PAX Prime 2014: The Giant Bomb Panel

@bagronken: Surprised more people haven't commented on this, especially after reading the book myself tonight. Also, even knowing very well what the signs are, it's amazing how it isnt obvious in this panel. At my worst no-one noticed anything bar being a bit quieter than normal.

You're a treasure and a great, but also terrible/waluigi, addition to the world Dan!

Rewatching this after listening to Danswers, I can definately see what Dan is talking about, and I recognize myself in it very well.

Well done, Dan, for seeing the panel through, even though it would have been OK to leave if you'd have had to. Double success for taking the challenge and making it through!

Thank you, Dan, for bringing it up afterwards, even though no one would have ever noticed otherwise, because you did really well on the panel.

Call it a mental problem, an illness, or just an obstacle -- it's really interesting (and sad) how hard it is for a lot of people to understand stuff that you cannot see, which makes it so much more difficult for the person trying to validate his or her problem and get through it.

Looking forward to your book, Dan, I think and hope you can reach audiences on both sides here, audiences that otherwise would go oblivious to this kind of issues. Important stuff.

You did good Dan.

@lonelyspacepanda: Are you kidding, this by far was one of the most hilarious panels they have done.

I was there and I agree. Cant win em all I guess.

1989... Jeff with the Fear of a Black Planet reference.

@krabboss:

Keep dreaming

Its not a giantbomb panel so they didn't post it. If you just youtube/google pax prime rumble, it comes right up.

Here's the real question I have after watching this panel: When is @jeff going to write a book about video games? Every time I hear one of his stories, it makes me think about how great it would be to have a sort of personal history of video games in book form.

I love watching these things but wow what happened? This is easily the worst panel ever posted on this site. The production value is a huge step down, barely any interesting game discussion and that Game Bomb bit was an embarrassment (I just skipped most of it). It's not all a loss since the subscriber stream before was alright -- maybe they said all they had to say at PAX there (and on podcast I haven't heard yet)?

Not typing this to be mean but I hold GB to a higher standard and I just feel the guys aren't pushing themselves to satisfy this time. This may be partly due to this panel feeling like Jeff Gerstmann and friends; it seems others barely had any presences or were free to have presence. It'd be more enjoyable, as a fan of all of staff, to see more shared spotlight at these live events.

This is great, but where's this rumble I've heard so much about?

Man, I slowed down the kick at the end to 0.06 speed and it still looks like an actual impact. You guys are crazy!

You guys are amazing! Love from Russia)

@nickm: i won't claim to understand exaclty how it feels as i'm not Russian, but given how many scathing lampoons of American culture are done by other countries (particularly the British in my experience) that i've learned to laugh off, i'd say don't take it as personally. first and foremost the joke was about a low-rent copycat of GB, and it so happened to be Russian so they had to play it up with that in mind. besides the Ukraine shock joke which may have been a little too far, none of it to me appeared particularly spiteful and there was no intent of hate or xenophobia like i've seen hints of in digs on America. gamebomb.ru themselves seemed to take it well enough. i'm sorry that you're offended, but maybe learn to laugh a bit and enjoy it for the dumb, mostly harmless prank it was? it's not like D. Leazy is a shining example of good taste, anyway.

btw thanks to the internet "cringe" is starting to become my most hated word.

These panels have got the point where the game discussion stuff is pretty awkward. I think they should just open with guys like Vignocchi, Pope and Lang, I don't even think it would be a bad idea to get an MC to host so Jeff isn't the centre of pressure.

awesome panel. Excellent work on the ending @drewbert !

Thanks for getting this posted so quickly.

I didn't know what Firewatch was before the bit on the panel. After watching the bit I still don't know what Firewatch is.

Sorry buddy, but they're mocking people like you. I'm sorry you missed the joke!

@ardafif: Don't be a buzzkill, man. If that's what he thinks, that's what he thinks and he has the right to say it and believe. What he said wasn't hateful, spiteful, obscenity laden, or anything else. If anything, you might not need to stop if what he said was enough to set you off.

Great panel but the audio was kind of annoying.

/beginsarc

Waiting for the outrage that all the people on Gamebomb.ru podcast t are white.

/endsarc

/beginrant (spoiler blocked because its largely unimportant to this panel)

/endrant

Overall, pretty bad. Save for Dan kicking Alex in the face and Jeff doing some real talk.

Totally agree - he knows his stuff better than anyone in the industry! However - he is also wrong about Dark Souls, Red Dead Redemption and Monster Hunter - which would normally be unforgiveable sins. Jeff gets a pass though - due to the extenuating circumstance of his general awesomeness.

Fantastic Panel! Russian bit was hilarious. Both Alex and Dan sold the shit out of that ending!

Thats a good looking superkick.

I thought it was really funny and also really obvious he wasn't actually insulting Firewatch...

Maybe your sense of humour and Jeff's just don't vibe, I don't think there's any more to it than that. Disney Infinity always gets lots of love from GB, and it makes sense considering JV.

so jeff kinda shits all over firewatch and doesn't rly let anybody talk about it at length (sure, it was meant to be funny but it kind of wasn't) and then there's this huge disney infinity spot? weird.

greatest Russian video game character is the straight Tetromino.

Fantastic panel duders!

Game Bomb Shirt ordered :)

This panel was one of the greatest goddamn things ever.

While I did have fun watching the whole thing, I did take a second to note that the entire Russian bit was definitely cheap comedy straight out of pro-wrestling (which i happen to be a fan of, beeteedubs). I would say that everyone in that room aren't racists though, and everything was done tongue-in-cheek. The potshot about the Ukrainian invasion I think was definitely eyebrow-raising, but since that's more of an insult towards the Russian government than the people, I'll allow it!

I'm also of the idea that it's fine to punch up or in your own weight class when it comes to comedy. Russians aren't exactly a minority group that has suffered great oppression!

And besides, I think they're totally into it: http://gamebomb.ru/videos/6616

@nickm: I agree, that was really shitty. They were misappropriating a culture and clearly had little understanding of what they were parodying. I was cringing from the time they pulled out the Soviet flag until the segment was over. I feel the only solace one could take from this is that the GB crew didn't have any knowledge beforehand of what John Drake + the others were going to do, which was clear from the way Jeff later mentioned people just asking for a chunk of panel time and him giving the go ahead sight unseen. Although the panel segments that the GB crew don't plan are usually awesome, perhaps there should be at least a minimal amount of oversight in the future.

I'm russian, and that game bomb bit was fucked up. I've been following Jeff since 2003, and that was the most disappointed that I've ever been with the crew. Using offensive stereotypes is in really poor taste, even if its for humor's sake. Really bummed out over this.

I was born in 1988. So...I guess I just barely was alive in 1989. I win?

It's pretty interesting that Ninja Theory is on board with Infinity. I'm gradually becoming more enticed in getting into it, but the game needs to be less floaty. I hope 3.0 will be that game that I want.

Also, @jeff Gerstmann is the smartest man in video games. I'm always blown away by the way he carries himself and how well formulated he is when answering questions, both on this panel, Jar-time and anywhere else. Every time there's some kind of new bullshit about gaming or whatever, I've never see him have some kind of knee-jerk reaction or done anything that I don't agree with.... With the exception of him being wrong about musou, which is the greatest genre in video games.

I'm glad this got up faster than last year. Is there any chance of piping direct audio in the future? The bigger the theater, the worst the audio quality comes out it seems.

is jeff drinking wine or pepsi/coke?

1989 MOTHERFUCKERS

Top-notch panel as always. Love both the theatrics of these big, live, LIVE shows and seeing the guests so unbuttoned. Hearkening back to the question about YouTubers: it's those taut - almost brotherly - developer relationships between Johnny V, Drake, Lang & a whole host of others that plays a big part in my growing love of Giant Bomb (and my waning interest in the likes of TBFP or Yogscast).

Great show! But man, what happened to the audio this year. I don't remember it ever being this bad.

That was one heck of a Superkick. Great panel!

Stop. Just, stop. Please.

Are... are those empty seats in the back?

You disappoint me West Coast.

This is beautiful.

Man that panel space looks so much smaller then PAX East.

The jig is up!!!!!

I love how dumb these things have become.