So let me recap a few things that happened in the broader sense and a deafening silence addressing them:
- 3 Key members left without a proper explanation as to why. It's always a bad sign when people need to infer through a 3rd party interview done by MinnMax on Youtube as to why they left. I won't feed speculation because no one really knows.
- Giantbomb waited untill after a huge premium membership sale was done just state to that they're not returning to offices anymore and that everything is going to be a zoom- or a livestream, to the annoyance of many. I will not get into the debate what the quality of logistics of streaming from home is but if I was a paying member, I would have hoped for more information beforehand before subbing additional years.
- A persisting drop in quantity when it comes to content output, recently exacerbated by either people leaving, people getting sick or otherwise. We're not faulting anyone for events in life but the total lack of any communication is a disservice to those that are paying hard-earned money for essentially less and less content.
- The general lack of communication regarding pretty much anything. Nextlander, a skeleton-crew of 3 people, proves that you can stay in touch with your fanbase and adjust on the fly. The forums are dying slowly because the interaction of the crew is also at a minimum, even the subreddit is more active than the actual website.
- Rorie only adressing/posting because this topic gained some traction, only to do some damage control and say they have nothing to share at this time. Thanks for the empty plattitude?
i think @murderdeathmill broke it down pretty well in a nutshell. alot of ppl don't seem like they look at the big picture but that says things alot better than i ever could.
There was no real mystery about why they left and it isn't really giantbomb's place to speak for former employee's anyway
It baffles me that people genuinely believe there's mystery or shadiness or ill-will there. Maybe if they're like, teenagers that have never worked/changed jobs before the reasons might seem kinda unclear but it took me all of five seconds after hearing the news to understand.
The idea being floated that you can’t put out meaningful and engaging content remotely is ridiculously shortsighted given how many other outlets are doing exactly that. Being remote is not the problem.
Agree exactly with this...Nextlander has been brilliant and I've moved on to other outlets like Kinda Funny and the chemistry is there.
This is the first time I've visited this website in about a month. I checked this thread to see if maybe anything was changing, either on the creator side or the subscriber side. Turns out, the answer is a disappointing "Nope."
Seeing how many Red Ventures properties are losing everyone whose job is not putting a product next to a price tracker; with that in mind I think GB's value proposition is doing pretty well for the company at large.
I think there are a lot of people that aren't going to pay for one premium feature a week though because with holidays that's ending up being about a buck a video. I'm not cancelling, I want GB to avoid the fates of other sites in the RV catalog. But it feels more like a Patreon than a content service now, I must admit. And I think for retention, that difference matters.
It probably would have been better if Rorie didn't comment at all. The idea that they realize premium content is lacking/almost non existent but is still available to purchase rubs me the wrong way.
"Give us your money, and maybe we'll be able to talk more about what's going on a later date. Trust us!"
Some of CNET's longest tenured reviewers, some of the former CBSi's best designers, a lot of GameSpot's best not as surface but not just making listicles content creators have all gone over the past year.
With that in mind "Please keep paying but I can't talk specifics" makes a lot of sense to me.
Don't want to say more than that though, as I'm already flirting with fantasy booking, and that's not gonna help anyone.
as far as i can understand they were bought by Red Ventures Company in mid "Covid19-20 fiasco" and i don't know how independent they are right now from Red Ventures Company and where is our Premium money going and or plus, after the departure of Abby, Vinny, Alex and brad i can't condone where is this site: Giantbomb, going right now. For me there is no reason to pay Premium if they still Stream from their houses as they please as they figure out at random what to do next. I know we are in difficult times but, this is too much to swallow for me in my opinion. Sorry, i use to like this site a lot :(
I can see why someone might want to make a burner. It doesn't invalidate those feelings that were shared. Being critical of personality based content is difficult because you often offend people who feel like those personalities are their best friends who are being attacked and respond accordingly. I feel like critical comments in this thread are overwhelmingly from people who are legitimately bummed and/or coming to terms with a hard change, not trolling.
@hibbitybibbard: i understand what you mean. We are good people do not worry about it this is still a good place to share opinions with other duders ;)
I can see why someone might want to make a burner. It doesn't invalidate those feelings that were shared. Being critical of personality based content is difficult because you often offend people who feel like those personalities are their best friends who are being attacked and respond accordingly. I feel like critical comments in this thread are overwhelmingly from people who are legitimately bummed and/or coming to terms with a hard change, not trolling.
They can ban me for my opinion if they really want, because I simply don't care anymore and neither does Giant Bomb apparently. I used to care but shouting into a void hoping for something to change made me realize to spend my time and money elsewhere, such as The Fire Escape Cast and Nextlander.
I am saying this as someone who followed Giant Bomb from way back around 2009. I won't get into old-gramps nostalgia tinted-glasses mode but the Wiskey Media times were there for me when I had a shitty day or week, something to look forward to. Of course times change, people change and even I change. I find myself having less and less time to spend on videogames so most my time is spent listening to podcasts while commuting and the occasional quicklook or gaintbomb-talks-over video. However everything about GiantBomb nowadays feels like it's a chore for them and they're just going through the motions. I wonder where the enthusiasm for the medium has gone? I had bouts of depression, some personal medical issues, seeing how helpless COVID made us doctors and health care workers in general...but...
I can still get excited and giddy for a new sequel such as Devil May Cry (V) or a new fighting game. I even quit my last job so I could play Elden Ring and I'm not joking. So...why is big kahuna Jeff not coming clean and at least acknowledging things are not going great for the website and that our concerns are valid?
@murderdeathmill: You've every right not to care but please at least spare a thought for the others trying to air their concerns. Plenty of these threads have been closed already and something that gets you banned could easily get this locked. Do you really want to remove the opportunity for others because you've had enough and don't care about being civil any more?
Not trying to invalidate your thoughts and feelings, I get it, but if you're getting really angry about it best all around to step away for a minute I reckon.
Some of CNET's longest tenured reviewers, some of the former CBSi's best designers, a lot of GameSpot's best not as surface but not just making listicles content creators have all gone over the past year.
With that in mind "Please keep paying but I can't talk specifics" makes a lot of sense to me.
Don't want to say more than that though, as I'm already flirting with fantasy booking, and that's not gonna help anyone.
This is part of RV‘s DNA… this is from a 2019 article about the group.
„That's why the company has built a culture predicated on adaptability. Elias relocates himself periodically, and employee teams are changed on a regular basis to keep things fresh, promote learning, and avoid complacency. This credo is posted on the wall at the Curve, the company's new learning development center: "Everything is written in pencil."
Even disrupters get disrupted, especially as they get bigger, Elias says--better to do it to your own company before someone else does. "The idea has changed countless times over the years. So, the idea is a lot less relevant than the team you do it with--and how you do it."“
so a personality based Website does not really fit into this way of running a company
FYI, we would ban someone for creating a burner account because it is against the community rules, not for being critical in their opinions (as long as you aren't being a jerk). This thread has stayed open despite people being critical because voicing your concerns or questions about premium is completely fair.
Finally cancelled my sub as my renewal was coming up in a few days. I'm cancelling not because of the lack of content, but because of the lack of communication. I find it borderline disrespectful that there has been next to no engagement or discussion about a clear lack of content and direction with the paying community , many of whom have been supporting Giant Bomb for year.
It feels like the staff just can't be bothered-- and yes, that might be completely off base and they might be bursting at the seams to say something to us that their corporate owners won't allow, but that's the feeling / perception I have, and that's what is going to linger with me here at the end of my time as a premium member. It's frustrating and a sad way to "end" things.
@murderdeathmill: You've every right not to care but please at least spare a thought for the others trying to air their concerns. Plenty of these threads have been closed already and something that gets you banned could easily get this locked. Do you really want to remove the opportunity for others because you've had enough and don't care about being civil any more?
Not trying to invalidate your thoughts and feelings, I get it, but if you're getting really angry about it best all around to step away for a minute I reckon.
nothing that user said is remotely worthy of a ban; every criticism had a caveat to try and explain what GB's side of the story may be, and there was zero speculating
This was something Vinny said many many years ago but it's still true: the Giant Bomb community on the whole is extremely positive and will usually defer to the staff when they say things like "we need time to get our studio up" or whatever so if you have this many people voicing a negative opinion, that's a real issue.
the real question is: why are so many GB members (including paying subs) still being left in the dark on the future of the site?
Edit: posted this a minute before the news of Jeff G's departure came on.. obviously that changes a lot.
@thepickle: I didn't expect they would get banned for what they said but was rather trying to get ahead of what they might say with an attitude of not caring and with a fresh account (why make it if not planning on saying something that might negatively affect your actual account?) and maybe stop them doing something they'd regret. Looks like it maybe doesn't help in the end but at no point was I suggesting anyone would be banned for being critical.
Some of CNET's longest tenured reviewers, some of the former CBSi's best designers, a lot of GameSpot's best not as surface but not just making listicles content creators have all gone over the past year.
With that in mind "Please keep paying but I can't talk specifics" makes a lot of sense to me.
Don't want to say more than that though, as I'm already flirting with fantasy booking, and that's not gonna help anyone.
Ok. Now I feel like I wasn't being told what I'd be paying for going forward on purpose. Let's see those answers, I guess.
I won't lie, this is the first time since 2014 that I've considered dropping GB, and it hurts. I'm open to whatever's next, but it's impossible to ignore what a serious blow this is.
I feel for the folks that are staying and have to make something new out of this. I've been mostly a podcast and archive watcher since Abby and Ben bounced. Remote work killed what made GB great, to me, people in a room playing off each other. I have very little hope that RV is doing well by these former CBS properties. Wild. Good luck Jeff.
@efesell: 100% Jeff was the last remaining hope I had for the site and he's been absent from the type of content I come here for. The recent State of Play for example.
Without someone of his age, history, knowledge, and background in games I have no one I can relate to anymore on the staff.
Best of luck duder and all the duders and duderettes who have to right this sinking ship.
I mean, this isn't that big of a change. The site's been ran by Jan (and Jess) for a while now.
Also, the important part: "Starting tomorrow, there will be a renewed focus on a core group of nine Giant Bomb crew members," New blood is coming.
As for the whole Nextlander vs. Giantbomb thing, since it's become some sort of console war. I feel it's disingenuous to say that they're better for putting out content with three people when GB has been de facto ran by two people for a while now. Also even if they interact with fans, they sure did take a year to start putting out the podcast that people were asking for on day one and even then it's once a month and costs 10 bucks. And the quality of content is completely a matter of opinion, I've personally bounced off of most of Nextlander's content due to the bitter/negative attitude their content tends to have. Comfy crew was cool, but they stopped doing it.
@looterjennings: I'm going to miss chatting with you during random streams. Unless they bring in a dedicated show about Wrestling and Gundams, I'm out.
@looterjennings: This is why we get paid the big bucks (lol). For what it's worth, I think this site is bigger than any one person. I've been listening to Jeff for more than half of my life and this is a huge change. However, I'm still optimistic about the people who are still here.
@retris: The lack of content has been a long standing issue if anything it's been an indication of what can be done outside of a corporate structure with the right drive. Not sure about negative output from them....like maybe could be argued Alex but the other two aren't!
I totally get why they've been quiet about this, it can't be easy news to break and no doubt it's gonna impact the site a lot.
For my part I'm gonna miss Jeff but I still really like the crew and I'm excited to finally hear the actual plans for the future with some possible new hires involved. Still gonna stay open minded and hopeful for the future of GB.
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