Chris

Nice work on the proper accent characters.

I'm excited to watch!

Idle Weekend January 29, 2017: Mailbag for a Tattered Nation Rob is protesting the unlawful executive order on travelers from Muslim countries, so I'm doing a short mailbag episode centered on self-care and giving yourself the space you need to get through the damned day. Keep Weekending, friends. Discussed: Kingdom Hearts, self-care, The Witcher 3 Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

This is pretty great. Thanks for the rec!

Yes. We were.

Creating this new forum was an instructive and surprising exercise, because I moved over threads going all the way back to 2004 and therefore got a pretty good sense of what Idle Banter has looked like over the years. There definitely used to be a lot more new threads created rather than defaulting to megathreads. Hopefully this at least makes people feel more comfortable considering a new thread.

Oh hey we fixed this

I'd probably be more likely to share specific experiences from game development while, say, guesting on somebody else's podcast. On Thumbs every once in a while I'll draw a comparison between something I observe and a similar thing in Firewatch, for example, but I think in terms of sustained discussion of games I've worked on I'd rather do that less commonly and on someone else's show where it's there for a purpose.

Oh I had the same experience as a kid. I spoke from personal familiarity. I probably should have been more explicitly clear about that; I wasn't trying to call people out, just make an observation in retrospect.

We're trying to figure that out. We know we need an idea.

That wasn't the primary concern, but it did also happen. It allowed any given person involved in the podcast to not actually commit to a full extent, since at any point they could just decide not to show up that week. I don't think it's a good way to foster investment in a free-time project. Idle Thumbs (both the podcast and the larger website) only exist to the extent the people involved in it actually keep showing up consistently.

Cheers, it means a lot to get responses like that. There have been more than I've expected! And to reiterate, I really can't blame anyone for being bummed about this and wouldn't begrudge anyone for unsubscribing. If you want to try and hang on for a few weeks, I suspect we're going to get better at this version of the show, because we're really feeling it out in realtime right now, but all reactions are fair!

Yeah, I totally get that. I don't know what to say really other than it's just not what I'm feeling anymore, really. I'm not saying this to plant a stake in the ground or anything, just trying to be as honest as possible about where I am. I could imagine, as we go forward, figuring a way to do some kind of recurring video game podcast content through Idle Thumbs, but I don't think I'm up for a mandatory weekly recorded video game discussion anymore, at this point in my life. It's a bummer I know, but I don't think there's really a way around it. I don't want Idle Thumbs to feel like a job, unless it actually pays like a job (which it definitely does not, haha), and I'd like to preempt it getting to that point.

This won't convince anyone to keep listening if they aren't interested (and I won't attempt to persuade anyone because I myself have certainly stopped listening to plenty of podcasts over the years), but just by way of explanation—at least in my case, continuing the video game show is just increasingly not really a feasible option. The reason I was interested in exploring different ground with the podcast is because I've sort of just gotten burned out by having this pressure week-in week-out to play enough games to have enough to talk about. And as long time listeners know, there are stretches of time in which we don't even really manage to swing that. It has made my relationship to video games feel somewhat strained and chore-like, and adds a decent amount of stress to my week because video games really are the most time-consuming form of entertainment to enjoy. I'd rather be able to just play video games at the pace that I am personally compelled to for my own enjoyment, rather than often getting to the point on Monday evenings where I feel like I have to "cram" for the next day's podcast recording. I'm not saying any of this to complain—I am the one who put myself in this position in the first place. I signed up to do the show. It's just at the point now (and has been getting there for a while) where I don't think I can keep doing it indefinitely. So instead of just stopping, I'd like to find a new version of the show instead. And if that also fizzles out, then maybe it's time to quit!

Idle Weekend January 7, 2017: Get Your Camera Out of Trico's Butt This weekend, we chatted about the worst—and best—frustrations we've experienced in games, inspired by recent explorations of the great-but-so-unpolished The Last Guardian. Control schemes, systems running beneath the hood, and talk of movies loved and hated round out our weekend projects. So watch where you point that camera, bub. Discussed: The Last Guardian, Black and White, Resident Evil, Dishonored 2, Thief, Myth, Overwatch, Harry Potter, John Wick, La La Land Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Idle Weekend January 22, 2017: We're Watching Here! Games are fun to play and all, but watching—that's where it's at. At least, for some games. This weekend, we're all about the spectator sports, from speedrunning to Hitmanning to eSporting. Discussed: StarCraft, Overwatch, League of Legends, MMA, Hitman (2016), Final Fantasy VIII, Lady Killer in a Bind, Revolutionary Girl Uetena, Far Cry 2, Neptune's Inferno James, Hidden Figures Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Idle Weekend January 16, 2017: What to Play There's a lot of existential dread in the world right now, and I think we're all feeling it. It even seeps into our favorite escape, in the form of choice paralysis and gaming guilt. Things get REAL in this episode, about our lives, the place of games, fear of mortality and over-exertion. But don't worry, we also get to fun synth-singing, our favorite games, and our mutual love of sports in other media. Discussed: The Witcher 3, Mafia 3, Battlefield 1, Star Wars, Yowamushi Pedal, The Natural, Pitch, Creed, Halt and Catch Fire, Hadyn Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Idle Thumbs 296: Super Hollyweedland You're not sure how it got this bad. The descent was slow, but then suddenly it seemed the world had changed. Our heroes became villains, twisted, corpulent, ruling from a golden throneroom in a palace above the town. A palace you built them. You go to talk to him, but Super Mario looks past you, out into the world he has made. Mario doesn't see you, and doesn't care. Discussed: Hollyweed sign, Super Mario Run, Super Mario World, anime robot in a jar, Glittermitten Grove, Frog Fractions 2 Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes

Looks like it'll broadcast on February 5: http://www.cityarts.net/radio-broadcasts/

Pretty sure they all literally died in 2016

Google estimates a 25 minute walk. It's a little over a mile.

I assume your phone did some editing work on your behalf here but I hope it didn't

Sarah and I just received our Secret Santa and it looks to be a delicious bounty: I haven't had Jaffa in a long time so that is very exciting! Plus homemade ginger cookies, some Earl Grey tea, and a little fruit pudding (and instant custard[?!??] to accompany it). Also, I was send a book about David Lynch, which is very spot-on, and Sarah was sent a book about female neurosis depicted in film, which she had heard good things about and was very pleased to receive. Thanks Secret Santa, whoever you are!

Episode up! Sorry for the delay.

Idle Weekend December 11, 2016: The Mailbag Before Christmas It's a ridiculous holiday season, which means Danielle is doing a dip into the ol' mailbag before going on her merry way. Don't worry, Rob will be back next weekend for more adventures! A quick note: Audio quality isn't up to our usual standards this week, thanks to heavy travel. Our apologies! Discussed: Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, Dishonored 2, Psychonauts, Invisible Inc, Mafia 3 Listen on the Episode Page Listen on Soundcloud Listen in iTunes