Content Ideas for Giant Bomb

It sounds like the guys have an idea of who they want to bring on board, Patrick is reigning over Chicago, and Vinny/Alex should soon be breaking ground on GBEast. They've been talking about having ideas, but I figure we could throw some suggestions out there too, right?

So, bombers, what kind of content do you want to see from Giant Bomb?

I'd love to see a few more scripted videos actually, kinda along the lines of what Danny is doing with The Point. Patricks Kinect video was great. I'd like to see what Jeff can do with that type of format.

Fifastcoins hit the nail on the head.

Personally, I want Vinny to play phantasmagoria 2.

Behind the Spambot: Patrick profiles a spambot in a weekly video feature.

3 words, Weekly Hearthstone Arena.

I have no idea why this hasen't happened yet, the first one is the best secret ER. And all those other FMV games are not going to play and commentate themselves.

I would love to see some big things happen that the community can get behind. I would kill to see Jeff eventually go on his Japan Raid.

I have also been thinking for several months that Jeff should try and break the record for having the largest video game collection. I would gladly donate a few games he may be missing to put him over the top. I think it would make some great content.

I guess I would like to see something along the lines of the special episodes that Top Gear UK puts on every couple of seasons.

Question of the week!

the one thing i want is a different piece of 3 hour content that is NOT dota related. when new vids pop up my eyes instinctively dart to the length. i cant tell you how many times ive gotten super excited for a super long vid only to realize....its dota....aaaawwwwwwmaaaaaaaan!?!

also finish, or rather because of the circumstances surrounding the first try, replay Blade Runner. and get Dave in there, COME ON!

oh snap! itd be really cool if Vinny and Patrick could team up one more time and finish Cry of Fear.

come to think of it, there should just be a complete "Let's Finish ______" feature.

does anyone remember the old game-show-esque thing they did a few times back over at gamespot? pretty sure Rich was the host and they had two contestants facing off doing different tasks in random playing videogames one after another....maybe answering questions too...damn what was that called??? do THAT.

Hey guys, how about another endur-Gets Beat over the head.

But seriously I like it when they play multiplayer games every once in a while. While I wouldn't want TNT all over again, I wouldn't mind seeing some smack talk from the duders.

You're a sick man!

WHEN I SAY BUTTON YOU SAY MASHING

HOOOOLLLLLYYYYY F%$#!!!! lmao yeah! how could i forget! off to drink and watch them hahaha

Vinny and Alex play games selected from the wiki by a random number generator.

Jeff reviews a game before and after playing it. The community has to guess which one is which.

@emofratparty: hey, Zach! I know this bozo in real life! I didn't know you were a duder :o awesome!

To answer the question, I'd be down to see more Giant Bomb Unplugged: Pathfinder, and would totally subscribe to see more of that stuff again. I guess they would need to do something a bit less unplugged if they wanted to incorporate people from 3 different states now, but it could work and be cool, I'm sure.

@thesoutherndandy: I agree. Patrick's Kinect video was incredibly well done. It reminds me a bit of the reviews they did back when it was just Jeff standing in front of the camera doing a game review but more modernized, in a way. Mixing that with some things akin to the GOTY stuff they've done in the past would be awesome.

@video_game_king: Haha definitely. Or maybe, "Fireside with Cleverbot."

@uppercaseccc: Sounds like a job for Brad.

@AGNOSIS: What kind of stuff did you have in mind? And yeah, I'd watch Jeff Does Japan. The collection thing is tough and I'm not sure they'd get enough donation to warrant that challenge, especially given the catalogues of some larger private collectors, preservation societies, and press outlets. I think venturing outside the offices would be sweet.

I just want a video series from Vinny where he is messing around with open world games, simulators, and weird other games.

In my opinion, they need something the community can rally behind. It doesn't necessarily have to be an Endurance Run per se, but watching Vinny go through those classic Castlevania games was amazing. Watching Brad play through Demon's Souls while being trolled by Vinny was a ton of fun. Really, they need deeper content. An hour long quick look is great, but I would much rather see some more continuous (not sure if that's the best word there) coverage.

Every FMV game ever played through to completion:

FMVindurance Run

@c2c: When I was living in Germany, the Persona 4 Endurance Run was one of my sole forms of entertainment while I was sitting around at home (restrictive rights on YouTube and Netflix). I'd actually be really into seeing something like that again, but I think the community should get to vote on the game. If the crew injected their style into a Mass Effect run, for example, I'd watch the living *#!@*&(^ out of that.

So instead of a TNT-style, maybe they could play online with other outlets? Or even online with the other Giant Bomb offices!

@billymagnum: In agreement re: DotA. "Let's Finish ___" seems pretty cool. I'd also like to see a resurrection of TANG in some form, assuming there's any content left there. Are you thinking of Lemon Lens?

@kiemoe: Hahaha holy hell, what's up man?! Can't give any input on Unplugged because I'm not as into board games anymore, but the community around them is huge. Online Monopoly!

@lordandrew:

Is it illegal to suggest an old school endurance run? Like, some odd quirky game played every day to completion. That's all I really want. All I really need.

@49th: Vinny breaking things is one of the best parts about Giant Bomb and, as occasional "Let's Players," is another substantial separator of the guys from the rest of the pack. So yeah, "Experiment Time with Vinny" is something I'm completely on-board with.

@afabs515: Do you mean community engagement or just something that we'll latch onto?

@ben_h: That could kill a man!

My visits to the Giantbomb have decreased greatly in the last few years. One of the main reasons has been the reliance on spoiler-filled "quicklook" videos as a cheap excuse for video reviews. I'd really like to see Jeff return to reviewing games--*video* reviews. With the departure of Adam Sessler from game journalism, there is a real need for serious and mature reviews from an older and more experienced game journalist. I cannot bare to watch the fratboys or the parade of girls in tank tops on other sites. It might be a good for the Giantbomb to realize that its audience is now older and more mature.

Honestly I just love seeing the crew play through games. There's a reason why people love the endurance runs. The witty banter, the running jokes and the general comradery between the community and staff trying to make their way through a game together is the best. I'm not suggesting they do another one, since I know that's taboo, but I'm just saying that's what I enjoy the most.

@h00ner: I think the Quicklooks are a way of keeping up with the format, though. Look at where video has gone since they started the site...I think removing Quicklooks from the site would put Giant Bomb at a disadvantage and remove something that a lot of people like. There are games that someone may just want insight on and not want to play; those videos are perfect for that sort of thing.

Seeing some more serious stuff -- i.e. the prior review format -- would be pretty great, perhaps integrated in the way that Patrick has done with his Kinect video or in just following the prior format. If you aren't aware already, Polygon and IGN already do some of their reviews, and even previews, in a "serious" format. So while it's already out there, it would be good to have that perspective on the site again as well.

• A stickied thread like this where each day they sit down in front of a camera and read a handful of the suggestions people make and why they are stupid and will never do them.
• A segment called "Knee Jerk". The guys browse various other news sites and after reading an article they give their knee jerk reactions to what they read without any chance to do research or look into it.
• A show called "Time till Brad" where Brad plays any and all games that have a limited/numbered life system like the old Mario games. Brad must then play the game in one sitting until he ether beats the game or loses all his lives. If he loses all his lives and hits a game over screen the show just ends and he moves onto the next game. At the end of the year they total how may games he beat and how many beat him. Alternate show title of "Beating Brad" or "Brad Beats" could work.
• I want them to get special toilet paper that has a subscribers name written on each sheet. Then set up a camera in the bathroom at eye level and every time they go to take a shit they read off the names of each person on the paper they grab before wiping while looking straight into the camera saying "This is what your money paid for."

Or another Endurance Run. I don't know.

@emofratparty: I mostly mean something that people will latch onto. I think this can be achieved by having video series with some understood goal state. In Endurance Runs/Breaking Brad, the goal was to make it to the end of the game; in Vinnyvania, the goal was to beat Dracula in one sitting. That content was extremely engaging (at least for me) because they were working towards something and just playing through games, and the community responded positively by giving the guys advice or just flipping out in the chat when something huge happened. Content like that is what distinguishes GiantBomb from other gaming sites in my opinion.

Jeff should start rapping again.

@afabs515: Roger that. Yeah, being able to know there's a "next" thing is why people watch successive series (assuming they're any good). That "next" for the site, outside of Endurance Runs (guess I should spoiler tag that next time?), is just the other content on the site. Creating an episodic show would be great. Maybe an interview series or a large multi-piece breakdown or insight into a certain part of the industry.

I'd also be open to them inviting some YouTubers to the show that create unique content, i.e. someone like Matthew Patrick from Game Theory, so that they can have a good mix of insight rather than just talking to other journalists, developers, or personalities.

Vinny should turn heel.

The Giant Bomb Video Game League: A new multiplayer competition for the duders. Basically each week 4-6 different guys select a multiplayer game of choice. They do a live stream of a tournament in said game. So for example; Jeff brings in Windjammers and they play a best of 3 tournament (after warm up matches of course to provide a little padding). Brad decides to choose Ultimate MK3 and they have the same set up. The winner is awarded points when it is over they crown a champion. They then start over the next week with the added bonus that the previous champion can veto one selection in the next round. So if Jeff wins he can say fuck that to Mario Kart 64 when Drew selects it. Lastly a game cannot be played more than once per 4 tournaments so that there is some variety. Even better the competitions can be abstract or not multiplayer in the traditional splitscreen sense so maybe Drew decides that everyone will race on lap in the current F1 sim using the full racing seat/wheel setup and the fastest time wins.

^ This is great. ^

Vinny. Sitting alone in a tree house. With a short-wave radio.

Would be easy to book him that way. He could just come out straight-faced and cynical and never try to break games.

"You people here in New York are no better than those jabronies down in Frisco. At least they could tell the difference between a ham radio and a numbers station!"

@meteora3255: That sounds GREAT!

The Third Castlevania game.

@emofratparty: @monkeyman04: Thanks for the positive feedback. The competition stuff was really added so that they would hopefully feel more invested in the game as well as creating some continuity with a week to week winner. Plus I think you can learn a lot about someone based on what they choose to veto.

More Sega Master System coverage.

Giant Bomb plays Chess. Let's make it happen!

Pretty much anything that's not Unprofessional Friday's.

So yeah, TNT, Random PC Game, Endurance Run (For the hell of it) Button Mashing as a joke answer is funny, but yeah, Button Mashing.

Something different every Friday, like it used to be. Two people play Pokemon Snap for two hours just for the sake of it, that's what I miss.

Vinny eats pizza seductively. In fact, that could be the name of the feature.

@ajamafalous said:

Unfortunately CBS is probably more concerned with the reaction their younger fans would have to that.

I want the GB crew to do a dramatic reading of my Giant Bomb fanfic.

I want a long, extended video series involving the team trying to learn and understand some really complex and technical game, kinda like Dave Fortress was.

Endurance Run. Either with Vinny/Alex, or with the 2 new guys coming on, just to get to know them better. You know, as a rite of passage.

Another Scrub League.

Vinny and Alex. Playing through some Yakuza game.

Bringing back Random PC Game.

Drew and Jeff become rival racecar drivers.

I dunno.

Showing mods, just to show some cool community developed content after a year or so of a game (or whenever).