MaddocI'm Bobbin Threadbare, are you my mother?Registered Userregular
For the end user, the reason why a content drought occurs isn't terribly compelling, honestly.
Any given day that not a single video goes up, there's probably a pretty solid reason for it, but ultimately it just means I didn't personally get any value from my sub that day.
It's a pretty transactional way of looking at it, but that is kind of what it comes down to.
With virtually all of their main content creators gone, they're gonna have to fill that space somehow, whether it's going back to doing QLs more regularly or what.
For me at least the podcasts cover the value of a sub on sale. But yeah, I've also been missing out on most of their videos the past year; I did start watching Going Rogue, but welp.
I really do think they need to just permanently lower the cost to $35 and stop the bizarre store credit thing that most of us avoid once every year to resub without it for the "sale".
I'm sure some chart somewhere says doing it this way makes more sense, if it's to accommodate monthly subs more or something. Some people don't want to sub for a year. Patreon is monthly.
webguy20I spend too much time on the InternetRegistered Userregular
Yea there is enough Merch that I want that 50 a year isn't too bad. Its like $4 a month, they put out plenty of content for me for $4 a month. Obviously everyone has to make their own decisions on that. I hope as the year goes on and vaccinations increase that we get some more interesting hires. I like the concept of them being incubators for new talent. If nothing else the old guard have the connections in the industry and a seemingly honest out look on the whole thing, which is real good to show new folks.
Even if all of GB suddenly vanished in a puff of smoke, it's given us Austin Walker, and nothing can take that away from us. Waypoint has slowly overtaken both GB podcasts as my fave (took me a while to get a read on all the casters) plus I just started getting into Friends at the Table and boy, am I so there for Austin being excited about world building.
My beastcast big mug was worth it, I got a murder island shirt because I really love the design, but then realized its a hard shirt to wear in public. I'd love an embroidered patch, to throw on my bag of holding, but I really dont feel the need for anything else they do merch wise, but I respect the dumb stuff they make with merch.
Besides shirts it seems to be just a hobby to make dumb stuff out of their brand and is not taken seriously. 35$ a year is well worth their service though, just for ad free podcasts.
For me at least the podcasts cover the value of a sub on sale. But yeah, I've also been missing out on most of their videos the past year; I did start watching Going Rogue, but welp.
The podcasts are free though? Unless you mean the hotspot exclusively.
Either way, I've been a subscriber for nearly a decade now so I definitely see value in the Giant Bomb concept. But per @Maddoc's comment - if they aren't producing then that value loses a lot of its tangibility.
I have faith they'll pull it together though. I just won't be able to maintain that faith in perpetuity.
For me at least the podcasts cover the value of a sub on sale. But yeah, I've also been missing out on most of their videos the past year; I did start watching Going Rogue, but welp.
The podcasts are free though? Unless you mean the hotspot exclusively.
Either way, I've been a subscriber for nearly a decade now so I definitely see value in the Giant Bomb concept. But per @Maddoc's comment - if they aren't producing then that value loses a lot of its tangibility.
I have faith they'll pull it together though. I just won't be able to maintain that faith in perpetuity.
i'm not sure this is Glal's outlook, but for me I still count the free stuff as part of the value proposition for my subscription, since my five bucks is going toward making that stuff possible even if it's technically free
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MichaelLCIn what furnace was thy brain?ChicagoRegistered Userregular
Speaking of merch, anyone get their pre-ordered tracksuits yet?
Same with me regarding subs and the podcasts - I think of it as giving then some money to support all their work, even if I don't watch most of it.
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ShadowfireVermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered Userregular
Even if all of GB suddenly vanished in a puff of smoke, it's given us Austin Walker, and nothing can take that away from us. Waypoint has slowly overtaken both GB podcasts as my fave (took me a while to get a read on all the casters) plus I just started getting into Friends at the Table and boy, am I so there for Austin being excited about world building.
I don't love Cado, but I really appreciate their take every week.
To me, paying the subscription price is less about access to exclusive content and more about supporting the people making the content I find enjoyable.
Black lives matter.
Law and Order ≠ Justice
ACNH Island Isla Cero: DA-3082-2045-4142
Captain of the SES Comptroller of the State
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SteevLWhat can I do for you?Registered Userregular
While the podcasts are mostly free, I greatly prefer the ad-free podcast experience I get from being a subscriber.
To me, paying the subscription price is less about access to exclusive content and more about supporting the people making the content I find enjoyable.
I definitely feel the same way but to take this full circle it's hard to enjoy content when there's very little of it being produced.
I like all the GB people but I'm not really comfortable continuing to support them directly financially if the continually scale back the value I'm getting.
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ShadowfireVermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered Userregular
While the podcasts are mostly free, I greatly prefer the ad-free podcast experience I get from being a subscriber.
I remember when their ads were way funnier and I felt like I was missing out with the ad free version.
I actually got tired even of their funny ads after a while, which is ultimately what got me to switch feeds. But I did appreciate that they tried to personalize them a bit more.
Now that you mention it, I haven't heard ads recently as I've been catching up on their podcasts (I'm just now getting to December). I listen to their free feed on my phone streaming through their website which should definitely have ads.
Ben was my favorite Quicklooker. He always took the time to be knowledgeable about the game and answer the questions the "dumb guy" had correctly.
Dan was on the other side of enjoyable. He didnt know all the details but he would get extremely enthusiastic for the stuff he enjoyed, and some of the funniest moments were when he was roasting a game he didnt enjoy.
Now the best Quicklooker is Vinny I guess? Though from there E3 stuff I wouldnt mind seeing Vinny and Jeff do a late night talk show that dosent necessarily have anything to do with gaming.
It seems to me like livestreaming is completely replacing the need for any kind of games journalism. Why read a write up when you can watch it being played for yourself?
I understand why the podcasts are split up the way they are, but it really feels like, with the loss of Dan and Abby and the creation of the Hot Spot, there's a lot of overlap between the Beastcast and Hotspot where it's mostly 40 year old men waxing nostalgic for old media and gushing about new tech.
Hell, 66% of the Beastcast makes up 50% of the Hot Spot!
Coupled with the Bombcast losing Ben's voice, and it also starts feeling a tiny bit redundant, though Jan and Jason add their own unique flavor still.
I feel like they could reorganize back down to 2 podcasts very easily though.
Undead Scottsman on
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admanbunionize your workplaceSeattle, WARegistered Userregular
It seems to me like livestreaming is completely replacing the need for any kind of games journalism. Why read a write up when you can watch it being played for yourself?
Okay, well, yes, that's kind of where things are going. But there are a few issues with this. One, that's not really what "journalism" is. Writing about worker conditions, sharing positive and negative stories about development processes, doing interviews -- that's journalism. Consumer reviews are on the fringe of games journalism but should not constitute the bulk. Now, the biggest issue with replacing reviews with livestreaming in my opinion is that watching a game can only give you a vertical slice of the game. Now, for some games that might be sufficient, but watching an hour of a large game isn't going to tell you how diverse the content is, how the existing content scales or grows tedious, whether there's triggering or problematic content outside the slice, or even whether the game sticks the landing. There's a reason we expect writers to have finished the game before they write a review -- reviewing the first five hours of a 40 hour game would be considered irresponsible.
GnomeTankWhat the what?Portland, OregonRegistered Userregular
Reviews are such a weird thing anyway. Do people really go look at a broad swathe of reviews when getting a feel for a game, or do most people just find a reviewer or two who's tastes align with theirs and go that route? I'm definitely in the latter group.
Yeah, if you want to hear people talk about games, you can get that anywhere.
I know it sounds silly, but their perspective as old men in their 40s is wholly unique in gaming press, because everyone else retires/moves into a different line of work by that age.
Games is a young peoples' game. Part of the fun of having Ben and Abby and Jan there is to hear them marvel at old work stories and relate it to how they view things as young, new faces in the biz.
Dan didnt know all the details but he would get extremely enthusiastic for the stuff he enjoyed, and some of the funniest moments were when he was roasting a game he didnt enjoy.
Hell yeah. The Quick Looks of Drawn to Death, Bequest, and Bubsy: The Woolies Strike Back are some of the best Quick Looks (and content in general) from that time.
NNID: Rehab0
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ShadowfireVermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered Userregular
Reviews are such a weird thing anyway. Do people really go look at a broad swathe of reviews when getting a feel for a game, or do most people just find a reviewer or two who's tastes align with theirs and go that route? I'm definitely in the latter group.
I used to be, but so many of the voices I know left the industry that there aren't many left that I do know.
Yeah, if you want to hear people talk about games, you can get that anywhere.
I know it sounds silly, but their perspective as old men in their 40s is wholly unique in gaming press, because everyone else retires/moves into a different line of work by that age.
Games is a young peoples' game. Part of the fun of having Ben and Abby and Jan there is to hear them marvel at old work stories and relate it to how they view things as young, new faces in the biz.
Now that Andy McNamara is out of the game, Jeff in particular basically IS the old man of games journalism.
Ben was my favorite Quicklooker. He always took the time to be knowledgeable about the game and answer the questions the "dumb guy" had correctly.
Yeah, I really appreciated that about him. When it feels like the QL is basically "we finished the 20 minute tutorial off camera, now let's discover how the first 30 minutes of the game plays together", well, at that point I'm just there to hear them bounce off each other really, I'm not getting any information about the game I find useful. Is this how the game will play in several hours' time? Are any bugs we're seeing a sign of something worse to come or just incidental? Are the game mechanics iffy or are they just bad at reading instructions?
~Who knows~
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BRIAN BLESSEDMaybe you aren't SPEAKING LOUDLY ENOUGHHHRegistered Userregular
Mahjong Mondays was the first One of Those I was getting into because watching them try and figure that arcane shit out was awesome, and now basically that shit don't happen anymore
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Any given day that not a single video goes up, there's probably a pretty solid reason for it, but ultimately it just means I didn't personally get any value from my sub that day.
It's a pretty transactional way of looking at it, but that is kind of what it comes down to.
With virtually all of their main content creators gone, they're gonna have to fill that space somehow, whether it's going back to doing QLs more regularly or what.
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better
bit.ly/2XQM1ke
3DS Friend Code: 2165-6448-8348 www.Twitch.TV/cooljammer00
Battle.Net: JohnDarc#1203 Origin/UPlay: CoolJammer00
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better
bit.ly/2XQM1ke
Origin ID: Discgolfer27
Untappd ID: Discgolfer1981
It's typically the same for Penny Arcade merch unless they do a free shipping deal
Besides shirts it seems to be just a hobby to make dumb stuff out of their brand and is not taken seriously. 35$ a year is well worth their service though, just for ad free podcasts.
The podcasts are free though? Unless you mean the hotspot exclusively.
Either way, I've been a subscriber for nearly a decade now so I definitely see value in the Giant Bomb concept. But per @Maddoc's comment - if they aren't producing then that value loses a lot of its tangibility.
I have faith they'll pull it together though. I just won't be able to maintain that faith in perpetuity.
i'm not sure this is Glal's outlook, but for me I still count the free stuff as part of the value proposition for my subscription, since my five bucks is going toward making that stuff possible even if it's technically free
Same with me regarding subs and the podcasts - I think of it as giving then some money to support all their work, even if I don't watch most of it.
I don't love Cado, but I really appreciate their take every week.
Law and Order ≠ Justice
ACNH Island Isla Cero: DA-3082-2045-4142
Captain of the SES Comptroller of the State
My Backloggery
I definitely feel the same way but to take this full circle it's hard to enjoy content when there's very little of it being produced.
I like all the GB people but I'm not really comfortable continuing to support them directly financially if the continually scale back the value I'm getting.
I remember when their ads were way funnier and I felt like I was missing out with the ad free version.
I actually got tired even of their funny ads after a while, which is ultimately what got me to switch feeds. But I did appreciate that they tried to personalize them a bit more.
My Backloggery
Now I can just mash fast forward and skip the ads.
Yes, I am a premium sub, but I still sub to the free feed. I guess in case they ever bring back the funny ads.
3DS Friend Code: 2165-6448-8348 www.Twitch.TV/cooljammer00
Battle.Net: JohnDarc#1203 Origin/UPlay: CoolJammer00
3DS Friend Code: 2165-6448-8348 www.Twitch.TV/cooljammer00
Battle.Net: JohnDarc#1203 Origin/UPlay: CoolJammer00
Dan was on the other side of enjoyable. He didnt know all the details but he would get extremely enthusiastic for the stuff he enjoyed, and some of the funniest moments were when he was roasting a game he didnt enjoy.
Now the best Quicklooker is Vinny I guess? Though from there E3 stuff I wouldnt mind seeing Vinny and Jeff do a late night talk show that dosent necessarily have anything to do with gaming.
It seems to me like livestreaming is completely replacing the need for any kind of games journalism. Why read a write up when you can watch it being played for yourself?
Hell, 66% of the Beastcast makes up 50% of the Hot Spot!
Coupled with the Bombcast losing Ben's voice, and it also starts feeling a tiny bit redundant, though Jan and Jason add their own unique flavor still.
I feel like they could reorganize back down to 2 podcasts very easily though.
Okay, well, yes, that's kind of where things are going. But there are a few issues with this. One, that's not really what "journalism" is. Writing about worker conditions, sharing positive and negative stories about development processes, doing interviews -- that's journalism. Consumer reviews are on the fringe of games journalism but should not constitute the bulk. Now, the biggest issue with replacing reviews with livestreaming in my opinion is that watching a game can only give you a vertical slice of the game. Now, for some games that might be sufficient, but watching an hour of a large game isn't going to tell you how diverse the content is, how the existing content scales or grows tedious, whether there's triggering or problematic content outside the slice, or even whether the game sticks the landing. There's a reason we expect writers to have finished the game before they write a review -- reviewing the first five hours of a 40 hour game would be considered irresponsible.
honestly, them talking about video games is the worst part lol
I know it sounds silly, but their perspective as old men in their 40s is wholly unique in gaming press, because everyone else retires/moves into a different line of work by that age.
Games is a young peoples' game. Part of the fun of having Ben and Abby and Jan there is to hear them marvel at old work stories and relate it to how they view things as young, new faces in the biz.
3DS Friend Code: 2165-6448-8348 www.Twitch.TV/cooljammer00
Battle.Net: JohnDarc#1203 Origin/UPlay: CoolJammer00
Hell yeah. The Quick Looks of Drawn to Death, Bequest, and Bubsy: The Woolies Strike Back are some of the best Quick Looks (and content in general) from that time.
I used to be, but so many of the voices I know left the industry that there aren't many left that I do know.
Now that Andy McNamara is out of the game, Jeff in particular basically IS the old man of games journalism.
~Who knows~
Damnit
And this will be some of the first content released in Biden's America, so that is a nice thought.