Jake

Even though I suggested that (because it's conceptually fascinating to me) I'm almost positive it's nothing but atmospheric effects to silhouette things out and very smooth level of detail management, with no neat magic tricks involved, but it is impressive how well scaled everything is. Firewatch's world is only 1 square kilometer, and we don't cheat the scale of anything in the distance (except your lookout tower which is bigger when you're in the canyon) but it feels a lot bigger because the fog and atmospheric distortion are pumped way up so things go to silhouette far faster than they would in real life. How hazed out a distant object is, is a big visual signifier for our eyes/brain. They actually paint the atmospheric haze into the rocks in theme parks now to make the world seem bigger and it totally totally works. When you walk into Cars Land through the back entrance (which is all nature and not the town), your brain doesn't quite know what to do with itself because it feels like a gigantic mile-deep vista, even though you know it can't be bigger than a half of a city block.

I still buy physical books because I like reading them and having them, and tend to do most reading at this point while traveling. But most music I listen to in iPhone earbuds anyway, so if it's an MP3 I don't care.

I still buy albums from iTunes or Amazon (and then transfer the files to iTunes) when I do listen to a new album... I just don't listen to new music that often.

Sure, at one point the sign said "restroom" and had the picture of "man" or "woman," but increasingly the word restroom or toilet has been stylized away and only the icon remains. That's what Chris was amused by I think - that bathroom signage has evolved to the point that an otherwise unadorned picture of a person on a door unquestionably means "you pee or poop in this room" to millions of people.

Important If True 2: Fight Garbage With Garbage The great mysteries of our time lie before us, hovering tantalizingly out of reach, so instead we set our sights on the achievable. This week: What happens when flame robots battle garbage? Where's the intersection of George Michael and Matlock? And who brought Jaws to the friendly, rustic murder capital of the world? You may think these questions unanswerable, or barely questions at all. Friend, you may be right—but we'll do our best to pull them apart and see what truths they reveal. If you enjoyed this and would like to subscribe to an ad-free feed, please consider supporting Idle Thumbs by backing our Patreon. Nick's Endorsement: The CW's Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (DVD, iTunes) Chris' Endorsement: Batman (1966) (Blu-ray, iTunes) Jake's Endorsement: ThruYou by Kutiman Note: Endorsements are merely personal recommendations by us, not paid advertising. Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

The demo voice is used in the main FT remastered trailer I think.

Earthbound is at the absolute top of a related but different list for me: Games I want to like and think I should, but always always slide off of when I try to get into them.

I wish they were all just called Ganon. "Ganondorf" "Calamity Ganon" etc are bad names.

Wow I remember hearing about this back then, but was too young and definitely not cool enough to go to one of the shows.

Idle Weekend March 12, 2017: PAXing Makes Me Feel Good It's a very special Idle Weekend, because, not only is Danielle at PAX, but Rob is finishing his first week as an editor at Waypoint! We talk PAX, open-world solutions and games that deal with death in this special, blitz-edition of the show. Note: please don't yell at Danielle for her somewhat crappier-than-usual audio, her travel mic isn't as amazing as her home mic. Discussed: PAX, Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy VIII, Life is Strange, The Witcher 3, Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Americans, The Expanse, Olen Steinhauer's mysteries Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Important If True 3: The Power of 45 Brains A researcher has determined that by 2025, if you string all our smart devices together—our Amazon Alexas and always-online talking teddy bears, our color-changing light bulbs and remote-controlled doorknobs—they will have the combined thinking power of 45 human brains. But that raises the question: Who exactly are these 45 brains, and what do they want to tell us? Join us as we find the answer or, failing that, make something up. Important Reference Materials: Morgan Freeman Turkish Airlines ad, CloudPets hack, Furby, Teddy Ruxpin, children loving Alexa, Alexa making questionable choices, Tomes and Talismans, Tommy Westphall Universe Hypothesis Chris' Endorsement: The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart Jake's Endorsement: Witness, starring Harrison Ford (iTunes, free on Amazon Prime) Nick's Endorsement: Finding and frequenting your local neighborhood bar Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

eh

"If I'd wanted all that computer game bullshit, I'd have gone home and stuck my dick in my Nintendo." -Quentin Tarantino could this his be that dream realized?

I consider it IIT's sacred quest to definitively identify all 45 brains, just so you know! That quest won't be abandoned. Also that site is fantastic.

You're right that I misused that word and that it's become diluted. I definitely meant nothing related to the word "highbrow," though. I didn't know that I had been misusing it so egregiously but I clearly have! I think my brain slid down the same slope as (I am guessing) everyone elses did with that term. My guess at least, is that it got corrupted by becoming shorthand for "that seems like a moment that came out of someones high concept idea" like, "its a very strange and specific idea" but has turned fully into "that's an elaborate pitch."

Sorry. Also whatever.

http://idlethumbs.net Web.

Correct choice.

Important If True 1: A Gleaming Collaborative Future I can't believe we've done this. It's a brand new podcast. Join us, won't you? We're delving into the minutiae of pop culture, technology, and our own lives to find some kind of meaning—or at least to spin everything out as absurdly as we can. This week: Why do hawks ride planes, when they could fly? Who oils The Terminator's pecs? And what's Snagglepuss up to, exactly? These questions and more are answered definitively, sort of. Chris' Endorsement: Fish Spatula, aka Fish Turner, aka Oliver Fishturner Nick's Endorsement: Farberware Nonstick Skillet Jake's Endorsement: Listening to Nick starting at 54:30 Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

My buildings electrical wiring must be substandard because my power line Ethernet sucks. It's very slow, fluctuates wildly in speed, and sometimes drops.

Im sorry to say we didn't make that portmanteau up.

https://mobile.twitter.com/austin_walker/status/838584743520317441

Theyve been on the store for a year, someone just bought one this week.

Sad but true.

IIT ITT: there is an owl whose name is pronounced "baboo baboo."