Are we ever getting regular features back?

I'm starting to feel like the money we put in for subscriptions is going to waste, the regular non-subscriber content like I love Mondays and TNT has been gone for over six weeks now. Random PC game is gone, the last flight club video was a 1 hour quick look instead of a premium stream, no more bioforge, hasn't been a jar time in around two months, that Wednesday live show was announced to be "less regular" which basically means "dead now and forever."

What am I paying for at this point? Daily dota and unprofessional Fridays? So unprofessional Fridays?

I think with everything that has happened recently we should cut them some slack, but I take your point.

I know and I've waited a good while to ask about this because of what's happened, but at what point do we get to say that this is their job and they need to do it?

Random PC and Flight club were both Dave joints so...no, they're gone. I suspect "FMVinny" could become a thing. You have UF for that now. Bioforge was completed. A major member of the crew died and Ryan was always the one that seemed to plan shit so it shook a lot of stuff up. Plus Patrick is doing a jar time thing, Spookin', a few random streams, 2 new premium podcasts.

I love seeing these threads pop up every few weeks or so.

Nothing is coming back.

They lost three people in a short timespan. It's this year's "adjusting to the new office."

I'm completely satisfied with the amount of content they've been releasing, as it's still the best content in it's field. I'm just happy they're still doing it; losing as important a piece as Ryan Davis could have completely destroyed Giant Bomb, so be happy with what we have. I'll continue to support them in anyway as long as they allow me to.

I seem to recall seeing several new features pop up in the last several weeks, am I wrong? Just because it's not those particular features doesn't mean nothing is going on.

They just started a new twice-a-week morning show that's pretty good.

I cancelled my renewal several months back.

Since then I think there's actually been a reasonable amount of premium content going up it's just I'm not interested in most of it.

I'm fine with how things have been lately, especially considering the recent circumstances, but I would like to see the return of Load our Last Save at some point and maybe another Breaking Brad maybe (though Bradley May Cry is a great replacement for the time being)

I don't think there has been a lack of content or anything, it would just be cool to see some of the older features return I guess.

After last week's plethora of content, I can't complain about TNT being gone. A nearly 4 hour bombcast, Bradley May Cry, Spookin With Scoops, and a TON of Quick Looks.

Give them a break, Vinny's kid just left for college.

Yes, I guess this it for me. Nothing against Alex but I don't want to watch him and Patrick talk back and forth for an hour or whatever, Spookin with scoops also not interested or Patrick's jar time videos. The funny stuff that you can't get anywhere else like the random PC games, like load your last save as someone mentioned, unprofessional fridays, flight club etc. etc. etc. those are the things I can't get elsewhere and even just TNT and I love Mondays even though they aren't premium I paid so I could watch the archives of TNT and just to support this awesome site but it feels less awesome for a while now, and I understand the circumstances like I said but it's time to pick it up guys come on!

So PowerBombcast, The morning show Patrick and Alex are doing, and Unprofessional Fridays isn't enough features for you?

Dave might not have been a very big content producer, though he was definitely present often. However, Patrick brought a lot of energy and enthusiasm to the office and Ryan seemed to organize and host a lot of the content, most notably TNT's. It might be this year's "adjusting to the new office", but last year they didn't lose seemingly half of their public faces, one of those being incredibly tragic. Yeah, I can see it taking some time to figure out how they're going to get quality content out of the door.

My Premium ran out, but when I had it, I definitely liked Unprofessional Fridays. Daily Dota, however, is too much. Once a week? Sure. Daily? Whoa.

As for TNT, there was a thread about that recently and the response was that it is no longer a weekly thing. I'm pretty sure Rorie got on there and said that they will probably bring it up again for major releases, but they weren't doing it weekly. I'd love to see a not-premium stream replace it, though, like TNT was.

Is Giantbomb content kind of lacking right now? Well, yeah, a bit. There are some extra podcasts coming along, which is nice but I feel like it's almost more symptomatic of the crew splitting up than it is of a need to produce more content. I think there's a very good reason for it to be lacking at the moment, but I'd like to see this site's creative juices flow a little more than they have been even before Dave left. Where did the Encyclopedia Bombasticas go?

@eternalvigil: I think the difference is that right before Ryan passed there was a huge content boom. You know, all the E3 shit, BioForge was practically an Endurance Run. TNTs are now gone, I Love Mondays have been done away with, and same with that Wednesday thing.

I really, really like Alex and Patrick's new show, since it is basically a mini bi-weekly bombcast, but I definitely feel like there is a noticeable content lull. It is bearable though, I mean hell, I renewed my sub last week so they are obviously doing something right.

I am not the OP, but I certainly feel like since we are giving them money we absolutely should be allowed to give feedback without all the backlash from other community members.

EDIT: Looking back, last week was an amazing week content wise (certainly nothing to complain about), which is why I resubbed, but I still feel their shouldn't be any "Wow how are you not happy with all this content?" shit when someone voices their opinion.

Unless it has Vinny or Jeff in it, I'm probably not going to be interested.

I hate you people

You make a very good point. These things tend to come in waves though. Often there will be people complaining that the amount of content on the site is waning, and then a couple of weeks later way more content will start coming out and everyone's happy. Not that that is an excuse for paid members potentially not getting their money's worth right now.

There's still the movie podcast and the wrestling bombcast but I can understand not wanting to listen to those; movies and wrestling don't interest me either. And personally I don't think you should watch Bomin' the AM with Scoops and the Wolf; you should listen to it. It's basically a Patrick and Alex (and sometimes a developer or whoever) bombcast where they don't do the what you been playing? and New Releases filler. The visuals aren't needed at all.

What kind of prompted me to make this thread is what Jeff said on tumblr I think yesterday. Someone asked if they were looking to hire new blood to replace Patrick and Alex to which Jeff replied

No, we don’t currently have the budget for any new hires. Also, those guys are getting a lot done outside of the office.

I can only speak for myself, but I have never come to giantbomb for the solo content like Jar times, the BEST giantbomb content in my opinion is where there's 3-4+ guys sitting on the couch making jokes and being dumb and none of the content that Patrick or Alex is putting out is anything like that, I guess exception being the morning show but I don't care for that one bit personally. So this just makes me feel like they're hamstringing themselves by having to work at home types on the staff when they could hire a new video guy to help Vinny and Drew and allow for more content to go up or a new staffer to add to the now 2 man editorial team.

Only one of those has them actually playing games.

I actually forgot about the wrestling podcast, I quite enjoyed that one honestly. I don't know anything about wrestling but I love listening to them just freak out about how ridiculous it all is so that was a great feature for me.

I get that, but E3 is always a mass of content, as is most of that month every year. There has been a drop in content, but given the circumstances I'd cut them some slack, as it's pretty much close to how it was in January.

We still have bomcasts, quick looks, and a regular weekly stream, as well as the stuff I mentioned. The fact they did a stream today about Gamescom was another step closer to the status quo.

They shouldn't be immune to criticism, and feedback is a great way to keep content fresh and worth a subscription, but it's their site and in the end they're going to run it how they want.

Who's we?

Chumps.

Nothing has ever been regular around here.

My sub just ended and I dont feel like paying right now either. Need more shows where they are sitting on the couch and playing vidya. Every time a stream starts where it's patrick staring into a webcam I feel the urge to off myself

I think they said everyone is getting all those features back except Bishop113. Sorry dude....you didn't make the cut :-(

Oh look, another "Wah wah, Giant Bomb isn't making the content I want" thread.

There's plenty of quick looks, Brad does his DOTA thing and did another episode of Bradley May Cry just last week, there was a fucking nearly 4 hour bombcast last week, Unprofessional Fridays has hung steady since it started, and I happen to be a fan of Patrick and Alex's show. That's without mentioning the PowerBombcast or Rorie's Movie Podcast, or Spookin' With Scoops or Encyclopedia Bombastica, mind you.

You really need a video to tell you what's going on the site this week? You can't just look at the front page?

And hey, there's been a pretty significant drought when it comes to multiplayer games, and people were bitching when TNT was dudes playing single player games/local MP games, so they apparently can't win on that front either way, right?

@eternalvigil: You're right about giving them time, and we are in no place to tell them to hurry up. I wish things could always be content heavy, since I literally don't watch any other content regarding games other than newLegacy inc (who only stream a few times a month), but I am fine and would never cut my subscription.

If I have money, some portion of it is going towards GiantBomb.

Was there even an unprofessional Fridays last week? If not, why not?

IRT, my own personal prejudices aside, I think it was a mistake to have two editors out of the office. All of their best content has always been in-person and Jeff has specifically talked about the importance of having people physically in the same room for comedy to work. I know I personally don't have much interest in the Patrick/Alex stuff (though I do listen to the movie bombcast, it's not for its humor). Considering they have a staff budget, letting two members of staff work from home doesn't seem to make sense for this site regardless of how hard they work. I still enjoy the content right now but I can feel the lack of variety created by having only four (and Alexis is half?) personalities in the office, down from a high of 7 (Drew, Dave, Vinny, Brad, Ryan, Jeff, Patrick?) I'm really hoping they make another hire.

Always amusing to see the backlash from these topics, because giving criticism, that could make the website even better, is a bad thing (clearly). I'm not exactly sure why people bother having an opinion that criticizes the website, or any differing opinion at all. On the other hand, if you don't feel like you're getting your money's worth; don't renew your subscription.

Also, it'd be cool if you didn't contradict yourself.

You may recall that they said the exact same thing once their Professional Wednesdays/Gamespot x Giant bomb thing went into 'hiatus'. Naturally TNT has a lot more history and thus it's easier to believe that it'll make a return, but I wouldn't be surprised if they give up on it altogether like so many other features, such as Encyclopedia Bombasticas.

It's also recently occurred to me while there's a fair amount of Premium stuff, as of now it's only UPF and the movie podcast that interests me. Which is unfortunate, considering they're finally trying to branch things out a little more, with film and wrestling podcasts, and there's that Patrick/Alex combo, though that too would probably fit better as another podcast funnily enough... And with that said, I'm now reminded that Alex's Guns of Navarro series hasn't been up for a while, which sucks because Alex is at his best in written form more so than he is on video imo.

In any case I'm probably going to let my current subscription finish, let all of the proceedings UPFs stack up, then I'll binge it all with a month's membership. As of now, while they're at least trying some 'new' ideas, none of it appears to be going in the directions I'd like to see. Which for the longest time has primarily been stuff with a little more production value and isn't just another *insert topic* Podcast or livestream. But after everything that's happened lately, their current setup has of course only gotten to be even more restrictive, so I can't imagine things will be changing much for a long while.

I would just appreciate it if Daily DOTA weren't a weekly feature. :(

They should do one this week with Saints Row 4, Payday 2, Disney Infinity, XCOM, Splinter Cell, and many more games out recently.

CBSi not outright merging Giantbomb with Gamespot is my somewhat cynical answer.

Eh, UPF and Behind the Screened Bomb Shelter (or whatever it will be called when Rorie and Alex finally think of a name) are good enough for me to continue my membership, at least for now. Just throw in a couple of random livestreams of them playing dumb FMV games or whatever and I'll probably be ok throwing them $5 a month every few months.

50 dollars for one Unprofessional Fridays a week for a year is well worth the price. They average around 2 hours every week. Premium subscribers are essentially getting over 100 hours of content a year from UPF alone. Other content includes Spookin with scoops, various random live streams (such as Another Random Rogue Legacy Stream or the wonderful reunion of the Flight Club), Jar time, patrick's coffee time, the untitled movie podcast and now the power bombcast. There's also the occasional endurance run. Bradley May Cry and the Bioforge playthrough are somewhat recent examples. Finally, there's the Daily Dota for those who like Dota. Even without TNT, that's a lot of fucking content for 50 bucks.

I can understand when it's spread out week to week it can seem somewhat thin, but when you look at everything you get for a full year subscription it's a pretty good value. Obviously not every piece of content is for everybody either, but I continually see people complain every few months over lack of content. I have absolutely no idea how there are people who think Giant bomb is lacking in premium content. It may not all be something you're interested in, but the content is there being produced. Oh yeah, they're also three staff members short, so how about we cut them some slack.

I may sound like I'm making excuses and painting the GB team as infallible, but I can definitely understand concern over the lack of certain classic heavy hitter piece's of content such as random pc games, load your last save and TNT. I personally would love to see some more regular shows, especially non premium ones. If you really can't afford to shell out 50 bucks for a year, which is completely understandable, then wait several months and spend 5 dollars for a full on Giant Bomb marathon of all the piled up content you've missed and are interested in.

GODDAMNIT @snide JUST COME BACK TO THE SITE

They definitely need a non-premium subscribed show.

Maybe do something like happy hour and make one unprofessional friday a month available to non-premium subscribers.

I hate how you can't criticize anything on this site without a dozen people jumping down your throat, also hate how people just list off the new content like it's supposed to appeal to everybody, I'm really far behind on the bombcast so the fact that it's nearly 4 hours this week is of no consequence to me. Some of the newish premium content has been great but I'd rather have stuff like like load your last save and random pc game back.

@topsteer: I'm actually really surprised how many people are not being total dicks.

yup. comes up constantly. I've always felt i've got my moneys worth.

The Power Bombcast, movie podcast and Unprofessional Fridays are more than worth my subscription money.

@themanwithnoplan: My problem isn't with all the random shit we get, because random shit isn't something you put on a feature list for a subscription, I can't look forward to the next Flight club premium stream because I have no idea if or when it'll even happen. But I love Mondays, the Wednesday new release show, TNT and Unprofessional Fridays were all features that I could look forward to every Monday, every Wednesday, every Thursday and every Friday, plus the bombcast meant I had at LEAST one GOOD piece of content for each day of the week. Now I'm down to Tuesday and Friday, I don't like anything Patrick uploads to the site.? At least with all those guys in the office they could do live streams that appealed to everyone and not just people who like Patrick and/or Alex.

I feel like there's more content on here right now than there has been in months.

Of course. Your completely reasonable to say you'd like to see certain regular features return that appeal to you. It's just that every month or so, when the content drops off a little, people start acting like the sky is falling. Who knows, maybe it is.