My kind petition to the GiantBomb Staff..

Nice try, Brad Nicholson.

But seriously, I enjoyed the Quicklooks of Infinity Blade I and II. More coverage of the best games in that space would be a good thing. Patrick already mentions iOS games a fair bit, since the indie guys often work in that space. Video features on mobile games would be great, particularly during the "slow" months of summer.

But the social/Facebook stuff? The bottom's dropped out. Few people would care about that now. Back during Farmville's peak, "Betting the Farmville" still petered out and was canceled with little fanfare.

Um, is this a joke? There's been barely a dozen games worthy of coverage for iOS in the history of the platform. You pretty much know when something matters because they guys will usually talk about it on the Bombcast. So, they already do what you're asking.

I think they cover the games they're interested in, and when that games an IOS or Facebook game they talk about it on the Bombcast. It just so happens that they aren't interested in most of them, but they do talk about some of them.

This should be posted over at tested.com. They used to do quick-looks of ios/android games, but stopped after the whiskey split.

no thanks

@Etnos said:

@mnzy said:

I think they could throw some in here and there, but please don't make it essential to the site.

Yup, that is my point. There is plenty of garbage in that space. However, there is also seriously good games coming out at least once a week.

The problem with even "seriously good" iOS games is that they don't have a large range of things to cover, or a lot of mechanics going on. The reason that iOS gaming is so popular is because anyone can pick up and play and learn how to succeed in seconds. A QL of Angry Birds, Draw Something, One Million (or whatever that number is), or any popular iOS game is that they would be, like, minutes long. They talk about notable released on the Bombcast from time-to-time, and that's about all of the coverage they need. There isn't enough depth to carry an entire video with.

I don't really want to see them cover too much mobile/social stuff. Sites like TouchArcade and SlideToPlay fits that gap pretty well.

Ryan did do that GameDev Story review at some point though:

http://www.giantbomb.com/game-dev-story/61-32908/reviews/

@GalacticPunt said:

Nice try, Brad Nicholson.

But seriously, I enjoyed the Quicklooks of Infinity Blade I and II. More coverage of the best games in that space would be a good thing. Patrick already mentions iOS games a fair bit, since the indie guys often work in that space. Video features on mobile games would be great, particularly during the "slow" months of summer.

But the social/Facebook stuff? The bottom's dropped out. Few people would care about that now. Back during Farmville's peak, "Betting the Farmville" still petered out and was canceled with little fanfare.

Got a good laugh out of me.

@BestUsernameEver said:

@Etnos said:

Please start covering iOS - Android, Facebook games. I'm wasting more and more time at touch arcade than at Giantbomb...

I love AAA gaming, but seriously nowadays there is like 1 good game every 2 months, While there is at least a couple of interesting releases each week in the App store.

Lets move on with the times.

Absolutely agree, but every time I go on touch arcade or any android games website, they promote terrible stuff. I don't want a peggle rip off, I want to see the mcpixels, minecrafts and dead spaces. Without me just browsing the android store, i'd never know there was a dead space game on android. Same with max payne.

That's the reason I would like them to do something different with this content. I go to touch arcade because is the least terrible of the specialized sites for that space.

I think the Giantbomb crew could bring something interesting to that scene.

I would like iOS but Facebook?

-via iPhone not Facebook

Fuck no

iOS, sure. But not Facebook games. They may as well start covering Flash games.

No, all Facebook games are terrible and only a handful of phone games deserve as much as a quick look.

the one thing I want is for them to a pick a side.

Patrick wrote a story about the Iphone 5 or whatever, but they very very rarely cover ios games so why bother writing the story about it?

No, mobile games are yuck.

Yes, it would be cool to see "the mobile game of the month".

@jakob187: I haven't seen a Facebook game that didn't revolve around a separate currency that required you to annoy your friends or wait for something to be grown or built in real time just so you could keep playing. Most of them have copied each other to the point that they look exactly the same, and all of them revolve around simple tasks that try to constantly press that reward button in your brain for maximum addiction.

Also, I've never seen one that actually looked fun to play. I've played flash games with more depth.

That is a niche that needs filling, but I don't think Giant Bomb fits it.

nope

No game site can effectively cover every aspect of the industry. GiantBomb seem to know this and accepts it. I'm sure there are other avenues to get that information.

Nah, if you want to see some of that you can go to Tested.

@FluxWaveZ said:

Oh hell no.

That about sums things up.

I'll take "No" for $500.

Edit: Of course, it depends entirely on the scope. If they only pick out the few, few amazing games released then maybe I could care but even then, it's just not something I have an interest in despite owning several iOS devices.

iOS/Android, sure.

Facebook, fuck no.

@Etnos: They kind of do don't they? I mean not entirely but Swords and Sworcery made it (if not won?) downloadble game of the year last year? and they've been talking about Super Hexagon as well. I know not much but its a start since back in ye olde when Jeff was plain 'Fuck mobile games!'

This is a site about video games, not things that waste people's time and money.

Wait...

@EpicSteve said:

No game site can effectively cover every aspect of the industry. GiantBomb seem to know this and accepts it. I'm sure there are other avenues to get that information.

My only worry is that they might be covering "the dying side" of the industry, specially the console side. The buzz out there is that "next-gen" is most likely going to be vapor-ware.

Point is: I want more Giantbomb, really the usual "retail-publisher-console" trilogy is a dying breed. They can pull of something interesting out of this.

@believer258 said:

I cast my vote for "no, barring special occasions where something noteworthy comes out".

Very little but if it turns into what Polygon/Besties and its covered then no.

And isn't facebook dead yet? People still use it?

I just would like them to get someone in the mix that genuinely enjoys mobile gaming. The quality is an entirely subjective thing, since I would personally rather spend time trying to 100% every board in Bag-It or clear another level in Amazing Alex than play yet another PC FPS. Games like Where's My Water?, Angry Birds, Cut The Rope and whatnot are roughly the equivalent of a lot of the games that used to sell for 70 bucks in the NES days, but modern gamers write them off because they're playable on a cell phone and don't involve head shots.

Now, with all that said, I don't really CARE if they ever do this. Giant Bomb has a similar hole when it comes to covering MMOs, as none of those guys are all that into those, either. Giant Bomb is not a place I come to for game coverage. I come here for the personalities of Jeff, Ryan, Vinnie and Patrick. Especially now that they're part of the Gamespot network, I doubt they want to be all things to all people and I would much prefer them just talk about the games they have fun playing than worry about trying to be a truly well rounded gaming site. Giant Bomb is a site run by 4 dudes that play vidya games. That's good enough for me.

Last bit I will add is I grow weary of people talking about mobile games like they are automatically inferior to a console version of the same game. Most Android devices will easily and happily allow you to hook up a controller, which means GTA 3 on an Android tab plays just like GTA 3 on the PS2.

I can't wait to see the coverage of the "Meet 'N' Fuck" series.

There should be a section of the Bombcast where Jeff reads the description to all these awesome games..... oh wait.

@Etnos said:

@EpicSteve said:

No game site can effectively cover every aspect of the industry. GiantBomb seem to know this and accepts it. I'm sure there are other avenues to get that information.

My only worry is that they might be covering "the dying side" of the industry, specially the console side. The buzz out there is that "next-gen" is most likely going to be vapor-ware.

Point is: I want more Giantbomb, really the usual "retail-publisher-console" trilogy is a dying breed. They can pull of something interesting out of this.

Damn, you really want to talk about trendy topics. We'll always have our Gears of Wars, don't worry.

@Etnos said:

@BestUsernameEver said:

@Etnos said:

Please start covering iOS - Android, Facebook games. I'm wasting more and more time at touch arcade than at Giantbomb...

I love AAA gaming, but seriously nowadays there is like 1 good game every 2 months, While there is at least a couple of interesting releases each week in the App store.

Lets move on with the times.

Absolutely agree, but every time I go on touch arcade or any android games website, they promote terrible stuff. I don't want a peggle rip off, I want to see the mcpixels, minecrafts and dead spaces. Without me just browsing the android store, i'd never know there was a dead space game on android. Same with max payne.

That's the reason I would like them to do something different with this content. I go to touch arcade because is the least terrible of the specialized sites for that space.

I think the Giantbomb crew could bring something interesting to that scene.

It's sad that everyone is disagreeing with you on this thread, because I think that would be a great move. Destructoid.com has moved to covering various sales or new games for android and iOS, but they haven't done any full or extensive coverage. The first big gaming site to move to mobile coverage in a smart way will earn my visit, because it's hard to follow the thousands of random developers now.

They should cover them to the extent that they would with all games: If they care about one, they'll talk about it. 
 
Also, did they ever discuss Game Dev Story, or am I confusing them with another podcast?

@Etnos: Go to tested, and ask them to start covering the shit they used to. They did iOS and Android games all the time.

It's not ever going to happen on Giantbomb unless something really cool comes along.

The cost to entry is so low, and the amount of bullshit so large that it doesnt make much sense. If there are good games on there, youll hear about them. The team is so small as it is that it would take away from essential things

Why would they want to divert time and resources from things they care about, at least tangentially, to cover something they clearly have no passion for?

Patrick covers some ios stuff in Worth Reading.

War of Eustrath is alright

/iOS games covered.

@EpicSteve said:

No game site can effectively cover every aspect of the industry. GiantBomb seem to know this and accepts it. I'm sure there are other avenues to get that information.

My only worry is that they might be covering "the dying side" of the industry, specially the console side. The buzz out there is that "next-gen" is most likely going to be vapor-ware.

Point is: I want more Giantbomb, really the usual "retail-publisher-console" trilogy is a dying breed. They can pull of something interesting out of this.

@EpicSteve said:

@Etnos said:

@EpicSteve said:

No game site can effectively cover every aspect of the industry. GiantBomb seem to know this and accepts it. I'm sure there are other avenues to get that information.

My only worry is that they might be covering "the dying side" of the industry, specially the console side. The buzz out there is that "next-gen" is most likely going to be vapor-ware.

Point is: I want more Giantbomb, really the usual "retail-publisher-console" trilogy is a dying breed. They can pull of something interesting out of this.

Damn, you really want to talk about trendy topics. We'll always have our Gears of Wars, don't worry.

Is not about that, but whatever..

@NekuSakuraba said:

@Etnos

@EpicSteve said:

No game site can effectively cover every aspect of the industry. GiantBomb seem to know this and accepts it. I'm sure there are other avenues to get that information.

My only worry is that they might be covering "the dying side" of the industry, specially the console side. The buzz out there is that "next-gen" is most likely going to be vapor-ware.

Point is: I want more Giantbomb, really the usual "retail-publisher-console" trilogy is a dying breed. They can pull of something interesting out of this.

The "dying side" of the industry? Really? So what you are saying is that because mobile gaming has become more popular, eventually there will be no market for consoles or PC gaming and everyone will switch over to iOS devices?

Yes. I personally think handhelds are going before traditional PC only titles, mainly because mobile gaming has proven effective, profitable, and convenient. We might see a Nintendo phone in the next 5 years if mobile keeps it up, and I know it will. Just look at arcades too, they are pretty much nowhere, trends in gaming die fast, to be replaced by something more convenient.

Let's start covering Flash games on Newgrounds while we are at it.

I really hope not.

No, strike that. I want Jeff to start a new show in which he reads the copy for, buys, and plays mobile games.