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Jonathan Frakes Is The Devil (The funniest QL)

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I used to really not like Gerstmann because he was so full of himself. Now he's backed off and Davis is the most insufferable person in the world.

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That's just crazy, of all the criticisms to label at the giant bomb crew, calling them phony or pretentious is just, well, it's just wrong. They just sound like 3 buddies sitting around shooting the shit. Nothing pretentious at all.

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That's just crazy, of all the criticisms to label at the giant bomb crew, calling them phony or pretentious is just, well, it's just wrong. They just sound like 3 buddies sitting around shooting the shit. Nothing pretentious at all.

Holy shit, someone else that thinks that. /sarcasm

They don't bother me as much as they used to, once I realized that all they basically do is hang out, turn on a camera and occasionally (or so I like to imagine), nudge each other in the ribs and go "Do something review-y!"

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Holy shit, someone else that thinks that. /sarcasm

They don't bother me as much as they used to, once I realized that all they basically do is hang out, turn on a camera and occasionally (or so I like to imagine), nudge each other in the ribs and go "Do something review-y!"

I respect how casual they are and their un-biased approach to reviews.

They are friends with many people in the video games industry and even have them on podcasts and videos but still give their games fair and honest reviews. For example, they had John Vignocchi of Disney Interactive on a Quick Look for Tron Evolution and are good friends with him but still gave the game a 3-star review and their conversations on the podcast about it give a mediocre impression of the game.

Plus, no ads. So the exact opposite of GameSpot.

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My only problem with GiantBomb is that they seem incapable of making a joke without it being about sex. Some variety would be nice.

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That's just crazy, of all the criticisms to label at the giant bomb crew, calling them phony or pretentious is just, well, it's just wrong. They just sound like 3 buddies sitting around shooting the shit. Nothing pretentious at all.

I never said that. What I meant is that they're so overly confident in whatever bullshit they're trying to make funny, even though it really isn't. Gerstmann used to be the main perpetrator, but he stopped and is actually pretty funny now. Davis seems to have 'stepped up' in trying to be the arbiter of the group. He's always incredibly and damn near offensively dismissive of anything he disagrees with, and it isn't, and he isn't, funny.

The best examples that come to mind are his insistence and mocking of anyone who tries to make anything resembling a games-as-art argument (which always comes off to me as having his intelligence threatened) and his mocking of Minecraft.

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I watch and listen to their stuff for Vinny and Brad. Dave when he shows up as well. Jeff and Ryan tend to grate on me a bit, Ryan most of all. I agree that Jeff has gotten better recently though, and I find myself actually listening to him more than I used to.

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Everyone else's apparent ability to attach names and personalities to the various voices on podcasts and review videos, coupled with my inability to the same, makes me think I'm suffering from some mild antisocial disorder. I've seen tons of Giant Bomb videos, including about fifty of the Persona 4 thing, and I only know there's at least three people, and one of them sound like Jake sometimes.

Wait a minute, is one of the guys the guy that got fired over the Gamespot Kane & Lynchgate?

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I have the same, but it helps tons once you see them talking for me.

It took ages for me to distinguish between Jake and Nick, I usually just went by WHAT the said. (strategy games: Nick, off-hand joke: Jake.)

So yeah, I guess I would recommend watching their office videos? There you usually see all of them talking.

As for personalities, I find all of them funny, but I do prefer Brad and Vinny, possible because their personalities are slightly less... to the extreme?

And yeah, Jeff Gertsmann was the one that got fired, presumably over K&L. The other guys there left partly because of that mess.

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And yeah, Jeff Gertsmann was the one that got fired, presumably over K&L. The other guys there left partly because of that mess.

"Gerstmann was dismissed from his position at GameSpot as Editorial Director on November 28, 2007. Immediately after his termination, rumors circulated proclaiming his dismissal was a result of external pressure from Eidos Interactive the publisher of Kane & Lynch: Dead Men which Gerstmann had previously given a Fair rating, which is relatively undesirable, along with critique. This was at a time when Eidos had been putting heavy advertising money into GameSpot, going as far as transforming the entire website to use a Kane & Lynch theme and background instead of the regular GameSpot layout, regardless of which game or page viewers were seeing. Both GameSpot and parent company CNET stated that his dismissal was unrelated to the negative review, but have never cited any reason why his termination was deserved. In accordance with California State Law and CNET Networks, GameSpot could not give details as to why Gerstmann was terminated. Following Gerstmann's termination, editors Alex Navarro, Ryan Davis, Brad Shoemaker, and Vinny Caravella left GameSpot, feeling that they could no longer work for a publication that was perceived as having caved into advertiser pressure." - From Wikipedia

So they pretty much all up and left. Good on them.

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I used to really not like Gerstmann because he was so full of himself. Now he's backed off and Davis is the most insufferable person in the world.

Yea, you kind of did say that

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I personally wouldn't define "full of oneself" as 'pretentious' or 'phony' either, fwiw.

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Squid, if you find GB that bad, why are you watching it enough to analyze it like that? It sounds like fiction to me. I've seen most of their Quick Looks in the past half a year, but I couldn't come up with that description of their group dynamics. If it doesn't suit you, just don't watch.

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By 'they're' I meant old-Gerstmann and Davis. I like 3/4 of them and find them pretty funny, but since Davis 'runs' the bombcast, he seems to talk the most and is easily the least likable and funny (see above). I'm not sure how I'm 'analyzing it like that' since Davis' opinions have always been outspoken and consistent and are pretty long-running.

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The several-friends-with-a-microphone-who-are-mildly-uncomfortable-and-have-nothing-structured-to-say formula just doesn't do it for me. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, The Hollywood Saloon is a great example of two friends of 20 years shooting the shit, while also informing, and having interesting opinions.

The also don't talk over each other.

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The giant bomb guys don't talk over each other and they have plenty of informed opinions. Instead of whining about sequels and the lack of art in games like most pretentious podcasts, they sit there and talk about the games in a way everyone can relate to,they understand how the business side of the industry works, and aren't afraid to say, "Hey, this game is fun because you get to stab a dude, and it looks badass" When it applies to a game like Assasin's Creed"

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The giant bomb guys don't talk over each other and they have plenty of informed opinions. Instead of whining about sequels and the lack of art in games like most pretentious podcasts, they sit there and talk about the games in a way everyone can relate to,they understand how the business side of the industry works, and aren't afraid to say, "Hey, this game is fun because you get to stab a dude, and it looks badass" When it applies to a game like Assasin's Creed"

Well I am only judging them from the one video in this thread, so maybe that's too harsh. Especially when it was a not a "serious" piece. Still, the description you've posted sounds like something I wouldn't like, so... maybe it's not for me for entirely different reasons :)

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