The Community Spotlight 2023.07.01

Welcome to the latest edition of the Giant Bomb Community Spotlight! I, @zombiepie, am honored to be your host as we look back at the best community creations from last week.

There's a new t-shirt design on sale on the Giant Bomb store designed by @jearum! You have six possible colors to choose from and there is also a sweatshirt version of the design. If you experience any issues with shipping or international rates, please send an email to support@giantbomb.com.

Related to site quandaries and issues, many of you have expressed frustrations with certain videos and VODs not being readily available on the site or Twitch after their streams are over. As indicated by Jeff Bakalar on Discord, the videos that have yet to get re-uploaded are getting ID'd for copyright audio, so that's why they are currently unavailable. Staff and Fandom are working on resolving the issue, but some may require edits or revisions.

The staff have Monday and Tuesday off for Independence Day. As such, non-podcast programming will not be recorded until Wednesday. However, the good news is that Jan has raised the priority of providing a stunning conclusion to Play It Forward sooner rather than later.

Finally, this week will mark the tenth anniversary of Ryan Davis's passing. This site has been through a lot of changes in those ten years. Nonetheless, Ryan played a massive role in defining this site's identity, which still persists to this day, and providing many of us with memories that we will cherish forever. There are many of you that joined the site after Ryan's death, and that's okay. What I want you to know is the countless hours of entertainment that you have enjoyed are a reflection of his joyous spirit. There are so many things I wish could tell him if he were still here with us, but at the very least I can say I'm still thinking about him.

Tweets

Activities

The Next GB Album Club Cycle Theme Is... No Theme, We're Doing Chaos (By: @unclejam23)

The Giant Bomb Album of the Week Club is BACK BAYBEE and the group is taking a new batch of recommendations from YOU! Learn how you can get the group to listen to your favorite album or one you think is an under-appreciated gem!

Unsanctioned Unofficial Game Pass Game Club Voting Thread For Cycle starting July 3, 2023

Soma is the 13th Game Selection Of Year 2 Of The UUGPGC. Finish By July 3, 2023! Mark All Spoilers (By: @bigsocrates)

The Game Pass Game Club is BACK and it has a new list of exciting games for you to vote on! Here's the list and remember to vote for TWO GAMES you think would be fun to talk about on the forums!

Likewise, Soma is the 13th selection for the Game Pass Game Club! The target completion date is July 3rd, but if you have any early non-spoiler thoughts about the game, or want to participate in the future, feel free to share them now!

Art

Author's Note: Friendly reminder that if you find or make any cool works of art based on Giant Bomb staff, friends of the site, or memes associated with Giant Bomb then drop me a link! With everyone sharing their Giant Bomb themed art on different channels, it's getting harder for me to keep track of where everything is and what's getting made.

Last of the Ninten…. Beagle Boys! (By: @jearum)

As if jearum hadn't done enough by making the site a new t-shirt design, they also had fun transforming Mike and Grubb into whatever "funny animal" the Goofy people are in the Disney universe. Yes, I know this was the topic of a debate on the podcast. No, I don't think the matter is settled.

All Chip, No Dip (By: @MichaelROLeary)

With the staff introducing a new shirt design, some others want to pass their ideas for new shirts by the staff. This one certainly has potential.

Blogs

64 in 64: Episode 31 +

Indie Game of the Week 326: Crowns and Pawns: Kingdom of Deceit (By: @mento)

Mento revived their retrospective on N64 games with retro achievements. This time, the "gems" are Forsaken 64 and 40 Winks. Does either have a shot at hitting the Switch or deserve a gander these days? Click to find out!

Additionally, the latest topic of Mento's "Indie Game of the Week" feature is Crowns and Pawns: Kingdom of Deceit! If you have never heard of this point-and-click adventure game, then read all about it!

No, Seriously, Why Isn't Steam Next Fest Just A Feature? (By: @zombiepie)

Moderator ZombiePie had a blast with Steam Next Fest last week. But, as we transition into another Steam Summer Sale, they yet again feel the need to ask: shouldn't Steam Next Fest's "special features" just be permanent features?

Is This Really Activision's Duty To Milk This Series Forever? (Call Of Duty) (By: @sbc515)

For those of you that follow Call of Duty, how do you assess the current state of the franchise? Would you characterize Activision's current direction as "milking" it or are you still excited for the future? Join sbc515's dialogue on their latest blog.

What's the Greatest Video Game: Sparkle 2 (By: @imunbeatable80)

Sparkle 2 is the topic of imunbeatable80's "What's the Greatest Video Game" feature! Remember when there were a ton of Zuma clones in the video game industry? Read if this one brings anything notable to the table.

Discussion Threads

Only Up! Pulled From Steam Due To "Stolen Assets" And Possible Copyright Infringement Issues (By: @zombiepie)

Only Up! was briefly pulled from Steam, but is back now. The likely reason was that it used "stolen" artwork. Also, some of the game's assets are connected with NFT companies. Does this impact your ability to enjoy the game and people streaming it?

Hottest Mess 2023: Mid-Year Check-In (By: @allthedinos)

It's weird to think about how we are past the halfway mark with 2023! With that in mind, what are your front-runners for HOTTEST MESS (in video games)? Here is the current list of nominees, but you can suggest other nominees in this thread.

Is Final Fantasy 16 Good Because It's Like Game Of Thrones? (By: @topcyclist)

FFXVI's producer, Naoki Yoshida, has admitted that Game of Thrones was a big influence on the world design in the game. Was that for better or worse? Join the community poll and discussion thread to share your thoughts!

Just When I Thought I Was Getting Tired Of Anime (By: @geeelectronica)

As the title suggests, some discussing the phenomenon in which they think they are going to quit watching anime, and then a single show manages to bring them back into the fold. Has this ever happened to you? What was the show?

I Want To Start Painting Little Men (By: @sombre)

If any of you are into painting miniatures, we have a someone that is interested in painting miniatures for the first time. They want suggestions on how to start and which games or tabletop ecosystems are best for a newbies.

Mostly Modern Games If Published Are At Least 6-7/10. And We Too Jaded By 10s Or Hoping For Games Like That To Gauge It Right? (By: @topcyclist)

A lot of modern games are coming out and scoring around the 6 to 7 range. Is this a sign that people and the press have unrealistic expectations for games or is it a sign that we are all grading on a curve? Vote and discuss the matter by clicking the link above!

Lists

My Favorite Video Game For Every Year I've Been Alive (By: @dylanintendisney)

dylanintendisney decided to look at the games that came out every year they were alive and annotate what they think were the GOTYs for those years!

User Reviews

@pauljeremiah reviewed Portal and Segagaga this week. I strongly you check out his Segagaga review as it is a wonderful tour on why that game is the purest and craziest celebration of Sega as a console manufacturer.

@sbc515's Super Mario 64 and Top Gun: Combat Zones reviews are highly educational. In fact, I had no idea there even was a licensed Top Gun game for the PS2 until now.

Wiki Of The Week

Doom II: Hell on Earth

Doom II is the wiki of the week thanks to some recent formatting work done to the page. Also, with how the weather is getting hotter by the minute, I think we all feel like Hell is taking over Earth!