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Jeff Gerstmann is leaving Giant Bomb

SmokedMeat

Gamer™
I’ve been getting into podcasts recently, so I’ll check out Nextlander. Personally I found Jeff boring, but then maybe it’s just boring to listen about the videogame industry.
 

SCB3

Member
I mean it’s not Giant Bomb now. It’s that old thought experiment where if you have a car, and over the years you replace every single component of the car, is it the same car?

The new team I’m sure is doing their best (I personally haven’t watched much of it), but GB was Jeff, Ryan, Brad, Vinny, and Alex. You could change the side people around as long as you had the core, but without the core they may as well change the name of the site because it ain’t GB.
"The Ship of Theseus" is what the theory is called if anyone is interested
 
I’ve been getting into podcasts recently, so I’ll check out Nextlander. Personally I found Jeff boring, but then maybe it’s just boring to listen about the videogame industry.
Leave your comfort zone of familiarity and find someone new who's a good speaker and just passionate enough about the hobby to the point where they are not overly jaded(complaining about everything) but also not overly enthusiastic(giving out high scores everywhere). They should be able to just have fun on a podcast and list out their likes and dislikes about gaming topics. It will take a while but you'll most likely find them.

Edit: Also wanted to add, sometimes you'll find the best types of podcasts and content creators when that specific person is an expert in a single field/topic, for example if they're very knowledgeable in fighting games or very knowledgeable in MMOs, because they can sometimes not only be fun to listen to but also be more informative and educational because they are a master of one trade instead of discussing about games in a general sense. You end up having a better time because that person is discussing genres you actually like instead of bringing up something that you don't, just because a game recently released and they have no choice but to.

An example for me is when racing games, RTS, or sim games are brought up on general podcasts. Usually they don't have much to say because they aren't that knowledgeable in that field. So it ends up being a boring segment because there's not much for them to say or relate to. Compare this to someone who is extremely into those genres and you'll see a gigantic difference in what they talk about, from the core mechanics to the deeper systems involved.
 
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For what it’s worth, she’s lot more tolerable on those streams than she was on GB east stuff
I thought it was just me who couldn't tolerate her. I actually mentioned my feelings on Resetera and got a warning about "drive by opinions" - all I said was I didn't like her.
 

FoxMcChief

Gold Member
I used to listen to the bomb cast and beast cast each week. And a few other gaming podcast. Now they all suck. I’d rather listen to old music or have on an old movie in the background. I remember listening to mega64 and easy allies and they’re all just so boring or up their own asses with dumb jokes or opinions. I’d rather get my news from neogaf thread titles.
 
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ahtlas7

Member
I haven't follow him in years though, GB just got incredibly boring after a while and I honestly couldn't stand one of the (at the time) newer hires, tall dude who mumbled and breathes through his mouth. Everything he was in was unwatchable for me.
was it that Klepek character? He always felt like a wet blanket at a party. It was during his tenure I started loosing interest in GB and shortly deleted their site from my saves.
 

drganon

Member
was it that Klepek character? He always felt like a wet blanket at a party. It was during his tenure I started loosing interest in GB and shortly deleted their site from my saves.
No, the tall guy was Ben. That being said, I was never that fond of either him or Patrick.
 

Grildon Tundy

Gold Member
Patrick Klepek in the bottom-right everyone lmao

ylHYTdY.jpg
 

TexMex

Member
Jeff is fun, if he was boring then he wouldn't have more live views than giant bomb and nextlander combined.

There are tons of popular streamers that are boring, can't point to viewer count and be like see here nope not boring. Surely you don't think every streamer with a lot of viewers isn't boring?

Anyway I like Jeff, but his podcast really needs something. It's just him rambling for 3+ hours. He needs to surround himself with people. When he has a guest, or the Game Boys to Men thing - it's immediately 100x better. Solo? Definitely boring. Just a total stream of consciousness.
 
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Grildon Tundy

Gold Member
Wasn't there a screen grab of some shit he said that he would cancel someone else over from years back? I can't remember what it was, but it came around the time of the Danny O'Dwyer stuff.

There's also his participation in the "GameJournoPros" collective that's thought-provoking
 
No, the tall guy was Ben. That being said, I was never that fond of either him or Patrick.
A lot of people here disliked Abby and Patrick, but for me Ben was the only terrible addition I can think of. He would never do a single bit of research on his own field he worked in and would spout off random wrong facts, which in turn made every other podcast member constantly have to waste time correcting him. He's always extremely low energy, mumbling, and usually unprepared with talking points for any podcast or exclusive show that he was on, barely brought his own creative content to the fold(instead jumping into pre-established shows to make them worse because Vinny wasn't at west coast anymore), and he overall treated the job like he almost didn't want to be there but it was a good paycheck.

Compare this to Abby and Patrick. Yes, you might have disagreed with nearly all of their opinions, however they both provided great content to the site with the other staff members. They both were well researched in most aspects of their field and did their best to inform their audiences of things they cared about. They both provided decent counter arguments and alternate takes on podcasts. They both were well spoken and quite passionate about gaming. Ben, on the other hand, always felt like a weird nepotism hire that Jeff did just to fill a slot.
 

Maiden Voyage

Gold™ Member
Wasn't there a screen grab of some shit he said that he would cancel someone else over from years back? I can't remember what it was, but it came around the time of the Danny O'Dwyer stuff.
What was the DoD stuff? Was it when he tweeted racist shit back when he was a teenager?
 

TexMex

Member
What was the DoD stuff? Was it when he tweeted racist shit back when he was a teenager?

He’s 36 years now. He was not a teenager at the time at all. He wasn’t even a teenager when Twitter went live, assuming he joined it on day one which he of course did not. And more to the point, I couldn’t care less that he said it to begin with. It’s that he would be first in line to cancel anyone who did.
 

Maiden Voyage

Gold™ Member
He’s 36 years now. He was not a teenager at the time at all. He wasn’t even a teenager when Twitter went live, assuming he joined it on day one which he of course did not. And more to the point, I couldn’t care less that he said it to begin with. It’s that he would be first in line to cancel anyone who did.
I’ll assume this is a really long-winded way to say yes.
 

TexMex

Member
I’ll assume this is a really long-winded way to say yes.

Sorry to see that three sentences now constitutes "long winded."

So yes, it is the racist shit. Just wanted to be clear this wasn't some misguided youth, which is what "back when he was a teenager" sounds like.
 
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Brute

Member
Anyone listen to Fire Escape podcast with Dan, Mary and Mike? It’s ok, a little childish in places but fun.

Nextlander two part GOTY goes live this week I think, too.
 

TexMex

Member
Anyone listen to Fire Escape podcast with Dan, Mary and Mike? It’s ok, a little childish in places but fun.

Nextlander two part GOTY goes live this week I think, too.

I've tried. I like Dan and Mike, but you turn on Fire Escape and you need to skip ahead and least an hour just to hear them talk games. I know their schtick is "it's like listening to friends in a bar" - and if that's what you're looking for it's for you. I just find it extremely boring and often obnoxious.
 

DenchDeckard

Moderated wildly
Anyone listen to Fire Escape podcast with Dan, Mary and Mike? It’s ok, a little childish in places but fun.

Nextlander two part GOTY goes live this week I think, too.

Fire escape is great. Really good show. Childish but I am so it fits right with my humour. Big fan.
 

Brute

Member
I've tried. I like Dan and Mike, but you turn on Fire Escape and you need to skip ahead and least an hour just to hear them talk games. I know their schtick is "it's like listening to friends in a bar" - and if that's what you're looking for it's for you. I just find it extremely boring and often obnoxious.
Yeah that’s fair. I also skip ahead but they’re likeable people (although it took me a while to warm to Mike.)

It’s why I fell off GB so hard. Half of the crew now just aren’t interesting or particularly friendly people.

Tam is an arrogant a**hole who thinks he’s the only guy in the world who enjoys Souls games.

VoidBurger is just awful.

Bakalar is fine but just doesn’t like video games really.
 
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Umbasaborne

Banned
Ah, thats a shame to hear. I may not listen to modern gb, but i hate to see lay offs. Hope they all land on their feet. Jess was a pretty successful streamer before this I think so she can fall back on that. Maybe jeff can hire jason to do some video work for him and talk to him about fighting games on a few podcasts.
 

Evil Calvin

Afraid of Boobs
Who got let go? Jason and Jess?

Anyone else?

Man...these corporate purchases of Giant Bomb have just not gone well. Only this to do is create your own site and DON'T sell!! Like Nextlander and Minn Maxx. I don't think they are owned by a corporate entity.
 

bender

What time is it?
He'll probably do a Patreon & go full streaming before the end of the year.

Surprised he didn't do it in the first place. I know he likes the group dynamics and maybe managing employees or contractors isn't his ambition, but it seems like doing his own thing would be much more lucrative.
 

Maiden Voyage

Gold™ Member
Surprised he didn't do it in the first place. I know he likes the group dynamics and maybe managing employees or contractors isn't his ambition, but it seems like doing his own thing would be much more lucrative.
He's been streaming again lately. I suspect he'll announce within the coming months if not sooner.
 

Reallink

Member
Still shocked that Dan went back.

GB paid that Klepik guy like $80K effectively straight out of college well over a decade ago, so I have to imagine Ryckert's check is fat as fuck, quadruplely so with pandemic salary bloat.
 
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bender

What time is it?
GB paid that Klepik guy like $80K effectively straight out of college well over a decade ago, so I have to imagine Ryckert's check if fat as fuck, quadruplely so with pandemic salary bloat.

Still a fraction of what he could earn by doing his on thing on Twitch/Patreon/Youtube.
 
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