Dear Internet: Please Provide Alex Navarro-Related Content Ideas

I appreciate Alex's snark as much as anyone, but I think there are enough people doing the "Annoyed/Cynical/Angry/Ironic/Sarcastic/Etc. Gamer" thing, and so I don't know that I'd be very interested in an "Alex Plays Shitty Games" type of feature.

Something I would like to see (though maybe not even necessarily from Alex) is a Giant Bomb twist on more "academic" content. That I've seen, there don't seem to be many sites out there that analyze games (and game culture) "academically" in an interesting or digestible way.

When I say "academic" I don't mean it should be devoid of that Giant Bomb charm and irreverence. I mean more the type of feature Patrick sometimes does where he has an extended conversation on a topic with a developer. Patrick had what I felt was a very flawed (though not uninteresting) conversation with a developer about applying auteur theory to games. I would like to see more stuff like that, even if it didn't involve an interviewee. Jar Time handles stuff like this sometimes too: talking very analytically or inside-baseball-y about games.

Something else in this vein might be features about stories in games. I don't see a lot of sites talking about game stories. Maybe it's because the grossness of Spoiler Culture identifies that as tactless, but I for one don't and would like to hear more games journalists talk about stories in games without filtering every little detail.

Maybe that sort of thing is ultimately too far afield from Giant Bomb's style, but like I said, it's not something I see other sites do successfully so I'd like to see what Giant Bomb might do.

(And to be clear, I'm not saying I want a bunch of polemics on gender representation in games. I'm not saying I want Giant Bomb to become some Mecca of high-mindedness. I would just like to see them try out content ideas that aren't basically Quick Looks.)

@Gaff said:

• Take a game concept / trope / franchise and elucidate / rave / rant. Highlight high points, low points, your opinion on things, etc. Sort of like Sidegrades / Here's What You Missed on Screened.

This guy gets it. Though I know the production on those sorts of videos is way more involved than recording a Quick Look...

It's the obvious and popular answer, but there's not enough shitty game coverage on GB. Torture yourself for our amusement!

@Gaff said:

• Take a game concept / trope / franchise and elucidate / rave / rant. Highlight high points, low points, your opinion on things, etc. Sort of like Sidegrades / Here's What You Missed on Screened. I hope I'm not turning you into a one-trick pony...
• Pull back the curtain a bit? How's it working on the East Coast, any differences between the West Coast, getting back into journalism after doing time in development.
• Do whatever you want?

Definitely would like to see more of this discussed.

@s10129107 said:

It would be cool if you were skyped into the bombcasts. Is there any reason that doesnt happen? Looking at the amount of work you've done at the end of the year (the number of reviews at the very least, not to mention the articles you throw up here and there) it feels unfair to let your voice go unheard.

Maybe have a weekly / monthly indie game showcase.

Above all i'd like to see more content involving you interacting with the rest of the staff. The character of the GiantBomb editors and the charm of watching them interact as they cover games is why I pay for the site.

Indeed, I pay for this site because I love you guys and what you do. I think it's a crime that many of the games that you review are discussed on the site/Bombcast without your point of view in mind.

Another idea I had was to dig deeper into something like the MMO/MOBA scene. I personally love playing Dota 2, but know that's not an easy game to get into. I would love to hear/see more perspectives on different MMOs, which seem to be under-represented on GB.

Hmm... A what you've been playing column similar to what the rest of the guys do on the Bombcast? Or some sort of feature focused on short impressions of recent games that "slipped thought the cracks" - didn't get Quick Looks and don't warrant a full review.

@Alex: You just need a green-screen in your place so they can throw to you daily-show style. "And with more coverage of Steel Battalion, senior Kinect correspondent Alax Navarro"

A weekly video feature of you rapping for at least one minute. You must accrue at least 10 word pairings that rhyme per rap.

Alex is at is best when reviewing total garbage so... let’s make a weekly show (5 minutes or so) where MR. Navaro talks about a CLASIC piece of trash from the past.

Bad games is cool and all, but it's been done to DEATH. I'm not saying I know what the answer is, but I'm not sure if bad games is the one.

People have mentioned these already but I'd also like an indie showcase feature and games based on movies.

I'd like to see you play the bad and also good movie based games. You could even do them under a theme like comic book movies and you could play the spiderman games and Scott Pilgram.

Indie showcase could be added onto Patrick's "worth reading" where you play the games he mentioned for like 1 or 2 minutes since they're usually short. But if you can find enough indie games that are not featured in Patrick's "worth reading" then I'd love some video on it.

Other than the obvious (yes I would like to see him play bad games), I'd most like to see another TANG feature with Alex and maybe Ryan.

Glad to see its already been suggested, but I'd love to see you take on terrible games.

Alright!

Grab somebody and do an ENDURANCE RUN!!!!!!

Do Spookin' with Scoops, except instead of horror games show us some terrible, terrible games and explain why they are so terrible.

A skype podcast with Rorie.

@Mahonay said:

Alex plays shitty games.

You've got that special touch. Do it.

this, prettymuch...basically it's a quick look of a pre established "shitty games" so more emphasis on comedy then the edu-tainment that QLs are designed for.

@yoshimitz707: It could be like that one podcast about movies, but about games!

"That Ain't No Movie w/ Alex Navarro". That way the initials are T.A.N. M.A.N. Play licensed video games and discuss how loyal (or unloyal) they are to the source material. 

As much as we all love seeing people talk shit about bad games, I'd rather watch Alex talk about games he actually likes.

I feel like so much of our impression of Alex is based on a few, fairly minor things (as evidenced by the majority of the posts in this thread). He reviews bad games, occasionally good sports games, likes movies, wrestling and he has that whole Nicolas Cage thing... but we don't really know what it is he loves about games.

Part of the original idea for Giant Bomb was that editors would cover the games the audience was interested in and advocate games they think the audience would/should be interested in. So find something you think we should know more about and tell us why, advocate something you think needs more coverage.

Record yourself typing an article, and post the article with a video montage of yourself.

Just put yourself out there more, many people don't even know you exist!

Encyclopedia Bombastica is all I could really wish for. That and you saying when something was a thing.

@Alex Why not do an Encyclopedia Bombastica slant focused on movie/licensed games, taking into account the best/worst instances from the past and recent history? It would probably be up your alley, cheap/easy to acquire the games, chock full of dreck, and supply us, the viewers, with a welcome segue in a somewhat similar vein to Ryan Davis' This Ain't No Game or The Wonderful Universe of This Ain't No Game retrospectives/reviews.

Or maybe you not look at the terrible Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games of our youth. TMNT Tournament Fighters, I'm staring at you.

I'm on Team Terrible Games.

That or some sort of movie game comparison thing? I dunno. Or every Imagine Game title ever. I want to have @Alex be a wedding planner and make all of us feel beautiful.

Ooo, no. Nic(olas)back. Just play every music game that has Nickelback in it and talk about Cage. I'll be golden with something stupid along those lines.

Maybe it's a wee bit too much of a nod to your past work at Screened, but i would love to see a videya game take from yerself ala the old Defending Your Movie, Half-Good or Remake Rematch features. They were Golden, but I can totally get wanting to try and do something new.

.

@Alex: Since you are the resident musician maybe some pieces on game music? Like maybe a breakdown of some game soundtracks you like or find to be exceptional. Or if you have a music theory background maybe a really deep look at the actual composition of game soundtracks. I think that game music is really splintering in a few distinct and interesting genres now that games themselves are diversifying (with most AAA games embracing movie-style orchestration while smaller games tend to take bigger chances with their music) and I would love to read about what makes the hot beats in Hotline Miami so unnerving or the strings in the final song of Journey so uplifting.

Hope that was useful. Thanks for all the great work. Have a happy new year.

I'm excited to see what you what you end up doing, although I don't have any great ideas you could do from your home. Something I've wanted to see from giantbomb for a long time was the screened features. Defending your game, Besties, remake rematch, Here's what you missed, monthly previews. All great features that could translate well to Giantbomb content.

I just want you on the Bombcast more often. Six may be a bit too many, but they need fill-ins fairly regularly, and Skype is a thing.

@boocreepyfootdoctor said:

Go and interview the little cliques of super nerdy, overweight, parted haircut, dockers, and navy track-top over too-tight Mtn Dew logo t-shirt wearing gamers who gather in a hippie circle at the local mom & pop retro game store to talk W.O.W., My Little Pony, WWE, and D&D with their unwashed haired girlfriends.

That`d require moving back to San Francisco though.

I have no clue, but more of Alex Navaro is never a bad thing.

If you want to do something different, since you seem to always review bad games you could make videos about those.  
That's the only thing I can think of the site doesn't already have since you guys seem to always be coming up with other stuff to do. 
 
I have been trying to think of something you could do that didn't involve video game play... I haven't thought of anything yet.

How about specifically reviewing licensed games. Some might be actually good games that get overlooked.

If it's abuse you are after, then how about import games in a foreign language ?

+1 for making Alex play shitty games!

@Lelcar said:

I dunno man, I would love to see an Alex Navarro version of Jar Time where he answers questions.

Perhaps called Burning Questions?

Your destiny lies in playing awful games.

Just anything on video where you talk more or less regularly about games is I think a good thing. I'm actively against making Alex play shitty games unless he really wants to because honestly I wouldn't want to do that and it's bad enough that happens during the reviews job. Personally, Encyclopedia Bombastica from someone other than Jeff sounds so compelling I can't think of anything else that makes sense at the moment. I also think looking at how music and games come together could also be a cool idea but I don't know how to go about that (up to Alex ultimately).

Honestly any suggestion like playing bad games, licensed games, etc. just feel arbitrary and not terribly compelling. I do think Alex's writing on bad stuff is top notch and worth exploring in the future but I would rather just hear more about stuff he can talk positively about, like music in games or stuff he really likes from years passed.

@Subjugation said:

@Lelcar said:

I dunno man, I would love to see an Alex Navarro version of Jar Time where he answers questions.

Perhaps called Burning Questions?

I forgot that Alex wrote that. The page for it is so old, gamespot doesn't properly render it anymore, at least not on my browser.

@Alex: vin diesel and a wolf shirt, nothing short of badass

A monthly feature where you prank call the Giant Bomb offices.

Do a Quick Look of NeverDead

I really like the Half Good, but with videogames idea.

@Alex I don't want /anyone/ to play shitty games. I'd rather they didn't exist at all, so all these people wanting you to play shitty games are just bad people.

As far as actual content suggestions, I've always found it hard to nail down your genre likes. I've seen over the years that GB content is always best when the game portion of the content is led by one of the crew that really likes that game or genre. From your review history, work history, and general discussion on Screened, the Bombcasts, and the Happy Hour, I'm pretty sure you like Rhythm games, and sometimes ultra cute games. Also, Wrasslin'.

I'd say something Movie Game related if there were anything more than a small handful of good ones (again, I don't want anyone to play bad games)

To be honest, I'd love to see a "epic" (the setting name) length game of Civ 5 with Ryan and someone else vs a bajillion AI. Pretty sure you and him could easily record a game over a few months an hour of a time. That being said, that'd require you to like Civ 5 for me to enjoy the content.

So other than those suggestions, how about this: Within your own criteria (of what you can hook into your system, and what you can stream) is there a game in the history of games that you'd have interest in playing (or playing again), and commenting on as you do so? As much as I love the Encyclopedia Bombastica segments, I'd also really like to see more commentary on why the person playing it felt it was important enough to show.

Also, yes, I know answering your request for content ideas with "What do you want to play" is terrible, and I apologize.

@Alex Hit up gog.com and play the fuck out of some old games.

Or, quick look em.

How about "Alex Sits on Things", a weekly feature airing every wednesday in which you, Alsx, sit on various things around your apartment.

@jorbear said:

Do a Quick Look of NeverDead

Yeah I feel I was promised this at some point and never got it!

Do QL videos of the shitty games Jeff and Ryan got you playing so I can hear the pain and anguish in your voice.

Dear Alex,

While holding a piece of paper up in front of your face is a personal decision I wouldn't dream of denying you, take off your shirt.

Also, I'd really like if you could go chat with some east coast developers (are there any? I mean, 38 Studios didn't go to well, but they and Harmonix can't be the only ones yet they're the only ones I can name.) Maybe go see them, have some photos to accompany. You could go a bit more in depth with what games you (are being forced to) play for reviews veruses the game you choose to play in a non-review capacity.

A weekly feature where you listen to the bombcast (yeah, I know, but still) and maybe write your own opinions about the games they discuss, sort of in reply to what they say? It's a shame you're hardly ever on it.

I won't say play bad video game because I wouldn't wish that on anyone. I will say, however, that from reading your reviews of bad games, you, motherfucker, are great ranting. Long-winded rants on things you like/dislike about the video game world would be something i would enjoy watching/listening to. Like a more focused Worth Reading about whatever is getting your goat at the moment.

@Alex: I really think a feature where you go up to people in New York playing portable games in public and asking them what they are playing would be hilarious.

Would this new content be premium only? If so you can go eat a log of shit.