Video Games and The People Who Love Them
March 18, 2009 10:00 AM   Subscribe

A Life Well Wasted is a new podcast about video games and the people who love them, created by freelance writer Robert Ashley.

Tightly edited and fascinating, it's been described in comment threads as NPR for gamers and something you wouldn't be surprised to hear on BBC Radio 4. Ashley talks about his project on last week's Gamers with Jobs Conference Call.
posted by Happy Dave (20 comments total) 20 users marked this as a favorite
 
I particularly recommend Episode 2 - Gotta Catch Em All.
posted by Happy Dave at 10:01 AM on March 18, 2009


Are there transcripts anywhere? I don't have the patience for a podcast...
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 10:09 AM on March 18, 2009


I just started listening to this as well, halfway through the second episode. NPR for Gamers is a decent description, but to be more accurate, it seems to really be shooting for a sort of This American Life for Gamers. Does a good job of it too.
posted by Inkoate at 10:11 AM on March 18, 2009


Seconding roomthreeseventeen. I wonder if someone would transcribe if I said 'please' and 'I have cookies.' Thanks much.
posted by trueluk at 10:21 AM on March 18, 2009


He was super awesome in a different way when he guested on rebelFM ep. 8.
posted by juv3nal at 10:21 AM on March 18, 2009


NPR for Gamers is a decent description, but to be more accurate, it seems to really be shooting for a sort of This American Life for Gamers.

You know, I think that's the problem for me -- I tried this out, 'cause it sounded cool, but I just don't like This American Life.
posted by grobstein at 10:30 AM on March 18, 2009 [1 favorite]


Could someone please just insert the experience into my brain. I don't have the patience.

I've only listened to the first one, about the death of EGM. It was remarkably poignant, especially because I'd read the mag for so long and knew of all the personalities involved. It's also a really well produced podcast. Inkoate is correct. You could slip the first episode into a TAL broadcast and no one would notice.

I just grabbed "Gotta Catch 'em All" last night, hoping for a chance to listen to it today.
posted by eyeballkid at 10:35 AM on March 18, 2009 [1 favorite]


Nice try, trueluk, but my mother warned me about strangers who come bearing cookies.
posted by symbioid at 10:35 AM on March 18, 2009


oh wow. this is incredible.
posted by shmegegge at 10:39 AM on March 18, 2009


He was super awesome in a different way when he guested on rebelFM ep. 8.

He was also super awesome in a different way back on the CGW/GFW podcasts. That podcast is pretty much hands-down the best gaming podcast ever.
posted by graventy at 10:44 AM on March 18, 2009


And, Luke Smith, Jeff Green, N'Gai Croal, Robert Ashley, and Shawn Elliott have created a new podcast called Out of the Game.
posted by graventy at 10:49 AM on March 18, 2009


And, Luke Smith, Jeff Green, N'Gai Croal, Robert Ashley, and Shawn Elliott have created a new podcast called Out of the Game.

Sweet. I'd read some rumblings about that but didn't know it was out yet.
posted by juv3nal at 12:07 PM on March 18, 2009


Will give it a listen when I have the chance. If this is as cool as I suspect it might be then thanks in advance.
posted by JHarris at 12:35 PM on March 18, 2009


Listening to the first one. I like it so far, except that during all of these interviews Ashley interjects these really guttural "...yeah"s every time one of the interviewees pauses.
posted by backseatpilot at 12:36 PM on March 18, 2009


I never caught the GFW podcast in it's heyday, but the GWJ podcast is by far my favorite gaming podcast. They have a maturity and lack of frivolity that really distunguish them from the other gaming podcasts I've found. And the production qualities are excellent.

That said, A Life Well Wasted isn't really a podcast as much as it's serial long form internet audio.
posted by jefftang at 1:51 PM on March 18, 2009


Sorry, you no can haz transcriptionz but I can say that the second episode is the most compelling gaming-related journalism I've ever heard, particularly the section where Ashley talks to a person who is attempting to archive the activities that take place in MMO's. He has audio of the last moments of an MMO before the servers are shut down and it's riveting. I can't do it justice with a description, but GO LISTEN TO IT.
posted by mattholomew at 2:27 PM on March 18, 2009 [1 favorite]


Shawn Elliot is my hero.
posted by autodidact at 4:19 PM on March 18, 2009


The archival one's fairly good. The EGM one is unfocused and boring.
posted by fleacircus at 5:11 PM on March 18, 2009


Awesome, it's like GFW is back. Shawn Elliot, Jeff Green, Ryan Scott and friends!
posted by autodidact at 9:21 PM on March 18, 2009


I heard about this on GWJ, but thought the last thing I needed was another gaming podcast. Thanks for the post. "Gotta catch them all" was a great listen and I look forward to future episodes.
posted by yeti at 7:31 AM on March 19, 2009


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