Welcome to the latest edition of the Giant Bomb Community Spotlight! I, @zombiepie, am once again honored to be your host as we look back at the best community creations from the previous week!
First, join me in wishing Dan a very belated Happy Birthday! As many of you already know, he's in the process of moving, which is why some of the site's normal programming has been delayed or pushed a week. That said, there was a new Game Mess Mornings on Thursday and Friday as well as a Unprofessional Fridays trailer recap show on Friday the week after the site's fantastic Not E3 2023 coverage.
Speaking of the site's Not E3 2023 coverage, here are some handy links for those of you that may have missed some of the big events.
- Podcast Versions of Giant Bomb @ Nite: Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3
- Video Archives of : Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3
- Giant Bomb Talks Over: Ubisoft Forward
- Giant Bomb Talks Over: Xbox Games Showcase and Starfield Direct 2023
- We Talk Over: Summer Game Fest 2023
- Hey! I'm CityWalkin' Here!
Some videos are still in the works and will be arriving some time soon. Also, there's at least one "bonus" SGF 2023 video that may or may not hit the site in the future. Keep on the lookout for that.
@dtoast finally scanned the full statistics for the site's 2022 Community GOTY voting and posted them on the site. To the users that voted for Fallout 76, Dota 2, Dragon Age II, and/or Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment; you're the real MVPs of the voting!
Also, I realized in my "Thanks for Your Hard Work" that I forgot to mention @marino! Many of you relied on his "Not-E3 Time Zone Chart" to figure out when every single stream and conference would take place, and he even shared some stats on which conference was the favorite of the community. Marino also was the one editing the pinned messages on Twitch and in GB Chat to inform everyone who the guests were during each GB@Nite segment.
Also, who could forget about his AMAZING E3 Bombcast / GB @ Nite Guest Tracker which has been updated to include everyone who appeared this year! There are now over 300 different guests who have appeared on the show (including one dog). Thanks Marino, You did great work this year!
Tweets
Barley! (Featuring @imranzomg as Rafiki.) pic.twitter.com/qGG6NnXpsM
— Kone (@KoneBomb) June 12, 2023
https://t.co/I398qrFZzN pic.twitter.com/KdKabpL8dG
— Kone (@KoneBomb) June 14, 2023
Drop crotch pants and a bucket hat. (@giantbomb) pic.twitter.com/RYHsxNuQ7d
— Kone (@KoneBomb) June 15, 2023
SGF interview prep with @tamoorh -- this is the kind of hard work that people don't see that goes into something like a big Giant Bomb at Nite interview or Audio Logs pic.twitter.com/V9rHwyPn8v
— Chris Pereira (@TheSmokingManX) June 15, 2023
Razor’s Meltdown. The penultimate level in Ryckert’s Island. This small part of the level is probably my favorite section in the whole game!! pic.twitter.com/BzBTV70s3T
— SmashNcrab 🦀 (@SmashNcrab) June 16, 2023
@_janjerome @JeffGrubb Thanks for the shoutout on the Bombcast. Also, regarding Jan's invite to @geoffkeighley, he's been to the night shows twice, so a return in 2024 would be cool.
— Brad Lynch (@MarinoV1) June 15, 2023
He might have bad memories of the house in 2012 or maybe the tribal chief scared him in 2014. pic.twitter.com/eFQg2n1Kw8
Phil Spencer interview was outstanding, but the highlight of the night was Sam Lake showing up and doing the Max Payne face into the green room camera. pic.twitter.com/luXfLxgHPq
— Brad Lynch (@MarinoV1) June 12, 2023
Not gonna do a big blog of "Who Won E3" stats this time because... it's not E3? But, I did run the data according to @giantbomb viewers.
— Brad Lynch (@MarinoV1) June 12, 2023
Xbox - 7.69 (nice)
PS - 6.79
SGF - 6.50
Ubi - 5.50
Xbox up .44 from '22 (6.8 in '19)
PS down .54 (down 1.12 from '19)
SGF up 1.17
Ubi up .01 pic.twitter.com/nJaKcI2W9o
13 years ago tonight.
— Brad Lynch (@MarinoV1) June 17, 2023
<> pic.twitter.com/50Os36KVnZ
Activities
Unsanctioned Unofficial Game Pass Game Club Voting Thread For Cycle Starting June 19, 2023 (Last One If No Interest) (By: @bigsocrates)
Due to declining engagement, the Game Pass Game Club is considering ceasing activities. If you want the group to continue, vote for the next game pick and share ideas on how to drive up engagement.
Diablo IV Giant Bomb Online & Co-Op Clan (By: @lamzor)
Don't forget that the Giant Bomb community online co-op clan for Diablo IV is still taking requests and invites! Here's the link on the forums where you can put out a yelp to play with other users enjoying the game!
Art
Giant Bomb Ramen Goblins (By: @Rathbaume)
Jan, Grubb, and Dan recorded a super quick Bombcast before they boarded their flights home after SGF. During it, they became "Ramen Goblins." Deciding to use this as an inspiration for a sketch, Rathbaume whipped this up on Twitter.
Mike Minotti Wanted For Food Crimes (By: @airbagged)
So, Mike might be a food monster. Apparently, when they went to a nice ramen shop in LA, all he ordered was noodles in broth. No toppings or fixings. Just noodles and juice. As expected, the internet had a field day and this photoshop work from airbagged is one of the best ones. airbagged also created the oil --> duck image on the Giant Bomb Discord.
Jeff Grubb Uses Dolphin A LOT! (By: @CreakyLegs)
Over on Twitter, CreakyLegs had a slight "Phoenix Down Moment" when they thought Jeff Grubb was just always playing Dolphin emulator according to his Discord status. Then, as the picture below reveals, they considered the more likely explanation.
Mike & Grubb Fusion Dance + Mike's Thoughts (By: @ogto_rt)
To say Mike and Grubb have synergy is an understatement. The two might as well do a Dragon Ball Z fusion maneuver and make the biggest threat to video game coverage in the universe and this photoshop agrees. ogto_rt, the author of the Dragon Ball Z photoshop, also had fun with a photo of Mike looking dejected in a food court.
Blogs
Okay Nintendo, Tears of the Kingdom Is A Masterpiece! Now, PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD Make New Hardware! (By: @zombiepie)
Moderator ZombiePie loves The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, but feels like it's the perfect game to say goodbye to the Switch in hopes Nintendo finally bites the bullet on new hardware or a console revision.
What's The Greatest Video Game: Rain On Your Parade (By: @imunbeatable80)
imunbeatable80's latest "What's The Greatest Video Game" series continues with the indie cloud-based puzzle game, Rain on Your Parade! Is there more to the game than its charming and cute aesthetic? Read to find out!
An Ageing Gamer: The Eyes Go First +
I Examined The Amico's Proposed Library And It Made It Even Clearer That There Was Never A Real Plan (By: @bigsocrates)
bigsocrates tries to relay their worries about crossing into their 40s while still wanting to be in the gaming hobby. Read why they already have worries about how much longer their eyes will allow their enthusiasm.
Additionally, bigsocrates continues their round-the-clock coverage of the Amico and this week they talk about its proposed launch library and why it's a telltale sign there was no "plan" for the console past the three month mark.
Mega Archive: Part XXXIII: From Blaster Master 2 to Chi Chi's Pro Challenge Golf +
Indie Game of the Week 324: Unsighted (By: @mento)
It's time to review the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis's release schedule for June 1993 with moderator Mento! Do any of you want to reminisce about Blaster Master 2, F-15 Strike Eagle II, Mutant League Football, or R.B.I. Baseball '93?
Mento's latest "Indie Game of the Week" blog on Giant Bomb! If you have played Unsighted, see what they thought of its exploration and action RPG mechanics, and feel free to share your experiences.
Small Life Update...Words, Writing, Websites & Work. (By: @pauljeremiah)
As you will see near the end of the Spotlight, pauljeremiah ended up writing a bevy of user reviews on the site and they use their latest blog to briefly discuss what inspired them to get back into writing about games in a formal capacity.
Discussion Threads
FINAL FANTASY XVI | Prologue DEMO (By: @pauljeremiah)
Have you checked out the Final Fantasy XVI demo? Most people that have seem pretty impressed by it, but you can share your thoughts in the thread linked above.
Summer Game Fest 2023 Discussion Thread (By: @superslidetail)
It's been some time since the event ended, but how would you rank/rate this year's Summer Game Fest? Do you think Geoff Keighley's pacing is getting better or worse? Join the community discussion about the event on the forums.
Embracer Group De-embracing Some Employees And Studios (By: @bigsocrates)
Embracer Group announced earlier this week that it was exploring possible layoffs as it re-assesses its ambitious expansion plans and after its $2 billion deal with an unknown party fell apart at the last minute.
You Have Until Dec. 31st, 2023 To Buy Friday the 13th: The Game; Dev Can Only Guarantee It's Playable Up to 2024 (By: @zombiepie)
Friday the 13th: The Game is being delisted due to licensing issues and might even become impossible to play in the near future. Learn all about the issue and join the rest of the forums in reminiscing about the game.
What Class Are You Playing In Diablo IV? (By: @sombre)
For those users that have played Diablo IV, what is your favorite and/or most played class? Of the options, which is the best for newcomers? Which one is the most fun? Vote and discuss over here!
What's A Thing You Hate (Media, Food, Cloths, Etc.), But Find Yourself Defending When You Hear Others Rag On It? (By: @topcyclist)
Here's a fun discussion topic! What's something you don't necessarily enjoy, but find yourself defending from negativity or groups that always rag on it? For me, it's video game slang. Let people say "gamer."
Forza Motorsport Soft Reboot Discussion Thread (By: @gtxforza)
Do you think the main Forza Motorsport series needed a reboot? What does that even mean for a racing game? How will it strike a balance between arcade and simulation gameplay?
Official Career Mode Gameplay Demo By The Developer Is Here! (By: @gtxforza)
The Forza Motorsport soft reboot is putting a new emphasis on its career mode. But, how much do YOU care about career modes in simulation racing games? Do you like what they have shown thus far?
How Many Discord Servers Are You Active On? (By: @j_unit2008)
The discussion thread got revived in light of all of the poor decision-making on Reddit, but how many Discords are you active on or a part of? Do you subscribe to any non-gaming Discords? How do you stay up to date on all of them?
Lists
Top 10 Smaller Summer Game Fest 2023 Games +
Top 10 Bigger Summer Game Fest 2023 Games (By: @daavpuke)
daavpuke has two lists all looking at the big and small game debuts, trailers, and demos from Summer Games Fest 2023! Which AAA or indie titles got them excited? Did they think the platform fit the needs of certain genres? Read to find out!
User Reviews
@pauljeremiah ended up writing so many reviews this week that I couldn't manage to write individual explanations of them on the Spotlight or else risk writing two paragraphs of text for this one field. Nonetheless, check out their FANTASTIC reviews for Remember Me, Persona 5, El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron, and Child of Eden!
Wiki Of The Week
So, Atlus is really doing it! They're giving Persona 3 the remaster treatment it probably deserves. And while some of the changes and creative decisions announced for Persona 3 Reload haven't exactly been met with open arms, there's still the original game and our AMAZING wiki page for it! Give it a read and take a trip down memory lane.