Steamcast Podcast

[brad92]

Hey folks. Thought I'd share a little project Sam, Saurabh and I are current under-taking. We have commenced our own Podcast about all things Valve. We've recorded four episodes so far and reception is quite strong. We're still getting our footing but things are improving quite quickly. We thought it would be good if we expanded our audience, and considering halflife2.net is a renowned site, what better place to pick eh?

Have a listen, if you'd like. Any comments and criticisms are welcome. I apologise if this thread goes against the forum rules. I'm not that familiar with the rules here. Thanks guys and I sincerley hope you enjoy. If you'd like to contact any of us our Steam IDs are Flamov, craeyon, and bboynexus respectively. You can also find us at the steam forums under the same names (though mine is mimaz98). (Y)

Steamcast Podcast
Sam, Saurabh and Brad discuss Valve, their games, and most importantly, the community and their discussions in the Steam Users' Forums. Steamcast typically lasts for 30 minutes in length and is recorded every Sunday.

Steamcast is a podcast focusing on topics surrounding Valve, their products and their services. The core of the show focuses around several community discussions in the Steam Users' Forums. Highlighting key arguments and ideas seen in the forum, the ideas and debates are extended through the show. One topic is chosen from the Half-Life 2: Episode 2 forum, the Team Fortress 2 forum and the Left 4 Dead (and Left 4 Dead 2) forum. The discussions generally revolve around threads with an outstanding quality of its communication of ideas, ongoing argument reliability and general maturity of the idea presented. Steamcast is recorded every Sunday and generally lasts around 60 minutes per episode.

This thread is intended to discuss the show and its episodes.

Website
http://www.thesteamcast.com

iTunes Subscription
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=320594165

RSS Feed
http://www.thesteamcast.com/podcast_feed.xml

Twitter
http://www.twitter.com/thesteamcast (@thesteamcast)

Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Steamcast/115617846829
​

 

[TheOneFreeMan]

My immediate thought is how much material you could possibly have to discuss when you're limited to just talking about Valve.

 

[Ennui]

Steam forums are painful enough to browse through without a podcast recasting their arguments. I left a comment to this effect last month in your thread over there. Do you really think that people want to spend an hour of their time listening to a few random dudes regurgitate discussions from threads on the Steam forums, which are notorious as the least worthwhile of all the Valve fan communities on the internet? Also, as you responded in your thread over there, if Podcast 17 has the mod niche taken, which you will be avoiding, how the hell do you think you're going to keep things interesting after a few episodes if all you're talking about is threads related directly to Valve games and news? People go to forums for that sort of thing. Frankly following forum discussions (almost everything of which has been discussed to death all over the internet already) is not going to stay "fresh" very long, if it ever was in the first place.

 

[brad92]

We have a large number of ideas in place that we are preparing to install. If you'd like to know more, Spitfire (craeyon) is your man.

While I don't disagree in the least that Steam forums are a bloody mess compared to the controlled and incredibly constructive likes of halflife2.net or any other such Half-Life fan forums, I've been a member of Steam for a long time and there are many members there who I deeply respect, who are very grounded and very intelligent. It's sort of become a home for me to express my thoughts and deep interest in Valve and Half-Life. Having said that, I would hope at least that, bias or prejudice aside, you might give us a chance. I know Samon was interested.

 

[brad92]

Just to note, I've recieved intel that the odds are we'll be treated to a private interview with a high-ranking Valve employee.

 

[TheOneFreeMan]

So you don't know what any of your "ideas" are, just that you have ideas. And you've barely started your podcast but you're already sure you're going to get an interview with high-ranking Valve employees?

This sounds like utter delusion.

 

[Asknoone]

I know Samon was interested.

Careful - I said I'd consider appearing on it; primarily under the provision that BlueLightning would appear. Because that, well - that would be hilarious.

 

[TheOneFreeMan]

Careful - I said I'd consider appearing on it; primarily under the provision that BlueLightning would appear. Because that, well - that would be hilarious.

Hey, don't you dare diss Blue Lightning. Blue Lightning knows everything there is to know about video game design, having been crowned Champion of Video Games by his mom.

 

[brad92]

So you don't know what any of your "ideas" are, just that you have ideas. And you've barely started your podcast but you're already sure you're going to get an interview with high-ranking Valve employees?

This sounds like utter delusion.

What? I know the ideas, of course, but I'm not so sure if Spitfire would be happy if I just went on jabbing about them!

Despite that, a guest-host we're having on in the next week or so, by the name of Nighcabbage, IS DEFIENTLY having an interview with Valve. He's taking constructive questions from us, and indeed other Valve fans that haven't quite been addressed in other recent media interviews!

Hey, don't you dare diss Blue Lightning. Blue Lightning knows everything there is to know about video game design, having been crowned Champion of Video Games by his mom.

Oh God, really, don't remind me!

Careful - I said I'd consider appearing on it; primarily under the provision that BlueLightning would appear. Because that, well - that would be hilarious.

No, you said this:

I am interested.

 

[Hectic Glenn]

Interesting indeed...

Good luck with the project, I know how much work goes into these!

 

[brad92]

Thanks very much Hectic! It may not work out at all. Only a few do, after all.

 

[spitfire]

Haha, to be honest it did start out as an utter delusion. But now we do have some firm grounds upon which we can proudly walk and say that what we are doing is something meaningful and important.

As for the comments on finding content. I believe that Steam (Software and the community) itself has way too much going on for us to ever run out of content. My immediate question however would be, how has halflife2.net managed to survive on just couple of games made by Valve when nothing "fresh" happens anyways.

We might sound humble, modest and confused (well, Brad does anyways) but we actually have a very good idea of where we are taking this.

Anyways, thanks for the comments/criticism. They will eventually help us get better.

 

[TheOneFreeMan]

The criticism coming from me is simply based on you saying you have loads of ideas and making lots of grandiose claims like interviews with Valve employees ... yet I'm not seeing any of this in action. Many a man makes grand promises about their projects, but few come through.

If you actually do it, then good on ya. But I'm skeptical until I see some substance. Quite frankly, the Steam forums rarely have any discussions worth discussing again, so I don't see myself wanting to listen to this.

 

[spitfire]

The criticism coming from me is simply based on you saying you have loads of ideas and making lots of grandiose claims like interviews with Valve employees ... yet I'm not seeing any of this in action. Many a man makes grand promises about their projects, but few come through.

If you actually do it, then good on ya. But I'm skeptical until I see some substance. Quite frankly, the Steam forums rarely have any discussions worth discussing again, so I don't see myself wanting to listen to this.

Thanks, we will put you on the "People to please" list

 

[spitfire]

I thought I should post this here just for kicks. I would ask brad to do it but I believe he is asleep at the moment haha!

Steamcast Episode #5: Tea with Sasso
Recorded 12th July, 2009

We're joined by Matt (Sasso from the steam forums) as we delve into his very own topic of "Episode Three wants and don't wants".

The Steamcast Podcast Website
Direct Download
iTunes Subscription

Show notes for Episode 5


Join us!
Steamcast Twitter
Facebook Group
Steam Group

 

[brad92]

http://www.steamcastpodcast.com/

Episode 9 is up guys and, yes, we have secured for all of you an exclusive audio interview with Gabe Newell himself. We apologise for the temporary website. Our main server is down at the moment due to a number of refurbishments.

So too all those who thought us deluded. Well...

If you would prefer to read the interview rather than hear it, you can find a transcript of the interview below:

http://docs.google.com/View?id=d8qf5wx_23d4qx4hhh

 

[Acepilotf14]

A text version?
My god you are the best people ever

 

[Barnz]

Gabe on Episode Three

Right now, the Half-Life 2 Episodes themselves are on a third sort of ‘rhythm’ and, you know, we think it makes sense for the product and for what we’re trying to do there and the reason we’re not talking about it is mainly we don’t have anything to say. It’s not like we decided we released too much information, it’s just that if we had information that we were in a position to deliver to people we would and right now we don’t have anything to say about it. And it really is a consequence of these different sorts of rhythms to release schedules which we’re trying out.

Gabe on (original) Half-Life

Gabe: It’s something we said we would do and something we intend to do. We just need to find...you know there are trade-offs, right, spending time getting the engine enhanced and also doing commentary for Half-Life 1. One request I get a lot is having commentary tracks back on the original Half-Life. So, we’d like to do it. We just have to fit into a schedule when we also feel a lot of pressure to do Counter-Strike Source updates and do more Left 4 Dead content.

Interesting read.

 

[Hectic Glenn]

Got your PM yesterday about this Brad, prior to you putting it up, thanks.

I had it marked in my calender today to check it, since your site was down all of yesterday. Glad to see you've resolved your problems temporarily to get it up. Great how other things try and screw you over when it's the most important time for them to work?

 

[spitfire]

Haha Hectic, remember, anything that can go wrong will go wrong and in the worst possible manner.