Get back to where you once belonged

The acquisition of 1UP by UGO affected many things: We lost EGM after 20 years in publication; we lost many of the writers we had come to know and love; and we lost the weekly shows, such as 1UP Yours and The 1UP Show. The end of 1UP Yours was probably the saddest part for me as I had been listening to it every week, ever since it first started back in 2005. That's why I was shocked on Friday when iTunes began downloading a new episode - I thought there weren't going to be any more.

It turns out that none of the guys could let things end so suddenly, so got back together for one final show. And in order to go out with a bang, they got the original cast. That's right, you'll be hearing from Garnett Lee, John Davison, Andrew Pfister, Shane Bettenhausen, and Luke Smith, despite the fact that 4 out of 5 of them no longer work for 1UP. The episode is very long - almost 3 and a half hours - but this gives them a chance to have a proper, classic show before they get to the reminiscing and sad goodbyes.

And what a show! Hearing the original cast re-assembled reminded me why it was that I loved 1UP Yours to begin with. It's hosts are funny, passionate, intelligent gamers that may not always have the same opinion on everything, but can offer solid reasoning behind their points of view. Right from the start I knew this program would be special, and it continued to be my most eagerly anticipated show each week for a long time, including television shows as well. I've been turned on to many games through it, such as Viva Piñata and Crackdown, and have heard multiple opinions on just about everything else. 1UP Yours was really the show that made me love podcasts, and I don't think anything will ever be able to replace it.

So to Garnett, John, Andrew, Shane, Luke, and anyone else who's contributed to 1UP Yours over the years, thank you. Thank you so much for entertaining me, educating me, and inspiring me. You may not think that your listeners can really get to know you through the show, but after spending literally hundreds of hours hearing how you feel about things, I think that I know you a lot better than most people know the authors of their magazines. Getting to hear video game discussion in this way beats everything else, as the passion in your voices can't be matched on paper. In fact, these new methods of journalism are what inspired me to start writing, so I have you guys to thank for that as well.

I really hope this isn't the last time the cast of 1UP Yours get to record a podcast together. I realize that they're all busy with new jobs, but I just can't stand the thought that fun adventures are going without us. They even discuss the possibility of getting back together, but much of it seems to be in jest. However, I'm sure that, given enough incentive, they could be persuaded to keep the show going. So what would it take? How about a subscription fee? It's nice to get the show for free, but since that isn't happening anymore this might be the only solution. If you were to charge, say, $15 a year (about the same as a magazine subscription), and you got just 100,000 people to subscribe, that's $1.5 million annually. I know that many people would download it for free, but I think you have enough of a loyal fanbase that many more would be happy to support you.

So until that time, thanks again. I know that everyone involved in the show will go on to do great things, and I only hope that you can all find the time to keep us informed. 1UP Yours will always be an inspiration to me, and if I ever start a podcast that's even half as entertaining, I'll die a very happy man.