According to the Giantbomb live stream this morning, Jeff, Ryan, Brad, Vinny, and crew are coming home! It'll be exciting to be able to work with the old crew again! Drop by Giantbomb or GameSpot at 4pm PT today to hear about what happened when Jeff left GameSpot years ago. If you have questions, check out the Giantbomb FAQ.

It's time to celebrate!

Jeff and Ryan, Rock Band Event, 2009

UPDATE at 3pm PT: We changed our post-it mural to welcome Giantbomb. :D A photo found on the GameSpot Facebook page.

The rumor is true but it's not as bad as it sounds. Sharing modder and mapper interviews wasn't that big of a deal early on. Let's flash back to the years I dealt with Quake3world.com. We posted content around mods, skins, character models, and maps. Most of the gaming websites enjoyed user generated content because it helped keep their news pages buzzing. I never got denied when I emailed websites or posted in their forums. I always had something new happening because I dealt with content across the four gaming networks (Xtreme Network, Lucas Games Network, Gamers.com, Gamesmania). All of these websites had advertisements on them and they received a revenue based on viewership.

Years pass and I have my own fansite that does not serve any advertisements. Around this time I interviewed modders, skinners, mappers, and clan leaders dedicated to games like Battlefield, RTCW, Quake 3, and Unreal Tournament 2004. I didn't mind the cost or effort. I put hours of effort into these interviews. I searched and read everything I could about what was already out there on the internet. I never wanted to ask a questions that somebody could find elsewhere. Of course I was proud of the new information or projects the modders revealed! Come to think of it, one of the modders I interviewed back in the day got a sequel made after his mod. These interviews were like a treasure hunt to me.

Many of these gaming communities linked to my content, Then, one day I got banned in a forum! The first time I got banned was obviously shocking. I just couldn't figure out why someone would dislike reading about what modders were up to! I recall asking people in IRC what was going on. And, with that, we all live and learn.

Have you been banned on another website without knowing the reasoning behind it? LOL. This is not a trick question. Don't forget, we have changed our moderation policies. Plus, I was asking about other websites or services. :)

Legolas_Katarn had a really neat question about game nights in the Hot Seat forum discussion. I never want to lose my game night favorites, so I've mirrored it in a blog. ;) Thanks for making me remember Legolas!

"What Gamespot Game Night did you have the most fun playing in or watching?"

Gosh, that's really difficult to answer. I have had way too much fun when I'm gaming. I'll cheat and say the most memorable ones rather than mentioning just one.

- Quake 1 15th anniversary game night. Some of you played for the first time! Seeing your responses to the trivia was also pretty neat, some found out about how machinima got their name and stuff! <3
- Quakelive game nights, ALL OF THEM BECAUSE PEOPLE GOT OWNED, well most did by my Rocket Launcher
- Portal Kombat game night - I'm not too skilled with Mortal Kombat but I held my own quite good that night!
- Gears of War 3 game night - not too many showed up but I really enjoyed playing Beast mode.
- Left 4 Dead 1 and 2 game nights! Lots of fun hanging with Game night regulars!
- Red Dead Redemption game night! I had a chance to get a variety of editors for that one! But, there was another game night the following week where some GameSpot members (you know who you are) tried to get a bounty achievement. We spent so many hours and lots of failures for some, but oh so much fun!
- Half-life game night - I enjoyed fragging McShea that night. He needs to play more shooters!
- Assassin's Creed brotherhood game night. We all were in the same voice chat so it was hilarious taunting each other when we weren't on the same teams!
- Minecraft game night hosted by Sophia was also cool; I liked her screenshot collection for that one.
- Burnout Paradise game night which was pretty fun. And, from telling people I wanted to get more billboards, I made one wacky billboard song! "Where are you my billboard... where are you MY BILLBOARD!"
- Kind of game night related, but more about playing games with staff internally or attending game event parties. Some of my favorite memories involved Rock Band! Here's one of the memorable ones caught on film. I'm a huge fan of singing so naturally, hearing people I know sing is an event itself.... was amazing. I have yet to upload some videos of staff singing at some point.

Now that you know mine, what is your favorite game night on GameSpot?

GameSpot's community has me in the hot seat. Ask your questions here.

What is the meannig behind CaliGirl's Breezing By?

You've probably seen me use this term and yet I have never explained the meaning behind it. In fact, my blog here on GameSpot was renamed to Breezing by back when I first started working here. I think my XBL account also has it. I just use the term without realizing it.

To give you a little background, I worked with four gaming networks that contained nearly 100 fansites. Taking a moment to share what was happening in my gaming or personal life was often rushed. The hours I put into these gaming networkwas to an extreme: four bosses, and well that also meant four paychecks!But, the hours and time constraints often made it diffiuclt to share my own gaming experiences.

At some point I decided that I wanted to share more things that I did, like the latest game I played or an event I attended. But, that was often rushed. One day I pictured myself likeVelocity from Cyberforce (Top Cow Comics) while writing a rushed news entry about my latest happening. Velocity passed by people and it would appear as if it was a windy breeze. So, now you know why I've used it. My love for the Cyberforce comic book series and Velocity's super power to run super fast.

I'd like to start giving you monthly Breezing By editions. That way, if I didn't get a moment to share something in a blog entry, you could at least get the Breezing by edition for the month. I would also like to use these blogs to answer some of your questions. So, feel free to ask away!

Keep a look out for the January edition in the next day or so!

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Back in the days when I provided news, game info and web design across four gaming networks there was a lack of community interaction on the official game websites. Forums were often the only thing a publisher or developer offered, if that. Fan sites were considered the only place for community content. That's just not the case anymore.

If you haven't been paying attention to the community news lately, the game industry community news I used to report returned last September..

Check to see see what the official game communities have offered over the past few months.

Jan 18 2012 highlights community news from Trion, Capcom, Sony PlayStation, Activision/Blizzard, Bethesda, Funcom, Perfect World, and Riot Games

Jan 5 2012 highlights community news from Sony PlayStation, Microsoft Xbox, Capcom, Activision, EA, and NCSoft.

Dec 20, 2012 highlights community news from Sega, PlayStation Home, Blizzard, and Riot Games'.

Oct 2011 highlights community news from Capcom, Bethesda, Sega, Activision, and EA!!

Sep 2011 highlights community news from Capcom, Sega, and Activision.

I'd like to make sure an official game developer/publisher community isn't being overlooked. If you have any you'd like to share please post in the comments below. :)

Dear self, why are you thinking about Skyrim no matter where you are or what you do?

Have you seen a television show and it reminded you of Skyrim?
Yes, I have. The recent episode of Once Upon a Time had some scenes and included a DRAgON! I've even seen commercials that remind me of Skyrim.

Have you seen bowls of fruit or books on a shelf only to have the urge to loot them?
Yes I have.

Have you thought about harvesting the plants you see for alchemy?
How did you know?

Have you tried a dragon shout?
On my commute to work I have thought about using a dragon shout to divide the sea of people in my path.

Have you told your friends that you want to loot things?
Yes, so much they think I'm going to pickpocket them.

Have you went on a hike and reminded yourself of scenes found in Skyrim?
OH DEAR! I have!

Have you spent nearly 80 hrs playing Skyrim and can't get enough?
MERCY ME! Help me!

Self, you should seek professional help.

Seems like my friends are in their 50s and I'm not leveling fast enough. I've been playing for days now. I have a feeling it's because I've been using the items I have to get in some smithing and alchemy work in. I wish I could save these items in a bank! I think I'm going to stop focusing on these items and see if I level faster. Got any other tips?

By the way, if yuu have turkey leftovers I shared this tacos recipe with my friends yesterday. I hope you had a good one, if you celebrate it. If not, grab some canned chicken (not the best, but it's fast!) and try this recipe. :)

Yeah, I don't like Elder Scrolls games, never thought I would after trying to play Oblivion a few years back. I played other Elder Scrolls games in the early days and didn't like them. This weekend I started Skyrim and have been quite impressed. I wonder if any of you have felt this was better than the others.