This is the catch-all for discussion around Giant Bomb, it's content, personalities etc. It started as a thread to talk about Whiskey Media introducing premium memberships way back in the day but now it's just for talking about Giant Bomb.
---
Original post
So, what most people thought was going to happen has happened. Whiskey Media (owners of Giant Bomb, Screened, Tested, Comic Vine and Anime Vice) are implementing a paid membership program. This kind of makes me sad, not so much because it's happening so much as it's pretty clear from what they were saying between the lines on the preview podcast that this is because their business model hasn't been working out and they need the money. It's $5/month or $45/year but I don't know if you really get all that much for it:
- No ads for yearly members only (there's very few if any now anyway.)
- HD Flash videos (which are a myth, they're never true HD) and the ability to download any videos (maybe useful to some but useless to me.)
- Access to their new HTML5 mobile site.
- Site avatar award.
- T-shirt for yearly subscribers.
- Access to a live show they're thinking about doing and other added features, none of which were defined or have a timeline.
- Full Bombcast access. The show is being split into two one hour segments. Only subscribers get it all on release week, others will get the first hour the week of release and the rest the following week.
I really love Giant Bomb and what those guys do over there but if I'm honest, this doesn't sound like a great value for someone on the tight budget I am. I think splitting up the Bombcast is a colossal mistake that will severely splinter their audience and I'm not much on the idea of paying for stuff that may come but no one knows what it is or when. This kind of sounds like it was written by a marketing executive. On the other hand, I really want to support the content I like and if it's either this or have them start to have to take on obnoxious advertising like you see on GameTrailers and the like, it might be worth at least trying the monthly one. What are other Giant Bomb fans thinking?
Pages