This article will be a lot different from what I usually write for Fandom Correspondents, but fret not. We will very soon return to your regularly scheduled programming of spicy comic book takes and video game hyperbole you all have come to expect out of me. But I wanted to do something special for a man who has influenced me immensely but that I never really got the chance to tell him so.
May 24, 2020 is the two-year anniversary of the death of John Bain, better known to most people as TotalBiscuit, the Cynical Brit. For people who do not know, Bain is arguably the most influential voice in the last 20 years of the video game industry. The impact of his life’s work is evident in nearly every modern factor of gaming today: video game criticism, console vs. PC rhetoric, e-sports competition, YouTube let’s plays, diversification of video game-related content creation–you name it, John Bain left his mark on it. TotalBiscuit was best-known by fans for his advocacy and promotion of indie game studios while simultaneously holding the AAA gaming industry accountable for the quality of their work given their massive budget potential. He pushed for innovation in the console wars, pointing out the disparity in performance between PC and home consoles. He worked with and influenced tons of today’s biggest content creators, such as Jim Sterling and Jesse Cox, and his cutting criticism truly left an impression on entire generations of gaming enthusiasts who value high performance in their hardware and creativity in their software. TB projects like the Co-Optional Podcast, WTF Is gaming series, and Content Patch gaming news review show are still the standards for gaming entertainment, journalism, and online content creation in general.
Even after contracting cancer, John Bain continued his efforts and work in the video game industry. He pioneered e-sport competition, lead the way in both video and podcast content for video game discussion and criticism, and was a quick and loyal friend to smaller content creators who needed a hand up in the industry–provided they had something of value to contribute. Think of your favorite gaming content on the internet. Whether it be YouTube let’s play channels, Twitch streaming communities, competitive tournament broadcasts, gaming podcasts, or a mix of all such business, John Bain had a role in popularizing and legitimizing those platforms, paving the way for tons of entertainment and criticism mediums for anyone passionate enough to turn their interest into a professional, insightful pursuit.
Here at Fandom Correspondents, we value being able to discuss the things we care about. Fandom is for everyone, and we are always eager to discuss our passions with others. For me, that interest in engagement and spirited discussion was born quite early by watching TotalBiscuit work. The odd thing about keeping up with content creators is the parasocial relationships you develop with them: I was only able to personally interact with Bain only a couple of times at various gaming conventions we attended, only able to spare a few seconds to let him know how much I loved his content. However, after years of watching and listening to his videos and podcasts, I felt that he was a very real part of my life. I learned his opinions, his preferences, his verbal mannerisms. Throwing on a TotalBiscuit video made me feel like I was sharing a space, though not physical, with a warm acquaintance or friend that I would regularly get coffee with and discuss the week’s news. Just as he left a huge impact on an industry who never really gave him his dues, I will never be able to convey to him how his work has influenced my own over the years and how indebted I am to his honesty and integrity that he always displayed.
It is beautiful, tragic, and inherently human to wonder if we’ll outlive our physical existence. Throughout each of our lives, we ask ourselves about the legacy we leave behind and about whether what we’re doing will outlast our ability to do it. John Bain is one of the few people who, only two years after passing away, has left such a lasting impression on the things and people he loved that any question about his legacy is not a matter of “what did he leave” but a matter of “just how much more were we robbed of by his early demise?” I don’t pretend to have intimate knowledge or insight into the man’s life; as much as a professional influence he was to me, he was so much more to his wife, family, and friends who knew him as a person rather than as a figure. But I realize the difficult situation we find ourselves in, as people who love the industry as much as he did, to live in a world featuring so many unfulfilled opportunities for Bain to do even more good than he already has done. And while I bemoan the loss of his brilliance, I do feel an obligation to him–bold and arrogant as that may be–to try to continue his legacy of integrity and accountability in what small ways I am capable of. To the man who shaped not only my opinions about our shared passion but also my understanding of what it means to be a legitimate critic and member of the community, all I can offer is a promise to try to live up to the legacy of a man who serves as the giant whose shoulders we all endeavor to stand upon.
“So you know this adventure of a lifetime, it was quite short, I have to say.”
–John Bain
