Brad Takes On The Darkness

@depecheload said:

@Vitor said:

I mean, when more than half the comments are people COMPLAINING about the content of the video, you're clearly fucking up.

I would venture that, at tops, a THIRD of the people who visit this site (or any site) even leave comments. And people are always more likely to leave a comment if they're pissy than if they're happy. So I wouldn't say that's and accurate measutre of anything.

If I wanted to watch someone play a video game, I'd go to YoutTube, I come here for all the insanity around it.

Agree totally with you sir. There is'nt a more entertaining site on the net and i'm more than happy - certainly worth 5 bucks a month. This team is really quite small for the quality content they more-often-than-not come up with. A bunch of you folks need to hose the sand out of your vaginas.

@Scotto said:

This is what they do - free-form, personality-driven video game content. If you don't like it (I'm looking at guys like "gladspooky", who are always reliably whining in the comments), then for the love of God and all that is holy, don't renew your subscription.

Look, I like most of Giant Bomb's content. You know how I show that? I give them money. Unfortunately I can't take money away from them when they produce something I dislike (and I probably wouldn't if I could, anyway), so I post about it and say, "Hey, that was kind of dumb." Excuse the crap out of me for providing feedback that isn't "EVERYTHING IS GREAT AND NOTHING IS BAD!!"

Anyway, this video was alright, I guess.

@Brad: Congrats on finishing it. Now you can be depressed about the ending with Jenny like the rest of us.

I just finished the game today and hey, turns out that save was on hard. Oops!

I've watched Downton Abbey and can say that is exactly what WW1 looked like.

I just finished the game today and hey, turns out that save was on hard. Oops!

I played through this game earlier last week and just watched this video. If anyone can feel frustrated watching someone play through the later parts of a game that they haven't touched in years, it's a guy for whom it's still extremely fresh. What I don't understand is why people in the comments can't express themselves and their frustration any better than a bunch of kids can.

I just finished the game today and hey, turns out that save was on hard. Oops!

@EchoEcho said:

@radioactivez0r said:

@EchoEcho: It's not entitlement when it's content produced for paying subscribers, and that content is kind of crappy.

This was a random, spur-of-the-moment idea for a live stream -- not some pre-planned event where they promised something very specific, then failed to deliver on that promise. The only "promise" was that Brad would be playing The Darkness, and that promise was fulfilled. When someone complains about bonus content -- extra, unplanned, unscheduled content that nobody was forced to watch -- because it wasn't performed precisely to their expectations, that's entitlement, paying subscriber or not. (Also, whether or not the content is "crappy" is subjective.)

I think it's important to remind people whenever the "I'm a paying subscriber!" argument arises in regards to "entitlement" that subscribers aren't shareholders. Our money does not in any way give us the right to tell Giant Bomb what to do with their website, nor to dictate how they can or cannot behave in their videos. The money we pay with our subscriptions is to support Giant Bomb in their endeavors; it's a donation, and we can stop donating at any time if we stop enjoying what they do. The premium content is simply an incentive to keep giving them our money.

The guys at Giant Bomb have been pretty up front about their purpose with this site: to be personality-driven; to be who they are and do what they want, regardless of what anyone says. They are more than happy to take suggestions about fresh content from the community, but as a personality-driven website, they aren't going to listen to whiny, nitpicking complaints about how so-and-so wasn't talking enough about the game, or a certain person wasn't playing said game skillfully enough. Changing their personalities to suit the vocal minority who find some of their behavior annoying would be counter to the point of this website.

I don't agree that it's a donation - it's a subscription for access to a "service". If it was a donation, they'd call it a donation.

That aside, I agree with most of the rest of what you said. When they do this spur of the moment stuff, some of it will hit, and some of it will miss. Being a whiny little piece of shit because a thing you didn't know was going to happen a few minutes before they went live didn't live up to your standards, is ridiculous.

This is what they do - free-form, personality-driven video game content. If you don't like it (I'm looking at guys like "gladspooky", who are always reliably whining in the comments), then for the love of God and all that is holy, don't renew your subscription. That's your one major "voice" as a customer. I kind of wish they'd just say "fuck it", and give this small, incredibly loud contingent of subscribers their money back, followed by a perma-ban.

I watched this one live, and it wasn't that great. Brad, as per usual when playing video games for a crowd, was fumbling in the dark and getting maimed because he wouldn't stop for half a second and consider his options. And that's fine - part of Brad being Brad, is Brad being kind of bad at the game he's playing on video. Sometimes it enhances a video's hilarity, and sometimes it just makes you want to throw your keyboard at the screen. But that's Brad, and it always has been.

I just can't take seeing every video thread where the content wasn't pure gold devolve into the same 30 assholes griping about how they hate Patrick/Brad/Jeff/Dave/Ryan/Whoever, while simultaneously having a gold or silver medal under their avatar. Stop giving them your money, and go the fuck away.

@Metal_Mills said:

Video game communities are the fucking worst.

Go check out communities for sports teams or sports in general. I was pleasantly surprised at just how amazing those places are. They haven't perfected the art of veiled insults or well placed flame-bait comments like most game communties, they just fucking lose it on each other like a bunch of wild animals.

@Sooty said:

@AlisterCat said:

This video really made me appreciate how good The Darkness 2 is. This game was amazing at the time though.

I thought the shooting was kind of janky but it was definitely unique and until The Darkness 2 has remained so, not an easy feat!

Strictly opinion, but in uniqueness I still feel The darkness is the definite superior, I'm about halfway through the Darkness 2 now. I can possibly see a plot twist coming up, but I am thinking more of setting, graphical atmosphere and such. I'll see what my tune is at the end. in terms of shooting I remember the Darkness to be pretty tedious. It's pissing me off some in the darkness 2 but actually the combat is quite decent, I know it's my fault. FoV can be a little difficult, as is turning around, and all that is quite on purpose. More skill.

@Chibi_Gaara said:

@CrashTanuki said:

I hope there's a part two so we can see the end.

go check brads profile people and check his achievements, hes beaten the darkness, and he even got the achievement for using the demon arm XP, so no more part 2

(good riddance, giantbomb defenders and haters be damned, i dont care, i hated this video and i have every right to do so),

so expect to hear something on the bombcast

@PropaneJoe: I really don't think people that review games for a living need someone like you to white knight for them. I'm sure they've dealt with harsh critics before. There's really no need to mother them. They'll be just fine.

Anybody notice The Wire's Major Valchek aka Al Brown? All I could hear that whole part was "chain of command lieutenant".

Okay, so the video suggests that - maybe - extended video coverage benefits from the guidance of Jeff, Vinny, or Ryan to get things back on topic every now and again, and perhaps to expand on the game and its mechanics in their respective ways. However, some people really need to get a sense of perspective. The staff clearly read these comments, and seeing furious personal insults is probably quite unpleasant. We know that Brad gets anxious on camera, and we also know that he hasn't played this game in five years - is it really appropriate to accuse him of being mentally deficient? It's super easy to be an asshole on the internet. I enjoyed Breaking Brad a lot - maybe there won't be another one, lest people go mental in the way that they are here.

Didn't find Patrick or Dave funny? "You should give more focus to the game than irreverent conversation" would be sufficient feedback. You wanted to see how the story unfolds in the last part of The Darkness? Uh... what? If that's the case, why wouldn't you just play the game? From the start? Or watch a Let's Play? I mean, when has one-off GB video content EVER given focus to a game's narrative? This isn't a reasonable request.

Miscellaneous comment supporting or insulting Giant Bomb!!!

@gladspooky said:

@Red12b said:

@gladspooky said:

@Red12b said:

@ItsAJackal said:

Dear Brad,

Please learn how to play video games.

Thanks,

Community

Dear It'sAJackal, and the rest of you overreacting entitled idiots.

Please grow up, this shit is getting old.

Thanks,

Duder's with maturity

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if most of these "no negative comments plz!!" people were just Giant Bomb staff under made-up accounts.

I'm gonna go dislike some videos on YouTube just for this guy.

kinda proving my point there...

Okay, Dave.

Are you really that much of a loser? Like, really??

I feel really bad for anyone who actually wanted to see how this game plays out and was interested in its story. 
 
It is really hard to make anything out over the loud and completely obnoxious rants going on about creating some random horror movie while brad is trying to figure out how to play. Its the equivalent of a group of people talking loudly in front of you in the theatres.  
 
Brad clearly needed the help.

I stopped playing this game at exactly the same point.

@mrcraggle said:

Even when watching this live, Brad made it so much harder than he needed to. The thing that bugged me the most when they played this was that Brad said the game gave no indication for what he was doing against the darkness but it gives tons. When you shoot the darkness, your girlfriend pops up on screen, the bottom corner is giving hints saying to find another way, the darkness taunts you to give in.

Brad also didn't particularly care for using the Darkness. Even just having the Darkness out helps you by reducing damage. I'm surprised that he didn't notice that he died very quickly without vs. with.

That said, he did start getting the game the more he played. Using the powers etc so I'd like to see a part 2 and finish this off.

So would I.

If you came here to watch a perfect playthrough of this game, then you're missing the point entirely.

It's the Brono Trigger endurance run all over again.

And if it bugs you that much, go and play the game yourself.

@gladspooky said:

@Red12b said:

@gladspooky said:

@Red12b said:

@ItsAJackal said:

Dear Brad,

Please learn how to play video games.

Thanks,

Community

Dear It'sAJackal, and the rest of you overreacting entitled idiots.

Please grow up, this shit is getting old.

Thanks,

Duder's with maturity

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if most of these "no negative comments plz!!" people were just Giant Bomb staff under made-up accounts.

I'm gonna go dislike some videos on YouTube just for this guy.

kinda proving my point there...

Okay, Dave.

@Red12b said:

@gladspooky said:

@Red12b said:

@ItsAJackal said:

Dear Brad,

Please learn how to play video games.

Thanks,

Community

Dear It'sAJackal, and the rest of you overreacting entitled idiots.

Please grow up, this shit is getting old.

Thanks,

Duder's with maturity

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if most of these "no negative comments plz!!" people were just Giant Bomb staff under made-up accounts.

I'm gonna go dislike some videos on YouTube just for this guy.

kinda proving my point there...

Okay, Dave.

Awesome video, thanks for making it guys! I really enjoyed watching it and hope to see more like it!

@CptBedlam said:

@gladspooky said:

@Red12b said:

@ItsAJackal said:

Dear Brad,

Please learn how to play video games.

Thanks,

Community

Dear It'sAJackal, and the rest of you overreacting entitled idiots.

Please grow up, this shit is getting old.

Thanks,

Duder's with maturity

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if most of these "no negative comments plz!!" people were just Giant Bomb staff under made-up accounts.

I'm gonna go dislike some videos on YouTube just for this guy.

Honestly, you're an asshole.

I'm Vinny btw.

Hi Vinny, Im Jeff

Man, 2 is A LOT easier than this game. Pretty brutal speed on dying.

EMBRACE THE HATE BRAD!

@AcidBrandon18 said:

I think Brad is autistic.

I think you're an asshole.

@gladspooky said:

@Red12b said:

@ItsAJackal said:

Dear Brad,

Please learn how to play video games.

Thanks,

Community

Dear It'sAJackal, and the rest of you overreacting entitled idiots.

Please grow up, this shit is getting old.

Thanks,

Duder's with maturity

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if most of these "no negative comments plz!!" people were just Giant Bomb staff under made-up accounts.

I'm gonna go dislike some videos on YouTube just for this guy.

kinda proving my point there...

@gladspooky: twat

@AlisterCat said:

This video really made me appreciate how good The Darkness 2 is. This game was amazing at the time though.

I thought the shooting was kind of janky but it was definitely unique and until The Darkness 2 has remained so, not an easy feat!

@gladspooky said:

@Red12b said:

@ItsAJackal said:

Dear Brad,

Please learn how to play video games.

Thanks,

Community

Dear It'sAJackal, and the rest of you overreacting entitled idiots.

Please grow up, this shit is getting old.

Thanks,

Duder's with maturity

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if most of these "no negative comments plz!!" people were just Giant Bomb staff under made-up accounts.

I'm gonna go dislike some videos on YouTube just for this guy.

Honestly, you're an asshole.

I'm Vinny btw.

@Red12b said:

@ItsAJackal said:

Dear Brad,

Please learn how to play video games.

Thanks,

Community

Dear It'sAJackal, and the rest of you overreacting entitled idiots.

Please grow up, this shit is getting old.

Thanks,

Duder's with maturity

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if most of these "no negative comments plz!!" people were just Giant Bomb staff under made-up accounts.

I'm gonna go dislike some videos on YouTube just for this guy.

@SaturdayNightSpecials said:

@dr_mantas said:

The putting your guns away seamed pretty obvious, I dunno.

Most FPS don't even allow you to holster your guns.

Also try jumping into a game you haven't played in 5 years and then try to remember what the hell's going on.

@ItsAJackal said:

Dear Brad,

Please learn how to play video games.

Thanks,

Community

Dear It'sAJackal, and the rest of you overreacting entitled idiots.

Please grow up, this shit is getting old.

Thanks,

Duder's with maturity

Even when watching this live, Brad made it so much harder than he needed to. The thing that bugged me the most when they played this was that Brad said the game gave no indication for what he was doing against the darkness but it gives tons. When you shoot the darkness, your girlfriend pops up on screen, the bottom corner is giving hints saying to find another way, the darkness taunts you to give in.

Brad also didn't particularly care for using the Darkness. Even just having the Darkness out helps you by reducing damage. I'm surprised that he didn't notice that he died very quickly without vs. with.

That said, he did start getting the game the more he played. Using the powers etc so I'd like to see a part 2 and finish this off.

@SaturdayNightSpecials: Thats true, but I'm pretty sure Brad holstered them before this point,and immediately knew how to do it when told the solution.

It was just the first thought that popped into my head, I feel like there was some other game that implemented a similar concept.

@dr_mantas said:

The putting your guns away seamed pretty obvious, I dunno.

Most FPS don't even allow you to holster your guns.

@CrashTanuki said:

I hope there's a part two so we can see the end.

The putting your guns away seamed pretty obvious, I dunno.

@Eujin said:

Also. Please please please show people how awesome Undying is.

And while you're at it, also maybe do a Random PC Game feature of Realms of the Haunting?

@Irishranger said:

@ItsAJackal said:

Dear Brad,

Please learn how to play video games.

Thanks,

Community

Don't include me in "Community"

Me neither.

People are way over-reacting. Brad was thrown into some late parts of a game he didn't play in years. And The Darkness is not the easiest shooter to get into in general. You have to play it for a few hours to get used to the controls and to get a feel for the action.

I wouldn't use the word donating, GB I do believe uses 'subscribe'. The argument is unnecessary, nothing really changes except the view of why monies are collected. I think it may very well have to do, perhaps legally, with GB being a .com instead of a .org. The one radio station that I listen and even donated to is a .org. One is a business for profit, the other not.

@ItsAJackal said:

Dear Brad,

Please learn how to play video games.

Thanks,

Community

Don't include me in "Community"

@gladspooky said:

@EchoEcho said:

@radioactivez0r said:

I think it's important to remind people whenever the "I'm a paying subscriber!" argument arises in regards to "entitlement" that subscribers aren't shareholders. Our money does not in any way give us the right to tell Giant Bomb what to do with their website, nor to dictate how they can or cannot behave in their videos. The money we pay with our subscriptions is to support Giant Bomb in their endeavors; it's a donation, and we can stop donating at any time if we stop enjoying what they do. The premium content is simply an incentive to keep giving them our money.

Oh, are people still confused about this? Actually, I'm pretty sure Whiskey Media has said in the past that subscribers are paying for a service, not donating. You know, so they don't look like they're begging for money.

Whether you consider it paying for a service or donating, the end result is still the same: keeping their websites going, putting money into their pockets so they can pay their bills, all so that they can continue to do what they do. The gist of my point was that "paying for a service" does not grant us shareholder status. They are happy to listen to suggestions because they care about their customers, but us paying them money does not grant us ownership in the company, and therefore there is no contractual obligation for them to act upon our demands. To read some of these comments, it's clear some people don't understand this distinction, which is why I felt it an important point to raise.

I perhaps chose my wording poorly when I said "donation". The intent was to get across that we're giving them money so they can continue to do what they do, because subscriber fees go a long way towards paying their bills, along with the ads and whatnot. The actual "service" end of the subscription -- as in, quality and usability enhancements for paid users -- is pretty slim. There's not a whole lot I can do as a paid member, in terms of site usage, that I couldn't as a free member. The actual incentive for paying is the extra two or three videos a month.

And I think that's where I was coming from; I don't consider extra videos a "service" so much as "bonus content to thank you for your patronage." If the site usage upgrades were all that came as part of the package, it wouldn't be worth it to me; I pay a subscription because I really like their personality-driven content, enough that I'm willing to give money to see a little more of that each month. But the thing is, I like the content of this site so much that I'd pay a subscription even if I didn't get anything out of it, because I want to help pay the bills and ensure that Giant Bomb isn't going anywhere anytime soon -- and that is why "donation" was the primary word that came to my mind when I was writing that paragraph. Like I said, probably a poor choice of wording, since not everyone feels the same way I do on that point.

Dear Brad,

Please learn how to play video games.

Thanks,

Community

@nobel: That's because Patrick IS tiny.

@snide said:

Here's hoping the dozen hours I spend with Crusader Kings 2 this weekend turns into an informative and entertaining 45 minute video on Tuesday.

fuck yes :]

@Kixxi: that's very true

On the one hand I wish he'd just come clean about being bad at these sort of things and not blame the game...but at the same time...who cares

@HaltIamReptar said:

Brad is the worst.

Brad is the best. He knows he will be subjected to lots of judgmental comments and does these videos anyhow. For us.