Games Journalism General -

[Judge Dredd]

https://twitter.com/nextlander/status/1401940490816208904

https://archive.md/AgmFu

Very interesting that this was made by Vinny, Brad and Alex so quickly after leaving Giant Bomb.
From their patreon description

Sounds like direct competition to Giant Bomb

Listened to the episode 0 podcast.

I haven't listened to Giant Bomb in years outside of some meme moments like the Abby Game of the Year stuff.

The episode is awkward and cringy. There also seems to be some simmering rage below the surface, but I think I'm reading too much into it. Vinny is trying his best to carry the show.

About 15 minutes in, they say why they're making a new site. They say that GiantBomb started as a small company, was absorbed by a big company, and the goals and demands of the big company are not always compatible with small parts of the company. That a big company's demand for growth is often incompatible with making a sustainable living. Specifically, GB were getting a lot of money from subscribers, but the company wanted "orders of magnitude" more.


Taking them at their word, I think that after Covid, CBSi started demanding more, taking a larger and larger cut from a shrinking pie. This doesn't explain why Jeff stayed behind, or why this was such an abrupt decision. Maybe CBSi told Jeff to either bring in more money or cut costs, so he axed all of Giant Bomb East on short notice.

What direction do they go thats even worth it?

They're going to Patreon and doing a podcast.
They don't go into any more details, but they are buying equipment.

 

[Tanner Glass]

Listened to the episode 0 podcast.

I haven't listened to Giant Bomb in years outside of some meme moments like the Abby Game of the Year stuff.

The episode is awkward and cringy. There also seems to be some simmering rage below the surface, but I think I'm reading too much into it. Vinny is trying his best to carry the show.

About 15 minutes in, they say why they're making a new site. They say that GiantBomb started as a small company, was absorbed by a big company, and the goals and demands of the big company are not always compatible with small parts of the company. That a big company's demand for growth is often incompatible with making a sustainable living. Specifically, GB were getting a lot of money from subscribers, but the company wanted "orders of magnitude" more.


Taking them at their word, I think that after Covid, CBSi started demanding more, taking a larger and larger cut from a shrinking pie. This doesn't explain why Jeff stayed behind, or why this was such an abrupt decision. Maybe CBSi told Jeff to either bring in more money or cut costs, so he axed all of Giant Bomb East on short notice.

Jeff may be contractually obligated to stay (or have a noncompete or something else).

I think CBSi also probably wanted more growth from Giantbomb, not necessarily more money. Giantbomb had pretty explosive growth early on and had rapidly been expanding until they were big enough to staff two entire offices and then they ... just kind of stopped?

GBEast was like 13 years ago and I can't think of anything they've done that's been remarkably innovative or explosive since then. It didn't lead to more content and they were floundering for like 15 years. They weren't able to maintain a staff easily, new hires came and went and they got nothing out of it in the long run.

I'm not sure what CBSi wanted - but I don't think it would be weird if they wanted Giantbomb to be more than it was for the last 15 years and probably would have liked a much stronger Giantbomb/Gamespot intergration outside of "some of them stop by on occasion".

 

[Anchors-Away]

But CBSi haven't owned Giant Bomb in over a year. Red Ventures brought them out last year:

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-09-14-viacomcbs-sells-cnet-media-group-to-digital-marketing-company-red-ventures

 

[Lucas Silva #4903141]

The giant bombcast went live earlier, it will go up later today on youtube. News from that already got on reddit:

• There will be a new show with Jeff Bakalar and Dan Ryckert
• Another one with Tamoor Hussain, Lucy James and Jeff Bakalar
• All the people mentioned so far, along with Jeff Grubb and Danny O'Dwyer will also be involved with future GB projects

I remember Jeff Grubb getting dunked on months ago, on twitter. I barely know Tamoor Hussain and Lucy James. Interesting times, though.

 

[Ihavetinyweewee]

The giant bombcast went live earlier, it will go up later today on youtube. News from that already got on reddit:

• There will be a new show with Jeff Bakalar and Dan Ryckert
• Another one with Tamoor Hussain, Lucy James and Jeff Bakalar
• All the people mentioned so far, along with Jeff Grubb and Danny O'Dwyer will also be involved with future GB projects

I remember Jeff Grubb getting dunked on months ago, on twitter. I barely know Tamoor Hussain and Lucy James. Interesting times, though.

From what I can vaguely piece together:

GB is changing to a consulting model? Essentually, people will be cycled in/out every season.

I guess to add variety or a fluid identity?

 

[JabbasAnalFissure]

Huh, I just learned about the Giantbomb stuff. So, who is still there?

What direction do they go thats even worth it? Giantbomb was at its best when it was a hang. If it is going to get away from that, whats the point?

Put a bullet in it Jeff..

Jeff has a baby on the way. He’s probably sticking around for the health insurance and paternity leave.

Jeff stopped caring years ago. He’s been perfectly fine with riding Giant Bombs decaying corpse for as long as he can.

It’s fitting that for a guy who used to look down on you tubers and streamers, that’s what Giant Bomb essentially became...only a much shittier low effort version of it.

 

[Baku69]

Whoever said they'll become a shitty podcast network and collaborate with independent streamers was right on the money

 

[Tanner Glass]

But CBSi haven't owned Giant Bomb in over a year. Red Ventures brought them out last year:

https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2020-09-14-viacomcbs-sells-cnet-media-group-to-digital-marketing-company-red-ventures

I'd imagine that 13 years of no growth was fuel for the sale.

Red Ventures seems to be focusing on podcasting/shows for GB, which at least is something different (even though it doesn't sound super interesting).

 

[JabbasAnalFissure]

Whoever said they'll become a shitty podcast network and collaborate with independent streamers was right on the money

Jeff leveraging independent content creators in a desperate attempt to save his site is a fitting end for Giant Bomb. He spent years cynically mocking streamers and you tubers.

All that’s missing is them sponsoring an esports team.

 

[Anchors-Away]

Jeff leveraging independent content creators in a desperate attempt to save his site is a fitting end for Giant Bomb. He spent years cynically mocking streamers and you tubers.

All that’s missing is them sponsoring an esports team.

Both of the new guests are from GameSpot, who are also apart of Red Ventures. Seems the new owners is just trying to mix-max the investment. I'd not be shocked if Giant Bomb just becomes the brand name of the GameSpot podcast line-up going forward in the near future.

 

[AnOminous]

The episode is awkward and cringy. There also seems to be some simmering rage below the surface, but I think I'm reading too much into it. Vinny is trying his best to carry the show.

Nobody cares about this dead shithole since Ryan Davis died. Nobody is interested in wokeshit.

 

[Tanner Glass]

Jeff leveraging independent content creators in a desperate attempt to save his site is a fitting end for Giant Bomb. He spent years cynically mocking streamers and you tubers.

All that’s missing is them sponsoring an esports team.

Danny O'Dwyer literally said "I want to go to Target and open up Pokemon cards". God damn.

RIP Giantbomb.

It sounds like they aren't leaning into "independent content creators" as a platform, because it sounds like "independent content creators" is a code word for "people who used to work here and found better jobs and/or people we are directly friends with".

It sounds like that Red Ventures (and previously CBSi) couldn't solve the "how do we get people to work for Giantbomb long term" and the solution that RV came up with was "pay people a per diem so they don't have to quit their real job". It means people like Danny O'Dwyer can do GB stuff without leaving NoClip. Dan Rykert apparently can commit sometime without voiding his WWE contract and so on.

The real pivotal test will be who they extend that to - if Austin, Patrick, or Abby will make a return in some capacity I think most people will go "fuck it" and not stick with it.

 

[Ihavetinyweewee]

Danny O'Dwyer literally said "I want to go to Target and open up Pokemon cards". God damn.

RIP Giantbomb.

It sounds like they aren't leaning into "independent content creators" as a platform, because it sounds like "independent content creators" is a code word for "people who used to work here and found better jobs and/or people we are directly friends with".

It sounds like that Red Ventures (and previously CBSi) couldn't solve the "how do we get people to work for Giantbomb long term" and the solution that RV came up with was "pay people a per diem so they don't have to quit their real job". It means people like Danny O'Dwyer can do GB stuff without leaving NoClip. Dan Rykert apparently can commit sometime without voiding his WWE contract and so on.

The real pivotal test will be who they extend that to - if Austin, Patrick, or Abby will make a return in some capacity I think most people will go "fuck it" and not stick with it.

If they're going this path, rotating cast. For sure, you're gonna get Austin, Abby, and Patrick contributing at some point.

Just sounds like the whole thing is on life support.

 

[albert chan]

Whoever said they'll become a shitty podcast network and collaborate with independent streamers was right on the money

Gaming podcasts and livestreams are the new norm having to compete with the other norm of Twitch Hot tub streamers that used to play games on the PC.

 

[Vapid_Idiot]

I think Dan and Abby will probably be announced as Giant Bomb Official Twitch Partners, and their streams will be hosted on Giant Bomb and will likely make exclusive stuff, but they will be independent and do their own thing. So I guess Giant Bomb is pretty much going to be like machinima or curse.

My speculation is Vinny, Alex, and Brad were basically told the premise of new Giant Bomb and did not like knowing the rest of their careers there would be spent behind a webcam. I think they know that can do bigger and better things than being glorified twitch streamers.

Abby is still young and probably wants to continue a career in games media, and Dan likes streaming for fun, so they probably both will take these offers with open arms. The rest probably felt like its time to move on. All of them mentioned moving out of the areas they are in. San Francisco and New York sound like hell to me so I don't blame them.

Whoever said they'll become a shitty podcast network and collaborate with independent streamers was right on the money

I knew immediately when Jeff Bakalar was randomly showing up to collaborate with certain people's personal streams. It is probably a better model, business wise, to not be paying people yearly salaries to sit on their ass at home and stream and podcast.

Nextlander wants to be like old Giant Bomb, where they can do whatever they want and not worry about corporate metrics. I can guarantee if they are successful, Brad will move to NYC and they will have a physical office like the old Giant Bomb days, while Giant Bomb will still do the cucked zoom webcam meet ups.

 

[Baku69]

Nextlander wants to be like old Giant Bomb, where they can do whatever they want and not worry about corporate metrics. I can guarantee if they are successful, Brad will move to NYC and they will have a physical office like the old Giant Bomb days, while Giant Bomb will still do the cucked zoom webcam meet ups.

I hope so, Brad and Vinny have always been the most tolerable to me so it'll be great if they don't fuck this up...they probably will though.

 

[JabbasAnalFissure]

I listened to Jeff run down their new vision. He basically acted like the chains are off and they are now free to do all this new stuff. What’s left of the fanbase can’t really buy into this. What was stopping them from going in this direction in the past two years?

 

[Marissa Moira]

I listened to Jeff run down their new vision. He basically acted like the chains are off and they are now free to do all this new stuff. What’s left of the fanbase can’t really buy into this. What was stopping them from going in this direction in the past two years?

Unless they fully separated from their parent company, I don't see much changing.

You still can't say cunt and other shit on their podcast.

 

[Vapid_Idiot]

I listened to Jeff run down their new vision. He basically acted like the chains are off and they are now free to do all this new stuff. What’s left of the fanbase can’t really buy into this. What was stopping them from going in this direction in the past two years?

"What does talking about video games in 2021 actually mean?"

It means whatever Red Ventures tells you it means, Jeff Gerstmann.

 

[Stasi]

Jeff really went from doing his own thing after being fucked over by gamespot and pioneering an independent platform to being a total corporate cuck. Top 10 anime betrayals man.