I'm not sure what the Giant Bomb is for yet, but it feels like quite a nice place to hang out just now. I think people are here simply because of the appealing characters of the editorial staff, so credit to them. But it's just quite exciting to be around at the birth of something new, and to have the chance to contribute to its shape and direction, even in a small way, is pretty cool.

People on the forums here seem to see the site as some sort of competitor to Gamespot, yet I'm pretty sure the intention is not to boost the current editorial staff of 4. So Giant Bomb can't compete with Gamespot, or IGN, or others. But then why should it? Is that what we really want? Just another gaming news site? Seems like a waste of time to me - that market is already way too overcrowded for me. There are massive sites on videogames that I rarely have time to look at.

Is GB an encyclopedia of games? That is how sister site ComicVine sells itself, and I'm pretty sure that that was the initial aim for this site. But do people really want another encyclopedia of games? GameFAQs does a pretty decent job of hosting gamespaces for most titles, IMDB has made efforts there, and there are other specific encyclopedias on the web, like UVL or MobyGames, which are pretty damn exhaustive. And heck, the best place for straight info on games is still Wikipedia.

If Giant Bomb wants to be encyclopaedic, it has to be damned good. And there are positive signs on that - certainly I've never seen a database crosslinked by game concept before. But it can only be as good as the content in this regard, and obviously the site has a million miles to go in this regard. Today I added Okami to the wall-jump game concepts page, and posted a review for Rampage from 1986. I started listing the various platforms that released Boulder Dash back in the 80s, but I got weary of the slow interface and left it for later. It's the completeness that I am worried about - I am sure that the GTA4 page won't struggle for detail, but who is willing to put in the hours filling in the gaps in the site's MSX coverage? I am willing to do that, as long as I see other like-minded people doing the same. I will do it if I'm sure that it will be worth something at the end of the day.

Because I think what Giant Bomb is, or should be, is an online shrine to the love of games. There are lots of places on the net I can read news, but they are dry and uninspiring. There are places that I can read the exhaustive credits and company info for games, but that is trainspotting. But there aren't many places I go on the net to just share in a wonder for a game - indeed there are some obscure games that I'm not sure anyone but me loves. But if Giant Bomb can convince people that even in the most obscure corners of gaming there is a sense of community and togetherness, and a sense of joy and wonder at what gaming has brought to our lives, then the site will be worthwhile.

Good luck, Giant Bomb, and happy birthday I guess?