Giant Bombcast 12-20-2011

sooo bitching about patrick is banned? what about free speech? i just dont like him sometimes.

Can't wait for all the GOTY stuff.

EDIT: wow, lots of people bitching about trivial stuff. Geez people, grow up.

@kiwi_whisker said:

@Milkman said:

@Jeff said:

@BelligerentEngine said:

Oh great that guy is still here slightly lowering the quality of Bombcasts. I don't want to be rude so I'll just say his name rhymes with Atrick Elpick.

I don't want to be rude, so I'll just say that stupid comments like this are lowering the quality of discourse on this site and if this is all you have to say, I recommend you go listen to something else.

Glad someone said this but this whole "I hate Patrick" thing is really getting on my fucking nerves. It's gotten to the point where I'm starting to completely avoid comments on some videos because I'm tired of hearing these assholes bitch and moan, which something I never, ever had to worry about this site.

If you don't like Patrick (or anyone on the staff for that matter), go to a different website or shut your damn mouth because no one wants to fucking hear about it.

Agreed! Patrick is fine with me. This whole issue is a storm in a teacup if you ask me - I doubt whiskey gives a damn.

Same here. Totally flipped out on a person yesterday for no reason. Stop the hate. It's pointless and ruins other people's joy.

@ZagZagovich said:

@kiwi_whisker said:

@Milkman said:

@Jeff said:

@BelligerentEngine said:

Oh great that guy is still here slightly lowering the quality of Bombcasts. I don't want to be rude so I'll just say his name rhymes with Atrick Elpick.

I don't want to be rude, so I'll just say that stupid comments like this are lowering the quality of discourse on this site and if this is all you have to say, I recommend you go listen to something else.

Glad someone said this but this whole "I hate Patrick" thing is really getting on my fucking nerves. It's gotten to the point where I'm starting to completely avoid comments on some videos because I'm tired of hearing these assholes bitch and moan, which something I never, ever had to worry about this site.

If you don't like Patrick (or anyone on the staff for that matter), go to a different website or shut your damn mouth because no one wants to fucking hear about it.

Agreed! Patrick is fine with me. This whole issue is a storm in a teacup if you ask me - I doubt whiskey gives a damn.

Same here. Totally flipped out on a person yesterday for no reason. Stop the hate. It's pointless and ruins other people's joy.

Guys, are we going to let an engine that runs on belligerence ruin our day?

@sub_o said:

Wait, what did Jeff mean by he's not seeing us on the site next year ?

Is he leaving GiantBomb ? I hope I misheard or misunderstood this !

He said he was taking an extra week off at the beginning of the year (dead period and all that) in an earlier podcast, or video or something.

Can't wait for the 4.5hr GOTY podcast !:!:!

@Duffyside said:

I imagine Brad's launch X-Box being held together by duct-tape, rocking and jiggling wildly on his desk whenever he turns it on, smoke softly emanating from the back, the entire unit looking like it survived a flood.

I want to see this thing badly. Or user, artistic interpretations of it.

No e-mails only Bombcast this year round?

I'm going to be playing Skyrim on the 360, but with NO PATCHES. None. No internet at home right now to download them.

So that'll be fun. Hopefully the "quest progression issues" that the day 1 patch fixed aren't too big.

With straws, you do a hybrid. Slightly tare the top, then tap it. Best of both worlds.

"Unwrap it, before you tap it"

@Brendan@Generiko: Thanks for clearing that up. It didn't help when Brad said "Good working with you"

Motherfucker hate a straw.

I don't dislike anyone on the podcast but I would like to say I would love to have Vinny on more regularly. I'm sure there is a reason he's been missing more podcasts but he's by far my favorite bombcaster.

What's this other podcast they're referring to?

Also, Patrick is great! I really enjoy his research and insights on the podcast and in his writing.

@Korosuzo said:

I don't dislike anyone on the podcast but I would like to say I would love to have Vinny on more regularly. I'm sure there is a reason he's been missing more podcasts but he's by far my favorite bombcaster.

yeah with his vacation and now hard at work on the vids they should just clone him so he is always on

*Steps in to say that Other M didn't suck. Steps out.*

I'm sorry to say it, but Brad being mopey about swtor was just goddamn hilarious.

Kind of really sick of enjoying great content to glance down to a fuck pile of hate in the comments.

@subtek:

8-4 Play, Japanese-focused podcast.

See here: http://www.1up.com/do/minisite?cId=3181465

MMOs have always been alien to me. I tried WoW, and several others, and they just never made sense to me. i didn't see the draw or enjoyment.

It's most likely because my heart in gaming has always been story-based western RPGs (Morrowind was my first great love. Or was KOTOR before that?). MMOs just never had that.

And yet, oddly, the MMO I played longest (relative term, we're talking 6 months) was EVE Online. So... idk.

What's up with BioWare?

I am hearing a lot of disappointment in this fall's bombcast. Modern warfare 3 was met with a lot of conversation pining for a next step or the future, not more of the same. SW TOR feedback was oh god, not more WoW. So where are we going for video games? Is a hardware transition necessary for new gaming experiences? Is it just developers coming up with new viable experiences that will sell well? Is all of this more of the same just a symptom of the down economy and hence developers won't take risks? I find it amazing that even hugely popular licenses like Mechwarrior can't get funding for a new multiplatform game. So what will it take for us to move forward in gaming? Is innovation just better graphics? Is it better motion control? 3D? Better online experiences?

@Grillbar said:

@Korosuzo said:

I don't dislike anyone on the podcast but I would like to say I would love to have Vinny on more regularly. I'm sure there is a reason he's been missing more podcasts but he's by far my favorite bombcaster.

yeah with his vacation and now hard at work on the vids they should just clone him so he is always on

I could only wish.

@SuperJoe said:

@Duffyside said:

I imagine Brad's launch X-Box being held together by duct-tape, rocking and jiggling wildly on his desk whenever he turns it on, smoke softly emanating from the back, the entire unit looking like it survived a flood.

I want to see this thing badly. Or user, artistic interpretations of it.

I like this. I knew I could count on SuperJoe.

Please trend.

@Max_Hydrogen said:

@Manatassi said:

Hey Just so theres some balance here since a bunch of complete Douchebags have decided to comment.

Patrick happens to be one of the best things on GiantBomb and has brought things to the site that have really rounded out the experience.

Thanks Patrick for being an Awesome addition to GiantBomb. Keep up the good work.

If one can call others doucehbags for not liking someone then why not label those who feel the opposite as being ass-kissers and opportunistic sycophants who'll crawl out of the woodwork hoping they'll get noticed when Jeff Gerstmann posts a comment? I didn't see so many comments against Pathate before that...

Why are people surprised that this stuff happens? If you give people a venue on which they can anonymously express themselves without fear of consequence then you're just begging for drama and instead of complaining about people's complaints, why not realize that Giantbomb provides its users with a system that allows them to write anything they want and if that's a problem then the responsibility lies with those you made it possible in the first place. Also, if so many people voice their displeasure, it probably means there's something wrong somewhere... There was a comment reminding us that the GB community used to be "all love" and now there is too much hate. Well, when did this "hate" begin?

As for me, I have to admit Patrick is o.k. on the Bombcast but I couldn't disagree more with your comment.

Im not calling anyone a Douchebag for disliking a person. I'm calling them Douchebags for sitting behind their anonymity attacking the personality of someone who has had the balls to put their face and their work out to the public for our enjoyment. Hiding behind anonymity and attacking someone who can't do the same is being a Douchebag especially as that person is attempting to provide content for the users of this site to enjoy.

By all means dislike whoever you want but until you have the balls to put your own work out there you certainly don't have the right to make public attacks on the personality of that person. Disagreeing with a persons opinion or criticising someones work does not bother me but attacking someones personality who was brave enough to be themselves publicly while hiding your own identity just makes you a Douchebag.

Just because the site means that you can be a Douchebag does not mean that when you choose to be one you aren't a Douchebag.

Hope that clarifies the statement :)

oh and when Jeff makes a post it gets noticed by people who otherwise might have ignored the comments. Personally I figured it would be nice to let Patrick know that people do like his work and appreciate what he does... so, as i said, we have some Balance :) unfortunately the negative comments do rather overwhelm the lower half of the internet. We do seem to always remember to complain but rarely to point out when we like something.

When did Brad start fellating Bethesda over every other company?

Edit: Oh, right, it's just this year's "Starcraft" for him.

@Brendan said:

@ZagZagovich said:

@kiwi_whisker said:

@Milkman said:

@Jeff said:

@BelligerentEngine said:

Oh great that guy is still here slightly lowering the quality of Bombcasts. I don't want to be rude so I'll just say his name rhymes with Atrick Elpick.

I don't want to be rude, so I'll just say that stupid comments like this are lowering the quality of discourse on this site and if this is all you have to say, I recommend you go listen to something else.

Glad someone said this but this whole "I hate Patrick" thing is really getting on my fucking nerves. It's gotten to the point where I'm starting to completely avoid comments on some videos because I'm tired of hearing these assholes bitch and moan, which something I never, ever had to worry about this site.

If you don't like Patrick (or anyone on the staff for that matter), go to a different website or shut your damn mouth because no one wants to fucking hear about it.

Agreed! Patrick is fine with me. This whole issue is a storm in a teacup if you ask me - I doubt whiskey gives a damn.

Same here. Totally flipped out on a person yesterday for no reason. Stop the hate. It's pointless and ruins other people's joy.

Guys, are we going to let an engine that runs on belligerence ruin our day?

Hey well thanks for all the replies, I guess, I certainly unlocked a fair number of quests for it.

In all seriousness though I don't think there is anything wrong with my dislike of Patrick as a "regular" member of the bombcast. Simple fact is I've been listening to the podcast since it was called Arrow Pointing Down. I've listened to every single regular episode probably 3-4 times now. This is kind of my weekly routine. Over the course of all that time the first interaction I've had with a crew member of the site is this hah =[.

You reap what you sow I suppose. Regardless I consider myself a pretty big fan of the content this family of sites produces. Point being when you're as obsessive over a thing you start to nit pick. I never really liked when Brad and Vinny first joined the cast proper either, but I got used to it.

In my mind it's just like a fan of a sports team being disappointed when a promising draft pick doesn't return on your initial expectation. As far as listening to something else, I like to listen to people talking about video games and this is the peak quality, "talkin' bout games" content I can find. If anyone wants to recommend something else feel free, but otherwise I'm not going to follow Jeff's advice.

I would apologize for the, "tone" of what I said, but that would be disingenuous as my original intention was to rile (I was going to say Patrick Supporters), but *more* normal people is probably a more apt descriptor, up and the only reason I'd being going back on what I said is because Jeff admonished me personally.

End of the story is I said slightly decreased quality and I'll stick by that metric. I still enjoy it, and I'm still happy to pay for this yearly membership.

Thanks for the shaming, I won't say I didn't deserve it and I really I could've been more clever than removing the first letters from the name, I'll admit that was poor.

Happy Holidays,

@Milkman said:

@Jeff said:

@BelligerentEngine said:

Oh great that guy is still here slightly lowering the quality of Bombcasts. I don't want to be rude so I'll just say his name rhymes with Atrick Elpick.

I don't want to be rude, so I'll just say that stupid comments like this are lowering the quality of discourse on this site and if this is all you have to say, I recommend you go listen to something else.

Glad someone said this but this whole "I hate Patrick" thing is really getting on my fucking nerves. It's gotten to the point where I'm starting to completely avoid comments on some videos because I'm tired of hearing these assholes bitch and moan, which something I never, ever had to worry about this site.

If you don't like Patrick (or anyone on the staff for that matter), go to a different website or shut your damn mouth because no one wants to fucking hear about it.

Your comment is entirely incorrect, people always bitched and moaned about Matt Kessler, to a much greater degree than Patrick I'd say. It was just more socially acceptable then, because Matt Kessler isn't nearly as, "presentable" as Patrick and thus in people's minds it is less of an issue that he should be the target of scorn.

To be fair in some ways I could kind of see that argument, if you're going to be a public persona, you should perhaps put a bit more effort into appearance, but regardless my original point stands. This is not the first time this has happened.

"I should hope there's a Hoth level, in a game like this", says an indignant Brad, eyes wide and nostrils flared, as he looks around the sound studio at his gaming comrades.

@Grillbar said:

@Korosuzo said:

I don't dislike anyone on the podcast but I would like to say I would love to have Vinny on more regularly. I'm sure there is a reason he's been missing more podcasts but he's by far my favorite bombcaster.

yeah with his vacation and now hard at work on the vids they should just clone him so he is always on

And us regular users get less of him! VINNY'S GONE PREMIUM ONLY!

In serious Bombcast related thoughts, I totally agree with Patrick about some of the "epic" parts in Skyrim and how a lot of the epic stuff happening is diminished because "hey it's a videogame." More specifically, the Alduin flashback Patrick was talking about. It's supposed to be this epic final battle for the world between these legendary heroes and a world eating dragon, but they're still using those same old canned animations for both the human character models and the dragon character models and it looks like poor playfighting where the hits never connect and the movements are totally disjointed from what is going on. Could they not have at least crafted that scene better? It's pretty pivotal.

Not sure how Titan will be the next MMO to make big changes when Guild wars 2 is around the corner and throws everything on it's ass.

@Dagmar said:

Not sure how Titan will be the next MMO to make big changes when Guild wars 2 is around the corner and throws everything on it's ass.

Look, I'm sure it'll be a cool game and all, and I'm sure a bunch of people are really excited about it, but it's probably not going to be the next big thing.

It doesn't need to be, really. They have a great model going for them, where people pay for their 10 dollar subscription up front by buying their "expansion packs". It seems to keep them afloat with a sustainable, if mid-sized fanbase. A lot like EVE, it doesn't match the triple-A scope of a WoW, but it doesn't have to.

So that's the difference there. Titan needs to replace WoW. Guild Wars 2 needs to match or improve Guild Wars' performance. One thing would change the industry top to bottom, the other is not even trying. Although I'm guessing the folks at ArenaNet wouldn't mind getting popular in the same way Monster Hunter is popular, either.

@JRock3x8 said:

I am hearing a lot of disappointment in this fall's bombcast. Modern warfare 3 was met with a lot of conversation pining for a next step or the future, not more of the same. SW TOR feedback was oh god, not more WoW. So where are we going for video games? Is a hardware transition necessary for new gaming experiences? Is it just developers coming up with new viable experiences that will sell well? Is all of this more of the same just a symptom of the down economy and hence developers won't take risks? I find it amazing that even hugely popular licenses like Mechwarrior can't get funding for a new multiplatform game. So what will it take for us to move forward in gaming? Is innovation just better graphics? Is it better motion control? 3D? Better online experiences?

I'd say not everybody agrees with that general feel you perceive:

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-12-22-ken-levine-2011-the-best-year-for-games-since-2007

@Manatassi said:

@Max_Hydrogen said:

Im not calling anyone a Douchebag for disliking a person. I'm calling them Douchebags for sitting behind their anonymity attacking the personality of someone who has had the balls to put their face and their work out to the public for our enjoyment. Hiding behind anonymity and attacking someone who can't do the same is being a Douchebag especially as that person is attempting to provide content for the users of this site to enjoy.

Alright, I get that; hard to disagree but Whiskey Media sites review the work of other's and sometimes they do go after people's personality (that was my main beef with Screened). And the content GB puts out is their work so when a lot of people feel one staffer's antics reduces the quality of that work, they're kinda reviewing it. I mean, if there were a website that reviews "game-review sites", the talent's personalities would be a big factor and in the same vein as an actor's appearance is scrutinized.

Besides, people like Jeff and Ryan have gone on the record and stated that they purposefully made GB more about the personalities of its staff and their hijinx to distinguish it from other sites. We have to accept what comes with the territory...

By all means dislike whoever you want but until you have the balls to put your own work out there you certainly don't have the right to make public attacks on the personality of that person.

I agree with you in principal but when the actual purpose of the content is hindered like the Nolan North interview, then I think it goes beyond simple personality.

Just because the site means that you can be a Douchebag does not mean that when you choose to be one you aren't a Douchebag.

You're right, but I find it strange that people are still surprised at other's Internet douchery; Giantbomb is the ECW of game-sites and if they let people be douchebags, then can they really be all that offended...?

Personally I figured it would be nice to let Patrick know that people do like his work and appreciate what he does... so, as i said, we have some Balance. We do seem to always remember to complain but rarely to point out when we like something.

Fair enough; well said.

@BelligerentEngine said:

Hey well thanks for all the replies, I guess, I certainly unlocked a fair number of quests for it.

In all seriousness though I don't think there is anything wrong with my dislike of Patrick as a "regular" member of the bombcast. Simple fact is I've been listening to the podcast since it was called Arrow Point Down. I've listened to every single regular episode probably 3-4 times now. This is kind of my weekly routine. Over the course of all that time the first interaction I've had with a crew member of the site is this hah =[.

You reap what you sow I suppose. Regardless I consider myself a pretty big fan of the content this family of sites produces. Point being when you're as obsessive over a thing you start to nit pick. I never really liked when Brad and Vinny first joined the cast proper either, but I got used to it.

In my mind it's just like a fan of a sports team being disappointed when a promising draft pick doesn't return on your initial expectation. As far as listening to something else, I like to listen to people talking about video games and this is the peak quality, "talkin' bout games" content I can find. If anyone wants to recommend something else feel free, but otherwise I'm not going to follow Jeff's advice.

I would apologize for the, "tone" of what I said, but that would be disingenuous as my original intention was to rile (I was going to say Patrick Supporters), but *more* normal people is probably a more apt descriptor, up and the only reason I'd being going back on what I said is because Jeff admonished me personally.

End of the story is I said slightly decreased quality and I'll stick by that metric. I still enjoy it, and I'm still happy to pay for this yearly membership.

Thanks for the shaming, I won't say I didn't deserve it and I really I could've been more clever than removing the first letters from the name, I'll admit that was poor.

Happy Holidays,

Awesome reply dude. People who can face the pitch-forks with poise and rational discourse are tops in my book!

@BelligerentEngine: Kudos, to come out and face criticism in such a reasoned way is commendable. Although I do not share the same view I do respect that you stuck to your opinion but in a more constructive way.

@Duffyside said:

@SuperJoe said:

@Duffyside said:

I imagine Brad's launch X-Box being held together by duct-tape, rocking and jiggling wildly on his desk whenever he turns it on, smoke softly emanating from the back, the entire unit looking like it survived a flood.

I want to see this thing badly. Or user, artistic interpretations of it.

I like this. I knew I could count on SuperJoe.

Please trend.

love it.

@linus_south said:

Kind of really sick of enjoying great content to glance down to a fuck pile of hate in the comments.

What are the odds that people happy with the content are going to come here to make a comment on it? People are far more likely to criticize than to complement, don't worry about it too much, I think the Giant Bomb dudes are well aware of the way it works.

Someone give Patrick a Christmas bonus so he can go get a gaming pc and join in on discussions like SWTOR. Great show. I loved the mmo talk. I've checked the game out since this cast and interview and I wouldn't have otherwise. Loving what I'm playing so far. Basically mass effect with mmo combat, which I love mechanically on PC.

@vhold said:

@linus_south said:

Kind of really sick of enjoying great content to glance down to a fuck pile of hate in the comments.

What are the odds that people happy with the content are going to come here to make a comment on it? People are far more likely to criticize than to complement, don't worry about it too much, I think the Giant Bomb dudes are well aware of the way it works.

What the heck are you talking about, there is me getting quoted like 10 times, which hardly counts as, "a fuck pile of haters" and one or two dudes talking mess on Brad. While in contrast there are probably like 100+ positive comments. You guys are drama queens...

Honestly anyone who thinks they're a real bombcast fanboy, but doesn't see identifiable quality difference week to week, regardless of their personal taste in cast members, is a poser.

Look here folks, I'm a god damn bombcast connoisseur, and as far as I'm concerned break out the spittoon, because 2011 wasn't a banner year. Now 2008 that's a fine vintage...

@BelligerentEngine: I have to admit, I'm not prepared to deal with that level of focus on the Bombcast, I shall stand aside. Maybe you should make a "Best of Bombcast" remix album, can you think of a better way to highlight the ups and downs of the Bombcast?

@NoelVeiga said:

@Dagmar said:

Not sure how Titan will be the next MMO to make big changes when Guild wars 2 is around the corner and throws everything on it's ass.

Look, I'm sure it'll be a cool game and all, and I'm sure a bunch of people are really excited about it, but it's probably not going to be the next big thing.

It doesn't need to be, really. They have a great model going for them, where people pay for their 10 dollar subscription up front by buying their "expansion packs". It seems to keep them afloat with a sustainable, if mid-sized fanbase. A lot like EVE, it doesn't match the triple-A scope of a WoW, but it doesn't have to.

So that's the difference there. Titan needs to replace WoW. Guild Wars 2 needs to match or improve Guild Wars' performance. One thing would change the industry top to bottom, the other is not even trying. Although I'm guessing the folks at ArenaNet wouldn't mind getting popular in the same way Monster Hunter is popular, either.

Edited for wasted time.

Hint: Said absolutely nothing about popularity, only makes changes to the genre.

@Max_Hydrogen said:

Alright, I get that; hard to disagree but Whiskey Media sites review the work of other's and sometimes they do go after people's personality (that was my main beef with Screened). And the content GB puts out is their work so when a lot of people feel one staffer's antics reduces the quality of that work, they're kinda reviewing it. I mean, if there were a website that reviews "game-review sites", the talent's personalities would be a big factor and in the same vein as an actor's appearance is scrutinized.

Besides, people like Jeff and Ryan have gone on the record and stated that they purposefully made GB more about the personalities of its staff and their hijinx to distinguish it from other sites. We have to accept what comes with the territory...

See, this part of your argument I wholly agree with. Recently there's this trend in the gaming press where journalists simultaneously claim that they need to be able to be more personal and independent with their reviews (which I totally agree with) and that readers should refrain from criticising them.

And that's where I kind of raise an eyebrow.

Gaming journalism isn't about reporting, really, it's not economics or war. It's opinion, a little bit of a purchasing guide and a whole lot of entertainment. And like anybody who makes entertainment for a living, the immediate result is frequently a ton of irrational hate with a healthy side of whining. Is that a good thing? Well, if it's done respectfully and not in the "crazy fanboyish" style of most of the Internet there's nothing wrong with it, although the anonymity and the selection bias towards the lowest common denominator online tend to make it annoying. Still, if Zynga has to put up with the hate, then so does Whiskey Media, right?

Of course, it's their site, so they can always ban critics, and there's nothing terribly wrong with that, but I suspect that is not the kind of community they're trying to grow here. Then again, the kind of community they're trying to grow here totally supports Jeff coming into the comments and going "hey, asshole, shut the hell up!", so there's that.

@baconbringer said:

@Jeff: Oh no, you just gave him the quest!

Seriously though, I really just don't understand any of the hate for Patrick. I've never heard anything he's said and thought it was lowering the quality of the podcast. I think he has a lot to add and he is a welcome addition by most duders.

A lot of it comes from the whole "change" aspect people are uncomfortable with. He's the "new guy" and he's edging in on a lot of the stuff lately. It's in the same vein Matt Kesler was, and still is, in when he was fairly prevalent.

You bite the very end off and then blow through the straw to shoot the rest of the wrapper at the person you are eating with. Duh?

@leebmx said:

You bite the very end off and then blow through the straw to shoot the rest of the wrapper at the person you are eating with. Duh?

Indeed.

I just want to say Patrick Klepeck is one of my favorite game journalists. Mostly because he actually treats games journalism like journalism. For most games journalists, their stories (disregarding reviews) are mostly just rewritten press releases from games companies. Patrick refuses to knuckle under and treat games journalism as merely a press outlet for stories the publishers and developers want printed.

What brought me to giantbomb was their willingness to just go out and buy a copy of Tony Hawk's Ride and review (play) it on their own terms. In a time where so many reviews are written on site on some junket from the publishers designed to put the reviewers in a a positive mind and control their experience with the game, giantbomb went the other way. In this way I see Patrick as a good fit at giantbomb.

Now, when it comes to the bombcast, I'm happy to see him there too. Yes, Patrick isn't as funny as some of the other bombcasters. But you know what, the bombcast is designed to be informative, interesting and funny. Patrick brings some humor and interesting information along with him and it's not like he's dominating the bombcast and squeezing out the humor.

So the bombcast is better with him. Thanks for being a part of giantbomb, Patrick.

@BelligerentEngine: Don't go back on your opinion just because Jeff trolled you.

@artgarcrunkle said:

@BelligerentEngine: Don't go back on your opinion just because Jeff trolled you.

If I did that's news to me...

I'm Spartacus!