An Open Letter to Giant Bomb: Thank you.

I’ve been a fan of the Giant Bomb crew for a long time. Over 20 years by my estimate. Long before the invention of quick looks or this video thing. Before they built a bomb or bombcast. Before the entire crew were all together, I followed Jeff, Brad, Vinny, Alex, and Ryan on their silly adventures on the internet.

I imagine it's hard to understand the type of relationship someone like me can have with the entire crew. It’s mostly a one-way street, as they create content in various forms and I consume it. In some ways, social media, the forums, and even writing into the podcasts has allowed for it to be a little more two-way. But at the end of the day, it’s still creators making stuff for an audience of which I am just one member.

Though even with this dynamic, and having never met any of the Giant Bomb members, past or present, in person, they’ve had a profound impact on the last 20 years of my life. They’ve introduced me to a number of games and hobbies I’m not sure I would have found otherwise. They've entertained me during the good times and helped lift my spirits during the bad times. They’re the silly internet friends you’ve always wanted with an ample supply of shenanigans ready for you to enjoy and I’m forever grateful that they’ve been able to do just that, year after year.

The reason I wanted to write this was after listening to the latest Beastcast in which Alex expressed how he sometimes wonders whether he’s still overall contributing or just taking up space. This year has been especially challenging for everyone, but I can say with certainty that the entire crew has been meaningfully contributing to the games industry and outside of it for a long time. Without a doubt, they’ve been a shining light in this dark timeline. They’ve been doing it for years and I look forward to the many years to come. so...

Thank you Alex.

Thank you Jeff.

Thank you Vinny.

Thank you Brad.

Thank you Matt.

Thank you Abby.

Thank you Jan.

Thank you Ben.

Thank you Jason.

Thank you Ryan.

And thank you Drew, Austin, Dan, and Patrick.

Thank you for all you do. Thank you for the quick looks, E3 talk-overs, night shows, live streams, podcasts, travelogues, mail vlogs, newsletters, reviews, and so much more. Thank you for sharing your triumphs and challenges. Thank you for sharing when it's hard. Thank you for sharing yourselves.

While you may not know the full impact of doing what you do, and how much it means to people like me, I can’t imagine what life would be like without you doing it. I hope this small thank you from a long time fan helps bring just a tiny fraction of joy to you that you all bring to me.

Thank you all!

+1 to all of this. I very much appreciate everybody on the Giant Bomb staff. This site is a source of joy in my life, and the people here are the reason for that.

Yeah, GB has been a big part of my life for over a decade. It's always been this dependable place I could go to for games, community, and listening to other people's conversations.

The site's grown and although a lot has changed over the years (some good, some not for me), it's a place I'll continue to visit as long as it's around.

The pandemic has thrown a lot into disarray, and they're doing what they can to keep the spirit of the site intact. It was a bummer to hear the crew sound really down last week, specifically Vinny and Alex. While I can no longer follow all the current content, Mass Alex with those two is my favorite part of my game-viewing week.

It's a rough time, and I hope some positive thoughts can help them out a bit.

Well said. I dont follow the site anymore really but Alex, and every other member, you are all part of the team and all what makes Giantbomb special. Keep up the good work and keep doing you.

I am extremely agreement! Thanks Giantbomb and everyone involved in it!

Couldn’t agree more. Everybody has had a part in making this site great. Thank you for everything everybody has been doing to provide us with entertainment during this tough time.

I’ve been a premium member for at least 7 years and don’t see that changing anytime soon! Whenever I want to just chill out and take my mind off stuff, Giant Bomb has always been there for me and I really appreciate that.

GB has been a huge part of my life since 2008. My subscription is not enough to pay for the countless hours of entertainment I have received. Thanks to all GB folks current and former!

<3

I don't think I have ever posted on here before? I have been checking the site a little more often since the last Beastcast, because forgive me but the doom and gloom makes me fear the end of the site is near.

I hope that isn't the case, because what is happening right now in the industry is happening so that places like Giantbomb can be better, not to tell them to call it a day. The victims of the recent news aren't coming out to burn this place to the ground, they want the video game community to exist and thrive but be a place for everyone, not just those with the privilege to feel that they can just walk away from this (not a dig, just an unfortunate observation). This gets way more complicated, but those on the inside of this industry, who truly care, need to be the ones who fight for those who are being kept out with violence and hatred.

I think, as a very quite member of that marginalized community, that Giantbomb is exactly what the industry needs and that with these open and heartfelt discussions video game spaces and the like will feel only more welcoming over time, and that is the goal, isn't it?

Vinny and Alex, if you want a mission statement, or a reason to feel that you still have work to be done in this field, its that right now strong, caring, and very importantly capable, allies on the inside who can lead help prop other up are more necessary than ever to continue to strengthen the gaming space to a place that can be filled with all who want to be here. We hear far to often that marginalized try to join this world and are swiftly pushed out, with no say in the matter, I understand feeling that there is nothing left you can do, but I think the space you have given for people like Austin Walker and Patrick Klepek to grow to create a place like Waypoint in a space that otherwise would have stepped out their fire is proof enough that positive spaces that aren't afraid of diversity in this field go a LONG way in building a better future.

Great post. I've been following GB since 2011 and I wish it had been sooner. This site has been like a warm blanket to me for the good times and bad for many years. I'll be sticking around for the long haul.

Agree with so much of what has already been said so not wanting to be redundant(And I do agree with so much here), add Bakalar, the mods and people we don't see/hear as on-screen talent to the list of people getting thanked. I know op ended 'thank you all', but it deserves to be said. GB has, through its place in my head, been a support through some mean times and I add my comment to add to the thanks.

Not thanking Dave smh

Beautiful sentiment, the whole crew has been entertaining, informative and helped me to grow as a person ever since I first followed along as a gross teen in the gamespot days. I'd truly be a different person today had you all not been in my life.

Thank you all.

ditto I am thankful for the entire crew :)

Well said OP

Huge agreement on this, another very long-term (pre-GB) fan here and I'd love to echo this whole sentiment. Thanks for the lovely post. I'm very glad for the crew, both current and former, and I'm hugely grateful to them for the many, many years of entertainment and the way they've evolved and grown over the years and continue to do so.

I've never appreciated GB more than during this lockdown. There are points where I think I would've completely lost the plot if the crew weren't churning out regular streams.

I think that a lot of us picked up that the Giant Bomb crew is struggling right now. It seems like they are feeling burned out and down on the state of the world.

This is a great thread. Thank you, OP, for posting this. The GB crew needs to know how much they mean to us and how much we appreciate what they do.

Thank you, Giant Bomb.

I completely agree with the sentiment of everyone's post!

I found GiantBomb during my senior year of college (2009). I'm now 33, fuck that feels old!.

Anyway, the website and staff has definitely been a nice diversion when life has gotten me down throughout the past 11 years or so. I know I wrote this in a blog post a year and a half ago, but the night my daughter passed away in the hospital, I listened to old Bombcasts just to keep my mind from going to a dark place. For that, I will always be grateful to this site. I know there are hundreds, if not thousands of stories like mine that continue to prove how amazing and supportive this site has been.

I'm sure they realize how much we appreciate them, but in case they ever doubted it, I hope this topic/post reaffirms it!

<>

i've posted at least one or two of these threads in my time (last instance was when jason and ryckert joined i think)- meant it then, still mean it now.

yall approach your work with open eyes and hearts, and it shows. the world's a daily bummer right now- but your little corner of the internet can be harbor in a storm. so long as you're enjoying yourselves- we'll keep showing up.

thanks to the entirety of the gb gang- the devs, the mods, certain canine enthusiasts, moneymen that count down from 10, jersey devils, everyone i'm leaving out and of course the 'on air' talent- you're all champs in my book.

I am also thankful for the GB crew it may be a small thing but they help me stay a little more sane in these troubling times. <> Thanks all.

I've been following GB since the Arrow Pointing Down podcast and I'm so thankful for all the great entertainment over the years, through good and bad times. Thank you to all past and present crew, you're doing an incredible job, especially in these times. Thank you.

Appreciate the guys as well.

Hearing Vinny sound burnt out and then Alex questioning things does make me want to make sure they know you guys really are a unique voice out here. It's the only place I really go for gaming stuff for the most part.

As someone who followed GB from the beginning. I'm talking about the Jeff situation, many members leaving Gamespot because of it. Jeff and Ryan doing the gaming and drinking podcast, which lead to GB happening, to the announcement of a subscription plan and them rejoining Gamespot or at least their media affiliate CBSi, I have nothing but good things to say about them. The main thing I respect is that they are genuine people and they show it. They have a nice balance of being professional while at the same time coming across as people you can hang out and play some games with.

With that said, they are getting older just like the rest of us. It maybe hard to face, but a time is going to come when you start hearing that OG members like Jeff and Vinny are retiring from GB and moving on. And yes, I noticed how Alex and Vinny seem burnt out, but I believe that's more to do with 2020 being a horrible year than them being tired of their jobs, at least at the moment. So enjoy these guys while you can, because time waits for no one, and time is never your friend.

Well put, op...

I just want to join the choir of people that felt like answering to Alex during the latest beastcast, after he felt burned out and wonder whether their work and presence have an impact on the world at large, I just want to make sure they know that they do...

Well-put. I'd also like to add appreciation for anyone who has worked behind the scenes to make Giant Bomb happen: from the engineers, business people and mods, to their families and friends getting the team through the more stressful part. To those I cannot name, I salute you.

Yes to all of this!

This site has definitely made me a better human.

This combination of positivity, thoughtfulness and complete idiocy is unlike anything I had in my "brain vocabulary" 10 years ago, before I found them.

Thank you GB

These guys have been in my life in one form or another since I stumbled on to Gamespot in 2003. I'm super grateful for everything they have done.

Fan for more than a decade here. Great Post! Thank you GiantBomb!

Well said. I echo the OG post. Hearing Vinny and Alex on the 07/03/20 podcast made me slightly concerned about the future.

Thank you to entire Giant Bomb staff both on and off camera.

Really nice to read such a positive thread about the site. I agree wholeheartedly.

I did have to think who the hell Matt was though. Rorie is only known by the one name, like Prince or Cher and the like.

Thank you for everything you have done and are doing, Giant Bomb Team! There are no easy answers to the problems that have gained more attention as of late, but I appreciate and respect all of you for vocalizing an earnest sentiment of frustration. Your voices are authentic and I want each of you to realize that games media would be a vastly more hollow place without you.

Yeah agreed with the chorus here, nice to see a thread like this considering everything. I share the thanks and appreciation of this thread towards the entire staff and friends of the site who continue to pump out content during these times. I'm sure more than just Alex but the GB crew themselves have probably been doing a lot of soul searching and overall deep thinking considering pandemics, protests, just the litany of change and chaos going on. At the end of the day the fact that you guys are the people willing to examine your place in all of it, what you are overall doing and even just to healthily examine your mental state during it all is exactly why I'm happy you guys continue to make content.

I realize that video game related content and coverage probably begins to feel more trivial as life goes on, especially when there is a sea of it on the internet, but for my money for years a big reason I've preferred GB to the alternatives is the earnest approach. In the early days when everyone was still trying to be super professional there was an "off the cuff" edge that many had to the GB approach to the content. As the live streaming thing caught on you saw many people and you still do to this day try to mimic that keeping it real style. Ultimately for me that is where the difference lies, between people who are pretending to keep it real because that fits in and people at GB, who are keeping it real. To me the crew here has always had such an earnest respect for the industry they cover, the world they live in, and that extends to their audience. I know I can say that I feel I've grown as a person because of this, as there have been several topics and content that far goes outside what used to be my comfort zone which has acted as a great entryway for further research on a litany of important issues. In a world where we use a lot of escapism, and the site's content itself often acts as such; it's nice to still have that moral compass that I feel the staff tries to embody that remembers the escapism isn't the point.

Anyway, I wish all the staff the best during these times and I look forward to sticking with you guys as you continue to try to make content and navigate the current dystopian fever dream that the world has transformed into. If your ever wondering if you still have a place throughout all this change, just know that threads like these exist and I'm sure there are many more silent users who find value in what you all bring to the table.

My turn to chip in here! Premium member since '10 I think, been on the site since the first endurance run started. I would not have become the person I am today without all the amazing staff at Giantbomb. They have always been a source of entertainment, and always makes a grey day seem a little more colorful (there is not one funeral or a day with sad news that I haven't listened to the bombcast to help cheer me up).

All in all, I love Giantbomb, always have, always will. Every staffmember has a place in my heart and always will have.

A website about video-games? Nah.

A website about family? Hell yeah.

Thx to everyone on the GiantBomb crew for all the great work and effort. It's appreciated in these trying times.

Echoing everything in this thread.

I get the feeling Alex has, really, I've been forced to work on site during the pandemic while my work is DEFINITELY NOT essential but, you know, *gesture at capitalism*. While I've been here for a while, I never needed and watched GB content as much as now. I've been playing way more mindless games to take the edge off, and having GB as a second screen has been perfect. I've binged GB content like I never did before, it's reassuring and calming. I don't want anyone working on the team hiding their fears or their dissatisfaction with everything going on right now, but I want them to know that their work is very much appreciated, especially now.

When I found the website I had just moved to a new country and having a routine with "I love Mondays" and weekly quick looks helped a ton while I was very lonely in my new place. This year's events put myself and a ton of other people in a similar limbo state and I'm so happy GB is still there for me.

I hope the crew reads all these messages. Do we know if they use the forums at all?

Rorie reads the forums regularly and I think Jeff does occasionally.

I know I haven't been supportive over most of the years and I wasn't a big fan of Dan but I've listened to most of the podcasts (first west then east) since early 2010's so thanks to the crew for sticking around and having integrity in these messed up times.

Also thanks to Alexis, Dave and others for popping up on videos and sharing their interest in video games.

Hope everything works out for the best for everyone.

Aw this thread is so wholesome I love it!

I’ll say my piece. I joined GB premium back in 2016 after seeing a Mario Party Party unlock, it was during a rough time of my life. And being a part of this community, seeing the streams and all has helped me to feel less lonely. The crew are all genuinely wonderful people, and the content has been pretty damn consistent even in quarantine.

With regards to what Alex said about “just taking up space”, I hope he doesn’t really feel that way. His voice has been a big part of why I love GB, and the way he able to articulate his opinions is unique among a lot of people in games podcasting. Even when I disagree with him, his observations usually make some kind of point that I’d overlooked or not considered.

But yeah, love this web site and will stick around as long as it’s here :)

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

These people are all wonderful and beautiful. I literally owe them my life.

It's hard to really put into words the happiness this site brings to others and has brought to me. Sometimes the most insignificant, simplest acts in life bring the greatest joy, and that's what this site feels like the embodiment of. Thanks for reminding me that video games are fun and meant to be shared and can bring true joy (as well as a lot of other emotions) to people.

Love this website, thanks for doing what you do :)

+1, thanks to all. Also, Alex is my spirit animal. Full Stop. <3.

Let me add my appreciation for everything that the GB staff does. Young and old, newbie and long-timer, you've all been great. It's great when you enjoy things, and it's also great when things are just chill. I've enjoyed many of your podcasts and videos. If this topic's any indication, lots of other people feel the same way. Keep up the good work <3

I do not post almost ever, on anything (just not how I engage with my media). But yes, thank you. Thank you Giantbomb; both current and past Bombers.

Years ago I primarily a follower of IGN, voodoo extreme, and other pc gaming sites. I rarely visited Gamespot. I was unaware of the gang until GerstmannGate hit digg. The story caught my attention and I started following Gerstmann to arrow pointing down then to giantbomb. I was a lot more active on the site when there was quests. The quests drew me to the site daily to see how things were 6 degrees away. I really miss the quests. I joined as a premium member the second year until this March. In beginning of the shutdown I was wondering if I was going to have a job to go back to so I let my membership lapse. Over the years I’ve been a premium member who rarely used the site other than buying merch, which I’ve bought a lot of. Pins, shirts, glassware, spinners, pop sockets and anything else I liked. I have shirts I haven’t worn yet. I hate to see the site end because it’s brought me so many laughs and enjoyment. GB and the old Joystiq gang are the reason I started going to PAX EAST and PAX WEST(Unplugged too although GB wasn’t involved). As GB decreased their PAX presence I think I’m done going. There are were some incredible moments and some that I was just happy to see them live and in person and say hello. Standing/sitting in line at PAX for 2-3 hours while have PAX guards yell at use was always worth it. I will miss these presentations.

Strangely during the shutdown video games were not an escape for me although I own 22 consoles. I dug out my guitars and was going to get rid of them but the opposite happened and playing guitar became my escape. I just started catching up with the bombcast and Beastcast from earlier in the year. As a get closer to the podcasts that inspired this thread I can sense changes and I’ve started wondering about the future of the site and more importantly the gang. I hope GB is around for many more years if not I hope they all find happiness on the other side.

For the record, it would appear more then a few old posts have gotten necroed. Either on purpose, or having seen it happen twice now, by a bot/some hiccup in the system. So FYI, nothing wrong with responding to this topic (horray GB crew!) but just so everyone might be aware, check the time-stamps of posts.

GB has always been a stable group of people to come back to and relax/laugh with (obviously standing above other personalities online) and keeping it up during the... *gestures vaguely* everything of 2020 (despite, you know, them needing to do it for an income) has been a wonderful element of stability, as well as greatly enjoyable, as always. Thanks duders.

This is a wonderful thread and I hope the creators of the site see it.

In my own stuff, I remember being in a University dorm back in 2004 and basically not sleeping and fearing an English assignment due the next day. On The Spot aired at pretty late UK time, and I used to sit up to watch it. I'll genuinely never forget how Ryan once said "Martin from Glass-gow" (incredible mispronounce) answered my question and how I felt.

I came into Giant Bomb almost day one and was part of the expanding the Wikis and Quests, but then as work increased became a podcast only guy for a few years. I did watch all of the two endurance runs, and those were incredible - Chie is indeed best girl.

When Giant Bomb started I was out of a long term relationship that had really cut me deep, I moved cities, and was also living on my own, without roommate for the first time. I loved the Video Things, and I remember I had just arrived in Croatia for my holiday with my girlfriend (now wife) when I saw the news about Ryan .

I think every addition to GB has been great in their own way, and I love how those who have left have carved their own niche - not wanting to single someone out, but Austin was an incredible force, and the Vice Games "Papa Bear" moment is still one of the best in history. I'm not sure about Dan and his insane rules on his streams - he seems to want to break himself!

Anyway, the past 3-4 years saw me finally up to a subscription, and when things have been rough I have found solace in a lot of UPFs. I feel ashamed that I did not know about the Power of Rorie (yo your dog Twitter is good). Revisiting a lot of them has been a source of solace.

I still think that they fire on all cylinders at E3 time, and Weed 3 Is a favourite. However, there's a real specific moment in the 2015 E3 streams that is my favourite GB moment of all time and I still go back to. During the 2014 reveal, one of the producers of Splatoon mentions that another one likes to hide in the paint before hitting. Jeff's reaction is so good it still makes me laugh as I write it.

As does writing Abbey from Brooklyn.

Fast forward to now, and we have had a baby who is now 10 days old. I used the Bomb and Beast casts as something to listen to when I was stressing in the Labour ward. I will be a subscriber next year, but know that new arrival (hello, Cillian) means I won't get to watch as much as before, but thank you to all the folks who make this site what it is.

Me

I should also add that I was the secondary teacher who emailed during the great beef of 2012. Those history teachers can sure drink.