That’s fair! I definitely respect that it has to suck to be a single comment away from igniting a real hateful storm at any given moment, especially when you have to talk publicly for hours a week.
And even then, not every podcast opinion needs a dissertation backing up, the core feeling behind it is valid either way.
For what it’s worth, the stuff that struck a nerve enough to make me type a bunch of BS at 3am was not just you or even mostly you, because yeah this year alone they semi-undid like 5 deaths and replaced two others with new versions.
Appreciate you taking the time to reply, sorry to take up some of your New Years Eve, I hope the rest is better.
Yeah, the ubiquity of them doesn't leave a lot of bandwidth for other things, which sucks if you're not a fan.
But like..they're fun? Charming? Well-made? Exciting? Connected in neat ways? Loving of the comics without being chained to the worst parts of them? It's not just the drooling masses that like these movies. It's not the Michael Bay transformers franchise, or something.
There's more programming in the NFL on a single Sunday than there is Marvel content over a like, five year span.
It might just be hard for me to relate because I don't have the natural resentment that comes from a vocal fandom getting pissed off at me about opinions, or urging me 365 days a year that something that is not for me IS for me actually. But in a world where there are legitimate criticisms to be levied at this franchise (occasional contracts with the military, restrictive theatre demands, whitewashing a character, limited representation that can be edited out in some countries etc), shallow shots fired just wear me down, you know?
I had watched 500 bombcasts in a row or whatever but fell off this year when people left. (That doesn't entitle me to anything, I know. ) I decided today to make an effort to try and hop back on the train, only to get clotheslined off the train by the Marvel...discussion(?) in this episode. It's not that people don't like something that I like, it's mostly just that the -level- of disdain feels weirdly high. I don't find it hard to believe that there's good reason for it, that justification just didn't seem to get articulated here.
I don't know. I tried not to be a fanboy fandom warrior, but probably didn't articulate any of this well enough myself. Long story short, was having a good time with this episode, but got real bummed out in a hurry. Like, I guess for the first time since clicking on a link to the Dragon Age 1 quick look in 2009, I felt unwelcome? Oh well, it'll probably pass.
Edit: Within seconds after hitting play again, Jess makes a good point about the saturation feeling overwhelming even with TONS of filters, which is totally a valid reason to be frustrated.
Regarding the metroid double jump it's weird in that you both have to be jumping horizontally and also can only activate it AFTER the height of the first jump
BUT, I get the sense it's like that so you cannot just spam it and have to kind of put some thought and timing into the jump. The downside is that it makes it feel weird and you feel like you have slightly less control than you want. When I eventually got used to the timing of it I was able to plan that initial jump better with the double jump in mind etc and the timing became second nature, but there's definitely a certain rhythm that they want you to hit with these jumps.
Much respect to Jeff for bringing up Palestine and shouting out Tam and the other outlets who have been working to try and highlight charities and relief efforts, and for Danny helping out with that conversation.
Even if bullied into it, ME3s updated ending is better. The DLC is good. They might not have the most exciting resolutions for things like the Rachni Queen, but they stick the landing with the squadmates, which was a thousand times more important to me.
They said it’s a good jumping off point but that was just a marketing department going HAM, only 1 squadmate was a brand new character and that was Vega. Unlike Dragon Age where it’s a 90% refresh each time, including protagonist.
Even with all that, given the ‘my Shepard’s story is told’ sentiment, the only way I can see someone like Jeff going through the whole series again is by making a bizarro Shepard. Female instead of male, renegade instead of paragon, biotic instead of soldier, etc. maybe even just do the motion comic and skip straight to 2.
Regarding the feeling that it felt like it was rushing forward with too much urgency, that’s the kind of stuff that the DLC and expanded ending address.
No website had more integrity than Giant Bomb. No website introduced me to more new voices than Giant Bomb. (E3, GOTY etc) No website pulled back the curtain more than Giant Bomb.
I hope that whatever comes next retains that commitment to honesty, transparency, warmth, and weirdness. You guys were my north star for my favorite hobby, helping me to put my limited time, money and energy towards really cool, really exiting things. You've heard it so much that maybe it sounds like white noise to you guys, but when times suck ass, Giant Bomb has been there to rely on to pick me up. After a shitty day at work, when something goes wrong around the house, when family lets you down, when tragedy strikes, all of it.
I've read dozens and dozens of pages of people reacting to the news this week, and if you haven't, you might be incredibly surprised by the amount of people saying "I'm ride or die with Jeff Gerstmann." The comments on this video are a big testament to that. The community has your back, lean on us if you need to. A pandemic, a new child, reforging something so important... if anyone can pull it off, it's you, man.
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