Gratuitous Klepek strikes again (GOTY, no spoilers)

@SirOptimusPrime said:

@planetary said:

More succinctly still: GOTY should not be an "all spoilers allowed" zone, like Jeff wants it to be. It should be a "spoilers ok where they really matter" zone, like Brad wants it to be.

Well, it isn't that. It doesn't matter what it "should be" as these are just recordings of discussions they would have had anyway, and we have the benefit of hearing them go apeshit. You restricting them like that would also, in turn, restrict their ability to talk about these games openly or they would just make shitty 20 minute podcasts going down the list of their awards. They already have those with the videos (which are not shitty, let me be clear), so wait and watch those instead.

I just don't think you know exactly what the guys are doing here: this is editor talk that we get to hear, not a podcast designed for the listener.

But I do. I heard the same disclaimers you did, and I went in with my eyes open. This is editor talk of a type that at least one of the editors disagrees with (and I think that dissenter is correct). One of the wonderful things about conversation is to entertain alternatives from the extant state of affairs.

This disagreement goes back at least two years, to the Best DLC award for 2010 (IIRC) when Brad reluctantly had to talk about the content of the Bioshock 2 DLC. Heck, it goes back even further, when Brad insisted on turning off the recording to talk about that Wii Resident Evil game (IIRC). I think Brad's treatment and sensitivity to spoilers is better than Jeff and Ryan's.

After finally explaining yourself on the third page, I understand where you're coming from. However, not only do I think suggesting Patrick lose his editorial position makes you immature and an asshole, I have to ask you a question. What did you honestly expect?

You said yourself that it happened last year. I had some things spoiled for me as well, but what is the big deal? Are you seriously mad because someone spoiled frog fractions for you? You're mad that Patrick went overboard and spoiled frog fractions - am I correct? I'm not gonna tell you how to live your life, but wow.

Even if it was something besides frog fractions, asking for a person to lose part of their job over a video game being spoiled is really something else.

@planetary: So I presume you where not listening two weeks ago when Brad spent an entire hour talking about the ending of mass effect 3?

@MariachiMacabre said:

How the hell is this thread not locked yet?

^This. :\

@huntad: First, let me admit that wishing he lose his job was pretty lame of me. But I do wish he'd stick to news and not participate in the Bombcast, nor write hipster features for the site. So it was not *just* for this. On the topic of the recordings, I just liked the Bombcast a whole lot better without Patrick. ...Same thing with Alex. He's an awesome writer, arguably the best on staff and the true "written voice of Giant Bomb" but he just doesn't have the demeanor for the Bombcast.

But these are the pointless wishes of a sour and old man, apparently. That's fine. I'm dealing with it. :)

@Mister_V said:

@planetary: So I presume you where not listening two weeks ago when Brad spent an entire hour talking about the ending of mass effect 3?

That was properly warned, and was the *point* of that particular conversation. It was by definition relevant and on-topic.

@planetary said:

Patrick loves dropping knowledge with his little ironic hipster t-shirts.

This is the best phrase ever.

Also Sepiroth kills Aerith at the end of disc 1

@planetary said:

@SirOptimusPrime said:

@planetary said:

More succinctly still: GOTY should not be an "all spoilers allowed" zone, like Jeff wants it to be. It should be a "spoilers ok where they really matter" zone, like Brad wants it to be.

Well, it isn't that. It doesn't matter what it "should be" as these are just recordings of discussions they would have had anyway, and we have the benefit of hearing them go apeshit. You restricting them like that would also, in turn, restrict their ability to talk about these games openly or they would just make shitty 20 minute podcasts going down the list of their awards. They already have those with the videos (which are not shitty, let me be clear), so wait and watch those instead.

I just don't think you know exactly what the guys are doing here: this is editor talk that we get to hear, not a podcast designed for the listener.

But I do. I heard the same disclaimers you did, and I went in with my eyes open. This is editor talk of a type that at least one of the editors disagrees with (and I think that dissenter is correct). One of the wonderful things about conversation is to entertain alternatives from the extant state of affairs.

This disagreement goes back at least two years, to the Best DLC award for 2010 (IIRC) when Brad reluctantly had to talk about the content of the Bioshock 2 DLC. Heck, it goes back even further, when Brad insisted on turning off the recording to talk about that Wii Resident Evil game (IIRC). I think Brad's treatment and sensitivity to spoilers is better than Jeff and Ryan's.

You were doing so well in the previous comment without putting insults into your argument.

I know the history of it all, but Brad is weird about spoilers: if he knows them, then he doesn't give a flying fuck about spewing spoilers (ME3 a few weeks ago being a prime example of this). This is just as bad, to me, as what you think about the current state of the GotY-casts. He also wanted to run out of the room when discussions about Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood were brought up as well, and I think that is a bit selfish since the editors as a whole have to discuss this. It's not about how one person feels, since this is a confluence of multiple perspectives and, since the other four guys are at least quiet about their opinions on the style they have, the majority rules on GB.

I just don't really understand your point to be honest, since it comes across as entitlement rather than logic or reason.

I see no problem with this. Ryan said off the bat that spoilers would be talked about. Its a GOTY podcast, there are going to be spoilers.

People that complain about spoilers deserve to have everything spoiled for them anywhere, at any time, and by anyone. I'm talking milk to video game plots. The world does not revolve around you and your apparent inability to play a video game but yet want to listen to a podcast devoted to playing video games.

@vech24 said:

People that complain about spoilers deserve to have everything spoiled for them anywhere, at any time, and by anyone. I'm talking milk to video game plots. The world does not revolve around you and your apparent inability to play a video game but yet want to listen to a podcast devoted to playing video games.

This attitude is what's wrong with the world. "I don't care about anything, so nobody else gets to care, either. *spit*" Yeah. Great. Hooray for your kind of civilization, sir.

@Nux said:

I see no problem with this. Ryan said off the bat that spoilers would be talked about. Its a GOTY podcast, there are going to be spoilers.

*smacks skull against desk*

@planetary: They are not pointless wishes, but I'm sure you understand that it is just not our site to run. In a lot of ways I share your same opinions about the staff, but I know I can't do anything about it, and Patrick has done some interesting things in the past. Anyways, I understood where you came from, but I think your anger led you to post something that you shouldn't have, lol. It made it too easy for people to dismiss your valid points. Have a good day, and a good new year!

@Stonyman65 said:

@planetary said:

Ah, of course. We must protect Patrick and his feelings. I forgot... The Patrick Police Squad around here is making me sick.

Note: I'm actually fairly conflicted about this, because Patrick has it within him to make cogent arguments. But why must he be such a loose cannon and a douche the other 50% of the time? Arrgh. Patrick, I *want* to like you, but when you're playing hipster or self-involved man-child, I simply cannot.

Best that he leave the staff -- or at least the editorial staff. Put him on news, and keep him there.

Word.

This is the stupidest shit I have ever read.

They literally said "there are potential spoilers for every game ever made" at the start.

Stupidest shit I have ever read.

Stupidest. Shit. Ever.

Ever.

@planetary said:

This attitude is what's wrong with the world. "I don't care about anything, so nobody else gets to care, either. *spit*" Yeah. Great. Hooray for your kind of civilization, sir.

I tought I should not waste my time getting mad about videogame critics, but I see the light now thanks to you. Now I'm feeling angry about silly shirts! "OH LOOK AT ME I'M PATRICK KLEPECK I HAVE A SHIRT WITH A SKULL ON IT" who the hell does he think he his?

@planetary said:

Ah, of course. We must protect Patrick and his feelings. I forgot... The Patrick Police Squad around here is making me sick.

Note: I'm actually fairly conflicted about this, because Patrick has it within him to make cogent arguments. But why must he be such a loose cannon and a douche the other 50% of the time? Arrgh. Patrick, I *want* to like you, but when you're playing hipster or self-involved man-child, I simply cannot.

Best that he leave the staff -- or at least the editorial staff. Put him on news, and keep him there.

/thread

@planetary said:

@Mister_V said:

@planetary: So I presume you where not listening two weeks ago when Brad spent an entire hour talking about the ending of mass effect 3?

That was properly warned, and was the *point* of that particular conversation. It was by definition relevant and on-topic.

Oh I see, If it's someone you like then spoilers isn't a problem. But if Patrick dares to spoil something in a podcast in which you where pre-warned there where going to be spoilers then you take offence. So it never crossed your mind that they might spoil things you cared about without warning?

People like you are the reason we have labels saying "may contain nuts" on a bag of peanuts. Because no matter how for warned you are. Its still someone else's fault.

@planetary said:

@vech24 said:

People that complain about spoilers deserve to have everything spoiled for them anywhere, at any time, and by anyone. I'm talking milk to video game plots. The world does not revolve around you and your apparent inability to play a video game but yet want to listen to a podcast devoted to playing video games.

This attitude is what's wrong with the world. "I don't care about anything, so nobody else gets to care, either. *spit*" Yeah. Great. Hooray for your kind of civilization, sir.

No, no you don't. Not when it's so bloated with self-absorbed entitlement that it makes the brats from MTV's "My Super Sweet Sixteen" look like Peace Corps volunteers.

"PATRICK IS DUMB DO YOU AGREE?"

No? Argue over trivial things that have nothing to do with the original subject of being spoiled on a podcast where the spoiler warning was in the first 60 fucking seconds.

Yes? Continue to argue anyway because it's the internet and everybody on the internet can do any job better than anybody else no matter what said job is.

I like the GOTY podcasts and love hearing them talk about these games more in depth. If you don't like it or got spoiled, tough shit. Spoilers guys: This thread is going to go nowhere. Move along!

Fine, I'll just come out and say it: everything I don't like about Giant Bomb is Patrick's fault. Hipsters are what's wrong with everything in the world. ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?

@planetary said:

More succinctly still: GOTY should not be an "all spoilers allowed" zone, like Jeff wants it to be. It should be a "spoilers ok where they really matter" zone, like Brad wants it to be.

Oh, so you have more of a problem with the way GOTY podcasts work and you put significant attention to the fact that your issue is mostly with Jeff's stance on the matter of spoilers, but you still made the thread in question about Klepek, not the actual issue. And then you call people idiots for not realizing what your proper point was, despite the fact that you didn't reveal it until 4 pages in.

Can you be even more dense? I hope this thread goes on for a bit longer, because I intend to find out.

The worst part is that you actually had a decent argument going, but people these days - especially the "The End Is Nigh" camp - have to bring everything into the lowest point of bashing on Patrick. Seriously, every thread about the decline of the site derails into people insulting him and defending him, no matter if the points raised were valid or not or if they even touched Klepek at all. I'm glad you skipped the pleasantries and decided to flip it.

These threads are dumb and useless. I personally think they should just be locked by the mods. Also, it was explicitly stated that there would be spoilers.

@planetary said:

Fine, I'll just come out and say it: everything I don't like about Giant Bomb is Patrick's fault. Hipsters are what's wrong with everything in the world. ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?

At the end of frog fractions, the frog goes back in time and impregnates his own mother.

I want to know when everyone started caring so much about spoilers. I studied English Lit at uni, and it is impossible to do that without spoiling everything in lectures, tutorials, discussions or just when reading essays etc. That includes great classics of literature, even those not on the course. In comparison, who really gives a shit about the narrative of a game about a silly dragon thing?

@Butler: I remember hearing that too. I think it's a ridiculous thing to say. not everyone is like Jeff, in fact most people hardly have time for games. To have a game that you have been looking forward to playing spoiled to you is a terrible experience. I think he is just so far removed from this mindset that he thinks its your own fault for listening to game discussion.Even for the purposes of living vicariously through people, who have time to consume an overwhelming amount of media.

@benson said:

@planetary said:

Fine, I'll just come out and say it: everything I don't like about Giant Bomb is Patrick's fault. Hipsters are what's wrong with everything in the world. ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?

At the end of frog fractions, the frog goes back in time and impregnates his own mother.

Wait... I played the game. Is that actually what happens because I might have missed that part somehow.

I get what you're saying. A fair amount of the GotY conversations have veered off course into "spoilers for the sake of spoilers" territory. But at the end of the day, the GotY podcasts aren't for us. Every other podcast is produced as a piece of entertainment, but the GotY talks are just for the people involved. We're essentially listening in on a private conversation, and at that point any opinions you have on the quality of discourse are irrelevant.

I do agree with the general thrust of your sentiment though. It's a bit of a dick move to throw around spoilers that are completely irrelevant to the discussion at hand if someone else involved in that discussion doesn't want to hear them.

A lot of the people replying to this thread don't seem to be actually thinking about the point you're making, but you can't entirely blame them when so much of what you have written comes off as incredibly aggressive.

@DG991 said:

@benson said:

@planetary said:

Fine, I'll just come out and say it: everything I don't like about Giant Bomb is Patrick's fault. Hipsters are what's wrong with everything in the world. ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?

At the end of frog fractions, the frog goes back in time and impregnates his own mother.

Wait... I played the game. Is that actually what happens because I might have missed that part somehow.

You can unlock the true ending by finding the white materia at the bottom of the lake.

brad gratuously spoiled dust but I guess you don't care about that because it's furries

you strike me as a man who cares about that stuff

(neither do I but he specifically said it's a story about genocide completely off the head)

@StarvingGamer said:

I get what you're saying. A fair amount of the GotY conversations have veered off course into "spoilers for the sake of spoilers" territory. But at the end of the day, the GotY podcasts aren't for us. Every other podcast is produced as a piece of entertainment, but the GotY talks are just for the people involved. We're essentially listening in on a private conversation, and at that point any opinions you have on the quality of discourse are irrelevant.

I do agree with the general thrust of your sentiment though. It's a bit of a dick move to throw around spoilers that are completely irrelevant to the discussion at hand if someone else involved in that discussion doesn't want to hear them.

A lot of the people replying to this thread don't seem to be actually thinking about the point you're making, but you can't entirely blame them when so much of what you have written comes off as incredibly aggressive.

That's a fair point.

They did warn you.

I'll just put this here - if you have not played The Walking Dead, do not take part in any GOTY stuff til you do. I generally hate adventure games, but TWD is pretty damn great. I really like it. It's just sort of a shame I spoiled myself, because the dudes really do not hold back on that stuff in the podcast.

Love Patrick, but there was really no reason for him to go off and explain the twist in Binary Domain when no one was really fighting for it. He kinda just jumped into it.
 
But to be fair, I bought the game the day before or something, so maybe that's why I was a little extra pissed.

@Xtrememuffinman said:

Love Patrick, but there was really no reason for him to go off and explain the twist in Binary Domain when no one was really fighting for it. He kinda just jumped into it. But to be fair, I bought the game the day before or something, so maybe that's why I was a little extra pissed.

Exactly. Nor, as @SaturnPrime mentioned elsethread, spoiling the end of Journey during the graphics award section.

Yes, we were explicitly warned. Yes, with the sausages. I get that, and it's on us that we listened in the first place. But there is such a thing as being gratuitous and just mentioning shit for reasons that don't really have any bearing on the topic at hand. That's what burns my toast.

I don't really care about game spoilers in this context. I'm more upset when people spoil the results of GotY casts themselves in comments when the podcast has just been released. Whatever though, kind of knew how this year would shake out even before the Top 10 videos started being posted. There's always next year, Fez.

It was the story award. You can't explain why you like a story to people who have not played the game, without spoiling it. Should have skipped ahead.

@planetary said:

@Xtrememuffinman said:

Love Patrick, but there was really no reason for him to go off and explain the twist in Binary Domain when no one was really fighting for it. He kinda just jumped into it. But to be fair, I bought the game the day before or something, so maybe that's why I was a little extra pissed.

Exactly. Nor, as @SaturnPrime mentioned elsethread, spoiling the end of Journey during the graphics award section.

Yes, we were explicitly warned. Yes, with the sausages. I get that, and it's on us that we listened in the first place. But there is such a thing as being gratuitous and just mentioning shit for reasons that don't really have any bearing on the topic at hand. That's what burns my toast.

"If you're one of those people who complain about spoilers, then I don't want you listening to the podcast"~Jeff Gerstmann

Not a direct quote but to that effect. You were warned, move on.

You people are the reason the ME3 discussion never happened.

"THPOILERTH. NOBODY CAN TALK ABOUT ANY MEDIA I LIKE BECAUTH MY THWEET VIRGIN EARTH"

Fine, I'll just come out and say it: everything I don't like about Giant Bomb is Patrick's fault. Hipsters are what's wrong with everything in the world. ARE YOU HAPPY NOW?

@thabigred said:

"If you're one of those people who complain about spoilers, then I don't want you listening to the podcast"~Jeff Gerstmann

Not a direct quote but to that effect. You were warned, move on.

At least one Giant Bomb editor disagrees, and attempts to respect that conversation should not drift into the gratuitous. Jeff always seems to call him out and get frustrated with him and accuse him of needing to "man up" (what he said last year). I think Jeff is a fucking jerk about it, and that Brad is the one in the right. Jeff should reconsider this policy -- especially since the staff seems to contain people with verbal impulse control.

This thread has gone on for long enough as many of the comments have gone on to outright insult Patrick and other staff memebers. Some of you appear to believe you are justified in insulting members of staff on this website. You are wrong.

This behavior violates our golden rule: Don't be a jerk. While we welcome constructive criticism, if you continue to antagonize and insult members of the staff your account may be subject to moderation.