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The GiantBomb Quick Look Thread
- Thread starter Gowans
- Start date
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Keyser Soze
Member
weekend_warrior said:
Dumb Bastard. Stupid Whore. Fucking Cunt!!
<3 With Love
Keyser Soze
Member
G_Berry said:
I gave them money, but the one thing they force as a selling point (the Happy Hour) is not at all what I am interested in.
I listen to the Tested, Screened and Giant Bomb podcasts, and look at all the videos Tested does and 90% of the Quick Looks Giant Bomb does. I am happy to give them money if all those keeps going (or gets better).
Foliorum Viridum
Banned
Which is where they're going wrong, IMO.hamchan said:
Bombcast, TNT, Quick Looks should all be paid content, on a one week delay for non-subscribers. See the numbers sky rocket then.
Foliorum Viridum said:
They wanted to do this to HALF of the bombcast and the insane backlash they got made them can it in exchange for hitting 5000 subscribers. No one cares about TNT on the site and they lose money when they post it on the site, it's only good as a live program. And the QL's are the bread and butter of the site. They screw with them and they screw with the entire site.
Foliorum Viridum
Banned
I was one of the people in the outrage thread here that insisted the Bombcast was worth paying for and I think they should've stuck to their guns. People feeling entitled to podcasts for free is restricting them.
I also think that the number of people who love QLs and would sign up to see them early would be worth the risk personally.
I also think that the number of people who love QLs and would sign up to see them early would be worth the risk personally.
WrenchNinja
Member
People felt that it would be super shitty of them to charge for something that was totally free for the two years.Foliorum Viridum said:
Foliorum Viridum
Banned
But they would be getting it - just not as early as they were used to. GB aren't a charity, they need to make money to continue.
It's pure greed from people. Bombcast provides me with two of the most entertaining hours of my week. That's worth money. If I could've subscribed to GFW Radio/1UP Yours back in the day to keep them alive I would have in an instant.
Podcasts are starting to hit the point where charging for the best ones is justified. Somebody like the Bombcast guys just need to pull the trigger already and do it. People will bitch and whine but ultimately it would be the right move. They'll get more subscribers and the idiots who love the Bombcast so much but don't want to support it will get it later.
It's pure greed from people. Bombcast provides me with two of the most entertaining hours of my week. That's worth money. If I could've subscribed to GFW Radio/1UP Yours back in the day to keep them alive I would have in an instant.
Podcasts are starting to hit the point where charging for the best ones is justified. Somebody like the Bombcast guys just need to pull the trigger already and do it. People will bitch and whine but ultimately it would be the right move. They'll get more subscribers and the idiots who love the Bombcast so much but don't want to support it will get it later.
Crewnh said:
I think this is the problem. They can't start charging for stuff that's been free for a long time now; it just makes them look bad. So they have to start making new content. Honestly though, I find the happy hours are kinda crap. So now they just have to start making good new content.
Foliorum Viridum
Banned
I don't see why they can't charge for content that was previously free? From my perspective we had 2 years of free stuff, and now that they've proven their quality as a site, it's fair game for them to make that stuff exclusive paid content for early access, but then keep it on a week delay for non-subscribers.
People who are so passionate about it will pay, those who aren't won't.
People who are so passionate about it will pay, those who aren't won't.
Got to say, I look forward to two podcasts a week now -- Bombcast and This Is Only A Test. As someone working for a developer in Mobile Phones, just listening to Tested's podcast has really helped me get to grips with the fucking insane structure of Android Phones, Blackberry devices (which we don't have in Australia) and everything else. Whitta being the "outside" man helps as well.
And I started listening regularly when they had Whitta on every week, so I guess they're now even in the number of subscribers again.panda21 said:
Was listening to the podcast on and off from the start, but two-man-podcasts always seem just a bit too slow/small for me. Having a third person on was already a good move; having Whitta on a great one. He might go a bit overboard with the Apple-love sometimes, but generally he's a great guy to listen to.
WrenchNinja
Member
Cutting it in half would have changed the entire dynamic of the bombcast. And pure greed by people? Yeah. But it'would also be greedy of them for charging for it. You keep bringing up how they should be charging it so often in these threads when even they realized it would have been a stupid idea and they'd be losing more visitors than they'd be gaining subscribers. It's about building a relationship with the community and charging for shit that was free isn't something you want to do to your community.Foliorum Viridum said:
It's not about whether they can or cannot. Of course they can, it's whether they should.Foliorum Viridum said:
Let me ask you something, do you feel the same way about companies who are charging you for unlockables, alternate costumes, cheat codes, etc. now for games too? I mean they're not charities either and they're providing you entertainment hours on end. Stuff that was free before? Do you feel okay about that? I just want to know how you feel there.
Foliorum Viridum
Banned
Yeah Whitta getting in on the WM stuff really annoys me. I don't like him at all.panda21 said:
It's not "greedy" of them to charge for something when they're a small company and clearly need more revenue to survive, in my books. If it doesn't work out for them then they could always roll it back out, but I think it would be a worthwhile test. The Bombcast is clearly the best feature they have and as such it should be a source of income. Any member of the community that feels hurt by having such a great product being delayed a week if they weren't willing to pay for it clearly isn't such an important part of the community afterall. They're not getting much advertising at the moment so going for subscribers in a way like this seems like the sensible choice.Crewnh said:
Generally I'm okay with that stuff because it doesn't interest me. If it does, I pay for it. It's all about how it's handled - some companies seem to be bleeding you dry, when others are offering enough already that it seems fair. In the case of GB the guys have such an open and honest relationship with the visitors of the site that I would find it hard for anyone to begrudge them trying to increase subscriber numbers in such a way.
fadetoblack
Member
Moon Diver looked terrible as a multiplayer game so I downloaded the demo and gave it a go for myself. I got to say, as much as it is fun to see how long you can keep a combo going through regular attacks, magic, or sliding etc., I don't think the game is all that fun either way.
They should have made NDX subscriber only, but the problem with making people pay for podcasts is that then they won't be available on iTunes. And that greatly restricts the number of people who will listen.
I am also waiting to see if the do a new ER before subscribing since I'm not really interested in watching the Happy Hours, and don't care about HD versions of their videos.
Oxx said:
I am also waiting to see if the do a new ER before subscribing since I'm not really interested in watching the Happy Hours, and don't care about HD versions of their videos.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
They probably would run into problems with making money off videos from another game.
The best way would be to get a sponsorship, but then at that point, if you want to advertise a game through an ER (which apparently helped P4), you wouldn't want that to be members only - you'd want that to reach as many people as possible.
The best way would be to get a sponsorship, but then at that point, if you want to advertise a game through an ER (which apparently helped P4), you wouldn't want that to be members only - you'd want that to reach as many people as possible.
infinityBCRT
Member
Seems like the only guy on the internet who has been able to monetize podcasts is Leo Laporte. And the guy makes a killing.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
Yeah, but he built it on the back of free bandwidth of course... and really, now it's mostly because he has a billion podcasts and most of his audience is the rich, white silicon valley web 2.0 nerd crowd.infinityBCRT said:
He's basically the Wall Street Journal of podcasts. :lol
If they did this, it would probably be the thing that pushes me to subscribe. As much as I love the Giant Bomb guys, I find it incredibly hard to justify a subscription when I don't care about the happy hours, downloads, HD videos or the mobile site and I could spend that money buying actual games instead.Oxx said:
Spirit of Jazz
Banned
OMG Aero said:
Not wanting them to go under and continue to provide the content that they do can't be considered enough incentive? To be honest if it isn't I don't see what they could provide that did incentivize people. To be honest I think if their situation becomes dire there only real option is to go with their original model and ignore the "fans" that would rather whine about paying a tiny sum for the large amount of content they recieve rather than see them survive.
RomanticHeroX
Member
As a subscriber I think it would look bad if they were to start making the podcast and other traditional content subscriber only. It's exceptionally hard to start charging for things that used to be free without alienating a lot of people. What I get for my membership I think is well worth the cost, but I'm also glad that they're committing to creating new things for subscribers instead of using their already popular features as a crutch. Keeping Quick Looks and the Bombcast free for everyone just makes the experience better for both free users and paid users.
I'm also amazed that anyone who is already a fan of Giantbomb could not like the Happy Hours. It's like what they're already loved for but made even more ridiculous and entertaining.
I'm also amazed that anyone who is already a fan of Giantbomb could not like the Happy Hours. It's like what they're already loved for but made even more ridiculous and entertaining.
I think a lot of people do enjoy the GB part of the happy hour, but it's usually only about 14 or 15 minutes of the hour. The tested segments are usually great as well, but the Comicvine and Screened segments just aren't stuff I'm interested in.RomanticHeroX said:
They really need to reassess the value of a membership, because at this point I think a large majority of the subscribers are doing it more out of charity or as payment for the years of work they did before they started the subscriptions. I'll be really curious what their resubscription numbers look like once the first yearlies start to run out. It really wouldn't surprise me if they announced something big, like a member exclusive endurance run, 2-3 weeks before the year mark.
I'm probably one of the few people willing to pay directly for content on the internet. it's a simple, uncomplicated relationship between creator and consumer. I don't really like ads and would rather just pay creators directly where possible - at least for content that I consume a lot of.
calling this transaction "charity" just goes to show how much the mentality is different on the web than anywhere else. people don't call it charity when someone subscribes to HBO for content.
but, hey, expectations are different on the web so WM is stuck in this awkward position of asking people to pay for things they expect to get for free anywhere else online.
calling this transaction "charity" just goes to show how much the mentality is different on the web than anywhere else. people don't call it charity when someone subscribes to HBO for content.
but, hey, expectations are different on the web so WM is stuck in this awkward position of asking people to pay for things they expect to get for free anywhere else online.
Basileus777
Member
LCfiner said:
It's been called charity because there are people paying for the subscription that don't actually care for the meager amount of content that a sub is actually required for. Whiskey Media gives out their best content for free and then charges for what is essentially bonus material, that's hardly comparable to how a premium cable channel operates.
infinityBCRT
Member
Same here. I loved Whitta on the Game Theory podcast as well. That podcast + 1up yours (and really at that time the whole fucking 1up podcast network was amazing) really started my love for podcasts.newjeruse said:
Shalashaska
Member
Same here.panda21 said:
Yeah the setup isn't there for it.Curufinwe said:
Foliorum Viridum
Banned
Yup. I do like the Happy Hours, but I'm mainly subscribing to keep the QLs/Bombcasts going.Basileus777 said:
Although I understand why people will find it hard to accept them charging for those features, unless they do start providing some more member only content, I do see their numbers dropping and them being forced into charging for those things.
In an ideal world they'd charge for all video/audio content on the site, and then part of that funding would go towards even more new, exclusive member content.
Basically the mentality of people on the internet needs to change. If GAF went paid only tomorrow I'd sign up. If Facebook had a yearly subscription I'd probably go for that too. Giant Bomb is up there with those sites for me so I'd be happy to pay for all of their content. People need to get over the fact that free content can become restricted to paid members. That's the reality of business and if you like something enough, pay for it.
I don't see how WM will last unless they start doing this or get a lot of advertising.
Thomper said:And I started listening regularly when they had Whitta on every week, so I guess they're now even in the number of subscribers again.
Was listening to the podcast on and off from the start, but two-man-podcasts always seem just a bit too slow/small for me. Having a third person on was already a good move; having Whitta on a great one. He might go a bit overboard with the Apple-love sometimes, but generally he's a great guy to listen to.
Agreed. Garry is a great addition. Especially for fake outtakes!
firehawk12
Subete no aware
I just feel like they need a Gordon Ma Ung to stop the Apple fanboyism from getting too out of hand. When they were all on the Max PC podcast, it was a nice balance (and really, half the funny was just Gordon ranting about some Apple thing just to troll Will and Norm). Of course, Apple haters in the tech industry are pretty much non-existent these days.No_Style said:
I still liked how Gordon was bitching about Gary's PC build on his podcast for no real reason ("Gary abandoned the PC, and now he wants to come crawling back?!")
BlazeHedgehog
Member
Foliorum Viridum said:
I am pretty sure this is the exact sort of model they want to avoid. "This exact model" being the "over-aggressively push subscription fees on their fanbase and in turn open themselves to a huge well of resentment".
Seriously? If GiantBomb put pay walls up over all that stuff I think I would stop giving a shit about this website entirely. It would instantly be put in to the same category as stupid bullshit like IGN Insider.
I don't need to pay for things like The Bombcast, TNT, or Quick Looks, because at this point there are 45 billion videogame websites out there. If I'm not watching this shit on GiantBomb, then I'm doing it at Gametrailers, or hell, even Youtube. I might not get GiantBomb's charisma, but charisma is not worth a subscription fee.
Don't be silly.
Foliorum Viridum
Banned
For myself and many others the "charisma" is worth a subscription fee. The guys at GB is what makes the content so entertaining. There are no other websites that offer me the personalities that GB does.
The personalities are their USP and they should be making the most of that. For every person like you who doesn't value that enough to pay, I'd wager there'd be somebody else who misses their loveable little faces and cough up the money. Yeah you can get the same sort of content elsewhere but at the end of the day that's pretty boring compared to what you get at GB.
That's why it's the only video game website other than GAF I use.
The personalities are their USP and they should be making the most of that. For every person like you who doesn't value that enough to pay, I'd wager there'd be somebody else who misses their loveable little faces and cough up the money. Yeah you can get the same sort of content elsewhere but at the end of the day that's pretty boring compared to what you get at GB.
That's why it's the only video game website other than GAF I use.
BlazeHedgehog
Member
Foliorum Viridum said:
I feel like I should clarify, however.
Charisma on its own is not enough to justify. When faced with the decision between paying for the most important parts of GiantBomb or getting similar content from other providers for free (minus the GB crew), the free option is a logical choice for me.
However, because the most important parts of GiantBomb are free, I choose them over most of the gaming websites on the internet (I've even stopped obsessively checking Gametrailers like I used to, even though there's tons of stuff GiantBomb never posts about that GT does).
And because GiantBomb treats me with respect as a consumer, and deliberately avoids trying to exploit me for my cash, I'll probably end up buying a subscription eventually - something I've never considered doing for stuff like IGN Insider, or Gamespot Premium (even back when the GB guys were still employed there).
And I'm pretty sure that's the crux of their entire pricing plan. They keep close to the community and the community keeps close to them.
bender
What time is it?
I feel like the Giantbomb crew deserves my support which is why I subscribed and will continue to do so. I don't even take advantage of any of the premium features (unless you want to count the Bombcast) and don't visit any of the other Whiskey Media sites. It is rather expensive, so I can understand not wanting to pony up the cash.
Foliorum Viridum
Banned
But what you view as "exploit" I view as a justified means of staying alive.Sega1991 said:
But hey, this is going around in circles now, so I think I'm done with this debate
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