a return after nearly 3 years

it has been nearly 3 years since I last posted and touched this site.

things look so different now and move a lot more smoothly. I was part of those few that were here during that major transition long ago. I come from the time of gamespot themes. I used to have ice enabled. I came from unions and private boards. being able to change the name of my username, etc.

my mind set from those long gone days has changed so much now and I feel maybe ill come back here and start using the forums again. maybe ill see familiar faces, or make completely new friends. ive matured so much, gotten into new things, made new friends and discoveries, and have just turned into a completely different person really then I once was.

either way, it feels good to be back I think. it feels.. nostalgic.

if anyone remembers me, please feel free to contact me here or talk with me here. id love to hear what has gone on here in my absence.

for any new people or people that have been here for the last 3 years, please, regale me and tell me of how this site has faired since then. I left on the edge of the site's major overhaul and the days of heavily infested buggy pages and mechanics on the site not working.

I look forward to any and all conversation I can get here with anyone that will have me.

also, are unions still a thing? I have some of the ones that merged favorited to keep track of them, but seems like no one has posted in them in years either.

thank you for your time.

I think you probably stopped posting before I joined, although I'm starting to look like one of the older members now that many have stopped posting.

These boards are so quiet :(

Let me be the first to welcome you back even though I haven't seen you before.

Who are you again?

Welcome back. Unions are dead and most of the userbase left around the time you did as well but didn't return. The site is semi active but nowhere near what it was before the redesign and rule changes. They said years back they would do some updates to the forums but it never came true.

@leon2365: You've missed nothing, its even more dead now, and still buggy.

Unions are dead, and new features are promised but never delivered.

This thread will be on the front page of OT for a week or longer.

@foxhound_fox: your name actually sounds familiar.

I feel as though I met you back then.

I was thinking the same about you? >.>...

I recommend checking out Political Gamers.

He is leon2365 of course.

Leon rings a bell, dunno if it was you or another user though.

Welcome back. Name rings a bell but can't say it stands out...

I seem to recall a Leon username from the Roll Call thread. Not sure if it's you though. Did you use to stream on twitch maybe?

Did you always have a furry avatar or is that new?

The site has gotten progressively worse. More people have left. Danny, Chris, Sean, Kevin Van Ord all left. Carolyn Pettit, Tom Mcshea, Ryan McDonald and some others were all laid off. Didn't care about Carolyn, since she was a pariah here. The community is a tiny fraction of what it was even 3 years ago. Gamespot staff only posts on Twitter, which I refuse to use. Most of the video content is poor. Reviews are mixed. Peter Brown is the only one left that writes quality reviews. He's the only staff member I trust here. The site only exists now to collect ad revenue and give the new employees a couple years experience before they move on to some other job. It's really pathetic how far Gamespot as fallen.

@craftbrood:Yeah I used to exclusively use GS for video games news content (videos, reviews, let's plays, etc.) back when all sorts of talented people worked here. The current staff (especially the US) is just meh and boring with the exception of the UK office which I always liked for some reason but they very rarely enter the spotlight. Nowadays I've turned to other entertainment sites and channels for quality and fun videos like Eurogamer, OutsideXbox, Danny's own channel and of course Giant Bomb.

@leon2365:

Pretty much this.

nothing has changed.

except all the political arguments have moved to a separate board now.

@foxhound_fox said:

*Blushes*

Making that board more popular........

Welcome back, the name seems familiar but I'm not sure exactly if I saw you or not.

I mainly posted in System Wars.

I just came back recently as well.

I was thinking the same about you!

Yeah, I remember you from the Social Cafe Union. Welcome back. I only just started posting a little more recently myself, but I don't think that'll last.

The unions that are still around are still dead, unfortunately. Unless you have the URL, or it's under your "Favorite Boards", they are well-hidden.

I heard that the guy who was responsible for the idea of this new layout is gone now too.

Site is dead.

Nobody ever knows who I am. =(

TBH the community is a shadow of its former self. Ever since the remodel, people have been jumping ship. I'm only on here every once in a while and even then I find little to post about.

@johnd13: I did at one point. used to do a LOT of guitar hero. not so much these days.

@stormcast: it is actually new. I used to have a different purple colored icon.

@horgen: I remember seeing your name here lots back in the day. I chatted in threads you were in, but I don't think I ever directly chatted with you.

@TAMKFan: I do actually have the unions I frequented on my favorites but as you said, they are all dead. id post but don't know if anyone would even respond.