3621

It just really bothers me that a site that is totally built upon a wiki-based user content generation engine is going to start charging for the 1 thing they create.

But seriously though, this completely will bisect the user-base. This will be like the patient vs. the non patient american viewers of Dr. Who. Wait… I don’t want spoilers… I don’t get the episode till next week.

I think that some of the user suggestions have been good though. An entirely different cast that is available a week later, that doesn’t cut into the bombcast time.

Making the sub fee cheaper (with no t-shirt),

The problem with this suggestion is that they are basically asking you to pay up front for a service that may or may not continue to be awesome.

This might have went over better if they announced some set in stone additional content plans, or maybe thought about things a bit more ahead of time.

I would love to pay them, but I don’t live on money island. I have to make hard decisions on where my gaming dollars go. 50 bucks is most of a retail game. That will be 1 less game I can buy this year. I could do 30 bucks a year, I could cancel something else or do something.

The big problem is, is that I suspect that many GB users 90% only listen to the bombcast, so this is basically saying “You know that thing you got for free, and that every other gaming site on the planet (almost) gives out for free? Well… give us money for it now.” They don’t care about the optimized site, or downloadable quick looks, it is the bombcast they care about. They just listen to the bombcast on itunes. I could see people unsubscribing over this. Seriously, cut out the bombcast of the subscription stuff, and people will be happy. Do the live show, or a 2nd podcast that is subscribers only, but don’t fuck with people’s bombcast.

Maybe they are genius enough to make this into a New Coke situation… who knows. They will have Bombcast “Classic” out by the end of the year… with a higher subscription base.

God damn I wish 50 dollars wasn’t a big deal to me… but it is. Maybe next year, or after a few more months at my new job… but times is tough now.

3622

Frankly, I can’t blame them for trying to find a way to monetize their most popular feature. But to pretend like they don’t generate any other interesting content is disingenuous, and non-subscribers aren’t even losing anything. Only the non-topical parts of the discussion are getting time shifted and after one week there will still be 2 hours of bombcast every Tuesday, so it’s hard to be upset. I hope this works for them because it’s far preferable to Giant Bomb becoming an IGN-level interstitial ad clusterfuck.

3623

Hmm, I’ll probably pay the $50, but it sucks, because I mostly listen to the cast and look at vids occasionally. I really like whiskey media though, and want to see them survive.

3624

With the additional USD$10 that is planned to be charged for international delivery of the t-shirt, it’s a total of NZD$85 which is totally out of my league, given I barely visit the website or view the video content (the time I could use for reading the site is spent gaming).

A Bombcast only sub for say USD$20, I’d be all over (for perspective, a year of XBL is available here for NZD$70). I certainly can’t blame them for trying this on though.

3625

Yeah who really needs a giantbomb t-shirt. I have no need for mobile access, and I’d stream their vids in SD even if they offered HD downloads.

3626

I’ll pay $50. I think its worth it.

3627

I would actually pay $50 just to support their efforts over there, they put up some excellent content and I really enjoy their podcast, me giving a few bucks a month doesn’t seem like asking too much, since I’ve NEVER ONCE clicked on an add on their site. :)

3628

I’ll be paying. Giantbomb does God’s work.

3629

Ouch. That’s way more than I was hoping for, and a lot of those benefits I couldn’t care less about since I really only listen to the podcasts. There’s no way I’m plunking down $50 at once, but I’ll have to think about the $5 per month. That’s like $1.25 per podcast episode, which isn’t bad for a couple of hours of gaming infotainment. And actually, since I listen to the Screened podcast too, it’s like half that.

I want to see how this all works in iTunes, though. How are they going to authenticate my Whiskey Media subscription if I use iTunes to subscribe to the podcasts? If I have to go to their site to download everything manually then the deal is off and the hostages all die.

3630

I haven’t listened to the podcast yet, but are they seriously going to charge to use their mobile service? I already paid for the app, now I get to pay to use it? Yeesh.

I’ll probably subscribe because I love Whiskey Media, even though the Bombcast is the only aspect of their site in which I really partake. Over the last year my desire to consume video game-related media that isn’t either this board or in podcast form has really died off. Though maybe as QT3 is suffocated by the Octonoos and Teimans, I’ll start to crave something that isn’t fuck-awful.

Same. I never connect my iPhone to my computer. I DL and manage all podcasts using the iPhone’s iTunes app. So hopefully it’s some kind of account thing that will work through that app and I won’t need to hook it up every week.

3631

Same here. I usually watch their videos on my TV where the current highest resolution looks kinda shitty. Yay for HD! Hopefully they’ll have an international option without the T-shirt. A mandatory extra 10$ for something I’ll never wear isn’t the best use of my money. I’ll be paying either way though.

3632

I’m a huge GB fan but I this news is disappointing. I wish there was a lower tier subscription, $50 is a lot.

I think the problem is that the subscription is going to sour my appreciation for the content. I’m afraid that I’ll be listening to every episode and watching their videos asking myself if I got my money’s worth each time. Wondering if my enjoyment of their content has decreased, getting annoyed and upset if they ever took a week off for personal time, etc.

I just got through listening to their PAX panel and I had to stop the car because I was laughing so hard at Jeff Green’s “old man” story. XD That was a great panel within a panel.

3633

It’s possible to password protect RSS feeds so I imagine that Itunes can subscribe to those.

It’s a bit disappointing that great sites like GiantBomb and others on Whiskey Media failed to get enough of advertisers that they had to risk going the subscription route. They said on the podcast that they were unable to get sponsors for the podcast thus the fact of making it premium content for a week, apparently Leo Laporte and TWIT get all the people that are willing to advertise on podcasts.
Also think that 50$ a year is probably a bit to much in free internet market and most people that subscribe are doing it for suporting the company and not for the added value that in my view is almost none, but good luck for them maybe they can make the subscription model work.

3634

This. Only without the new job thing although I would love to have a job. Fricking horrible time to be looking for work so there’s no way in hell I can justify 50 bones to listen to a podcast. If I have to wait a week, that’s just the way it is. As my old drill sergeant used to say, “it be what it be.” But I don’t have an extra $50 lying around.

3635

People who partake in a hobby where they have to spend over 50 dollars each time they need their 12 hour shooting fix can’t pony up the same amount for dozens of hours of content every month for an entire year?

I hate the internet. The sense of entitlement is astounding.

Plus the majority of complaints are coming from the fact that the Bombcast will be split. Look at it this way, instead of Bombcast tuesdays, you will have Bombcast saturdays. If you want it earlier, give them money for their work.

3636

Don’t agree with the guy who said that Giant Bomb only produces one item of original content. He’s objectively incorrect.

Yes, that is how a reductive shithead would sound!

3637

Yes, god forbid these guys try and make a living off of their work. Look Jon, you are flat out wrong here. They create lots of original content besides the podcast, and it isn’t like they will be charging for Quick looks. If you can’t afford $50, that is fine. You’ll just get the podcast a few days late. It isn’t that big of a deal.

3638

$30 a year would be more appropriate, in line with a magazine subscription, but I’ll pony up the $50 to keep those guys going.

Also, great to see the Qt3 Games Podcast is back!

3639

I have a crazy long daily train commute, and I really, really want that mobile site. I was hoping for $20-$30, but I’ll end up paying the $50.

3640

So I listen to podcasts in clumps, and just finished listening to Giant Bomb from late July through late August. I think August 17 was my last one.

I occasionally (once every week or 2) go over to the site and watch some videos, maybe a quick look or one of their mailbags. I use it for about 30 minutes of entertainment.

Maybe I won’t be able to watch a video in HD, but the only videos I would care to see that way are trailers that are probably posted on GameTrailers anyway.

As far as I can tell, not subscribing will do nothing to affect my usage of Giant Bomb. Correct?