Bombin' the A.M. With Totalbiscuit

Loved this episode. Please invite John in the future to update us on this Youtube shit-hitting-fan-fest. I watch his channel from time to time and I agree with his opinions on a lot of things. Plus he's a pretty cool chap.

And I might actually check out Call of Juarez now. I'm in need of a short and sweet shooter to the point I considered Alien Rage the other day. Nice to know there's actually some great games in this field.

I don't think he hit the nail on the head at all, considering there have been guests on Bombin' The AM for weeks now and this is the first time there has been any concentrated backlash. Hell, everyone loved Cara, and as far as GameSpot staffers go the chat explodes in happiness when Danny O'Dwyer strolls in. Almost as if people just have legitimate issues with John that you can easily find by looking through the comments.

(For the record, i've never had any problem with Patrick or the GameSpot Staff in GB videos)

Dude, what did you expect to happen? You signed up because you liked TotalBiscuit, and then did nothing but argue with people who don't like TotalBiscuit in this comments section.

TB is a complicated one, I think.

Personally, he's gone through an awful lot with his wife and kid. He's obviously very opinionated. I think a certain amount of slack should probably be given, considering what he's gone through (if you don't know, then look it up - it's actually a pretty sad story that's only relatively recently had a happy end).

However, I don't think that gives anyone a free pass. My main issue with the guy is an incident that happened a fair old while back where he used some homophobic language to insult some guy who was trying to snipe donations from a charity livestream (a guy who deserves to be insulted, in all fairness). Then, after some good old-fashioned internet drama, he writes a non-apology (here if you want to see it). I think my views on the subject are nicely summed up by this poster on the tread (thanks to liquorice_straw);

"My takeaway from this thread & others: Apparently gamers really like this word and will stop at nothing (nothing!) to continue using it, blindly ignoring the damage the word does to the culture. I literally have gay friends who were turned off of videogames because of how people talk and spew hate. These sort of attitudes (towards women also) lead to a more homogeneous, boring, and puerile videogame culture. If you think I'm being too serious, you can fuck off. Just use a new word."

TB is one of gamings stick-in-the-muds in this way. He's an example of the old guard of internet people who say and do things just to piss people off (or if not that then just being completely uncaring about doing things that do annoy/offend people). These are the people who make our hobby so insular and hard to enter.

And also, as a completely aesthetic thing; the whole "Cynical Brit" schtick really grinds my gears.

Like I said; complicated. I've enjoyed many of his videos over the years - I've probably bought a dozen games on the strength of his WTF videos - but the guy is by no means someone I can respect. And that's a shame.

Great episode! Very cool to see TB on GB and doing very well in this format. I really think there could be a lot of potential for him having a variety of guest appearances. Those two similar, yet unique, styles of covering games work together quite well.

On a related note: this show has been excellent the last few episodes. I initially sort of ignored it a bit but it's really growing on me now. I'm really looking forward to seeing various interesting guests and discussions in the future.

I have no big experience with TB. I mostly hear about him when he makes one of the more elaborate explanation videos about tougher subjects, like this Youtube thing and a while back ge did the video about that time his content gott flagged by the game studio that let hom review their game. That is the times I often hear about him and I think he is well spoken every time.

He acted nice and was well spoken and clear during this show too So I have a positive view of him. I find him interesting to listen to and I actually really like his voide. Very easy to listen to.

Is it that hard to love guys or just NOT hate? Is it that important to throw venom around every time something or someone irks you a little bit? Just shrug it off.

Great show and a good begining of the week!

As a premium subscriber, I wish I could block out his dumb face staring at me whenever I've come here the last 2 days.

@seikenfreak: I second that. He seems very reasonable.

@lackingsaint:I don't get all this ranting and raging. If you don't like the guys attitude or his honesty then quit listening to him. Just don't go on a holy mission to convert everybody to a TB hater for no apparent reason.

There's nothing more douchebag than being proud of your home country.

So, despite the fact that I like to comment on most content that goes up on GB, suddenly i'm not allowed to say anything about my feelings on TB in this video? Either I say i'm not a fan without substantiating it, in which case i'm just being a hater, or I say i'm not a fan and give examples of why, in which case i'm "trying to convert everybody to a TB hater for no apparent reason".

Getting real tired of people pushing bullshit motivations onto those that don't like TotalBiscuit, almost as tired as I am of people thinking making a few negative comments on the internet constitutes as "raging".

A video game company that supports "take downs" is like an artist calling up a night club to threaten them to stop playing their music. To me, ultimately, it shows they do not understand, or support, video game culture.

Any guy that loves Platinum games is alright with me.

Does TB live in America? His accent just sounds like someone who is English but has lived in the states too long.

yeah, this, pretty much. i'm not even that much of a console gamer, but goddamn :]

I lost a little respect for Sessler, when he had TB on his talkshow thingy. And now TB is sliming his way into Giant Bomb. Fuck.

Came in to see the hate... not at all dissapoint.

Personally, I think he and people like Angry Joe are cool, but not without their faults. I can understand why people don't like TB tho, he can come off as a bit of a jerk on occasion. But by the same token, I'm not at all a fan of someone like Pewdie, but hold no malice against him.

Britain is not a country

Would love to see TB on Unprofessional Fridays some time; I actually found out about GB through him.

@captburgundy: He was totally fine here though.

so Angry Joe guest stars next right?

Patrick Elizabeth Klepstein

wow look at all the haters on here, love watching totalbiscuts videos on youtube, introduces alot of the random games you find on steam to me and then goes through options, whats there, what isn't there, and then his own opinion on the game.

His latest videos on race the sun and risk of rain got me thinking about purchasing those games

bring him back, seems a knowledgeable guest, fun, etc

I haven't seen much of Mr. Biscuit's videos, but he strikes me as a dude who understands the concept of "having fun with video games" but unable to actually have fun with them. So serious.

He was fine here though.

Yeah, in this selfish me-oriented world, TB's checkered past is not surprising to me. I myself have acted horribly to other people - and even friends. I am not proud of those things. Sure, maybe TB needs a PR person to minimize what he maybe saying (that will never happen), but I really don't care. I watch his videos because they are informative. Between Giantbomb and TB's channel - I've probably saved a good amount of cash simply because they saved me from buying some truly awful games.

I like his content - I've watched it on and off since Cataclysm beta. I don't always agree with him and he can be an idiot every now and then (especially on Twitter), but really, that doesn't bother me - he has something that is a precious commodity on the internet (and the world at large), which is honesty. If he's saying something, I can trust it to be true or at least trust that he thinks it is true.

@gimpy: Yes, I believe he lives in LA. I may be wrong on that though.

Enjoyed that. TB is not everyone's cup of tea, but I like him.

Your respect sounds like its really worth earning

I come to Giant Bomb to see a bunch of cool dudes get really excited about how rad video games are. Everything I've seen of TB (which I admit, is not very much) has been the exact opposite of that attitude and it just bums me out and is not at all entertaining.

This comments section is hilarious. So many people freaking out about the sheer amount of cynicism coming from someone who goes by the moniker "The Cynical Brit". Couldn't see that coming, huh? For the record, while I disagree with TB's behavior, I agree with most or all of his reasons. That Youtube comment that people apparently throw around in an attempt to besmirch his name is, on the contrary, one of the reasons why I respect him as much as I do, even though I don't like to watch his videos.

Never change, Giant Bomb audience. Or do... I'm not sure which I'd prefer.

I wasn't expecting so much hate for The Cynical Brit. It's like he was being too critical about video games.

Great stuff as always! Hope to see more guests in the future. It's basically a live interview dump truck :]

This is word-for-word my experience and knowledge of Total Biscuit. Never expected people to be opposed to this. Giant Bomb as a whole has completely ignored and acted like the gigantic Youtube games coverage uprising doesn't exist. I've never heard any other members of the staff mention Youtubers, outside of jokes poking fun at the hordes of terrible low-view-count LPers. It's almost felt forced; their complete silence on Youtubers, like they're intimidated by them or afraid to show them respect. I'm glad Patrick is once again expanding Giant Bomb's reach and keeping the site from turning into a bunch of old dudes getting more and more out of touch with the way the world is shifting (I come here for the core staff; I'm just saying what's true).

I like how a few years ago the internet was up in arms for Google against SOPA/PIPA, shooting down a bill that would have damaged YouTube. Now YouTube is doing the exact thing that SOPA/PIPA was going to do except directly to its users.

I'm not exactly a TB fan but he was a good guest for the show. Worked very well with Alex & Patrick, and good timing with having real Youtube news to talk about.

@marokai: there are certain people who should not be cared about. There are some people who individually deserve to be treated like garbage. People who are rude and snarky in public deserve to be treated like less than human beings. To not do so is a disservice to all people everywhere.

Urgh this is one episode i wont be listening to.

@sykdom said:

Guy is just a douche.

How does this make him a douche? What he said makes sense: actively protesting on streets of turkey >>>>>>>>> twitter hashtag prostest.

That's like one of the most obvious things to say.

Where is the Totalbuscuit brand of biscuits at?

@lackingsaint said:

@tastybacon_fred said:

@lackingsaint said:

@d_w said:

@lackingsaint: Yay for out-of-context quotes!

Here's the context;

Wow, I guess I was wrong all along! What a great guy.

Yeah I read that. Seemed pretty reasonable to me. He's had a standing policy of not taking requests ever since he started. People keep asking anyway. Some guy insulted him after he stated matter-of-fact that he didn't take requests (he's had to post that hundreds of times). One of his subscribers then posted an insulting remark that implied he didn't make the content his viewers wanted to watch, which makes no sense at all and then he pointed out that he makes content his viewerS want to watch, not what this one viewer wants to watch.

He cares about the majority of his viewers, like he should, he has lots of people to look out for. He's being very honest about that and not pretending everyone is his best friend just because they watch his channel. That moment in particular is one of the reasons I stayed subscribed because I know he's always going to tell the truth which is pretty important when you are relied on for game criticism. He's on our side.

This gets posted anywhere TotalBiscuit is mentioned, it's really tired out by now. Judge him on the merits of what he said on the show and not this ad hominem b.s.

Yeah, sure, criticising somebody based on something they said is totally "ad hominem b.s.", not just common sense. Sounds to me like you've got a bit of stockholm syndrome, responding to a comment literally saying that you do not matter to TB with "He cares about his viewers". There's a vast difference between ending it with "I don't take requests" and going on to rant about how you don't give a fuck about your viewers as individuals.

Luckily that YouTube comment rant was just an isolated incident, right?

Hot damn this guy can be a serious asshole. This is why I'm so indifferent about him. Never subscribed and don't plan to, but every once in awhile I'll watch something.

The fact that he is a fellow shiba owner made me like him again.

Oh Tuberculosis... Has this been here yet? http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=2634792

@terjay: It's great we're being informed of irrelevant things the guest wrote at some site 6 years ago.

That screen cap looks like the villain from a very low budget direct-to-video action film from the 1990s. Something akin to Crackerjack.

The *only* thing that makes me a little uncomfortable with TB is that he absolutely "brits it up" with his accent on videos, and most of his audience go for it.

Here he was much more relaxed and I think he made an excellent guest. Would be happy to see more of him.

There is a difference between merely stating an opinion, like "I don't like him, because he acts rude to some of his subscribers" and posting unflattering pictures of him together with unrelated quotes only to let him look like an ass. You're essentially acting the same way and worse as you blame him to act like.

I thought Totalbiscuit was pretty good. I wouldn't mind having him back.

Great show as always guys :)

@gimpy: He married an American girl a few years ago. I'm pretty sure they are in North Carolina now. Met her through WowRadio and I think they just hit it off at Blizzcon in LA one year. He is from Newcastle originally I believe, but the local accent up there would probably be indecipherable to American people as it sounds like this:

Probably doesn't play to an international audience, does it?

I realise I sound like a bit of a stalker at the moment. Thing is I used to be hugely into Totalbiscuit back in the WowRadio days in 2005-2007 when I had a crippling World of Warcraft addiction. That site was my introduction into podcasts and the online enthusiast media (I was a magazine guy before that, mostly Edge) so I guess I will always have fond memories of it.

TB was quite public about all the stuff which was going on in his personal life at the time, long distance relationships. getting married and then having to deal with a load of visa problems. I was in a somewhat similar situation at the time and we had a bit of a chat about it on Twitter over the space of a few days. I doubt he remembers it, I'd forgotten all about it until just now.

@socklobster:

Luckily that's not a flag of Britain so the whole conversation is irrelevent

I clicked it to open the comments and type similar, picture/thousand words indeed.

Of all of the guests they've had on the morning show so far, John seemed (to me) the most calm and comfortable speaking to Patrick and Alex. I think he had a lot of interesting things to say, and was a good choice as a guest on this show.

I occasionally enjoy some of the video content he puts on youtube, even though he is apparently not always kind to people. I'm not always kind to people. Are you?