Nah. It's been like this for awhile. And other podcasts have no problem finding stuff to play.
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Wow. The Giant Bombcast is way better these days.
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I find that type of stuff great for background noise while I'm doing other stuff (laundry, working out etc), but yes, I'm hoping the next gen brings out more interesting gaming discussions as I haven't properly paid attention to a Bombcast in like a year.
The difference being Michael Scott is great, embarrassingly funny and an awesome boss.
Oh man, you have to listen to some of the HotSpots from 2005-2006. I would laugh uncontrollably nearly every podcast.
The amazing Gizmondo saga:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Die7g765huQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hm4vY3E4o-I
And hell, GiantBomb was funny as late as 2011:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6QlxUiYl6w
BossLackey
Gold Member
I might give it another go. I stopped listening to it too because they were too long and didn't really say anything I hadn't heard. The production was also particularly awful.
Backfoggen
Banned
Yeah, I don't get it. Do people here sit down at a desk just to listen to the podcast or something. It's a podcast, it's not supposed to be perfect entertainment over 2 hours.
Yeah for me its a guaranteed 3 hours of entertainment at work on Wednesday
LightofRohan
Member
Yea, I'm feeling this as well. When they talk about interesting games or games I'm into I love it, but sometimes they can spend too much time on some boring ass game I don't care about. Like DiveKick... we get it, it's clever.
But yea, when they get into games it almost feels like when you are in class and just talking shit with the teacher, then the teacher says, "Alright let's get back to lecture". They should just talk shit, quick "Whatcha Been Playin?" then straight to game news/emails.
I write these posts for myself on gaf
Their podcast has given me endless hours of sanity during my long commutes to and from work. Once I'm through with my other weekly shows and had my fill of NPR I'm always happy that I have this massive 3 hour thing to listen to. My taste in videogames differs from theirs a great deal so I don't mind it if they talk less about them... they're all likable guys.
Also, anyone else wonder about Ryan and Brad's dynamic? Ryan seems to barely tolerate him.
Also, anyone else wonder about Ryan and Brad's dynamic? Ryan seems to barely tolerate him.
You and me both.
Annihilator
Member
I haven't really noticed this so much since I just listen to it while at work, but more than a few have mentioned this now. Will try and pick up on this from now on! Maybe he's as sick of Brad as I am....
supaman900s
Member
Used to listen to the Player One podcast, but stopped after Ford left because it just wasn't the same.
IHaveCandy
Banned
I gotta disagree with this. I find it kinda dull when they get into long conversations about their daily lives. It's interesting sometimes, but it usually just sounds like I'm hearing the mundane events of any ordinary person's life. I prefer when they talk about games.
Risible
Member
Ok, if we're getting into batshit crazy GB theories now I'm in. Here's my take on the GB personalities and chemistry:
Jeff has seen it all and is semi-burned out. Luckily he's talented and funny and has an encyclopedic knowledge of games and can get by on those traits. He's the old man yelling at clouds, and obviously loves older games and would be content to play nothing but them. He really likes Patrick for some reason...if you listen, you'll notice that he only laughs at Patrick's jokes (for the most part.)
Ryan is Jeff's bud. He's always got Jeff's back, he's his wingman. He has only slightly less gaming knowledge than Jeff. He gives Brad shit but not because he dislikes him, but rather because he's a master troll. He loves nothing more than trolling the shit out of people, and Brad is super-easy to wind up. He enjoys games but isn't nearly as hardcore as Jeff, and is also content to play older games rather than newer ones.
Vinny is the chill meister. He just wants to hang out, do his job well, and have a good time. He isn't into negativity. However, beneath the surface lies the dark depths that are Vinny (see: bugout bags and survivor prep stuff). He just generally likes everyone and is there to have a good time.
Brad is the straight man. He is good at single-tasking. Do not ask Brad to multitask as one thing will be done poorly (e.g., play a game and attempt to comment on it). Truly loves games, both new and old, and takes it semi-seriously. He reads GAF and many other forums as he's said on the podcast many times. The real animosity lies between him and Patrick. More on that below.
Patrick is the new guy and straight man number two. He's always sucking up to Jeff. Many times Patrick will state an opinion, Jeff will counter his opinion, and then Patrick will subtly shift to Jeff's opinion a few minutes later. Feels that Brad is his competition, and will always offer a counter-opinion to Brad. Will generally only give shit to Brad. He loves games. He loves indie games to a fault. He gets too cozy with industry folks.
PLEASE NOTE: These are the ramblings of a crazed lunatic. This is the through-line that I've come up with in my head from years of listening to the GB podcast. THIS IS NOT FACT NOR DO I PRETEND IT TO BE SUCH. Please don't get your panties in a twist. This is just my crazy theories on what makes the Bombcast tick.
ReturnOfTheRAT
Member
Shooting the for nearly 90 minutes of the podcast is what makes it so good. It's like what good radio hosts used to do back in the day. Direct discussion of videogame mechanics for hours on end is boring to me at this point. Learning about their experiences outside of pressing buttons and moving sticks on a controller is incredibly interesting.
Uno Venova
Banned
That's the reason I unsubbed recently actually, just Joe and Stone cold for me.
I chose my words carefully. I'm a snob.
Hahaha everything you wrote is of course ridiculous, but it did remind me of when Brad called Ryan a "fucking dick" when he wouldn't let him talk about Derby Pie, and then Jeff has to cool the situation by redirecting Brad away from Ryan. Though this is just on-air drama; I'm sure the dudes are really close when hanging out off-mic. Love everything about the bombcast.
Yeah I'm the same. I don't need to hear about their personal weekend/life stories in great detail. At times it can be a bit self-indulgent. Not listened to it for a while now. Still others enjoy it. Another man's meat etc etc.
I'll prob check out their E3 live shows mind you. Should be pretty good.
I've been listening to this shit since the beginning of Gamebomb.ru, so I KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, ok guys? Uhh, so I used to listen to the Bombcast every week when it came out, but now I'm about two months behind, and I've skipped through/barely paid attention to the last ten or so bombcasts I actually did listen to. I don't think it's improved at all, nor do I think it's gotten worse. I think because I've listened to them for so long, the problems I have with each of them are more apparent. Plus I have a ton of other podcasts to listen to that are much funnier/more insightful. (All of the following sentences have "in my opinion" in front of them)
Jeff: is a very funny man who seems to be on the brink of insanity at times. I always like listening to him talk, unless it's about games (or food). His taste is so ridiculous that he is completely unrelatable as a reviewer or just as a guy-who-talks-about-video-games. Jeff-casts are the best, though.
Ryan: I've liked Ryan less and less every single week. From his loud, bombastic voice that enunciates certain words and letters to his sense of humor (or lack thereof), there is not much I like about Ryan. 90% of the time he is trying to be funny, he's either channeling something Jeff might say, or is just leeching off of something Jeff said seconds earlier. You might argue that they play well off each other, but it's usually just Ryan playing off of Jeff and then Jeff might reciprocate. Ryan is absolutely the Robin to Jeff's Batman. I don't think the nonsensical discussions about mattresses and meat are inherently bad. If the person talking is interesting or funny enough, then it's worth listening to. The problem is Ryan is not interesting nor funny enough; this is especially problematic for me because he talks so much. Ryan is the main reason I don't listen to the bombcast. Bring back timid Ryan from the gamespot days please.
On another note, what does Ryan even do at Giantbomb besides throw pastries into terlets? We know he edits the podcast, but that apparently takes him all week (a couple hours of editing and then four days of recovery) since he doesn't review games anymore and doesn't have his own series of video content (like Patrick, Brad, and Jeff do). What does he do? Someone tell me.
Bradley: is the most ordinary man in America, but he is also the most rational and level-headed person at Giantbomb, and that makes him a trustworthy reviewer. I don't dislike Brad as much as my friend does, but I absolutely agree with his Brad-criticisms. He hates angry Brad because it comes out of nowhere and is very off-putting. This happens a lot in quick looks -- he overthinks the objective and tries something stupid and then dies because of it; then he'll respawn and try the exact same thing and die again and then he'll get really frustrated at the game and possibly start yelling. I come to expect it now in any quick look Brad runs. This probably happens because he has trouble playing a game and talking at the same time, but Angry Brad should really be limited to Breaking Brad because that is the place for it. One thing I really appreciate about Brad is his intense interest with Starcraft and DOTA; it makes him way more relatable to gamers because, like us, he is super invested in a few particular franchises. Who else at Giantbomb is like that? No one, that's who.
Patrick: has been killing it with the video content lately, which, as a subscriber, I definitely appreciate. Some of the other Giantbombers should take notes. That being said, I don't particularly like listening to him talk -- he interrupts people a lot and often times sounds pretentious -- luckily he's gotten better about that stuff.
Vinny: god-tier Gamebomb comrade. There is nothing to dislike about Vinny. God damnit, Vinny, I love you.
Drew: god-tier Gamebomb comrade. He is so stern most of the time, but blink and you'll miss his random bouts of eccentricity. Drew is such a mystery, I love it.
Dave: god-tier Gamebomb comrade. May he rest in peace.
Rorie: give me more Rorie. I wish he was on the podcast every week. Give me what I want. Please.
Feel free to ignore everything I said.
Jeff: is a very funny man who seems to be on the brink of insanity at times. I always like listening to him talk, unless it's about games (or food). His taste is so ridiculous that he is completely unrelatable as a reviewer or just as a guy-who-talks-about-video-games. Jeff-casts are the best, though.
Ryan: I've liked Ryan less and less every single week. From his loud, bombastic voice that enunciates certain words and letters to his sense of humor (or lack thereof), there is not much I like about Ryan. 90% of the time he is trying to be funny, he's either channeling something Jeff might say, or is just leeching off of something Jeff said seconds earlier. You might argue that they play well off each other, but it's usually just Ryan playing off of Jeff and then Jeff might reciprocate. Ryan is absolutely the Robin to Jeff's Batman. I don't think the nonsensical discussions about mattresses and meat are inherently bad. If the person talking is interesting or funny enough, then it's worth listening to. The problem is Ryan is not interesting nor funny enough; this is especially problematic for me because he talks so much. Ryan is the main reason I don't listen to the bombcast. Bring back timid Ryan from the gamespot days please.
On another note, what does Ryan even do at Giantbomb besides throw pastries into terlets? We know he edits the podcast, but that apparently takes him all week (a couple hours of editing and then four days of recovery) since he doesn't review games anymore and doesn't have his own series of video content (like Patrick, Brad, and Jeff do). What does he do? Someone tell me.
Bradley: is the most ordinary man in America, but he is also the most rational and level-headed person at Giantbomb, and that makes him a trustworthy reviewer. I don't dislike Brad as much as my friend does, but I absolutely agree with his Brad-criticisms. He hates angry Brad because it comes out of nowhere and is very off-putting. This happens a lot in quick looks -- he overthinks the objective and tries something stupid and then dies because of it; then he'll respawn and try the exact same thing and die again and then he'll get really frustrated at the game and possibly start yelling. I come to expect it now in any quick look Brad runs. This probably happens because he has trouble playing a game and talking at the same time, but Angry Brad should really be limited to Breaking Brad because that is the place for it. One thing I really appreciate about Brad is his intense interest with Starcraft and DOTA; it makes him way more relatable to gamers because, like us, he is super invested in a few particular franchises. Who else at Giantbomb is like that? No one, that's who.
Patrick: has been killing it with the video content lately, which, as a subscriber, I definitely appreciate. Some of the other Giantbombers should take notes. That being said, I don't particularly like listening to him talk -- he interrupts people a lot and often times sounds pretentious -- luckily he's gotten better about that stuff.
Vinny: god-tier Gamebomb comrade. There is nothing to dislike about Vinny. God damnit, Vinny, I love you.
Drew: god-tier Gamebomb comrade. He is so stern most of the time, but blink and you'll miss his random bouts of eccentricity. Drew is such a mystery, I love it.
Dave: god-tier Gamebomb comrade. May he rest in peace.
Rorie: give me more Rorie. I wish he was on the podcast every week. Give me what I want. Please.
Feel free to ignore everything I said.
D
Deleted member 30609
Unconfirmed Member
I wish there was more game talk, honestly. The gaming culture stuff (like, say, the Iceland segment) is great, but I don't care how they like their steak.
ZanzibarBreeze
Member
The first podcast (of any kind) I ever listened to was this episode of The HotSpot, and it's still the funniest thing these guys have ever done bar nothing.
Featuring Jeff, Alex, Bob Colayco, and Dick Gallup.
Topics: PSP graffiti, guy who claims he invented Superstar mode in Madden, 360 owner sues Microsoft because his console overheats, Crime Life Gang Wars viral marketers, and the ESRB vs. NIMF.
I've probably listened to this episode close to thirty times.
Featuring Jeff, Alex, Bob Colayco, and Dick Gallup.
Topics: PSP graffiti, guy who claims he invented Superstar mode in Madden, 360 owner sues Microsoft because his console overheats, Crime Life Gang Wars viral marketers, and the ESRB vs. NIMF.
I've probably listened to this episode close to thirty times.
RazielCuts
Member
There are many podcasts talking about games out there that come out the same time that sometimes they run together 'so and so released game does this' etc. It's nice to have some off beat commentary showing personality to differentiate themselves with so I find it perfectly acceptable that they go off topic in dry spells.
Bombcast, MBMBAM and IdleThumbs (Weekend Confirmed hit and miss) are my goto's and what I look forward to each week because they create personalities around the content they're talking about.
Bombcast, MBMBAM and IdleThumbs (Weekend Confirmed hit and miss) are my goto's and what I look forward to each week because they create personalities around the content they're talking about.
The problem for me is, their experiences aren't interesting (just typical suburban woes and industry schmoozing), and perhaps more importantly, their perspectives aren't interesting.
Take Howard Stern, especially pre-2010 Howard Stern. He was sometimes a mean-spirited dick, which is what he's most well-known for, but any fan (or former fan) will tell you that what really made the Howard Stern Show interesting was Howard. His childhood being raised by a smothering mother and a tough father, his brutal teen years being one of the few white kids in a black high school during the Civil Rights era, not only make for great stories, but also made him into the neurotic mess he became as an adult.
There's no one like that on the Bombcast. Everyone's normal. And I agree that getting technical about games makes for boring listening, but there are other ways to analyze games than just game mechanics.
Oh yes, how could I forget their once a year anomaly. I'm so incorrect.
Trent Strong
Banned
Garnett was only good with Shane.
Ninja Scooter
Member
What? No love for indies?
VARIA
Member
Spot on. The Bombcast is a bloated meandering mess that is composed of dudes that are in love with the sound of their voice.
ThatCrazyGuy
Member
I find the Player One podcast to be the funniest of the game podcasts to me. Those dudes sense of humor click with me.
Giant bomb is funny sometimes, depends on the topic.
Giant bomb is funny sometimes, depends on the topic.
Jeff doesn't like Yoshi's Island. Or Resident Evil 4. Or Super Metroid.
THAT AIN'T NORMAL
Not really. If more people loved them they wouldn't be "indie".
I was making a dumb no love for dad joke, but wow thats a terrible fucking reason not to like independent things.
"I cant have fun if theres not money poured into it!"
Grizzlyjin
Supersonic, idiotic, disconnecting, not respecting, who would really ever wanna go and top that
I was never big fan of podcasts, but the Giant Bombcast has made Wednesday my favorite day at work. Sometimes their personal stories are a little boring for me, but other times you get some interesting insight into their lives and hear some fun anecdotes. I don't think I'd be able to listen to it if it was 100% video games.
When they talk about a game or story I don't care about, I just kinda zone out and focus on what I'm doing. My attention still drifting around. I would say that the current formula is exactly to my tastes.
And honestly, as expansive as the industry is these days, there isn't always interesting news. We can go weeks and weeks without huge game releases or news, even in this climate. Lots of the blockbuster games are stacked so close to each other.
When they talk about a game or story I don't care about, I just kinda zone out and focus on what I'm doing. My attention still drifting around. I would say that the current formula is exactly to my tastes.
And honestly, as expansive as the industry is these days, there isn't always interesting news. We can go weeks and weeks without huge game releases or news, even in this climate. Lots of the blockbuster games are stacked so close to each other.
I think I agree with that to an extent.
And they can talk about shitty fast food and candy for hours in such detail that you'd think it was some three-star Michelin shit.
I listen to 3 gaming podcasts. Player 1, Giant Bomb and 8-4 Play.
I always listen to Player 1 first because it's my favourite. I can usually fit it in on a Wednesday morning! Giant Bomb takes me a few days to get through ha! Sometimes I wish they'd talk about games a little more, but the off topic stuff is pretty entertaining.
I always listen to Player 1 first because it's my favourite. I can usually fit it in on a Wednesday morning! Giant Bomb takes me a few days to get through ha! Sometimes I wish they'd talk about games a little more, but the off topic stuff is pretty entertaining.
Splash Wave
Member
As someone who was born and raised in Petaluma, I always wondered about this. For me, I absolutely love when they make reference to my town (y'all should visit!).
But I completely understand where you guys are coming from.
Actually I agree with most of this. I'm happy that I'm not the only one that noticed Patrick counter argues with Brad a whole lot (along with a joke that from time to time feels a little mean spirited.)
I disagree with Brad being a straight man. He's a quiet geek, and a bit of a (lovable) doofus. But it seems like for the past year he seems like he's becoming pretty depressed. I don't want to go into it, since he reads Neogaf, but I hope he gets out of his funk.
maverick40
Junior Member
I gave up on the. Way to many tangents about boring shit. It reminded of a radio talk show.
disappeared
Banned
Who's Harrison?
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
It's always been good.
I've kind of noticed this as well and I don't think it's just Jeff. During the Playstation Meeting for PS4, a lot of the times when Patrick made some sort of snarky comment or joke he'd look to Ryan for some sort of approval. It's quite funny to watch.
Couple of weeks ago, again he criticises the tech part (Cerny's section) of the same presentation as being "convoluted" but slowly retracts that position after finding the others didn't agree with him.
SirIgbyCeaser
Banned
Jesus mark macdonald was harrison. Matching hairdo and all.
Or luke... I gotta say a podcast with Garnett, Shane, John and Luke was indeed like being there during the beatles first record.
DidntKnowJack
Member
The reason I find it boring is the discussions always fall down a rabbit hole of theories and conjecture about certain aspects of video games. Why this type of game needs to change. Why this genre of game is popular. Why do we play video games? What can be done to make video games more fun? What is fun? What exactly is a video game?
I exaggerate a bit, but only a bit. They get caught up in the minutia of every aspect of gaming, and it's boring to listen to. Not to mention pointless.
I'm an expert
Formerly worldrevolution. The only reason I am nice to anyone else is to avoid being banned.
With Patrick leaving it just got even betterer!