Welcome to the latest edition of the Giant Bomb Community Spotlight! I,
The big news this week is obviously the deployment of the beta for the new Giant Bomb site. If you want a full written summary of what is still in the works or how to give the new site a gander, here you go. The big items are that the beta has an incredibly handy show list that is reactive to when shows go live or after they air and search is finally fully functional. Things that are still under construction include the forums, podcast and RSS Feeds, playlists, the wiki, and general polish. Features not making it to the new site include the old site chat, DMs, and personal image galleries (aside from your avatar). Blogs and lists are becoming features for premium subscribers and will be implemented later as well.
Now, to clarify a few things about that last point, no, blogs and lists aren't going to be invisible if you don't have a Premium Subscription. The forums and what gets shared on them will still be there for you to read and comment on. The ability to upload and publish certain community-created content is becoming Premium, but that does not include forums or comments, and this is being done for a number of reasons. As a moderator, I need everyone to understand that the spam and bot problem is not insignificant. Things have gotten worse in the past several years with spam and bots and that is undeniably a liability for anyone who owns this site, big or small.
So, most of what you enjoy and love about Giant Bomb will still be here even if it isn't in the beta right now. I completely understand some of the frustration knowing that things are not going to be the same, but let's not lose site of what the alternative was just a few months ago. So, please keep comment constructive and empathetic. Rest assured that Chuck is greatly appreciative of input of how to make the new site better in terms of design or UI/UX stuff.
Jan joined the New York Video Game Critics Circle this weekend to stream Tower Unite in order to raise money for charity. Even if you missed the stream, you can still donate to the cause! If and when the VOD drops, I will try to include a link to it in the next Spotlight.
And here's a real blast from the past, but Ethan Lance (i.e., Red L.A.M.P.) from ye olden days of Whiskey Media dropped by the Giant Bomb Reddit to ask if anyone remembered him. For those unaware, during the early Whiskey Media days, Ethan was one of Giant Bomb's first Community Managers and helped out with moderation and was our liaison to the staff. If you were around these parts during the Whiskey Media days you might also remember him fielding questions in chat and even giving tours of the office. If all of this is getting you nostalgic, drop by on their thread on Reddit and share any thanks you'd like to give them.
Art
Jurassic Grubb JeffPasser Banner (By:
With this week's debut of a new season of Blight Club with Grubb leading the charge into some dinosaur-based hijinks in Trespasser: Jurassic Park, the staff went ahead and commissioned jearum to make this INCREDIBLE banner! Click the link above to thank them for their amazing work.
Frozen Lobster (By: Pickle_Giraffe)
Pickle_Giraffe posted a sample of what to expect from their always wonderful Animated Blight Club series. They also have this synched with Dan losing his mind and it's genuinely one of the funniest things you'll watch this week. Also, Pickle_Giraffe recently celebrated their birthday and if you missed it, you can wish them a very belated "Happy Birthday" over here!
Bluesky
https://bsky.app/profile/techsev.bsky.social/post/3lwfr47w76c2t
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https://bsky.app/profile/marinov1.bsky.social/post/3lwhphka7us23
https://bsky.app/profile/unastrike.com/post/3lwezrx4ay22j
https://bsky.app/profile/michaelroleary.bsky.social/post/3lwcgd32j422e
Activities
The GB Album Club 093 - Back Up, Coming Through by Deekline & Wizard (By:
Back Up, Coming Through by Deekline & Wizard is the latest pick for the Giant Bomb Album of the Week Club! Do you enjoy Electronic and Breakbeat music? Share away! Also, if you want to listen to some jams as we near the end of summer, also consider dropping a comment in the thread!
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 Is The 8th Game Of UUGPGC Year 4! Finish By September 1! Mark All spoilers! (By:
Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3+4 is this month's pick for Giant Bomb's Game of the Month Club! The discussion for this week: what are your feelings about those new skate maps? Are they good additions or a distraction?
Blogs
Kobayashi Malon: The 0-Cardio of Time +
Indie Game of the Week 432: Grapple Dog (By:
Mento is starting a new Retro Achievements-based blog series with this one looking at The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time! Are there any tricky Retro Achievements during the game's opening few dungeons? Read their blog to find out!
Likewise, the latest edition of their "Indie Game of the Week" is for Grapple Dog by developer Medallion Games! Did they think the game's grappling hook mechanic carried this action adventure game starring a cute doggo? There's only one way to know!
Let's Review Games That Resulted In "Classic" Giant Bomb Moments You Can't Play Anymore [Blog Edition] (By:
For those of you that have been checking out the beta version of the new site, you might have caught a fun article the staff and Chuck gave me the okay to publish on it about games that have incredibly funny Giant Bomb moments, but are no longer available to play. If you want a fun trip down memory lane, give this a read!
If You People Were Really My Friends You Would Support My Desire To Play Haze Before I Die! (By:
This blog about Haze, in light of the game turning seventeen, by bigsocrates isn't new but they have been doing an incredible job at providing updates about Jeff Gerstmann's attempts to play Haze and bask in its early aughts energy.
Discussion Threads
Damn It... The Allies We Have In Getting Roblox To Do Something About Predators & Child Exploitation Aren't Great (By:
I think we can all agree that Roblox is not good for young kids and something needs to be done to force the game to do more to protect children from harm while playing the game. It sounds like the Attorney General of Lousiana is taking up that challenge and they have real evidence that Roblox is bad, but also, they aren't the best allies themselves. Read all about it in this thread.
New IndyCar Trailer For Forza Motorsport (By:
Álex Palou is unstoppable but that isn't stopping new IndyCar content from coming to Forza Motorsport (2023)! Are you excited? Also, is anyone else weirded out that DLC is coming out for the game after the Turn10 layoffs?
Senua's Saga: Hellblade II Enhanced Has Released On PS5; Update Is Free For Anyone Who Already Had It (By:
Have any of you checked out the Enhanced update for Senua's Saga: Hellblade II? Is the update enough to justify returning to the game? Also, what do you make of it coming to PS5? Do you think Microsoft will ever do timed console exclusives again?
Jurassic Park Jeffpasser Discussion Thread (By:
So, how have you all been enjoying the start to Grubb playing Trespasser: Jurassic Park? Do you already have a favorite moment? Do you think this has the makings of a Blight Club classic? Share away in the thread above!
Formula 1 / Racing Discussion Thread (By:
While this thread is normally about getting F1 news and updates, the end of the latest IndyCar season has the Giant Bomb racing community buzzing. What do you make of Álex Palou repeating and is it time to consider him an all-time great in IndyCar? Is he close to Mount Rushmore conversations?
Lists
I Bought These Games; When I Finally Got Around to Playing Them, There Was a Remake (By:
Have you ever bought a game only to have a remaster or remake of it come out shortly after your purchase. That has happened to jeremyf so many times that they made a list! Also, if this has ever happened to you, feel free to share in your own list and keep me posted.
Ranking of Final Fantasy Games (By:
Chummy8 has been picking away at the Final Fantasy series for a few years. To mark a new milestone, they felt comfortable publishing a ranking of the games they have played! Have you been revisiting a franchise you previously skipped? If so, make your own version of this list!
Reviews
Wiki Of The Week
The US release of Chrono Cross just celebrated its 25th anniversary! Whether you consider the game good or not is up to you, but there's no doubting the fact the game has one of the best soundtracks on the PlayStation and its visuals are incredible. Also, as I shared many years ago, the story in Chrono Cross is buck wild!