realize people pay for something, it's dumb to make it free again? Just like the gaming industry as a whole with DLC and xbox live.

I love GB, but I will not be paying to support GS or CBS. I will unfortunately only be watching the free content from now on.

@Mokes said:

Oh boy, teaming up with a game site with paid reviews. How could this possibly go wrong?

Got any proof of that wildly liable statement? did you even watch the video?

@MmaFanQc: I don't think it was CBS management at the time, no.

I am glad that GB will be able to become bigger and better. However, the one thing that I know will happen which I hope doesn't is having ads on the website. Thats one thing about this site that I really really love is not being shoved down my throat with ads for games.

@siddarth0605 said:

I am glad that GB will be able to become bigger and better. However, the one thing that I know will happen which I hope doesn't is having ads on the website. Thats one thing about this site that I really really love is not being shoved down my throat with ads for games.

They flat out say, if you're a paying premium member nothing is changing, which you are.

If you aren't, the site has had ads for months and months, maybe a year at this point..... it's not doomsday

I bet this is what it feels like to have your child go away to college. You're proud of them that they're moving up in the world, meeting people and doing what they have to do to thrive, but at the same time you realize deep down that the tight-knit family that drank and evaluated energy drinks for fun now will never quite be the same.

As far as Tested goes, I am a huge fan of the Mythbusters crew and I know that the partnership will do nothing but grow the Tested name. But at the same time, they seem to be much too serious and professional for the likes of PengWill and Drunken Will. And I'll be honest-- I am a duder through and through, but if I were honest with myself I would say that Drunken Will has been the highlight of the whiskey media experience.

So Giant Bomb and CV goes to GS and CBS, Tested goes to the Mythbusters people-- that leaves Anime Vice and Screened. Anime Vice is some kind of robot it seems, no one personality is attached to it so it can go away and not hurt anyone's paycheck. Then there's Screened. Alex already destabilized it by moving back to NYC. Nothing against him, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. Matt Rorie really steps up and takes the lead as sole Screened personality. And this is saying something. The very first screened videos showed a soft, moderately scared Rorie that was not unlike the puppies he's so fond of. As we all know, this is no longer the Rorie we know, and all it seemed to take was a bit of time and a couple cold ones. I hope against hope that Rorie pulls through this in a way that works to his benefit.

I'm excited for everyone and hope it all works out.

@Lurkero said:

@MmaFanQc said:

sooo.... Jeff Gerstmann was fired from Gamespot (CBS management) because they said he (Jeff) couldn't be trusted after he gave a poor score to a review....

now they go work for them again?

this wont end well.

Assuming that "them" is the same CBS management team from 2007, which it isn't, he already said so. I would still prefer GB be more like an independent site, but the internet is a business, and I can understand if the GB Staff want a more reliable bankroll.

People don't even watch the fucking video do they? It's getting really annoying to have the entire thing posted above and morons -still- don't have the story straight.....

Awesome. Looking forward to te future Jeff!

@ItsAJackal: I agree with you. Now that they got the major corporate backing to pay their bills and buy food, they should scrap the paid feature and even give some of the money back, once they are established. That would be one huge step in letting the faithful members know how much they appreciated their loyalty.

However, that's likely not going to happen. When you invest your money, you do it in good faith. You are willing to give away your money to help someone out. There are sites like "Kickstarter" that collect donations for future films everyday. Once those films are made and become a success, the people who made the film, don't give back the money that was donated. It's understood that you wanted to see the final product and help paid for it.

It's business.

After listening to John off and on for so many years, it was weird to actually see him for the first time. Not sure why (maybe the accent) but I always imagined him wearing glasses, and having really close cropped hair.

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY

They cut out the two minute intro with the NWO music...that was the best part!