I know its an odd thing to think about a "games" site without reviews, but, more and more, I visit this site, and other sites, not for one man or woman's opinion on a game so much as coverage of a game. By and large, it's the unfiltered gameplay sessions and frank, open discussion about a game that informs my purchases. When I listen/watch someone play a game, the things they say, the tone with which they speak, the general level of enthusiasm they project tells me so much more of what I need to know about a game than blocks of text (however well-written) ever could.
Why am I posting about this? Well, I think Giant Bomb (and many sites) devote entirely too much time to writing game reviews. I very, very rarely read them--often, by the time a review pops up, I've already got a pretty good idea as to whether a purchase is warranted based on video/podcast content alone. Rather than spending hours and hours playing a game and writing a review, I'd probably be entirely happy with a Quick Look and some podcast discussion. Play enough to do that (more, if you actually like the game), and then tell me why you stopped or why you didn't. I may agree, I may not--either way, I know the personalities on the site well enough to make a fairly informed decision.
What to do with the extra time? Video content! Quick Looks, Unfinished, weird indie stuff, crazy mods, user-created game content/levels, community online stuff, developer interviews...and I'm sure other stuff you've already thought of.
Anyway...I still love the site. I just want it to stay that way.
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