One Life Left's Podcast

We're back, Back, BACK! To talk about what we got up to in E3, which shouldn't take too long as only Ste went there and he spent most of it with his eyes closed sat on a bean bag. But without a Super-Special Guest we have no choice but to talk about games. Luckily, we manage to work out exactly when games changed. And we almost decide if that's a good thing or not. Ste also tells us about the future of games journalism and how difficult is has become to write articles in the web era. Unbelievably we then talk about the sexism in games issue. And take it seriously. Is something wrong with us? No, that's the gaming industry. Normal service with all the usual features will resume next week. We’ll leave you to decide if it's a good thing or not. Cheerio! Team OLL x Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

So it's our second day at Nordic Games and this time we present death from above. Er, we mean Nordic videogame conference news and interviews from above. Ste tells us what he got up to in his bedroom, Simon tells us about breakfast cutlery and Ann tells us where go to drinking after you leave the after party (again). We manage to trick a few people into becoming FOTS and get all kinds of EXCLUSIVES from them, but mostly we try to get them to insult Ste's presentation. Simon also tells us about how he wants to get into snuff. We hope he means that thing you sniff and not those types of movies, but if it's only him on the show next time then you'll have your answer. Thanks again to Nordic Games for allowing us back into their conference, especially after what happened last time we went. Cheerio!Team OLL x Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our jetsetting lifestyle has meant that we've not been able to podcast for a while. We have done some live shows on Resonance, but whilst these were literally broadcastable, our caretaker had a nervous breakdown in trying to edit out the mistakes so it's probably for the best that they stay off the internet.However, we did manage to get this episode from Nordic Games out. As you'd expect the Sc-ann-dinavians were very welcoming and managed to get Simon in a blindfold after about sixteen minutes, which almost beats Martin Hollis' record of fifteen and a half minutes. Better luck next time!There's too many amazing guests that we had on the show to list, plus the caretaker is very wary of offending people by spelling their names wrong. Still, listen to this show you'll find out what to do if you're with Ann on a cruise ship and there's a zombie attack.Cheerio!Team OLL x Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

So here it is: One Life Left's final show from GDC. Against all odds the team have made it through six shows without any truly mortifying incidents. As long as they only have a couple of guests today things should be fi... Oh God. Deep breath: Dwight Okahara and Chris Olander from Insomniac kick things off and explain GDC from the positions of newbie and veteran. Outsider artist Michael Frederickson talks all about the brilliant KanyeZone.com. Journalist / Creator multiclassers Brandon Sheffield and Simon Parkin tell us about the best things they've seen at GDC this year. Popcap's Production Director Joe McDonagh lets us know about personal boundaries and inappropriate touching. Lord of HTML5 Darius Kazemi talks about the Pirate Kart, while One Life Left listener Ian fills in our performance sheet (are we bigger or smaller in real life?). Elliot Trinidad explains what it's like to try to stealth-demo an indiegame (in this case Pop Pop Battle J). Jon Blow talks about The Witness and his starring role in a n

The day after the One Life Left (Venus Patrol) (Wild Rumpus) party and the team aren't feeling all that clever. Thank goodness, then, they have an all-star cast of clever guests to get them through the lunch hour. Who? There's Matt Boch from Harmonix and Nathan Vella from Capy(bara) who ably hold down the fort with some nonchalantly delivered game theory. Waiting to get paid? So are we, so there's a sight of relief when Cindy Au from Kickstarter arrives and sets Simon thinking about monetization (ie how can we access the Idle Thumbs riches?). Tim Rogers (9/10 in Edge) waits patiently in the wings then pretends he wasn't waiting at all (9/10 in Edge) and really he could think of many (9/10 in Edge) better things to do than be (9/10 in Edge) right here promoting his game. Zach Barth tells us about Spacechem and helps OLL create a new genre, then Chris Remo pops in to show the team how to do the podcasting part of radio properly. And somewhere in the middle Martin Hollis wanders in to bring Ste some lunch.

Steeled by a night of Moriarty-inspired karaoke the team spent the first lunchtime of GDC broadcasting live from the show floor in a thoroughfare dominated by wild-eyed men on the hunt for free T-shirts. Amazing guests, stupid chat, impromptu tangents and classic chiptunes: it's One Life Left, dropping the show LIVE from GDC 2012. Actually, it's a bit of a day of dropping: Bennett Foddy (GIRP, QWOP) drops his coffee, and Paulina Bozek (Singstar, Closet Swap) considers dropping some clothing. Julian Merceron (Square Enix) drops rumours, Zach Gage (Spell Tower, Bit Pilot) drops names, and Jan Plass (NYU Associate Prof / Games for Change) drops some academic science. Martin Hollis (Goldeneye, new romantic) does not drop down drunk but there's always that chance, while Warren Spector (etc.) just drops by as if hanging out with lifetime achievement award recipients is the most natural thing in the world. Which, at GDC, it is. The second episode of One Life Left: Live at GDC will be uploaded tomorrow! Learn more

One Life Left's third evening broadcast from GDC 2012 sees the team return to their private room in the South Hall. They're joined by a smart, chatty, focussed / drained group of industry experts to discuss the final day of GDC. On that amazing panel: MODEL CITIZEN Alice Taylor (Makielabs) LUMINOUS BALL OF ORANGE LIGHT Brandon Boyer (IGF) NEWS HUNTER / GATHERER Jon Jordan (Pocket Gamer) HISTORICAL NAMEDROPPER Frank Cifaldi (Gamasutra) And on the agenda for today: What have they seen? What have they missed? Are developers modern rockstars? How do you get into the secret parties? Where is Phil Fish? And what IS the difference between kids and kilts? Download / listen here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

One Life Left's second broadcast from GDC 2012 takes place inside the North Hall thoroughfare, but don't let the background chatter distract you from today's amazing panel. On that amazing panel today: ACADEMIC WITH POLEMIC Ian Bogost (Persuasive Games) DANCING KING Matt Boch (Harmonix) FOXY CREATOR Daniel Cook (Spry Fox) ARTISTIC CURATOR Sarah Brin (Too many jobs to list) PORK-PIE JOURNALIST Alex Wiltshire (Edge Online) EDITOR AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Kris Graft (Gamasutra) The panel discuss today's sessions, the things they're excited about for the next week and try to find a theme for this year's GDC. There's an illuminating discussion about "gamification",  the manifold purposes of conferences like this and advice on how to get everyone's Mums / Moms involved in videogames. Download / listen here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's One Life Left's first broadcast from GDC 2012, in which the team join Gamasutra and a  star-studded panel to look GDC culture. Listen in as the panel discussing today's hot topics, tomorrow's must-see sessions and last night's Like-a-Prayer shame. On the panel today: FORTHRIGHT WRITER Evan Skolnick (LucasArts) ESTHER VISIONARY Dan Pinchbeck (thechineseroom) JOUST KING Douglas Wilson (Die Gute Fabrik) FABULOUS JOURNEYWOMAN Kellee Santiago (thatgamecompany) LUMINOUS PROFESSOR Brian Moriarty (Worcestor Polytechnic Institute) ENCHANTING CHANTEUSE Leigh Alexander (Cry Me A River) Tonight our guests sparkling conversation features recommendations for things to do at GDC, recollections from GDC's past (going all the way back to GDC #1) and predictions for the future.  There's also breaking news about Dan Pinchbeck's bright orange sneakers. Download / listen here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is a bit of strange episode this one. The knights have all been chosen, and are currently sat around a round table singing in rounds. But it's too early for us to start season 8 so what do we do? The correct answer is we go off to San Francisco to sit at the bottom of the stairs and interview gaming luminaries in association with Gamasutra at GDC. Yet how do we introduce ourselves to these luminaries? Is there some sort of calling card we can provide? Can we reduce 7 years, 160 hours of podcasts and about four literally unbroadcastable live shows into an hour long pre-recorded introduction? Well, possibly. Team OLL went into their pre-record bunker to discuss how we got to where we are, how Ste will be going to GDC, if Los Angeles is above or below San Francisco (and getting it wrong) and how our party in association with Wild Rumpus and Venus Patrol will be the best gaming related party ever. Until Gamecity 2012 anyway. Speaking of our amazing party, we still have one ticket left for sale. Surely you

It's the last OLL Knights this week so we are crowning the last knight for 2012. Do you crown knights? Perhaps because we're unsure about these things it might explain why we didn't get the OBE that we were trying to get last year. Or Charles Cecil and Miles Jacobson deliberately stopped us from joining their gang. Normal service will resume next week, except that's our GDC preview show where we talk about how we're all going to have a great time at GDC. Anyway, we have three worthy challengers this week in Nick Cowen, Daniel Nye-Griffiths and Duncan Geere. All three are excellent writers, but only one can succeed. Unless it's a tie. How many questions will be answered by the two words "Tim Schafer"? How do beards tie in to becoming a knight? Why did we choose to have a memory round that took a long time to finish? What would Simon like to snog, marry or avoid? All these questions will be answered in this episode. And remember: if you want One Life Left to maintain its hold over all other gaming podcasts by

You know, we've been testing our prospective knights on many factors. Usually it's how will they cope selling a game with a really bizarre name that Ste found randomly on the internet, but generally we're only testing them on their videogame knowledge. At this point it is traditional to put in an UNTIL NOW bit of text to surprise you, and Team One Life Left is never one to break with tradition. UNTIL NOW. Oh, wait. Now it looks like we were breaking with tradition there. We're not. We don't even break with the tradition of Valentine's Day as our three knights are tested on their chivalry and valour as they all aim to procure their favourite game characters hand by using their verbal skills, as opposed to their broadswords. But which three knights will be the ones to take on this challenge? Why it's Neon Kelly from Videogamer.com, Ed Fear from Curve Studios and Martin Hollis from not killing Rare off. If you want to show your chivalry then you can donate to the Resonance FM fund raising drive. We wouldn't

So Simon's away this week after our caretaker foolishly agreed to let him have the time off. Perhaps said he could be on the guestlist at our GDC party with Wild Rumpus and Venus Patrol. Except there is no guestlist for him to go on. Perhaps Simon being away might explain why we played our old theme for this week's episode. Wait, a better excuse is that we were having old members of the videogame establishment on the show so anything new might have caused them to worry. Old Man Dreamweaver Kieron Gillen shows how he's kept in touch with videogames by telling us the differences between scrambled eggs and real eggs, whilst Dave 'I'm Dave Green' Green helps us increase the share price of Game. Hang on, that excuse doesn't work because the Guiness Book of World Records Gaming Edition's Gaz Deaves isn't that old. Although Norris McWhirter did used to have a column in Zero magazine. (That was a parody column caretaker. You deserve stringing up for that one - Podcast Ed) I suppose we'll just have to blame it on

Good evening adventurers. OLL Knights, the quizzy spin-off that asks the question “Why are One Life Left talking about videogames?” makes it into is third week with another astonishing panel. Who’s that sitting among the Red Mushrooms? It’s Ron Festejo, Noodlfroot game designer, ex-Sony wonderkid and all round good egg (mushroom?). What majesty will he produce in Knights’ popular game design challenge? Look, over there, skating on a green shell! It’s Mike Channell, Official Xbox magazine wizard and triathlete out-of-training. How will he cope with Six Degrees of Peter Molyneux? And there, underneath the yellow stars! It’s Hollie... Bennett! Ex-of-Destructoid, now of Namco, scorer of points and seductress of communities. But will she still be smiling after Ann’s news round? These questions – and more – answered within this all new episode of One Life Left Knights. Enjoy! [NB THIS IS VERY LATE. BLAME STE, WHO WAS PERFORMING ADMIN DUTIES IN LIEU OF OLL’S CARETAKER, AND HAS REMEMBERED JUST HOW MUCH WORK THA

Welcome dungeoneers! It's rather quiet in the OLL Castle at the moment. Luckily we have our weekly jousting/quiz contests to keep our spirits up. This week is no exception. Shall we see who are our brave knights this week? The Red Mushrooms are represented by Matt Lees from the Official Xbox Magazine. Will he be able to get through the Knights' Challenge without needing to sidestep left or right or ask "Where am I?". Spellcasting "G I B B A G E" is Dan Marshall from Size Zero Games. Surely the Yellow Stars have never had a finer champion. Except for last week. And maybe the next few episodes after this one. Andrew Smith from Spilt Milk Studios took on the mantle for the Green Shells. Can he finish the whole episode without his skull breaking apart slowly because he didn't get any food in his knapsack? ("That's too many Knightmare references" - Caretaker Ed) Cheerio! Team OLL x Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's time for OLL Knights to be unleashed on a waiting world. First off we'll start with a warning - this podcast contains lots of Parko. As well as Parko, we have some SSCs* in the form of Dave and Nicky from Nintendisco and Mark Walton from Gamespot. We decided that we needed to choose which of the three teams were the best so we pitted them in a ingenious gaming quiz. Who will win? You decide. Oh no, wait. We've already decided. All we know is that when Simon's top comes off, we're all losers. Cheerio! Team OLL x * Super Special Contestants Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy New Year listeners! Hopefully you had a good festive period, but it probably wasn't as good as the one the Resonance FM computer had. He was obviously still feeling the after-effects of partying throughout Christmas and kept crashing every so often to be sick in the corner. He also caused the feed to skip every so often. Our Super Special Guest was Dan Clark from Mealtime Strategy, and he coped rather well with our poor attempts at punning food dishes from video games, as well as the PC going on the blink. Have we mentioned that enough already? At least the Resonance PC actually turned up for the show as we had no contributors this week. Presumably they're all still burning off those Christmas calories using that Zumba game that Daria is always mentioning. Whilst this is the last episode of the season, we announce our special GDC show and also OLL Nites/Nights/Knights (we'll work out the spelling soon). We also would like to invite you all to the next Wild Rumpus event that will be held on Thursday 2

As a special Christmas treat, here is the last show of the year uploaded on a Monday for the first time ever this series! We had Ian Willey and James Everard from My Note Games in the studio to help make the episode even more Christmassy by helping us learn how to play the recorder. We think you'll find it was a huge success. If by success you mean 'as good as Little Mix'. Our four wise contributors were Derek Williams, Duncan Timiney, Doctor Avatar and Craig 'the Rage' McLelland (live in the studio!). Luckily we didn't have time to include the Grinch Simon 'Parko' Parkin on the show. Daria is also on the podcast, but as the only woman we could think that was associated with Christmas was the Virgin Mary we decided to stop the Christmas analogies. Truly it is the most wonderful time of the year. Except for when Peter Andre or Katie Price has a documentary on ITV2 or Living. Cheerio! Team OLL x Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We hit the ground running mid-theme on this week's episode as the stream didn't work. Luckily our hero was Resonance's own Chris, who managed to retrieve this episode. And we're grateful that we did as we have a Super-Special Guest in the form of Lewie Procter from Savy Gamer. We ask him about how to save money on videogames, but really we were more interested in finding out when the Rock Paper Shotgun Annual General Meeting was taking place. We plan on forming an 'Occupy RPS' commune outside the venue where these fat cats will be (actually we rather like RPS, it's just an excuse to do some chants - chanting is the same as karaoke right?). The excellent Derek Williams and Odds On OD return to our features and Daria changes things with the Command Market Economy, although the actual games in the chart aren't that different. There's also more news about the traitorous and perverted Simon 'Parko' Parkin. Honestly, that boy is becoming a lost cause. To think, we stood up for him after his incredibly wrong Uncha

Now you may think that we're a bit harsh slagging off our rivals that only work through Medium Wave, but at least we don't go as far as Simon's company does to other PR firms. It's mostly the fault of our SSG and FOTS Pete Oliver from Namco Bandai as his Fight Club brings out the alpha male in all of us, apart from Ste and Ann who just want to do karaoke (for a change). We try to keep the show as Skyrim and karaoke free as possible, but we may lapse into speaking about it for a few brief moments. And it was mostly Pete that caused it. Honest. And he was definitely acting in an official Namco capacity when he confirmed the Xbox Loop and agreed to sponsor the newly announced OLLCON that is being held in January (LEGAL DISCLAIMER: He definitely wasn't. Or was he?) Old School fans of One Life Left will hear some names dropped that may cause memories in the back of your minds, and two of those come back to do some excellent features. As does Daria who may have cause to worry about one of the returning contributo