IGC: The 5 Year Journey

[Psykoboy2]

"And welcome to In-Game Chat for the past 5 years...."

It's actually been longer than 5 years, but February 2, 2012 marked the 5th anniversary of In-Game Chat/Evil Avatar Radio/In-Game Chat. That is to say that more than we've been doing this show, you've been listening to it. If no one listened or cared, if we ever felt this wasn't worth doing (and at times, we have come close), we'd have stopped already.

Years before we ever did our first broadcast, James and I would sit around the house while visiting to watch some stupid episode of Lost or Amazing Race, Survivor, or something else that was actually good and is no longer on television, and talk about games. Jeremy from time to time would also join in those conversations when a group of us were out at dinner some random weekend night.

At first, it was just talking about games. Then it grew into an idea. I can remember some night in 2006 where James and I were sitting around thinking it would be great if we could do this for a living - talk about video games. But how? I worked at a radio station but there was no way in living hell that the powers that be would go for something like this.

Time passed and in early 2007, on a whim, I decided to talk to the general manager of the radio stations I worked at. I'd been there, at that time, for about 7 years and thought....what the hell? Wouldn't hurt to ask.

My initial approach wasn't for gaming only. I honestly didn't think that would fly and that in the minds of those powers, the show would have to encompass more than just gaming. I went with an electronics/tech show. Some extremely stupid idea that would get us on the air so we could then just talk about games. This was some lowly AM station that went to like...2% power after the sun went down. There's no way they'd care what we were talking about or even listen to it. And we didn't care about that. The station was being streamed over the internet so the quality would always be clear, even if the content wasn't.

Regardless, to my surprise, I was granted a show based on that idea. And on Friday, February 2nd 2007 at 7pm Central, our first show was broadcast.

We've lost that episode (thankfully, really...I'm not even sure it wasn't intentional, honestly - it was shit) and the few episodes that followed. Our earliest episode, so far that we know of, is from March 9th of 2007. You can listen to that episode here, if you like.

We started, if I remember right, with myself, James, and Jeremy. Dana sat in the producer's booth and screened our phone calls, which surprisingly we got a lot of - both local and long distance from the stream. During our run we had people come in and out of the show. Matt joined us, Arjay, Dennis, Dave on occasion, and then Daniel for a long stint. An honorary and often invisible fourth member who's likely been with us on every episode is Kevin. Sometimes I think we've done 5 years just to keep going so he can be on the show with us live if he ever makes it back into town.

We also started without a name. For like a month almost. We held a poll on Evil Avatar as to what our name should be. I don't remember the choices but when the final results were in, we said screw democracy and took IGC as our name. Then, of course, in August of that same year, we took over the reigns of Evil Avatar Radio from (fuck you) Phil Kollar. An honor at the time and something that actually kind of scared us as to what might happen. Most of you know what happened.

The show exploded into one with actual guest interviews of people in the industry and we began pulling in people on the show we'd never have ever thought we'd get the opportunity to speak with. Our very first interview is also one of our proudest. We spoke with Keith Fuller at Raven Software on the passing of an artist of theirs, Glen Angus who died suddenly earlier in the week. One of our first achievements of interviews wasn't as big at the time as we thought it was, mainly because the game had only released that Tuesday and we were doing a show that Friday (or Monday - point being, it was quick). But somehow or another we were able to book both Ellen McClain as well as Jonathan Coulton on the same show.

As time went on we would interview more and more people every episode, from Major Nelson, Neil Druckmann from Naughty Dog who talked to us about a new game for the PS3 called Uncharted (he's now the lead on their newest IP, The Last Of Us), Jonathan Blow, Cheapy D, numerous people multiple times from Penny Arcade, Metanet Software (N+), the guys from Ironclad games (Sins Of A Solar Empire), Steve Scott from Bungie who gets to blow shit up all day, Denis Dyack, Crow & Tom Servo from MST3K (I know, right?), Nolan Fucking North, Amy Hennig, friends of the show Twisted Pixel, and of course Mark Hamill, David Hayter, and astronaut Charlie Duke.

As Evil Avatar Radio we crossed the 100th episode threshold with a huge show full of previous callers wishing us well and a ton of people from the community.

Then, in September of 2008, we once again returned as In-Game Chat at almost the same time this site, Colony Of Gamers, was born. James put it best, I think:

We’ve been here before, and it’s time come round at last for the second cast of Evil Avatar Radio to retake its one true name. We owe a great deal to the men and women of Evil Avatar, and we’ve come further for the association than we could have hoped to on our own. But it turns out that to move forward we need to look back. Community exists beyond name or URL – community is people, and we can assure you that the podcast is intact, in good company, and in high spirits.

Stay tuned. Good things are close at hand.

And they were. We would go on to discontinue our broadcast live on the air and settle for a recorded format. It gave us the liberty to record when we wanted as well as say what we wanted without having to censor ourselves due to rules of the FCC (and even then that didn't stop us sometimes...unknowingly or otherwise *coughoctobercough2010cough*).

In 5 years, things are willingly and unwillingly forced to change. If this were a job where we were paid (as we'd originally hoped for so long ago), we'd have probably been fired by now or quit.

You've been patient with us through the years with cast changes, name changes, location changes, recording changes, format changes, and long gaps of silence from us. And yet, you're still here. Waiting for a new episode and writing to us with questions and thoughts. The show really belongs to you now and it has for a long time. We start every show with our short introduction and move on to things you've written us - either through twitter or email or now in the chat room. My point is...these 5 years mean nothing without all of you listening and supporting us. None of those names I mentioned earlier amount to anything if you weren't here to listen to it and enjoy it. The support is huge, honestly, and something that always surprises us given the amount of other shows out there who do this much better than we think we do and given how slow we are to bring you a show from time to time. We've said this before at times and we mean it each time - we cannot thank you enough for listening to what we do and supporting it.

It has been beyond a great 5 years and it means more to us than you know that you've stuck with us for them all.

As always, thanks for listening and enjoy the show.

[pseudopseudo]

You guys are officially a legacy. I think we can start throwing that word around now.

Seriously though; congrats on an amazing milestone, and keep rocking it out.

[TrackZero]

Here's to 5 more! Congrats IGC crew, past and present.

[Lavos]

Congrats guys! So many great times...

I started listening at the - surprise - David Hayter episode and have been listening ever since.

[kyrieee]

Grats on the five years guys. I hope you don't stop anytime soon. Thanks for all the shows.

Originally Posted by Psykoboy2

Then, of course, in August of that same year, we took over the reigns of Evil Avatar Radio from (fuck you) Phil Kollar.

I feel like I'm missing something here.

[Jackel]

Congrats guys! Keep up the great work.

[Psykoboy2]

Originally Posted by kyrieee

I feel like I'm missing something here.

Just a joke. No ill will intended.

[SonofSeth]

Congratulations guys, good times, good times.

This is the only podcast I still listen to from the time I downloaded an episode of Evil Avatar radio for the first time and think you guys get better and better with each episode and your conversations get more and more interesting.

Fuck the rest, IGC is the best.

Now, more episodes please!

[Spigot]

Thanks for all of the great conversation about games and everything else under the sun. And an extra thank-you for teaching my kids so many new and interesting curse words!

[Seifer Katt]

Hey guys,

I've been listening since the week BEFORE the David Hayter interview that seems to have drawn a lot of people back in the day. I was starting the most mind numbing job at the time and figured I had to listen to something that would actually interest me and keep me sane and not ultra peppy JPop songs (because there's only so much you can listen to that in a day)

Now, in the three years many things have changed in my life, and I've downloaded many different podcasts. I have dropped all the ones I started then... heck, most of the ones I started after that too. But one podcast has endured, and that is (of course) IGC.

I will never meet you guys, but I look forward to hearing you guys whenever you put up a show. From James' most honest opinion, Jeremy telling the best stories about stuff that's happened, RJ's profound silence, Matt's general Mattness (I have no idea how to describe you Matt, but I love you (in a non-gay way :P) and Scott... Nothing makes me happier than hearing your laugh and welcoming me into your radio show.

Sorry, I'm rambling a bit, but just wanted to say, I love you guys, all of you and look forward (as always) to the next outdated episode

[Spigot]

I still chuckle whenever someone says, "And the next thing you know..."

[nabokovfan87]

So this was supposed to be a poster, something like this, with Scott as drake, Jeremy as a gamer "dad" with a controller in one hand and kid in the other, AarJay as the box art warrior from the special edition of demon's souls in japan, James would be dressed as the guy from Deus Ex having Matt as a GR/RS soldier in a headlock. Obviously it didn't work out. Thanks to those that took the time.

From Lekon:
http://www.mejuba.com/albums/nabokov.../show/original


http://www.mejuba.com/albums/nabokov.../show/original


http://www.mejuba.com/albums/nabokov.../show/original


http://www.mejuba.com/albums/nabokov.../show/original


http://www.mejuba.com/albums/nabokov.../show/original


http://www.mejuba.com/albums/nabokov.../show/original


http://www.mejuba.com/albums/nabokov.../show/original


http://www.mejuba.com/albums/nabokov.../show/original


Scott, I'm glad you took the time to write that. It has been an amazing journey and something I am extremely glad I get to be able to still enjoy!

Thanks as always for what IS the single best podcast, and you know I mean that. Hell, I would argue it, I've listened to an awful lot!

-nabokovfan87

[Spigot]

Our handwriting is atrocious

[Vigil80]

My broken cursive is dramatic, thank you.

[nabokovfan87]

Originally Posted by Spigot

Our handwriting is atrocious

Lol, that's the idea! I don't know, call me old school, but when someone takes the time to write something by hand it isn't just another message, another email, another twitter whatever, they took time out to sit down and write something. May be something small, but yeah... That's where the idea came from for the old one I did for the other pod, thought I would try to do it for IGC. It didn't turned out the way I planned, envisioned or what not, but it works well enough!

------------------

I spent today listening mostly to the guys talk about the show and how close it was to dramatically impacting everyone involved. (I won't spoil anything, so yeah, tune in!) I guess the best way to put it, there are events that we have, they happen once in a long while, the deeply impact us as people. They aren't just another day, but THE day that something happened. I remember walking downstairs to my parents fighting, turns out they were getting a divorce. I remember the day my grandma and grandpa died, I can tell you what happened from the moment I was awoken in the middle of the night to the second I went to sleep a week later. 9/11, same thing, the elevator incident, same thing. There were good times as well, like the first time I scored a goal in ice hockey, or practically an entire semester in one class that led me to my career I have now, my first time I built a PC and turned it on.

I spent dinner just sort of taking it all in, the story, and thinking about how fragile some things are, where a second can shape an entire lifetime. Noticing the things around me, the texture of the tablecloth, the way sound works from a TV, just imagining all of these systems and things around me, completely intertwined and made for one thing, but vastly impacting others.

I don't really know where this is going, or what is supposed to come out of this way of looking at things, but I just wanted to say thanks again guys. You have no idea how much simply having someone to discuss shit with, laugh at things, or get angry about others idiotic decisions we all wish they would change actually helps me get through some tough shit. I don't live near you all, hardly ever get to play anything, but at least I get to interact with you all in some way. I don't want this to come off like some kind of creepy stalker letter or some shit, I just wanted to say thanks for the pod and give an idea of where my head is at. It is difficult to put into words the kind of past 5 years I have had, but needless to say, I don't envision I would be here right now if it weren't for folks like yourselves giving me something to think about for those many hours.

Thanks for the show guys,
-nabokovfan87

[Count Elmdor]

I don't quite remember when I started listening to you guys, or how I found the podcast. I think it was before the David Hayter episode, but I could be mistaken. I'll say that ever since, four plus years now, I've been a big fan, and gotten tons of pleasure listening at work and on the commute, on planes, or just while playing some otherwise mindless game.

I'm glad you guys are still at it, and thanks.

[Ghostbear]

Guys,
What a great milestone. I've met a few of you in person and I swear I see Scott more than I see my own mother. To those of you who feel like pals just by listening, go with the feeling, cause they are as awesome, opinionated and generally nice folks as you think. They deserve any and all accolades tossed their way. I'm glad you guys are still making the show and here's to 5 more years.

Your pal,
Jeremy

[tacitus]

Congratulations ... having been enjoying your show for awhile. Its funny I don't remember if I ran first into evil avatar or evil avatar radio. The only podcasts that I am still listening from that time are "astromony cast," "pcgamer podcast," and yours. Oddly enough at least other two gaming podcasts were booted from my podcatcher for too much "potty mouth" or probably more accurately too much time spent on being a potty mouth as opposed to a gaming podcast. So James really isn't that bad.

On yesterdays discussions about your setup. Go ahead and ask for pay pal donations for podcast improvement. I have been around long enough to understand the hesistency about asking but if you have concrete realistic ideas for what you need; particularly if it will make your podcasting life easier. After all if its easier maybe the post-processing turnaround will happen quicker.

A couple of simultaneous issues that are both trivial/important ... Thanks for supporting a normal RSS feed and not begging us for itunes ratings/reviews.

Thanks and Congratulations! I really enjoyed the time listening to rambling and many of your observations have really caused me to try different game types that I would have tried before and look at stuff in a different way.

[Psykoboy2]

Originally Posted by pseudopseudo

You guys are officially a legacy. I think we can start throwing that word around now.

Seriously though; congrats on an amazing milestone, and keep rocking it out.

Thanks Justin. Really appreciate that. Hope all is well with you.

Originally Posted by TrackZero

Here's to 5 more! Congrats IGC crew, past and present.

Thanks Drew! What's the year look like for you...PAX?

Originally Posted by Lavos

Congrats guys! So many great times...

I started listening at the - surprise - David Hayter episode and have been listening ever since.

Thanks. We picked up a lot of people with that episode, surprised how many stuck around after.

Originally Posted by Jackel

Congrats guys! Keep up the great work.

Thanks Dan! Or should I say, Comic Jumper's Dan!

Originally Posted by SonofSeth

Congratulations guys, good times, good times.

This is the only podcast I still listen to from the time I downloaded an episode of Evil Avatar radio for the first time and think you guys get better and better with each episode and your conversations get more and more interesting.

Fuck the rest, IGC is the best.

Now, more episodes please!

Hey thanks! We're getting you more episodes, we promise! James is going to get the one we recorded just yesterday up as soon as he can and then we're handing over the production duties to Kevin for a faster turnaround.

Originally Posted by Spigot

Thanks for all of the great conversation about games and everything else under the sun. And an extra thank-you for teaching my kids so many new and interesting curse words!

Thanks Brock! We're actually changing our title format to swear words. Currently, we're in season FUCK, episode SHIT.

Originally Posted by Seifer Katt

Hey guys,

I've been listening since the week BEFORE the David Hayter interview that seems to have drawn a lot of people back in the day. I was starting the most mind numbing job at the time and figured I had to listen to something that would actually interest me and keep me sane and not ultra peppy JPop songs (because there's only so much you can listen to that in a day)

Now, in the three years many things have changed in my life, and I've downloaded many different podcasts. I have dropped all the ones I started then... heck, most of the ones I started after that too. But one podcast has endured, and that is (of course) IGC.

I will never meet you guys, but I look forward to hearing you guys whenever you put up a show. From James' most honest opinion, Jeremy telling the best stories about stuff that's happened, RJ's profound silence, Matt's general Mattness (I have no idea how to describe you Matt, but I love you (in a non-gay way :P) and Scott... Nothing makes me happier than hearing your laugh and welcoming me into your radio show.

Sorry, I'm rambling a bit, but just wanted to say, I love you guys, all of you and look forward (as always) to the next outdated episode

We thank you for sticking with us. So many other shows out there and fuck knows we haven't been great in making the listeners think we still do this what with SOOO much downtime. But we appreciate it. We're still here and we're still doing this so long as everyone wants us to.

As for metting us, we should get that changed somehow. Personally, I go to PAX (some form of it) every year, so if you can make it there, we can make it happen. Otherwise...there's always Skype!

Originally Posted by Count Elmdor

I don't quite remember when I started listening to you guys, or how I found the podcast. I think it was before the David Hayter episode, but I could be mistaken. I'll say that ever since, four plus years now, I've been a big fan, and gotten tons of pleasure listening at work and on the commute, on planes, or just while playing some otherwise mindless game.

I'm glad you guys are still at it, and thanks.

Thanks! We're glad you're still at it with listening to us.

Originally Posted by Ghostbear

Guys,
What a great milestone. I've met a few of you in person and I swear I see Scott more than I see my own mother. To those of you who feel like pals just by listening, go with the feeling, cause they are as awesome, opinionated and generally nice folks as you think. They deserve any and all accolades tossed their way. I'm glad you guys are still making the show and here's to 5 more years.

Your pal,
Jeremy

Aw Jeremy, thanks for the kind words, buddy. I'll see you again at E3 - hopefully. We once had 3 of us at a PAX one time and that was pretty awesome. In fact, we did a show from our room. You ate our fucking gummi bears too, I think!

Originally Posted by tacitus

Congratulations ... having been enjoying your show for awhile. Its funny I don't remember if I ran first into evil avatar or evil avatar radio. The only podcasts that I am still listening from that time are "astromony cast," "pcgamer podcast," and yours. Oddly enough at least other two gaming podcasts were booted from my podcatcher for too much "potty mouth" or probably more accurately too much time spent on being a potty mouth as opposed to a gaming podcast. So James really isn't that bad.

On yesterdays discussions about your setup. Go ahead and ask for pay pal donations for podcast improvement. I have been around long enough to understand the hesistency about asking but if you have concrete realistic ideas for what you need; particularly if it will make your podcasting life easier. After all if its easier maybe the post-processing turnaround will happen quicker.

A couple of simultaneous issues that are both trivial/important ... Thanks for supporting a normal RSS feed and not begging us for itunes ratings/reviews.

Thanks and Congratulations! I really enjoyed the time listening to rambling and many of your observations have really caused me to try different game types that I would have tried before and look at stuff in a different way.

Thanks for listening and sticking with us. We're still iffy as shit for asking for donations, but the turnaround will change, we promise. Kevin will be handling those duties and he wants as much as you to get the show back out to the listeners as soon as possible.

As for RSS, Jeremy's to thank for that and for iTunes - well shit it never hurts to get a good review there, but it's not anything we ever worry or think about. If we turn to shit, we expect our listeners to tell us - either by writing to us and saying so or stop listening to us. I mean, I fell like we have that kind of relationship with the people who listen to us and it's great feeling to have honestly.


As for Nab and those notes...we read them on the show and responded to each of them but again, thanks so much for the past 5 years of letting us do what we do and listening to it.

[Ghostbear]

Originally Posted by Psykoboy2

Aw Jeremy, thanks for the kind words, buddy. I'll see you again at E3 - hopefully. We once had 3 of us at a PAX one time and that was pretty awesome. In fact, we did a show from our room. You ate our fucking gummi bears too, I think!

I'll have you know that was Drew. (I may have had one or two)