Putting too much on my plate, time for a change of pace

I always did have eyes bigger than my belly and in the case of this blog and the Let's Multiplay plans I think I might have given myself just a bit too much to do and I need to scale back until I can get some willing help with editing and other time consuming jobs. Right now it feels like I need to focus on getting the podcast out into the world more and getting it up to a more consistently high standard so things are falling by the wayside.

Instead of just ditching the idea of working on games focused stuff  I'm intending on a change of direction instead. I don't relish writing all that much because the process takes far too long when put next to the relative speed of recording a podcast. Certainly it allows for greater focus but in that is the strong possiblity of dry, exhaustive analysis in the form of walls of text. In fact that's very hard to avoid, especially for the article ideas I have like a Mass Effect mission by mission breakdown and a discussion of Square Enix's fall from grace.

So what am I going to do instead? Well given how much I enjoy recording podcasts coupled with a good number of people I know who are into games I'm thinking a second weekly podcast might be the right move for me. For a start I'm intending to get my brother to join me for the Mass Effect and Square podcasts as we've discussed it a lot and can likely talk for hours at a time but after that I'll be throwing the doors open for others to volunteer for future podcasts.

So what will the focus be and what should you keep in mind if you want to join me for a recording?

• You have to be willing to talk freely and clearly. You might say it's obvious but it's an odd feeling forcing a conversation about a specific subject knowing that what you're saying is going out into the world where anyone can hear.
• Shyness is not an option and if you get in front of the mic and go quiet I'll attempt to jump start you but if it's not working I'll stop the recording and we'll discuss it. You've got to be ready to hear someone being critical and make an effort to change.
• If you've not listened to any podcasts and jump at this then tell me that I'll chew you out. You wouldn't try to make a movie without having at least seen one would you? I'd suggest checking out Kevin Smiths output along with some game related stuff like the IGN or Gamesradar podcasts so you get a taste of the way podcasting works.
• Keeping in mind that being informative is paramount whilst also attempting to be entertaining. If we're sat exchanging facts that's all well and good but if that's it then the result will be dry and harder to listen to unless it's genuinely fascinating new information. With the internet being the font of knowledge for most it's almost impossible to come up with a fact people wont have heard before so keep that in mind.
• Games media is pretty saturated so we will need to be entertaining in some way shape or form and finding your niche is part of that. Starting out I'm not going to be expecting much but if we decide to record on a regular basis you'll need to pay attention to what you bring to the table in terms of adding to comedy or providing interesting opinion and work on it.
• We will need to be able to talk naturally to each other. There are some people I can chat to for hours and other I struggle to keep things going with. Obviously the former option isn't going to work for a podcast so if we sit and try to record and I feel that there's no decent to and fro then I'll stop it and say.
• If your opinions only extend to "I don't like it because I don't like it" and you don't make a joke or justify yourself afterward you're taking all the steam out of the conversation so you'll need to be sharp and roll with the punches. It takes practice getting to the point where this happens naturally so I'm not going to be getting on peoples backs, but it's something to try and keep in the back of your mind if you want to get involved. Much as it can seem easy, the art of driving a podcast is something that takes effort.
• If you've listened to my current podcast then you know that if we disagree then debate will ensue. I don't mince my words or take prisoners intellectually so if you're not confident about a bit of proper debate and are likely to stumble or take offence at being told outright that you are wrong then you'll be no help. Just know that as serious as I might sound it's just passion and my debate style so you don't need to take offence and you'll be fine. Again, I'll call you out with no hesitation if you look all hurt when I tell you a game you like is crap and why.
• Keep the audience in mind. Try to remember that there are a lot of opinions and that if they're not being represented then listeners who share them might turn off. If two out of three of the group are agreeing then that's the time to throw a contrary view into the mix, provided of course it drives things forward. You've got to be ready to fight for a side you don't agree with but remember that we can and will make it clear when we're doing that.
• I am willing to research subjects I'm not all that interested in and you should be as well. If you're completely disinterested and don't think you'll be able to contribute say ahead of time. Again, if we sit down to record and you've failed to prepare I'll make sure the listners know that it's you that's derailing the podcast.
• You'll need to be willing and able to help spread the word. I am but one man and I'm often busy editing or writing so building an audience is not easy for me to do. As such you'll need to impress upon the people you know that they should listen and put the word out online through a variety of places such as Facebook and forums.
• Don't take offence if I say no to recording with you, if anything ask why and I'll be honest. Know that anything I say is not an attack, I'm just trying to make this an engaging podcast and as the guy with the equipment, experience and website what I say goes.

Still reading? Think you jib is cut in a way I'll like? Then you'll want to know what I have in mind for the show itself.

• As far as weekly subject matter goes it's very much down to the individuals involved. Ideally I'd like to get two or three people together weekly to discuss topics they're all equally passionate about. If that's not possible we'll discuss ahead of time and bring our own topics to the table on the day. This will require email/Facebook/phone communication ahead of recordings.
• Subject suggestions are open as are the people involved. If you have a subject you want to focus on and someone in particular you want to do it with then let me know and we can work toward it.
• Subjects need to be varied and wide reaching. I don't want to do week after week of the same old Final Fantasy chat or end up focusing on one console or another so think outside the box. i.e. is there a classic unsung game series you want to champion or a genre you want to discuss in broad terms? I have a few subjects in mind but I can't be the only creative force at work all the time.
• Having part of the show dedicated to a quick news breakdown is something I've got in mind. It'll be quick and snappy headline type stuff delivered by one person followed by some time for the group to give opinion before moving on to the subject of the week.
• I want to make the occasional one off podcast focusing closely on a given subject. The Mass Effect and Square Enix podcasts I have in mind should give a flavor of what I mean so once I've got a sense of the flow of recording such a thing I'll begin thinking about others and taking suggestions.

Congratulations if you've read all that, you're clearly interested in getting involved and I'm interested in hearing from you. Right now I'm in the planning stages and I intend to record the first session with my brother within the next month with a view to get others involved soon after. It's first come first serve to an extent so if you want to get involved let me know sooner rather than later.