Update: The GiantBomb.com crew have made a video explaining the site!
A decade ago I would have no problem talking about the latest in gaming. Then I got into MMO's, and that led to me leaving gaming all together. There is something about realizing "gameplay" is a nice marketing term meant to cover up the fact you're just playing Diablo for $15 bucks a month to turn you off the industry completely.
Then came my Wii, and an XBox 360 followed. The Wii is great for games with groups and my younger daughters, but games like Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess reminded me there was another class of games I used to play, before the MMO blight. Playing Mass Effect, Bioshock, and Gears of War on my 360 reignited my passion for gaming.
I've always hated the mainstream game review sites like IGN and GameSpot - the reviews never feel honest and I have to spend a good deal of time reading user reviews to gauge the game. I have many things going on in my life; I don't have time to waste on bad games. I started following Ars Opposable Thumbs and soon learned of the new site Jeff Gerstmann was behind.
Jeff was the editorial director of GameSpot, and was fired for giving bad reviews to games that publishers were advertising on the site. WikiPedia has some of the details, and Jeff himself doesn't talk about it, but it's pretty obvious what went on. The fact many editors left GameSpot in protest after the firing speaks volumes. I found Jeff's podcast, and became instantly hooked.
The "bombcast" is easily one of my top three podcasts - first just Jeff and Ryan Davis then later adding Brad Shoemaker and Vinny Caravella to the cast. These guys all hail from GameSpot, and are not your polished art critics, but gamers who speak about games the same way you and I would. They are honest, clear, and pretty damn funny. These four have also worked on launching a new game review site: www.giantbomb.com
The website is part news, part wiki. The search feature is slick, and the pages go beyond just the games and into the characters, developers, and concepts. The amount of user contributed content is staggering, considering the site has been live for little more than a week. If you haven't checked it out already, and are into gaming at any level, take a look at Giant Bomb.
Posted By Mike On Sunday, July 27, 2008
Filed under podcast games |
Comments (1)
Noah
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Tuesday, July 29, 2008
6:27:55 PM
I used to like GameSpot for their reviews and such, but I've found myself second-guessing what I read there more and more. Then I found Blippr a day or so ago. I definitely think they have the right idea. Keeping reviews short, to the point, and most importantly, from your friends and people you trust.
http://www.blippr.com/
