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Giant Bomb Thread #5 - We love you, Ryan Davis

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For me, personally, ive always listened to the bombcast since the first 50 or so episodes. Ive loved every member that came and went even if we didnt see eye to eye. This gets even harder to accept because as lame as it sounds, i lost my job at the start of this year and with my wife at work and all my friends at work monday to friday, i replayed all the old bombcasts and videos they had done over the years and they kept me from going crazy at home. Im not usually a lonely person, but damn, spending so much time at home really got to me. and these guys, ryan especially with his always super cheerful attitude, felt like they were keeping me company on these down days.

RIP dude. I was going to give you the biggest ups when i finally met you at PAX australia next week and let you know how you influenced my life on a more personal level. fucking sucks that will never be :(
 
Jon_Danger said:
And he deserves it, Drew is awesome, but there is absolutely no replacement for Ryan. Sad day.
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Definetly. It just strikes me that Drew is the more collected one that could bring the lil bit of professionalism, or at least proper schedule that GB streams and such had with Ryan.
 
I ran into him at e3 with some of the other GB crew and told him a mutual friend of ours was thinking of heading out to their studio spot for late night e3 coverage and I might tag a long. He was totally open and said come and drink. So glad I did. Hung out with him and Evilore that night with the rest of the bombcrew.

Great guy and had a few smokes with him just chatting about life and the industry. Glad I got to chat with him after listening to the bombcast so much on my commute to work every week.

RIP Ryan...
 
On Ryan's last podcast he was talking about how glad he was to adopt Patrick's Neo Geo MVS and that he was excited to have a full arcade room at home.
 
I find myself very sad about this, fighting back tears. I'll miss listening to him every week on the bombcast, he always helped me get through the work day. What a loss. =(
 
QLs will now just be a mix of Vinny/Brad/Jeff/Drew and since someone has to monitor the recording stuff that probably just leaves three of the four. :(
 
Typographenia said:
I was an extremely reclusive person for nearly 10+ years of my life. My time in high school was extremely difficult for me, as I did not feel like I ever connected with people well or knew people I wanted to know better. I found it really challenging to interact with others, and it felt like I might never be capable of having a substantial relationship with others outside of my immediate family and the two guys I had been friends with since I was six.

In 2008, I jumped over to Giant Bomb and began following their work kind every once in a while. It wasn't until around a year later that I decided to seriously start listening to the bombcast (as I had no real interest in podcasts until then). Decided it might be fun, you know?

As dumb as this sounds, the bombcast helped me better appreciate and approach conversations with others. I was (and still am) an exceptionally awkward person, but listening to their discussions made me more comfortable and relaxed when faced with real interactions with others. It also helped me become more confident in myself and kept me entertained for long drives to and from school/home on an occasional weekend. I was finally confident enough to chase after things I thought were out of reach. I now work and study with some of the greatest people I have had the chance to know, and I have the most amazing girlfriend on earth. If I had been asked five years ago what my life would be like today, I would have never in a million years guessed anything as incredible as the life I have now.

Thank you, Ryan Davis, for helping me face my challenges with people, providing so much wonderful content over the years, helping me keep perspective on several dynamics of the game industry, and for being someone that helped me set the bar for my own personal aspirations with others. You were a gloriously enjoyable man, and I thank you for sharing so much of your life with us.
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Thanks for sharing as I'm sure other fans feel the same. What Ryan and the others give is more than just games or entertainment and it means a lot to some people.

Also Ryan was a damn great host of, well, everything. A natural who clearly loved doing it.
 
Zaph said:
I really need to get some sleep, but I think I need this stream more.
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I'm already about 2.5 hours normal bedtime :(

I'm going to try to get some sleep.

Thanks everyone and to everyone who is going to get some sleep soon good luck.
I'm sure I'll have a GB dream/nightmare tonight that is just the nature of things.

Thanks again everyone :(
 
The Ryan stream and the Harmonix Tribute really turned me around today. He may be gone, but he'll always be there in lot of people's hearts.
 
This really hits hard for me. When I too was 34 (I am 37 now) I had a heart attack and obviously survived it. I am not overweight by any means, it was genetic in my case.

This has just reminded me how fragile life can be, I could easily not have been here now writing about Ryan

Ryan alluded to his health problems occasionally on the bombcast, I always worried about his wellbeing. 34 is way too young, I feel so sorry for his immediate family and of course the GB crew who knew him so well.

Through GB we all came to know him so well also, he was such a personality that will be hard to replace. It wont really hit home for me until I listen to the next bombcast or watch the next Quicklook
 
For all the jokes we make about how Ryan does nothing but host and produce the podcast there's not a soul alive that can do nothing as well as he did.
 
GB is my favorite podcast. I like every personality on the show, but obviously Ryan steered the ship. I never had the pleasure if meeting him, but I really feel as though I've lost a friend. Usually I'm not affected too much by these things, but I'm at a loss right now. My thoughts go out to his wife, family and friends, and to all of his listeners.

Tuesdays will never be the same. We love you man, you will be forever missed. RIP.
 
Man, this is so sad. The more I think about this, the more I'm reminded of my brother in that they seemed to share the same love for video games - practically dedicating their whole lives to it. Ryan also was such a likeable person that seemed to have affected a lot of people who not only knew him personally, but also those that knew him via the videos and podcasts.

I'm confident that the fact that so many people care so passionately about him is heartwarming to his friends and family.
 
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Man, seeing this news during my morning routine sucked the wind right out of my sails. Normally it's wake up - hit exercise bike for 10 - shower - breakfast. In each of those steps I take the time to have a quick browse of GAF/GB/local news/other sites. I made it as far as GAF and the exercise bike before stopping in my tracks.

It is pretty amazing that someone I've never met, never even shared a continent with, has had such a profound impact on my regular week. Being a day ahead of GB meant that Wednesday was always my 'Hi everyone it's Teeuuuuuusday' and Tuesday was my ILM day.

The many great in memoriams that have been written this morning have all had similar thoughts in them, which says to me that Ryan was a very genuine guy, no matter who you were, what you had to do or how far removed your relationship with Ryan was.

I'm going to miss his highfalutin nonsense (I hope you read that in Ryan's voice; I've been dropping those words into every sentence I can this morning!)
 
Arthur Gies had some very nice thoughts on his tumblr.

Goodbye, Ryan
One of the last things I ever said to Ryan Davis in person was “this must be the line for assholes.”


I was making my way to a PR check-in on the last day of E3 2013, and he was already waiting at the desk for what was probably one of the last of many appointments that day. As I walked up, I fell into the same pattern I always had with Ryan, which was to fuck with him. I had to — it would be the only chance I ever had in any particular conversation with him to get the upper hand. After that it would always be a back and forth that would inevitably lead to a tacit acknowledgment that he was funnier and that I was totally ok with that. I think that meeting at E3 ended with a handshake and a see you soon. I laughed when I was back in the same spot an hour or so later and Alex Navarro walked up behind me and said “this must be the line for assholes.”

I’m not sure what I have to add to the chorus of notes and well wishes that have been written today in the wake of Ryan’s passing last week, which many of us only heard about this morning. I didn’t know Ryan well, exactly. I saw him a fair few times the last couple of years, because we ended up at a lot of the same events. This industry is full of acquaintances — people you meet that you know at “work,” that you come into frequent enough contact with that you learn their names and maybe cluster with for a few moments during those times, whether out of some kind of defense mechanism or desire to not be “that guy” in the corner, not talking to anyone, desperately staring at your phone, hoping to be given purpose by some stupid piece of busywork.

Ryan was not that. Every time I saw him, we managed to carve out a decent amount of time to bullshit about … whatever. Nothing. Everything. I would ask him how things were at Giant Bomb, he would ask about first Joystiq, then Polygon. We would talk shit, we would bust each other’s balls. Talking to him, I felt genuine warmth and concern and caring and humor in a way I do not get from many people, and reading so many comments today, I was not unique in this regard. Most people, I think, want you to like them. Ryan always seemed to want to make people feel welcome. Even if that meant merciless taunting. Especially via merciless taunting.

Others have pointed out today that Ryan had the ability to make you feel like the most special person on the planet for a brief, wondrous moment via giving you some laser-guided shit. He was a master of poking your ego without really hurting your feelings. and part of that was his willingness to be on the receiving end of that loving abuse. This went beyond the easy cliche of the big party animal desperate for laughs. Ryan knew what to do for the hardest, most important, moment-defining laugh, and he did it constantly.

Maybe he was doing it for himself. I don’t know. It never felt that way. It always felt like he was trying to make everyone’s time better. And hanging out at events, talking, bullshitting, talking shit, it felt like we were friends. I always looked forward to that. I was always thankful that in a sea of mostly dudes who are mostly jaded and mostly antisocial or maybe just awkward, Ryan was always a source of laughter and comfort and joy. And I realize how corny that sounds, but it was true. He was rightfully one of the most well-liked members of our weird extended and often vitriolic family.

I say all of this as someone who saw Ryan a couple dozen times over the course of a little less than three years. I cannot fathom the grief and sadness that those who he was truly close to are experiencing right now. Not his new wife, not his immediate family, and not Patrick, or Brad, or Drew, or Dave, or John, or Jeff, or so many other people whose hearts are broken right now. I’ve had water leaking from my face off and on for most of the day since I found out, and I just cannot wrap my head around that sadness. To all of you that knew Ryan, that loved him, I am so very sorry. I wish I could do more than offer platitudes and my own paltry thoughts on his passing.

To everyone else, to all of my friends and the people in my life, this is a harsh reminder that I don’t say this enough: I love you. Even if we don’t speak often or ever. Even if I never see you. I love you. I would miss you if you were gone, and I have never said it enough. I’m sorry for that too. And Ryan, we only sort of knew each other, via work, via twitter, via the internet. But I’ll miss you too.
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Woke up this morning on a Tuesday(of all days) to this sad news. I can't imagine how the GB crew and his new wife feel.

It's weird trying to explain to people why I am so bummed today. I'm some random dude across the planet all messed up over this guy I know from the internet. He gave many random people joy and that is a pretty cool thing....

We love you Ryan Davis.
 
The effect this will have on Giant Bomb and that very tight crew bums me out. I love listening, watching, and reading the content these guys produce. Giant Bomb will never be the same. Rest in peace, Ryan. I'll miss the shit out of you.
 
FStop7 said:
On Ryan's last podcast he was talking about how glad he was to adopt Patrick's Neo Geo MVS and that he was excited to have a full arcade room at home.
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There's a long list of what if's and what could have been's. I'm sure it's all his poor wife can do to keep a strong face on Twitter and in public. Or Jeff and the guys. All the content and nonsense they had planned. Every time an E3 or a BLLSL or a GOTY or even just a Bombcast comes up, no matter how much time passes, it'll feel like something integral is missing.

Miss you already Ryan.
 
MattDoza said:
The effect this will have on Giant Bomb and that very tight crew bums me out. I love listening, watching, and reading the content these guys produce. Giant Bomb will never be the same. Rest in peace, Ryan. I'll miss the shit out of you.
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Perfectly well put. GB was never about a big staff, so losing one fourth of their core is just heartbreaking. I hope Jeff, Drew, Vinny, Rorie, Brad and anyone else that may come along can move on from this, but it's going to be so tough. No piece of Giant Bomb content will ever be the same.
 
Ryan was one of my favorite gaming journalists and a great person, and even though I never met him, listening to so many Bombcasts makes it feel like I'm losing a friend, not just a man who talked about videogames. This is a depressing day.
 
I never thought a stranger's death would affect me so profoundly, this is just so sad. Can't imagine what Jeff and crew are going through, let alone his new wife. He will leave such a gaping hole in Giant Bomb.
 
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