GameCritics.com Podcast Episode 87: An Important Announcement and Sell Richard a 3DS

Take care, Dylan. Thanks for being an excellent host!

WEIRD.

Been great listening to you, Dylan, and thanks for the great job you've done over the last year or so. I guess this means no more Journey mixed with Space Invaders :(

Best of luck in your future endeavours, and I sincerely hope you can call back in at some point in the future.

The Rest of You: now that a spot has opened up on the roster, I'd like to suggest a return to the old days of having regular guests. I've been listening to old podcasts on long drives, and you had some great guests - Scott Jones (hilarious), David Stone (I think) and his wife, Rhea Monique (sp) and many others. I'd imagine it's a lot of work to arrange this and have people make time, but there are so many quality guests that could be asked back.

Oh, and also I am totally behind Dylan and his weird love of landscape and location in Fallout 3 - to me the map in that game is unsurpassed in gaming. I was actually in DC the month before the game launched, and I was stunned at the job the world designers did with DC and environs.

F:NV doesn't really work in the same way because it's the wide open West and while the landscape is great, it's not that interesting.

I don't really understand the appeal game worlds have either, but great maps/levels, especially ones that situate you in the heart of that game world, contribute substantially to my enjoyment of games - cf Demon's, Dark Souls as well as Fallout 3.

Hi guys, i recently ran out of GC podcasts so i went on google and searched for the best gaming podcast, it seemed the top result was a website with a name that resembles "a large explosive device" and let me say that it blew the big one, i wish i had the critical writing skill needed to tear into it but ill have to decline. Keep it up and Dylan, you've been an awsome host.

That announcement is really a wtf for me as I didn't notice the smallest drop in quality in the show's content this year. Quite the contrary I was pleasantly surprised at the transition - I really thought Tim's departure will take away my interest in the show but that didn't happen. So, take care Dylan, you did a great job!

For future shows, the recent announcement of Drakengard 3 by Nier's team (another contender for WTF of the year!) could be the opportunity of doing that episode Mike suggested a while ago on "criminally overlooked games" such as binary domain, nier and others. I find, as I am sure a lot of other readers, that Game Critics largest contribution for me was to make me discover games that well not well enough marketed for me to understand I would enjoy them.

Also, more guests, especially developers and some WEISSENBERGER, could be great, although I think I'll kill myself If I hear another hour of David Stone's rambling about Tetris ;) I think we all remember this one! Just kidding of course of course...

Aloha Dylan,

you are a nice guy man!!! I wish you all the best.

And for the rest of the crew, please, don't ever consider quiting. Holland loves you!!!!!!!!!!

Big thanks to Dylan to hosting the podcast. I enjoyed your humour, hosting capabilities and way more than Tim Speath - you were able to keep a regular podcast schedule.

I was really surprised to hear some of the guys saying that post-Spaeth, that was a chance that there would be no more GC podcast. I know that some of you guys on the podcast think that ' why would anyone want to listen to our shit ' ( which I can understand because It's not a mind blowing conversation ) but there is a diversity of characters and opinions which works together well, regardless of a good host.

I even started going back through the catalogue from the first podcast and keeping the ones I enjoyed for another listening session. It's quite a long list.

Keep up the good times and thanks for the free entertainment.

Tom. Australia

Zune is now Xbox music...yes, you're on it. That's cool.

Great words from everybody. I also didn't think a post-spaeth podcast was possible but Dylan really did hold his own and did carry the podcast well, and I enjoyed all the episodes he produced. The transition from Tim to Dylan actually felt quite smooth to me. Anyway, Farewell, Dylan.

Good to know we're huge in Holland -- I'm guessing that's like Hasselhoff being huge in Germany or the fact that the French really love Jerry Lewis, right? :p

I think the biggest worry when Tim left, the thing that made some of wonder if this was the end of the line, was that we didn't have anyone in mind to take over hosting.

The idea of putting out a call on the Internet for a new host was primarily born because we didn't know anyone to ask. We were legitimately concerned that we would announce we were looking and no one would apply. If that happened, it was probably game over.

It was a pleasant surprise to see how many people applied to host the show -- and we wound up with more than a handful of applicants who were more than good enough to land the gig. Finding Dylan was a genuine stroke of good luck, though -- and he got us through what could have been a really difficult period.

I don't think any of us were wanting the show to end when Tim left, but we all were thinking in the back of our heads that it might be the end of things if we couldn't find the right replacement.

Welcome, Dylan, to the Pantheon of Retired Hosts! We will have a grand time spending our residual checks on drugs, women, and Fallout 3 DLC.

This is quite a surprise and a negative one at that. I was among those who thought that after Tim left the next host would have some pretty big shoes to fill. But Dylan did a decent job and I think it is sad for all of us, listeners, to see him go. One think I want to emphasize is - the podcast definitely should continue. I know it sounds a bit selfish (I simply wait for the next edition to be uploaded and then listen to it comfortably in my room while you guys put so much effort in preparing, conducting and editing the show) but you have been doing such an amazing job that I'd really hate it if it's over now that the host has gone. But enough with the pessimism, here's hoping that the podcast will live on to entertain us for a long long time! And Godspeed, Dylan!

Wow! I wasn't expecting Dylan's departure :( It's a shame, since I think that even thought he had a rough start he had finally found his voice and personal style.
Episodes were long and frequent with interesting conversations. I also didn't notice any fall in quality at all. If anything, it was getting better each episode.

Take care, Dylan, and thanks a lot for letting GameCritics borrow your voice!

I'm quite late to the discussion (as I often am; I usually listen to the podcast a week or so after it goes up), but felt it necessary to highlight some things.

Firstly, a lot of the responses are, as I was expecting, displaying surprise at Dylan's departure. I think this needs to be highlighted and acknowledged before I continue.

Secondly, I echo my fellow reader/listeners when I say that Dylan was a great podcast host, and seems like a genuinely cool guy. I wish him well in his future endeavors.

Okay, so on with the main issue: the reason for Dylan's departure. Why, exactly, is he leaving the podcast? Reading between the lines (i.e. comments made during the podcast) suggest that he is not necessarily leaving of his own accord; that others - the podcast staff - felt it was time for him to move on. I sincerely hope this is not the case, and that Dylan left because - like Tim - he wanted to, of his own accord.

Let's get this perfectly straight: the podcast is the only thing keeping this website relevant at the moment. Reviews are few and far between (and, frankly, Brad is the only grade-A writer in terms of quality; some others are competent, but do not write regularly or consistently enough), gaming news is almost nonexistent, and anything else that other gaming sites cover appears to have no grounding on this website. I understand that this is a small operation, and I'm not fully criticizing GC for lack of content, but it only serves to place further emphasis on the podcast.

With this in mind, it is a good idea to not tinker with the one asset of the website that remains a pull (for me certainly; without the podcast I would never come here). Therefore, removal of Dylan for reasons other than him wanting to leave makes me query the mentality of the other guys on the podcast. I have listened to several other gaming podcasts in past and can categorically tell you, without any hesitation, that good, charismatic hosts are a rare commodity. You were extremely lucky to find inherent podcast-hosting traits with Tim, so to expect anyone else to live up to that is, honestly, poor form. Dylan started competently, and has progressed well. It makes no sense to remove him at this stage, especially when the other GC staff lack the qualities necessary to host the podcast proper. I believe Richard has hosted some podcasts, but - without sounding horrible (I respect Richard, I really do) - he does not have the charisma necessary to carry a podcast like this for any length of time. You all have superb individual input as guests, but as a host it is a completely different ball game.

Anyway, I hope that I can be made to look a fool and that someone can tell me Dylan left because it was his own decision (and no-one else's)...?

This is why you shouldn't read between the lines...

Dylan left for the reasons he stated. There was some discussion that led up to that moment, but trust me -- none of us expected that he was going to leave or lobbied for it. There was no dramatic power play. There wasn't a "he goes or I go!" moment. The conversation that led to him leaving had nothing to do with anyone leaving at all -- it just wound up there. I would have preferred he stay, but it didn't work out that way. Looking for conspiracy theories is sort of silly.

As for the rest, the podcast isn't going anywhere. There is a plan for moving forward that will be revealed shortly, and I think most people will be pleased. Before someone starts a "Tim is coming back!" rumor, it's not that. :p

We've been lucky to have two great hosts. We know that. Changes are going to happen -- we've done this show for years now with very minor turnover, which is amazing because the show requires time and effort to make it happen and we all have lives and jobs and other assorted shit to deal with. I've never made a dime off this, personally -- it's purely a labor of love. It's sad to lose a member of the family (and Dylan is certainly that), but these things happen.

Just to reiterate what Mike said, Dylan is not leaving for any reason other than what he stated on the show. I thought things were going pretty well myself, but organizing/hosting/producing the podcast is a lot more work than it might look like, and going forward Dylan just wasn't going to have the time to do that. It's a shame, because he really did a great job for us when I thought the show was done for.

Also, the biggest thing to keep in mind is that we've lasted *much* longer than the vast majority of gaming podcasts out there. If we were a TV show we'd be somewhere around season 7, to give some perspective. It's kind of amazing since all of this is a total labor of love (read: nobody at GC receives any sort of monetary compensation) but changes like this are bound to happen in reasponse to life situations.

Okay, well thanks for clearing this up because honestly, I also had the impression that the last show was a bit tense, and a bit awkward. Listen to the beginning again, and you might feel the same? I was almost painful to listen to tbh...

I also had the feeling that something might have gone wrong between Dylan and "the rest" of the group. Perhaps we got that feeling because of the way the departure of Dylan was announced?

So, Mike, not so much "reading between the lines" but perhaps you guys just didn't do this the right way? I do not doubt you guys' honest intentions and sincerity, but perhaps the execution (wordjoke?) was a bit of?

We, the listeners, only base our ideas and assumptions on what you guys provide us with in the show. And what you gave us was an totally unexpected departure of Dylan accompanied with some vague-sounding reasons in an uncomfortable sounding show... Our (listeners) assumptions apparantly did give reason for you guys to explain again end more clearly here in the comments section that Dylan leaves because of time related issues (only?) and not because of personal issues. Well, if you say so...

I do think that is a bit weird, because you know from the start that hosting a show takes time and commitment, but okay...

I guess we can all sleep safe and sound now, in the comfort of knowing that Dylan is still in the circle of trust...

Good luck Dylan, good luck Gamecritics!

In that case, I apologise for sounding like a conspiracy theorist, and I obviously appreciate Mike and Richard putting me straight. I feel much happier and content to know that Dylan left of his own accord. I also take solace in the fact that the above listener also sensed something odd about the show; at least I wasn't the only one! =p

But yeah, it would have been much better to have said 'Dylan is leaving because he wants to (even though we don't want him to leave)', rather than the cryptic boardroom talk: 'both parties know when to end a relationship' etc. It's all irrelevant now, though. Good luck to Dylan!

I think I can explain the awkwardness to some degree. A) We suck at goodbyes and B) as a mega fan of the show, it was really important to Dylan that his leaving the show not reflect poorly on the show or on him. As such, he thought it would be best to prepare a statement in advance so that he wouldn't misspeak. That's usually not how we flow and coupled with the emotion of it all, that made it an unusually tough show to do.

If you go back and re-listen to Dylan's statement as straight as you possibly can, I honestly believe that Dylan said everything that he was comfortably revealing about his own personal situation and what happened with the podcast.

Dylan is very much in the "circle of trust". He will be back as a guest at some point.

The subject I wrote has nothing to do with this. But I wanted that in your heads while you read this. It will probably be stuck in your head all day/night, and that is my parting gift to you guys.

First of all, thank you guys for all of the nice comments. Like I said on the show, I am not a big fan of most gamers, and I assumed that the reaction to my departure would be a bunch of trolling "Weee! Dylan is gone!" comments. I'm a pessimist, I guess. So I am genuinely touched at your responses and they mean a lot to me.

The statement I made on the show was written very carefully. It stated with 100% accuracy the reason that I left. There were no hidden agendas and no hidden meaning. I am touched to be the subject of a mild conspiracy theory, but aside from the fact that Tim Spaeth’s “Phillippe” and I are the same person, there is nothing going on behind the curtain. Any wizard that you see back there is just Naik Cosplaying again.

I came from a place of doing like crazy, fly by the seat of your pants live style shows. Very little editing involved and very little planning and just posting as is.

This show's high level of quality and the length of it and the amount of people involved, PLUS the logistics of trying to get a Skype call working without someone's audio going wonky usually means that several things need to be edited. It’s really a matter of going back and listening to the entire show again and making sure the quality is good. Earlier on when I first started hosting the show for instance, someone had been typing something and the audio picked it up and we got mail chastising us for it. You guys keep us at a high standard of quality and we really just want to do the best show possible and as some people have stated, our show achieves that.

I didn't go into this on the show because I didn't really think it was important, but I will now. Just so the record is straight. I run a forum and have for several years. Built it from scratch. Back in December a lot of my staff jumped ship on me and started a competing forum and took a lot of our members. (This all sounds stupid and internet drama-ish, I know. But that is what happened.) My attention got extremely focused on trying to do damage control over there, and the whole situation in general was sort of a mindfuck. I didn’t see it coming at all and it almost ruined the place. I withdrew a lot from most of the people I spoke to online.

Because of that, I wasn't doing a great job of getting everyone on the same page on the topics for the podcast. I am also not very in the know about the more tech style topics that come up on the podcast. I dunno if you noticed how quiet I was on this show’s DS segment, but that is because I legit had no constructive input at all. I was way out of my element, and there were a lot of times that that happened when I was hosting the show as well. As you can imagine, it’s not great if the host is clueless about 50% of the topics covered on a given show. My sort of..interest is in things like what we did for my audition show, and that of "Let's talk about if Pac-Man and Mario had a fight, who would win?" That isn't really what this podcast had been before I started, and isn't where it should go.

I don't want people to think I took the host job knowing that I wouldn't have time to do it. Just, things happen. I have always loved this show and will continue to listen. The audience for this show is amazing and I look forward to seeing where it goes and hope to come back as a guest from time to time.

I also wanted to say that I personally think Richard is a good host. I find him to be humorous and he is good about moving the show along, so it doesn’t meander.

TL;DR: What I read on the show was really carefully worded because I didn't want anyone to think there was any drama behind the scenes. Maybe because I worded it so carefully and read it, people thought there was drama behind the scenes. I was not by any means forced out and myself and the other guys have no ill will towards each other. I am facebook friends with three of them and as all of you know, that is a pretty big step in a friendship. We legit had a meeting, and as a collective group, decided it would be best that I step down. That was all it was. It was awkward, that intro, because I am not great at monologuing if you guys haven't noticed. If you look back at the end of the year show, for instance, my nominees were always pretty short and to the point. I’m just not great at it and I get sort of uncomfortable. In general, any situation where a big change is happening is, I think, a little uncomfortable anyway. But I want to stress one more time that it wasn't uncomfortable because there was any animosity or anything remotely close to that. Mike, Chi, Brad and Richard are all really solid dudes and good guys.

I also don't want anyone under the impression that I emailed them one day and said I would no longer be doing the podcast. It was just that at this meeting, we just all talked about everything and decided that it would be best that I step down. I feel like I am repeating myself, but I just want to make sure that all of that is clear. There are no bad guys in the situation and there are no hidden things going on. Nothing is being swept under the rug at all.

Really, thank you guys again for all the kind words. I’m pretty good with sarcastic quips and what not, but suck at expressing sincere gratitude. Thank you to everyone who listened and wrote in, and thank you to everyone that has posted on this thread. It means a lot to me.

Dylan

Never have the time, inclination or preference to listen to a single podcast, which is a crying shame seeing it's the only 'sticky' article you ever have, and clearly your lead 'product'. Problem with that little strategy is that if I, and I suspect many others, are gonna be listening to anything it'll be an MP3 collection or online radio. If I can do that AND read game reviews simultaneously, it really does beg the question where the actual market is for game journalists' podcasts as they cannot be consumed simultaneously with music without creating a cacophany.

Besides which, one of GameCritics biggest weaknesses is the low editorial output, apart from occasional splurges of activity from Mr Galloway. By all means keep up with the podcasts and Dale Weir's video culture corner - for those who are interested. But for those who aren't, and for those who appreciate the skill, effort, and creativity that goes into putting together a well crafted article, I do wish you'd write more. Guess I'm old school in that.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

It's like Tim's sudden departure all over again! Dylan, you were a fantastic host and I hope you'll find time to keep coming back on the podcast. It was a hard act to follow but you did it. Thanks, we'll miss you!