The Community Spotlight - 02/28/2014

Hello and welcome to the latest edition of the Giant Bomb Community Spotlight! I am your host as always. The chat system has been updated so the new reply system should be fine. Earlier this week the CBSi live stream servers were functioning at 30%, but we should be fine now. Not only that but we have a new batch of chat emoticons for you to abuse/enjoy! Brad Muir, Dave Lang, Cool Baby, and myself are all new emoticons you can use and enjoy. On a bit of a low note our former sister sit, Screened, is closing down. Share and discuss your favorite Screened memories over here. Patrick got jolted by his teenage self when someone located an old letter he sent to The Official PlayStation Magazine. Speaking of Patrick Tumblr user jneuman13 admits to being the one that rope a doped Patrick into a talk at his campus. With that let's get on with the latest edition of the Community Spotlight!

Clips of the Week

wallofbricks is back with another video showcasing Brad's follies in Demon's Souls.

Community Activities

• Form/Find a Fantasy Dota League - Join Other Users in Creating Fantasy Leagues Over Here!
• Battlefield 4 GBSQ Platoon - Join the Newly Created Community Platoon for Battlefield 4 Over Here!
• Giant Bomb Diablo III Clan - Enjoy the Diablo III Update with Other Users By Heading Over Here!
• Community RUST Server - Get an Invite to Join PHARAOH's Private Server for GB User Over Here!

Wonderful Wikis

Someone...@demoskinos put over two hunder wiki points into Project DIVA 2nd. Read all about Hatsune Freaku there. Also with the new Strider read all about the two major versions of the original Strider game.

• Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA F 2nd
• Strider
• Strider

Best of Blogs

We have another video game "conspiracy theory" this week, but this one comes from thatpinguino and Persona 4's anti-video game agenda. ArbitraryWater has a blog discussing a decidedly not so old PC game, Might & Magic X, and why it tickled his fancy. Video_Game_King is back in Japan this week, and this time toiled away in the daimyo with Sakura Samurai and Tenchu. Gamer_152 explains why he doesn't think Titanfall is the "next Call of Duty," and pontificates on what he enjoyed and disliked about the beta. lordgodalming cuts to the chase with this edition of his "Good Games that Cheat" blog with Ninja Gaiden and Lords of Shadow. Cathryn uses the Fable and Persona franchises to discuss her unusual relationship with game sequels. Mento has panty shots and a MS Paint webcomic this week. PerfidiousSinn has been playing Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate again and provides his final thoughts on the good and bad of the game. Granderojo explains why the iOS port of R-Type II has potential to be great, but is held back by control weirdness. MooseyMcMan talks about his experiences with Metro Last Light and Remember Me and why they have great atmosphere but questionable gameplay. PimblyCharles has broken the 1,000th post mark this week and looks back on following the GB staff for ten years. NathHaw interviewed a bunch of cosplayers from Katsucon XX, and dudeglove shares his dedication to The Binding of Isaac over the years.

• Get Out of The TV! Persona 4’s Anti-Videogame Message (By: @thatpinguino)
• "Old RPGs That you've Probably Heard I Like" and Other Wonderful Uses of Time and Money (By: @arbitrarywater)
• Japanese, but in a Different Way (By: @video_game_king)
• On the Shoulders of Giants (By: @gamer_152)
• Good Games that Cheat, Vol. 3 (By: @lordgodalming)
• Fable: Anniversary and My Relationship with Sequels (By: @cathryn)
• A Brief Jaunt to...Japan! (Day 3: Shibuya) (By: @mento)
• The Comic Commish: The Previous Generation (Jan-Jun 2009) (By: @mento)
• I Suck At Fighting Games: Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate (By: @perfidioussinn)
• The Uncooperative Thumb-DotEmu's Restoration of R-TYPE II on Smartphones (By: @granderojo)
• ReMetro Last Light...Me? (By: @mooseymcman)
• 1,000th Forum Post - A Look Back at 10 Years Ago (By: @pimblycharles)
• Katsucon XX 2014 Cosplay and Interviews (By: @nathhaw)
• Some Reflections Ahead of Patrick's Upcoming Playthrough(s) (By: @dudeglove)

Fantastic Forums

Teddie is the one who provided that wonderful Binding of Patrick artwork that I used for the banner. So if you can send your regards to him. wallofbricks has yet another awesome compilation video of some hilarious moments from Brad and Vinny's romp through Demon's Souls. On top of that join other members of the community in predicting how many times you will die playing Dark Souls II. Should stealth games allow you to kill the gaurds impeding your progress? Also join the discussion related to the shutdown of GFWL, HD remakes, dead franchises, and Persona 5.

• The Binding of Patrick (I Drew Some Art) (By: @teddie)
• Brad & Vinny Do More Demon's Souls (Mini Episode) (By: @wallofbricks)
• Dark Souls II Death Count Prediction Thread (By: @fredchuckdave)
• Stealth Games: More or Less Fun to Play When you Can Take Out the Guards? (By: @bisonhero)
• Lightning Returns: FF-XIII Ending Discussion Thread (Spoilers!) (By: @hailinel)
• What Game Would you Want Re-made with Today's Technology? (By: @acidbrandon18)
• GFWL Shut Down, How Many Games are you Going to Lose? (By: @c0l0nelp0c0rn1)
• Franchises That Died Last Gen (By: @carryboy)
• Persona 5 Announcement Disucssion Thread (By: @fluxwavez)

Lovable Lists

Jagged85 continues to examine pan-generational aspects of the gaming industry with a list of "the most powerful consoles."

• Most Powerful Console of Each Year, 1972-2014 (By: @jagged85)

Useful User Reviews

• @grumbel's review of The Swapper
• @dinoracha's review of Jazzpunk
• @wemibelec90's review of Ys: Memories of Celceta

Potent Podcasts

• The Mighty Electronic Box (02/24/2014)

Awesome, thanks for continuing to put these up. Also I ended up putting a bunch of time into working on another page for a terrible game in Codename: Kids Next Door: Operation S.O.D.A.

Is that what the kids are calling literary analysis these days?

Also, what the hell is this?

Hi! I'm jneuman13, on here I'm Lava. It was awesome to have Patrick come and speak at the conference I attended! He shared a lot of personal anecdotes about dealing with the Internet. I think a lot of students don't realize that in order to be a journalist in the coming years, interaction with the audience is KEY. And, well, we all know Patrick has his ups and downs with the Internet.

It was great! While it was my senior year and I probably wont be able to see him at a conference again it was a great opprotunity to finally meet one of the Giant Bomb duders. Not being able to make it to a Pax yet to a panel and when the tour got cancelled I thought I never would. I had to jump at the opportunity to make this happen.

You forgot one thing.

@video_game_king said:

@zombiepie said:

Also, what the hell is this?

A load of garbage.

@flight815 said:

You forgot one thing.

Some reader found an old letter I wrote to PSM years and years and years ago. Everything about this is embarrassing. https://t.co/AklmY3c4LK

— Patrick Klepek (@patrickklepek) February 27, 2014

It's nice to know that Young Patrick was definitely part of the problem. I'd put it almost on the same level as Hardcore Dave and his opinions about Dungeon Siege.

Also thanks for putting my dumb internetblog on here as always. Kill La Kill is still not very good.

I find a lot of things amusing but I rarely have a physical reaction and actually laugh out loud. That Patrick letter. Man. That's just the most hilarious thing ever.

Thanks for the mention!

I read that letter while I was at work and had to bite my lip to keep from laughing. Just amazing!

Congrats everyone!

I was told there would be more Me in this post? Though I'm not sure why. (The STO stuff?)

Actually I've been meaning to post something in General for a while, you can mention that now or later if you like. :)

Wonderful image work as always. Tiny correction to "sister site" near the top.

Proud to say I lived through the Magazine Wars. I've seen some shit, man. *clutches Next Generation premiere issue*

Wow, internet overdose here I come.

@video_game_king: Thanks for the backup! I guess one's literary analysis is another's conspiracy theory.

@thatpinguino:

The line between the two is often blurry. In fact, I think it's the difference between "COINCIDENCE!?" and (Derrida 35).

@hailinel said:

Hey, so that Twitter link to this letter Patrick wrote doesn't appear to work anymore. Is it supposed to direct to Facebook? Facebook just basically gives me a 404 and tells me something is fucked up.

Anyone care to post a screenshot of that letter?

My link in the freaking Spotlight works, and has always worked.

@zombiepie: My bad, I somehow missed the link while reading the blog itself, and only saw the Patrick tweet that somebody else put in the comments (which doesn't work). But you're right! Your link works just fine.

Hey! So I've been further expanding and cleaning up a lot of minor Resident Evil character pages lately -- basically the lesser known STARS members, minus Bob Kendo. And on that note, I'd like to think the actual S.T.A.R.S. page I've long helmed over is lookin' rather spiffy as well, so I'd appreciate them getting put up! x)

• S.T.A.R.S.
• Brad Vickers
• Enrico Marini
• Edward Dewey
• Richard Aiken
• Forest Speyer
• Kenneth J. Sullivan
• Robert Kendo

Ooh, also!

• Umbrella Security Service.
• Umbrella Biohazard Countermeasure Service.

Speaking of my blog...

Well, let's see:

• I finished my LP series Mento-kun Goes to Japan, a working title I wisely didn't use, after it was highlighted last time.
• I wrote up my thoughts on Spelunky after finally acquiring all the achievements. I can at last walk away from that endless cycle of risible deaths.
• A list about haircuts, from a guy who is very much overdue for one.
• This isn't mine, but please include dankempster's "Nuzlocke Challenge" series, already two parts in. I could see it becoming as big in scope as Enduring Final Fantasy VII. There's already way more pictures.

Alrighty so here is who have down thus far:

@blacklagoon@hailinel@marshermallow(amazing art work) @mannymar(Dark Souls returns) @brackynews(Follow Friday?) @majormitch@thatpinguino(not a conspiracy theory) @wallofbricks(two videos) @turboman(video) @tarfuin@geraltitude@moonlightmoth@humanity@y2ken(banner) @flstyle@andmm(Chrome extension) @sin4profit(great Alt+F1 banner) @hero_swe@phatmac(podcast) @mikelemmer@mento

Great work everyone, you are going to have something on for teh next edition of the Community Spotlight!

I notice a name missing.

I just did an internet over here. Thanks ZP.

I hope you don't mind if I space these out over the course of two weeks.

Here's the latest episode of the Community Spotlight!