I've been coming to this site for a very long time. When I discovered Giant Bomb, it was love at first sight. I remember my first Quicklook and I remember telling all of my friends about it. I remember the first Live Stream and how things that needed to be done that afternoon didn't get done. The first Bombcast helped ease the wait leading up to a midnight release for a game I don't even remember. There was a sense of pride I felt in this website and in these people that I've never met...
So what happened?
It starts with Jeff. His acerbic attitude was refreshing at first; Here's a guy that, somewhat like me, was jaded and expected more of an industry that was (and still is) very juvenile and insecure. But now it's wearing me down. It's like he's not having fun anymore and now everything is a joke or a critique. I can't remember the last time where it seemed like he genuinely liked something that came out after the 90's. When I watch or listen to him, I know that there is a 50% chance of hearing him say "Wow this is duuuumb", or seeing him sigh and look around like whatever he's doing is a waste of time. That seems like a great way to alienate some of the people that you're trying to connect with. Jeff, a guy that I admire, is simply becoming too sardonic for me to appreciate.
As far as everyone else, I don't really have a issue except to say that Patrick showed up and the site started to change soon after. I don't mind that he's focusing so much on niche content, but it seems like Giant Bomb went and got all hipster because of him. A site that used to be almost exclusively about games (big or small) and people playing those games, now seems to be forcing-feeding us 'Frosted Indie-O's, the Breakfast of Underdogs' on a weekly basis. I'm not saying that it's a bad thing, but when there isn't a ton of content to begin with, and most of it is dedicated to your indie developer friends, and their friends, and friends of friends...
Which leads me to my biggest concern, which is, as I stated, that there hasn't been as much content as there used to be, and half of the stuff I want to see is now behind a paywall. I understand that you have a small staff, but people love you guys AND you are well-respected, which is an extremely coveted position to be in. So did you really need to capitalize on that by adding Premium content? I'll admit that I almost subscribed a couple of times, but never did simply for the fact that the kind of stuff I now have to pay for is the kind of stuff that made me love the site in the first place, back when it was just there to enjoy. I would never had come to love this site as much as I do, if back then it was in the state that it is in now. I used to suggest to my friends (and even some strangers) to make Giant Bomb their video game destination of choice, and many of them did. But I can honestly say that I have not made that suggestion in about 7 or 8 months.
Please don't interpret this a rant. My purpose of saying this is not to get attention or start something. I'm only saying this because I sincerely love you guys and I'm just disappointed in the direction I think the site is heading. I could be way off base and I could just be having one of those days where I think about things too much. I know this is insignificant and trivial, but I consider you my friends, and friends don't let friends ruin a good thing.
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