Hello and welcome to the latest edition of the Giant Bomb Community Spotlight and I, @zombiepie, am once again honored to be your host this week. The doldrums of summer were in full effect this week as many of the staff were off on vacation. That aside some major game developments and releases woke the community up from its Vitamin D induced stupor. With that noted let's review the few bits of "housekeeping" reviewing from the week that was.
- The engineer formerly known as "edgework" has changed his username to "Rick!" Read all about what induced the change.
- If you haven't heard of it yet, Adam Boyes has left his position at Sony to return to game development. Wish him the best regarding his future endeavors over here.
Clip(s) of the Week
So for the first time in two or three months there were no new notable user created videos that I could find anywhere on the internet! If I'm entirely off base then feel free to link me to the video here right now! With that behind us here are two videos of Dan Ryckert attempting to feed a wild deer:
Giant Bomb Galleria
Jeff Creeping on Jeff (By: @marino)
This nightmarish work of photoshop is all thanks to Marino! I guess it goes without saying that moderating the wiki queue has rotted his brain just like me.
Project Venture (By: @monkeyman04)
Monkeyman04 created a Manchurian Candidate inspired poster featuring The Giant Beastcast, and their "roles" in their hostile takeover of the United States.
Community Activities
Monster Hunter Generations Online Community (By: @veggiesbro)
For those of you enjoying Monster Hunter Generations remember that you can find the Giant Bomb Online Community for it here.
Legion Beta Giant Bomb Players (By: @davidpengli)
Have you managed to get into the World of Warcraft Legion Beta? davidpengli is organizing a beta group that you can join RIGHT NOW!
Clash Royale Duder Tournament (By: @weavminas)
weavminas is looking to organize a Giant Bomb Community Tournament for Clash Royale that anyone can join! Just let out a yelp here!
Best of Blogs
On Leaving This God Forsaken Industry Forever *sorta (By: @joe_mccallister)
Joe_McCallister wrote a cathartic blog post on losing his first job in the games press and his plans for the future.
I Tried To Buy The New Street Fighter V Stages With Fight Money (By: @perfidioussinn)
PerfidiousSinn tried to buy the new Street Fighter V stages with fight money. Read all about the trials and tribulations that exhausted his patience.
Why Pokemon Go Feels Off (Incomplete) (By: @aorey)
aorey comments on why he has found Pokémon Go to be an empty and incomplete experience even for a Pokémon fan like himself.
July Vita Lineup And Upcoming Titles (By: @blacklagoon)
It's a new month and that means that BlackLagoon is back with a blog annotating all of the new games for the PlayStation Vita.
Metroid and Me, Part 3: Frozen Utopia (By: @majormitch)
MajorMitch continues his retrospective of the Metroid franchise with a deep examination of its use of atmosphere.
Inside and it's Parallels to Game Development [Spoilers for Inside and the Secret Ending] (By: @jazzylament)
JazzyLament pontificates on Playdead's Inside, and its possible parallels to the present plight and perils of modern game development.
The Birth, Death, And Rebirth Of Extreme Sports Games (By: @bizarrozorak)
BizarroZoraK comments on what he has observed to be the birth, death, and potential rebirth of extreme sports games.
A Personal Video Game Retrospective (1986-2015) 2014 (By: @riostarwind)
riostarwind's latest blog continues his retrospective of his personal gaming highs and lows throughout the years. This week is all about 2014.
Dangerous Golf is an Example of How Expectations Can Be Damaging (By: @sam_lfcfan)
Sam_lfcfan shares how his high expectations for Dangerous Golf soiled his final impressions of the game.
Getaway Driver: An Analysis of Big Surf Island (By: @gamer_152)
Gamer_152's latest blog pontificates upon Burnout Paradise's Big Surf Island, and why it's still fondly recalled as a positive example of DLC.
Travel Sized Deicide: Thoughts on the PSP God of War Games (By: @darth_navster)
Darth_Navster spent time jotting down his thoughts on the PSP God of War Games, and their place in the franchise.
Call SFV Story Mode A Lot Of Things, Just Don't Use The Word 'Story' (By: @bonbolapti)
bonbolapti completed Street Fighter V's new story mode, and discusses why he doesn't consider it a true "story."
Sunday Summaries 07/03/2016: Tales of Xillia (By: @mento)
Fellow moderator Mento spent a good amount of time on the Giant Bomb wiki and with Tales of Xillia!
Join the Discussion
Pokémon Go Discussion Thread (By: @probablytuna)
Have you been able to tinker around with Pokémon Go? Feel free to share your impressions with it over here.
Are You Actively Playing Pokémon Go? (By: @kamikawa4)
How active are you currently in playing Pokémon Go? Discuss the team you joined, and total hours you have clocked in the game thus far.
Furi Discussion Thread (By: @oren87)
How have the bosses in Furi been treating you? Provide your tips and tricks on mastering this neon-drenched slasher.
Team Fortress 2 "Meet Your Match" Update Discussion Thread (By: @adequatelyprepared)
Have you met your match regarding the latest update to Team Fortress 2? Debate or grouse about the "Meet Your Match" update with other users.
Handheld Consoles In Public Debate and Poll (By: @taunt)
What is your attitude regarding handheld console use in public? Join our community debate on what your handheld "decorum" is.
Hawken on PS4 Discussion Thread (By: @n7)
Have any of you tested the multiplayer mech game, Hawken, on the PS4 since its recent release on the platform?
Tom Clancy's The Division Underground Discussion Thread (By: @monkeyking1969)
There are no demo discs involved with Tom Clancy's The Division's "Underground" DLC, but you can still discuss the new trinkets and weaponry found within it.
What Have You Learned From Games? (By: @holyhackzack)
What have you "learned" from video games? From historical facts to social skills, share the wealth of knowledge you have gained from video games.
Lovable Lists
Official EVO 2016 (July 15-17) Games Line Up (By: @flstyle)
FLStyle is using the list system to showcase all of the games set to be played during EVO 2016! Check it out and learn more about the event.
Useful User Reviews
- @stordoff feels very strongly that everyone should avoid Fragments of Him at all costs in order to avoid unneeded monotony.
- @stordoff's Odin Sphere Leifthrasir review highlights why the game receives a strong recommendation from him.
- @cav829's review of Ratchet & Clank (2016) highlights why he found it to be the right mix of new and old ideals in a modern video game.
- @darth_navster's Ratchet & Clank (2016) review to see why he fell in love with the game's old school charm.
- @vert_vermillion wasn't impressed with Tokyo Mirage Sessions ♯FE, and shares why he tired of its pomp and circumstance.
- @flashflood_29 recently gave Nier a shot and left disappointed with the game. Read why that's the case, and what rubbed him the wrong way.
Wonderful Wikis
The Game Bakers' hyper-stylized boss rush game Furi has a wonderfully detailed wiki page to accompany it.