Welcome to the latest edition of the Giant Bomb Community Spotlight! I, @zombiepie, am once again honored to be your host as we look back at the best community creations from the previous week.
First, I want to thank all of you for the tributes and commemorative comments on the site and social media related to the tenth anniversary of Ryan Davis' death. It's still impossible to comprehend that it has been ten years, but the heartfelt thanks to the man and his legacy certainly helped with this long coping process many of us are still going through.
And now for something completely different. The staff and site have been exploring social media alternatives to Twitter. The following list is an update of the new social media platforms the staff have joined in the last week.
- Giant Bomb is now posting updates on Bluesky.
- Dan joined Bluesky and Threads.
- Jan joined Blusky and Threads.
- Jeff Bakalar joined Bluesky.
- Jeff Grubb joined Bluesky.
- Mike Minotti joined Bluesky.
- Tamoor is now posting on every single social media platform on the internet . That's not hyperbole.
- Lucy James joined Bluesky.
In terms of programming news, the Giant Bomb Discord recently held a Q&A session wherein the community could ask the staff questions and relay concerns about the site. The archive of that town hall meeting is in podcast form.
Finally, don't forget that there's a new t-shirt design on sale on the Giant Bomb store designed by @jearum! You have six possible colors to choose from and there is also a sweatshirt version of the design. If you experience any issues with shipping or international rates, please send an email to support@giantbomb.com.
Tweets
Author's Note: Alright, so Twitter is getting less and less tenable as time marches on, but as Mastodon, cohost, and BlueSky embeds are unlikely to be added to the text editor in the future or ever, I still feel there's a need to include this section. Likewise, I have already created a Tumblr and cohost version of the Giant Bomb Community Twitter account and am still waiting for my email to get into BlueSky. I will let you all know when I get these Twitter alternative accounts up and running.
Inexplicably, this Giant Bomb quote machine still works. A great way to remind yourself of random ass things Ryan said over the years.https://t.co/8uWmP6swvW pic.twitter.com/LzYx62lhxy
— Brad Lynch (@MarinoV1) July 3, 2023
Getting drunk on good whiskey and deep into some dated summerjams, lot of memories flooding back. 10 years is a long time. Miss you brother.
— Brad Shoemaker (@bradshoemaker) July 4, 2023
Never forget: pic.twitter.com/XZxRsAbxz7
— Matthew Rorie (@frailgesture) July 3, 2023
10 years is a long time for someone to have passed but scarcely a week goes by where I don't think about Ryan. Don't really have the words to say the rest of the feelings. Miss him, still.
— Aura (@aurahack) July 4, 2023
Doing some early prep for @CAExtremeOrg and was reminded that we lost Ryan Davis 10 years ago today. Miss him and wish that we were planning for Warlords cash games in a few months
— Steve Lin (@stevenplin) July 3, 2023
Don't think I mentioned I made two versions of the sign, one in a western theme because sombrero pic.twitter.com/r2Yv49NRnb
Ryan Davis.https://t.co/gN3cUd4ah8
— Brad Muir (@MrMooEar) July 4, 2023
Certified. pic.twitter.com/8JlfOBeKU2
— Brad Lynch (@MarinoV1) July 3, 2023
Celebrating Ryan today by doing what I do every year.
— danny o'videotapes (@dannyodwyer) July 3, 2023
Pumpin up the SUMMER JAMZ!https://t.co/Xt97lflEIw pic.twitter.com/OPedEQJOJp
Today marks the tenth anniversary of Ryan Davis's death. He was and still is an inspiration in terms of his kindness and heart. There are thousands of people that I now know and cherish thanks to him.
— GB Duders Feed (@GBDudersFeed) July 3, 2023
Here's the original thread mourning his death.
Link: https://t.co/cqij7kpB1n pic.twitter.com/3Z23pyc8nX
Ten years to the day since we lost this guy. Working in games has been a lot less fun since then.
— Eric Pope (@MrPope) July 3, 2023
I have never been great at making/maintaining adult friendships but for some reason I never really figured out, Ryan liked me and made the friendship stuff easy. I miss him. pic.twitter.com/ySUvj5tMZN
The cool things I am lucky enough to do today are, in part, because Ryan Davis agreed to be on my PAX panel. It was only a few months before we lost him. pic.twitter.com/QnxBzYump7
— Pat Baer, never paid for Blue (@patbaer) July 3, 2023
@VinnyCaravella Randomly found this on Ryan's GameSpot blog at some point. Still miss the dude, Love Ryan Davis. pic.twitter.com/HhvG6Oz4dB
— ogto (@ogto_rt) July 3, 2023
Activities
Soma is the 13th Game Selection Of Year 2 Of The UUGPGC. Finish By July 3, 2023! Spoilers Open!
Dordogne Is The 14th Selection Of Year 2 Of The UUGPGC! Finish By July 17, 2023! Mark All Spoilers! (By: @bigsocrates)
In case you missed it, the Game Pass Game Club opened SPOILER discussions for SOMA by Frictional Games! If you want to talk about all of the juicy details about the game's twists and turns, NOW IS THE TIME!
Additionally, Dordogne is the 14th selection of Year 2 of the Community Game Pass Game Club! If you have any early non-spoiler impressions of this narrative adventure game, feel free to share them. Also, learn how you can suggest future picks!
The Next GB Album Club Cycle Theme Is... No Theme, We're Doing Chaos (By: @unclejam23)
The Giant Bomb Album of the Week Club is BACK BAYBEE and the group is taking a new batch of recommendations from YOU! Learn how you can get the group to listen to your favorite album or one you think is an under-appreciated gem!
Art
Author's Note: Friendly reminder that if you find or make any cool works of art based on Giant Bomb staff, friends of the site, or memes associated with Giant Bomb then drop me a link! With everyone sharing their Giant Bomb themed art on different channels, it's getting harder for me to keep track of where everything is and what's getting made.
Giant Bomb Strikes BACK (In LEGO Form) & Part 2 (By: @kone)
Kone has been making LEGO versions of the Giant Bomb staff for years, and this week they decided to issue a cosmetic update based on the current staff lineup as well as provide new models for recurring guests and friends of the site.
Pocket Cookie Graphic Tee Shirt Design (By: @CreakyLegs)
During Episode 74 of the Voicemail Dump Truck, CreakyLegs got slightly sidetracked by Jan's "Pocket Cookie" story and couldn't help but make a graphic tee design as if it was on sale at Walmart.
Blogs
Field Report III: Halo Infinite Nineteen Months In (By: @gamer_152)
Halo Infinite's updates are, at last, hitting a momentous stride, but some issues prove harder to purge than others. Worse, rumblings from inside 343 paint a concerning picture of Halo's past and future, and all of this is at the heart of Gamer_1552's latest blog!
Games Of The Mid-Year 2023: Celebrating Some Also-Rans (By: @allthedinos)
It's crazy to think, but we are already more than halfway done with 2023! As such, ALLTheDinos decided to do a mid-year check up on the games that are in contention for their GOTY list when December rolls around. Read more!
Indie Game of the Week 327: Void Bastards (By: @mento)
Moderator Mento finally got all 120 stars in Super Mario 64! Read all about which final stars drove them crazy and feel free to read the advice they have on how to complete Treasure Bowser's Round 3!
The latest edition of Mento's "Indie Game of the Week" series looks at the roguelike FPS game, Void Bastards!
What's the Greatest Video Game: The Magister (By: @imunbeatable80)
The latest edition of imunbeatable80's "What's the Greatest Video Game" blog series is all about The Magister! Do they think this card-battler RPG does anything to differentiate itself from a crowded field?
Finishing Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin [Part 1] - This Blog Is Sponsored By CHAOS! (By: @zombiepie)
ZombiePie returns to what they know best: writing about Final Fantasy games! This week, they mix things up by discussing Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, a game they consider "pure fun" but also a colossal mess.
Discussion Threads
Hi From The Pinball Arcade Mentioned In Ep. 795 - Ye Olde Pinball Shoppe In Wellington, New Zealand! (By: @pinballshoppe)
Well... this is certainly cool! After Jeff Bakalar and company discussed Ye Olde Pinball Shoppe in Wellington, New Zealand, the owner of the arcade decided to write a forum post thanking the podcast for name dropping their establishment!
Anyone Played Cassette Beasts? (By: @jjweatherman)
Has anyone checked out Cassette Beasts? Is this open-world RPG developed by Bytten Studio worth playing now that it is on Game Pass? If you have anything to say about the game, feel free to share over here!
Are There Any Games That Look Like Vector Graphics On An LCD? (By: @hamst3r)
What are your favorite games that have tried to emulate the look of vector graphics on modern monitors/technology? Here's a reference, but feel free to share your favorite modern vector-like games in the thread above!
MS Has Put The Kibosh On 1 Year Game Pass Ultimate Gold Conversions. (By: @spacemanspiff00)
Scrupulous members of the community are mourning the loss of a loophole that allowed them convert up to three years of gold after purchasing a month of Ultimate into three years of Ultimate. Did you ever take advantage of this strategy?
Larian Changes Baldur's Gate 3 Release To Avoid Starfield; Wants You To Know You Can Do Sexy Stuff In The Game (By: @zombiepie)
So... Larian changed the release date for Baldur's Gate 3, but also confirmed you can do sexy things with a druid in the shape of a bear. Learn all about it, and share your thoughts, in the forum thread!
Lists
Games From E3 2023 (SGF/Showcases/Steam Next Fest) That Piqued My Interest (By: @hexhunter222)
The dust of NOT-E3 has thoroughly settled, but hexhunter222 decided to re-review the games that debuted and/or were demoed during all of the SGF-related events. Which games are they most excited to play?
User Reviews
@konakona went into Gotham Knights with an open mind, especially with a lot of the microtransactions at an all-time low. However, you can read why they were still disappointed with the game.
@pauljeremiah's Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake and Metal Gear reviews talk about the stealth-based templates they pioneered as well as how they helped to establish Hideo Kojima as a major creative figure in the industry.
@sbc515 returns to retro reviews of bad video games and this time checked out Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Custer's Revenge, and Cory in the House. Do any of these games warrant their reputation as the worst of the worst.
@thugg1280 still enjoys playing Super Mario Bros. 3 , Medal of Honor: Allied Assault, and Metal Gear Solid even today! They used their reviews of each to explain why and also how the game still feels cutting-edge decades after the fact.
Wiki Of The Week
This week, Final Fantasy IX celebrated its 23rd anniversary since it first hit store shelves (in Japan). If you have any nostalgia for the likes of Zidane Tribal, Vivi Orunitia, Garnet Til Alexandros XVII, or any of the crew of the Tantalus, feel free to give the wiki page to the game a look!
