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John Bain (Aka Totalbiscuit) has passed away [READ OP]
- Thread starter Pix
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Fuck, that's heartbreaking. My thoughts are with Genna, and with John's family and friends. He leaves behind an incredible legacy.
It's really touching to see the front page of Reddit filled with various subreddits mourning his passing, with thousands upon thousands of upvotes. There's about ten separate posts at the moment.
It's really touching to see the front page of Reddit filled with various subreddits mourning his passing, with thousands upon thousands of upvotes. There's about ten separate posts at the moment.
Back when i mostly gamed on PC i loved his videos for his deep dives into the graphics settings.
sad news.
sad news.
For those who are scared seeing someone so young die of cancer, you should know there are things you can do to lower your risks.
http://www.aicr.org/reduce-your-cancer-risk/recommendations-for-cancer-prevention/
http://www.aicr.org/reduce-your-cancer-risk/recommendations-for-cancer-prevention/
User banned (one week): attempting to continue thread derail
Nine of the top ten posts on Reddit's /r/all right now are all from various communities independently mourning John, with many more further down the page. It's a discovery even for those like myself who have followed his work for nearly a decade now, in my case primarily via StarCraft (although I first encountered his voice through WoW, when he was one of the first out of the gate to push back against the incursion of cosmetic cash microtransactions when the Celestial Steed first landed back in WotLK). As just one example, I only had the vaguest notion of what Warframe was and had no idea what an impact he had on the development of that scene.
I know this is a console-centric forum (with, let's call it as it is, a sizeable and vocal progressive presence that accepts no mediation, compromise, or nuance when it comes to repudiating the more despicable reactionaries online), but I think it's quite fair to say that where the PC scene is concerned, no media figure was more important to so many and it's hard to imagine one that would be as broadly mourned. When TB covered a game or lent his support to fledgling independent titles, be it through exposure, advice, or direct contributions like the voice work he provided for Space Pirates and Zombies, he gave it his all and made you know that he was never there to be a tourist hopping on the flavour of the month. It's hard to fathom how one finds the time or energy to make this commitment and mean so much to so many games and players at once. From SC2 alone I've probably heard more of his speaking voice in the past few years than that of many of my closest friends, and yet I've only ever seen a fraction of his work.
I'll be a little bolder than that, in fact, and say that John's contributions were as beloved and necessary as they were because they filled the vacuum left by the insipid log-rolling, hype culture, schoolyard clannishness, misplaced priorities, sanctimonious hectoring, and intellectual failure of the established enthusiast media at large. If that also swept along a great deal of reactionary unpleasantness in its wake, well, perhaps we can distribute blame for those externalities some other day; but know that John Bain was as beloved as he was in so many corners because he worked his arse off to provide a much-needed service and perspective to which the self-described journalists had abjectly failed to attend. It's no mistake that everyone who worked with him directly or interacted with him in person only had the kindest things to say about him, while the the sneering at his kind of work, or overblown and uncharitable accusations of complicity in a culture of entitlement and harassment, reliably came from those who were so far removed from the communities he served as to have never interacted with him productively at all.
That always reflected more on them than it did on him. And once the condolences have died down, the taboo about speaking ill of the dead has subsided, and certain parties come out of the woodwork again to air their meticulously documented grievances, I won't let them forget it. You know who you are.
I know this is a console-centric forum (with, let's call it as it is, a sizeable and vocal progressive presence that accepts no mediation, compromise, or nuance when it comes to repudiating the more despicable reactionaries online), but I think it's quite fair to say that where the PC scene is concerned, no media figure was more important to so many and it's hard to imagine one that would be as broadly mourned. When TB covered a game or lent his support to fledgling independent titles, be it through exposure, advice, or direct contributions like the voice work he provided for Space Pirates and Zombies, he gave it his all and made you know that he was never there to be a tourist hopping on the flavour of the month. It's hard to fathom how one finds the time or energy to make this commitment and mean so much to so many games and players at once. From SC2 alone I've probably heard more of his speaking voice in the past few years than that of many of my closest friends, and yet I've only ever seen a fraction of his work.
I'll be a little bolder than that, in fact, and say that John's contributions were as beloved and necessary as they were because they filled the vacuum left by the insipid log-rolling, hype culture, schoolyard clannishness, misplaced priorities, sanctimonious hectoring, and intellectual failure of the established enthusiast media at large. If that also swept along a great deal of reactionary unpleasantness in its wake, well, perhaps we can distribute blame for those externalities some other day; but know that John Bain was as beloved as he was in so many corners because he worked his arse off to provide a much-needed service and perspective to which the self-described journalists had abjectly failed to attend. It's no mistake that everyone who worked with him directly or interacted with him in person only had the kindest things to say about him, while the the sneering at his kind of work, or overblown and uncharitable accusations of complicity in a culture of entitlement and harassment, reliably came from those who were so far removed from the communities he served as to have never interacted with him productively at all.
That always reflected more on them than it did on him. And once the condolences have died down, the taboo about speaking ill of the dead has subsided, and certain parties come out of the woodwork again to air their meticulously documented grievances, I won't let them forget it. You know who you are.
I don't think these people will be trying to hide it.
Listen to the podcast he produced years back upon his initial diagnosis and take note. Change in your 'toilet habits' are no joke and should be checked carefully, no matter how old you are. Rest in peace.
How about for this one thread we don't throw around GamerGate arguments. This isn't about who is right or wrong right now.
What? That happened so fast RIP.
I remember watching his videos years ago when he played DCUO which led to me buying that game.
I remember watching his videos years ago when he played DCUO which led to me buying that game.
I agree, and if you read me carefully you will see that's what I said.
You said that and then proceeded to write two paragraphs defending him anyway. Just stop.
For some the daily grind can be what is enjoyable in life! I believe TB was like that too. He was working until the end, doing what he loved.
Fucking cancer.
RIP.
The worst thing that can happen to anyone.
And the rate is so bad, 50/50 chance of you getting screwed over by your genes.
Sigh...When will humanity escape this horrible fate?
Shit...He was only 33.
But yeah, cancer gives me anxiety and existential crisis as well since my mom died from cancer.
I have a high chance like dying early as well.
GG me for bad genes.
RIP.
The worst thing that can happen to anyone.
And the rate is so bad, 50/50 chance of you getting screwed over by your genes.
Sigh...When will humanity escape this horrible fate?
Shit...He was only 33.
But yeah, cancer gives me anxiety and existential crisis as well since my mom died from cancer.
I have a high chance like dying early as well.
GG me for bad genes.
I didn't know TB did voice work for SPAZ and now I do.
Will have to go back to that game and check.
This news hit me hard.
Will have to go back to that game and check.
This news hit me hard.
So, so sad.... RIP :(
Honestly, I suspect I underestimate the impact he had on me. I thought his Cataclysm videos were pretty fantastic, and ended up following him for awhile as he got bigger and bigger. His Terraria series with Jesse Cox was my formal introduction to video Let's Plays, and I got so much enjoyment from it. His Co-Optional podcast preceded me even quite knowing what podcasts were, and I remember pulling up an episode on YouTube and putting it in the background while on a long solo road trip. His WTF Is....? series, and the seriousness of purpose with which he approached criticism, expanded my gaming horizons during a time that I was sort of getting reintroduced to the broader gaming world.
I remember his campaign to get Dark Souls on the PC. I don't recall how influential he was in that, but I have no doubt he pushed PC gaming forward overall.
It's been quite some time since I've kept up with his content, and I feel like his greatest strengths (independence of mind, stubborn adherence to his sense of personal integrity, skepticism of broader media narratives) sometimes also acted as his greatest weaknesses. But I'll always appreciate how he elevated the conversation during a crucial time for me, and perhaps most importantly, be amazed at the level of grace and courage and thoughtfulness with which he navigated this most tragic period of his life. In the end, he rose to the occasion like few ever could.
Again, RIP, and thanks for everything. You'll always have a place in my memory, and in the memories of countless others.
Honestly, I suspect I underestimate the impact he had on me. I thought his Cataclysm videos were pretty fantastic, and ended up following him for awhile as he got bigger and bigger. His Terraria series with Jesse Cox was my formal introduction to video Let's Plays, and I got so much enjoyment from it. His Co-Optional podcast preceded me even quite knowing what podcasts were, and I remember pulling up an episode on YouTube and putting it in the background while on a long solo road trip. His WTF Is....? series, and the seriousness of purpose with which he approached criticism, expanded my gaming horizons during a time that I was sort of getting reintroduced to the broader gaming world.
I remember his campaign to get Dark Souls on the PC. I don't recall how influential he was in that, but I have no doubt he pushed PC gaming forward overall.
It's been quite some time since I've kept up with his content, and I feel like his greatest strengths (independence of mind, stubborn adherence to his sense of personal integrity, skepticism of broader media narratives) sometimes also acted as his greatest weaknesses. But I'll always appreciate how he elevated the conversation during a crucial time for me, and perhaps most importantly, be amazed at the level of grace and courage and thoughtfulness with which he navigated this most tragic period of his life. In the end, he rose to the occasion like few ever could.
Again, RIP, and thanks for everything. You'll always have a place in my memory, and in the memories of countless others.
Very saddening news. John Bain was an incredible personality within the industry. He was also a massive inspiration to me and I can only hope wherever he is now, he's happy.
Did so much for the pc gaming world
Has an amazing podcast and WTF videos.
Battled cancer like a champ
Rest In Peace :(
Has an amazing podcast and WTF videos.
Battled cancer like a champ
Rest In Peace :(
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Feels like this was inevitable, since I first heard he had cancer I didn't expect him to keep going as long as he did which is a credit to his fighting spirit and the medical team who treated him. While death is sad at least now he won't suffer and can rest in peace.
Cancer is a bitch and I hope one soon we are able to find a treatment or cure that is accessible to all who suffer from it.
Cancer is a bitch and I hope one soon we are able to find a treatment or cure that is accessible to all who suffer from it.
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