Giant Bomb is a business

That's not how it always was though. At this point, I'm sure anyone reading this already knows the intent and direction of this thread, I'm aware of that. This thread isn't to just start blatantly ranting but more of wanting to express how myself and some of the other users probably feel about GB's direction. I've already been pretty vocal about things like the amazing new Youtube compression quality for GB's tight pockets, but, what made me start this thread was the apparent tricaster party they held and only for paying members. Now, I understand the need for paid member content and I love how its left the weekly happy hour ground to greener pastures that I'm sure makes most people happy to be a member.

Yet, I'm certain I'm not alone in the district of not-paying-money-for-a-website. If anything I'd rather pay for something like a shirt, something that actually has physical purpose and represents what I'm a part of: a community.

Yet, that's something I no longer feel a part of, outside of the usual round of been there content their is really nothing new to GB for someone like myself. Where there was things like TANG and mailbags along with the occasional random smart phone videos Jeff would shoot, their is now paid members content, and a lot of it I will probably never see. By now the picture I'm painting should be fairly clear, though to put it in brighter perspective: scroll your eyes several inches to the title.

It's five bucks... Just stop whining and take the free content. Or pay five bucks? Or just go somewhere else and stop complaining. Sick of these threads....

tbh, my subscription is a donation, and the extra content is a bonus.

I had to drop from Annual to Monthly subscribtion because games are coming out but the Annual was more than worth the money so five bucks is nothing to me.

But yes, Giant Bomb is a business and they need money to run. That much is true

Yes, they are a business, and I'm happy to pay for their product as long as I'm able.

Well that`s just the way the world works, something cool shows up and it remains that way for a while, then it starts to grow and evolve or it becomes stale and disappears. Not everyone will be happy with the changes of course, so you either deal with it or you move on to something else.

I am not inclined to spend money on this site (just like you), not because of quality but for various other reasons, but I have chosen to continue to enjoy what I have access to (and to be honest I dont feel Im missing out on all that much that would interest me) for the moment.

@SamFo: @swamplord666: @ZeForgotten: I made this thread just to say it, if you don't like the thread then don't post, but I know you like this thread because you like the commotions they cause and they can be entertaining at the least so don't lie. I'm also not trying to start a flame war so anyone can feel free to flip out at me. The more accurate point I'm trying to make is how stuck to a formula GB seems to be with this mindset. I'm not going to try and devolve this with more ranting yet though.

The guys that run giant bomb do it for a living. To continue doing what they do, they need to be paid to do it. To be paid, they need some kind of business model. Yeah, it's a shame a lot of the new video features get locked out to non-subscribers, but I get the feeling they aren't doing it just to milk out a few more dollars. They're doing what they need to to keep these sites running.

The premium content drive has been counter-productive as far as I'm concerned.  I subscribed on the understanding that the community would not be unduly split, and cancelled because they failed.  I realise they will probably gain more subscribers this way than they will lose though, so GLHB I guess. It's been emotional.

Stop bitching duder, considering that you're a cheap and/or poor bastard like myself (no offense), you should just be grateful that free memberships are still allowed on Giantbomb.

The people working at Giant Bomb have to eat somehow.

I know I'm not contributing a single thing to this thread but it just sounds to me like someone is bitter because they're unwilling to pay $5 a month and not getting certain pieces of content.

@CaptainCody said:

@SamFo: @swamplord666: @ZeForgotten: I made this thread just to say it, if you don't like the thread then don't post, but I know you like this thread because you like the commotions they cause and they can be entertaining at the least so don't lie. I'm also not trying to start a flame war so anyone can feel free to flip out at me. The more accurate point I'm trying to make is how stuck to a formula GB seems to be with this mindset. I'm not going to try and devolve this with more ranting yet though.

I have nothing against the thread though? I just think that 5 bucks shouldn't keep anyone from subscribing. Unless of course people like very shitty Gas Station/Starbucks coffee and would rather use their not-that-hard-earned money on that type of cofffee (5 bucks you can find by looking at the ground when you're outside :P)

I'm with you and Rattle. I really like the site and I've been a fan basically since the beginning but what got me hooked was mostly the stuff that's behind the paywall now. I've never complained about it, though, because I don't think I have the right to. So I take what I can get, like the occasional good QL and the bombcast and be happy with it.

I'm also a little scared by how little views the videos get now that you can see that. I can't imagine that GB is anywhere close to being profitable.

@swamplord666 said:

tbh, my subscription is a donation, and the extra content is a bonus.

This is how I see it. I used Giant Bomb since its inception and I honestly wanted to give these guys money. And my yearly subscription is the right price where it could come with nothing and I would be happy to give these guys stuff. It has been a bigger deal recently, but they are trying to give premium users more because we are paying. As a business it is only fair. I'm good with nothing though. That doesn't help much as I obviously won't complain if they give me more content. I see being upset that you can't see everything, but either you ignore what you can't see, or you give them 5 bucks a month and see what you previously couldn't.

Money for the amount of entertainment I get from them is a perfectly fair trade.

Brie is a cheese.

I don't have this outdated "paying for a website is stupid" mentality. If you start making hours of daily content that I enjoy, I'll pay you some money too.

EDIT: apparently gifs don't work well. Oh well.

Anyway, I think GB is worth supporting. They make great content, both free and premium.

@ZeForgotten said:

@CaptainCody said:

@SamFo: @swamplord666: @ZeForgotten: I made this thread just to say it, if you don't like the thread then don't post, but I know you like this thread because you like the commotions they cause and they can be entertaining at the least so don't lie. I'm also not trying to start a flame war so anyone can feel free to flip out at me. The more accurate point I'm trying to make is how stuck to a formula GB seems to be with this mindset. I'm not going to try and devolve this with more ranting yet though.

I have nothing against the thread though? I just think that 5 bucks shouldn't keep anyone from subscribing. Unless of course people like very shitty Gas Station/Starbucks coffee and would rather use their not-that-hard-earned money on that type of cofffee (5 bucks you can find by looking at the ground when you're outside :P)

The first point wasn't towards you, I'm just too lazy and busy right now so I'm snowballing replies, and damn, I used to be a baller with finding money.

They never made any kind of secret about the fact they would eventually start a subscription model or something along those lines. They've been adamant from the beginning that the site shouldn't be bogged down with ads that call into question their impartiality, but they do need some means to keep the site going and I think this is a perfectly fine compromise.

I do think the way they've started handled premium content is a bit iffy. The happy hour was great (at least to begin with), it provided a lot of laughs and meant non-subscribers weren't missing out on too much. The random premium videos we get now, while great for paid members, do take away from the quality of the site for non-subscribers.. it's something I think they need to go back and rethink.

@mnzy: I'm with you two which is why I made this thread to see where everyone else is with me on this. I know what you mean with the views but since their debut they've gotten a new bigass building, more staff, more production equipment, skylanders, and Jeff is considering buying a new car. Money is no issue.

I say get rid of ComicVine and invest that money into HD video for everyone.

Yep it is a business and they need money in order to stay in operation.....and the new premium content is much more evolved than TANG and mailbag.

@CaptainCody said:

@ZeForgotten said:

@CaptainCody said:

@SamFo: @swamplord666: @ZeForgotten: I made this thread just to say it, if you don't like the thread then don't post, but I know you like this thread because you like the commotions they cause and they can be entertaining at the least so don't lie. I'm also not trying to start a flame war so anyone can feel free to flip out at me. The more accurate point I'm trying to make is how stuck to a formula GB seems to be with this mindset. I'm not going to try and devolve this with more ranting yet though.

I have nothing against the thread though? I just think that 5 bucks shouldn't keep anyone from subscribing. Unless of course people like very shitty Gas Station/Starbucks coffee and would rather use their not-that-hard-earned money on that type of cofffee (5 bucks you can find by looking at the ground when you're outside :P)

The first point wasn't towards you, I'm just too lazy and busy right now so I'm snowballing replies, and damn, I used to be a baller with finding money.

I see, and that lazyness has now crippled you so much that you're too lazy to look down on the ground and find money. I might cry now! .. You see what you did? Made me cry! Damn you Captain, damn you and the boat you sailed in on! :P

As much as I agree, Giant Bomb is a business. I always say it costs money to be funny.
 
You've seen the evolution of Giant Bomb into something amazing. You should feel honored that, yes, you WERE here for them when they needed you. But they shouldn't need you, because they've made it. Look mom, look dad, here I am. I finally made it. That's what Whiskey Media says to me. Something that came from nowhere. Sic Parvis Magna. Greatness from small beginnings.
 
It gives me something to believe in when it seems like my life is going nowhere. Yeah, my family hates me and my dad is dead and my mom is dying, but that's the world around me. That's what life is. At least I can say "Look mom, look dad, here I am. I finally made it" when the road has been traveled; when my days are numbered. And that's what I'm looking forward to.

@swamplord666 said:

tbh, my subscription is a donation, and the extra content is a bonus.

this fucking this 10,000 X

The one great thing about the happy hour was that the last one each month was free.  That needs to translate to the new sets of new videos.  Give the non-subscribers one piece of premium content  every two weeks or so, cycling through the various sets of new video series.  A Breaking Brad here, a Jar time with Jeff there, etc.

@Liber: ... why would they get rid of one of the biggest comic book sites out there, and the second most profitable website in Whiskey Media? It gets more traffic then Tested and Screened combined.

@DeeGee said:

@Liber: ... why would they get rid of one of the biggest comic book sites out there, and the second most profitable website in Whiskey Media? It gets more traffic then Tested and Screened combined.

the point I was about to make lol. sadly it would be AnimeVice to get the chop first if they ever had to.

I'm only gonna say this once, as an open letter to all of those complaining about the subscriber features:

If you have not seen any of the subscriber-only content, then you cannot make any kind of informed judgement on its quality. What have you got to lose by paying 5 bucks for one month to see what they're offering before you start condemning them for trying to cheat you? Giant Bomb still provides incredible quality content even if you don't pay, and frankly you're all spoiled brats if you think otherwise.

as long as a subscription is not required for most of the content its not a big deal

@DeeGee: @Wraxend: Because movies and phones are cool. The only comic book I read is BATMAN, and I don't need ComincVine to tell me stuff about BATMAN.

Nah that comment was just for lolz, I don't want to get rid of ComicVine, but AnimeVice has to go.

@CaptainCody said:

I'm with you two which is why I made this thread to see where everyone else is with me on this. I know what you mean with the views but since their debut they've gotten a new bigass building, more staff, more production equipment, skylanders, and Jeff is considering buying a new car. Money is no issue.

So, here's a "problem" I see a lot of bitching about and I cannot for the life of me understand what it's about. What business do you have with what the employees of Whiskey Media do with their salaries? That's just sick.

@Mikemcn said:

Yes, they are a business, and I'm happy to pay for their product as long as I'm able.

That's what you get in a monetary market system: the dehumanization of people and the foundations they were once proud of.

Even though, Giantbomb is the least dehumanized compared to the rest of the once prospering world (although, not as close to movie directors or the Valve team--money, or the lack of it, doesn't seem to affect them much)

@CaptainCody said:

@mnzy: I'm with you two which is why I made this thread to see where everyone else is with me on this. I know what you mean with the views but since their debut they've gotten a new bigass building, more staff, more production equipment, skylanders, and Jeff is considering buying a new car. Money is no issue.

I agree, Jeff fucking sucks.

A guy like Jeff should rent a poor man's apartment and ride a fucking bus to work.

@Getz: I don't think anyone is complaining about the quality here, and even if they were, assuming they haven't seen any of it is a little unfair. Many just pay for 1 month subscriptions at a time because that's all they want, and others simply have lapsed subs that they can't afford to renew at the moment, like myself. I've seen most of the subscriber content up to a few weeks ago, but I'm not currently a paid member.

@Liber said:

@CaptainCody said:

@mnzy: I'm with you two which is why I made this thread to see where everyone else is with me on this. I know what you mean with the views but since their debut they've gotten a new bigass building, more staff, more production equipment, skylanders, and Jeff is considering buying a new car. Money is no issue.

I agree, Jeff fucking sucks.

A guy like Jeff should rent a poor man's apartment and ride a fucking bus to work.

Jeff's enjoys life, pal. Let him do his thang.

@CaptainCody:

They're not taking away content that was there before. They're just limiting access to new content. Plus, the guys need to get paid. They can't give us everything they've given us for free. It's either allow the site to be partially member run or have ads over every little thing including the articles you read and the videos you see. I know the ads now are getting a little more intrusive but it could be much, much worse.

It's always been a business. They just started totally free as a way to build clientele. Like how Amazon lost money for years and years on purpose.

I don't understand the problem with having a subscriber-only tricaster live stream. Do you expect to get everything that paying members get?

I feel like we've had this fucking conversation a thousand times now and I'm so, so sick of having it.

GB and Whiskey Media as a whole have to be this way. Yes, good things do and have gone by the wayside, and partially because of this. A spontaneity as I remember from the first years I became aware of GB. has all but died, especially late last year. And GB moving to SF tied them even more to W.M. and central control.

But I also feel there has been some bounce back, if mostly conditional for premium. For example I really enjoyed seeing more about Dark Souls from these guys, divorced from being filtered through some of the illuminati Dark Souls seems to attract. Members of whiskey Media, of which Giant Bomb is a site of, and their families, and their pets even, have to eat, live and pay utility bills. To do so, Whiskey Media to run a business based on capitalist principles(sadly). AND especially, from my personal viewpoint, they have to employ ppl., so important these days.

If I was indifferent to the interests of Whiskey Media including Giant Bomb, this all would not matter except as concept. But I utilize in varying degrees the amalgamated sites, so I do not mind kicking in, as long as my own priorities are also met. I do sympathize for those left out because it would be wrong for them to spend food money. But this need is also what falls on both sides of the divide.

@Sputty said:

The people working at Giant Bomb have to eat somehow.

This thread doesn't really feel like it has a purpose. Are you looking for sympathy? Are you looking for a debate? Are you looking for a place to vent? I don't understand.

On top of that, I have never understood the "I will never pay money for website" mentality. I have always held the opinion that experiences are more important than things. Experiences stick with you forever, whereas things are fleeting (they can be destroyed, lost, thrown away, whatever).

I bet you already have enough shirts that one more shirt wouldn't actually gain you anything. Sure, maybe it'll buy you one extra day where you don't have to do laundry, or maybe you'll feel cool wearing it for a day, but really, it's just a shirt. But think of how much time you've put into this site, how frequently you think about it. Remember things that you've watched, read, and heard here. And ask yourself: is that time, are those memories, are those experiences worth $5 a month? For me, it absolutely is.

I actually feel ashamed that I listen to the Bombcast and watch a lot of QuickLooks without supporting the guys. But the reality is that I'm a student, and $50 is kind of a lot of money for me to spend on a website. I'll pay them for all these years of free-loading when I get a job.

You didn't miss much out of that Tricaster "party" and there was a mailbag only the other day open to everyone as usual. If you follow Jeff or Ryan on Justin.tv you still get the odd camera phone stream, those are never put out as subscriber videos.

The strongest and best produced content by far is the stuff available to everybody, the subscriber stuff really is not a reason to subscribe. It's mostly your-questions-answered type stuff, the kind of stuff that wouldn't interest someone who wasn't already invested in the site to the point of paying them cash to keep doing what they do.

So stop bitching about it and feel good.

so you are mad because you dont subscribe yet want special content sounds a like you want cake and to eat it too

@elcalavera said:

@CaptainCody said:

I'm with you two which is why I made this thread to see where everyone else is with me on this. I know what you mean with the views but since their debut they've gotten a new bigass building, more staff, more production equipment, skylanders, and Jeff is considering buying a new car. Money is no issue.

So, here's a "problem" I see a lot of bitching about and I cannot for the life of me understand what it's about. What business do you have with what the employees of Whiskey Media do with their salaries? That's just sick.

if you weren't an idiot you would realize I was making the argument of DISPOSABLE INCOME, and sick? It's not sick guy, you must be the type of person who is disgusted by hugging.

Yeah... dude, it's an incentive. If you just payed you'd get it. I survived the first year without any happy hour and was grateful for the free shows. Get over it.