The Community Spotlight 2023.03.18

Welcome to the latest edition of the Giant Bomb Community Spotlight! I, @zombiepie, am once again your host as we look back at the most notable community-created works and site-related news from the previous week.

However, before get into that, let's talk about the big piece of news many of you are still talking about. Last Friday marked the final day Matt Rorie was an employee on Giant Bomb. As stated during Episode 780 of the Bombcast, he is leaving to work for an "unprecedented opportunity" that he was offered by a long-time friend. Rorie is leaving the site on good terms and has no ill-will directed at Fandom. This was his choice and you'll find out what the future holds for him in two weeks as he spends the next week visiting his mother.

If there is some solace from this disappointing news, Rorie has maintained that he will continue to participate on the site through the forums and Discord, but in a reduced capacity when he can. However, there's no denying his loss is still very much that, a loss that likely cannot be fully replaced. In between his efforts to handle site tickets and customer service, he also took time to interact with the community. I, like many of you, probably had more interactions with Rorie than any other staff members on Giant Bomb and can confirm that the man you saw on camera was the man he was in-person; an absolute delight.

So, if you have not done so already, please consider dropping a comment in the thread thanking Rorie for all he has done on and for this site. Also, Rorie took Luchadeer for his years, but the old Giant Bomb couch still lives on.

For those wondering where to send their issues with merchandise or their premium subscription in the future, the email still remains support@giantbomb.com. If you are on Discord, you can DM DToast (Dylan) and he will follow up with you as soon as possible. Speaking of which, please be nice to Dylan. Dylan is a genuinely good person. Dylan accepted Rorie's responsibilities after taking on a job, safety management, that the site has needed for years. For reference, a manager of safety takes on the protocol in the event of comments pertaining to but not limited to death threats, suicidal ideation, and sexually explicit content. Dylan is also going to be handling CV and GameSpot community stuff, so check out his introduction to the Giant Bomb community and wish good luck to him.

Other notable news includes former staff member, and still close friend, Abby starting a Patreon you can join and support.

Finally, Grubb guested on VGC's podcast to talk about Zelda’s price tag and what’s going on with Suicide Squad.

Tweets

Art

Lucy Parts +

LEGO Lucy & LEGO Tamoor+

LEGO Lucy & LEGO Tamoor Life-Bars+

Solid Tamoor (By: @MOHAMMEDFI10)

This week Twitter user MOHAMMEDFI10 was on an art-making tear and had plenty of tributes to various Giant Bomb staff and friends of the site. This week they made a smatter of good works for Tamoor and Lucy which you will hopefully enjoy.

Grubber Lang Artwork (By: @videospacegames)

Over on Twitter, videospacegames (i.e., Dan Williams) shared their love for the Grubber Lang series on Giant Bomb by making this AWESOME work of art. It might be small, but that just adds to the aesthetic.

Activities

Somerville Is The 5th Selection Of UUGPGC Year 2! Finish By March 13, 2023! Mark All Spoilers! All Are Welcome! +

Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion Is the 6th Year 2 Game Of The UUGPGC. Finish By 3/27/23. Mark All Spoilers!(By: @bigsocrates)

The Game Pass Game Club has opened its discussion thread for Somerville to spoilers! What is your take on the games incredibly split reception from players and critics? Join the discussion by clicking the link! Likewise, and the topic is incredibly apt for those Giant Bomb users that live in the United States, but the next pick for the Community Game Pass Game Club is Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion! If you want to share your first impressions click the link!

The GB Album Club Cycle 3 Theme Is... "Artist You Discovered In a Video Game Soundtrack" (By: @unclejam23)

The third cycle of the Community Album Club has an interesting theme for its next cycle: Albums you discovered thanks to video games! If you want to share your examples and send in a pick, here's the link!

Blogs

Finishing Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII [Part 3] - I Need To Talk About Chocolina And The Ending Of This Game (By: @zombiepie)

It took them a month, but moderator ZombiePie finally wrapped up their retrospective on Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII! This episode is all about the plot twist involving Chocolina and the end of the game! Shit's CRAZY!

Moosey's (Not So?) Hidden Gems: Unsighted (By: @mooseymcman)

MooseyMcMan makes a glorious return to blogging with an extensive look at Unsighted and why they consider it a "hidden gem." If you want to learn more, just click the link and just look at this adorable doggo!

Mega Archive: Part XXXI: From Tony La Russa to X-Men (By: @mento)

With this week being a bit of a downer week, Mento decided to cheer things up by looking at old Sega tapes and thoroughly trashing them. If you want a bit of a retro-throwback this week, then this is the blog for you.

All 3DO Games (Kinda) In Order: 1993 (Part 3) (By: @borgmaster)

No one warned borgmaster how weird things would get for their retrospective on every single North American game release for the 3DO. So, here they are talking about The Life Stage: Virtual House and Twisted: The Game Show on Giant Bomb.

Evolving: How Game Freak Updated Pokémon Yellow Version (By: @gamer_152)

Pokémon, it's kind of a big deal. Such a big dealthat it sucked away the choldhoods of many of you reading this write-up right now. Anyway, moderator Gamer_152 decided to look at the history of Pokémon Yellow: Special Pikachu Edition and how Game Freak, Inc. tackle the need to update their games.

Discussion Threads

Let's Send Rorie Off In Styyyyyle (By: @sparky_buzzsaw)

As you might already know, Friday marked Rorie's last day as a staff member of Giant Bomb! Feel free to join the rest of the community in sharing your favorite Rorie moments! I know people have already posted the video of him singing the theme song to Star Trek Enterprise, but if you can think of other memorable moments, feel free to include them.

RIP Lance Reddick (By: @bigsocrates)

The passing of Lance Reddick has taken the community by surprise. Lance Reddick had a handful of voice roles in video games, what are your favorite roles of theirs? What are your favorite other performances of theirs?

R4 Ridge Racer Type 4 Coming To PS Plus Premium (By: @gtxforza)

R4 Ridge Racer Type 4 is coming to PS Plus Premium! Are there any racing game fans that are looking forward to giving it a try? How many of you are still surprised that the Ridge Racer franchise hasn't seen a revival?

When Was The Last Time You Upgraded Your Gaming TV? (By: @sombre)

When was the last time you upgraded your gaming TV or monitor? How many of you have taken the plunge on 8K or HDMI 2.1? Do you have any purchasing tips for new buyers right now?

How Many Games You Play Do You Actually Finish? (By: @sombre)

In the age of digital distribution, constant sales, and streaming, how many of the games you buy and play do you actually finish? Has the number gone up or down since the dawn of Game Pass?

Tears Of The Kingdom File Size Is 18.2GB (~57% Of Original Switch Model's Storage) (By: @zombiepie)

The storage requirement for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom have been revealed to be 18.2GB! Is this going to pose a problem to any users interested in picking up the game? Do you view this evidence of the need of a new Switch model?

Countdown to Shut Down: Last Minute Recommendations Before the Wii U/3DS eShop Closes (By: @brian_)

Don't forget, the end of the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U eShops is drawing nigh! Are there any games you strongly recommend people pick up before things get shutdown forever? Might I recommend Erik Wolpaw's #9 GOTY 2017 pick, Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan?

Lists

Most Played Games Of All Time A Rough Guess List (By: @pyromagnestir)

pyromagnestir decided to run down the list of games they know they have played more than 100 hours of. Check out the games that sucked away days of their lives by clicking the link and don't forget to think about creating your own list on the site.

Troubled Protagonist (By: @boosturook)

Someone earlier pointed out that the term "troubled protagonist" often gets overused, so user BoosTurook started a list trying to annotate every game that features a character that fits the label. If you have any other examples, to add, drop a comment on their list!

User Reviews

@toolzz360's Final Fantasy VII review assesses and details why it is still an all-time classic and still playable to this day despite the fact that it has a few rough edges here and there. Give it a read by clicking the link above.

Wiki Of The Week

Matthew Rorie

Alpha Protocol

You likely already know that Rorie worked in the video game industry before taking a job in Whiskey Media and Screened. However, his staff page on the site has a handful of fun jokes and Easter Eggs worth checking out if you haven't done so already. Also, Matthew Rorie's Alpha Protocol has been a Wiki of the Week before, but I couldn't help myself this week.