Robert Ashley's new podcast, A Life Well Wasted might be the best single gaming podcast I've ever listened to. I mean it. I don't mean this to denigrate all of us who have done it before and continue to do it. All those other gaming podcasts we love are still great.
But what Ashley has done here, to use a cliche I absolutely abhor, is..."take it to the next level." Here we have what has the makings of being the "This American Life" of gaming podcasts. Anyone who's ever listened to that NPR podcast knows that I mean this as the highest possible compliment, as "This American Life" is a must-listen, consistently brilliant piece of audio journalism that is always as entertaining as it is informative. "A Well Wasted Life" sounds very much like "This American Life", complete with appropriately-timed music edited in with the talking, and Ashley narrating and guiding the program with wit and intelligence like a deeper-voiced, stoned Ira Glass.
Ashley's debut show is about the death of EGM---and if you think you're sick of this topic by now, listen anyway, because he interviews tons of great people with all sorts of memories and insight unlike anything that's come out since that shitty day.
It's an astounding first episode. Ashley was always hilarious on the Brodeo. But you have to go back to his writing in the magazines and the website to realize that he had something this professional and high-quality in him.
Bra-fuggin'o.
66 comments:
i will always know him as dr. max chill, evil mastermind.
yes, it is the best gaming podcast I've heard. And it is heart breaking knowing that it is a product of EGM/1up's demise. When the origin of Sushi-X was uttered I got little bit teary. Every kid in my neighborhood had the magazine and it is so sad that my kid won't be able to enjoy it.
I'm in complete agreement. I was absolutely amazed throughout that entire episode. Here's hoping he keeps it coming.
I will now download the LAN Party podcasts to hear more of Max Chill. I skipped them after the Brodeo folded...
The bar has been raised.
Heard the first couple minutes so far, already impressed.
Seriously, I'm floored. I'm proud to say I once bullshitted in a padded room with that man.
Well said, Mr. Green.
Robert Ashley, in fact, is, always has been, and always will be, a genius.
you said it. Just listened. Blown away.
He's a smart guy and all, I'm just not fond of his voice.
Also, I'm angry that now I have 3 new podcasts to download ONTOP of catching up with listening to the old GFWs.
Completely agree.
Also, I've started a print-only gaming magazine. We're a staff of 3 people and print at Staples, and is partially in tribute to those who came before and the dying medium overall, but I'd love to send issue 1 to you when it prints next week. If you have an address you feel comfortable with me sending it to, please email it to me at deanbigbee@yahoo.com
Issue 1 features an interview with the new Zork devs and what your choice of Starcraft character race means about you!
It's so focused, I kind of can't believe it's got Robert Ashley's fingerprints on it.
Looking forward to more.
Ira Glass... stoned you say? I'm in.
please for the love of all that is holy jeff or anyone else that knows, what is the name of the train simulator that sold surprisingly well and on one of the old podcasts they mention there was some 3rd party fan for blowing in your face or something?
Y'know, with all of these new gaming podcasts sprouting perhaps the sudden dissolvement (using hydrochloric acid) of 1UP was a good thing in many respects.
It's like needing a war to level a country in order to generate new business prospects. Sad but it's the proverbial 'Law of the Economic Jungle'.
Thanks for the head's up on this podcast. Good title too. DL'ing now.
It was a great podcast. I have allways loved how his voice sounds and it fitted so nicely into the Brodeo, and now it shows a new side to us. The podcast was more of an experience than entertainment.
I always found his sense of humor to be lame, and his voice grates on my eardrums. But I'll listen to this on your recommendation Jeff
I was absolutely blown away. As much as I love the freeform discussion that signifies a podcast so well, hearing something so well produced is amazing. Like no other gaming podcast before it, this is really exciting stuff.
Makes you wonder why this quality was not possible when the people at 1up were paid for it. Was Ziff holding them back by being too conservative in their business model? I hardly doubt people were too lazy or uncreative.
If all the remnants of 1up turn profit, the death of 1up might be the best thing to happen to games journalism in a long time.
Dr. Maximum Chill is to be feared and respected. I hope to one day be a guest on this podcast.
I recommend listening to the Gamasutra podcasts (http://www.gamasutrapodcast.com/) as well. It has interviews with a lot of developers and quite a few were really, really good. I also recommend listening to Tom Kim's earlier podcast (http://fatpixelsradio.com/).
They don't tend to talk much about current games, but if you're interested in hearing about the developer side of things it's well worth listening to. (And since it's not much current stuff it's worthwhile to go over the old stuff too.)
Unfortunately there haven't been any new shows since september (when he interviewed Shawn Elliot).
Great Podcast, I was always found it easier to listen to Robert and Jeff in the 1up podcasts.
YOU'D BETTER BE ON THAT SHOW,
... Please Mr. Green
Jeff, when I read your post last night, I thought, "Surely it's not *that* good."
It's that good.
I've easily listened to well over a thousand hours of audio gaming podcasts, and that was the best editing and production, yet. I tweeted him the sentiment and tweeted the podcast out to my followers, some of whom are podcasters themselves.
He is his own tough act to follow. Bar raised, indeed.
I was hooked the minute I heard the words "former mustache model"
Okay, but to take up the position of the devil's advocate here: although the show was entertaining and informative, Ashley had an awful lot to work with there.
For starters a great story presented itself - specifically, the closure of EGM.
And not only did the magazine close, but he had access to all the writers and editors (because they had gathered to commiserate with one another over the closure of 1up).
Obviously it's not every day, or even every month (or even every year!), that a major magazine closes its doors and an interviewer is granted the opportunity to interview many of those involved.
Green himself, for example, just prior to leaving 1up, wrote an amazing article on the closure of Flagship Studios - the interview he conducted with Bill Roeper provided an astonishing glimpse into the business of gaming, and of the tremendous highs and lows that are associated with creating a game from scratch. (I wish I knew how to provide links, because I'd link to the article right here.)
I don't want to put words into Green's mouth, but I'm guessing that although he's probably very proud of that story, he'd probably be the first person to tell you that stories like that don't come along very often. As a journalist, you have to be in the right place, at the right time, and you have to know the right people too. A lot of things have to happen concurrently. You need to have all of your skills in place, but you need an awful lot of luck too.
I'm not saying Ashley isn't going to make a success out of this new podcast - I hope he does - but he's going to have to work pretty hard (and have lots of luck) to duplicate the quality of that first episode.
Personally, the reason I loved the GFW podcast so much was simply that I didn't have (and still don't have) friends in my life who are gamers.
To sit down and listen to four or five guys talking passionately about the games that we're playing right now was bloody fantastic. I've NEVER had that in my life.
The closest approximation to that experience was reading CGW for the first time in the 1980's. For years I had been embarrassed over my passion for the Infocom text adventures. But then one day I picked up a copy of CGW and read Charles Ardai, and Johnny Wilson - two extremely intelligent guys - writing about these games with the same passion that I had had for them. Suddenly I wasn't so embarrassed anymore.
If Robert Ashley can make me feel like I'm sitting down with the gamer buddies that I've never had in my life, and talking with unbridled passion about computer games, then I'll certainly be down for every episode.
But honestly, much easier said than done that, I think.
Right now, for me, the PC Gamer podcast is doing a pretty damned good job of filling in the massive void that was left behind by the cancelation of the GFW podcast.
The Goose.
(Oh no. I've surpassed my 140 character limit again. Oh well, it's all irrelevant, then. Sorry about that.)
to Anonymous:
Do we need talk about whether or not Robert got lucky? Can we wait until ALWW have a track record then analyze it?
Completely agree with you. As much as I love Rebel Fm and Geekbox so far, this was just stellar. Bobito rules.
It's very NPR. Smooth editing, nice transition music, calm voices.
In other words, the type of professionalism Robert is known for. With so many "round table" podcasts out there, it's nice to think that there will be at least one very good one that isn't.
To Mr Anonymous - Lighten up.
To Drew:
Wasn't that MS Train Simulator? Hell, isint that the ONLY train sim?
To Mr. DeadMeat1240, and to Jacky, unlike yourselves, I don't feel the need to write the exact same thing that every other person writes.
If you don't like what I write, then don't read it. How frickin' difficult is it to avert your gaze?
The comments that I made were fair. I also happen to have a lot of respect for Robert Ashley. I like intelligent people, and Ashley is clearly one of those.
Also, try looking up '... the position of the devil's advocate' - because that's the position that I took. I even wrote that I was taking that position.
I don't know, maybe try Googling that or something.
The Goose
We here at Greenspeak Inc. encourage healthy and lively debate! No name calling, personal attacks, or mom jokes though kthxplz!
Goose,
The problem is you didn't really say much. Putting out a quality podcast will take hard work? No kidding. Your point about "right place, right time" kind of falls flat when you realize there were others in his position, with podcasts, who didn't do things the way he did them and some might even say as well as he did. Finally, is that a fair criticism even if he were the only person capable of doing this? Do we say "well, fantastic documentary Mr. Director, but you know, if it weren't for that interesting event your movie might have sucked!"
You know, the funny thing is that often times when people complain about something I've written, I actually will pause and ask myself if maybe they weren't correct?
I've just re-read my own post, and there's nothing there that's even mildly unfair or offensive?
Like, what the hell is it with some of you people - are you so insecure that your every opinion must be validated, and that every person who even remotely communicates something different than what the rest of the herd is communicating must be branded and exposed?
Does that make you feel good - pointing out to everyone else that a person isn't in 'agreeance'.
God, it's a good thing that I wasn't born in Nazi Germany. They would have thrown me into one of the concentration camps for speaking out.
I might've gone against the grain and pointed out, for example, how wrong the whole holocaust thing was: "Wait a minute, isn't there something wrong with this... killing six million Jews, I mean."
"Lighten up, you imbecile."
"I was just saying... that maybe... maybe all this killing is just dead wrong."
"Will somebody please shut this guy up."
"I just think that this is maybe a bad thing we're all doing here. Can't we maybe use these Jews for something constructive... like, maybe they could shine our shoes for us or something?"
"Oh for god's sake. Somebody shoot this guy, now."
And, hey, Kevin, the point is that I did say a lot - it's just that you didn't like it. You're so determined to fit in that when somebody says or writes something that's even remotely different you choose to look straight past it.
Again, I'll say to you what I said to those other cats: Look up the phrase 'the devil's advocate'.
The whole point of taking the position of the devil's advocate is to provide a counter opinion - people often take up this position when everyone else is determined to agree with each other simply for the sake of agreeing. (This is how clubs get formed)
I know you guys all love Jeff and want to 'agree' with everything he writes... well, some of you do... but, Christ, do you have to call out every person who writes something that's even remotely different.
The amazing thing here is that when many of you guys did disagree with Jeff, it was for the stupidest reason imaginable. Remember, it was when a colleague of his at work didn't hold the door open for him. Jeff blogged about that, and what happened... half of the frickin' blog readers stormed in here and told Jeff to man up.
(And, hey, I wasn't even disagreeing with Jeff - Ashley's podcast was fantastic. God almighty, you say one thing that's perceived by The Great Unwashed to be just slightly out of line and pretty soon the Gestapo is knocking on your front door.)
The Goose
Very good podcast it will be interesting to hear something non-egm death related.
Hmm… anonymous sound awfully like a “Hero of the web” character. ok, Ha Ha Shawn you got us. Damn, now I know how those people in ventrilo feel.
Goose,
Don't be hypocritical. You brought up points and I brought up points about those points(...phew). You can't complain about not agreeing and then complain I don't agree :).
Playing devil's advocate is fine, but it's a lot more interesting when there's a substantial counter point to be made. It's my opinion you don't really have one, which means you're just playing devil's advocate to play devil's advocate. That's kind of boring. I'd much rather you critiqued the editing style or the substance or even its similarity to another podcast. Those have some meat to them, if you chose to pursue them.
Would you like to discuss the points you made or what? I addressed them but you haven't done the same for me.
Jeff, can you get Robert Ashley to swallow his pride and put a damn donate button on his site? Even if he isn't hard up for cash (which I suspect he might be with how hard it is to find freelancing for games journos who aren't just doing cut-and-paste blog postings), I want to at least chip in for what is bound to be a lot of effort and potentially some hefty bandwidth costs.
Goose,
Why are you so defensive? Nobody called you out, or said anything negative to you. To me everyone respected your stance, but like Kevin said, you only have a stance, not an opinion. You clearly stated that you're playing devil's advocate, but why are you? Because everyone else praised Ashley's work, so you felt like you needed to be the unique one and express yourself in the opposite direction?
No one is following anyone, if you liked it, fine, if you didn't like it, fine. Calling people sheep because the majority enjoyed it wholeheartedly, is really in bad taste. So truly, honestly, lighten up, at least until you have more work from Mr. Ashley to compare his "right place at the right time," first go around.
Summary:
Having the same opinion as others, does not a sheep make.
Also, off the subject. Why does everyone try to use an analogy of the Holocaust, or Nazi Germany when comparing a minor, insignificant conflict to something? No conflict between individuals, especially on the friggin' internet, shouldn't ever be likened to something of that magnitude.
The link seems to be borked.
Right on, Jeff. Great stuff by Robert. I think the Merchants of Cool segment hinted at what he might be capable of, but this is beyond the pale.
A slight aside, but I've been reading, in these comments and elsewhere, that the PC Gamer podcast is a sufficient replacement for GFW Radio.
While the PC Gamer podcast is a reasonable show, the hosts must be the most boring people I have heard in a "professional" (by which I mean with corporate backing of any kind) podcast. Possible exceptions are Kristen Salvatore (apologies for quick-spelling) and Logan Decker, though the latter sometimes seems a little too happy with his own jokes for my liking.
To an extent obviously this is subjective. I guess if you listen to a PC gaming podcast to have someone read out the gaming news to you and don't care for about seemingly unenthusiastic or monotonous delivery then you'll do alright. The information is there. If you listen to a show for the show - for the personalities and the interaction, there's no comparison, in my opinion.
Not that it particularly matters. I just don't understand the conclusion of such a direct comparison, coloured as I am by my expectations of the podcasts I choose. Perhaps it's just trolling, being posted in a place largely populated by fans of a member of the dead show's cast, albeit trolling cunningly disguised in well written sentences.
Man, this was GREAT.
(Yeah, i know, i´m late to the party, well, whatever, i worked so much all week that i didn´t get to listen to podcasts much until now).
To be honest Robert always felt a bit like an arrogant prick to me but now i know better (well, i know even if he sounds a bit arrogant in between its well deserved).
This made me happy and sad at the same time, it was quite moving while not feeling forced melodramatic manner like at all.
It also mixed factual bits with nice semi related personal experience ramblings in a better way than most good documentaries do and i feel like this could actually be the definitive podcast related to EGM and the 1up stories of the past few weeks and should be brought up in any serious discussion about the topic, if ever there were scientific discussions about it (Yeah, EGM and 1up and the whole crew was huge, there should be scientific documentaries about it, dang it :) ).
To add one of my own many 1up/ EGM memories of recent days to the mix:
As i said i worked so much that i didn´t get to listen to padcasts for some days. I still open up iTunes in between though to see what´s coming in so i know what i can be happily looking forward to check out when i have more free time again.
Well, my iTunes has brought up a bug that it flags some shows as new although i already listened to them/ watched them and marked em as not new before. Well, one of those is the last episode of the 1up show. So each time i open up iTunes it shows that 1 new episode number icon on the 1up show badge and i get happy for a short moment until i remember what´s up.
Then i also can´t just go ahead and delete it or remove my subscription, how could i?
Well, then some days pass by, i forget about that and then it goes on like that..
Oh man, well, now i feel stupid for sharing this, whatever :)
To Derek:
It's known as Godwin's Rule of Nazi Analogies (or Godwin's law), it states:
"As a Usenet discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one."
The sad thing is this trend won't go away. It's like STD within a discussion thread. Somewhere, somehow somebody will find a way to call you a Nazi
"The sad thing is this trend won't go away. It's like STD within a discussion thread. Somewhere, somehow somebody will find a way to call you a Nazi."
Well, Jacky, if the shoe fits, then wear it - I like people individually, but where I start to grow leery of people is when they begin to group up.
I wasn't being critical of Ashley's podcast at all - I was merely stating an opinion that it's going to be very difficult for him to continue to produce shows of that calibre (for the reasons that I stated).
Two people didn't like it that I wrote that.
They decided that this was not the correct thing to be saying, and decided to alert the rest of the herd.
Go back and re-read the comments if you don't believe me.
Okay, you can be cute with your little explanation of 'Godwin's Rule of Nazi Analogies' - but like I said, if the shoe fits then wear it. What you're attempting to do is blacklist a person because his views aren't in line with what the rest of the herd has decided is appropriate. You wanted me to post a little smiley emoticon and raise my hands and start jumping with joy like everyone else, and it irritated you that I didn't do that.
And Kevin, buddy, stop doing drugs. I have no idea what you're even talking about? You're telling me that "... I'd much rather you critiqued the editing style or the substance or even its similarity to another podcast. Those have some meat to them, if you chose to pursue them."
Why would I want to be critical of Ashley's show? It was a great show? I have nothing to 'complain' about whatsoever.
Maybe you ought to learn how to read before you start attacking a writer for having written things he never even wrote.
Same advice to you, Derek, my dear. This is what you wrote: " Because everyone else praised Ashley's work, so you felt like you needed to be the unique one and express yourself in the opposite direction?"
Again, learn how to read. I was never critical of Ashley's podcast. I simply wrote that the show was great, but that it was great partially because he had material to work with, and because he happened to be in the right place at the right time (it was also great because Ashley is an intelligent person and clearly loves the subject he's discussing). I merely suggested that it's going to be difficult for him to repeat the success he had with that first show.
Why do you think I mentioned Green's superb story about the closure of Flagship Studios? The point I was trying to make (and obviously failed to make) was that although Jeff's story was incredibly revelatory, that story arose out of chance: An amazing story presented itself, Green had the contacts in place, he used his skills as a writer and as a journalist to tell us the story - a lot of stuff had to happen there. Those stories don't come along every day - they don't even come along every year.
Same deal with Ashley's podcast - I was just pointing that out. See.
Really, that's all I was doing. No need to line me up in front of a firing squad and send in one of Hitler's elite SS units to fire a hundred shots into me.
The Goose
Goose,
You're being extremely defensive and dismissive. I never "attacked" you, berated you or insulted you. If your intention was merely to point out he needs to work hard to maintain the level of quality displayed in the first episode you aren't actually playing devil's advocate at all. I know what the phrase means, and unless someone here claimed Robert will now have an easy time and can slack off on his future shows you are misusing it.
I understand why people like the podcast, but much like with This American Life, I am put-off by the heavily-edited style of podcasting. I prefer the impetuous banter of the roundtable discussions.
What in the world is going on here? All of you, behave! And Goose is right--agreement with me here is not mandatory. But no personal attacks, and let's keep Nazi references to a minimum kthxplz
Goose,
This is what you wrote: "To Mr. DeadMeat1240, and to Jacky, unlike yourselves, I don't feel the need to write the exact same thing that every other person writes." That could easily be interpreted as you stating the opposite, just to state the opposite.
Again, you're being extremely defensive, and ultimately rude. Nobody once said you're stance was wrong, no one said they hated what you said. Your retaliation over Jacky wondering about whether or not we should be critical of Ashley's with no other works by him to compare it to went way overboard. Not to mention that you went insane over someone simply telling you to lighten up. How does two words ignite an essay about how people never like your opinion and then liken them to the holocaust? I now can see how nobody likes your opinions, because if someone disagrees in the most polite way possible, you'll go on a tangent and resort to name calling.
I get it now, you're trying to troll bait people in to genuinely being angry with you, try harder next time, the internet doesn't need lazy trolls.
If you're truly being serious with your rebuttals, lighten up friend.
Jeff,
I rarely ever agree with you, but that is why I enjoy reading your blogs!
I thought the podcast was great, but people are praising it like it's this huge milestone when, frankly, the production is absorbed wholesale from "This American Life". Don't get me wrong, like Goose, I think it's WONDERFUL we have someone willing to sit down and put a little extra time in to give us a fantastic imitator like this.
But that's just the thing: ANYbody could have done this (well, probably not gotten into the EGM party necessary for the talks). He just got some interviews, did a little narration, and cut in some music. Just like "This American Life". In a world of podcasts where most of them are just recordings of a few guys off-the-cuff bullshitting with little to no editing, the guy that actually spends more than an hour to edit it will stand out. Just as Robert Ashley has. I just don't see it as mind-blowing as everyone here sees it.
I'm sure Bobito himself would admit the direct style-grab. Hell, the title itself even seems like a nod to the source.
I'm guessing I'm just getting a lot of reactions from gamers who've never actually heard "This American Life". Well, if you think this is amazing, I really invite you ALL to subscribe to "Radio Lab", another NPR show. The editing on that show will REALLY amaze the hell out of your guys.
Honestly, one of the things that I liked the most about Ashley's podcast... was just the sound of the cat's voice.
He reminds me of Tom Petty. His accent is very laid back. The first time I heard this guy (on the GFW podcast, of course) I thought, wow, how cool is that, he sounds exactly like a California surfer dude who's been sitting around pondering all sorts of stuff that the rest of us might have sat down and pondered if only we had had the time to ponder it.
I'm not saying Ashley has a lot of spare time on his hands, or any more than the rest of us - or am I? - I'm just saying that he manages to articulate a lot of stuff that's been lurking on the edge of my consciousness, but hasn't quite managed to surface yet.
His writing is like that too.
The Goose.
I love Rober Ashleys new podcast. Its real creative and hes a musician so his blending between talking a music is perfect. It reminds me of Jim Morrison's "An American Dream" to a degree.
Wow, just wow. That was amazing.
I never really liked Robert on the podcast. He could be very funny, and very insightful, but his Valley-stoner voice just didn't sound real, it sounded affected. And for that his voice grated like nails on a chalkboard. It may be small and petty of me, but I believe that presentation is equally as important as content.
This is different. The accent is toned down. There's EDITING. There's musical interludes to break up the segments. It flows. It entices the listener to the end. It's a brilliant first effort, and people only get better when they practice something.
So, my hat's off to you Robert. Well done. I'll be tuning in (as dated as that phrase is).
There's a lot of potential here -- he's very close to nailing it.
As a critique, I found the intro music grating. I also felt that the podcast assumed too much knowledge from the audience, and therefore the overall narrative was a bit jumpy.
I expect that his editing and transitions will get better with time, if he can find the time to gather compelling narratives for each podcast.
Aye, his podcast is fantastic. Really loving it. I now have a man crush. In a totally not gay way of course. What...?
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Hey Jeff, delete that spam.
I just taped an episode with Robert. Keep an ear out for me.
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