Couch Podtatoes is back Online

It’s fitting that it’s during Blaugust (which is also an NBI style event this year) that I can make this announcement. Something that started as a by-product of the first NBI that I was a participant in, the Couch Podtatoes podcast, has now been official put back online! This isn’t to say that there are new episodes at this point in time, but all 99 of the prior episodes that were hosted on Libsyn (and subsequently taken down after we stopped producing new content) are back online. If you use the Couch Podtatoes link at the top of the blog, it will take you to its category listing which is now the official home of the podcast. As of this point, each individual show page has a live recording and you can download the episodes to your favorite device right now. You can also subscribe to the RSS feed with the accompanying button, but the links to iTunes and Stitcher are still dead. I’m working on getting those feeds sorted, but for the time being this will have to do.

So what changed? Well, Libsyn was costing Eri $20 a month to continue to host our show. After we went on hiatus, she finally decided that it wasn’t worth paying for anymore, and I agreed. I had the show cataloged on my hard drive, but that was the extent of its life. I heard about a friend of the blogosphere opening up his own hosting server and giving current and dead shows a place to live, so I approached him for this deal. I’m not the only one, and it seems that having a new host has inspired others to revive their dead show. I’m feeling equally inspired, but I don’t see myself going down the weekly show path again. I’ve also been trying to sort out the particulars for a new Magic: The Gathering related show as well.

So long story short, thanks to DJPimpDaddy for graciously hosting Couch Podtatoes and getting the show back on the internet. He has made this hosting an option for basically anyone, as he announced here.

Stay tuned to this space for more information on my podcast projects. You can also follow me on Twitter @mevsmyselfandi and @couchpodtatoes as well.

PSA: Couch Podtatoes

What’s up everybody?

I feel like it’s time to put this out there into the public space. I have really, really enjoyed this hiatus from podcasting. When I started the show I was unemployed. Add work, school, and a girlfriend to that mix, and it felt like staying committed to doing the thing once a week was becoming tedious.

Eri and I both agreed that we were having too much trouble getting people involved. It became increasingly harder to get guests onto the show. We tried several rotating co-hosts and that worked for a time, but then their schedules got in the way. Eri and I had conflicting schedules living on opposite sides of the world. It became difficult to coordinate so we were already considering a change. I was going to keep the show going in it’s current format, take on a new co-host and she would just become one of the rotating co-hosts. It sounded great until I took a couple of weeks off to just clear my head and get away from it all. I barely even blogged or got on Twitter in those couple of weeks. Unplugging became easier as the time went on. Sure, there was that nagging sensation in the back of my head that said “you need to blog. you need to figure out the podcast. you need to make more YouTube content. why aren’t you being productive?” I chose to ignore this. The voice grew quieter over time.

I’ve had lulls in the past. This run is probably one of my most prolific, having ran a blog, podcast, community events, and really getting involved in the gaming community. There’s always a trade though, and for a time it felt like I spent more time living this virtual life as Izlain, than my own, real life. I still stand by the notion that I’m not going to let this blog completely die off. But I’m willing to let the podcast go, at least for the time being. The two week hiatus turned into a couple of months, and I finally decided that the time gained from not producing content has been more valuable to me, and some of the stress I would put on myself to create has been lifted.

So yes, Couch Podtatoes has seen its finally curtain call, after running for 99 episodes and a little over two years. It was a fantastic run, I had a lot of fun and the memories will always be cherished. For the time being, the Libsyn page is still up, so if there are episodes you would like to save, you should do so. I have told Eri to go ahead and cancel the membership at her leisure, so I’m not sure when they will come offline. I have every episode saved as well, so if you happen to need a copy of one, let me know.

This doesn’t mean I’m done with podcasting though. Honestly I really love it. I just needed some time away to recharge. I’m toying with ideas for a new show already, but am unsure if I’ll just be going it alone or if I might get a friend involved. It’s likely to have to do with nerd culture still, but I might get away from the limiting market of just talking about gaming. I think I’ve said most of what I’ve needed to say on that topic. Branching out could provide new inspiration. I’m not going to commit to anything just yet, but I will let you know when that time comes.

The Twitter account for the show will remain. I will likely announce any new projects via that and my own personal account. And of course, I’m going to keep blogging. Thank you for your support over the past couple of years.

Couch Podtatoes Episode 99: Retro

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This week I’m joined by a very special guest. One of my best friends and the first official guest that I’ve had on the show that I actually know in real life, Jasinner, joins me for a discussion on Retro. Retro gaming, collecting, and what all goes into it. Jasinner is a retro game collector, and has nearly all of the original NES games on their original cartridges, along with tons of other cool stuff. We touch on other facets of collecting as well, along with making pop culture references along the way. It was a fun and candid conversation I’m sure you’ll enjoy!

 

Download this Episode Subscribe via RSS Download on iTunes Listen on Stitcher

Couch Podtatoes Epsiode 99: Retro (runtime: 47:15)

Discussion: Retro (starts at 00:00)

Host Contact information:

Izlain
Blog: Me vs. Myself and I
Twitter: @mevsmyselfandi

Jasinner
Twitter: @jasinner

Music Credits:
“Bit Rush” by Riot Games
“Enchanted Rose” by Bury Your Dead (from the album Beauty and the Breakdown)

Couch Podtatoes is a podcast about gaming, though we might stray into other forms of media. Sometimes we use strong language, but we try to keep that to a minimum. All opinions expressed by us or our guests are our own and are in no way to be interpreted as official commentary from any companies we discuss. You can visit our official podcast page at Libsyn.com. Be sure to follow us on iTunes, and/or Stitcher Radio.

You can also find the show in video format at The Gaming And Entertainment Network YouTube page.

Questions, comments and feedback are welcomed and encouraged!

Couch Podtatoes Episode 98: Exploration

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Welcome back to the show everyone! This week, Izzy’s been playing the hell out of No Man’s Sky, and Eri has been knee deep in Starbound, both of which are exploration focused games. We dive into what makes up a game that is exploration focused, what the strengths and weakness are, and how they might improve in the future. As usual we touch on many different titles, systems and mechanics and weave in our signature potty-mouthed humor. Come on a journey with us!

 

Download this Episode Subscribe via RSS Download on iTunes Listen on Stitcher

Couch Podtatoes Epsiode 98: Exploration (runtime: 39:49)

What are we playing? (starts at 1:45)
Discussion: Exploration (starts at 9:29)

Host Contact information:

Izlain
Blog: Me vs. Myself and I
Twitter: @mevsmyselfandi

Eri
Blog: Healing The Masses
Twitter: @ausj3w3l

Music Credits:
“Bit Rush” by Riot Games
“The Exaltation” by Revocation (from the album Great is our Sin)
“Enchanted Rose” by Bury Your Dead (from the album Beauty and the Breakdown)

Couch Podtatoes is a podcast about gaming, though we might stray into other forms of media. Sometimes we use strong language, but we try to keep that to a minimum. All opinions expressed by us or our guests are our own and are in no way to be interpreted as official commentary from any companies we discuss. You can visit our official podcast page at Libsyn.com. Be sure to follow us on iTunes, and/or Stitcher Radio.

You can also find the show in video format at The Gaming And Entertainment Network YouTube page.

Questions, comments and feedback are welcomed and encouraged!

Couch Podtatoes Episode 97: Relegation

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Hey guys and gals! Sorry I’m late pushing this episode out, real life (and No Man’s Sky) have been kicking my ass lately when it comes to having any free time! Eri and I have super conflicting schedules lately so I apologize for that. We’re getting together in a couple days to put together another episode though, so no harm no foul right?

So this week I go it alone, and I’m talking about a recent esports scandal, the way League of Legends’ relegation system works, and how that could be applied to other professional sports. So yeah, if you aren’t into those types of things, you probably won’t be really interested in this discussion, but it’s only 20 minutes, so maybe you’ll be surprised. I don’t know. Either way, I thought it was a thought provoking topic and would love some feedback on it!

 

Download this Episode Subscribe via RSS Download on iTunes Listen on Stitcher

Couch Podtatoes Epsiode 97: Relegation (runtime: 19:37)

Discussion: Relegation (starts at 00:00)

Host Contact information:

Izlain
Blog: Me vs. Myself and I
Twitter: @mevsmyselfandi

Music Credits:
“Bit Rush” by Riot Games
“Enchanted Rose” by Bury Your Dead (from the album Beauty and the Breakdown)

Couch Podtatoes is a podcast about gaming, though we might stray into other forms of media. Sometimes we use strong language, but we try to keep that to a minimum. All opinions expressed by us or our guests are our own and are in no way to be interpreted as official commentary from any companies we discuss. You can visit our official podcast page at Libsyn.com. Be sure to follow us on iTunes, and/or Stitcher Radio.

You can also find the show in video format at The Gaming And Entertainment Network YouTube page.

Questions, comments and feedback are welcomed and encouraged!