As much as I would like that, I'm pretty sure that would be a step back for him. He "left" Waypoint to pursue other opportunities, which was much more his baby than Giantbomb, so I can't imagine he'd have much reason to come back here.
But he should definitely be a guest as often as possible.
Austin doesnt need to come back to be a part of GB, and these occasional podcasts and features are good enough for me. GB should be hiring new faces , not established people like Austin.
To hear Austin tell it, he had five years in this industry full time in him and “leaving” Waypoint last year was pretty much it for him.
He seems much more suited doing the work he does now with the schedule he has now and there is absolutely no chance he’ll come back here. Nor should he – we’re exhausting.
ps. Go listen to Waypoint Radio if you don’t. I find Austin is far more able to be himself there and has deeper discussions on that show than he ever did here. Maybe i’m projecting but I often feel like he hedges a little talking with this crew, like there are things he wants to express that he either doesn’t have the time to or isn’t sure they’d be met well.
I deeply deeply miss Austin + Dan + Vinny + Alex. Those were the days.
fwiw, Austin left Giant Bomb in June 2016 (right after E3 of that year), and Dan didn't move to NYC and join GB East until something like December 2016 (right after GotY or something, he starts appearing in GB East stuff in January 2017).
So the Austin + Dan + Vinny + Alex days exist only as maybe 0-5 Beastcast episodes where Dan guested temporarily, and a few E3 shows where they were maybe all in the same room. But yes, for someone as wildly uninformed as Dan, Austin's thoughtful explanation and/or full-hearted roasts were a good match.
I would lose my mind if Austin came back, but based on why he stepped away from Waypoint (to actually have a work life balance and to work on those other projects), I would not be surprised if he never joins a video game website full time.
It was nice hearing him on the Bombcast. I should tune into more Waypoint stuff because I miss his takes on games and life in general. Plus, that laugh, man. That laugh is life.
Always down to express some Austin love. Don’t think he’ll come back into games Media full time. But I would loooove to have him on as a guest here more often.
If you’re jonesing for some more of his podcast work. Besides Waypoint Radio and friends at the table, he guests on three moves ahead too, which is a rad strategy game podcast.
Maybe GB could hire him for a feature? Maybe when KSP2 comes out? One can dream.
Austin is fantastic, but he's doing work at Waypoint/Vice Games is probably a lot more creatively freeing and in-line with his beliefs, plus getting to focus his time on Friends at the Table. Not that I doubt he enjoys being here from time to time, but something like Waypoint Radio allows him to be a lot more politically vocal, with co-hosts who are happy to engage on a similar level.
If you had cake everyday, it wouldn't feel unique reviews. Austin is a top notch visitor, in part because his appearances are occasions. https://shit.ass.scam.link/
Loool at scammers hijacking this beautiful thread.
Love Austin and Waypoint. If he ever came back to GB tho.... I would probably cry with joy. Abby and Austin already displayed awesome chemistry in the few appearences they had together so having them regularly together would be a dream podcast.
I wonder what a Rob Zacny + Alex Navarro colab would look like. Maybe a Civ stream.
If anyone wants more Austin – he was recently on the Dialogue Box Podcast with Jeff Green. He talks pretty openly about his early days in the games industry, and also his time at Giant Bomb; it's a very good listen.
Not gonna lie, some of my favorite times on here were in 2015 when he was on the east coast. I think he just meshed well with everyone here. Never could get into his waypoint stuff though
The patreon for Austin's Actual Play RPG podcast Friends at the Table does pretty well and he has worked out a deal as a contributor for Vice Gaming post Waypoint's absorption. My hunch is that Austin has found a way to financially support himself while focusing more on the things that matter to him like his podcast. I don't think we'll be seeing him back in a job like the one he had at GB for a while at least, as much as I would LOVE to see it. By the way, if you're looking for more Austin content, the aforementioned Friends at the Table is a masterwork in the actual play genre, probably the best out there, definitely a more serious tone than something like TAZ or Dimension 20, and I can't recommend it enough. It's either my first or second favorite podcast, in competition with Blank Check.
Austin is going to do Austin, I think that is something I learned about him. I felt his stay at GB was a little short, but hey. Nor do I buy into all his this and that's.
But he can come back and say hello anytime! Nor do I handle the hiring for GBE (or remotely anything besides being a member) I really like listening to the guy, he is intelligent, and his sense of humor clicks.
@oursin_360:Not sure if this might make a difference for you, but I've found Waypoint Radio much better now that it has had way less Patrick and much more Gita. And I like Patrick, but somehow it just has felt way more relaxed without him around, I guess? Plus, it has been more relaxed after Austin "quit", as the power dynamics within the pod shifted noticeably.
@jeffgoldblum: I feel like that's selling the actual play genre real short. Although you can't beat Jack de Quidt's music. That dude is the real star of Friends at the Table, hands down.
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