3d ago

Giant Bomb, a web site about video games, has been purchased from Fandom

Just announced on twitch.tv/pax, live from PAX East. The reaction was so negative to what happened with Giant Bomb that Fandom sold to Jeff Grubb and Jeff Bakalar. It sounds like this deal closed yesterday. Along with those two, Dan Ryckert and Jan Ochoa are now co-owners. Mike Minotti was informed of this deal this morning, and he will be the fifth co-owner when he comes back from Disney World. Blight Club and Grubb's morning news show sound like they are returning this coming week. This PAX panel is officially episode #889 of the Giant Bombcast.

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I’m curious if any of the previously let go people will end up returning now that it’s independent.

"to what happened with Giant Bomb"
Boy I sure am glad that seemingly-crucial part of context was included in this post.
...
- A boss several steps up the chain decided to make changes to how the site operates that were incompatible with what Giant Bomb is, namely that they wanted an advertiser-friendly, "brand-safe" image with less swearing and streaming. This led to a number of key people leaving, at which point, the name Giant Bomb isn't really worth anything to anyone. It's been covered in tons of gaming circles this week alongside the similar destruction of Polygon, so I didn't think it needed to be stated yet again as I was summarizing bullet points from a live stream.
  
  It’s been covered in tons of gaming circles this week alongside the similar destruction of Polygon, so I didn’t think it needed to be stated yet again as I was summarizing bullet points from a live stream.
  Very fair and valid.
  I will just gently state that this is c/games, not c/gamingcircles and thus many of us are very interested in video games but not necessarily the industries on the periphery thereof, so what seems "yet again" to you might be a first time for others.
  
  RIP Escapist Magazine

I'll say this: props to Fandom for realizing the right thing to do. I know there was really no other good solution for them, but that hasn't stopped many companies from being so obstinate that they cut their nose off to spite their face.
But more seriously, good for those guys buying it. I hope it goes well for them.
- I hope the indie and AA game communities/devs keep moving off of Fandom.
  
  I feel like they have a deal with Google/search engines to have independent wikis downranked. There’s no reason why UESP should show up below the TES fandom wiki.

I know nothing about anything in this post, I misread the title as “purchased by Fandom” and was confused as to why everyone is happy about this lol
- Holy shit I misread that too and was sooo confused

Honestly can't believe it. So happy to see this on the stream.

Now bring Jeff back and make him play Mario Party.
- I’d start watching regularly again if Jeff somehow came back
  
  Which Jeff? Jeff, Jeff, or Jeff? Jeff and Jeff are now co-owners, and Jeff has his own solo thing, being a family man, which seems to be how he wants to live his life these days.

What a roller coaster of a ride ! At least they have a fighting chance, and (hopefully for them) did not take too big a financial risk.

Good news for those who are into the current generation of GB.

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Disgusting. I don't demand or expect them to rewrite their website, but those people are nowhere near even "neutral" status, as long as they behave this way.
Certainly not allies or friends I would support.
- They literally just split off of Fandom. There has been no time to do anything about this.
  
  Ok, I'm looking forward to them changing this practice then. We'll see if they do.
- The sale is also hours old, and the new owners are all out of town.
  
  Ok, I'm looking forward to them changing this practice then. We'll see if they do.

I hope they take a shot at written content again. It's less a gaming website and more of a podcast network at this point.

I don't know these people. Should I?
I knew the old crew. Still watch Jeff on YouTube.
I see Dan is there. He's too uneducated and incurious American for my tastes. Bro doesn't know shit about anything but wrestling. It's play up for laughs but it's just cringe to me.
- Bakalar joined GB East 10 years ago. Jan's been at GB for 7+ years, but as a producer so you wouldn't have seen his face as much until the big shift when Jeff, Brad, Vinny and Alex left. Grubb only joined in 2022.
  
  A good catch up, but I meant more like: are these people worth following? Because yeah I didn't stick around once the east/west split happened to know these people.
- Wow, there is someone else out there that feels the same as I do about Dan!
  
  I wasn't sure how others felt about him before either, kinda validated haha.

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