Giantbomb is not what it once was to me.

Giant Bomb lost its weird. When they moved into the Gamespot offices they became confined to corporate mandates and rules. We don't get the same kind of Weird Shit we used to because they have bosses that actually pay attention to what they do now. Or at least, bosses that aren't nearly as weird as their old ones, considering some of the content that came out of GB during the Whiskey days.

So yeah, things changed. Considering they can't just do whatever the hell they want anymore, the content they have managed to pull together has been pretty good. Nothing that eclipses TANG or WU-TANG, but so long as you don't mind watching people play video games then Giant Bomb has you covered. I just kinda wish there were more opportunities for stupid things. But, this is the Giant Bomb we have and so far things are going pretty okay.

@oldirtybearon: Maybe we should make a Kickstarter called "Free Giantbomb" :)

@oldirtybearon:I've seen people make similar accusations (that Giant Bomb isn't allowed to do crazy things now), and that's fine if you see it that way, but I am legitimately curious what king of "weirdness" they did before that they can't do now.

Just curious.

Danswers, Alt F1, Unplugged, Powerbombcast, Film & 40's, random bonus podcasts like the Holiday stuff from Dan...it goes on.

Things change. Whether it's for better or worse is all up to the individual. I do miss many things about "old" Giant Bomb, but there's no point, in my opinion, wishing for things of the past. I think change is good and I will support the site and the crew until they give me a good reason to do otherwise.

I've been here since 2008. It's much different than it was way back then, but I don't believe that's a bad thing. I miss Ryan and what he brought to the mix but his passing is beyond all of our control, and honestly, I feel cheap even saying it since I am certain his family and friends would give anything to have him back even if he never worked another day at the site. The hard truth is that change is inevitable and you can adapt and enjoy the ride or get off and find something else. I guess there is a third choice to complain, but I'm not sure how much of a difference that will make unless everyone en masse complained such as with the recent Steam Skyrim Mod kerfuffle. That's no guarantee however that what new change is created will be for the better.

I like the site as much now as I did back in the 2008. It's different, but I still find it entertaining.

The whole human race are creatures of habit and hate change.

My sincere advice for you: think about where your own life is at that seeing something you love go through (not insignificant) change is bumming you out so hard. This site couldn't still exist without its staff pulling off the huge turnarounds they've been able to, and I believe you're understanding enough to realize that. Try to root out this negativity and observe its source, and get help doing so if you're having further trouble.

I used to work at a company that was as free-wheeling and off-the-wall as GB used to be. You know what happened? They went fucking bankrupt.

Yea I'm wondering about this too. Without CBSi money the site probably wouldn't have made it this far (according to Jeff I think he said it in a Jar Time or something) and I just can't think of anything they did in the old offices they wouldn't be able to do now. There was a time when I wasn't feeling it, between losing Ryan and Vinny moving etc.. but at this point I'm probably enjoying the site more than ever.

I agree. I am not sure why people keep bringing this up. Apparently the nacho cheese debacle and punching Drake in the face constantly (for recent examples) were not weird enough for some people.

I really enjoyed the early days. I still like the site more than anything else, but I do share some of the sentiment. I think dan is an okay guy, but I don't enjoy his personality as much as other personalities that have come and gone. Patrick was highly controversial for some, but I thought he at least brought a new perspective to the site. Nothing has matched the chemistry of the original team of Brad, Jeff, Vinny, and Ryan. Even before all of them arrived, Jeff and Ryan were great when they were first getting their start.

I'm really looking forward to seeing what Alex and Vinny have planned. The hints at an east coast podcast would be very appreciated and I'm sure those guys will do a really good job. I miss Scoops and the Wolf, so something similar to that or even something along the lines of the bombcast from them will be great.

I'm very happy this site is here. Here's to many more years of giant bomb!

@grixxel said:

Ya, I wasn't going to add examples myself yet, but since you responded grixxel (and citizencoffeecake too) I guess it's ok: I mean Will cooked steak, in his hand, with a blow torch indoors on the set (which made me super nervous to watch haha). A couple years ago Drew shot a bow and arrow down a hallway inside the office. Or playing video games while riding a roller coaster.

I mean, I can go on and on. I just don't see how the "craziness" has gone away. It seems like they are just constantly trying to come up with ways to top themselves, but since they have to do content just about everyday you see a lot of other stuff in between. It takes time to come up with crazy stuff to do, and set it up and whatever haha

Giant Bomb is basically a TV station for the web. They have to come up with all kinds of different programming. Some stuff isn't for this person and may be for these people, and that's ok. I think actually they've been doing a lot better about spreading that around- if that makes any sense.

Just an idea but maybe You also changed in the last couple of years. But to a certain extent I agree, I'm also following Giantbomb since the blog and it HAS changed. Still the best video game site for my taste.

When people talk about the glory days of anything, I think people tend to only remember the highlights. Even in the Whiskey Media glory days there was a bunch of TNTs which were super rough to watch, and I still remember Betting the FarmVille which just wierd. I think the quality of GB content is still pretty high, which is miraculous given the upheaval the site has had in the last 2 years.

As I was reading through the thread, this is almost exactly what I wanted to say. I started coming to the site about 30 episodes into the Persona 4 run - which while widely considered one of the best pieces of content on the site (and I agree,) had a LOT of really boring episodes. But when it's all said and done, it's easy to forget the hours and hours of boring grinding and just remember the funny bits.

That same analogy can be said for the site itself. For every Buzz: Quiz World! quick look or Fortune Street TNT, there were plenty of boring Ninja Blade quick looks or Street Fighter TNTs with 5 minutes of interesting dialog during a 2 hour stream.

I'm glad you mentioned Betting the FarmVille, because that was during the "Silver Age" I suppose of GB, and that's some of the most boring content on the site. The year between Ryan passing and Dan & Jason being hired is the only prolonged period of time I've personally noticed a distinct lack of quality and energy from the site, and the content drastically improved within weeks of them joining.

As far as weird goes, I would rank them drinking nacho cheese last Wednesday right up there with any of the other "weird" videos on the site. I simply can't think of anything today that's so drastically different from the Basement or Whiskey, besides instead of a group of 20-somethings chilling in a basement, it's now a group of 30-somethings chilling in an office.

Growing up kind of makes you less inclined to do weird, stupid shit.

I know how you feel. I've really enjoyed what Dan has brought to the site, though.

I'm glad it keeps changing, as things stay fresh.

Although sure, I occasionally miss the Whiskey Days of an open office full of sites and interns.

am I the only one who misses Dave a lot around here? no mention in the OP.

Basically it. But I do not completely agree with other relative judgments, unless they approximate mine. At any rate, I have never valued an internet site so much for being so escapist from the 24/7 yet be just that. So I will tolerate Dan R. ruminations of hippy dippies or whatever wisdom he is dispensing for his light hearted trolling.

AND.......Thank the Lord (sorry Vinnie) for GBeast! And I still love QL.'s and whatever else they do. That last podcast alone was pure magic.......

I like this site a little too much.

Giant bomb is still a website so its still the same.

Things have changed but the magic is still there. Also keep in mind that there is much more content than before so all that takes much of their time. I do miss some features that are currently in hiatus (ie. Endurance Run), but I am satisfied with what they're offering right now.

I hear you but comparing the present to the past will almost always disappoint you no matter the situation. Giant bomb is still great different but still great. Try to see what is there instead of what is missing. I think the future will be interesting for giantbomb and I'm excited to see what all this madness adds up to. Im hopefull for greatness.

It was inevitable that the site would evolve. Then again, hopefully so have we along with it.

Anyway there's only so much Surströmming in the World. Hmmmmm... I wonder if it would be better with Nacho Cheese?

I've been here since the beginning, I remember the site when it had 4-5 videos and I mildly agree with your sentiments. Klepek was fun because of his love for indies but as a person he is BOOOOORING. Dan on the other hand is one of those adds that adds character to the crew. I do agree that it feels empty at times, one more attitude filled person is just what we need.

Sometimes it feels like Dan was born to work for Giant Bomb. Drew is amazing now that he is on the front lines. Alex and Vinny are doing some hilarious stuff out of NY. Jeff and Brad are holding it down in SF. Jason is a great surprise whenever he pops up on streams and podcasts. And I can't wait to see who will be next to join the family in NY. Of course it's different but it is great all the same.

This website isn't the same for me either. There's still magic - but it's a different vibe of magic.

Still love it though. The rare occurrences when Vinny shows up - he has a type of personality that brings the best out of people.

I also just wish the rest of the staff was half as enthusiastic about their jobs as Dan is.

There's a serious lack of energy in some of their main features.

I'm reminded of a comment Rich Gallup made when the bomb crew first moved to CBS. He pretty much asked the community to keep the guys feet to the fire in hopes that the site would stay true to what Giantbomb is known for. It's obvious some of the chemistry is different, but, I feel the site has kept the fun charm it started off with.

Things have changed in some ways, but I don't feel like it's lost its spirit at all. I've been around since day one, and this site is probably one of the most important things in my life. That's a weird thing to admit, but it's my favorite place for entertainment, and has been for a very long time. It's kind of special to me. I don't think change is a negative. I can love what the site was and what it is, and I do.

I've been coming to the site since the beginning and I can definitely feel where you're coming from. A lot of the new content over the last couple of years has had nothing to do with video games, such as the stuff with wrestling, F1, tabletop gaming, and movie commentary(?). If you aren't into any of that then it can be off-putting. Plus Dan really is a weird left turn for the site personality-wise.

To me, though, the main problem is that the quick looks have been declining for a while now. I didn't even realize it until Dan pushed through stuff like Metal Gear Scanlon and Mario Party Party and that stuff hit as being really fresh and interesting, when really they're just mega endurance runs. It doesn't help that Vinny and Alex have been bogged down in studio set-up hell for I don't remember how long and their QL's are the only ones that I've found interesting recently.

They are trying to figure out what the site should be and so far a lot of the answers they've come with have nothing to do with video games. That's the kind of thing that makes me nostalgic for the Whiskey Media days.

Random ass Video Things, better quick look commentaries, WU-TANG, Endurance Run, and Whiskey Media Happy Hour are some of the highlights. Mostly there was just spontaneity and passion. Flea bombing videos and the like. Daring a kid to eat some weird ass expired tuna (or whatever surstrommen is) functioned as content and it was great. Whenever the crew wanted to do something they just did it. Having to go through an approval process and work off of a budget eliminates a lot of that spontaneity. To say nothing of how unenthusiastic everyone but Dan and Drew seem to be about, well, anything.

I guess the major difference between then and now is that 2010 Giant Bomb felt more like a clubhouse where friends hung out, and 2015 Giant Bomb is a business and everyone treats it as such. Good times can't last forever and I understand that, but post-CBS Giant Bomb was a wasteland, and it was only since they hired Dan that things have started to swing back around to Weird Shit.

I also think it's cheating to use the BLLSL from the other week because that was the first time in years that Giant Bomb has felt like Giant Bomb. Using a spectacular return to form and acting like it's been that way all along is disingenuous in my eyes.

@oldirtybearon: But they had done some pretty cool, exciting stuff recently as well - like Dan forcing Jeff to go on the Rollercoaster or Patrick/Drew going to Iceland.

@athadam: You're not wrong, and I'd like to add that I'm not against the way the site is currently. I watch mostly for Dan and Drew dicking around now and that's fun. I don't necessarily mind the way things are, but I recognize that things aren't the same, and that's fine.

I feel like Giant Bomb needs to mix things up more. If you're a free member like me, it's just Quick Look city all day at GB. After half a decade of the same format on a daily basis, it starts to get a little stale. I understand the guys have had a rough time adapting to the CBS corporate overlords and all the hitches at GB: East, but I'd really like to see some new features get added into the weekly rotation to keep things fresh for us free folk. I'm really digging the Old Games Show and I hope they continue to incorporate variety into in the weekly features pool.

I miss when they were critics w/ personalities, now their personalities that critique. I use to really value their opinions on games but they barely review games anymore. I can't trust them when they judge games based on just playing couple hours for a quick look. Not fair to the developers and really not good for consumers cause their often so wrong. Games aren't meant to be judged that way. Guys like Jeff and Brad use to be reliable sources on quality of games but it's just not the case anymore. They still got it when they review a game but they so rarely do it anymore yet their jobs demand that they have an opinion regardless. I still like the crew and the site and always will. Ppl come and go, that's reality and I like Dan and Jason. I welcome them and hope they stay for a long time to come. I just wish the site would focus on being a valuable and reliable gaming site.

This is the golden age.

Nostalgia is crack for old people. New stuff is happening with new people! Was the old stuff awesome? Absolutely! Is the new as good? Who cares? The guys are trying new things with new people. Change is always better than stagnation and I'm happy that Jeff and the team understand that.

@johaneriksson: I mostly agree but, sadly, I just don't think GB can do anything about it. A lot of it has to do with chemistry. Ryan and Vinny would oftentimes disagree with Jeff's many diatribes and challenge him to see things from a fresh perspective. That isn't to say that Brad, Dan, and Drew don't try but it just isn't the same.

All things considered, I still very much like the site. I check it weekly and enjoy what GB does. I think GB is trying its very best to keep on trucking, but it's just not grabbing me like it used to.

Time marches on, people get older, things change. Personally I still love Giant Bomb and the crew, only thing I'd like is more content for non-subscriber members.

Best period imo was Gamespot in 2005/2006, before Rich left. old Hotspot >>> Bombcast. But that's just me.

I don't know if you intended it or not, but that seems super condescending. The duder doesn't like what the site has become, a site that he used to like a great deal, and expressed how it made him feel bad, so you advise him to "get help" and "think about where your own life is?" Seriously? Just because he's more invested emotionally to the site than you doesn't mean he's suffering from psychological issues. He just thinks the site has lost some of its magic, and he's right.

It does feel different, but a good kind of different.

I like the crossover stuff with the Gamespot staff, particularly Danny and Mary. And looking at Gamespot's content in more recent years, you can feel the GB influence there. Swearing used to be verboten, for example.

Dan brings new stuff to the website and he's just so damn happy about it too. The secret return of the endurance run with Metal Gear Scanlon, Mario Party Party, food opinions that are worse than Jeff's, making John T. Drake angry with his existence, etc. It was a shame Dan wasn't on the recent Bombcast with Vinny, as Vinny is also amazed by Dan's very being.

Hopefully once they get the podcast room up in GBEast we'll see a regular return of Vinny/Alex to the Bombcast. I listen to a few other podcasts that are recorded over Skype and it's hardly noticeable unless the internet is real shitty that day for one person.

Agreed. Either it's that they feel they've done their hard work on whiskey media, or they're too tired to deal with cbsi bullshit to bring any energy to the shows.

@johaneriksson: I completely agree with you and have been struggling with the same issues regarding the site lately.

I really miss Patrick's analytical insight on games and the gaming industry as a whole, he always brought a very academic approach to his views on the industry. I appreciate Dan's fun loving, care free nature but I can find that on youtube, an articulate, intellectual view on gaming is much more difficult to find these days.

I have to admit that Jason is a fantastic new addition to the crew, I would love to see more of Danny and Mary as well.

Either way the site has been a continual evolution since day one, I'm sure this is just growing(or shrinking) pains, they'll sort out the kinks in time.

Guys, I'm sorry to break it to you but it's a fucking video game website. I'm sorry you all feel a sense of ownership over something you don't own. If you don't like where the site is going, there are literally thousands of other places to get video game content at this very moment.

I like the site as it is now and where it's headed but I think I see what you guys are saying in terms of a lack of energy and I think the problem comes down to hosting.

Ryan was a loud and boisterous host that just drew you in and demanded your attention when he was hosting the bombcast and live shows. Contrast this with Jeff's hosting style for live shows where he likes to open with the mid-conversation opener and generally does it with less enthusiasm/energy (imo anyways). On the bombcast front, sleepy brad's definitely improved a lot but Ryan had more energy in his story telling and better comedic timing in riffing with Jeff and Vinny.

Remember when Jeff was hosting the bombcast post-Ryan and pre-brad when Vinny was still in SF. It would always be such a delight and breath of fresh air when Vinny got to host the occasional bombcast so I'm really looking forward to the Gbeast podcast getting up and running because I think Vinny's got that energy and enthusiasm to be a great host. We'll just have to deal with gb west's lower level of energy until they decide to mix up the hosts again I think.

That's life dude. Vinny's a dad. Dave's a dad. The crew has grown up now to the point that almost everyone of them is probably thinking about settling down in one way or another. With that can come a change of tempo and the way you approach things. Giantbomb in it's current form can't last forever. In our lifetime, there will come a day when the very last video featuring Jeff or Brad or Drew will be uploaded on this site.

Wow, I bummed myself out there a bit.

Anyway, that's why you have to enjoy what you have now, rather than try to compare it to the "good old days", which were never actually quite as good as we remember them.

Like others have said, things change. Sure I miss Patrick, Ryan, Dave, etc... you can go on forever with the amount of people we have seen come and go who have had big and small roles in making content for this site. But, just as much I love Dan and Jason and all the other people who make casual appearances like Mary, Danny, etc. that we never used to have. Some day people will be nostalgic for what Giant Bomb is now. It's just the way things are.

With that said I do miss some of the odd things we see less of nowadays such as:

But the site still has great people who are making great content without compromising anything, which is all Giant Bomb has ever been and hopefully will always be.

What difference does it make if it's a video game website or not? Why are you so hostile towards people voicing their opinions about Giant Bomb on the Giant Bomb forums? At what point did you decide that harbouring an opinion about something means you feel a sense of ownership over it?

Maybe it's time to calm down and stop taking things so seriously.

@johaneriksson: what can you do, eh. Things change. I miss the old WM days and TNT and all the other shenanigans the crew got into but I don't think anyone of them, or in the community for that matter, thought they will be able to keep that feel and pace forever.

The only sensible thing to do is enjoy in the great backlog they have and look forward to what they will do in the future.