This article originally ran under a different banner/website in June of 2018 and is now being here re-uploaded for purposes of convenience and consolidation. Please enjoy.
Hello everyone; I know you have come here expecting me to be dawning my doomsayer persona and shouting about the end of the gaming industry, but I am just not feeling it. My plan was to talk about a game I played at PAX East called Bleak: Welcome to Glimmer. The developers created an arcade cabinet for people to play the game on, since their game was inspired by the brutal nature of old school platformers, back when arcades were around. Of course, this all caught my attention, but after playing it for a few hours, I am just not feeling it. Partly due to the saddening news I received. On May 24th, I was informed that video game critic John Peter Bain, also known as Totalbiscuit, passed away losing his battle with cancer at the age of 33. Even though I never met him in person, his death has me heartbroken. Not only did my father pass away from cancer at a young age, but Totalbiscuit was hugely influential in how I view my favorite medium and how I commentate it. So, instead of talking about a game that I am not that into, I will talk about Totalbiscuit instead.
The year is 2010, I was a sophomore in college and I could have been labeled as a World of Warcraft fanatic. In between classes and studying, I could be found grinding for better gear for my healer. I have always been a player who liked to be prepared for the challenges ahead. I would research the best gear, the best areas to find crafting materials and the best strategies to take down bosses. With a new expansion on the horizon, I had to dig into the ins and outs of this new adventure. Whose videos did I happen to run into? None other than the Cynical Brit himself, John “Totalbiscuit” Bain. He had immense coverage of the beta covering everything from the new races to the cleaned up starting zones to small bits of lore included in the beta. Using the vocal presence he developed during his World of Warcraft radio days, Totalbiscuit’s passion and skill was enough to grab my attention. I furiously tore through all his videos, absorbing all the information like I did in all my other college classes. When the expansion finally launched, I was the one all my friends went to for all the best strategies.
Few years later, I stopped playing World of Warcraft and moved onto other games. Being the poor college student I was, I had to be careful about which games I purchased. Luckily, Totalbiscuit had transitioned from WoW coverage to games reviews and critic. While some mocked him for his obsession with field of view (FOV) sliders, demand for 60 fps, and refusal to take part in pre-orders, you can’t say he drew a hard line and stuck to it, all in the name of consumer advisory. He knew a lot of gamers, like myself, couldn’t afford to play every single game. He had to deliver some hard truths, including being one of the first to say Duke Nukem Forever did not live up to the long waiting hype. In a time of major game coverage panning to developers, seeing someone stand up to the norms and give it to you straight was not only enlightening, but also inspiring. I would continue to watch and learn from the Cynical Brit through the rest of my days at college.
Soon after graduating, I began working in the real world. As many of you could guess, I didn’t have time to watch all of Totalbiscuit’s videos, but I always made sure to catch his podcast, Co-Optional Podcast. It was a simple podcast, Totalbiscuit, Jesse Cox, Dodger, and one guest, would discuss the games they had been playing along with some discussion on gaming news. Whether I was performing a test or updating documents, I always found the light hard humor combined with the informative news within the podcast helped me get through some rough weeks. I soon began fitting other podcasts, including the excellent Redlight Gaming Podcast (you all should check them out, they are really entertaining), into my weekly routine. Website promotion aside, the Co-Optional Podcast introduced me to many more critics and entertainers, all of having me laughing out loud or pondering the way I view my favorite medium. From doctors studying how games can be used to help improve your mental health like Dr. Jennifer Hazel to musicians who make music inspired by video games like Miracle of Sound, the number of content creators I was introduced to via Co-Optional Podcast was endless. I am sure I am not the only one to say it, but John Bain connected so many with his wide reach. The state of the gaming commentary would be vastly different without him.
As I sit here, I can’t help but notice some people don’t share in my sorrow over the passing of Totalbiscuit. Some people are disgustingly reveling in it. Without trying to shine a spotlight on said individual, an ex-member of the BioWare development team, went on a long and vile rant claiming he had an axe to grind against the critic. He claimed Totalbiscuit was more harmful for the industry than good, stating the critic used his fan based like rabid attack dogs that he would unleash onto any developer he wished. I read over this thread and can’t help but be disheartened. He stood up for some many games over the years. Games like Warframe and Rainbow Six Siege, can attribute their rise to success to do his voice, but to see someone ignore all the good one could do, just to point out some mistakes really hurts. Maybe we didn’t deserve Totalbiscuit. Maybe we don’t deserve my voice. If people are only going to focus on my mistakes, rather than my accomplishments, then what’s the point. Maybe this is a sign. Maybe it is time to put away the soapbox and picket fence sign. Maybe it is time to stop writing.
“You what?” I could hear Totalbiscuit say, “a couple people say I am terrible and you want to pack it in?”
“How could I not? You have done so much for the games industry, and yet still have people try to drag your name through the mud.”
“You’re always going to have people who hate the content you create.” he would probably say reassuringly, “Trust yourself. Don’t let the haters dictate how you present yourself. I am leaving behind big shoes. I don’t expect you to fill them, but I expect you to help out.”
He’s right, I thought. Who is going to help out the small indie teams. Who is going to help consumers make informed decisions. Who is going to talk about FOV sliders. Probably not me, but that’s not my point. Now is the worst time to quit. I shouldn’t let the thought of hatred silence the voice that I bring. My voice might be small, but it will continue to grow and gain a following, despite what any nah sayer says. With that being said, the show must go on:
HEAR YE!!! HEAR YE!!! LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!!! BOYS AND GIRLS!!! GATHER ROUND FOR I MUST TELL YOU ABOUT A GAME CALLED BLEAK: WELCOME TO GLIMMER. THE COLOR PALLET CONSIST OF DULL YELLOWS, BLUES AND GRAYS. THE SOUNDTRACKS SOUNDS LIKE THEY COULD ONLY AFFORD THE BASSIST. THE PLATFORMING HAS MANY TRIAL AND ERROR JUMPS. THE GAME IS BLEAK. I ARGUE YOU ALL TO PLAY SOMETHING ELSE.
Rest in peace, John. You will be missed.