Game Informer Gets To Say Goodbye - The MinnMax Show

[@minnmax]

Check the description for contact info for those laid off, and you can support Alex Van Aken's new game documentary Patreon here - www.patreon.com/viewportvideo

[@carlthewinner]

Sounds cool! Glad to see Alex is already rolling into something new!

[@EasyAllies]

I didn't realize that there's a sizable amount of the vault that was added from personal collections. That's really great, and makes it even more important that it somehow gets freed from GameStop's clutches. -Bloodworth

[@LazyByName]

Charles’ song was fucking perfect.

[@itcamefromabox]

Been reading for decades 😢 Can't believe how GameStop handled the situation. Absolutely no respect. Appreciate MinnMax having you guys on ✌

[@DrBeef216]

You're surprised that this is how Gamestop handled it? Are you new here? Lol

[@itcamefromabox]

@@DrBeef216 I didn't say surprised. I said I couldn't believe it. The least they could do is shut it down and allow them to say goodbye. Even if unauthentic, it's a good PR move.

[@DrBeef216]

​@@itcamefromabox Saying you "can't believe" it implies that you weren't expecting it and were surprised. I can't believe I had to explain this to someone.

[@itcamefromabox]

@@DrBeef216 I didn't use surprised for a reason.

[@DrBeef216]

​@@itcamefromaboxI don't care what your reason was. The literal definition of "can't believe" when used in a sentence is that you're expressing surprise. Arguing this is beyond asinine.

[@WadeWojcik]

Thanks so much for doing this Ben and the MinnMax team!!

[@KyleHilliard]

Hi Wade!

[@ManonHume]

Former Game Informer intern who just wanted to chime in. GI was and always has been home to some of the most welcoming, talented, and passionate people in gaming. It’s been tough watching what y’all went through over the years, but as Ben mentioned, there was definitely solace in seeing everyone move into bigger and better things. I’m sure the same will bear out this time. The shutdown is heartbreaking, especially given the awesome work you’d still been doing! Y’all deserved so much better than that and so did GI. Best wishes to all of you for what comes next, and long live Minnmax!

[@minnmax]

Hey, thanks Manon! I just spoke with an Star Tribune reporter who knew you. Feel free to send me an email - [e-mail]

[@pipgoesthepossum]

Y'all need to upload the last bit with Charles' song as a clip. Absolute perfection. More people need to hear that.

[@haleydeboom9126]

I went from nodding solemly at great lines like "They turned our microphones into megaphones" to cracking up at "KNIFE-EAT" - this is the content that makes minnmax and gi so special 😂

[@usedfuzzbox]

R.I.P. Game Informer. I didn't read the mag, living in the UK, but used to love the podcast, which was what brought me to MinnMax. So glad Someone is honoring GI like this.

[@hexprof]

Like is for Charles' rad food song.

[@joeyisabsb1]

Im usually not a fan of spoof songs but Charles song legit made me laugh. Very well done.

[@alexixeno4223]

R.I.P. Game Informer, you were never respected by gamestop. May you all find a future brighter then what it was.

[@scottfry9697]

So grateful that I spent time in Montreal with Alex and Marcus for the last physical issue with The Casting of Frank Stone cover. Can’t believe we worked on the last cover together. It’s unreal.

[@carlthewinner]

Thanks for putting this together. Big hug to Gameinformer friends.

[@joeyisabsb1]

Butt hugs are the best hugs

[@carlthewinner]

@@joeyisabsb1 lol. Fixed thanks. Just big hug. lol

[@Kohaku233]

I worked at GameStop from 2016-2021. And read Game Informer for many years before that. I’ll miss it and all the warm memories. Best of luck to everyone!!!!

[@connorswaim7413]

Wish I could like this a hundred times just because of Charles' parody. Truly fantastic.

[@ahorserunning]

also potato

[@8806gavin]

As someone that followed GI for many years and their content got me through COVID times of staying at home, has worked with MinnMax personally before and just experienced my 4th time being laid off since 2020 this last week...this Podcast hit hard. Sorry to all involved that we have to keep going through this over and over while doing nothing wrong.

[@Darleer]

Hey you take care too! Sounds like a real tough time over there as well

[@EasyAllies]

lol, Marcus with the raw horse meat story. Classic game dev trip to Japan. Glad I managed to avoid that bit. -Bloodworth

[@Echo__plex]

End of an era. Thanks for the memories, Game Informer! Best of luck to everyone affected by the closure.

[@randomdude3620]

It's really great to see the positive (and realistic) attitudes on display. Just keep truckin' and be adaptable and you'll be fine. GI may be no more (until Hanson or Reiner or Andy Mac buy the rights to the name in the Game Stop bankruptcy and fire sale). The magazine may be gone but the memories and the community remain.

[@sebastianwhpx298]

Thank you guys for putting this together 😢😢😢😢 I loved GI's content especially the video content, Replay, Super Replay, and Extra Life. I am heartbroken but im loving Minnmax material. ❤❤❤ Thank You Ben!!!!

[@dragontoaster6637]

I've enjoyed Charles Hart on all the Minnmax content he's been in, but I had no clue he was that crazy talented. That song was amazing.

[@ahorserunning]

The DnD episode he ran was also top notch lol

[@carlthewinner]

I love all the positivity and laughter from this episode. Thanks for providing a place for this to happen.

[@popblender]

I got to meet Andy Mac, Ben Hanson, and Ben Reeves in Nashville late Aug 2019. The Gamestop conversation wasn't great. Especially since it was during the Gamestop conference and it was obvious things weren't going well at that time. However, I really had a great time meeting and talking with them at my restaurant. Gentlemen, all of them! The GI Show was my favorite podcast/show up until after Hanson left. Andy tried to keep it together but it just wasn't the same. Since then, it's been layoffs after layoffs. Such a shame. Game Informer was one of the very few print magazines left for gamers, and personally I enjoyed actually holding the magazine in my hands while reading. I hope all the employees are able to get on and continue living their dream of covering games. Thanks for the hard work!

[@Profecy02]

'Kratos Finds God' is legendary

[@NeoncloudFF]

Really loved this week's Q&A. So many fun conversations - sometimes it really pays to step back from the whirlwind of game news and and releases and just vibe. Loved hearing Hanson talk about travel - I just got back from Japan for the first time and agree: going out and exploring the world is such an invaluable experience that really opens your eyes to so many things.

[@frekesandgekes]

When I was a kid, like 5 in 2007, my dad would take me to gamestop and I would beg for the cool video game magazine there. Finally, he folded and let me get it. I was not at all old enough to read it, I had no idea what it said, but I loved the pictures and it was an incredible window into the games industry at large. That love was transferred to Minnmax in 2020, thank you guys for all of your hard work! Wish I would've known that Game Informer started making magazines again, I would've subscribed till I died.

[@paulmcintyre6857]

I watched this without wearing my glasses and i thought Macus was rocking a hightop for the first hour.

[@haleydeboom9126]

I didnt realize it wasn't until this comment lol

[@codyficker7851]

Resident NASCAR expert here, Bobby Labonte is not a villain! He's generally well liked, does TV stuff for FOX Sports, occasionally does some racing in lesser known series (like NASCAR Europe) in his retirement. And I can blow Alex's mind even further! He's actually related to MULTIPLE FAMOUS NASCAR DRIVERS. Bobby has an older brother named Terry and they're both champions. Terry in 1984 and 1996, Bobby in 2000. Terry has a son named Justin Labonte, and Justin had his own videogame on the PS1. Well, kinda. It was called Jarrett & Labonte Stock Car Racing. It was actually just the American release of Codemaster's TOCA World Touring Cars with American drivers on the cover.

[@minnmax]

Thank you for this gift.

[@codyficker7851]

also Bobby was my favorite driver as a kid sooooooooooooo

[@smellywaffels1967]

Terry Labonte and his Frosted Flakes car were the best on the GameCube NASCAR game lol.

[@ARIXANDRE]

After the news, this is the only place I wanted to be and listen to. Much love to the whole GI crew.

[@JoeBauers]

Love the magazine and gang of hilarious, kind, smart, and passionate crew at GI. Thanks for the good times 🎉🎉

[@LUNCHQUEST]

Just sent those refund emails out, Thanks for looking out Kyle. Get your refunds! GameStop sure as hell doesn't deserve anyones money. On a side note, how the hell do you drive off Reggie Fis-Ame?

[@Lunst_DK]

Omg that cover song at the end... Amazing!!!!

[@smellywaffels1967]

Thank you guys and everyone ever at GI. I was reading since the PS1 era. It was always my favorite magazine.

[@archonrex5600]

Game Informer LIVES, in the hearts & minds of people like me, that got started on Gaming news/coverage/stories by way of publications like GI & Nintendo Power so long ago. LONG LIVE The Game Informer Show was also my first Gaming Podcast :) You are all legends in my book. *Massive Love & Respect* The very best to you & yours, ~Thank you for so many great, great years! ---Can't wait to see the rest of ye olde Cast, buncha All-Star Hall'o Famers, man, hope you can have several of the folks on, Ben.

[@archonrex5600]

_Ps._ GO MINNMAX haha, as our beloved publications pass on to history, we welcome the digital age together, through layoffs & recessions, elections & wars, the Gaming Community is forever!!! I have _read_ pieces from all of you, and now I'm happy to continue _seeing_ you on Podcasts and organizations like MinnMax. To me, and to so many others, MinnMax is home :D Thanks Ben ol' boiii, BIG THANKS GI

[@Nokjaw]

The GI Forums were where I truly dove deep into an online gaming community and still talk to the people I chatted with way back then in 2011/2012. Aside from the awesome work GameInformer did with their covers and magazines I will always be thankful for the site.

[@mattyt1me]

Required viewing! Thank you for this

[@wawawalrus]

That was the best ending to the Minnmax show ever

[@arisenpawn425]

R.I.P. GameInformer Side note very cool giving away EDF6. The series needs more fans.

[@Vilis_Farthuk]

This Bohemian Rhapsody parody is like... Weird Al level, especially with it being about food. It's so good.

[@patrickm2191]

Subscribed to GI in 1996 when it was upsold to me at a Funcoland. RIP.

[@casualtuna2914]

I’m thankful that minnmax gave gameinformer a chance to say goodbye.

[@Windytune]

It makes me sad that some goon is either going to throw away all the stuff in the GI office, a office closure company will sell it all off at auction, or it will be taken back to HQ and sold. When it should be donated to a museum.

[@MathiasMahieu]

Class act Ben & the MinnMax community for supporting these guys as much as possible!

[@tatenaibenbusi]

Rest in pages, Game Informer 😢

[@tomas6179]

Such a great episode. Really hope that all people involved land on their feet as soon as possible. Happy that a lot of the spirit of my favorite gameinformer era is still in the form of Minnmax

[@fat-gotenks]

I had a current subscription to the magazine! RIP and THANK YOU for everything

[@tatenaibenbusi]

Though it's not all the old team from before the first layoffs, the shared humor is really about the same especially today and made me laugh so often! Hanson is a gem, he is so great at making people laugh and relieving the stress of losing (dream) jobs! Thanks for this serious, but wholesome episode. Power to all those looking for new job opportunities ❤

[@TrueProphecy22]

That Bohemian Snacksody was brilliant. Good luck in your future endeavors everyone.

[@infiniteregressions]

Matt Miller, Andrew Reiner and Andy Mac dream blunt rotation (but also next week's round table?)

[@CarlosMonteiroPT]

One of the best magazines ever! It would be great if someone could turn it live the Legacy Reviews file! Such a gem! Good luck on the next endeavors!

[@SkullfaceTalks]

Would be cool if you could get Andy, Reiner, or Tim on one of these. Matt Miller would probably interesting to hear from as well as the last EiC for GI.

[@lucasbriggs6053]

Shitty to lose not only a staple in the gaming industry, but also a Minnesota staple. GI was a “dream job” for me in high school that turned into a monthly indulgence.

[@michaelstrange2285]

"Order #1920491 Refunded". My last communication from Game Informer. End of an era. Thanks for capturing the thoughts and impressions of GI crew.

[@Jeorin]

The outro is killing me. Y'all are wonderful people.

[@crowwwservo2363]

If we lose all of those replay and super replay episodes I will fall into a deep depression. I still watch all those old episodes

[@JC-ji1hp]

The spirit lasts forever. Minnmax will rise

[@tyrannostoragerex3637]

I am fully aware it's a parasocial thing to say, but I love Game Informer and everyone who wrote there for bringing brightness to my life for over 20 years. I subscribed off and on ever since the Playstation 2 reveal issue, and followed the channels for many years as well. I hope Minnmax and other outlets can bring in as many of the modern GI crew in as quickly as possible.

[@rickywinterborn]

pour one out for GI

[@Dukefazon]

Joined again on Patreon to help with this difficult period where you're helping former GI guys.

[@rickywinterborn]

ayy hyped for alex's doc channel. his video production was really good at GI

[@MaximusKatzimus]

I used to read every GI issue as a kid. Replay was amazing, and I do miss you all so dearly. Hope for all the best for you all and you can make better futures.

[@disc0music11]

[@KingKarrot]

God bless everyone that made such an amazing an influential product. RIP Game Informer, you will be missed and never forgotten

[@jeramyd7972]

Definitely my favorite Super Reply, is Dark Souls with Tim and Dan. There’s an episode where they talk about horror movies for the entire episode and just farm. I love it

[@IchibanKasuga-6969]

I have the hugest respect for the recent GI employees who had to do so much with so little, the quality of the magazine never once dipped despite all the cutbacks. What talented folks! Charles Harte just won 2024's greatest work of art

[@Katelin626_]

Sending love to Kyle! I know you’re going to find something great, I’m so sorry this has happened! Also, sending love to all ex GI employees. I can’t believe it’s 1000% over.

[@a2c2008]

You all are so talented and I’ve always enjoyed your content and commentary! You will find work in no time and I will definitely subscribe and support you in any way I can.

[@Chicken008]

I really want to hear that Sonic trivia question!

[@patrickm2191]

We know it was about Sonic plushies "absorbing" something based on Leo's callback jokes later in the episodes. I'm guessing something related to bodily fluids.

[@Ajbolt89]

Im not a twitter user, so maybe im in the minority, but if you could keep us up to date with what the GI staff is moving on to i would love to follow their future work!

[@slycut-]

Kyle wearing the GameStop shirt. 😆

[@MartinT]

And drinking from a GameStop cup too haha 😂

[@jonathanbaird]

That's his games top.

[@AKA1MAN]

The Vault a new KZbin channel dedicated to replaying games of the past every week a new episode of Replay with a wonderful cast of three gusts and a host with a colorful commentary and pun jokes

[@jfsebastian283]

I remember reading super Nintendo reviews in GI. I have over 10 years of magazines. This is a heavy blow. Makes me wanna sing a Bob Dylan song.

[@hexprof]

I got my refund... would have preferred to get my magazines though.

[@fat-gotenks]

How do you get a refund?

[@Dukefazon]

@@fat-gotenks The guys said it in the episode, it's at 23:43

[@Dukefazon]

I'm listening to the episode, I'm just sooooo maaaaad. Hearing the stories from the guys, it's just so painfull.

[@CampbellYoungblood]

Been reading for 20+ years, real sad about all of this. When you all mentioned the question about the chance of selling GI off it made me think: do we think there was ever a world where GI could have gone independent?

[@Evenmoresteven]

This is really cool that Ben is doing this. I do wish that he could have gathered a few more legacy game informer staff to weigh in, like Ben Reeves, Jeff Cork, Joe Juba, Tim Turi, etc. to pay homage to the older crew.

[@gbcran1882]

They mentioned that a video with legacy staff is on the way!

[@Evenmoresteven]

@@gbcran1882 Oh perfect! That's awesome to hear.

[@0FFICERPROBLEM]

Yep. Please bring back some Dan Tack + Ben Hanson snark haha But I guess a lot of the guys are inside the actual industry now, which sometimes makes it difficult to appear in media, but I would be so happy to see a bunch of the old crew assembled.

[@Evenmoresteven]

@@0FFICERPROBLEM how could I forget Dan Tack? Yes! That would be amazing!

[@DonNerdleone]

RIP GI, and good luck to all! Rooting for y’all.

[@ChrisLT]

Good crew here.

[@michaelrfx7]

Charles!!!! What the!!! WOW WOW WOW!!! God damn Talented!!!

[@jasmine-ruff-puff9951]

It was really nice to see you call out the way they shut everything down Ben. Seeing everyone send well wishes to the company when they had abruptly removed all the work the team had done didn't sit right with me.

[@brennanwn]

5:51 - 6:55 Kyle is a true man of steel 😢😢

[@mbillard]

2:33:40 Well cooked brussel sprouts are delicious. The trick is to use a lot of butter.

[@anthonyandthemachine]

I love hearing from GI. Y’all should definitely try to do something together. Some kind of podcast. Even if it’s just monthly. Y’all too good together. Haha also I love NASCAR and Bobby Labonte was my favorite driver! 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Champion!!! He was always one of the good ones! This is so funny hearing y’all talk about him.

[@codyd13]

Loved game Informer, I’ll always remember seeing the cover to God of War 3 arrive in the mail. End of an era but your work and creativity mattered to many…. It mattered to me.

[@liquidocelot4118]

Man I loved Game Informer content for so long. Hate seeing all these talented people being pushed aside for a corporate monster. Luckily independent game journalism is going strong. Looking forward to an independent spin-off of Game Informer.

[@Some_Random_Guy]

RIP The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask Super Replay 😢 Edit: nevermind. Super Replay lives! 🥲

[@fat-gotenks]

THE SONGGGGGGGG

[@carlosflores-gaytan1589]

Even if you don't listen to the full podcast you got to be there for the final five minutes

[@FrostbrightProductions]

I wish i still kept my Game Informer issues :( i literally had an entire bookshelf full in my bathroom. They were THE BEST material for reading on the poo. I sadly recycled them because... well, no one gives magazines away to others when they were bathroom mags, right?!?!

[@MartinT]

RIP Game Informer, I hope all the staff find work asap

[@skytrot]

Bet that cover must’ve been for Metaphor:ReFantazio considering the word stylish was thrown around.

[@dustyw8771]

I might get teary

[@zdukesable]

"WHAT'S SUPERLATIVE REVISITS DOING IN THE MINNMAX ZONE?"

[@shanenewman1747]

Lmao omg as soon as you played that rugrats commercial i instantly remembered seeing that on tv back in the day

[@garrettpeters9342]

Sick stunts in Spiderman is such a good GI video

[@inigomontoya619]

I received the frank stone issue today 8/10/24

[@dtPlaythroughs]

This should have ended with Hanson announcing MinnMax is being sold to GameFly and what could possibly go wrong?

[@howarda1000]

I just can't believe we will never find out what happened to 4th chair and tiny Reeves

[@Kmaitland89]

It's pretty clear when they were talking about how GI might have increased revenue, that Ben felt they couldn't have saved it. He kind of flippantly goes "sure, sure". I just didn't like that response. It felt unsupportive. Also, he has no idea on GI's financials. Very few people actually do.

[@smellywaffels1967]

He’s giving them a platform to speak on, supported them on social media and hired a bunch of their staff. For Gods sake what more do you want the man to do? You just don’t get it.