The negativity about memberships is depressing.

 In the alternate universe without a bombcast partial delay, this is what we could expect to see: 
 
"An exclusive live show for subscribers only?  Way to divide the community giant bomb!  I was COMPLETELY going to get a subscription or give them some money, because I'm just awesome like that, but now that I know that they're putting a lot of new content behind a paywall, there's no way that I can support them.  I thought they had more integrity than to charge for things like that on the internet."
 
And yeah, I really don't think people understand.  There's been what - ten major ad campaigns on Giant Bomb, at most?  They've been floating on initial capital and have a big userbase, but you have to make money off it somehow.  So it's either shitting up the site with ads and ad-impression boosting like every other site, getting subscriptions, finding some other revenue stream, or getting enough users and clout so that they can negotiate their own deals.  Most likely the plan is using subscriptions in order to keep going and growing the user base.  But it's amazing how quickly a website can die, even if you think their content is great.  At some point they have to make money their own way, compromise and make money the standard gaming website way, or die and leave us with the rest of the terribleness of gaming websites.

I would consider Rebel FM an entertainment equivalent to the podcast despite it not always being as long, as well as the Refresh & Reload cast I co-host. (despite how much I hate pimping it) Regardless I understand times are tough and it's not easy to make money from a website, nevermind the fact that everyone put a lot of their own money into the company. If it comes down to a couple hundred left near the end of the Big Live Show to make the Bombcast free for everyone I'll take the plunge.

I think a membership idea is shitty. One step down the road toward gamespotsville.
 
twinkies, computer cases and beverages should be enough, I do believe.

" @jadeskye said:

" @LiquidPrince said:

" @SpudBug:@jadeskye:  It's not the fact that they are getting subscriptions... Hell, people from the community were basically telling them that they were willing to support them. It's just the way they are going about it. Mostly it's the weird bombcast divide. "

I'm assuming you listened to the podcast detailing this stuff, it's clearly a matter of nessesity. They need to make money from the bombcast to continue it. It takes 8 manhours plus to make a bombcast. Thats a full working day. "

They are still going to be doing that no matter what. However it will be alienating the users using the divide. A smarter way in my opinion would be have the paid users watch it Tuesday like regular, and then have the free users hear the whole bombcast on the Wednesday. "

" @jadeskye said:

" @LiquidPrince said:

" @SpudBug:@jadeskye:  It's not the fact that they are getting subscriptions... Hell, people from the community were basically telling them that they were willing to support them. It's just the way they are going about it. Mostly it's the weird bombcast divide. "

I'm assuming you listened to the podcast detailing this stuff, it's clearly a matter of nessesity. They need to make money from the bombcast to continue it. It takes 8 manhours plus to make a bombcast. Thats a full working day. "

They are still going to be doing that no matter what. However it will be alienating the users using the divide. A smarter way in my opinion would be have the paid users watch it Tuesday like regular, and then have the free users hear the whole bombcast on the Wednesday. "

" @Damien: Watch the 2009 PAX panel. They say that a subscription is probably coming is the Q & A.  "

" @LiquidPrince said:

" @SpudBug:@jadeskye:  It's not the fact that they are getting subscriptions... Hell, people from the community were basically telling them that they were willing to support them. It's just the way they are going about it. Mostly it's the weird bombcast divide. "

I'm assuming you listened to the podcast detailing this stuff, it's clearly a matter of nessesity. They need to make money from the bombcast to continue it. It takes 8 manhours plus to make a bombcast. Thats a full working day. "

" @Claude said:

" This is awesome. I love this shit. Drama at its best, well, internet drama, but drama none the less. "

And the senior watches gleefully at how the shit is going down on Giantbomb. :3 "

" @LiquidPrince said:

" @jadeskye said:

" @LiquidPrince said:

" @SpudBug:@jadeskye:  It's not the fact that they are getting subscriptions... Hell, people from the community were basically telling them that they were willing to support them. It's just the way they are going about it. Mostly it's the weird bombcast divide. "

I'm assuming you listened to the podcast detailing this stuff, it's clearly a matter of nessesity. They need to make money from the bombcast to continue it. It takes 8 manhours plus to make a bombcast. Thats a full working day. "

They are still going to be doing that no matter what. However it will be alienating the users using the divide. A smarter way in my opinion would be have the paid users watch it Tuesday like regular, and then have the free users hear the whole bombcast on the Wednesday. "

A day isn't going to entice more subscribers. the bombcast probably represents the biggest hosting issue for whiskey. Thus lots of money spent. Clearly the hours spent plus the hosting cost makes the bombcast the #1 target for subscriber marketing. They can't really make it Better per se so they're gonna have to limit it. Frankly how they've done it is very good in my honest opinion. "

I find the whole debate entertaining in many ways, even though I don't support the change.  Lighten up.
 
The whole thing is a bit depressing, but there's still lots of other people that deserve my money.  Maybe some more people will give our BonusEXP podcast a chance to hear the impressions sooner in some cases (we cover games somewhat differently anyways though.).
 
It is sad that some people are going to know this and that and others won't.
 
However, it'll give me an excuse in the future to spend less time / invest less in Giant Bomb as a whole.  The value went down a little bit so now I can spend a little bit more time doing other things.

" @LiquidPrince said:

" @jadeskye said:

" @LiquidPrince said:

" @SpudBug:@jadeskye:  It's not the fact that they are getting subscriptions... Hell, people from the community were basically telling them that they were willing to support them. It's just the way they are going about it. Mostly it's the weird bombcast divide. "

I'm assuming you listened to the podcast detailing this stuff, it's clearly a matter of nessesity. They need to make money from the bombcast to continue it. It takes 8 manhours plus to make a bombcast. Thats a full working day. "

They are still going to be doing that no matter what. However it will be alienating the users using the divide. A smarter way in my opinion would be have the paid users watch it Tuesday like regular, and then have the free users hear the whole bombcast on the Wednesday. "

A day isn't going to entice more subscribers. the bombcast probably represents the biggest hosting issue for whiskey. Thus lots of money spent. Clearly the hours spent plus the hosting cost makes the bombcast the #1 target for subscriber marketing. They can't really make it Better per se so they're gonna have to limit it. Frankly how they've done it is very good in my honest opinion. "

" @Meteora said:

" @Claude said:

" This is awesome. I love this shit. Drama at its best, well, internet drama, but drama none the less. "

And the senior watches gleefully at how the shit is going down on Giantbomb. :3 "

I've created enough of my own drama. Don't let my coolness fool you. I'm sure I'll find something that will piss me off. But there again, only more drama. "

" @jadeskye said:

" @LiquidPrince said:

" @jadeskye said:

" @LiquidPrince said:

" @SpudBug:@jadeskye:  It's not the fact that they are getting subscriptions... Hell, people from the community were basically telling them that they were willing to support them. It's just the way they are going about it. Mostly it's the weird bombcast divide. "

I'm assuming you listened to the podcast detailing this stuff, it's clearly a matter of nessesity. They need to make money from the bombcast to continue it. It takes 8 manhours plus to make a bombcast. Thats a full working day. "

They are still going to be doing that no matter what. However it will be alienating the users using the divide. A smarter way in my opinion would be have the paid users watch it Tuesday like regular, and then have the free users hear the whole bombcast on the Wednesday. "

A day isn't going to entice more subscribers. the bombcast probably represents the biggest hosting issue for whiskey. Thus lots of money spent. Clearly the hours spent plus the hosting cost makes the bombcast the #1 target for subscriber marketing. They can't really make it Better per se so they're gonna have to limit it. Frankly how they've done it is very good in my honest opinion. "

I highly doubt the bombcast takes more bandwidth then their videos, like the Endurance runs and such. It is audio only. In my honest opinion, it's a very bad way to go about it. "

Well i'm tired of arguing with people whose only point is "but i want it" 
 
you're still getting two hours of podcast every week. I have no sympathy for you.

" @Claude said:

" @Meteora said:

" @Claude said:

" This is awesome. I love this shit. Drama at its best, well, internet drama, but drama none the less. "

And the senior watches gleefully at how the shit is going down on Giantbomb. :3 "

I've created enough of my own drama. Don't let my coolness fool you. I'm sure I'll find something that will piss me off. But there again, only more drama. "

Ah but of course.      I clearly remember the time when you ranted about the broken search engine and how you said it ruined Giantbomb for you. =P "

" @jadeskye:  Video and audio don't exactly compare 1:1. The bandwidth for one episode of the endurance run probably equals hundred of bombcasts. "

I plan on getting a year's sub as a "thank you" note but even i'm uncomfortable about the splitting bombcast...mostly confused about it...does it mean non members get two hours but split into one new hour and one "last week" hour?
I dunno, we'll see how things go.

The GB crew has my support.  When they were all at GameSpot, I paid a subscription there just because of these guys.  I didn't even really like the site that much.  Once they all left, I left.  These guys are the best.  They're the type of people I could totally see myself hanging out with.  If the money help keeps the site have all the coolness it does now, I'll be glad to have contributed.  Keep it up guys!

" @SpudBug:  I don't think many people are arguing that point at all.  Most are arguing that this is a bad decision for them as a whole as it devalues the entire site by at least a little bit.  Imagine if tomorrow Steam said they'll be charging $50 a year to let people buy games on day one, otherwise they have to wait a week.  Also, they'll be limited to 720p output in all Steam games. "

" Name one other outlet that provides 2+hours/week of free entertainment that you actually want to partake of and look forward to each and every week - for free.  I can't. As far as I can tell the bombcast being free is the unusual thing, not the normal thing. "

All the negativity is stemming from splitting up the Bombcast it seems to me. I think it is understandable to be upset about that cause something that was free isn't anymore(unless you wait a week). Whiskey really should not have made that decision(imo), they should have known there would be huge backlash.

@SpudBug

" Name one other outlet that provides 2+hours/week of free entertainment that you actually want to partake of and look forward to each and every week - for free.  I can't. As far as I can tell the bombcast being free is the unusual thing, not the normal thing. "

" It is possible to want to support the site but not support the decision to split Bombcasts.  Throw up a donate button. "

The split podcast thing is pretty shitty but a brotha's gotta get paid.  Just came at a horrible time when I am moving and low on funds at the moment. Just get rid of  Whiskey Media's red headed stepchild Anime Vice.  That should raise a few bones and rid the Whiskey Media Family of the uncle you are not comfortable leaving your kids alone with.  JKJKJK

I'm fine with the split of the bombcast, hell I've got a 3-4 episode backlog of them at all times, they're so damn long I don't know how people find the time. It's a shame that there is such a dumbass backlash against the guys at GB, you really can't expect to get all this quality content for free. The internet generation will always feel entitled to get get everything for free, there should be drawbacks to not paying for a subscription for a site like this, if there is not nobody would pay. The fact that people are so butthurt about it means that it's something they probably will miss a lot, so pay for it. I myself am fine with waiting a week.
 
I do however feel that $50 is a bit too much, 30$ would probably be a sweet spot a lot of people would go for, even 40$ would be fine. But $50, maaaaan.

" @StarFoxA said:

" @SpudBug said:

" Name one other outlet that provides 2+hours/week of free entertainment that you actually want to partake of each and every week - for free.  I can't. As far as I can tell the bombcast being free is the unusual thing, not the normal thing. "

Rebel FM, CAGCast, Hulu, and many more podcasts. "

And the bombcast will still do this for free. All the news and stuff that's time sensitive will be within the first hour the other hour will be things like E-mails and Vinny talking about Fallout 3 or Bayonetta. That's two hours of bombcast but just the second hour will be from last week if you don't subscribe. I don't see why people are up in arms over this. Saying that they are charging you for the bombcast is not true at all. It's purely the convenience of listening to everything right away plus all of the other stuff that comes with the subscription. I really don't think this is that big of a deal. "

Splay your moral superiority like a peacock.

Can someone explain to me what's happening to the bombcast? 

" Can someone explain to me what's happening to the bombcast?  "