Is Giant Bomb having a midlife crisis?

[Anchelepizze]

I'll say I subbed to premium for the first time last month after a couple years of listening to the gbcast and I love West. I watch East for the odd Dan stuff but West is what I prefer the most, even when Jeff is missing. Tried the beastcast a couple times but no video and softer videogames talk doesn't work for me.

 

[Lego]

It's quite sad to me, but I don't really watch much of West's content anymore, even if I'm watching a quick look, some times I'll pass if the intro isn't Abby, Dan or Vinny.

Still subbed though.

 

[Oxyrain]

Early 30s, followed them from the start (pretty much podcasts only), subbed about 6 yrs ago. I mainly subbed because I enjoyed the non video gaming content (e.g. like Unplugged and Alt-F1) which subsequently disappeared, although I'm happy to stay subbed as the premium content is reasonable filler and I enjoy E3 and GOTY content a lot.

They are one of the few groups that I've warmed to enough to enjoy most of the content regardless of my interest in the game, and listening to off-topic stuff is perfectly acceptable. Pretty much the only others were 1Up/GFW , Idle Thumbs, early Tested and more recently Loading Ready Run. I think the mark of that is that inside jokes and memes don't annoy me, like those things from other communities.

GB do miss out on letting viewers see them experience things in real-time, as they are not a livestream/let's play focused site. This resulted in what I think was disappointing Monster Hunter World content. In a game series where most of the staff had previous reservations about or even demonstrated hostility to; by the time they got around to discussing or filming content about the game, each person had put 20 hours in and had their opinions ready. They missed out on letting the viewers join them during that period were they were forming an opinion. One example of what I'm talking about was Vinny's Hitman stream for Extra-Life (?), which isn't something they can regularly produce.

Also, it irks me how often staff from both coasts talk about liking and playing tabletop games, but refuse to make any "Unplugged" content.

 

[Catvoca]

They're still putting out tonnes of videos I enjoy. Burgle My Bananas is a lot of fun, the Breaking Brad's on DOOM are great, Game Tapes and Demo Derby continue to be awesome, Jeff's pro skater, UPF with Business Dave, East's play dates etc.

I have gravitated away from the podcasts and more towards their features in recent years, but they're still putting out great stuff pretty consistently.

I'm more into GBWest's videos, and as long as Jeff and Brad are still around I'll keep watching.

 

[Truant]

Still the best personality site out there. Love GBeast, and West has the potential to be great if they hired someone to play off Jeff and Brad. They need a high energy person.

I think any site like this will have its ups and downs.

 

[HellofaMouse]

They've gotta find that spark. I'm being genuine when I say that they come across as a load of guys who used to enjoy games and are stuck covering them as they've grown jaded.

Click to shrink...

this is so accurate it hurts. they are all in a state of perpetual burn out, but stuck doing it because their entire career is on the line. the only person who talks about games with some excitement is brad, although thats a rare occurance.

their end of the year goty videos are great tho, wish they had a similar energy the rest of the year.

 

[Odrion]

I get it, though. the dynamic isn't the same at all when it isn't two people in the same room.

Click to shrink...

literally everybody else does it and there's no resulting drought of chemistry in the marketplace. the mcelroy family built an empire off of skype and their chemistry. it's fine, skype is fine, jeff needs to quit being a boomer about this.

 

[Vilam]

The East crew is amazing, but I find the Bombcast really dull and tedious whenever even one of the group is missing. They're stretched so thin that having a single person out just kills all interesting back and forth between the group. And it's not like I have a problem with any of them - I like the entire group, it's just the West crew's taste in games in so far off from my own. I can enjoy hearing quick updates on the genres they enjoy, but any in depth discussions on pokemon, fighting games, B-tier Japanese games, MOBAs, etc causes me to mentally tune out.

Especially recently with Jeff's absence, the Bombcast feels like it's on life support with the guests they've been bringing on every week. Sorry - I tune in to Giant Bomb because I enjoy the personalities and the camaraderie, and I just don't care what the guests they have on have to say.

To be honest, while I'm a premium subscriber, I really only listen to the Bombcast and Beastcast. I consider my subscription a thank you for the hours of podcast entertainment I get each week.

 

[Cokie Bear]

Is it worth buying premium if you tend to do most of your GB watching through a PS4?

 

[Red or Alive]

GBEast is fantastic and the team feels really well-balanced. Abby has kinda taken over Drew's place in the company, highlighting games I'd never think to play (albeit games at the completely different end of Drew's focus on simulators). Vinny's great as ever, Alex is the most reliably funny and seems to have the best grasp on the industry side of things and both Bakalar and Ryckert add an x-factor that their programming really benefits from.

It feels like Giant Bomb West would fall apart without Gerstmann. I like Ben, Jan and Brad very much but it still feels like the team is missing what Ryan provided (though I'd find it hard to put that quality into words). There is definitely chemistry between Jeff G and Ben, between Ben and Jan, etc. But the west coast just doesn't seem to have cohered together in the last couple of years.

That doesn't mean it'll never happen though and there's every possibility my nostalgia is blinding me to the best of Giant Bomb's current personalties. I've been a subscriber for 6 years and I'm still sure I'll buy another subscription during the usual May sales.

 

[AncientReptileBrain]

I really dig Jeff, but all the stuff I subscribe for is coming off the east coast at the moment.

 

[Deleted member 203]

I've been listening since the Hotspot days, but West hasn't been doing it for me since the East/West split. It's something I still put on in the background from time to time but I've been a subscriber for East's stuff only for what feels like years. I know some people like Rorie and Business Dave but it aint my cup of tea. The dynamic on West just does so little for me.

East has its ups and downs too but they're far more consistently entertaining to me. I hope West gets its groove back at some point but right now it just feels like they're doing it out of obligation.

 

[Benjamin1981]

I used to love the Bombcast, even have the signed Bombcast poster of the original crew plus Patrick up on my wall but man the pod really is not that great anymore. Beastcast = best cast is totally true. They have so much more energy and chemistry. The west crew is just not that exciting and i can't stand Ben Pack.

 

[MadLaughter]

I have faith that as Jan gets more comfortable and Ben comes into his own they will be the new powerhouse duo.

I used to not be as excited for Alex content but he evolved into the best dude on the site, so it's possible.

 

[DrDeckard]

37 years and into the content as much as ever. They are extremely special to me and I haven't felt Jeff being off the show. I have two kids so I understand and hope hes adapting to fatherhood well/enjoying his new addition greatly.

He will come back recharged and ready to rock.

The rest of the team are awesome. I think Ben and Abby are great.

They never fail to entertain and overall I'm just as happy as I ever was with them.

 

[Igniz12]

The split was the best and worst thing to happen to GB. Best: We got Austin for a brief while and all the people I like are in one place now. Worst: I have not listened or followed GB West in months, maybe even close to a year. There is a chemistry or personality problem in West; I find it hard to keep engaged with them or follow their content, I watch maybe 5 to 10 mins of West stuff then turn it off.

They need someone that can bounce off Jeff, Ben seems like he can but that dudes humor just does not work for me so idk. They need someone who is knowledgeable about shit but has the chemistry that works well with Jeff. With Brad, Jeff and one more person to round out the three they could be the more insightful part of the coasts but have the humor to keep thing easy and fun at the same time. Hmmmm, I wonder who that could be? Yeah, Ryan's passing really is still being felt after all this time and I say that as someone who only started following them fully after he was gone.

East feels like they are holding the fort down and knocking it out the park at the same time. Any combo of east does it for me and just feels so much more fun and crazy but definitely lacks the insight into games that got worst after Austin left. Feels like maybe West could fill that void as they have the personal to do that if they can figure out what they are missing over there.

It's quite sad to me, but I don't really watch much of West's content anymore, even if I'm watching a quick look, some times I'll pass if the intro isn't Abby, Dan or Vinny.

Still subbed though.

Click to shrink...

Also, this.

 

[ryushe]

Stopped listening to GB West earlier this year. (Heck, I didn't even know Jeff was on paternity leave until this thread. Congrats to him and his wife!). I like everyone individually on the Westcoast side of the world but as a unit, that energy is certainly lacking.

 

[Praxis]

37

I have been noticing this as well. Personally, I watch everything east do, I think they have one of the best chemistries I have seen and they make me laugh a lot. I like the long videos, but then I don't watch any other youtuber or streamer except Limmy occasionally.

As for West, watching their content has fallen drastically off a cliff, the games they usually tend to play (fighting) don't appeal to me at all and I find the shows they do rather flat. Even the podcast I rarely finish anymore where I devour the Beastcast immediately.

So, it's a bit of both for me. One studio is doing some of the best stuff I have seen in years and the other has lost me completely.

I still love GB though.

 

[RestEerie]

The giantbomb E3 conference reaction streams were always some of the most boring E3 conference reaction streams because all they did was 'meh', mkay' or 'hmm...'

 

[SuperBanana]

I still love GB and will continue to sub but I think they need to revamp it a bit.

 

[Fevaweva]

The giantbomb E3 conference reaction streams were always some of the most boring E3 conference reaction streams because all they did was 'meh', mkay' or 'hmm...'

Click to shrink...

No. This isn't true. They get excited when it is relvevant and aproppriate to be so. They don't lose their minds with every announcment like some outlets I could mention.

 

[pronk]

I get the impression some people just like different people on the site, so as people come and go, obviously people's feelings about it will change.

Personally I love the site at the moment because I love the new hires - Abby, Dan, Ben and Jan are all great. I just wish Jan and Abby got to be on more videos and not doing production.

Dan has brought in some weird new stuff on the beast team and Jan and Ben streams are always awesome. Plus Jeff's mister stuff is fun.

 

[RestEerie]

No. This isn't true. They get excited when it is relvevant and aproppriate to be so. They don't lose their minds with every announcment like some outlets I could mention.

Click to shrink...

Yes, you are right...when a shooter is announced, It definitely have some reactions. When something Japanese came up on stage, I can actually feel the west guys (especially Ben) rolling their eyes....

 

[.exe]

Haven't really sensed a difference in direction. I like all the new hires though. Abby, Ben and Jan are all fantastic.

As for the never-ending discussion that they're jaded or whatever, I'm glad they don't lose their shit over manufactured hype. That stuff is unhealthy. Everyone also has their own preferences and you can't expect people to like the niche stuff you like. There's plenty of reaction videos around the web if you're into meltdowns.

 

[Deleted member 47700]

I see West and East as two sides of the same coin. One being more laid back and at ease with the other being high energy and consistently entertaining. My preference leans slightly East but I still watch a tonne of West too.

Having said that: The recent UPF where Ben played DOTA Underlords for 40 minutes minus any kind of commentary and explanation on what was happening was unforgivable (leaving the others just disinterested and not really knowing what to say), thank god for Business Dave right after that.

 

[wsbceo]

This thread made me realize that I, too, am not as big a fan of West as I am East. Why did they split, anyway? I always thought their explanation was to make more content but this thread implies something else.

Premium since the beginning. Still love their site and it's my one premium subscription for an entertainment website.

 

[StraySheep]

To take a step back from all of this (mostly constructive) criticism, after reading 5 pages of this thread I get the impression that both sides have their fans and detractors. As a result the split vibes between East and West seem to be a good thing in terms of bringing in more people. And if you don't like one style as much, then the good news is as also already stated you don't have to watch all the content.

I am in my mid 20's and have been familiar with GB for about 4-5 years and a subscriber for 2. I also tend to enjoy East content more, but I love every member on staff. And sometimes Ben seems to get hate in particular and I don't get it because he is one of my favorites and for all of the "his humor doesn't gel with me comments" I feel like it is very similar to Jeff's. That is why they play off each other so well, especially in the aftermath.

If GB decides they do indeed need one livelier staff member at GBW, I would recommend going after someone from Game Informer.

More to the subject of the thread of appealing to younger people, maybe they should make their quick looks quicker.

 

[Fevaweva]

Yes, you are right...when a shooter is announced, It definitely have some reactions. When something Japanese came up on stage, I can actually feel the west guys (especially Ben) rolling their eyes....

Click to shrink...

Are you implying that Giant Bomb, a website that has played through Persona 4, Chrono Trigger, Shenmue, Yakuza, Resident Evil 2 & 4 and Deadly Premonition, has Western bias or has a dislike for Japanese games?

 

[.exe]

Are you implying that Giant Bomb, a website that has played through Persona 4, Chrono Trigger, Shenmue, Yakuza, Resident Evil 2 & 4 and Deadly Premonition, has Western bias or has a dislike for Japanese games?

Click to shrink...

lol

 

[Kafkaswaffle]

I get less and less interested in the east coast content. In many of their streams they focus too much on other topics that don't interest me, mostly Hollywood movies and wrestling. This is a bummer, as they produced some of my favorite content, but nowadays it seems like they don't want to really engage with the games they are playing.

 

[Deleted member 47700]

Yes, you are right...when a shooter is announced, It definitely have some reactions. When something Japanese came up on stage, I can actually feel the west guys (especially Ben) rolling their eyes....

Click to shrink...

They get excited when something is worth getting excited about.

 

[Tygre]

34. Never followed Gamespot, so my first introduction was through the Kane & Lynch shitshow. Been watching since they were in the basement. Been Premium since ~2010.


East is still killing it.

It will never be as good as during the Austin era (Project Beast is an impeccable masterpiece, and the VinnyVanias were also great) but East is still full of inventive, high energy content. This is the Run, Steal my Sunshine, 13 Deadly Sims, Die Another Friday, etc. They keep the hits coming, even if they have some misses and don't quite hit the heights they used to.


West was on a downward slope for a long time, then Jeff's maternity leave has just pushed it off a cliff.

The content is stale, rote, going through the motions. Unprofessional Fridays has never been less fun. The Bombcast has never been less fun. There are moments, but most of their stuff feels so much like work. They've lost so much talent over the years, some more tragically than others, and replacing it is honestly probably impossible.


What's really suffered are the Game of the Year get togethers. Go back and watch the 2012 videos then watch anything from the last couple of years. It's just sad.

 

[GMM]

Please make a show where Mike explains whine, pleeeeeeeeeease

Click to shrink...

Awwwww shiiiiiiiit

 

[Deleted member 47700]

Are you implying that Giant Bomb, a website that has played through Persona 4, Chrono Trigger, Shenmue, Yakuza, Resident Evil 2 & 4 and Deadly Premonition, has Western bias or has a dislike for Japanese games?

Click to shrink...

Also one member of staff being maybe the biggest Monster Hunter fan on the planet with another having two Zelda games tied for greatest of all time lol.

 

[Midnight Lunch]

I'm 29, and have been listening to the podcasts since they began. It used to be both casts in full every week, but I've lost interest in games in a lot of ways (had kids, and really only play my go-to multiplayer game with friends when we can all get on) and because of that I don't really care about hearing about news or what they're playing. It really bums me out because it feels like I've lost contact with old friends or something. But I just don't have the motivation to listen every week. Nothing to do with the people or their content.

 

[Fevaweva]

Also one member of staff being maybe the biggest Monster Hunter fan on the planet with another having two Zelda games tied for greatest of all time lol.

Click to shrink...

Plus they have also played through the entirity of the Metal Gear Solid Franchise and have, multiple times, played through Mario games in some form or another.

Oh and various FROM Software games.

 

[.exe]

East is still killing it.

It will never be as good as during the Austin era (Project Beast is an impeccable masterpiece, and the VinnyVanias were also great) but East is still full of inventive, high energy content. This is the Run, Steal my Sunshine, 13 Deadly Sims, Die Another Friday, etc. They keep the hits coming, even if they have some misses and don't quite hit the heights they used to.


West was on a downward slope for a long time, then Jeff's maternity leave has just pushed it off a cliff.

The content is stale, rote, going through the motions. Unprofessional Fridays has never been less fun. The Bombcast has never been less fun. There are moments, but most of their stuff feels so much like work.


What's really suffered are the Game of the Year get togethers. Go back and watch the 2012 videos then watch anything from the last couple of years. It's just sad.

Click to shrink...

I dunno, the last UPF with Business Dave, Jason, Ben and Rory was pretty amazing. I love Get On My Level and Pokemonday Night Combat is ace too (even though I am not at all into competitive Pokemon).

 

[AstronaughtE]

I don't know about midlife crises, but Abby is a global treasure.

 

[Tygre]

I dunno, the last UPF with Business Dave, Jason, Ben and Rory was pretty amazing. I love Get On My Level and Pokemonday Night Combat is ace too.

Click to shrink...

Get On My Level is a banger... and it's also an example of the sort of coast-to-coast show they just don't do enough of.

The coast-vs-coast Rocket League streams they did were awesome as well.

 

[kiguel182]

I love the Beastcast and East in general (altought Dan can be tiring). I think their conversation might not be very informative regarding video games but the banter is top notch. Their features might not always be for me but they put in the effort and are usually very creative. I really miss Austin (I started following the website when he came in) but East still delivers.

West is a different story. I loved them when I started watching (it was Jeff/Brad/Drew/Dan) but since Dan and Drew left the dip in quality was noticeable for me. I think that the features have been weak and altought I like the personalities it just doesn't click. Game Tapes and Demo Derby are still awesome but very infrequent (and the chemistry is weaker than Jeff/Dan/Dew). Overall I miss Dans creativity combined with Jeff. There's a lack of energy these days. And I don't want to be mean but Jason is not good in front of the cameras or in podcasts. He just isn't a good talker and he keeps being put in that position which doesn't work. It worked with Drew but he had a ton of understated charisma. I think Jan as a regular would be way more interesting and he doesn't even appear in UPF.

I don't know what their viewership is like. I notice that they are promoting premium more but that's just good business even if they are thriving. Their viewership will always skew older but that's by design. As long as new older people show up it's fine.

 

[jxmmy]

Giant Bomb is pretty much the only gaming related videos I watch honestly.

 

[Spacecowboy]

The West crew is just.. eh..

I love the East (Beast) Crew though, wish I had more time to watch the content

 

[ArjanN]

No. This isn't true. They get excited when it is relvevant and aproppriate to be so. They don't lose their minds with every announcment like some outlets I could mention.

Click to shrink...

Nah, there's definitely an enthusiasm problem overall, not just with the E3 stuff. IMO mostly because Ben seems like the only one who's keeping up with game news and new releases on the west side.

Jan and Jason seem fine, but they're basically busy with production stuff most of the time. Jeff seems to retreat into the retro stuff more and more and Brad plays like six games a year.

 

[ghostcrew]

I still watch and listen to GB every day.

But seriously guys. It's time to bring back the Powerbombcast. There's never been a better time to talk wrestling.

 

[Young Liar]

I dunno, the last UPF with Business Dave, Jason, Ben and Rory was pretty amazing. I love Get On My Level and Pokemonday Night Combat is ace too (even though I am not at all into competitive Pokemon).

Click to shrink...

Yeah, I honestly think the weird chemistry between Ben, Jan, Rorie, and Dave from Alaska has been a joy to watch. It's kinda amazing how GB's business guy is also good at being an on-screen personality!

 

[misho8723]

The giantbomb E3 conference reaction streams were always some of the most boring E3 conference reaction streams because all they did was 'meh', mkay' or 'hmm...'

Click to shrink...

That's what I like the most on them.. their reactions to E3 conferences are pretty much the same as mine

 

[DOBERMAN INC]

They still make the best video content out there in my opinion, I just hope someone loses their mind and greenlights the Shenmue 2 endurance run.

 

[Cogniferous]

I'm a long-time fan from just after the launch of Giant Bomb. I listened to every Bombcast, Bombin' in the AM and Beastcast going, but have dropped off in the last year or so. It's not that I particularly dislike any of the new members, it's just my taste in games has started to vary wildly from that of the main crew. Jeff and Ben are especially strong personalities with the most differing opinions about games than my own, and hearing them shut down conversations they don't like is a chore. I only have so many hours in the day so have dropped Giant Bomb for more specialised content like Axe of the Blood God and Retronauts.

On reflection maybe I've changed more than them.

 

[CHC]

They've gotta find that spark. I'm being genuine when I say that they come across as a load of guys who used to enjoy games and are stuck covering them as they've grown jaded.

Click to shrink...

This feels 100% accurate based on my experiences with the site. I remember really enjoying the site back in the day and having so much fun watching their plays of Persona and Deadly Premonition, even though I'm not usually the type to watch people play games. It felt like Mystery Science Theater or something.

A few months ago I remember being interested in a game (forget which exactly) and going to Giant Bomb for a Quick Look video. The quality and enthusiasm drop was honesty kind of shocking. Most of the video was just gameplay, uncommented, with occasional dry muttering thrown in. Just very bored sounding remarks like "oh yeah it has kind of a talent system so when you level up you pick a perk...." and stuff. Zero energy, and again the video was like over an hour, most of it just awkwardly silent gameplay with sporadic, tired sounding narration of what they were doing.

Again I'm not a super fan of them or anything so forgive the lack of specifics on the video, but overall even to a casual viewer the drop off in passion is very clear.

 

[kiguel182]

I think one of the problems West has is that many of their tastes overlap. Which is good for stuff like Ranking of Fighters. But can wear thin.

Click to shrink...

One thing that definitely puts me off from West is the focus on fighting games and Ben seems the only one to really branch out and play different stuff. But it seems there's just a lot of fighting game talk.