PAX East 2013: Giant Bomb Panel - Part 02

I want to be there when it leaves you.

That shirt for Vinny and his son was actually pretty sweet. Nice job, Duder.

I thought most of the questions were actually pretty good this year, but damn the GB guys (i.e. Alex and Ryan) can be really unnecessarily mean.

It actually tarnishes my opinion of them. These are just fans who want to be one of the guys. That might be a silly, unreachable dream, but getting to speak to the GB crew may be as close as they will ever get, so why denigrate them?

Would not have drank thankk EWWW

Patrick won my respect with this panel. Well done.

@kittyvondoom said:

"I reviewed a soccer game once..."

"I reviewed a Monster Hunter game..."

Perfect.

@xseanzx: Every panel to ever exist from Comicon, to Gencon, to Dragon con share one thing in common. The Q&A part is always terrible with the questioners asking awful, awkward and stupid questions.

So let them have their fun, after all one drank breast milk and he felt a shame none of us can comprehend.

Jeff reviewed a soccer game once:
http://www.gamespot.com/adidas-power-soccer/reviews/adidas-power-soccer-review-2546515/

Whew, another crazy panel. I've got to find a way to make it to the next one, if there is another one.

But seriously, I very much doubt there's any lasting harm, but I hope the GB crew will keep their well-being in mind. We love all of ya, and want you to be healthy and wealthy always.

Yeah, it's not just video production. That's the circle of screw-you in every field, seems like. Drew's advice applies to whatever you'd like to do: Make your own luck.

These question sessions really make me cringe. The duders aren't used to being on camera or speaking in front of all those people. And the attitude of the crew doesn't really help, even though they're just trying to be funny.

Just finished watching finally. Big thumbs up to the girl asking the final question. Not only for a good question, but for calling endurance run guy "Endurance Run Guy." Fantastic!

Some very good questions (and thoughtful responses) buried in there among the usual IM MAKING A GIANT BOMB REFERENCE type questions.

I really wish people would stop trying to be funny with their questions. It is absolute cringe-worthy as you said. I literally shut off the video today because i was so embarassed for the people trying to ask a "hilarious" question.

Man I would have thrown my question out and just called them out for being such dicks to most of the question givers.

Good god, I love this site to death, but Ryan and Alex need to chill the fuck out. They wouldn't be anywhere without these fans who give enough shit to get out to PAX, and go to the panel and even ask a question.

I'm going to be positive and say that some of the questions were good.

I think when Brad's nervousness did wore off, Ryan drank the breast milk and he just broke down.

Question askers need to learn how to speak properly into microphones

Alex is so rude. Poor people asking questions just get ripped into by him. I was just embarrassed for him rather than them. Stop trying so hard mate it's cringe worthy.

Amazing panel. These guys never fail to make me laugh.

Jeff and Ryan hilarious as always. Vinny infinitely likeable, possibly top 3 greatest humans of all time. I'm not always the hugest Patrick fan but he really impressed me this panel with his stage presence, wit and good answers. Brad was Brad but that's cool, I'm shy/quieter in front of crowds as well so I can relate, also I'm with you on Mass Effect 3 Brad, fuck the bandwagon haters. Alex to be honest, wish he would tone it down a bit, I'm not really fond of the "be a loud asshole to everyone, haha isn't that funny??" humor and felt he took it too far making it a bit awkward especially when making fans feel bad for asking awkward/bad questions. Ryan did this a bit too. Yea some questions are bad/repetitive/failed attempts at humor but trashing these clearly nervous fans, who enable you to make a living and probably really look up to you, does not make the Q/A session more enjoyable and makes you look like an ungrateful jerk. Only the guy who flamed Brad deserved to get flamed back. I enjoyed Alex's chocolate reading, "can you be ok with drinking semen?" though.

These panels demonstrate why this website is the only gaming videos/podcast site I really go to these days, great blend of humor, inside look at the industry and insight/news about games.

I honestly cant blame the Giant Bomb guys from getting frustrated with the questions. Its one thing if this was their first time, but every single PAX has the same sort of dumb questions, kids trying to be funny, "non-question" questions, and taking in-jokes too far. I can feel for some people, they are clearly nervous and it can be tough to get a thought out straight with all that anxiety. The Mass Effect question though was just crossing the line and Brad should have dismissed it out right by not dignifying it with any answer. Look guys, the personal list was his opinion and I wouldnt have made his decisions but who cares he happened to really dig it. Q&A becomes a train wreck every year, I think they should take questions before hand so they can a filter on what they are answering

And then there is Alex, I dont think he really realizes how much of an asshole he comes off as, but he was being a damn prick. Jeff and Patrick really carried the panel most of the time with solid thoughtful answers, Vinny and Ryan chipped in every once in a while, and Brad was quiet because I think he is uncomfortable with speaking in front of large crowds.

I'm gonna make an awkward PAX questions compilation, including everyone's favorites such as Kickstarter guy, Headphones guy, and "What's Greg Kasavin Up To?" guy.

I know they're sorta joking, but Ryan and Alex's constant bombarding of fans with bad questions was really off-putting.

I liked that Jeff would at least follow up his ridicule with a genuine response. I can just imagine being so excited to ask the GB crew a question, finally get to microphone, and then get shit on by people I respect for having a kinda confusing question.

I know the fans probably don't take it seriously either, it just feels kinda gross.

I guess my point is that she is a woman not a female - a female could be anything, ostrich, badger, nemetode worm - it has a little more warmth to be species specfic - but as I said its not something that is much of a deal in the grand scheme of things, certainly when compared to other stuff. I wasn't making a fuss, just talking about the way language is used, but I should have learnt by now not to get involved in these sorts of conversations on GB forums.....*slaps hand away from keyboard...

I think Brad didn't say much, but he was giving a good answer the one time I heard him give one. With the Mass Effect question it was very clear that Brad thought it was a dumb question (which it was, let's be honest) and it frustrated him even getting it. But he still gave a serious response with actual arguments.

More than he had to do if you ask me. I thought Vinny's question/answer to that same question would have sufficed.

Hey, guys! I asked the video production question.

After the panel I chatted with Drew for like 15 minutes about camera rigs and lenses and getting XLR connections on a DSLR, and to Vinny about demo reels and stuff. It was awesome.

Klepek was on fire during this, top answers.

Can't stand try hard Alex. Love the rest!!

Asking questions to a large crowd can be pretty stressful if you're not used to it, so I can understand if someone sputters out a question poorly. The dumb questions, I do mind because those come out dumb no matter what.

Yeah, he is king of internet-snark. It comes out pretty strong in his writing as well. I can tell which articles are his in my RSS reader just by looking at the title .

Man! I wish I was there!

Patrick's genuine and thoughtful answers in the Q&A (along with Jeff's too, of course) were by far the best part of the otherwise kind of shit show (sorry, but that's my opinion) panel, and precisely why he's indeed an integral and important part of the crew. He and Jeff actually gave a shit enough to give real answers. Ryan didn't. Alex didn't. Vinny and Brad I think would have if they were more comfortable and vocal up there.

Ryan was kind of just a bully and disconnected from the fans, as he always has been. That's why you've never seen any sub content from Ryan, but we've already seen plenty from Patrick, the newcomer.

I think @patrickklepek's answer to the esports question and how to get people to care about it was very eloquently put and a perfect summation. I really enjoyed the whole panel. I wonder what they think will happen in the future regarding larger developers building their own media presence and how this void of developers needing things like Game Informer and IGN, etc. will change the future of those media outlets and their presence as a whole.

"If they have a weird thing if they get a score over 85 cause they get an ice cream party or something."

Oh man, these panels are always great.

Not only was the last question pretty good, but the answers in response to it were very helpful and insightful to a still-untapped market. At the same time, I kinda figured that character and human drama is the essence to any media market.

wow this made me hate alex. even more.

I found Drew's response quite thoughtful and honest. It's impressive that he manages humility while basically explaining that he can do anything.

Also, good to see Alex getting his kicks by shitting all over the audience members.

You should follow the job openings at CBSi's website. There were a couple openings a few months ago, but to be honest the pay wasn't that great. Mostly junior level positions. Don't get me wrong, I would take a pay cut to work for GB, but right now I'm a full time DP/Lighting tech and I don't think they are looking for any one like that. GB is a super lean website, and Vinny and Drew pretty much fill every hat. If you are just starting out, best of luck to you!

If we took a sample population of this panel of whether or not Americans know how to use a microphone, the data would show that Americans have never touched a god damned microphone.

@fearmyflop: my sentiments too, although @paul_tillich: is also right that good answers were given. I already wrote a longer comment on negative answers in this thread, so won't get into that again.

What is lost amid the criticism that fans sounded bad on mic is the fact that the guys gave great answers. If the question was serious, someone gave real insight, and if the question was meant to be nonsense, people just went off. Even the tired "how do I get a job" questions were treated well.

Jeff gave Addidas Power Soccer an 8.5? Good on ya, Jeff.

I'm glad I am not alone in feeling bad for some the fans that asked the questions. Aren't we all really the reason Giant Bomb is what it is? Putting down your most die hard fans comes off as really childish and lame. It wasn't as bad as it has been in the past but some of what Alex would say I just know had to cut deep for some of these dudes.

Hell they went out of their way to get the panel, found the courage to stand up in front of all of those people, and face the crew they probably look up to. All that to get bullied on. Good on Patrick and Jeff for really giving a shit.

I'm definitely not missing out PAX East next year.

Ryan and Alex laying into the monkeys with dumb questions and 2 pages of preamble... THE BEST!!!! Oh god so fun to watch

It's just as weird as it was in the context you used it. All the examples I've given are exactly in the same vein that you used it. The fact that you constantly have to shoot down the other normal sentences I use, just showes what we already knew:

It's hella weird.

I'M A CAMERA MAN!! :D

So many bad questions with even dumber answers. I can appreciate Patrick giving some actual insight.

I found Patrick's sincerity in these Q&As really commendable, good stuff.

Stop taking it out of context and making it sounds different than it was intended or originally stated. It's not "like when" anything, it's a completely different situation, context, and tone. Of course changing all of those it's going to sound different, you don't win the conversation by changing all of the factors.

I won't respond since I feel like we're getting no where, but have a great day ma'am!

@secondpersonshooter said:

i agree with that review

@zevvion: The DLC included the Extended Cut ending, which retconned and fixed a lot of the gnarly implications over where the universe winds up after you leave/die/whatever. For me it fixed the most glaring problems and yeah, I'm happy about that.

@duxa@cale I also felt bad for some, imo, overly harsh reactions to the question askers. I mean, it takes balls to get up their and ask a question. Also, people not being totally concise isn't really that surprising: It's THEIR chance to talk to the guys they love, so they try and put in as much info in the question to convey that and show that they are also 'cool', 'clever', 'funny', etc. Long setups show that they thought a lot about what they want to say.

I always feel alienated from the site when I see those people being put down in a vulnerable moment, people really just expressing how much they appreciate the guys at the front of the panel. I think being concise and, often very emotional, appreciation just conflict with each other, as shown by numerous other panels at diverse conventions.

Whatever, the bomb crew are just people too, but even though I often have to speak professionally, I probably wouldn't ask a question at a bomb panel, unless I really prepared it. Which seems a bit preposterous for a panel that doesn't really have that much prep to it itself.

That said, of course the panel was entertaining, Jeff rapped, Patrick was really cool, Vinny sincere, Drew was thoughtful as ever. In fact, I don't really want to post this comment...