I like that he adds some verve to the group. I'm not out there saying "Oh these guys are so cynical" all the time, but it's nice to have a younger, more vivacious perspective on things.
@CrossTheAtlantic: Yeah it's an interesting one since, as I'm sure you know, it's hard to know exactly what puts you off someone. It's the random, loud, unpleasant noises he seems to make, I suppose on the whole I just find him dull. I think the way he describes things can often be my least favourite parts of any bombcast. As well as that, during the Sony collective litigation thing, his articles were just pushy, half-informed call to arms, or at least seemed that way to me.
Jesus, I feel like such a dick, I don't know how people on the internet manage to be so mean about people.
I think he's really good, always have, always will. He's a good personality and more importantly he is a good content production machine. I like content.
I've mainly come to the site for the videos/Bombcast, so the fact that there wasn't much news-y type stuff didn't really get to me - I had better sources for that, anyway. But I do like the original content Patrick brought to the site when he came on, and I think the fact that he focuses mainly on stuff that isn't covered by the 'big' sites adds to GB as a whole. GB still isn't a source for video game 'news', per se, but Patrick's additions are very welcome. I like his words.
He's definitely a journalist. The only thing that irritates me about him is his tendency to spoil games. Otherwise, I think he's a great resource for GB.
I started off a little unsure but optimistic. I trust them to find a good addition and after a shaky start where he seemed to need to impress everyone by being a bit louder and inappropriate I think he's found his rhythm. He believes he deserves to be there and he seems much more relaxed and genuine. At least that's what I think I've seen. I've always liked his work and his more relaxed/less aggressive personality is a really cool addition at this point!
@CrossTheAtlantic: Yeah it's an interesting one since, as I'm sure you know, it's hard to know exactly what puts you off someone. It's the random, loud, unpleasant noises he seems to make, I suppose on the whole I just find him dull. I think the way he describes things can often be my least favourite parts of any bombcast. As well as that, during the Sony collective litigation thing, his articles were just pushy, half-informed call to arms, or at least seemed that way to me.
Jesus, I feel like such a dick, I don't know how people on the internet manage to be so mean about people.
Haha, I know what you mean about the last part. I think he's a dude who clearly loves video games and is really passionate about them but is still finding his own editorial voice--both in writing and in the videos. The rest of the crew, though, has had theirs for a while, so it tends to juxtapose real harshly sometimes, I think. I've got to give him credit for sticking around; I remember at the beginning so many people were critical of him solely for the sake of being critical (although that always happens here with new writers in any fashion--wasn't there a second Brad for awhile that just got shit on like crazy in the comments?) that I was impressed he kept going. I do also like that he's attempted to push articles and stories about the indie/art game scene. I mean, I think he buys into a lot of it way too easily, but it's really nice to have someone not as overtly dismissive of the entire genre as, say, Jeff.
entertainment wise patrick is meh for me. As a news reporter and journalist hes good, so i'll take the trade off. We have 4 others that are far more entertaining to maintain the balance
He's Mr. Spoiler in podcasts and that really fucks me off. When the others keep it buttoned and can talk around something in a game without giving it away he just blurts stuff out like the kid at school letting you know he's watched the film you want to see and knows everything about it. Either he's ignorant of his behaviour or a showoff prick. That alone makes any chance of liking him remote.
The problem with Patrick is that he's not Ryan, Vinny, Jeff, or Brad. So when he shows up in a video, you kinda just wish they had gotten someone else. It's not that he's annoying or anything, it's that he's not as funny or (sorry!) interesting as the other guys.
His articles are some of the most interesting, most thought provoking in the industry though, and Giant Bomb are kind of really lucky to have him.
I liked Patrick from the beginning. His enthusiasm about certain games is funny sometimes when compared to Jeff. The group is a good balance of personalities. I just hope they never bring on someone interested in sports games. We don't need any of that. Haha.
Yeah he's better than I thought. I would still prefer a four man podcast that did not include him. He remains my least favorite personality on the site.
He's a good writer and I find him tolerable most of the time, but I would be lying if I didn't say I found him totally insufferable on occasion. He just sometimes comes off as a hyperactive kid who doesn't have any idea what he is talking about and always tries to make the most obscure reference in any given situation.
I've never minded Patrick. Sure sometimes he gets loud in a "Hey guys, I can be crazy too!" kind of way, but I think that's just because he's younger and less experienced than the other guys in the crew. It's got to be a little intimidating to have to hold your own with them. Look at how Jeff, Brad, and Ryan acted on camera at his age. I think he's doing pretty well for himself.
I didn't dig him when he was on 1upyours, but I wasn't digging anyone there except Garnet Lee(that trend continues today with Weekend Confirmed, which I cannot listen to on a regular basis due to the regular guest appearances), but I think Pat is fine here on GB.
I like that he adds some verve to the group. I'm not out there saying "Oh these guys are so cynical" all the time, but it's nice to have a younger, more vivacious perspective on things.
The crew rarely disagrees, and it can be a little frustrating sometimes when one person goes, "yeah, this really sucks," and everybody else just kinda goes, "yeah, I suppose..." There ends up being not a lot of dynamism , but ever since Patrick has been on, it reminds me a little more of the old school 1UP podcast, where opinions were occasionally challenged, and a lot of different, interesting perspectives were brought to the table. The Bombcast is nowhere near as dynamic as those podcasts, but I feel like Patrick really brings a different, fresh perspective to the conversation, where everybody else has a tendency to just kind of lazily agree with everybody else. A good example of this is when Ryan offhandedly mentioned that Jack (in Mass Effect 2) is, "an awful character." Then Patrick challenged that statement by saying she actually had a really cool origin story and the whole deal with Cerberus and their involvement has tied into some interesting plot points. And challenging Brad, trying to get away with a farcical remark during the GOTY podcasts about only "a couple ways," to get through DE:HR's scenarios, and Patrick proved him wrong on the spot. Yeah, I like Patrick.
He has an interesting insight, and that's what it comes down to.
I think he's great. He provides a different voice and a different viewpoint on the Bombcast and on the site -- and I like him and Alex as the East Coast/West Coast news tandem for Giant Bomb.
It's cool to have someone with Midwest roots on the Bombcast, as well as someone that runs regularly -- that Zombies running app that he talked about on the last one was interesting.
He's Mr. Spoiler in podcasts and that really fucks me off.
I think you're confusing Patrick for Brad, who is continually known for spoiling games. "I DON'T WANNA SPOIL THE GAME, BUT THAT THING AT THE END THAT MAKES YOUR CHARACTER DIE THINGY AND THEN THE EARTH BLOWS UP. THAT SUCKED."
Patrick always rubbed me the wrong way because he doesn't come off as a gamer, nor does he try to connect with the gaming audience. Instead he's a snarky arrogant tag-along with lame catch phrases such as "What is video game" that are nails on a chalkboard for everyone.
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