I want an Endurance Run!

Basically thoughts on games they "would" play for some time. My personally vote for them to pick Yakuza 4. And I haven't been here long but how long does it take for them to decide on whether they want to do a Endurance Run anyway? (Trying not to be too forceful.)

But we've already got Metal Gear Scanlon, duder! It's an Endurance Run, just with a name change.

I consider Metal Gear Scanlon to be and Endurance Run. Also, I remember them saying they don't want to do them again, but with the push for more video content on the site then maybe they will. Unlikely though.

I believe at some point one of them said every time we ask for one they want to do it less. So congrats on having the opposite effect.

And I think both dan and jeff have said they dont like yakuza

I want a million dollars!

Become a premium member, there are plenty of Endurance Run "like" series they've made, currently Metal Gear Scanlon.

Considering the Breaking Brad Demon Souls, Metal Gear Scanlon, Vinny Vania, Load Our Last Souls, there have been more than a couple "stealth" endurance runs, they're just all premium content

Endurance Runs have basically been replaced with some premium content like Metal Gear Scanlon. You have to pay for premium if you want to watch them now.

Right now I'm watching former GB intern, Nick Robinson, and former co-worker of Dan & Jason's, Phil Kollar, play though Resident Evil Revelations 2 on Polygon. It's been scratching that Endurance Run itch.

@rafaelfc: ok just give your ssn and account info and all your credit card #s and ill have that sent to you forthwith.

You have to pay premium if you pretty much want to watch anything that isn't a quick look or intermittent mailbag or the occasional encyclopedia bombastica when they remember that it's a feature that exists. Unfinished is just a quick look under another name. There's so much stuff behind premium now that I'm surprised "Giantbomb vs Rollercoaster" wasn't also premium. I'm actually curious how they decide what should be premium.

Anyways, as for the endurance run. They might intend to sound like "we don't want to do it because everyone keeps forcing it," but it's very easy to percieve it as them going back on their promise of "no existing content will be removed or put behind a paywall once our premium subscription service goes live." Premium content has replaced the endurance runs because they're too busy recording premium content to do a daily video feature like endurance runs. It also doesn't help that they attend PAX Prime, East, South, North, and Midwest. I mean, it's nice that they meet the community, but holy crap does it hijack their time. Between all those PAXes and E3, soon they won't need an office, but a tour bus. Even though I'm premium, I would not mind a lack of premium content for half a year if they decide to do a free endurance run instead. In fact I'd prefer it.

We've been getting endurance runs for years, albeit under different names. Load Our Last Souls, Breaking Brad, Metal Gear Scanlon...

There's been a ton of features where games are played start to finish.

And dont forget Dan with Punchout, albeit the shortest endurance run to date.

He kinda started at Mike Tyson, so that might be stretching the concept :b

If so, that's just petty.

I could go for an ER right about now as well. Sure, we have had other video series where the crew play through games, but not in the daily format we used to enjoy. Personally I just don't care about MGS either. This is what people must've felt like during the Souls craze. Video's up the wahzoo, just none I actually want to watch. Anyways, I think it's time they bring the feature back. If it seems like a daunting task, pick a shorter game and/or shorter episodes. I don't see any other excuse not to do it.

Hey now, do I have a thread for you. http://www.giantbomb.com/forums/general-discussion-30/giantbomb-community-endurance-run-v-1766984/#1/

I'm hoping BongStar makes a return as he's my favorite Bucketz.

They still do, they're just premium content.

Whether that's a good or bad thing is up to interpretation.

The magic has been used up.

An Endurance Run worth a damn can only form naturally. You can't force it.

@freewriter55: did brad play through all of dark souls

I can't wait until their MGS LP series is finished. I want them to play more obscure stuff rather than series that are as popular and well known as MGS. Some sort of random PC game would really do the trick...

It's why I much prefer watching Game Informer's LP stuff, or at least most of it, as they're always covering the weirdest shit. Illbleed, nuff said.

Those premium series videos are nothing like a true endurance run.

I'm not sure we'll ever get another true endurance run like we had back in the day. Would be amazing though.

I want Dave to ER a campaign of Crusader Kings 2 with all the expansions and DLCs included. I want it so bad.

@onlykris Dave's not here man.

The everyday commitment to the ER is what makes them so special and hard on the crew. I would love for Alex and Vinny to do one or Brad and Dan but it will never happen sadly.

I would love an Endurance Run, but every time we say that out loud it makes the crew less likely to do one. It's best to simply expect that it will never happen and never speak of it again.

At least we have Metal Gear Scanlon, goddamn, what a fantastic series. And it's so great that Dan & Drew have committed to playing through multiple games. Absolutely worth the subscription.

Maybe it's just me but I kinda of like that the last GIant Bomb Endurance Run being done by Ryan. If they ever do bring back a daily Let's Play of a game, I kinda hope they name it something else.

Endurance Runs still exist! They're just premium content! Under different names! Exclamation marks!

Back in the old, pre-Premium (PP) days, Dave promised the userbase (perhaps foolishly, in retrospect) that no content previously available for free would become locked behind the paywall once Premium was implemented. Since then, Giant Bomb has progressively phased out free, showcase features (TNT, Happy Hour, Endurance Runs), and replaced them with 'new' features under different names (MGS, etc.) that initially came into existence behind the paywall.

Strictly speaking, Giant Bomb never broke the terms of Dave's verbal contract with the userbase--they just reinterpreted the wording. It's business, at the end of the day. If it's serialised, it's going to be monetised, therefore I sincerely doubt that a legitimate Endurance Run will ever happen again.

EDIT: As @forkboy mentions below, TNT was universally accessible once per month, and was otherwise Premium content, not free, as I erroneously stated.

@dizzyhippos: That's some silly logic, at the end of the day GB is a business and if the people buying your product tell you they want something it's usually in your best interest to deliver.

That being said GB has definitely delivered several "Endurance Runs" to us in the form of the 'Breaking Bad' and 'Metal Gear Scalon' features. The only difference between these features and the previous endurance runs is they have dropped the ridiculous one episode per day until we finish format. I always gathered that the schedule portion of an endurance runs was what Jeff hated the most. I personally like seeing one or two slightly longer episodes popping up whenever they get the chance to record them format better myself.

Edit: I suppose another difference is that the endurance runs have previously been free content and the Breaking Brad and Metal Gear Scanlon features are subscriber only content. Worth mentioning!

As others have said, Endurance Runs still exist, just under different names.

However, if you were to reword the title as "I want an endurance run with a game I find interesting", then yes I would agree with you.

@dookierope: Dave is always here in my heart.

@minipato: Y'know, while I disagree with a lot of the anti-pax stuff I've seen on the site of late, those panels and the zaniness that ensue being a perosnal highlight for me, I could totally get behind a GB Endurance Run that had them all travel on a tour bus together until they beat a game. Does that make me a monster? maybe, sorta, definitely.

@jrm: The thing about endurance runs is that they are a lot of work for them in addition to there daily stuff. Try to remember that just because it doesn't get recorded, it doesn't mean there not busy.

To be clear I would love another one, but I also don't want them to force themselves into one. The P4 one was so good because Jeff and Vinny both wanted to do it. Not because they were short on content.

That's entirely your problem then, a lot of people love the MGS runs, sorry you don't.

Yeah the big difference is the modern "endurance runs" now require you to pay for membership unlike the old ones.

@newfangled: While you may have a point with a lot of what you've said, Happy Hour was premium content. Well, there was a free episode once a month as a teaser so non-subscribers could see what they were missing, but essentially it was the first big subscriber exclusive for the other 3 Fridays a month.

When Whisky Media started the premium stuff it felt like you got a subscription just to help the site because they gave you a lot of stuff for free that was really enjoyable. They definitely earn the sub more now, but that does mean the free content is a bit thin on the ground outwith Quick Looks. That said, I don't really mind. I'm going to subscribe anyway, whether or not UPF is free isn't going to change that.

Regardless of whether people like it, there is an endurance run of sorts happening right now.

Drop 5 bucks for one month of sub, download entire back catalogue. Problem solved.

People LOVED Endurance Runs -> Monetize them and changed its name to not argue semantics -> MAXIMUM PROFITS

@dizzyhippos: Ok but I'm confused with where in my post I implied that they were not a lot of work? I pointed out that schedule required of previous endurance runs was no doubt one the biggest points of contention during their production. I also stated that I prefer the style of endurance runs the guys are using now.

Uhh, yeah. That seems pretty obvious to me. Not sure why you pointed that out. It's not like I demanded they cancel the series immediately for my own selfish reasons. I just shared my opinion. Y'know, it's something you will see happen regularly on forums like this.

They got mountains of shit for some shorter episodes of all of the official ERs back in the day. And the main "excuse" I'd offer for them not to do it is that it doesn't make good entertainment watching people forced to play a game that they don't want to on any given day. The daily structure guarantees constant content, but it also guarantees a gradual decline in the quality of that content, if they have other more important things going on.

The entitlement in this thread (and the duplicate threads just like this one that pop up every month or so) is pretty gross. I've been a paying member for a while now, and it's because I support the staff doing what they want, and what they think is best. Not because I want them to cater to my every whim. I have no interest in Metal Gear, but Dan clearly does, so I'm thrilled that content exists so he can share it. And much more thrilled that he and Drew can play those games when it fits into their schedules and they're excited to do it.

I don't think they'll ever do another endurance run like the old ones to be honest.

As I understand it getting 2 dudes to record a thing almost every day takes a tole on the schedueling they can't afford. Recording a metal gear scanlon whennever Dan and Drew are available seems more manageable.

People love ERs. It's why they keep getting requested. I find that people are pretty understanding if you simply explain these things. "Hey guys, we're doing another ER, but longer episodes are just impossible for us now, so every episode will be 20 minutes tops." You really think there'd be riots in the streets over that? Also, the way I understood it is that lots of the ER episodes are recorded on one day. The video's are then chopped up into smaller pieces and distributed over the days in the week. I reckon they could fit that in the schedule somehow. Obviously it would mean we'd get less other content, but that's a trade-off I'm all for. And, Endurance Runs worked pretty well in the past. So obviously they're capable of doing them, and doing them well, even for extened periods of time. It's been years since the last one. I don't think I'm being incredibly unreasonable here.

I'm not too active on these forums, but every time I see someone critcize even a small part of the site, or give their opinion or a suggestion, they're immediately dogpiled by a bunch of rabid fanboys. Apparently it's really, really bad to disagree with some of the choices made for this website. Wanting a popular segment to return is even "gross entitlement" now (Unless you're referring to something else here). According to those people, I can't even give my opinion about any of the content on offer right now, despite my being a paying customer. I should just shut up and be happy the crew is making stuff I don't like to watch. Well sorry, but that's just not the way I roll. The crew can take my opinions into consideration, they can ignore them entirely, but I don't see why I shouldn't be able to say these things. On a forum, of all places.

They need to bring back the play and grind everyday-Endurance Run format. Watching Drew play MGS with several days in between and him forgetting all the mechanics is not fun.

Hmmm, what a fresh idea for a forum post...

As other people have pointed out, they've been doing some Endurance Run like content. That being said, I would really like to see Jeff and Vinny take on a game again, since I really think those two have the strongest comedic dynamic out of the possible staff pairings, but I realize that dream is long dead.

The problem with the "it is just my opinion" argument from all sides gets no one anywhere. It's just pure deflection. You are indeed allowed to have critiques and opinions and express them on the site, but we are also allowed to have critiques and opinions and express them about your critiques and opinions. It's just an endless circle to point out "I'm just havin' opinions." That is what everyone is doing. Pointing it out is basically saying "shut up, my opinion is more right and awesome." Just as you are allowed and should feel free to critique content you don't like, others should be free and feel free to defend the content that they like. You're basically doing to other people what you're saying they are doing to you.

I want to be fair here and not a jerk, but I am really tired though of this "rapid fan boys are dog piling because of my simple critique" thing that pops up all the time right now. People aren't expressing these opinions in a vacuum. At any given time on the site, there is at least one (usually three or four) threads critiquing and being negative about something. It gets old and repetitive. In addition to this thread right now, we have the "bring back TNT" thread, the "they shouldn't go to PAX" thread, and another negative PAX related critique thread. They all may be technically on different subjects, but they all are based upon similar critiques and perspectives. I'm more of a lurker here and I see the same negativity over and over. I am sure it gets especially tiring for those that are super active.

As far as your actual critiques go, I just don't find them realistic. Twenty minute episodes would just not fly. Just as this thread was made to begin with, probably five would be made that the episodes are too short. Also, the format is really demanding. Even with twenty minute episodes shot all at once, that is two hours of production time a week just to shoot them, let alone to edit them and put them up. Since they can't really do an ER of a new game, that is a bunch of time committed to not current content that is free. They would probably have to make it premium, which would cause quite the outrage. And let's go back to realism: the episodes would need to be at least thirty to forty minutes each with three people working on it. That is about five to six hours to those playing the game and about ten hours for whomever is filming it. That is a loooot of time in the week. And I know people like to scoff at this, but the quality will not be very high if the Endurance Run is forced.

I think Endurance Runs made more sense back when the site was new. They were trying things out and were basically a bunch of guys in a basement. There were not weekly shows or as many events or as many podcasts. I am not going to disagree with the "I want an Endurance Run" opinion because people should ask for what they want. I don't like this "I'm OWED an Endurance Run because I pay five dollars" mind set, but that is a personal thing and passion is basically a good thing. I do think the oversimplification of the process is detrimental though.

Yeah, don't speak your negative opinion on GB ... OR ELSE! People will sadly defend this site more often than actually think about the criticism being said. I don't mind fandom and bias, but when it gets in the way of good discussion, logical thinking, and understanding then it ceases being okay. With that said, there are people like you and me still on this site. Maybe not enough for me to become a regular here, but I chime in from time to time.

What I would like to know is what Giant Bomb wants. I was completely drawn to Giant Bomb due to their clear and interesting goals in the beginning: establish a video game database, create new video game video ideas, and change the review formula. Now I am completely lost on what the purpose of this site is. The wiki is not discussed, promoted, or even mentioned by the crew, it seems they are perfectly fine doing the same video things they came up with years ago, and reviews are on their death bed. Now we are paying to watch let's plays, a podcast that has no ads in it, and a live stream of them just hanging out on the couch. When I say these things out loud I baffle myself, because I watch people I like do this on youtube for free.

@gkaboozTOPIC: All of the semi-interesting stuff has been moved to subscriber only. If I were to choose a game for an ER, I would pick something like the original Dead Rising, Jade Empire, or an older game I'm not familiar with. Yakuza 4 is a good one as well. Realistically, I would want the GB crew to pick it because they would have more interest.