Are Quick Looks and the Bombcast too long?

I don't think they're too long at all. What makes the Quick Looks so great is how much of the game they show allowing me to really understand if I would like the game or not. Sure maybe some of the small games like Rotastic might not need to be 30 minutes long to know if you'd like it or not, but I still find the banter between the people playing interesting.

As for the Bombcast, most podcasts I listen to tend to go past the two hour mark. I thought that was the standard length of a podcast.

@whatisdelicious said:

I've already emailed the Giant Bomb crew my thoughts and they said they read me loud and clear

Show me that email because I don't really believe you. I subscribe to this website because I enjoy their content and the more of that content there is, the better.

After a quick skim of the posts, it seems that (thankfully) most of the GB viewers are okay with the length of the QL/Bombcasts. I am all for keeping the length of things as they are, if possible making them longer. Most of what I end up getting into the QL/Bcast for is for commentary that comes with them. Getting a view of said game comes second most of the time.

As it's been said, the podcast doesn't need to be listened to in one sitting and a lot of times the crew themselves take a breaks at certain points. That in itself provides a good cut off point for you to come back later.

It's just like anything else, there are periods in life when you just don't have to time to consume all the media you want. Last year I hardly had the time to make it through a handful of games, let alone listen to a 3 hour podcast. This year not only have I replayed several of my favorite games, but have had the time to play everyone game I wanted and even do some multiplayer stuff. I am sorry that you don't have the time that you used to, but imagine when you did and there was someone out there trying to limit the amount of content that could be available to you - that guy'd be a jerk, right? Don't be that guy.

I will say this though, one thing that does help me get through podcasts/QL's/etc is watching/listening to them while doing something else. I listened to this weeks Bombcast while playing Demon's Souls. Other weeks in my car. A lot of times I have QL's going while I am cleaning, doing homework, etc. Multitasking4tehwin.

Not long enough if you ask me. I don't mind the length of the quicklooks really, but the Bombcasts could be as long as they won't I never get bored of them.

Nope. Over 2.5 hour Bombcasts are a treat.

Quick Looks yes. I think there should be a cap on the length before it becomes and Extended Play or something. They've been too long and boring lately.

Bombcast, no. I never tire of hearing these goofballs talk about nonsense.

I takes me about an hour per day to drive to my university by public transport so it's a DELIGHT to have something interesting and entertaining to listen to, so no I don't think the Bombcast is too long.

Also if you think the quicklooks are to long then....well just stop watching them after some time? Don't see the problem

.....Get out!

The longer the Quick Look or Bombcast the better, for me.

Hell no! There fine the way they are. I listen the the bombcast when I'm working nights and it really helps.

I am inclined to agree with you.

I like to 2 to 3 hours bombcasts. Hell sometimes I play the game of the year debates again. I rarely play it all in one go, it also helps that I can play it at work a little bit.

As for quicklooks, does any content ever really need to be short or long? Other than how we feel or some arbitrary set of rules, no. They can be as long as they need to convey what they want. Sometimes I stop at a segment and come back to it later.

Bombcasts? No, because I feel I can pause it and listen to it through out the week.

But quick-looks are becoming insanely long. It becomes so hard to watch them, especially in this time of year where 3-4 big games come out every week and with member only shows like Jar Time and Load My Last Save being over an hour long. I think the sweet spot for a quick look is anywhere between 20-40 minutes. I don't think I'll ever get through that Dark Souls quick-look.

As for quick looks that depends on the game. 20/30 mins isn't enough to get a good impression of games like Dark Souls.

No

bombcast is too long.

I recently watched my first Quick Look and thought the title was ironic, but I guess length is relative. The important thing is that you're gettting a good sense of what the game is like, right? I don't feel any need to watch the whole thing once I decide whether I'm interested in playing the game.

I never understood why people complain about long bombcasts. They can get off-topic, but rarely feel like their dragging and if they do, one of the guys (usually Ryan?) moves things along. The only time I feel like they need to end is when the heat of the room begins driving our hosts insane. But I don't listen to podcasts in one sitting and I'm doing other things while listening.

No, it's fine the way it is. If you feel that a quick look is too long, then watch up to the point when you loose interest and exit out of it, and move on. Just because you want them to be shorter, doesn't mean everyone else wants them to be shorter. Same goes for the podcasts. I love the length that they go to. If they are having fun with it, then let them say everything they want to say. I don't want things to become too strict, set in stone, when it comes to time length. This isn't TV media.

Nope. I listen to the bombcast in chunks now that I have a job, and a 45 min drive to and from work, and now that I have less free time because of said job I just watch QL's of games that interest me instead of all of them. I keep a bookmark folder of all the ones I don't watch, and when I get bored and can't think of anything else I will pop it open.

NOT LONG ENOUGH.

@whatisdelicious said:

"but now it takes me almost the full week to get through it all."

That's precisely why I love the Bombcast. As a law student, I don't have a lot of time for games or for fun, but I love listening to the bombcast as I travel to and from school, work, court etc. It keeps me entertained. If they cut the length of the bombcast because of you, I'm gonna find you... :D

.....Get out!

The longer the Quick Look or Bombcast the better, for me.

@DonutFever said:

The Quick Looks can be, but I think the Bombcast is fine.

Wow, OP, you're a prick.

Simple. Shortening the QLs and Bombcast means everyone gets shorter QLs and Bombcast. Leaving them as they are means everyone can choose for themselves. Now do you see why you are being selfish? Please note I don't have time to watch everything myself but I'm not demanding the content is adjusted to fit my schedule, that seems very self centered.

NEVER TO LONG!




....I miss the nintendo download shop with Jeff that shit was so good and the fact that it wound up Ryan and brad made it even more enjoyable :)

I love the length of some of these things. I do find it daunting when a quick look comes up at anything over 40 or so minutes though. Only because I am usually behind in them and have hours of catching up to do.

The bombcast can be however long though. I have a day at work (Target) in which I work in an office upstairs. This is 8 hours of podcast time for me. Aside from that, I have no issue listening to Whiskeycasts on the way to and from work. That is an hour a day, 5 days a week. Just enough time for my Tested, Screened, and Giantbomb casts. I don't even try Comicvine, that isnt my thing.

I love them long. Hell, I'm going back through my bombcasts for my second time now. Loving it.

I want as much content as they can offer. It makes zero sense to request LESS content. I'm perfectly capable of filtering out the stuff I'm not interested in.

Wow, you're kind of a dick.

Bombcasts are fine as is, could be a little longer imo.

I feel quicklooks are fine. Occasionally they go long, like Dark Souls, but I loved it, and it convinced me to purchase the game - something the Demon Souls QL didn't do for me.

If a quicklook goes too long for me or is too boring I just shut it off. Those are few and far between for me, but I can't see why you couldn't just turn off Nicktoons baseball after 5-10 minutes if you don't have time to watch the whole thing. You'd get the gist that it's a baseball game with nickolodeon characters, and how it plays. Those more interested can follow through and look at the rest of the modes that are in the game.

I'm really not sure of the problem, the control is in your hands. You can watch or listen for however long or however short you like.

i think the bombcast is. i don't listen to them because i think they're boring. quick looks are ok. they are ok because i have something to watch.

i think yea quick looks are a little long but THE BOMBCAST NEEDS TO BE LONGER

I like my bombcasts long. 
 
But the quick looks? For sure. They usually become incredibly inane and dull after a couple of minutes, and one of the reasons is that the guys no longer give the appropriate amount of time to a game based on its genre or anyhting-- almost every game gets a 30-60 min quick looks. While it used to be that the average length would be 15 min. max.

Abridged content might work, but long form content is what makes Giant Bomb the site that it is.

Don't ever complain about anything being too long ever. EVER!

The Bombcast is fine, it's just a shame when they spend so long on boring games in the QLs.

The Bombcast is high quality, and almost seems to get better the longer they go.  A long Bombcast means that they got wrapped up in some discussion, a short Bombcast usually means they didn't have shit to talk about.   The Bombcast keeps up a very high standard of quality.
 
Quick Looks ... lately, Quick Looks have not kept the quality they did 2 years ago.  They can perform two functions, being informative or funny, and I don't feel as if they've really hit either of those lately.  I think they need to get Kessler in there, the Fear Gauntlet shows he has a drive to entertain people that you kind of need to make a gameplay tour fun to watch.  A lot of the Quick Look commentary could be replaced by fart noises and maintain the humor level lately.

@whatisdelicious: I partially agree.

For the bombcast, I can knock it out by listening to it during a commute over a couple days.

But I barley bother with the quick looks, 30+ mins is just too long for me to waste my time on KINECT bears.

I personally would prefer a 10ish min quick look.

There's no such thing as too long.

I like my bombcasts long.   But the quick looks? For sure. They usually become incredibly inane and dull after a couple of minutes, and one of the reasons is that the guys no longer give the appropriate amount of time to a game based on its genre or anyhting-- almost every game gets a 30-60 min quick looks. While it used to be that the average length would be 15 min. max.

NOPE

Podcasts can simply be listened to at 2x speed (technically 1.5x) on the iPhone and similar devices, so if you want a shorter Bombcast there you go.

Personally, longform content is why I am here. Between Giant Bomb and Starcraft 2, I prefer to watch things online that take as long as they need to. I mainly watch QLs for entertainment, so more is better. If one bores me, I stop it.

I personally think they're not long enough.

Bombcast length doesn't really matter to me, since I listen to podcasts constantly. But a few Quick Looks could do with some cutting down.

NO

Not long enough I say.

love the long format, every other podcast I listen to is like an hour and I hate it. Just as you're getting interested, they're saying goodbye.

THe bombcasts are too long. Usually there's a half hour spent on just one game that Vinny is playing and it drags. I've started skipping over most of the time that they talk about the games they are playing because it never seems to end. As for the quicklooks I only look at the ones I'm interested and stop once I know whether or not it's something that I would like to try. So when they're more than 25 minutes or so I never watch the whole thing.

Someone should make a separate thread discussing Quick looks being too long.

I think the Podcast is just the right length. Quick looks are too long to keep me interested.

No and yes.
I enjoy every minute of the Bombcast but if they were held at 90 minutes I could spend the other time on lesser podcasts.

@whatisdelicious said:

Maybe it's because I'm older and busier than I used to be, but I just don't have the time or desire for a 30-minute Quick Look of Nicktoons MLB or a 40-minute Quick Look of Kinectimals: Now With Bears. I don't really need or want the Bombcast's average length to be creeping up on the 3-hour mark either. I used to have the time to sit and listen to an entire Bombcast in one go, but now it takes me almost the full week to get through it all.

Now, I get that not everybody has the same time constraints as me. But, for instance, did the Dark Souls Quick Look really need to be an hour and a half? As someone who has beaten Demon's Souls and watched a friend play a fair amount of Dark Souls, I didn't need to be informed on Dark Souls -- it was all entertainment for me. But if I was someone merely curious about Dark Souls, I would've started the video, seen that it was an hour and a half, and closed it immediately. Obviously, that's not a game that can be shown well in a 10-minute video, but think back to the Demon's Souls Quick Look. It was, what, like 30 minutes? That was long at the time. And it was super fun, and informative, and funny. I watched that before I got Demon's Souls, and it sold me on that game. I still go back and watch that Quick Look sometimes. I don't think I'll watch the Dark Souls Quick Look again.

I've tried to get my roommates and friends into Giant Bomb, but they were kind of appalled at the length of the videos and the podcast; they just don't have the time to listen. I try and make time because I already love Giant Bomb. They wanted videos to be 5 to 15 minutes long. I think "no longer than 20 minutes (except for the occasional special case)" is a fair compromise. I mean, do you really need 30 minutes on the new Michael Phelps game? Do you really need 50 minutes on Renegade Ops or TrackMania 2? Do you really want 3-hour Bombcasts to become the norm? Only Game of the Year deliberation episodes used to be that long.

I've already emailed the Giant Bomb crew my thoughts and they said they read me loud and clear, but I wanted to get a sense from the Giant Bomb community if I'm in the minority or not.

The irony is that this post is too long.

I don't get it. Just because you can't fit them in to your schedule you want them to shorten what they do best? I think thats pretty selfish and is entirely your problem. I for one want all giantbomb, all of the time.