The Community Spotlight 2024.06.15

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 biggest site-related news and best community creations on and around Giant Bomb.

A lot has happened in the last week, and the most important thing is Giant Bomb wrapping up their 2024 Not-E3 coverage. In case you missed it, check out the handy section below to get all of the VODs and podcasts connected to Giant Bomb's coverage of the summer video game extravaganza! You'll also notice that there is an incredibly helpful carousel on the front of the site for you to use as well that @marino made.

Nonetheless, let's give a huge round of applause for the staff and team for streaming upwards of twenty hours of content for our entertainment. Huge thanks to Jan for working tirelessly on the audio and stream set-ups, Grubb for being an amazing host, Emma for directing the construction of the set, and the guests for making this memorable. There are many others to thank as well both front and center and behind the scenes as well and join the rest of the Giant Bomb community in thanking you for your tireless efforts.

Finally, you might have heard there is an ARG related to Giant Bomb out there on the internet. You would be correct and as you have probably heard, it is connected to a website called nukedot.com. You can discuss this ARG and possible solutions in the community discussion thread, but the long story short is that this how you "unlock" the latest anniversary shirt for the site. If you are having a fun time, check out the solutions on the Giant Bomb Reddit, and if that still isn't cutting it for you, here's a direct link to the AMAZING 16th anniversary shirt design from jearum!

Giant Bomb's Not-E3 2024

• Giant Bomb @ Nite Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3- It's a LOCKDOWN BAYBEE! If you missed any part of Giant Bomb's @ Nite roundtables or panels, here you go!
• We Talk Over: State of Play 05/30/24, We Talk Over: Summer Game Fest 2024, and We Talk Over: Xbox Games Showcase (2024) - There were THREE TALK OVER streams this year and if you missed them, here are some handy links. Jan does want everyone to take note that the audio was scuffed during the stream and he got them to be slightly better for the VODs.
• Giant Bombcast 844: REVENGEANCE (Summer Game Fest Impressions) - It was a constant frustration for game sites across the entirety of SGF 2024, but every notable game had an embargo. If you want to learn more about the first batch of games who's embargoes lifted, and if they are any good, check out the Bombcast 844 Revengeance podcast!
• Giant Bomb @ Nite VIPs - As per Bakalar on the DIscord, the site will be following up early next week with instructions on how to redeem your lifetime Premium sub if you purchased a ticket to Giant Bomb @ Nite.

Tweets

Galleria

"Welcome To The Family, Son." (By: @jearum)

It's a horrifying combination that magically works!

The Creation of Adam x Mike Cake (By: @KinguAmoz)

It was only a matter of time before the latest version of Minotti's cake corrupted a classical work of genuine art. And thanks to KinguAmoz, that time is up with this work of photo editing wherein Mike's cake graces The Creation of Adam!

Mortal Kombat 4 Mike Cake Arcade Cabinet (By: @Murdoink)

Hey, it is Murdoink, the person that posts a lot of Mortal Kombat and Tekken memes and assets on Twitter! After seeing the Mike cake, they simply couldn't help themselves.

Mike Cake Fatality (By: @kone)

Normally I can write at least three sentences about any image I share to you on the Spotlight, but this time I just can't. This cake was one of the most horrifying things I have ever seen. Period. There, I did it.

Jenny Nicholson About To Take A Bite Of The Mike Cake (By: @ogto)

It's definitely crazy seeing Jenny Nicholson hang out with the Giant Bomb staff at Disneyland. But hey, maybe we can get a video essay from her about what the Mike cake this year tasted like.

Daikatana Superfriends ASSEMBLE! (By: @chucktowski)

During the last Blight Club, Mike mentioned how he would be in the role of Superfly Johnson, and in kind, chucktowski decided to wave their magic wand and make it happen.

Just A Couple Of Cool Dudes At Disneyland (By: @kone)

As most of you know, the staff went to Disneyland following the conclusion of SGF 2024 with a travelogue video about this adventure possibly coming in the future. Nonetheless, Kone decided to have "fun" with one of the images Mike posted from this much-deserved vacation.

Grubbmero As A Muppet (By: @kone)

Kone notice the brief moment when Grubb pulled down his John Romero wig and it covered a part of his face and couldn't help but notice how much it made him look like a Muppet.

Astro-Grubb-Mero + Astro-Miquanchi (By: @jearum)

What happens when you cross Jeff Grubb with Astro Bot and John Romero? You'd probably end up with whatever jearum made here if we are being honest! Also, if you want the full 3D model of this creation, here you go!

He also made one based on the Miquanchi birthday cake. There's a fully 3D version of that as well.

Video

WHERE IS IT? (Gem) - An Animated Giant Bomb Blight Club Series (S.3 Ep.5) (By: @Pickle_Giraffe)

Even Summer Game Fest can't stop Pickle_Giraffe from making new episodes of their Giant Bomb Animated feature! This one really got me at the 2:13 mark and that Gary Busey is probably going to haunt my dreams for as long as I live.

Community Activities

Unsanctioned Unofficial Game Pass Game Club Voting Thread For Cycle Starting June 17 2024

Chants of Sennaar Is The 12th game of UUGPGC Year 3! Finish By June 17. Mark All Spoilers!(By: @bigsocrates)

Vote for TWO games from this amazing list of titles!

It is time once again to send in YOUR VOTES to the Game Pass Game Club to determine which game they play next! To the right, you will find a list of the nominees!

Also, don't forget about Chants Of Sennaar being the current pick for the Game Pass Game Club as well! Do you have any non-spoiler impressions of the game? If so, feel free to share them here!

Come Join the New GB Album Club Cycle! (By:@unclejam23)

By the time you are likely reading this, the first pick of the latest season of the Giant Bomb Album of the Week Club will have been picked. Don't let that discourage you from joining the group as late-comers are always welcomed!

Blogs

A Decade Of Destiny, And Its Final Shape. (By: @mooseymcman)

MooseyMcMan has played a lot of Destiny.

Friend of the site MooseyMcMan has been playing Destiny, whether the first or second game, for ten years and reflects on what they have to show for their countless hours playing the game. Read about their highs and lows on their latest blog.

All 3DO Games (Kinda) In Order: 1994 (Part 07) (By: @borgmaster)

borgmaster sure has been on a roll with their effort to play every single video game from the 3DO in chronological order based on North American release date. Just this very week, they decided to subject themselves to Drug Wars on the 3DO!

Quick Hits! Steam Next Fest Edition (By: @jeremyf)

Look at this art crime borgmaster did on the 3DO

jeremyf takes to the site to discuss their favorite game demos from this edition of Steam Next Fest! Give their recommendations a read and feel free to share your own in the blog linked above! Anyone else try Thank Goodness You’re Here?

LRG Wants $30 For Three Rocket Knight ROMs And Makes Idiotic Mistakes With Their Menu Systems (By: @bigsocrates)

bigsocrates has covered the sometimes "questionable" business practices of Limited Run Games in the past and this week they excoriate the developer and publisher for their laughably poor effort with Rocket Knight Adventures Re-Sparked.

Anyway, Here's WonderSwan (Part Five) +

Indie Game of the Week 374: Gylt (By: @mento)

Check out Mento's latest blog for an explanation of what you are looking at.

Are you up for a wacky tour through the games that released on the WonderSwan? If so, you should check out Mento's latest blog as it discusses "Super Romance Card Battle: Bewitchment Talisman of the Demon World" and more!

Likewise, Mento has a new episode of their "Indie Game of the Week" feature and this one is all about 2019's Gylt, a narrative puzzle-adventure game from Tequila Works and Parallel Circles!

Not E3 2024: The Summer Game Fest Keynote (By: @gamer_152)

Is the marquee event of Not-E3 getting better? Is Keighley taking to heart the criticism he receives about his events? Moderator Gamer_152 debates those questions and looks at where Keighley still needs to improve.

Discussion Threads

Nukedot (GB-related ARG) (By: @barthez)

Do you need help? Just let out a yelp!

ALRIGHT! Let's talk about the Giant Bomb ARG and the fun stuff you can do on nuke dot com! Do you still need help? Did you get all of the references during the text adventure? Did you see a very special thing by jearum at the end?

What's Your Favorite E3 Demo Of All Time? (By: @finaldasa)

What are your favorite game demos from E3? Do you remember the oohs when dual-wielding was revealed in Halo 2? How about the Sons of Liberty demo? How about the bottom of shoes if you enjoy memes?

It's Been Six Years Since The Elder Scrolls VI Teaser Trailer. Is This Officially In Development Hell? (By: @zombiepie)

This week marked the 6th anniversary of the teaser trailer for The Elder Scrolls VI! Is it time to officially declare the game as being in "Development Hell" or did the game just take a backseat to Starfield?

Guilty Gear -Strive- Anime Adaptation Announced (By: @gtxforza)

After fans called for one for AGES, an anime adaptation of Guilty Gear -Strive- is finally coming out! Are you excited? Which characters and storylines do you think will be the focal point and which ones do you think will get axed?

Demonic Invasion: Next Next Fest '24 (By: @manburger)

June Next Fest 2024 is live NOW! Have you given any of the game demos from this edition of Next Fest a shot yet? Comment in the thread with your suggestions of which games, both big and small, are worth a shot!

Here's Everything Announced During Ubisoft Forward 2024 (i.e., It's A TRAGEDY That Ubisoft Conferences Became "Normal") (By: @zombiepie)

How much of this game is even done do you think?

Ubisoft Forward 2024 seems to be how we are ending "Not E3 2024" or at least until the Nintendo Direct. What did you think of Star Wars Outlaws or Assassin's Creed Shadows? Also isn't it a gaming tragedy that Ubisoft conferences have become normal?

Here's Every Trailer From Devolver Direct 2024 (i.e., Hey Devolver, If You Only Have 6 Games, What Are We Even Doing?) (By: @zombiepie)

Devolver Direct is always one of the more divisive conferences every year. Where do you stand with its "conference" these days? With just six games and a stream that clocks in at ~20 minutes is it worth a watch?

Xbox Games 2024 Showcase Trailer Thread (i.e., This Has Everything) - The Showcase Was Good, But Was This Enough? (By: @zombiepie)

Was this as good as everyone says it was?

Most people seem to feel like the Xbox Showcase was one of the best showings Microsoft has had in years, but what do you think? Also, do you trust that the future is bright for the Xbox brand/ecosystem?

Here's Every Single Trailer From The Guerrilla Collective Presentation (By: @zombiepie)

Hey, making this thread almost drove me insane! I managed to get all 70+ trailers from the Guerrilla Collective Presentation into a single forum post without the site blowing up! Check them out and share which game got you the most excited.

Remakes And Remasters Have Become So Ubiquitous We Are Now Getting Multiple Indie Game Remasters. (By: @bigsocrates)

Are you pro or anti Devolver Direct?

Now indie games are getting remakes and remasters after they cross the ten-year anniversary mark. Does this speak to the gaming industry's reliance on remakes and remasters, or are these new releases still good jumping points for newcomers?

Lists

Games From E3 2024 (SGF/Showcases/Steam Next Fest) That Piqued My Interest (By: @hexhunter222)

Make your own SGF 2024 most anticipated list on the site NOW!

hexhunter222 made a list of games from Summer Game Fest 2024 that caught their attention. So, feel free to join them in making a list of the games that you can't wait to play when you have the time!

Wiki of the Week

The Elder Scrolls

Where do you want TES 6 to take place?

To mark the 6th anniversary of the teaser trailer for The Elder Scrolls VI, let's throw things back to Giant Bomb's wiki page for The Elder Scrolls franchise page! A lot has happened to the series since its humble beginnings and you can read all about them on this wiki page!