The PC PowerPlay Community Podcast - *New* Episode #18 out!

[ThePhotoshop]

This is the one-stop thread for the PCPowerPlay Community Podcast!



What is a Podcast?
It's kind of like a downloadable radio show. It's a group of people talking about a particular subject that they have a passion for. The idea with podcasts is that you listen to them in the background whilst doing something else; whether it be passing time at work or whilst on a long car or bus trip. Chuck 'em on your MP3 player, stick your headphones on, and marvel as time flies!

What is this Podcast about?
PC Gaming, of course! This podcast features myself (Dan) and Paingod556 (Max) chatting about our number one pastime. We also bring on different guests from the PCPP community each episode to discuss various PC gaming related issues, and just generally have a bit of a laugh and a good time. New episodes will be released fortnightly. We differ from other PC gaming podcasts because we don't regurgitate lists of industry news bytes - instead we talk about gaming as gamers. Whether it be exploring an issue, delving into gaming culture or just talking about games that are special to us - this is content that you won't find anywhere else.

Where can I get the Podcast?
Right here! There are a number of different ways we can get the episodes to you:

1. Subscribe to us on iTunes
   This is the most common delivery method for podcasts and is the most convenient for you. Clicking the above link will open iTunes and take you to our page on the iTunes Music Store. From there, you can download individual episodes, or hit the Subscribe button to automatically have new episodes downloaded to your hard drive as they are released. Once downloaded, the episode will appear in the Podcasts section of iTunes and will automatically sync with your iPod.
2. View the RSS Feed
   An RSS feed is a series of posts that I update manually when a new episode is released. You can optionally subscribe to this feed using an RSS Reader, so that new episodes will automatically show up in that reader when I make new posts, or just bookmark that link. Each new post will contain a summary of the episode as well as a download link which you can follow to get it. This method, though not as convenient as iTunes, does not require you to have the program installed.
3. Read this thread!
   This thread will be continually updated with links to new episodes as well as music credits and other related information. Probably the least convenient method, it still gets the job done. However, if you wish to stream the podcast instead of downloading the entire thing first, this is for you. The next section will contain streaming and download links for each episode.

Show me the episodes!
Okay! Newer episodes will appear at the top.

• November 25 2009 Episode 18 Download/Stream
  
  
• March 14 2009 Episode 17 Download/Stream
  
  
• December 13 2008 Episode 16: Evolution Complete (1:09:38) Download/Stream (48mb)
  Dan returns for his final episode and is joined by Max and Sam (Majikthise) to discuss how we've shifted between styles and genres of games over the years.
• December 02 2008 Episode 15: No Fighting In The War Room (1:38:58) Download/Stream (68mb)
  Max, Adam (madaimer) and Joshua (jagji56) get tactical with Red Alert 3 and its predecessors, debating the idea of realism versus fun in strategy games. Also discussed are Warcraft, Defcon, Company of Heroes, Men of War and Civilisation, with some World at War thrown in for good measure.
• November 24 2008 Episode 14: I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire (1:37:40) Download/Stream (67mb)
  Dan, Nathan Cocks and Joshua Hull (Arach) pick apart Fallout 3, its predecessors and the role-playing genre in as a whole - but not before discussing the holiday onslaught with the likes of Dead Space, Mirror's Edge, Fable II, LittleBigPlanet and Left 4 Dead.
• November 06 2008 Episode 13: This Is Efrica (1:02:59) Download/Stream (43mb)
  Dan, Terrence and Andrew find themselves a far cry from home on an African safari!
• October 20 2008 Episode 12: And That's How My Story Ends (2:01:36) Download/Stream (83mb)
  Dan and Terrence square off over Fahrenheit then chat to Max about some of our favourite mods. We are then joined by Tom (fuzzhead) and Alastair (Chuc), two developers from the Battlefield 2 mod Project Reality, to discuss the inner workings of a mod team and realistic depictions of warfare in games.
• October 12 2008 Episode 11: Beauty & the Beast (1:02:05) Download/Stream (42mb)
  Dan and Max are joined by Nathan Cocks for a spoiler-filled discussion of Guns of the Patriots - the final chapter of the Metal Gear Solid saga.
• September 27 2008 Episode 10: Live at Wembley '08 (2:55:04) Download/Stream (120mb)
  Our podcast heroes meet face-to-face, have a few drinks, and engage in an epic roundtable discussion.
• September 21 2008 Episode 9: Love on the Battlefield (40:00) Download/Stream (28mb)
  Just a short podcast this fortnight as we prepare for the upcoming livecast. Dan and Max are joined by Andrew (Andy-wan) and Ross (Bruno Smith) to chat about Jagged Alliance 2, Dreamfall, Shadow of the Colossus, The Witcher, Mafia and the ridiculousness of Metal Gear Solid.
• September 08 2008 Episode 8: Paralysed by Choice (61:11) Download/Stream (42mb)
  Dan, Max, Terry and Brendan take a look at open-world games and discuss the trials and tribulations that come with unlimited choice in a free-roaming world.
• August 17 2008 Episode 7: Wooden Buckazoids (55:02) Download/Stream (37mb)
  Quizmaster Terrence (King Nothing) makes his debut for a second round of PC gaming trivia.
• August 03 2008 Episode 6: 50% Biscuity Goodness (1:38:17) Download/Stream (67mb)
  Nathan Cocks (ElPresidente) likes to talk about games. A lot. Hear his opinions on games old, new, and upcoming, as well as what it's like getting paid to write about them.
• July 17 2008 Episode 5: Satisfaction (1 :07 :11) Download/Stream (46mb)
  After diagnosing me with Chronic Backstabbing Disorder™, we chat to James (Bomer) about his multiplayer woes and explore what we as gamers seek from a social gaming environment.
• July 04 2008 Episode 4: The Story of Tennis (43:09) Download/Stream (30mb)
  We chat to Nathan (aussiexile) and Ashlee about their casual gaming habits, then bring in Alex (noobule) to talk hardcore games like TF2, Diablo III and Smash Bros Brawl.
• June 21 2008 Episode 3: Disks & Dongles (60:09) Download/Stream (41mb)
  After discussing who we did in Mass Effect we take a look at copy protection and how it has transformed as the gaming industry has grown.
• June 07 2008 Episode 2: Are You Hardcore? (44:17) Download/Stream (30mb)
  Matt confesses his love for Mark Hamill and Brendan finds out that Douglas Adams is dead amidst a smorgasboard of PC Gaming trivia.
• May 31 2008 Episode 1: The Top 100 (1:46:44) Download/Stream (76mb)
  This episode features myself, Paingod and Optimus in a discussion of the Top 100 list in the latest issue of PCPP. We also reveal a little about ourselves as we go over what we personally would have put at the top.

Can I be on the Podcast?
We'd love to have you on the podcast! The idea is for myself and Max to be the regular hosts with a different forum regular as a guest each fortnight, just to keep things spicy. If you'd like to be on the next podcast either PM me or drop a message in this thread, and I'll let you know if we need you.

What do I need to be on the podcast?
- Skype
- Audacity or WavePad
- Headset and Microphone
- 512k ADSL or better
- At least 18 years under your belt
- Be knowledgeable and talkative!

If you don't want to be a guest, you can still send us an audio question. If you have a question or would like to raise a gaming-related issue for discussion on the podcast, record your question and send it as an MP3 to podcast@danielhindes.net! If your question is selected it will be played and answered on the podcast. Your question doesn't necessarily have to be related to a particular podcast topic, we'll accept anything gaming related.

Request a Song!
Want to hear your favourite game tunes on the podcast? Have a look through my videogame music playlist, and I'll try and work your requests in to the next episode.

What else can I do to help?
Some of you may have noticed that we have moved to a proper host. Please give me some feedback on speed and reliability when you can. Especially let me know if you can't get to the files for any reason. This was to support our move to iTunes, and we are not featured on the "Notable" scroller on the iTunes Music Store's Videogame Podcast frontpage.

The server however is coming out of Max and my back pockets, and as such we would be eternally greatful if you were able to donate to keep us on our feet. This is not required; the podcast is still free and it won't be going anywhere regardless of what you do, but any small sum would really help us out. You can use PayPal or Visa.

PCPP Community Podcast Donation Page

Thanks again, and I hope you enjoy the podcast.

*N.B. This podcast is not associated or affiliated with PCPowerPlay in any official capacity. It is the work of community members, and as such our views and opinions do not reflect those of PCPowerPlay staff or Next Publishing. The podcast contains coarse language.

[Thegrim]

listening to now, will edit for feedback.

edit: 97mbs for a podcast oww my internetz
edit2: holy crap 1 hour and 40 minutes of podcasty goodness, better get me a coffee O_o
edit3: haha love the angst of all the "new" gamers photoshop. *more to come*

[Jackablade]

Downloading now.

That is pretty sizable. You might want to compress it a little if you want to get a lot of hits. Its not like you need super high quality sound on a podcast.

[ThePhotoshop]

Yeah, apologies for the filesizes, I've yet to find a good middle-ground with Audacity regarding compression and quality. It's as though it's fighting me. Will have it sorted out by next episode though, and the fact that they wont all usually run this long will help.

[dickyBoy]

Can't you just use a 64kilobit mono ogg vorbis? Ogg compresses quite nicely and is natively supported by Audacity, 64kilobit is plenty for voice (maybe even 32 would do it...) and it's not like you need stereo to hear what people are saying.

[Optimus]

Downloading now too.

Will be interesting to hear how it turned out. Awesome, I'll bet



Is it too early to apologise the my flu-ridden recording?

[Thegrim]

Originally Posted by Optimus

Downloading now too.

Will be interesting to hear how it turned out. Awesome, I'll bet



Is it too early to apologise the my flu-ridden recording?

i thought u were cold/had just run a marathon you kept breathing alot was kind of like having a stalker outside your window >_>.

[stuki]

Ima downloading.

Edit:
Whoa. that took like 40 seconds....

[ThePhotoshop]

OK, just found out how to actually do mono in Audacity (have to split the stereo track and then merge into mono on save - not exactly intuitive). Uploading a smaller version now.

[look out! Ninjas!]

How come I have to rename the file to X6.mp3 from just X6?
Really, Its no big deal if its your end, but I'm scared it'll screw up when I play it.