declan

Ability is pretty great. It’s a very trad sitcom but with a unique central character. It could so easily be mawkish and worthy but it’s done really well. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0b2nh1n/episodes/guide

Cheers chaps! I’m surprised (& delighted) how many people keep discovering the show despite finishing up back in April. Also It shouldn’t bother me because but i feel compelled to point out I’m actually welsh/Irish and I live in Scotland. No idea why I have the accent I do. Too much TV probably.

Thanks guys! It’s a m purposeful ending as I’m not going to be able to maintain the regularity I have for the past three years, but I may still do the odd one if the opportunity presents. Next week’s episode should be fun, though I don’t know if I can beat listening to it. I never thought being interviewed would be so nerve wracking.

Mel was a highlight, and similarly people like Chris Crawford, Richard Garriott, Rod Humble and Tim Schafer were all around from the jump and helped shape the medium, so their stories were amazing. Steven Bailey and Mike Cook were, to me, the best examples of what I imagined the show would be when I first started. They hit that sweet spot of the cultural and social impact that games had on their lives, and also they're both really smart and engaging. I enjoyed needing out about Tony Hawk with Erica LaHaie. Ellie Gibson made me laugh more than anyone. It's going to be interesting listening back when I start running them again. Like, there was an ep with Tim Kinzy & Andrew Seklir who made a documentary about Nibbler called Man vs. Snake. Aside from the documentary, both of them work as editors and when I interviewed them they were telling me all about the show they were currently working on called Westworld, which at the time I assumed would just be a cheesy cash in.

There is definitely an episode in the works. Might just be a one off, but he is actively working on it.

The latest and last (!) Checkpoints just went live today, ep #128. For the final show I managed to pull Robert Ashley from video game retirement and we have a brilliant chat about his life in games. There are a bunch of reasons I'm finishing up the show - which if you're interested I talk about in next week's epilogue episode where I'm interviewed by Violet Berlin - suffice to say it's for good reasons. I'm sticking the landing. It's been a brilliant time! Thanks to everyone who has listened. If you never listened I'm going to start repeating the show from the start in the next few weeks. The content is evergreen, iTunes only archives the last 100 eps and there are WAY more people listening to the show now than there were at the start so it seems appropriate. declandineen.com/checkpoints

Checkpoints is 100 episodes old today! This forum has always been super supportive, especially back in the beginning, so thanks! My guest for 100 is Tim Schafer, so it's a hell of an episode too - declandineen.com/checkpoints

I've actually reached out to Jeff a bunch of times but never had a response. He seems very much like a man who lives to his own schedule but I'll keep at it. Thanks for listening!

We're talking proper pie in the sky dream guests here, but it's Sid Meier, Peter Molyneux, Will Wright & Shigeru Miyamoto. I have no idea idea how to get in touch with any of them but you never know. I didn't think I'd ever speak to Ken and yet here we are!

I haven't posted about my show here for ages but Ken Levine was on today which was very exciting so I'm keen to share. When I first started the podcast he was one of my top five guests so it was a real thrill to chat. It helps that he was super engaging and we ended up with a really interesting interview too I think. You can listen here: declandineen.com/checkpoints

90% of people's best themes in this thread were written by the same dude. The Mozart of Saturday morning kids TV, Shuki Levy. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuki_Levy

The Biffo episode is up btw in case anyone missed it - http://declandineen.com/checkpoints/lyhclke95khxfb5nydn3td2t68mnnb It was one of the most technically fraught interviews I've done, but hopefully most of it is smoothed out in the edit. Good talk!

Ashley, though Zacney is a good shout too! Thanks for listening,hope you enjoy them, tell your friends etc. After Biffo all the December episodes are all people who have made some of my favourite 2016 games, Zach Gage (really bad chess) AP Thompson (Beglitched) Alex Preston (Hyper Light Drifter) and Jonathan Burroughs (Virginia)

Being somebody who first got into podcasts through the 1up shows I've had Jeff and John on my show, and am hoping to get Shawn and Robert in the New Year. Jeff - http://declandineen.com/checkpoints/lfxykybyyb5h2k2phzxh9938x33f73 John - http://declandineen.com/checkpoints/ygaxeks8rppbwnwpt87cx8ybdf6tfd I haven't plugged Checkpoints here in a while, but I've been on a tear of great guests recently if you haven't been listening. The latest episode with Meat Boy creator Edmund McMillen has been one of the most well received episodes I've done. Mr. Biffo on Monday too!

Nice one, thanks! Gonna try that later. I'm currently stuck on the boss of level 6 but I'll get through it. I kind of love that I'm stuck, because it's not because I'm confused or under levelled or don't have the right gear, I'm stuck because I'm just not good enough at the game yet. Feels good.