Episode Three: Why Game?

i heard everyword of deep throat clearly

sounds like its tough on them to get a bad review but as he correctly points out thems are the breaks when one asks for money and responds by offering a crappy product

Hey I usually don’t comment on things like this, but I wanted to let you know that the segment about Rohrer really moved me. I think it is in large part due to your editing.

Thanks again for an amazing show you put together Mr. Ashley. Your work is very apreciated.

Your podcast is amazing. I’ve listened to this episode three times, once with my fiance and I sharing earbuds because the stories were so amazing. Your turning podcasts about interactive media into art, much faster then interactive media as a whole is turning itself into art. I’ve also listened to you on 1up Fm as well as Rebel Fm and find that your are always insightful and entertaining. I myself am a amateur podcaster, I’ve done 5 for my small forum. I would be honored if you had the time to listen to one and give me any advice. I can provide a link if your interested. Again, your cast is amazing, and look forward to hearing them as soon as I can.

Sorry to double post here, I just played Passage and it was amazing…. I recommend anyone who listened to this cast to play it.

Next time you have someone who is talking with a voice filter, please make sure it’s clear. First, if he’s got a British accent, maybe putting such a drastic filter on it is not a good idea. Second, please turn up the mic so that we can hear everything. Thirdly, please realize that playing music over it makes it harder to hear.

I thought this was gonna be one of the best parts of the podcast but it turned out to be the worst.

Yes, the filtered part was hard to understand, esp. for a non-native english speaker. But all in all, the episode was great!

Some show notes with links, people, articles mentioned in the podcast would be cool!

The best produced podcast I’ve heard in a looooong time!
Plz keep this format!

Thank you for another great show. I cannot think of anything to say besides great job. You have the most artistic and well made podcasts ever. Bobbito powns.

Fantastic job, the production on the podcast was fantastic as always. That last section made me laugh, at the same time as making me die a little inside really. Despite being in a completely different industry, it reminds me so much how things are for me and the people around me, and scarily enough it doesn’t sound too far from what a whole lot of people out there have to endure. Jason rohrer definitely has all the right ideas…

Wow, what another great show. You can take almost any subject and turn it into something well worth listening to. I can’t wait for Episode 4.

Mr. Ashley,

It might be paradoxical but it is more of this kind of intellectualization of the subject matter that might help elevate it to an art form. However, you made the emotional aspects hard to ignore with the interview of a developer with difficult life conditions; it really moved me.

P.S.: Could you do an interview with Jenova Chen from Thatgamecompany?

Robert,

thank you for again producing a fantastic episode. I deeply respect what you do.

Robert,

If This American Life doesn’t pick up a segment from any one of your shows I’ll be very disappointed. I know you’re a fan – as am I… that would just be so cool.

By the way I came here to donate money and I know you’re a proud guy and all but hide a tiny paypal link somewhere so I can stop feeling guilty for getting so much for free.

I hear a lot of good things about this podcast. Can you add it to the Zune Marketplace please?

Fantastic! Your podcast keeps getting better. My one complaint is that the music is sometimes a little too loud during the interviews. But don’t let my opinions discourage you! It’s just a tiny bump in the road to world domination.

Brilliant episode. The part about Rohrer really moved me.

I play games for the same reason people watch movies. To do things i cant do in real life. whether it is saving a kingdom or flying in space. I can do those things. But unlike a movie which is a passive experience… I can be apart of that adventure. I can be that hero and have that experience. As for online games…. say company of heroes… i play it for the strategy… like a game of chess just more complex.

Another fantastic addition to your podcasts. The story about Jason Rohrer moved me especially. Great job! May the world never run out of material for you!

Thank you. This episode was even more thought-provoking than those previous. This podcast feels as though it’s been lovingly-crafted and manages to introduce game-related subject matter I’ve not heard elsewhere. I could discuss (or, more likely, go into a diatribe about) the various topics with others for hours. At the same time, it manages not to take itself too seriously and shakes off any pretension it might’ve gathered up to then.

I honestly would pay for this quality of work. And I can’t wait for your album to drop.

I’m a huge fan of what you do, Ashley, and it’s so great to have thoughtful, introspective view of the genre that gets away from a lot of the “dumb, jock” coverage that has long plagued the medium’s enthusiast press. Which leads me to say, I’m really disappointed by how you handled the beginning of the episode. Asking people a personal question in such in impersonal matter, leads to an unfair,gotcha moment. I made a video rant covering this issue a bit more: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jowntOkfsy0

This is hardly a knock against you. Just the idea of the nature of the question, itself. I hope you understand and find something there to agree with.

@LonelySpacePanda

I think you’re right that just walking up to people at GDC, for the most part, isn’t going to get the best answer to this question. What it did, though, is highlight how few people had ever even considered it, which was really the point.

And, honestly, I thought several of the answers were pretty great. The guy talking about going into a state of deep relaxation. The two guys who were talking about immersion and getting into a different headspace. Even the people who said that games allowed them to escape their horrible lives. I think that’s all relevant.

And trust me, I had long conversations with several of the people who said that games were “just fun” or “just an escape.” They didn’t have much else to say. And I had way more of those one-word answers than I even used in the show. It was overwhelming.

Thanks for listening, and I don’t take criticism as an insult at all. Always ready to talk about this stuff with anyone who posts here. –Robert

Robert,

I guess “fan” was a sloppy word choice on my part–that or I have a different connotation with that word because I don’t associate “fan” with blind devotion, just someone who enjoys something and chooses to do it in lieu of something else.

Semantics aside, I think the episode would have benefited from more of your own take on the question, sharing your opinion or explaining in more detail how you feel about spending your time playing games. I like the interviews, but I’m also interested in hearing your take on gaming beyond setting the topic for the episode.

As for the question itself, I don’t know that spending your time playing games is any less productive than any other non-creative activity. I’m arguably not being any more productive with my time by sitting and reading a comic or a novel, watching a movie, or writing a novel for NaNoWriMo that nobody will ever read except me.

In all those cases I’m enjoying myself but nobody is benefiting from my time and I’m not getting any benefit beyond being entertained. Any benefit you could argue that I might be getting (building writing skills, seeing new films, building reading skills) from those activities, you could counter-argue that gaming can give you benefits of a similar type (gaining a deeper understanding of storytelling and of game theory, seeing a wider number and new types of games, and potentially time management so that you can have time to play, assuming you aren’t ignoring your responsibilities so that you can play).

I know some people who feel bad about gaming too much, but I think that feeling is largely a hold-over from a broader social attitude that games are a waste of time for adults. People used to feel that way about watching movies, but over time it has become as accepted a past time as reading or writing.

Anyway, I’m looking forward to your next episode. Thanks again for providing a very different sort of gaming podcast.

Wow, my post didn’t look that long before I posted it. Sorry about that.

This was a great episode, thanks for this.

The on-the-street responses to ‘Why Play?’ are disappointing, a little unsettling, and some are frankly disturbing – which I’m sure was the whole point. I don’t think those responses cover the spectrum of people’s motivations for playing videogames and I firmly believe there are concrete, defensible reasons to chose to interact with videogames. Wiht that in mind, I’m looking forward to the audience submissions of the just-announced ‘Why Play?’ B-side, which is a terrific idea..

As for the rest of the episode, I felt that while the segment about the ESP game was interesting it did seem a little incongruent. In fact, I felt the ‘Why Play?’ theme was perhaps a little muddy throughout, but that’s Ok! It’s at least as cohesive as a typical episode of This American Life. That aside, the Rohrer segment was brilliantly constructed. It communicated some complex ideas in a way that I think anyone could understand and relate to, and the Tanuki / Pon Poko musical digression was truly hilarious – Rohrer’s propensity for extended digressions is something I can definitely sympathize with. Also, I guess ‘Really Big Scrotums’ is the new ‘Get really fucking high & make music’? Awesome.

Deepthroat’s segment was a worthwhile a listen too. I’ve given a decent chunk of my life to videogames whose quality has been compromised despite my own efforts and I think that’s a fairly common story for anyone in the industry (or, I suppose, in any collaborative creative effort), so it was great to hear of similar (though clearly more traumatic) experiences.

All in all, everything is excellent as usual, and I Come to Shanghai sounds great!

Hey Robert,
It’s Craig’s friend Miguel from GDC. I’ve had a chance to listen to your podcasts since I got back, they’re really fantastic and this one is by far the best episode. Looking forward to hearing whatever you do next!

I have to agree with zizou21. That segment with Rohrer is something profound!
Thank you for that!

Great podcast.

The Jason Rohrer piece was one of the most thought-provoking video game related pieces I’d ever heard.

As a first time listener who stumbled upon your site as a link from another link after watching CO-OP, it’s nice to see another talented former 1UP-er innovating in gaming journalism.

Great podcast. Would like a ‘The Death of Duke’ episode a la ‘The Death of EGM’.

I completely agree with Clovis on all of his points.

I find that there is enrichment in all activities of life, and gaming, at least to me, is one of the things that I enjoy most and get the most enrichment out of. Though I do not spend the majority of my time gaming, throughout my whole life and to this very day (I’m 19 years old), they’ve been a very important part of my life.

In high school, I was never afraid to share my love for videogames, everyday I would go to school with some type of videogame tshirt or a band tshirt(in my book, music plays second fiddle to videogames), through this love for videogames I would meet people I would have otherwise not associated myself with, and have made some great friends because of it. Even in my extracurricular activities, I would voice my life-long passion, in the school newspaper, every single month, I would push the other editors and try to convince them of the importance of videogames in our culture and in our generation, I would write articles about videogames with a different approach every time. From the cover story “To game or not to game”(an article very similar to this podcast) which spanned 4 pages in coverage, a first in my high school newspaper, to an experiment I proposed to the different athletic coaches to use sports games as tools for strategies that were more approachable for my fellow students, which is used by some of them to this day.

Videogames have brought out the best in me, opposed to my parent’s predictions, videogames are not just a waste of time. Now, I’m attempting to get a degree in game design and sound design at the University of Texas in Dallas, and I’m also working with a variety of local indie developers on smaller projects.

The social stigma videogames carry because of dated assumptions is a heavy burden, and the only way to remove it is to show videogames in a different light, in a more intellectual(but not pretentious) light, to show others gaming is not a curse but an exquisite spell.

Awesome podcast Robert.

A Life Well Wasted indeed.

This podcast is superb… it sounds professional, like “This American Life” for gamers. Just like that show, you’re really looking at the people around gaming rather than games themselves, it feels like you’re archiving something which you couldn’t really find anywhere else.

Don’t know if this will be a compliment or insult to you, but I love the way you handle the podcast. It reminds me a lot of the kinds of things you hear on NPR; it comes off more professional, and to some extent, like real journalism.

I got my [kinda] girlfriend to download your podcast and have a listen even though she’s not really into games. She found it really cool, which I think is a testament to how well you handle this.

I’d be interested in you spending some episodes looking into how Game Designers get their ideas and stuff. Not the technical things, but just how they come up with these ideas and worlds and concepts. Also would like to hear about people who are pro gamers. It’s been done, but I’m sure you could find a nice angle on it.

Last thing: The second episode with the “end of the world” in MMO’s part made me tear up. It’d be interesting to hear more about MMO’s and the kinds of experiences people find there. Hearing about how these worlds are created with their own communities, economies, hierarchies, and even relationships would be great.

Represent the home state Texas and keep up the bad ass work, Rob.

you know…that Death of the Duke idea could be really cool. get the inside scoop (problem is everyone is scared of getting sued by 2K)

Thank You

Thank you Robert Ashley for killing my doe eyed passion for video game development.

I’m going into my 3rd year of a highly regarded games development degree in Scotland. The projects we finished this year were incredibly exhilarating to work on (it’s easy to do interesting games on a small scale) and giong into this summer I was completely enthused about my future career. Until I listened to this episode of your fine podcast.

Talk about depressing. I’ve heard my fair share of development horror stories, don’t get me wrong, but English chap sounds like he’s ready to top himself.

I’m not going to be able sleep tonight, thinking about whether I’m going into the right industry.

Cheers.

Love your work bytheway, everything in the podcast so far except that interview has been like a breath of fresh air. I’m bored of men sitting around a table discussing NPfuckingDs.

Of course girls listen!

A great show as always! You always post one up just as I am about to miss it!

Take as much time off as you need… as long as you promise you will not quit making the podcast altogether!

Amazing podcast. You are actually contributing to society as opposed to just critiquing it.

Thankyou so much Robert, you’re early few podcasts have each entertained, enlightened and deeply moved me, at some point or another. I’m so glad I heard you on your notorious debut on Rebel FM, and even happier that I followed up the numerous recommendations from many personalities in the gaming world. A Life Well Wasted is so finely produced and edited, with intriguing stories, eccentric characters and such a superb choice of music, exploring the “different” or “smaller” areas of the culture to which I hold very close to me, and has been a very important part of my life, and each episode is truly an amazing piece of artwork. Although it may not be the most well known endeavour, or attract you much financial gain for your hard work, I love what you have created, and for us few followers, you will be remembered for this achievement. Thankyou

Come on, Robert, we’re eagerly awating episode four! Get it out there!

It is July 2nd meanwhile, end of June has passed. It’s about the time!

I just listened to episode three a second time, and stopped again while there were ten minutes left because I cannot bear/understand the sound of the muffled voice at that part.

Otherwise, great show. Keep it up!

I agree Charlie, I had a roug time with episode 3 as well because of it. Oh well, still a great episode.

Bring on Episode 4

Just had to let you know how much I appreciate what you do Robert. So amazingly thoughtful and well crafted.

Love it

Eagerly anticipating your next podcast.

You’re podcast is unique and inspiring!
For me it’s not so much about the gaming, but about how you make the listener feel.
You have the ability to make the people you interview seem real, which makes us the listener feel connected.
Also, don’t listen to some of the other posts, the music works! Keep doing what you’re doing because you’re doing it well!

Richard

Hey Robert…. man you get 1 hit a day from me coming looking for your pod cast lol. I am sure you are swamoped with other work… which is a shame as I feel this pod cast is one of the finest on the net. Too bad it was not sponsored by a gaming site so that you could actually be paid to work on it. Anywhos…. still anxiously awaiting your next episode

I, too, am eagerly awaiting (at this point, praying for) another episode.