To Everyone Both New And Old, Here Are A Few Words To You, The Community

For someone who has been on Giant Bomb since the very beginning, I can say that the past few days have been a quickly shaken cocktail of emotions. Jeff Gerstmann no longer being a fixture of Giant Bomb is a blow I entertained every blue moon in the back of my head but never fully considered. I know the exact time and place of where I was when the news of Jeff's GameSpot firing first broke. It was minutes from me needing to attend my sixteenth birthday party at a local Black Angus Steakhouse. My birthday celebration was, as my parents put it, "a momentous occasion" that should not be disturbed because "a video game reviewer lost their job." And that Black Angus was a fixture in my local community, with some erring towards histrionics in calling it an "establishment." Nonetheless, I told myself then and there that if I wasn't going to be able to watch the events unfold as they happened, then I promised I would follow Jeff wherever he went. It was childish, yes, but I was a teen and still convinced that the para-social internet interactions I had represented deeper personal connections. It's a lesson we all hopefully learn. Also, after almost forty years of existence, that specific Angus Steakhouse closed two years ago.

I have been writing on Giant Bomb since 2008, and I do not say that to put newer users in a position of implied inferiority. I say that because, by hook or by crook, I have been plugging along with blogs and articles meant to entertain and keep people's spirits up for over ten years, and I did so because of Jeff. The news this week shook me as it did for many of you. It's a sting that reminds me that the fifteen years this site was able to persist in the capacity it had were a blessing and not a norm found on most websites. Giant Bomb continued after the passing of Ryan and outlived the version of E3 we knew and loved. Jeff's commanding voice led Giant Bomb through some difficult bumps and bruises, and its core tenet of being a place to watch a close-knit group of friends joke around with video games persisted. Part of that is changing, and I understand that scares people and angers others. Nevertheless, when I watch the content without Jeff, it makes me feel hopeful, and it makes me feel happy. In that spirit, I'm sticking around. It was the dream of many of the people helming the site now to be where they are, and I am not going to deprive them of attaining their aspirations. Watching the new introduction of the site's core staff showed me that it's at least worth waiting to see and support this path they want to take. Many of them have already done so much for this site, and I am willing to give them a chance.

Also, Giant Bomb is special. When I fucked up, and trust me, I have really fucked up in my many years on the internet; it was always here. It has been a place for me to relax, watch videos, and meet up with familiar friends and allies. That aspect of Giant Bomb will never change. However, I plan on following Jeff much as I continue to tune into Nextlander while also awaiting new episodes of Run for the Hills or the Waypoint podcast. I promised many years ago to see Jeff through to the bitter end. That will still stand. It was great having all of the video game-based media I wanted in one place, but that's no longer the case, and that means I have to change how I go about supporting the people that have already been an essential part of my life. Consuming video game-based content online is different. When Giant Bomb was first founded, it was formed with users being able to publish blogs in mind rather than hosting videos, chats, or streams. It took time for me to come to terms with these words, but here I am saying them, "things change." It's okay to follow multiple websites, YouTube accounts, and streamers and be subscribed to complimentary Discord communities. And before anyone asks, absolutely, I would have changed the circumstances to have Jeff still working with this incoming group. There's a lot I would change, but I don't think I'll ever know what led us here, but I know the only thing I can personally do is look ahead and continue to explore ways to help the people that kept me here in the past and continue to keep me here. And I know I need to think about that more because I know I can and should do more.

And while I am not in a doom-and-gloom mindset right now, there's something to this puzzle of seeing waves of websites and online communities come and go that I always forget to do. I always fail to say goodbye. When Whiskey Media got bought by CBS, and users protested that their premium subscriptions did not justify the cost, despite my disagreements, I let users I saw and talked to for literal years leave without a word. Shit, when the Whiskey Media sites split apart, despite getting the green light to provide front-page editorial content on AnimeVice, I never gave all of my friends there the goodbye they deserved. I regret that mistake to this day. When Brad, Vinny, and Alex left, I let long-time friends walk away. With this news, I can only imagine many of you will leave Giant Bomb in response, and that's a reaction I emphasize and understand. So, before you do, I want you to know I enjoyed talking to you. I loved so many of you, and I hope in your journey to find something that brings you the same happiness and joy this site brought you, you are successful. I liked seeing the same four or five of you commenting on my articles and blogs. I liked the silly memes. I liked the same repeating chat emotes. I enjoyed every minute of it, even when I did not show it. And for that reason, I am rooting for you in your search to find something on the internet that brings you genuine happiness.

It's okay if that doesn't ease all of the anxiety and anger some of you feel. That's a part of the process of bearing the brunt of unexpected change. If this is a hard goodbye, and you never want to come back, or you do come back, and you don't enjoy what the site has become, then I also want to say something to you. You grew up on this site. We grew up together on this site. I watched so many of you go from being young adults who bragged about long gaming sessions to talking about your marriages and bringing life into this world. I want you all to know I heard you, even when I did not reply to you. I want to thank you for what you brought to the site when you were having fun. In moving on, I want you to know that you have obviously changed more than I have, and that's amazing. For many of you, we all got over ten years older together! You're probably never going to get the same enjoyment that you once did, but you can still have the fond memories of jokes or events that brought the hardiest laughs or biggest smiles. And all I ask is that you remember some of the users, profile pictures, list makers, artists, reviewers, and commentators you met along the way. There might not be another opportunity or place where an infusion of user-led talent and passion ever crosses a single website as it did for Giant Bomb. To those who contributed to that, I hope you all find platforms and champions and advocates as you did here. You deserve them.

I want to thank Jeff for putting years into this site and allowing me to interact with so many of you. Jeff's impact has resulted in many in this community feeling empowered to follow careers across a gamut of industries. People who blogged for fun on Giant Bomb are now actively covering games because of him. People who made silly Giant Bomb highlight or compilation videos are shooting, editing, and directing movies. People who made fan art ten years ago have gone on to become full-time artists and designers. Some former users are even making AAA video game titles! To all of you, if no one has taken the time to say "I'm proud of you" yet, I will now. When I decided to pursue a career in public education, the hope I could have an impact on youths was what drove me through the darkest of my moments. Jeff and the long list of other faces that have graced Giant Bomb have had that sort of impact. The same goes for everyone who has shared one iota of their creative capacities here.

So, to anyone who departs after all that is said and done: Good luck, and stay safe out there. We need you all and don't forget to drop by to say hello from time to time if you have it in you. And if we meet up elsewhere, wherever that may be, let's promise to have another good laugh. All these years supporting each other shouldn't amount to nothing.

Great post. Giant Bomb has been the one constant in my life since I started listening to the bombcast in 2010. I can remember specific places I was in based on certain bombcast or quick look episodes. It's funny, these guys have gotten me through some tough times throughout the years. Even though I never spoke to them once, they always felt like really close friends. I went from a lurker to someone who made an account and later signed up for premium. While my love of video games goes up and down throughout the year, I still always come back here every day to see what's good. And a lot of that is because of the community Jeff, Ryan, Vinny, Brad and Alex fostered. Most people here are so kind, even through the ups and downs of the many iterations of this site, I always felt comfortable. I can't really say that about most corners of the internet.

I am sad to see Jeff leave, but watching the chaos that ensued earlier today gave me hope. The next generation is here and Jeff has set them up to succeed on his way out. Giant Bomb will forever hold a special place in my soul. I'll be here til they finally shut down the site. Cheers to a great first 14 years and another great 14 on the way.

I echo all of these sentiments. The staff come and go, but the community is what makes me stay.

Much love to the community and the staff. Always hoping for the best for this place and the people here.

GB is dead, the new crew need a new name, they ain't it

@awsunnydeefyeah: I'm sorry. I have been reading numerous threads on this and have been a long time listener, but seriously, I deeply resent this sort of attitude. Obviously Giant Bomb owes its existence to Jeff, and he (as well as the rest of the original duders) has put his all into making this site the powerhouse it is.

However, it is incredibly disrespectful for all of the current staff, no matter how long they have been with the site to now say that their contribution doesn't count for snot and that they are just some impostors who are not worthy of the name. Jason has been with the site for over 10 years, and Rorie has also been there for almost as long. Jess has been great in editing since arriving and has really put her all out there. Over half the current crew has been there for over half a decade, which is a really long time in this industry.

You don't want to be here? Fine, I really don't care, but please don't minimize the role of dozens of people who have made the site what it is, especially under such a thoughtful and reflective post.

@nuttism: You're free to voice yourself. Never said you weren't. We could get into alot of bags of worms of life outside the work place, but it won't change a thing.

@zombiepie: Thanks for this amazing post and your great support of GB. Here's to hoping the crew can keep this great boat afloat. I'll be here till the lights go out.

You're a good egg, ZP. I am so proud of you, especially for all the charity streaming. Even if I change which places I put effort to following, I'll always try to catch a bit of your GBCER streams <3

Beautiful ZP, here with you

Thank you for the good read and thank you for being you!

Thank you

I have enjoyed Giant Bomb as it has changed throughout the years. I miss Ryan, Patrick, Austin, Drew, Abby, Ben, Vinny, Brad, Alex, Danny, and now Jeff. But I really like Jan, Jess, Tam, and Lucy. Bakalar, Grubb, Rorie, and Jason are okay, too. And Dan is Dan. I feel like they'll continue to create things that I'll want to watch and listen to.

In recent times, I've been commenting and posting on the forum more often. It hasn't been all roses, but overall, it's a positive experience. Generally, it's been a safe place to share jokes, thoughts, and feelings. I must thank the staff, moderators, and pillars of the community for fostering this over the years. Especially you, ZombiePie. I appreciate you.

It's not the same, but it's still Giant Bomb to me.

Thank you and well said. <3

I've been rewatching 2012 (decade old) content for kicks and it's surreal looking at the comments and seeing how many accounts are deleted. Kind of sad. But also see some names I recognize who stayed with the site and some who even made a name for themselves on YouTube, inspired by GiantBomb. Also funny seeing comments raging at Patrick, swearing they will cancel their subscription if he's in a another video. Or people upset about CBS/Gamespot merger or excited about it. At the end of the day, it's just content. You like it or you don't. TBH, I haven't liked it since the pandemic but I'm open to liking it again now with today's changes. And if not, always have the classics to watch again.

It has been so crazy around here for the past couple of years for sure. This was an awesome read and am super interested in how the site will be moving forward. I'm certainly giving it a shot.

Reading this something for me ... i wasn't here as long as many and i don't think i ever felt a particular connection to Jeff G as many did. Growing up i used to actively avoid gamespot cause the way the website was laid out i honestly thought it would give our PC bugs , but when i would look for demos i was always tempted cause the name was everywhere. i wouldn't say i was particularly in the loop with games tho probably 'well enough' for the time but not compared to now despite getting a monthly copy of GI. For me those things changed tho only slightly when i started watching screwattack stuff cause of a friend. It was a site much like this with it being personality driven and having a great community. not too long after that i more heavily started to follow GI online having randomly discovered their site was more than just a cheat-code hub , i discovered replay in particular the crash bandicoot replay a game i could never play cause my sister was the one who had the ps1 while i had a genesis and no friends to talk to about games in my younger years. Of course i clicked on that video and honestly i'd say it changed my life forever ( i know how 'dumb' that sounds) ...Dan was on that video and while that meant zero to me at the time it means alot to me now. its thanks to that video plus a lonely marriage with a mildly physical and heavily mentally abusive husband that i fell down rabit-hole of video games videos, they provided me so much amusement on darker days to lighten up and just escape a little while. its thanks to those videos i ended up discovering the i watched the entire overblood super replay group on facebook , at the time joining was a jokey badge of honor for watching random ppl on the internet play a bad old PS1 game. the GI staff were even toting about it n more heavily active in there , it was a cool oddity. This all said your post made me think about internet communities, they're a funny thing really .. that said community helped me get over my bad marriage , find love tho fleeting with a man from another country who i'm still friends with dispite obstacles keeping us apart romantically, job starts and losses and so much other life stuff it isn't even funny and as weird as it might be it gave me a family even if we weren't related n never met in person. .. Years past thing and ppl change and move on , .. what brought me here was Dan moving on to GB the first go around , i didn't plan to follow him it was originally ehh whatever now i guess, but said foreign man above got me to watch stuff here and i've never regretted it. The people of this site ended up having me trade in the gi content after a while in favor of Gb because time just wasn't the same as it used to be , i changed , jobs changed, social life changed , but this site didn't change ...much , it was always a cool group of ppl coming together to make and or watch cool video game stuff. the past few years have been super rough , i lost my job cause i can't wear a mask cause of a motor tic caused by bipolar meds when i was a kid... a reason why i refuse to get a vax .. i'm a weird case and don't want the risks of possibly having More nerological damage done to me , science isn't always fool proof and only time will tell how that type of thing shakes out ..... but i digress loosing that job and not being able to go in public ment i was home more than ever . but ...this site had their lockdown 2020 stuff .. different stuff than the normal and for me only slightly super confusing cause the formate. when it started i had still been working n was like whatever theres so much of it i'll just wait till 'regular' stuff comes back give or take a handful of things....but it never came back ...at least not the same way.... i don't need to tell anyone here how content and output went on this site. from my perspective Dan left and took with him everything he creatively brought to the table , but we still had a great bunch of ppl and i stayed .. then abby left , someone i wasn't super fond of humor-wise but who was shorly missed...then ben , another who i could say exactly the same about ... n then the 3 left , a big blow for me , not cause i didn't like west coast GB but because east became more my staple of content i had enjoyed somehow , they played more up my alley i Think , i liked the tone of beastcast better for a while ( my 1st shirt in its OG era with austin who i discovered years before he came here) and frankly i avoided things from the west cause ben's tone didn't always mess with me for videos .. a thing that in hidsight i know wasn't actually true cause man do i miss his stuff. after the guys left tho i realized just how much content had actually been from them in more recent times for whatever reason or another , but jeff g and a suprise visiting danny n some posts made me hopeful of the future content coming , when it was time to reup my sub a bit early i was sold. .... n then honestly alot of the content just sucked or disappeared .. i'd came here for games but stayed for the personalities .. and honestly both of those were drying up . Jan became a light of his own n jess wqas a nice addition to the staff , tam n lucy were the only non games content i enjoyed that got randomly added to the site , but then the new hit n jeff was gone. That PR-like statement frankly made me loose almost all faith in this site despite how much i still liked certain ppl.... i didn't sleep at all and i sent support a email asking for a partial refund for my sub .. something i really didn't think i was an asshole enough to do , i went to breakfast with my fiancee and a oil shop , its the 5th? time i've been in public in the last 2 years . and when we got back i ignored this site ( mostly) and listened to jeff talk to himself for the majority of 5 hours . it was sad but i'm pretty hopeful for him , the man gets to dream at night again n i wish him the best but we'll see what happens with him .. i gave the site a look saying ok now i can see whatever mess is gonna be here n what do i learn? Dan is fuckin' back .. the man who's existance brought me to this site n i've been following for over a decade at this point .. a man with despite his faults brings ppl together in places like these and meshes great think pretty much everyone. .. who else is joining? the couple few i've actually enjoyed content from the past yr , ..and also grubb who's 1 man show wasn't exactly for me but was still a person who's conversations while guesting i'd enjoyed... they're all a great fit . I'm genuinely looking forward to what this site shows me and i think if anyone can bring the creativity back to this site its dan hes been a good idea-guy for ages , man has a knack for it . he alone can't replace anyone tho ..nobody can replace a person and everyone is different .. this site is gonna be different thats for sure , but i think it might just (hopefully) turn out to be alot of the same as a ton of us has really liked for many years ... also i'm following everyone too .. i followed austin to waypoint ( a suprise patrick i hadn't experienced here ..hes a cool dude ) hes left but everyones cool n i stayed waypoint+ n all ... i followed NXL .. they're still doing good stuff , their teirs prices are painful compared to here too but ... they finally roped me in for a yr at the 10 thanks to the voices of a few rotating chairs .. jeff g as much as he was never that guy for me is still getting himself a 5 for a bit to see what he can shake up now that hes unshackled by a corporate environment and i look forward to seeing what becomes of him ... everything combined costs way too much for an unemployed nearly a housewife but birthday money is a thing thankfully ( sorry to my fiancee i know you think its a waste but at least its a 'light' year for games?) ... and this site well.. i got a reply from support saying my refund will be processed in a few days ... i truely think i jumped the gun .. but .... time will honestly tell what happens and i can suddenly see a possiblity of a non-yearly sub based strictly on whatever content they offer at the time.. i've felt burned and that isn't gonna happen again , but i do hope they prove that this site is worth it .. my wallet doesn't want that but this dumb internet loving heart of mine does ......... and this super grossly formatted long winded post? well its in reply to a post that honestly made me think ...don't take community for granted and damn do i wish forums were a bigger thing online still , the overblood group has alot of cross pollination with this community and i wish i was more active in a less negative way on here ...all that is to say i guess i'll be sticking in for the rides too .. heres to the future may it be just as bright as the past.

Well said, as usual. As another person who’s been here from the beginning, albeit mostly quiet, thank you.

Beautiful post and a great way to sum up & pay tribute to the visions, craziness, sadness, and especially hope.

Well now I'm all verklempt over here. Happy to know you'll still be around duder.

This video alone says why this community is the best. Donating over six thousand dollars to charity for a dumb joke, that could not have ended any better if it was planned.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5DiKtHTWSU

then following it up with a nearly nine thousand dollar tribute to Ryan that same year.

I will post this is a couple of places because discussion on this topic is so fractured, but I think it needs to be noted that Jeff was getting the brunt of toxic corporate culture because of his role as EIC/founder/main dude. And Jeff has *never* been up for that role, the BS posturing is not for him. But the undue burden was unfortunately placed on him due to seniority/title/hierarchy.

It took a toll, but no one in the original staff or later joiners was really made for that role since they were all creative types. Maybe if they had someone to take the "business" brunt of it things would be different, but if anything I'm glad that Gerstmann doesn't have to anymore.

I think Bakalar might be able to fill that space because, as Vinny put it, he has a "certain way" of maneuvering in those spaces. I hope he can shield the staff as much as he can (and is healthy to do so) from its toxicity.

This kind of gave me a fresh perspective on departures. I'm so used to dealing with bad faith haters that people talking about how giant bomb "isn't for them anymore" just flips the cynicism switch in my head. It's like, why do you need vindication from the community of a site that you're disrespecting? Why are you here spreading negativity instead of someplace you enjoy?

But I wouldn't be able to simply leave either. I'm not, because Giant Bomb still feels great to me, but if changes caused me to lose interest, I too would turn to this community in search of direction or comradery or anything to help understand or cope or find some way to move on, then frustrated when met with dismissiveness and sarcasm.

It is no surprise this realization comes from a pillar of said community. Kind of weird focusing on this aspect of the current events but general animosity is sky high after this restructuring and I appreciate being able to empathize with leavers for once. These were and still are our friends. We shared in something and that's worth preserving no matter if our ways part.

Thanks ZP

Beautiful. Thank you.

Very well said and comforting to read, thanks ZP

Excellent vibe and thank you for the personal and heartfelt words.

Well said.

The only time I really felt like leaving was when the RV corpo dude made a pretty insensitive tweet to people dealing with change. But I'm sure there are unempathetic people like that in every company so I'm not going to hold that against everyone else.

I'm excited to see what comes from all parties.

Great words @zombiepie. You are one of those people i've followed and been nervous to comment etc. I now follow you!

I wrote a little blog on my page about my feelings before this thread.

Posting it because its cool to know others feel the same(ish). I'm going to try to interact more now rather than less. Because Dan's here now and we need to stick together. X

@lego_my_eggo: wow. didnt know about this. Brill.

"Whats GB?"
"Kinda a charity, run by people with strong feelings on if Lego should talk".

Great post, Duder. As someone who has been following Jeff since the game spot days I totally get where you’re coming from.

I've been here since '16 listening to their GOTY discussions, so I not exactly a newcomer but not an OG. I miss all the original members that I got to enjoy on this site, but I also have real gratitude toward Jan for his Bloodborne streams at the beginning of the pandemic that helped keep me sane in that very dire time. I fell off this last year because it felt like they strayed from what made this site so enjoyable (playing video games together and shooting the shit), but that intro video made it clear that they get why many of us are here and consume their content so I'll be sticking around and giving them a portion of my time between watching Jeff's new thing and the Nextlander crew's continuing adventures. Just one request: bring back Hitsmas and get the whole crew in on it. Dan and Vinny's Hitman videos are what drew me to the site (great game) and I feel that game brings out the best in the crew regardless of who is helming the controller and who is in the background talking shit.

Yeah, after yesterday I'm feeling a lot better about the future of the site. I just hope the staff remain happy and healthy. I'll miss Jeff, but at the and of the day he didn't disappear, I'm supporting him on patreon and come the next premium sale I'll re up here. Excited for what comes next

Well said, Zombiepie.

Long live Jeff. Long live Giant Bomb. Long live video games.

@mkennedy: If anything I think we will get a more relaxed and open Jeff now than we ever had. He can set his own schedule and really take a breath. Of course he is gonna be working his ass off like he normally does but it will be nice if he gets the same weight off his shoulders that the NXL gang clearly were relived by aswell. This will ultimately end up in More Jeff, more GB, more NXL. As a consumer of these peoples output for a very long time, its hard not to look at it all as positive, even if things did end in a possibly non-savoury fashion.

I have been binging old content today and will definitely miss Jeff just like I missed the other guys when they left. However, this past year also feels like when Jeff would talk about something like -- I feel like I'm misremembering the dev here so I'll just use Sega and Sonic -- basically, most, if not all, that made Sonic good aren't at Sega anymore.

The vibe was just off this past year, despite me really enjoying the content. Now I feel like everyone gets to move on and do their own thing for the better. Personally, my theory for everything was that Jeff wanted one more secure year at RV to get settled in a new home, get the staff going as well as they can without him (hence why he appeared on less group stuff than ever this past year) and now he no longer has to be the "head" of something like this. I imagine it is just nice to be back out and on his own again with not only no one to answer to, but also no one to oversee either -- which is a stressful part of all of this that I bet most don't consider because of how friendly and jovial the crew is together. He's still their boss and that shit is stressful, even for the most laid back bosses.

Anyway, I'll miss Jeff like crazy, but I look forward to what he does next in greater detail and really hope he doesn't change the name of his podcast because for some reason "The Jeff Gerstmann Show" has this hilarious corny/basic energy in a way that I think suits Jeff's sense of humor and style perfectly.

I miss Jeff. I didn't think things would end this way. Brad, Vinny and Alex last year. Jeff this year. The Giant Bomb I remember is gone. I foolishly never thought Giant Bomb would be here without them. I wish the best for the new team, of course. Just a a very weird time.

I've been a subscriber here since 2010 — I actually joined Premium to watch Will and Norm build huge Lego sets on a daily live stream. Giant Bomb has always scratched an itch I didn't know I had — and I look forward to seeing what weird and unexpected things come next for the site and the community.

I don't post here often but I just wanted to chime in and say I admire and appreciate the community here, and if you're feeling confused and unsure about the changes right now, it's okay. It was scary when we lost Ryan, and it's been scary every time someone amazing and hilarious left to do something new. It will take time, but it will be okay.

The thing I most admire about Giant Bomb is the spirit that passion is at the heart of good, authentic content. If you aren't passionate about what you're making — if you're not having a good time, or feeling challenged, or doing something that excites you — it's probably not worth your time, or your audience's time. My hope is that this major new era has come for similar reasons — Jeff moved on and the new core crew came in to better realize what they're passionate about right now, in a very changed world.

I don't really know what else to say other than be weird and play video games. Peace y'all.

@zombiepie You're a good one ZP. Really nice piece and I really appreciate the sentiments you expressed. You're one of my favorite reads and people I've met here

It's funny, the "community" is actually why I more or less left and will likely go back to lurking on the forums etc. To be clear by community, I mean the community functionality on the site, not the people in it. The people in it, like yourself and some other names I know in this thread, have always been my favorite part of GB. It is afterall, why I came here in the first place. Liking the personalities was a bonus for me.

I see Jeff leaving and the manner in which he seems to have left and I figure the community I came here for is doomed. He was the biggest visible staff champion of the wiki, quests, achievement tracking, blogs etc. Without him here and the seemingly new focus on Discord, the website itself doesn't even seem to rate as an afterthought. I can't help but figure at some point, it's going to be retired by RV. They don't really need all this stuff to run a video site, and personality content drives the bus financially. No hard feelings from me, it probably makes sense from a profitability/time mgt standpoint.

So I actually feel pretty good about the future of the video and audio content for GB, I really like the new hires and I think Bakalar has laid out a good vision for the site. Losing Jeff really sucks and he's irreplaceable, but they did really well hiring a good new core.

But unless I see some real sustained engineering focus on the website, I doubt I return to consistent activity here. Too many folks have moved on and the features/functionality etc haven't kept up with the times. I'm just not going to invest anymore time and effort into the wiki, lists etc if I don't feel confident it's going to last. They are fun to do, but they require a fair amount of time to do right.

And I dunno when Jeff was here, I also felt like I was contributing to a larger effort for the benefit of all gamers. I'm not convinced of that with the current ownership. Maybe they will, they never talk about it though if they intend to.

I'll definitely keep reading your spotlight for as long as you do it though! And you'll run into me on your streams and other places I'm sure. Thanks for all you've done for the community over the years! You and some of the other mods have kept this place going for so long and made it a fun place to be. And hey maybe with all the new staff, it's not a bad time for the userbase to refresh itself too. And let old gaming fogies like myself move out of the way for a new generation :)

Very well said, ZombiePie, I share some of your sentiments; but most the idea of stickling around and seeing what happens.

It alos trikes me of how many very very important coming communities have come and gone through my life. The first website for games I frequented was "Playstation Galleria" in 1995. It was 90% ASCII text and mostly reviews, FAQs, and some early blogging.

There have been so many video games sites over the past twenty seven years. PSGallerria, GoneGold.com; Online Game Review; Newgrounds; NextGen; Rock, Paper, Shotgun; 1Up; Shacknews; GameSpot; etc.

There were sites I went to for years, that I cannot remember. These websites about games were run by a handful of people who never quite hit the big time. I pour one out for all that came before, will come, and those few that just keep fighting against they dying of the light.

I don't say the above to be down, but rather to fondly remember the joy these sites and people brought me.

'Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?'

For me personally I see Giant Bomb now more like Saturday Night Live. Its going to be a rotating crew of different "talent". In my eyes this new crew is more appealing to a different audience. Which is okay because like it was mentioned things have to change. But just like SNL I will have my personal favorite cast, I just know that today I have a lot more to choose from in what I listen to. GB is going to be different going forward and I can dont mind just opening the door and going to look for something else.

I feel like It's weird for me to say this because I in no way have been really active when it comes to Giant Bomb as some others have been. Sure I have been around since near it's inception but I never took part much in the forums much.

But really the community of this site of people is a great one filled with many great people. My one hope is that continues. I have faith in the people that are still here and I will still be a lifelong fan of Jeff, Ryan, Brad, Vinny, Alex and all the other awesome people who helped build this site.

Very well put, ZombiePie. And unless I have not previously said so, thank you for your work with the Community Spotlight and the rest of the mods for your invaluble service to the community and the thankless job of trying to keep a place like this from turning into utter chaos where no one feels welcomed or included.

Personally, I’m curious and excited about the future of this place. And I’ll keep follow Jeff doing his own thing.

I enjoy hanging out with Jeff and it sounds like a lot of time at RV was preventing him to get to that. I wish we were still in the days of the core group sticking their heads together and trying to make something cool for the community, but those days are gone. Still, i feel like i will get a whole lot more Jeff footage in the nearby future than we've been getting in the last months and i'm sure he has enough support from other videogame folk that it will be more than just 500 vids of Jeff talking to Twitch chat as he plays a game.

At the same time, i think the people at GB are cool folk and they'll probably make some fun stuff i want to keep watching too, so i'll keep hanging around to see that happen as well. I was dissapointed with the first episodes of Albummer, but it has really grown into an enjoyable thing to watch. And i didn't think i would be into TVOS as much as i ended up being. Lucy & Tam just do a great job of really fleshing it out and taking your hand through it all. I will have to be very selective with what i watch between Nextlander, Jeff & GB, but having too much stuff to watch is a luxury position so that's fine.

Absolutely, and I agree. I used to be in awe of GB because both the production of content and the output schedule flew in the face of every company structure I've known and heard about.

Corporate structure and politics are a different beast than just being an amazing site. I empathized with the GB East staff when they vented frustrations about talking to higher ups about the business model. Personally, at work, I spend more of my time REPEATEDLY making visuals for managers so they can get the gist of SIMPLE concepts (e.g. why we use screws instead of nails– baby stuff)... more so than actually carrying out the concept. It's not an innate trait I have, but some people can do that with just a 2 minute conversation (which sounds like absolute generalized gibberish to me, but again, it's a corporate language).

Honestly, while I mourn for Jeff's vision in GB, I think for everyone involved, it might be the best outcome. Jeff and Nextlander learned they have loyal, amazing fans (including most of us here) and can survive on a business model that follows their original vision they used to have for GB. Giantbomb staff can have an actual stable structure within a corporation (like as you say, Bakalar seems extremely capable) that's different but might be best for making a living for everyone involved.

@zombiepie: 2.0

@zombiepie: Fuck dude, u had me tearing up there for a bit.. Always sad to see people move on from tight groups, but now I got even more content to keep me entertained. Giant Bomb, Next Lander, Gerstmann's new show, Hentai Haven just to name a few.. Can't wait to see what the future holds!

I doubt I'll ever get it, but I wish for a little more transparency into what led up to his departure. Probably can't do that because it would poison the well for the future of the site. It is what it is I guess, but the timing of everything feels very conspicuous. I've already watched more Gerstmann in the past week than I feel like I did in the past year or two.

Can’t believe ZombiePie is finally leaving, a real Brad move.

Thanks all, maybe it’s dumb but seeing these posts and positive feedback is helping me find okay-ness in the change here. This place has been a focal point for me since 2011 and the comings and goings have always felt heartbreaking and exciting but this in particular was earth shaking and feeling any stability now is great. Cheers to the next chapter!

@humanity: I heard Ryan doesn't like Brad