Episode Three: Why Game?

Good to see another man!! Downloading now. Keep up the awesome work.

I game because I have no friends and I’m upsetting to look at. Dick.

I’d love to be able to live without a job and still be able to do the things I enjoy. Damn my consumerist greed and lack of talent to earn ends’ meat from my hobbies.

sweeeeet

out of the game??????

i’ll take what i can get

Thank you for getting this out. Such great radio.

Hey, at around minute 13 is that Jefferey Lewis? “Talking Brain” or something?

Your work is an inspiration. This is the kind of content I hope to produce someday.

Really interesting episode and interviews. Some criticism though, I don’t feel the editing was as smooth as in the past 2 episodes. Maybe it was just the audio quality of some of the interviews. And the masked voice in the end was hard to understand at times. Perhaps try a different sort of mask or maybe “un-mask” it just a tad bit? Lol. But overall another really great episode to my favorite podcast.

Oh, and I game because it’s fun, as well as to escape. Or maybe it’s fun because I can escape lol. Plus I just find an interactive medium more interesting and involving than other mediums.

Great episode. Rarely do I critically think while listening to podcasts. Please make more.

I recently wrote an article about this as well. Obviously it was as in-depth as your podcasts appears to be, but still I am interested in what is said and to have a different voice heard. I am looking forward to it.

If you wanted to check out the article feel free to do so here: http://beyondthedpad.wordpress.com/2009/04/08/why-game/

Your podcast is great man. My friends and I all love it and look forward to each new episode. You’re breaking new ground. Why haven’t you pitched it to NPR yet? You could probably make a living and put out an episode a week. High production, video game podcast journalism is just waiting to go mainstream.

What are they saying at the end? refuel his spaceship?

Why do I game?…I guess I could be doing something more productive. But, why create, for recognition, for money. But why strive for richness when people like Jason Rohrer are so happy? It looks like none of this means anything; we’re all just stardust…so I guess I’ll just have fun while I’m existent. I guess I’ll go game.

Cos they’re fun.
I constantly feel this pang in the back of my neck, the tips of my toes, the nagging sensation that I’m wasting my time, wasting my life. I’ve a wife, a full time job, and prospects into buying a house before the end of this year, but all I want to do in the hours I’m not at work is play games. Cos they’re fun.
I sit here on my PC, collecting tusks from a fictional boar. I lounge on my sofa making my Noby Noby Boy longer, or playing as the Master Chief, a man with more muscle than I have flab; which is a considerable percentage as I go to bed in the glow of my Nintendo DS playing a fictional attorney. Living lives that are far grander than my life will ever be, yet not outside of my realm of possibility if only I spent the 10,000-odd hours doing something productive instead of gaming.
Very good episode Mr. Ashley.

awesomecast.

I play because its fun.

Thanks for the show Robert. These are some of the best made stories that I’ve seen in radio in general over the past year.

I sent a comment to On The Media recommending that they check out your stuff. They recently did a piece on Rohrer as well, but your piece was so much better and relevant outside the “videogame” premise of the story.

I recommend that you send them the Rohrer piece as a demo reel. I think they’ll be blown away.

Another thing: Try contacting To the best of our knowledge: it’s Wisconsin’s version of TAL or whatever. They do longform stories based around interviews and themes. I think they’d be interested in your work.

I cant wait to hear the pod cast Robert! I will be saving it for a day in the next week or so when I need a good mental break from work!

Really loving this, I smiled really big when a new episode pops up in my RSS aggregator.

The Jason Rohrer interview was especially great, I plan on checking out some of his games now, thanks for pointing me that direction.

Wow, just…wow. Robert, you manage to amaze me with the most intriguing topics. Great podcast.

Another great episode. Keep up the great work

Any chance of uncut version of the interview with Jason Rohrer like you did with one segment from your last episode. He seems like quite an interesting guy.

What your mystery guest described for the games industry definitely runs across many creative, challenging industries. There are simultaneous pushes for agile, aggressive, short schedules against relentlessly changing requirements.

This was a phenomenal podcast. I’m checking out your others now. Well done, man. Keep plugging away.

I listened to this episode twice and it was worth the wait. “Why do you play video games? It’s fun. Annnnnnd?”

Oh and I had played that passage game a while back and being 21 years old it really creeps me out.

Good work Robert Ashley

Best Goddamn Podcast Ever

I’m so pleased that you have released a new episode. These are by far and away the most enjoyable podcasts I have ever listened to.

I hope you continue to make them.

Robert puts Radio 4 to shame, once again. Excellent work, worth the 5 week wait for sure.

As for why I play games, there are so many answers to that question. Sometimes it’s to relax, to zone out and put my cares to one side. Sometimes it’s to sate my competitive nature by playing a sports game against someone. Sometimes it’s to explore worlds dreamt up by minds far greater than my own. Sometimes it’s just to goof around. It all depends on my mood. But essentially, it’s because it’s fun!

Congratulations on being an indy podcaster who 1) knows how to edit, and b) swings a mean music bed. You really should submit these to NPR or the CBC. Hell, I’m gonna ship your URL to Search Engine. Nice work! Oh, and I play games for the challenge, the story, and to see how the others guys do it.

“But, why create, for recognition, for money. But why strive for richness when people like Jason Rohrer are so happy?”

If that’s the end goal for you — happiness — then by all means, find your own meadow somewhere and live simple. But when other people hear Jason Rohrer and think, “That guy’s happy,” what I hear is, “This guy is complacent.” He’s turned out a couple think-y games which are apparently well received in the indie scene. He’s not yet made a Great Game. I mean, developing on a 250 mhz machine? That’s not principled, clever, or anything: it’s just limiting your output. If you’re going to make a game, make a GAME. Have great graphics, have compelling mechanics, have all the things that make games what they are. Don’t make pixellated choose-your-own-adventure novels.

Has anyone ever heard of a happy, well-adjusted artist? Art first, everything else second.

*

As for the podcast, the deepthroat guy was nearly unintelligible. Also, I felt like you had a great hook and lost focus. The games with a purpose bit was interesting, but I never felt you answered the question you pose at the 5 minute mark. All those games of Civ I played went down the drain, and there’s nothing left of them except some hazy memories of Stacks of Death sweeping across Russian territory — flimsy stuff, in the end. I think the answer may be what the researcher suggests: People do need to relax.

But can anyone else listen to those GDC guys at the front of the podcast and think, “This is a life well wasted?”

I don’t know.

Looking forward to the next episode.

Really great stuff. I downloaded passage on my I-Pod and it blew me away tbh. At the start I was thinking how to get my 59p back but, it really does teach you something about life.

Great stuff Robert, you have actually inspired me to try something sort of in the same vain as A Life Well Wasted which I hope to start soon.

This is the best episode so far. Keep up the excellent work, Bobito~

What if you put links to all the cool shiz and games mentioned for us lazy folk who listen to the podcast when we arent at a computer, so we dont have to go searching through the podcast later to check it all out.

Eh?

Eh….?

Very awesome insight on this podcast! Thanks for sharing!

This American Life for Gamers. It’s cool.

Your work here, Robert, puts you in the same league as Jason. In my humble opinion that is.

Another great episode, please keep it up!

I play for many reasons, for social interaction, for empowerment, fun (of course), and because… they are better than books. I think the reason I have switched from books to games (for the most part) is because I feel I get more expression and a all around better experience and impact from games. Same thing with movies.

mInd BlOwN

great jobb

Robert Ashley, you have created something quite amazing and useful.

(But that doesn’t mean we don’t miss you talking about Dorito dust.)

Can’t say I’ve ever felt guilty for gaming. In fact right now I’m trying to make more time for it. Besides the stress relief and pain management (okay, maybe it’s that zen/hypnotism thing, yeah), it’s for the same reason people invest their time into stories. I’m not always a story-based gamer, but I prefer to step into a world that I will remember long after I leave. I love pondering over the archetypes.

As for the podcast: wonderful. It’s interesting to see the range in how people react to making or playing games. The anonymous game developer is pretty heart-breaking, though. I think a number of people would really benefit from realizing happy, well cared for employees will make for a better product. And not, you know, have mental breakdowns.

I just creamed my pants

I really enjoy the podcast. It’s nice to have a more cerebral take on gaming.

But I came to your new podcast hoping for the entertaining and hilarious Robert Ashley I’ve heard from other podcasts and there’s none of that here.

To be honest, your podcasts have been kind of a downer. I’m sure it’s not really the case, but you come across not as a fan of video gaming, but as someone on the cusp of abandoning them because of a socially-induced attitude that they are unproductive.

A mix of the interview radio format that you have now with more segments that include you and your humor added to it would be an improvement, in my humble opinion.

Thanks for another excellent episode.

I really enjoyed your past 2 episodes, but this has to be my least favorite yet. I thought the Jason Rohrer segment was inspirational and had an interesting story, but the rest seemed to fall apart. I couldn’t tolerate the sound of that mask in the last interview (so much so that I actually skipped ahead and probably missed out on a good interview) and the computer read sound clips were not entertaining/funny and seemed pointless. I hope you continue to find interesting stories out there and I’m anxious for episode 4.

I just listened to this on the busride into work. Again, I’m amazed at the quality. To be sure, it’s the “This American Life” of gaming podcasts. You got chops, good sir.

thank god this is back. I had thought you’d given up. thank you so much for this. I work in the gaming industry, and have been a gamer since I first received the old 8 bit Nintendo Entertainment System. This podcast is one of the few things that really captures why I love this industry and medium. again, thanks and keep up the oustanding work.

Your podcast is AWESOME!!! Your delivery and style is so cool!! I love your podcast, please keep them coming!!!!

@Clovis

I love videogames. I’ve spent the last five years of my professional life entirely focused on them.

I’m not much of a fan, though. Fan suggests a blind devotion. Plenty of things about games and the culture of gaming disappoint and disturb me, and I think a lot of people who have spent their lives playing have, from time to time, questioned their own motives. I’m just doing it out loud (and not really answering the question to my own satisfaction).

And I am trying to be a downer with this one. I’m trying to do anything I can with these shows to bring a little bit of feeling to them. I hope that other episodes can be really funny, but I also like sad.

Thanks for listening. –Robert

Excellent Robert.

I was only recently introduced to your podcast even though I follow some of your other assorted endeavors but you really bring a unique take on gaming. You aren’t just news and polygon counts. You’re looking at the industry as a culture and what makes a game really a game. The people making them and experiencing them and how it directly shapes their lives.

Been looking forward to hearing I Come To Shanghai, but even more so after hearing it as backing music to the interviews. It works wonderfully.

You are truly onto something great. Something I think can really give us as gamers, and the industry “legitimacy.” This really needs to be heard by more people, and not just gamers. It’s a very cerebral examination but social examination. It’s the kind of things anthropologists will study 100s of years from now about our generation.

This my friends, is journalism.

can you edit and repost the final story? I couldn’t understand a single thing he said.

@robert u

Some folks are having trouble with this part, but I assure you, every word is intelligible. Try a better listening situation. Headphones maybe.

Fabulous episode. This IS the best video game related podcast out there. Easily rivals This American Life as the best podcast out there period. Great work Robert and I hope your life allows you to keep doing this for many years longer.