One Life Left's Podcast

One Life Left -- s05e01 -- #97 -- Guess Who's Back?Guess who's back, guess who's back, guess who's back, guess who's back...For the newcomers: One Life Left is back. What? Oh! It's a radio show about videogames. It's presented by Ste Curran, Simon Byron and Ann Scantlebury. Ste and Simon both work in the videogame industry and have done forever. Ann, after close to a hundred episodes, now knows what a videogame is. We assume. Possibly.We broadcast on FM radio, courtesy of the brilliant Resonance FM, in the United Kingdom on Monday evenings and podcast the show later that night. We don't talk about videogames all the time and we try to be inclusive. Lots of our listeners don't play videogames all that much, just like Ann. Some of them don't play at all.  For the veterans: Oh, wow. Tonight was totally fun and we've missed you. Promise.Season 5 Episode 1 contains: Ste, Ann, Simon and a very special guest. News about videogames, Music that sounds like videogames, four tiny features loosely themed around videogame

It’s another One Life Left special, as we meet Nolan “the father of videogames” Bushnell ahead of his brilliant BAFTA presentation: “My life in videogames.”   After a quick interview, we’ve the full, unedited session, so you can experience the event as if you were there. Turn off your mobile phones!   Laugh! As Nolan reveals secrets behind the development of Pong! Cry! As Bushnell reveals some of the things he did wrong when developing the Atari 2600. Pretend you’re  blind and deaf! When you realise the videos weren’t recorded, so you have to imagine what they were like.   It was a top evening, and one you’re all able to enjoy thanks to BAFTA’s generosity.   Keep an eye on the BAFTA site for more brilliant games-events worth attending.   We’re hoping to do more specials throughout the year, so make sure you’re subscribed through iTunes or the RSS button on the side. It’s our gift to you, because we love you. Learn more about your ad choices

Season Finales are meant to offer closure, but What mortal could write an ending for a season that's included all-star contributions from Joe Cornish, Iain Lee and Simon Byron's niece? Only one man: it's official OLL literary expert Steven Poole, author of Trigger Happy, the definitive book about videogames!Steven's bar-raising appearance not withstanding, what else can you expect from the last episode of OLL for a little while? There's a spectacular three-way song fight between Season 3's most tuneful contributors. There's what Ann declared before the show to be her 'worst news ever', no small feat. There are reviews, there are chiptunes, there are small sobs as we say goodbye. Boo! Hoo!There's also reference to these awesome listener-contributed remixes which we didn't have time to play:Spencer Lee's "No Butts" Blinn's "OLL Amiga Mashup"Amazing. Thanks, chaps. And thanks to SteVader too, who rescued this show after someone (not us, obviously) broke the Resonance backup machine.Other Music on #96The Doctor's

OLL faces up to the challenge of a Simon-less show this week in the only way it knows how: by packing in half a dozen features, keeping the libel to a minimum and staying well inside our comfort zone. News. Reviews. Authoritative commentary. You’ll find half-assed attempts at all of those in the penultimate episode of Season 4! Our run of excellent guests continues, too. Dave Green (I’m Dave Green) joins us in the studio to teach us about some more retro hardware. There’s some improvised music and a listener competition, and Ann has a special request for email mischief. Also brilliant returns for Best Worst Game, Odds On O’D and Game For A Laugh. We are fortunate to have them all. You might find there’s some stereo imbalance during some of the recorded features this week. Apparently one of the CD players is a bit off-kilter. Some post-production tinkering only resulted in multiple Audacity crashes – we’ll try and fix it in the live broadcast next week. It’s our finale! Do join us (and our special guest)!

What goes ha ha bonk? That’s right, it’s the sound of the OLL team laughing their heads off at this week’s guest: comedy writer, stand-up performer and irreligious troll Christina Martin! Also, Ann and Simon giggling as Ste bangs his face on his mic again. Either way (both ways, actually) it’s OLL #94!Look, we’re twenty-two episodes into this season and you should really know the drill by now. We can probably be a bit less formal. Maybe even try bullet points. Ninety-four features the following things, in no particular order:News. Reviews. Music. Obviously.TWO brilliant, brilliant, exclusive, exclusive new songs.Discussion including – but not limited to – Christian game reviews, The King of Kong, and a comprehensive answer to the question, “Are university games courses worth the effort?”Sorry about the delay to the podcast. The team are feeling a bit under the weather this week but hope to have their collective health back together for next week’s penultimate episode of season 4. What happens after that? The

Desk checked: check. Guests checked: check. Live in three... two... one... Oops. With Ste in America selling the rights to USA Life Left, it’s down to Simon and Ann to hold the show together. But following an anarchic Bike Show, there’s little time. It’s fair to say there are more errors with the desk in the first 10 minutes than the first 10 minutes of any show. But we muddle through as only One Life Left knows how: poorly. Joined by Eurogamer editor Tom Bramwell and a genuine, actual One Listener Left from the other side of the world, it’s kind-of business as usual: if the usual is a broken studio recorder (thanks for saving the show, Derek Williams!), friendly racism, and  quite  a lot of actual chat about videogames and that. Features include Derek Williams (thanks!), Mathew Kumar (thanks!) and a special As Seen On TV (hmmm), but the highlight has to be three-and-a-half minutes of Craig “The Rage”. Astonishing stuff, which’ll long be remembered after the theme rolls. Music includes: somethi

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<!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:72.0pt 90.0pt 72.0pt 90.0pt; mso-header-margin:35.4pt; mso-footer-margin:35.4pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> "Goldeneye,” sang Tina Turner. "I found his weakness. Goldeneye, he'll do what I please.” She wasn"t singing about One Life Left, but she might as well have been. We're weak, he"s pleasing: it's this week"s special guest, Martin Hollis, Producer and Director of N64 classic Goldeneye!   Why's Martin on the show? Well, listen and you"ll find out, doofus. But if you're impatient, here"s the précis. It's to fend off questions about his current projects. What does Martin think about working with the next generation of videogame hard

Following #89 was never going to be easy. If we could stop time we would but with all the crushing inevitability of a discrete, week-based counting system episode ninety of One Life Left arrives. The only solution? Another OLL Superguest. This week, we introduce our brand new comedy correspondent: it’s Iain Lee, from off the telly! And the radio! And the internet!   And now our bit of the radio and the internet, too (our TV show’s still at the pilot stage). Iain joins us to chat about how you make show about videogames for television and to help us demonstrate one way of making one for radio: don’t talk about games very much. It’s what OLL does best!   But don’t worry, secret gamers; there’s lots of chat about your super shameful hobby, too. Alongside news and reviews we have Mathew Kumar delivering another Best Worst Game, while Odds On guides you gently through another way gambling relates to gaming. And sound the NEW FEATURE siren! Give your warmest welcome to Game for a Laugh, OLL’s new, re

It begins with an interview because, hey, we don't let just anyone guest on One Life Left, much less give them the coveted title of OLL's Resident Film Expert. It's a formality, though, and post-theme we welcome our new colleague: spoiler warning! It's Joe Cornish, the tall half of TV / Radio / Multimedia's Adam & Joe. O. M. G! Read more below. Aside from the special guest star it's business as usual this week -- music, news, reviews, and one brand new feature that seems to work out pretty well. It's probably best you just listen, really. Oh! And if this is your first One Life Left here are some primer notes (there's a more detailed history in the About section). -- We broadcast across London on the brilliant Resonance FM live every Monday evening, then we podcast the show the day after. We are Ste, Simon and Ann. Hi! -- We're a radio show about videogames but not like that. You should be able to enjoy One Life Left even if you haven't picked up a joypad in weeks, months, years or ever. Um, that's our in

It's a reasonably Happy New Year as two-thirds of One Life Left mark their first day back in the office with resolutions, chat, songs, mistakes and one off-the-cuff comment we regret (cut from this podcast; you really should try and listen live). Yes, OLL is back with a bang, though not as big a bang as it would be had Ste returned from his holidays in time. He's stuck in Lapland, arguing with Father Christmas about the existence of Peter Molyneux. So cue emergency call to I'm Dave Green, who ably fills Simon's shoes whilst Simon occupies Ste's red high heels and pretty dress. This week's show is filled to the brim with actual gaming chat about games, a special "best-of" 2008's news special with Ann (who's ill), a special Derek Williams' Free Market Economy with Derek Williams (who's poorly), a very special Craig "The Rage" McClellan with Craig "The Rage" McClellan (who's sick), a distraught Taliah, and, well, spoilers etc. One thing we're certainly not spoilerising is the identity of our incredibly i

Hello! As you probably already know, OLL’s Christmas gift to you isn’t a show, but a mixtape of sorts, badly-put-together by Ste. The tracklist is below. It’s probably best not to read it if you haven’t listened yet, because it’s best to be surprised. But when you have, check back here and visit the page of the artist you love and buy something from them. It’s about time, right?   Happy Christmas, and see you on January 5th!   OLL Theme // Iain Cook Killing In The Name // Uoki-Toki Breaking Wave // Random Chip 2 Bit // Trash80 Salut! France // Errors 99 Problems // Jay-Z vs Combat Dave Girl Gamers (Live) // Craig ‘The Rage’ McClellan (+ Derek Williams on Synths) I Love Love You // Guitar Vader It Dies // Mr. Miyagi Sexy Back // Justin vs Combat Dave Space Music // Sexy Synthesizer Technologic // Daft Punk Playerd // Copy Door (Covox Remix) // Ram Rider Kicks // She CRIMEWave (LAZRtag HARDer Remix) // Crystal Cast

It’s 6.15pm, in the studio and we’re all set up, missing one guest. Ste makes the call. Hey Ellie Gibson of Eurogamer Dot Net! Where are you? “Hey Ste! I’m in Soho!” Are you still on for the show tonight? “Yes, totally. It’s an 8pm start isn’t it?” Uh oh. No, Ellie, you’ve got 45 minutes. Pause. “It’s OK, I’ll be there!”     So begins Ellie’s sprint across town which, just like Ste’s in episode #81, is perfectly timed and finishes with ten seconds remaining the show’s 30-second theme tune. That’s why we’re a bit giggly at the start of the very festive #87 and that’s why her mic doesn’t work. We deal! We absolutely deal. We would not have been able to deal with that last week.   Oh, last week.   On to this week, and the last episode of this year. It’s the most feature-packed episode of One Life Left this season with very special Christmas editions of Free Market Economy, Best Worst Games, and a new, exclusive doyouinverts Christmas single. There’s also the return of a classic One Life

It's Simon's last show before Christmas! So what better way to celebrate than with a return to One Life Left values of old: awkward silences, and dozens of technical errors. Welcome to the world's greatest videogame radio show. So what have we learnt? Firstly, that we shouldn't let Ste drink for three days and arrive at the show a physical and emotional mess, incapable of working even the most basic elements of the desk, let alone delivering any kind of insight into the gaming industry. Secondly that if we absolutely have to do that, we shouldn't do it in front of Brammers, Eurogamer's Editor. And thirdly sometimes apologies just don't cut it. Seriously, sorry. This is not the best episode and if it's your first you should probably click back a few although there are, as ever, some highlights. Taliah! Best Worst Games! Sweet music! Off-air libel! An introductory I'm Dave Green joke cut off by Ste's seratonin-deficient incompetence! Oh God. Music on #86: Heartbleeps by Hiroshi Heathens (8-bit mix) by Brac

Bucks Fizz -- champagne cut with orange juice for reasons of cost masked by reasons of taste; the sort of drink you have at a company party just before everyone gets fired or a wedding where there's nothing to celebrate. And this is the episode just after the One Life Left Christmas Party, and the apologies section is back. Uh oh...Whatever! The past is the past, literally unbroadcastable or otherwise, and the future is here right now. Five features, including a new song by some time best-friend-of-the-show Spencer Lee and a Very Christmas Craig The Rage.And today marks an important point in One Life Left's history -- the launch of our very first CD, as press-released on Eurogamer here. You can buy it from Amazon here. Please buy it from Amazon. It is seven quid. Buy it now! BUY IT NOW. Then we can make another one.Apologies for the broken mic problems near the end, which stopped Ste from being as enthusiastic as he'd like about Think Quick.Music on #85:Umbrella by electronicMESSThe Opposite of Sick of You by

We’re halfway through Season 4 (like the day after the summer solstice it’s all downhill from here) but if you think we’re getting complacent, thing again: One Life Left #84 is a special episode with a special guest. But who’s the guest? And what’s the occasion?     It’s Rock Paper Shotgun’s very own Kieron Gillen! And it’s Simon Byron’s birthday, so he has the night off. Consequently this episode of OLL may sound a little bit different (we’ve not had to edit out any slander for a start, and we talk about video games quite a lot) but you can still expect the same quality of Xeroxed news, half-hearted reviews, games industry gossip and improbably brilliant features.   Download the episode from here and as always, tell everyone you love to do the same.   Crucuially (and you’ll hear this throughout the show) this is the last episode of One Life Left before our Christmas Party. It is HUGELY IMPORTANT you attend, whether this is the first episode you’ve listened to or the last. We’ll be rec

Om nom nom nom? What? No! The OTHER kind of troll, the one that resides on the internet and says naughty things to gain a lol-some reaction. That's what OLL's big mouth feels like this week. But who are we trolling, and why?Oh, no-one, deliberately, obviously. We're nice! We love everyone, even the gaming industry legends we insult. That's why we promise to keep the really salacious anecdotes to the off-air stuff at the OLL party. But the best kind of troll is the accidental one, the off-hand quip you regret later, and while there's no apology section this week we expect we'll need one in #84. Sorry! Sorry.OLL #83 also contains no less than five separate features, the continuation of some threads from episodes past and some excellent listener-letters. If you want to be on next week's show you're welcome to send us stuff, of course. Otherwise just tune in, silently listening, and enjoy. It is a fun one, we think. Also, keep an eye on the blog for more BONUS CONTENT from presenters and contributors alike.Music

No last-minute dramas this week, except that the show before ran on for three minutes into our slot and we were outraged. And which week is this? It's week in which Simon organised one party but mostly One Life Left got excited about another one. It's show #82. And we'll let the actual content of the show reveal itself to you, with all the features, news, reviews and music waiting for you like a girl on stage awkwardly awaiting carnal instruction. No spoilers, except to say we do actually genuinely talk quite a lot about videogames in this one. I know! We were quite surprised too. Especially Ann. Most pertinently, the Facebook party page for people who want to join us at our once-a-year Christmas bash on Saturday 29th of November is here. If you are reading this then you are genuinely invited. We want to see you there. You will have fun. Music in #82: Not a lot, really, but the one chiptune thing we played is worth it... Sexy Synthesizer -- Follow Me Love Machine -- Girls Aloud I'll leave you to guess wh

No time for a long explanation here because 1/3 of One Life Left is getting a flight to Lyon in a few hours, which leaves precious little time for sleep / lying awake, regretting all the things you said today. But we should explain why there's three minutes missing from this week's show... Public transport. Ste left Brighton in plenty of time to reach the Resonance FM studios but a series of problems on the British rail network (four separate issues, detail fans) left him fighting his way through rush hour as Ann and Simon broke out the emergency CDs. Ste made it with seconds to spare -- the theme was about fifteen seconds in -- but, as a few weeks ago, we weren't set up to record. So that's why the show starts just after Ann's pleas with Simon not to talk about what she got up to on Friday night at Nottingham Game City. Some of our listeners will already know. The rest will have to put together pieces from the fragments of information here, in episode 81 of Europe's favourite tenuously-related-to-videogam

We're One Life Left's parents and we love all our children, but our eightieth (recognised) child was certainly born under a bad sign. Seconds before the show started we were shouted at by our beautiful engineer, Maria, for a crime we didn't commit, so we shouted back; and then, when the show finally started, two of the mics weren't working. The only person who could save us? Maria. Uh oh!But save us she did and so, beginning with an early hit of mood-music to cover up the tense sounds of an audio caesarian, episode eight of season four pukes and mewls its way into your ears. This episode: Craig, Derek, Mathew and Taliah all entertain with winning contributions, a couple of engagements for you to add to your diaries, some news of some NEW OLL merchandise and a very, very, very special guest.And gossip, reviews, news, Simon Byron's Memoirs, etc.Music in #80:Destiny's Child // Say My Name by CopyNiji No Kawa by sheAnimal Crossing Traveling OC ReMix by KaijinBright Tomorrow by Fuck ButtonsBlogs about contents to