What do you want Giant Bomb to be?

Nextlander

Ok for real this topic has just devolved into another thread of people complaining and reminiscing about the "good old days" of 2018 or some shit so does this really need to stay when even the op agreed that it's basically lost the plot?

Whatever it wants to be.

People playing games and/or People talking about playing games and food. That's pretty much all I want.

I've tried some of the new non game related shows and they're fine but just not what I come here for. My free time is pretty limted atm and I'm not that interested in bad albums and not at all interested in social media trends so they just aren't for me.

That being said I'm not against the new collaborative format (Guilty Treasures is gold), I'd just like more of a game focus. Some non-video game stuff would suit me too too, an Austin show with some p&p rpgs would be something I'd love to see.

@fugoy: I'm not entirely sure what the problem is?

@kunakai: if you don't see what the problem is with a thread that is far removed from it's original topic and is just an excuse for people to self wank about the "direction of gb" for like the 5th time then you're part of the problem.

I want it to be what is was before the Bakalar Mandate. Industry veterans and good buddies just shooting the shit about Video Games.

But, that's done now. Thank god for Nextlander. GB is dead to me.

@fugoy: I echo @kunakai's sentiment. You seem to have an unhealthily emotional attachment to defending this site. People will continue to express their opinions until they are addressed, or they will leave. I don't get why this is difficult for you to comprehend. Kunakai put it pretty simply. This is a thread asking people what they want from Giantbomb, and plenty of people are saying they prefer the type of content produced earlier in Giantbomb's history. That seems like a pretty reasonable sentiment and well within the scope of the topic.

GB is it's best when the folks playing together are having a good time, doesn't matter what they are playing, trash or masterpiece. The fun personalities, optimism, and general humble humor was always Giantbomb's main draw. GB felt like a spiritual extension of a general gamer zeitgeist (SA, Neogaf, countless old forums). It was never the games that drew me to GB, it was always the duders and dudettes, I know Jeff knows this as he's mentioned it in the past. Finding good people is hard in any profession.

Also Quicklooks, I miss them, they are too infrequent and I really relied on them for an entertaining and informative decision.

this. @fugoy many ppl are just flatout replying to the question of this topic which is 'what you want this site to be' if you don't like what ppl are saying thats fine but idk why you need to come into any thread where ppl say they want X ( even moreso in this case since it was explicitly asked) and complain about what they say , its not like tyou have to read every thread and all , you Can just 'walk' away from these without bashing ppl having an opinion.

Its seems like a lot of what people want for contend and the pace of production, it would requires more people, most of them talented. More content means more full time video editors, more writers for segments, and more camera guys, and at least one more "on camera" talking head. Moreover, the more scripted stuff people want, the more people Giant Bomb would need to add.

I like the new stuff they are doing, and when games come back stronger I'd enjoy more gaming content too.

Final warning for this thread, if ya'll can't keep from insulting each other then I won't keep this thread open.

I am happy to let GB grow and change into whatever the staff are interested in. I have loved seeing more Danny and Jeff Bakalar because their personalities are great. I will watch whatever Jan is involved in, and I love the unstructured Gerstmann streams.

While I would like to see more UPF-like streams it is hard to capture that same energy when everyone is streaming from home. I think the new shows have been fun and refreshing. I havent seen all of them, but I have enjoyed the ones that I've watched. I hope they continue to be a platform for entertaining people to entertain.

I'm surprised this is the only comment other than my own to say this. I'm reading 500 page essays on here that boil down to "I want more quick looks." Yeah so do I, but quick looks are free. The only parts of the site that I can watch are quick looks and the bombcast. Maybe non premium members left already, or don't care enough to engage in discussion.

Just to be clear: Giant Bomb could bring back every single feature from the past and I still wouldn't subscribe to Premium. This isn't about the money or the value, either. I used to be a premium subscriber. I don't want to be one again. Not in this new era of games coverage. Jeff was right: times have changed. There's no going back to the way things were.

@besetment: Yes, I think that's because most users who are active enough on the site to even think of posting on it (outside of a random comment here and there) are premium members. And most of us have been premium members for so long due to sales and whatnot, that we aren't entirely sure what the site is like outside of premium. Your comment and the one you quoted made me wonder for the first time in years how much content has been available to you in the recent years. Outside of the occasional mention from the crew when something was going to be free, it's not something I ever kept track of. It's simply not a concern once you're in premium.

You're right, the premium model does feel like a relic from the past in some regards, at least in this genre of website. But I don't think that's going to change. Could be wrong!

i mean i've been paying for premium mostly because i liked the free stuff and its the free stuff i feel like is most missing from what i want on this site so idk i totally get this. i don't support things if i don't like what they show in the first place so it has been a bit 'problematic' recently around here so i can understand them saying they want it to be useable for free members.

I just want the site to succeed. A lot of people have turned this thread into just bitching and whining without any real suggestions or constructive criticisms. Like Vinny said, these are people making this content. And while a lot of those people are no longer with the site, the people that still are have brought us years, if not a decade of entertainment.

I really appreciated Quick Looks over the years, they helped me pick up a lot of games I wouldn’t have otherwise (and avoid others lol.). I would also love developer interviews like Minnmax and Kinda Funny. I don’t know the metrics of these videos except Youtube and they didn’t seem to be that popular so it’s understandable that changes are being made even if I would love more of this type of content. I loved the Random Steam games streams also. I love UPFs but since I’m not a big podcast guy I unsubscribed. However, due to how much fun GB has given me over the years I’m always going to try their new shows (really appreciate the first eps being free). I like that the shows are seasonal as it means it would only take 1 new show I like, UPFs and the occasional Quick Look for me to sign up again. I would like more gameplay related shows like a lot of people have said but the short runs of these shows mean that in a few months they could be doing exactly that. I like that theyre getting weird with it right now because theyll learn a lot.

I'd like them to look at new games. There are more games than ever coming at me on all kinds of subscription services. Giant Bomb used to be my go to place to help sort through the mess. Now I load up the front page for the first time in a month and there's been a single Quick Look in August. If I didn't know any better, I would just assume the site is dead or on life support.

I canceled my sub after 8 years. As much as I like Jeff Grubb and Dan, the only thing that would get me back is the basic content that Giant Bomb was built on.

I'm here to watch videos of Jeff clear out his garage and listen to people my age talk about video games.

Well I'm on youtube and a podcast app doing that and not actually subbed to GB atm, but I feel like if the site supports Jeff in whatever he wants to do then I'm happy with it as long as we still get that raw Gerstmann content.

This is the worst kind of fantasy booking on my part, but I still think there's plenty of free real estate in a video game complement to RedLetterMedia. Because it would require so much industry expertise, and Jeff Gerstmann is literally the most veteran member of games journalism still working in the industry.

With that said, Jeff was pretty clear about the direction of Giant Bomb on the most recent Garage Talk video. For all the (valid) points about lack of transparency, you can tell they've been thinking about how to adapt to everything both within and outside of their control. Because honestly, what else would they have been doing all this time?

Personally, I would just like to see more games content. Borne 2 Run is a good step, but I think we need to get back to the core of GB: routine quicklooks, basic impression/review videos (nothing fancy, just discussion of specific games), and less of the podcast-y "hey let's talk about X." I mean, the Bombcast, in my view, already accounts for so much of GB's discussion based content, that I feel we need more hands on game playing. Maybe i"m just a dying old man of 45, but really all I ever watched on GB for these 12-odd years was people playing video games. I have no intent of cancelling anytime soon if for nothing else than access to the archives which have been a huge part of my life, so this isn't a "I'm taking my ball home" post, but I do kinda want GB to be more about video games. I understand Covid and life issues are beating everyone up right now and I totally respect GB for what they are doing and how they are dealing with it all, but yeah...just get back to maybe some more of that game look/game industry stuff. That would be my request for 2022.

New talent to be hired and introduced to us with a new game series in the way like Abby with Steal my Sunshine, Austin with Vinnyvania and Dan with Mario Party Party. As someone that never watched or listened to a single Bombcast or Beastcast its painful to see every new idea they have be a podcast show with the exception of Demon's Souls.

More Quick Looks on indie titles and retro games. They used to be so on top of this, especially with UPF, but it's faltered over the years (for a lot of reasons of course).

GB does seem re-energized lately, so maybe we'll get back to it. The non-gaming programming hasn't really clicked for me.

It's unuseable for free members. Simple as that.

I want it to be what it cannot be. I want the whisky media days back. Unfortunately that time is gone. Less corporate, less political, more punk rock. That would be a good direction to head in imho

I'm sure some of that soul will come back if and when they get back into a studio, but to answer the main question is 2021 giant bomb needs to be about video games, full stop. you can do the content around it, like a clothmap, or the new show guilty treasures, which IMO feels like the first next step for GB. Its a fantastic idea and well executed. But we need new faces, danny has been great on the podcasts, hire that man full time, no contractor bs. We need a female perspective too, Abby leaving drained a ton from this site. But its so hard right now with everything, these are real people, they care about this more than we do. They are trying new things because thats what made GB so great to begin with. I'll be sticking around for the time being, but if it devolves into some content mill and theres a new show about watching and making fun of bad movies, then i am so out.

I have come to accept that "You Can't Go Home Again."

The house is still here and I can come visit anytime I want.

But it ain't home anymore.

So GB should do whatever they want to do in this new era.

I wish them all the best with rebuilding the bomb.

I just watch GB Infinite until I see more programming I want to get into. Its not even that I want more quick looks or whatever- I love garage time with jeff- thats good cleaning fun.

For me personally, I like programming focused on specific media. Guilty Treasures is pretty close to my absolute dream show—pretty much the idea I had when asking myself what would I make a podcast about. Something focused on esoteric art, with idiosyncratic passion-analysis. Hot Takeouts looks like it's going to be in this ballpark too, so it's exciting to see two shows pop up that are very much tailored to my interests. I'm also totally game for any straight up video game editorializing; Quick Looks, Friday shows, or whatever form that's going to take, I'm in.

1) I really miss unprofessional fridays. I understand the realities of pandemic, but that was the hardest loss of content so far. I especially miss unprofessional fridays when they got a large crew together. Basically 4-6 people meeting in one room and playing weird/old/coach games. I miss stuff like wind jammers. It had these wonderful moments of all these different people interacting. It felt as a community. Now it feels like a few random shows with random people and a lonely jeff playing some weird old stuff.

2) Long playthroughs (although they do not have any strong duos anymore).

3) I really like guilty pleasures, that was a good idea.

4) Ranking of fighters.

5) Anything with Dan and or Austin, preferably together.

What I think was bad in some of the shows as of late:

1) The very online show - all of it is bad. If I wanted some people somewhat inanely discuss memes, I would have gone to reddit.

2) Bak 2 Skool - the idea is great and I love Dan. The problem is Jeff just does not have enough knowledge. 50% of the time he either does not correctly understand everything, or tries to explain it to Dan in such a bad manner, that Dan's understanding does not improve. It's cringeworthy to look at.

I want more non-white male talent brought up and showcased by the site and the audience not to embarrass itself in the process. Even compared its peers at other game sites, GB is sorely behind in grabbing up talented women and POC.