Are you content with the Quick Looks on Giant Bomb?

I have recently begun to notice that Quick Looks consist of nothing more than two staff members showing us gameplay in real time as they chit chat about what's going on. And what i mean by that is, in the past they used to actually know the ins and outs of the game, and they were extremely informed (and thus informative) about the game's several details and aspects. But in the last few months, It's become clear that the staff have gone lazy and they don't really do their homework before starting up the camera.   
 
I enjoy the random jokes and the chatter as much as the next guy, but i also want to A- actually learn facts about the game's development and gameplay and B- see the game being played the way it should; two things that have been decreasing in the QLs more and more. 
 
Does anyone agree? Just to give two examples, Brad didn't know how to use his medkit in the E.Y.E. QL, and Jeff's one hour QL of Deus Ex HR consisted of him making mistakes, being confused as to what to do next, dying, or going "oh shit". There are several more entries like that but i can't remember any at the moment.
I'm finding these Quick Looks less and less enjoyable and beneficial because they're not showing me the right method of gameplay, nor are they teaching me something new about the games, they just show me a staffer trying to achieve something in the game and ending up doing next to nothing until they get bored and end the Quick Look  

 
TL;DR - The Quick Looks on the website for the past few months have lacked proper gameplay and/or informative commentary, and it feels like the staff members doing those Quick Looks haven't gotten the hang of the games they're showing. They make too many mistakes and don't seem to know how the games are properly played.

Sure, I'd agree. Recently the Uncharted 3 Beta quick look is a clear example on how going in cold is just a terrible idea.

Vinny: What are power plays?

Brad: Uhm, I dunno, oh spiders!!!

Yeah perhaps at the very least spend 10 minutes before hand learning the controls or going through a tutorial.
 
I don't mind it that much though.

Yea.... I hate to admit it, but yea. I love the GB crew, but their quick looks lately have been so much weaker than what they used to be.

I disagree, the Quick Looks have mostly just been them just chatting about stuff and about the game they're Quick Looking. I didn't hear anything informative in the Wipeout quick look either and that thing was a blast and they've been fun since day one. Quick Look EX is what kinda what you want more of it seems, them talking and even talking with someone who knows the game they're playing (like, the developers themselves and stuff like that). And they don't lack "proper" gameplay at all, In that one hour Quick Look of Deus Ex: Human Revolution I did see one hour of gameplay.

But that's just how I feel, Quick Looks are easily the best things on the site still followed closely by the Bombcast

I want more Dave quick looks :(

Why is it that so many people start threads that ask simple yes/no questions on these forums without a poll?

@Ezekeilpurger said:

Why is it that so many people start threads that ask simple yes/no questions on these forums without a poll?

Don't see how that's relevant to this thread at all, go make a thread asking "are too many people making threads asking simple "yes/no" questions on these forums without putting a poll in it" and then put a poll in it? :o

Also, it should be pointed out that as of right now, there aren't very many exciting games out that the staff is really into.

I like them just fine most of the time. The point is to show you what it would be like for an average Joe jumping into the game (that's why it's usually early in the game). The "Ask Me Anything" videos are about knowing all or most of the details and explaining them. If anything, they've just labeled some videos as Quick Looks that should have been an Ask Me Anything category. Quick Looks are more humorous, A.M.A. videos are more informative.

That said, I would definitely like more Ask Me Anything videos.

@Origina1Penguin said:

I like them just fine most of the time. The point is to show you what it would be like for an average Joe jumping into the game (that's why it's usually early in the game)

I don't think that was ever the intention at all. They are meant to inform the viewer of the game, show what it is, where the game goes and how the overall experience has been while showing a section of the game to us.

I think this is the third thread today regarding the quality of some aspect of Giant Bomb o_O

@Dany said:

@Origina1Penguin said:

I like them just fine most of the time. The point is to show you what it would be like for an average Joe jumping into the game (that's why it's usually early in the game)

I don't think that was ever the intention at all. They are meant to inform the viewer of the game, show what it is, where the game goes and how the overall experience has been while showing a section of the game to us.

Those can be mutual goals. Anyways, my point stands that basically they should distinguish their gameplay vids based on whether they are going in blind or not.

I sort of agree and disagree with you. While it is important for them to know stuff about the game, if the game doesn't express it all that well, they would not know about it as they are still playing through the game. A quick look is meant to be raw gameplay of what they are currently playing with commentary from two or more of the crew.

I do agree that they have been degrading in quality recently but I can't quite put my finger on it. I do generally like them to be concise for most games and a bit more lengthy for games that are bigger/more interesting.

it's a quick look and we're along for the ride, they pump this shit out daily with really only 3 gamers.

i think it's just nothing out there right now. o well on that. i still enjoy them as the next guy. i'm sure this site is still going to be good.
 

  @Ahmad_Metallic said:

I have recently begun to notice that Quick Looks consist of nothing more than two staff members showing us gameplay in real time as they chit chat about what's going on. And what i mean by that is, in the pastthey used to actually know the ins and outs of the game, and they were extremely informed (and thus informative) about the game's several details and aspects. But in the last few months, It's become clear that the staff have gone lazy and they don't really do their homework before starting up the camera.   
 
I enjoy the random jokes and the chatter as much as the next guy, but i also want to A- actually learn facts about the game's development and gameplay and B- see the game being played the way it should; two things that have been decreasing in the QLs more and more. 
 
Does anyone agree? Just to give two examples, Brad didn't know how to use his medkit in the E.Y.E. QL, and Jeff's one hour QL of Deus Ex HRconsisted of him making mistakes, being confused as to what to do next, dying, or going "oh shit". There are several more entries like that but i can't remember any at the moment.I'm finding these Quick Looks less and less enjoyable and beneficial because they're not showing me the right method of gameplay, nor are they teaching me something new about the games, they just show me a staffer trying to achieve something in the game and ending up doing next to nothing until they get bored and end the Quick Look   TL;DR - The Quick Looks on the website for the past few months have lacked proper gameplay and/or informative commentary, and it feels like the staff members doing those Quick Looks haven't gotten the hang of the games they're showing. They make too many mistakes and don't seem to know how the games are properly played.

The quick looks are the same as they've ever been. The only difference is the past 2 months have had boring games and the quick looks are reflecting that.  
 
Also, don't comment on the quality of their gameplay. Many of the quick looks are done after they've played an hour or two of the game. Do you really care if their play isn't flawless. If Brad forgets to use a med pack, does really affect the quality of the video? I think you can assume it's in the game and he just forgot, it doesn't have to be explicitly shown.  
 
I feel like all of these threads will cease to exist once good games start coming out and more forum members are playing them instead of complaining about everything on the site. 

I agree, there has been a noticeable decline recently. Maybe due to a lack of games? But I doubt that tbh. There have been plenty of games recently, the staff has just chosen to not cover them. There are games out on Steam like every day, why not just take their pick and cover them?

Hey the games may be bad, but that isn't an excuse for complacency and laziness. Sounding like a bored teenager is pretty awful in video content.

I do not see the difference. Maybe i need to watch more older Quicklooks. The Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars and Galaga Legions DC ones spring to mind as being particularly informative. I even decided to make Shadow Wars my first 3DS game based on Ryan's overview.

The quick looks are the same as they've ever been. The only difference is the past 2 months have had boring games and the quick looks are reflecting that.   Also, don't comment on the quality of their gameplay. Many of the quick looks are done after they've played an hour or two of the game. Do you really care if their play isn't flawless. If Brad forgets to use a med pack, does really affect the quality of the video? I think you can assume it's in the game and he just forgot, it doesn't have to be explicitly shown.   I feel like all of these threads will cease to exist once good games start coming out and more forum members are playing them instead of complaining about everything on the site. 

 Sounding like a bored teenager is pretty awful in video content.

I think they've gotten pretty stale. I used to watch every quicklook that was put up but I've been losing interest lately. Quicklooks have been either way too long or not informative for awhile now. Most ones I actually start up now I turn off after about 10 minutes because they're doing a poor job showing them. I'd rather not sit and watch that for 50 minutes =\. Anyway, I hope they get better.

@Rhaknar: What's great is that they have started featuring user content on the front page. So if a user did their own form of a Quick Look for an indy game, then it's possible the game would still get promotion through Giant Bomb. They still have to buy their own copies of many games we get a peak of, unfortunately.

@Rhaknar: What's great is that they have started featuring user content on the front page. So if a user did their own form of a Quick Look for an indy game, then it's possible the game would still get promotion through Giant Bomb. They still have to buy their own copies of many games we get a peak of, unfortunately.

@Ahmad_Metallic: I can agree with you on your point of them going into games not knowing what they are doing. I've seen it on multiple occasions and it can be pretty frustrating to watch. They get mad at the game and blame it when in reality if they knew what they were doing they wouldn't have the problem. And ffs, if I can figure out how something is supposed to be done without ever having played the game and the guy who does this stuff for a living can't ... something is wrong.

Love these guys, but sometimes I'm just like ... come on

I actually liked the Deus Ex Quicklook, seems like a fine game but a game I don't want to play right now. I don't think there is a "properly way" to play games.. Games are games not jobs.

I don't really dig the wikipedia facts in games, I care for fun games and that's all.

That's the magic of Giantbomb Quicklook they are not a gloryfied gameplay trailer showing "bulletpoints" or the "pedigree" of developers... they are natural views into video game you might or not have fun with.

And let's face it who doesn't screw up while video game?... specially if the game is semi broken like the whole Deus conversation with that assian dude.

@Rhaknar: No worries. I don't do that, but I thought you were hoping for more indy promotion. Now I see you don't actually care about that; you just want to know the staff's thoughts and reactions. And perhaps instead of "indy," you meant "obscure."

I think the important rule that they've forgotten as of late is to let the game show itself. They are spending way too much time attempting to talk and set up every moment of a game than they do actually driving it or paying attention to the feedback it's giving them. There was that e-mail that they reacted to angrily last year, that asked if they play games differently when they're not showing them, to which they all replied in the positive. And that's the problem. They spend so much time trying to talk about what's on the screen that they actually are missing huge portions of what's happening. Compare the Endurance Runs, where they are paying stark attention to the game, allowing it to reveal itself to the audience, and adding remarks in around the game... to a modern quick look, where from the word go they begin talking about what they've heard about the game and how it feels and what they think about X, meanwhile they completely ignore the cutscene where they're told to head south. Then the complaint is "where... what am I supposed to be doing?"

@Rhaknar: No worries. I don't do that, but I thought you were hoping for more indy promotion. Now I see you don't actually care about that; you just want to know the staff's thoughts and reactions. And perhaps instead of "indy," you meant "obscure."

From the beginning, though I recall one of the staff members - I think it was Jeff - saying that a QuickLook is meant to show you how you would feel if you just picked up the game and started playing it; the "essence" of the game, if you will.

If, by chance or by choice, they had been playing the game prior to the recording of a QuickLook, viewers got a little more meaningful commentary or some hot ProTips (TM).

That said, it does seem like they're going in cold a bit more often, but I bet there's a good reason besides plain-old laziness; I'm willing to give GiantBomb staff the benefit of the doubt every time, since they've never done wrong by me so far.

I remember the Borderlands Quick Look sold me on that game pretty hard. Jeff already had a character on Playthrough 2 and spent most of the video showing off the really crazy shit. Whenever their that prepared for the video, it not only makes it higher quality site content, but in the end its more than likely to make me want to BUY it as well!

If theStaff members are going in blindly and recording whatever happens is no better than going on YouTube and watching a Lets Play. Or DarkSydePhil for that matter.

I hate seeing them fumble around in QL's and skip over really obvious things and then proceed to bitch to the game for not doing some really obvious thing that it does but they can't figure out. I wish they would play any game they plan to QL for awhile so that they were at least familiar with how the basic of basic work.

I still like Quick Looks in general, but would prefer that they go in informed more regularly. I'm looking at you, Brad.

I think its probably a case of they are busy, in quicklooks it maybe the first (and only time) they play a game. And besides going in cold can also be helpful you get to see how the game teaches you what its about, how to play it. Also watching someone play a game, is so different from actually playing it. Don't cast Bufu...  What seems obvious to people watching may not be whilst you are playing.

i hate to admit it but I agree, giantbomb has had some better times in the past :)

I think it's a good thing. I would rather know what the game actually plays like, and whether it can be confusing or extremely difficult, or even boring; get enough staged video content from every major publisher/developer and none of the shit they show is ever a reflection of how the game will play out in reality. 

I don't know man, on one hand watching the GB crew jump into a game they've never played before is more entertaining.  On the other hand it might be more interesting to watch if they knew everything about the game. I suppose I'm leaning towards the more informed, "professional" quicklook. Then again, i guess quicklooks are there for people to decide weather or not they want the game, in which case it's of great importance for the quicklook to be out as soon as possible, leaving no time for the crew to actually play it beforehand. 
On quicklook throwbacks definitely.

I kinda agree. I've seen more QL's where they say we're just trying this game out for the first time. That's ok sometimes, but most of the time I want to see *gameplay* not them staring at menus and crap trying to figure out what to do or where to put talent points etc.

Yep, made the exact same thread: http://www.giantbomb.com/forums/general-discussion/30/quality-of-the-past-year-of-video-content/509061/
 

Its been like this for a year or so.

I still like the quick looks, but I feel like I'm noticing more that just aren't as interesting. Like the Deus Ex one was really boring. I don't care if they know the ins and outs of the games like the back of their hand or if they're able to do every objective perfectly, but the thing is, the banter isn't there as much as it used to be- at least as often. Like the Deus Ex one. They can still be great, but it seems like it takes longer for a great one to pop up than it used to.

I don't necessarily want them to play the game beforehand; but less focus on commenting/being funny and more focus on paying attention to the game itself would be good.
 
Also, @Ahmad_Metallic: since you're a PC person, have you checked out TotalBiscuit's "WTF Is..." videos?
 
Anyway, feel free to compare, if you want:

I think quick looks are fine the way they are, if anything I agree with with some others have said about the quality of games not being great and the staff just not really getting pumped for anything right now. Quick looks are supposed to be unedited gameplay footage with commentary from the player and the staff on what they are seeing and how they feel about the game just from that. Its supposed to be like you watching a friend play a game and listen as they comment on what they like/dislike about it so far. I'm not sure whats up with people claiming the site has gone mainstream and all they care about is the money, its still as full of personality now as it was when it was in preview status back in 2008.

I thought the Deus Ex Quick Look was perfectly fine. Jeff obviously had played a lot of the game previous to it, and he seemed well-informed. Despite a few bugs that stood in his way, he seemed to move along nicely and show quite a bit.

Overall, I'm still OK with how the majority of Quick Looks go. They're only human after all, and not every Quick Look is going to be perfect and suit everyone's needs. They're doing the best they can, and that's enough for me.

It would improve the quality of them greatly if they just take 5 minutes to get familiarized and have a good level loaded up with the game first, but there also aren't a lot of super awesome games out right now, we're in a drought for now.