Lamethrower

[Jason McMaster]

I wanted to tell you guys that Rob (Xaroc) and I have started our own little blog project called Lamethrower. We discuss just about anything and are planning to have our own podcast that will feature me, Rob and Bill D discussing current games, reviews and just about anything else related to the industry. We're going to start off with just us and then try to have guests on as the show progresses. We've got a bit of content up as of now and will be trying to add at least 1 piece a day during the week.

I welcome any feedback and hope you guys like it.

Tom approved this so don't bust my chops for pimping.

[Raife]

That sounds awesome, I'll keep an eye on it.

Interesting color choices.

[Jason McMaster]

Hehe thanks! Fun Fact: K. Thor Jensen did our banner because he is my homeboy.

Anyway, I was looking for a color that doesn't hurt my eyes and yet wasn't boring.

[TriggerHappy]

New daily site visit for me, looks like.

[Troy S Goodfellow]

I'll link to it from my site and make it a daily read.

(It can take Kotaku's space.)

Troy

[Ryan Markel]

I've thought about doing the same thing (barely started it) and am totally with you on it.

[Xaroc]

New daily site visit for me, looks like.

Cool TriggerHappy.

Of course as luck would have it, the day we mention our site I come down with the flu (no not the Oblivion flu). I should have Oblvion within an hour or two and I may have some first impressions from the couch later if I can fight through this bug.

-- Xaroc

[Backov]

Sounds like a podcast I will subscribe to now that Poweruser.tv is in full descent into oblivion (and not the good Oblivion either.)

Bookmarked.

[Simpilot]

Sounds like a podcast I will subscribe to now that Poweruser.tv is in full descent into oblivion (and not the good Oblivion either.)

Bookmarked.

How are we in full descent? Happy to hear any constructive criticism.

[Troy S Goodfellow]

How are we in full descent? Happy to hear any constructive criticism.

Joel Hulsey - the Ted McGinley of gaming podcasts! ;)

I haven't noticed a lot of difference, to be honest. As usual, I find half the stuff interesting and half the stuff not very interesting at all.

It beats Gaming Steve, that's for sure.

Troy

[Jamie Madigan]

I don't know how you guys expect to compete against GameSpy, GameSpot, and IGN, but good luck. ;)

[fuzzyslug]

Joel Hulsey - the Ted McGinley of gaming podcasts! ;)

I haven't noticed a lot of difference, to be honest. As usual, I find half the stuff interesting and half the stuff not very interesting at all.

It beats Gaming Steve, that's for sure.

Troy

Aw come on. Gaming Steve might be too long but it's probably the best gaming podcast out there. Hell, he was doing an interview with the one of the guys behind Oblivion while the PC Gamer podcast was interviewing some food charity.

[Troy S Goodfellow]

Aw come on. Gaming Steve might be too long but it's probably the best gaming podcast out there. Hell, he was doing an interview with the one of the guys behind Oblivion while the PC Gamer podcast was interviewing some food charity.

Yeah, it's the length that gets me down more than anything. He goes on and on and on.

It's been a while since I've listened, but on your recommendation I'll give Steve another shot.

Does he still have that crappy intro tune?

Troy

[fuzzyslug]

Yeah, it's the length that gets me down more than anything. He goes on and on and on.

It's been a while since I've listened, but on your recommendation I'll give Steve another shot.

Does he still have that crappy intro tune?

Troy

It's still long - no doubt about that - and the intro music is still just awful but I think it's a great podcast. BTW, the 1up podcast has been completely revamped in the last month or so. It's no longer a droning voice with the news. The last several episodes have been great. It's creeping up on Steve as my favorite game podcast.

[fuzzyslug]

How are we in full descent? Happy to hear any constructive criticism.

Sim/(Joel?),

I think Poweruser.tv is still trying to decide what it is. The tech news is better covered by shows like TWIT and Buzz Out Loud. The gaming portion is trying to find its way after losing Tom and is bettered by more focused shows like 1up or Gaming Steve. The mix isn't altogether comfortable.

As far as the poweruser part, I'm not completely certain why it doesn't feel like a Poweruser show. Shows like Security Now are for the power user. Poweruser.tv seems almost scared to talk about technical details. Hell, you have an AI programmer as the voice of the show. Let's talk algorithms.

I have a similar issue with the gaming portion. Sometimes I feel like I'm listening to the local newspaper. They give a column to the gaming guy but don't talk about games like they have any perspective. Do Kristen and the guy not named Brad play games? I find it strange that they didn't take advantage of the fact that almost everyone on the show is an employee at a games company. Give us a better peek into the process. Talk about the behinds the scene stuff (Brad does a little of this). How did GalCiv 2 change over the final month? What's driving the current patches? What system configurations are giving the programmers fits? The resources are there. It's like I'm waiting for them to be used.

[Chris Nahr]

Does he still have that crappy intro tune?

Whaaa? The intro music is the best thing about GamingSteve! The only thing that doesn't need an editor, anyway.

How did GalCiv 2 change over the final month?

Did you see the episode where they interviewed several of the GC2 developers?

[fuzzyslug]

Did you see the episode where they interviewed several of the GC2 developers?

No, apparently I'm 2 episodes behind.

[Joel]

I'll link to it from my site and make it a daily read.

(It can take Kotaku's space.)

Troy

Fuckin' corporate media!

[Simpilot]

Wow, Ted McGinley. Maybe it's the focus of the show folks aren't getting. It's not a serious show. It's just a few knuckleheads (or at least one - me) talking about tech and gaming news. I'll talk briefly about a game that's kicking my ass (after all, I am the "Worst Gamer on Earth"), but mostly we laugh and make fun of those that deserve it like the esteemed Hillary Clnton this week. I don't expect to fill Tom's shoes, just have a pair of my own. Mostly I bring a few laughs and a little different perspective than what was there before. But I also don't want to minimize the show. I'm quite proud of it and quite honored to be asked to be a part of it. Kristin, Brad and the "guy not named Brad" (otherwise known as Derek) are as nice as the day is long. Some of the funniest stuff is before we start taping or after, quite the zany crew. All three are smarter than me (Brad and Derek because they program which is something I could never wrap my brain around and Kristin because she's a girl which automatically makes her smarter) so I rely on humor. Most of the time I think we're pretty successful. But you can't hit it out of the park all the time, so if there's something you think I missed the boat on or was totally wrong about, I'm all ears. I've never taken criticism personally, except when you compare me to Ted freaking McGinley! ;), so please make your suggestions.

[Charles]

What I hate about all these wanna-be radio podcasts is all the forced laughing. I can't *stand* that. That's why I don't listen to bad radio shows. I hate that podcasts are imitating that.

[Jason McMaster]

What I hate about all these wanna-be radio podcasts is all the forced laughing. I can't *stand* that. That's why I don't listen to bad radio shows. I hate that podcasts are imitating that.

Trust me, Charles, when ours goes up there won't be any fake laughter. It's going to be all very real despair

[Troy S Goodfellow]

Trust me, Charles, when ours goes up there won't be any fake laughter. It's going to be all very real despair

If you have Bill D though, will you have sound effects to represent your googly eyes popping out of your heads while he talks about the time he took a lady's kidney and it ended up in a doctor's lunch?

Oh, and get Koontz as a co-host.

Troy

[Jason McMaster]

I don't think the world is ready for Brian.

[Simpilot]

What I hate about all these wanna-be radio podcasts is all the forced laughing. I can't *stand* that. That's why I don't listen to bad radio shows. I hate that podcasts are imitating that.

I hate forced laughter as well. It's usually quite transparent.

[krayzkrok]

Gaming Steve is a very good example of why single person podcasts suck. I tried a couple of recent episodes and the guy's voice is so fucking boring it drove me insane. PC Gamer podcast could be talking about artificial insemination of sea cucumbers and it would be more interesting simply because there's some interesting banter going on.

Gaming Steve could work, but it needs a proper editor (anything over 10 minutes long and he's not doing his job).

[VegasRobb]

Good luck guys! Looking forward to checking it out.

[caesarbear]

... so please make your suggestions.

Put a sock in Brad's mouth for at least half the show. As soon as Brad starts to whine on about something of which he's not entirely informed the show dies. It's fine and sometimes funny for him to start a rant, but don't let him take over the show. Someone HAS to stop him and balance him.

I like the cast, they all seem cheery and mostly have voices that are pleasant to listen to, including your compressed in a tin can feed, but it just doesn't seem like the crew is overly interested in producing a quality show for others to listen to. Being lighthearted is one thing, but not taking your efforts seriously is not fun for the audience. While I'm sure you guys crack yourselves up plenty, the jokes are pretty much lost on the listeners. If your show is nothing but knuckleheads in a room then there's no reason to listen. You guys have to realize that the comedy of knucklehead things like Jackass or the Ricky Gervais show is actual work. It's a concocted chemistry that takes plenty of experimentation to make good. I think if PowerUser.tv took itself seriously, it could be good, but right now I'd rather try and stay awake through Gaming Steve.

[Simpilot]

Put a sock in Brad's mouth for at least half the show. As soon as Brad starts to whine on about something of which he's not entirely informed the show dies. It's fine and sometimes funny for him to start a rant, but don't let him take over the show. Someone HAS to stop him and balance him.

I like the cast, they all seem cheery and mostly have voices that are pleasant to listen to, including your compressed in a tin can feed, but it just doesn't seem like the crew is overly interested in producing a quality show for others to listen to. Being lighthearted is one thing, but not taking your efforts seriously is not fun for the audience. While I'm sure you guys crack yourselves up plenty, the jokes are pretty much lost on the listeners. If your show is nothing but knuckleheads in a room then there's no reason to listen. You guys have to realize that the comedy of knucklehead things like Jackass or the Ricky Gervais show is actual work. It's a concocted chemistry that takes plenty of experimentation to make good. I think if PowerUser.tv took itself seriously, it could be good, but right now I'd rather try and stay awake through Gaming Steve.

I'm gonna say I am not the official spokesperson for the podcast. But some of this is just unfair. Brad very much knows what he is talking about. He's amazingly intelligent and feels very passionate about his products. Comparing us to Jackass is, again, unfair. We are what we are. Yes, there are other tech podcasts and if you prefer them, then you prefer them. I listen to many other podcasts (on my Ipod while I walk) and there are some great ones out there. I think we're a great one. Brad doesn't charge for it and doesn't make a penny. It actually costs him to do this, but does it for the community that has supported him so well. I think you'll find most folks here and in the industry have a pretty high opinion of him. I consider brad, Derek and Kristin friends even though I've never met them in person (maybe I'll fly up there to do an episode when it's not 50 below zero there). Anyway, the bottom line is yes, we have fun and laugh a lot, but still think it's a quality product. My voice will always sound more distant as I'm talking via Skype. The others are all together in a room. Short of shelling out some serious bucks for audio equipment, that won't change. Give us a few chances, I think we'll grow on ya. Kinda like mold...

[Jack Black]

I like Brad quite a bit and his ideals of gaming. However, you asked for feedback and it was given to you. While you may not like the feedback, if you want the podcast to have all the 'qualities' of a good podcast you have to take a balanced look at what might be causing it to lose potential listeners.

You can't use the bullshit "It's free and paid for, therefore any feedback doesn't matter, you should be grateful for it" if you are asking for genuine feedback. If all you want is asspats and attaboys, you should have said so.

[caesarbear]

... But some of this is just unfair...

I think you completely missed the point of my criticism. I may have worded it poorly, but I don't think Brad is bad, but too much of Brad (or anyone) is bad. It's just that Brad most often dominates the show and no one shuts him up. I just speedlistened to the latest ep, and I heard a couple of instances when you got cut-off or talked over. Since your not all in the same room that will happen, but you guys need to learn to give everyone a chance (without uncomforatable pauses or Kristen coaxing). When you do speak put one idea out there, don't ramble into tangents or make additional comments that someone else could just as easily do (Brad is king of this.)
I know your voice is limited by it's compression, but I said it was tolerable despite that. It's a compliment.
I mentioned Jackass, because it popped into my head as an example of something that is organic and unscripted and focuses on foolery. Jackass is entertaining because it is well produced and accesible. Many podcasts are dull and boring, but that's not the problem I have with PowerUser.tv. It's like listening to amatuers trying to do something organic and unscripted and thinking that kind of entertainment is easy and doesn't require much effort or planning on their part. It's not fun to listen to. But I think with effort, it could be.
I don't know of other tech Podcasts that so easily go so wildly off topic than PowerUser. I'm not saying that this is fundamentally bad, it's just when you can't bring your listeners along for the jokes (and you don't), it becomes bad. I imagine the PowerUser cast would not be suited to a stricter moderation, but then the humor has to be something more than what you'd overhear at a bar between coworkers. Realize you have an audience and play to them.