Cup of Jones - June 15, 2020

I loooved Glinny's Cauldron, Recruit Me, and whatever that game club bouncer segment was called. The gladiators thing was only rough I think because it was so straight forward- but I love the creative opening decision making segments.

Mr. Jones, Could you kindly elaborate on what you feel comfortable with doing (for fun or for structure) during the podcast. It's your show now so why not discus what you want to do a bit. The audience may end up giving you some helpful constructive feedback and help you shape a dynamite show. Respectfully, Morgan Mohalla

Morgan Mohalla

Love & Respect

Daniel Ribeiro

Hi, Jones. Netflix's Dark season 3 is premiering June 27 and is the final season of the show. Dark is regarded as one of the best TV shows of all time by many - myself included, alongside Breaking Bad, The Wire, The Sopranos, Fargo, etc. Since there's only 18 episodes in the first 2 seasons and season 3 will only have 8 episodes, there's plenty of time for you and/or the other Allies to catch-up. Ian and Omar, if I'm not mistaken, have watched the first 2 seasons and Huber has expressed interest in watching it. My point is that a Spoiler Mode for Dark season 3 would be amazing and you could have guests like Omar, Sofia - if she has watched it. There's no need to be released immediately, if some want/need more time, you could release the Spoiler Mode 2 weeks after season 3 comes out. Business question: Dark Season 3 Spoiler Mode - There's plenty of time for anyone who never watched it to cacth-up, only 2 seasons with only 18 episodes. Can you please share this idea with the Allies? And if you haven't watched it, would you be interested in doing it for a Spoiler Mode? Also, I'm sure Amanda would love Dark. L & R

Daniel Ribeiro

Xbox Series X is backwards compatible for Xbox One games that don't support Smart Delivery, but Smart Delivery basically means that when you buy a game you get both versions with the same code or disc. If you put that disc into and Xbox One, you'll be playing the Xbox One version. If you put it into an Xbox Series X, you'll be playing that version. The idea is that no matter what, you won't have to worry about what machine you own. If you have an Xbox of any kind and pick up a game off the shelf, you'll play the best version of that game that your hardware can play. -Bloodworth

Easy Allies

Hey Jones, Personally I like the opening bits, I think they're a great 'icebreaker' for the podcast, and give first time viewers a good idea of what the show is about. I would be very interested to see a more 'Jones' take on an opening bit/segment though, I think it could bring a lot to the show. On another note, thank you and the other allies for continuing to foster a place for fun, interesting discussion and lots of laughs. I very much appreciate the sincerity with which you all create content and interact with us community members. L&R

Harry - 2SON

Hey Jones! So, I feel like a completely idiot. I'd like to think that I'm a realitvely smart guy, especially when it comes to technology stuff. However, something about the XBOX Series X has had me genuienly puzzled for weeks, and I wanted to get the perspective on it from the Brand Manager: Smart Delivery. I was under the impression that the Series X could play Xbox One games natively, so when so many developers started saying that their games were Smart Deliver compatible, I started to get confused. Weren't all Xbox One games compatible with the Series X, especially ones that would be cross-gen? Obviously you can't play the Series X disc on your Xbox One, but the messaging of the entire thing made it sound like Microsoft were abandoning backwards compatibility on certain major games to sell more copies for the Series X. Meanwhile, while they haven't gone as in depth as Microsoft has, Sony seems very cut and dry: if you release a PS4 game from this point on, it must be able to be played on a PS5. There's no fancy names or buzzwords there. Am I completely misunderstanding this? Am I blowing this way out of preportion and am the only one confused by this or could this be a potential miscommunication hurdle for Microsoft's further backwards compatibility efforts? L&R Spongejay1

spongejay1

Jones, you are not Kyle Bosman, and you don't have to BE Kyle Bosman. Just be yourself, I'd prefer you moderating the podcast the way you are most comfortable with, don't need to bend over backwards trying to do something you don't enjoy just because people don't want change

Nut Kon

Heya Jones, Yeah, I mean, I get it. I just don't see why it matters either way. But if Easy Allies was an English girl who left a convent to perform in a 1930's German nightclub, would it want anyone to tell its mother?

Asbo Zappruder

https://www.patreon.com/posts/ff-vii-remake-37091789

Asbo Zappruder

Hi Jones. Whatever happened to your Final Fantasy 7 remake spoiler mode? I've just finished it recently. I've listened to the second spoiler mode and Damiani mentions an upcoming chat with you about it. I'd love to hear your take as I've only played the remake and not the original. Thanks in advance.

Cabbagelad

So this is my first time doing this, hopefully I can do it right. I know you problably know how to spell my name, its spelt like Rafael, Palmier spelt like Pow Mee ER(like the beginning of error). But I have a suggestion for NEW SHOWS that probably wont take much time editting and possibly will give the allies a chance to bounce off one another better and may work great amidst this time that I think you may find intersting: 1-A fancy 15 style, where two allies play a game blind for 15-30 minutes, the community can choose from a variety of 5-10 games each month/week and the two allies can either stream it for an hour or less and then boom edit ship it views! (I know editting takes time but I feel the time will be short so it could be edited quickly). One way to make it relevant is to put indie games that are interesting or are catching headlines. 2-A more loosey off the cuffs dont skip, imagine just allies or you brandon taking "guests" each week for them to talk about a game they want to talk about, but not necessarly at lenght, like a check in once a week with some ally that has something they want to talk about. Most of the time I get the feeling the allies dont talk about smaller games that they enjoy, even with frame trap. It can be called like: THE SHOUT OUT show. These other ideas are more starting off points: Tournaments with the community, a mother 3 spoilermode with ben and blood and the allies could give more time to more weird and indie titles. Thank you for all your hard work, you are one of the people in my life that I aspire to be like someday, except meditating, I hate that. :D L&R

With so many trailers dropping left and right, I was thinking of editing them all together into full press conferences. Then I thought maybe you guys could do a stream like the old Pre e3 trailer hype fests, just taking in all the great stuff we’ve been receiving. Then I thought, what’s the status on trailerjones?!? Seems like prime time to review some trailers, especially when things show up too early to react to like Pokémon snap. Thoughts? Thanks!

Ajax

Jones, In regards to Gaming Gladiators, while I can't say that I haven't enjoyed the bit, it has always kind of felt like the first idea someone would think of if someone was to have to come up with an opening bit for a gaming podcast. By this, I mean it feels a little on the nose, as this discussion is one that we've all had since we were children, of "can X character beat y character in a fight?" I think it highlights what made Bosman's bits so great. Take Tough Bouncers, for instance. It was deciding between two similar characters, but based on entirely different criteria beyond their combat capabilities. I would hate to see opening bits disappear as a whole, as I think they add a lot to the attitude and flavor of the podcast, but I do understand and respect that you have to make the show your own. As for Silver Linings being the replacement for the start of the podcast, I feel like this would work better perhaps as a closer for L&R rather than to open the podcast on a touching note like that. It also puts a lot of pressure on the audience to feel like they have to deliver some heart-felt sob story once a week, and there will be weeks where that just doesn't happen. As funny as I think it would be to hear you say "Sorry guys, there are no silver linings this week," I feel like as a segment of the podcast, it probably wouldn't work as well as you imagine, but I could be wrong! Wishing you all the best. L&R <3

Ciao Jones. First of all, I want to say that you are doing a very good job with the podcast. Last month I was really scared that I would end up losing my favorite podcast, but I'm pretty sure at this point that is not the case: still informative, still funny. The thing I'm missing the most is the energy that you used to bring as recurring guest, hopefully the rest of the cast will rise to the occasion since now your role is to be the moderator. I totally get your concern with "the bit", and I think you should drop it if you don't feel comfortable doing it. The only thing I would like to suggest is to try another opening bit when you start to produce the podcast back in the studio. Regardless the "quality of the bit", I think that kind of segment would improve greatly when all of you are in the same room: it's a cool way to expose the personality of the cast to casual eza fans, that's how I got to know all of you guys when I discovered GT Time. Don't stress yourself too much. L&R

Jones, Screw the haters. Love your work. As a teacher, I have to restart things every year. Some things I use EVERY SINGLE YEAR crap out for no discernible reason. Stuff happens. You're learning: don't beat yourself up about it. I love "Setting the Tone." Silver linings sounds awesome. I always loved those L&R that make you feel good. Maybe have it as the last L&R every week? Alternative name suggestion: "Jolly Vibes".

Corrigall

Hey Jones, I wrote a response on these comments but now, it's time for a question. Currently, EZA shows have amazing memorable logo's that really shout Easy Allies to me, however, the current logo for the company as a whole just doesn't do that. It was great for when the team was still in the garage, but after a year in the studio, it just doesn't cut it. The font just screams out "This could be anyone!". Its just weird because since getting into the studio, every other part of the EZA brand improved. It's just a something I had on my mind today, I hope you understand and can either give a reason for it staying, or look to improve it. Thanks, Spinexel

Spinexel

I just think the podcast is kinda boring and it's a problem that extends beyond the first segment, everyone on the panel just has the same or slightly different opinion, everyone appears to be going through the motions, hesitant to have any strong ideas or fight for their position, and are constantly tiptoeing over their words for fear of offending the wrong people, getting cancelled, or being black listed by companies. To be fair I had this complaint when kyle was the podcast host also, I felt strongly that he needed to inject his own personality more into the show to liven things up, instead of trying to always be this independent moderator. Unfortunately these issues are now amplified with him gone. Maybe challenging the guests more and making them really defend their positions would help. I want to see drama or some semblance of passion not just phoned in appearances, people don't care about listening to an echo chamber about how woke the last of us 2 is, I want to see people challenged on their ideas, I want to hear huber justify his near perfect score, I want him to try to explain why he thought what they did was good for the game when so many other fans think it's straight up trash and not be left off the hook easily with his responses. I want less activism and more passion about video games which is why we're here, unless you're just a complete sycophant.

A Joker Fan

Kinda glad to hear you're dumping the opening bits. I've never been a huge fan of them, even Kyle's ones. The podcast was at it's best during the short window when he dropped them imo. Outside of that, you've been doing great with the podcast, and you've seemed way more comfortable these last few episodes.

BeatenDownBrian

Brabdoin: Your thoughts on dropping the opening bits is in itself, a pretty good opening bit.

Tokyo Slim

Hey Brandon (Just some podcast thoughts, no questions) Speaking of Gaming Gladiators, you nailed it when you said the key to a great podcast is to play to your strengths and those of the other Allies. As such, for me, as with all things, the first question is; why are we doing this, how does it serve our audience? The next question isn’t, how can I be funny but how playing to our strengths can we best entertain the audience? The third is and one you generally always ask yourself, what’s it gonna take to pull it off? Kyle’s confidence in his encyclopaedic knowledge, his commitment to his craft and his ability and will to push the Allies buttons, among other things enabled him to moderate his bits without preparing the panel. It doesn’t mean it is the only way to do it. For me, GG is most effective as a well-formed nerd debate. You are all highly skilled at constructing and delivering incisive arguments but you are all at your best when you are prepared and invested and so, in my opinion, GG could be a great segment by giving the panel notice of the match-up. As moderator you’d want to be most prepped to be able to push, counter, support and play devil’s advocate for and against the panel's arguments to keep up the debate’s momentum if it begins to flag or if there is an initial consensus among the Allies. Only a rounded debate would light the audience’s fuse and prompt an “opinion yell” of our own in the comments. The work required may be obstructive but that answers question 3 and as my kung-fu master would always say, “sh*t or get off the bucket”. Again, for me, preparation is also the key to the ‘news’. While spontaneity can promote fresh and fruity discussions, the best podcast conversations tend to occur when the panellists are either well informed or particularly passionate about a topic or game. It has felt like the Allies have come into the podcast the last couple of weeks prepared for the discussion topics but it might be a coincidence? And if you haven’t been giving them a heads up, it could be something worth considering going forward again to play to everyone’s strengths and produce the type of quality discussions you are all always capable of producing. Often the difference between a good video game and a great video game is when the developers commit fully to their vision and play to their strengths, having the courage and foresight to steer clear of what might look good on paper but which they know they cannot do or do not have the resources to execute well and attempting to do so will ultimately compromise the overall quality of their game. A special effect which attempts to replicate an effect made for $1,000,000’s without the budget can take us out of a movie but when a filmmaker plays to their strengths and those of their crew and asks, how could we do this another way or use our resources to turn the dial up on elements that are within our means and our wheelhouse the overall outcome is invariably better and often, less is more. You are incredibly talented in so many ways, you have the editorial ‘guns’ and experience to shape the podcast into whatever works for you and always with the audience in mind. You have a brotherhood of Allies who are diverse in their interests, equally talented in their own ways and most crucially complement each other, like having a meta pack of battle cards, every combination is a winner. I have complete faith that you will continue to nurture the podcast and it, in turn, will continue to thrive. P.S. Here’s an idea to meditate upon; “there is no such thing as mistakes” L&R Elliot

Elliot Moscow

I rarely post here, but I wanted to give some feedback and ideas about the podcast. I agree with the other comments saying that the opening segment doesn't have to be a bit. It just has to be something to warm up the panel and help set the tone for the podcast. I don't think Silver Linings would be a very good opening segment, since there's always a chance that it doesn't spark any sort of conversation. That said, Silver Linings is still a super good idea for a segment that could appear later in the podcast in order to split up segments and reset the mood. No one ever said that the Patreon participation segment had to come at the beginning of the podcast. This would allow you to open up the EZA Podcast with something else, like maybe a trailer quick trailer discussion. Since you said you want to try continuing Gaming Gladiators for at least a few more weeks, I figured I'd offer up some suggestions for improving it. Rather than ask patrons for matchup suggestions, you should choose the matchup yourself and ask patrons for comments on who they think will win and why. You can use these comments to drive the conversation and keep it from being too one-sided. You could even post a poll and reveal the results at the end of the podcast. If you wanted to take it even further, you could use the poll results as the odds and roll some percentile dice to determine the winner.

Kenneth Childs

We can't simulcast due to our partner agreement with Twitch, and it doesn't make sense to stream only to YouTube since we have such a strong audience investment on Twitch. -Bloodworth

Easy Allies

PS I liked gaming Gladiators and thought the conversations were fun. Don't be too hard on yourself =)

JessieBlu

Kyle thrived on other people's misery. He was the Trolliest troller that ever trolled when it came to "bits". The more negative the better. BTW Jones, opener doesnt necessarily have to be a comedic bit, Reaction Shots does "What have you liked Lately" and you mentioned early on possibly opening with a Trailer inspired segment. I think that would suit you better. Maybe ask patrons to submit trailers they like and suggest the top ones to the panel, just for them to go check out not necessarily have discussion about them which would keep the segment short. Trailer Tracker maybe?

JessieBlu

Hey Jones, Would you ever consider streaming to YouTube and Twitch simultaneously or even Mixer? I realize this would probably be a technical nightmare along with having to deal with separate chats, etc. I just ask because my current TV’s do not have a Twitch app (Roku) and this is sadly the reason I am not very active during your live streams. I watch them all when they show up on YouTube. I’m just wishful thinking, thanks for your time.

yarden

Maybe someone with game development experience, like Ian’s friend who also works on mysterious monster, there was good back and forth on a stream not too long ago where he was on and it was nice to get a more technical perspective on games

A Joker Fan

I hate to say it I’ve been waiting for some new shows for awhile and unfortunately what you see is what you get. I’m just now starting to come to grips with what Kyle was inferring with his minnmax interview. They’re a reaction and streaming group and unfortunately reactions (other than E3) and streaming at least to me is just lazy content and uninteresting. I like Ben I think he has a very underrated sense of humor and frame trap is probably their best show now. The new Huber show seemed ok but even that was a Kyle throwaway idea which they just kinda ran with. I just don’t feel any energy or a huge desire to improve as a whole. They had a tough year last year with personal/family issues and it just kinda bled into this year, Kyle leaves, and now it feels as if they are just going through the motions. They can’t even be bothered with going back to the studio (good luck with that vaccine Jones). They know they have a hardcore group of fans who will support them regardless if their content is uninspiring. If you look at graphteon Colin was so far behind Easy allies at this point last year and in that time he just blew right past them. You would’ve thought this would be a wake up call but surprisingly Brandon doesn’t seem too bothered about it and that is the type of mindset that seems to permeate the group. It should concern them that people are dropping out of their Patreon/business but they don’t seem to care, their desire to keep the status quo or their activism appears more important than their fans leaving it seems.

A Joker Fan

Your opening bit idea is really good, but maybe add a question or statement that the allies could comment on? Something that immediately gets a conversation going. Patreon Hottakes?

My only concern with your idea for the new opening bit is that they won't really generate conversation. I'm worried every single time the panel will just say "aww that's nice" but not really have much more to say.

Trooper

I don't know any other podcast that starts with bits like kyle did. They were so much his style that they only really work for him. If you're not feeling them I would drop them. Step 1 of making the podcast your own ^^b

Jones, I think we all appreciate that you gave opening bits a shot, especially since it was a stretch for you. I think Kyle's best bits were the lore developed underneath them, and Kyle is constantly imagining characters and story so bits came naturally. My one tip that I think would improve the podcast is to create pause, especially between transitions to new topics, but also just in general. Often I'll want to be paying attention to what's being said but my brain doesn't get a moment to reset. Kinda like the Sony event. Imagine that hour long presentation without a single one of those transition animations. The pause not only gives everyone a moment's rest, not only signals for a transition, but it also teases the audience. It makes us lean in, asking "what's next?" Keep up the great work you and all the Allies are doing. Thank you for sharing yourselves with us.

MrMattatee

Jones, I just wanted to let you know that I don't think you need to force an opening bit in the podcast. I enjoy listening to it just as much as when Kyle hosted it. It's very informative and positive which I really like. My question is about the release of Persona 4 Golden on PC(hype!). I saw some reviewers got the game ahead of time and even had the review posted as soon as the game came out. Did you guys have access to early review copies? I"m guessing you didn't which surprises me because I thought Nintendo was the only publisher who didn't get you games early.

strawhatninja

Morning Jones! A few weeks (months?) ago, I watched Kyle's "Leaving Easy Allies" interview on MinnMax. During their conversation, Ben Hanson mentioned that several of the contributors to his enterprise are contractors that appear on their content part time. Understanding that any possible major business changes to Easy Allies will certainly be on hold until you can fully return to the studio, is this something that could work for you as well? With Kyle gone, I can't help but think of how to move past and beyond his absence, and personally, I think some new faces on podcasts and streams are what I want to see most. This could be a great opportunity to find a promising young streamer or perhaps an independent journalist that focuses on the gaming industry, and invite them to be affiliates or contributors to EZA. This could both help foster their professional growth, and add more diverse perspectives and backgrounds to everything you all do. L&R, Brian (PS - love the idea of "Silver Linings" as an opening bit for the podcast)

Brian Denu

Glad you're doing what makes you feel comfortable Jones - you'll find your own Opening Thing that works for you

Cash

The problem with reactions is that you're dependent on an outside force to provide you the content and unless you see significant increase in Patron pledge, you're not utilizing your time well. Reactions to events is fine but I believe you have to create original content to stand out. Also even though I am a Patron, all your content should be free to the general public to increase viewership, early access for Patrons is a fine caveat for me. With Hunting Huber you have something special but I hope you have more ideas for new shows in the future. With 8 Allies I'd like to imagine that 8 ideas are brought to the table, even if they are rejected. Studio or no studio creativity shouldn't cease to flow. I don't want to spend money on a Reactions channel personally, this kind of statement concerns me. Sincerely, Yiorgos

Yiorgos

Hey Jones. Just wanted to say I appreciate you and Blood going the extra mile and streaming reactions to the SW Squadrons thing even if it turned out to be pretty much nothing!

Olf Himself

I think they're legally not allowed to go back to the office. There is a work from home order in place in Los Angeles as far as I know.

Olf Himself

Hey Brandon, I'll ask my question first. If you can't answer it for whatever reason, that's fine, but I'm genuinely curious as to why you all couldn't go back to the studio and resume Easy Allies as normal. And I don't mean pandemic/social distancing. Is there something about the way EZA is structured or incorporated or something that would block you from doing so? Is there some restriction in place that doesn't allow you all to go into the studio to work (again, not pandemic related)? What would need to happen/what would need to be lifted/etc in order for EZA to start the next step to getting back? I know it's a bit chaotic with our country not really being unified and each state having different rules and phases of reopening and whatnot. I won't pretend to have the slightest idea of what's going on in California - I hardly know what's going on in my state (and I'm trying to stay safe so I rarely leave the house unless necessary). If you can answer, awesome, but if not, it's definitely not our right to know, I was just curious. As for the podcast, my enjoyment hasn’t lessened and I'm looking forward to when it's finally settled down and just rolling along. The biggest thing that I’ve noticed, and I could be way off base, is the change in your tone on the podcast now that you’re host. I feel like when Kyle was still host, your voice on the podcast and on Cup of Jones was identical. Now that you’re hosting, there are times where you sound maybe more stressed? More concerned? I obviously don’t know you personally so I don’t know how you’re feeling or what you’re thinking, but I always thought Kyle had a “here’s my podcast – take it or leave it” approach and maybe in taking over the podcast, you’re trying to make it what everyone else wants and/or taking some of the comments and criticisms too much to heart. Or something like that. I know I’ve only been a patron for a short while but I’ve listened to every episode of the show at least twice. People like me aren’t going anywhere. We’re all excited to see what’s next for Easy Allies, even if it’ll take a while for the new normal to be established. Stay positive in these trying times. Love and respect, ~Matt

Matt Galeza

This... Is... Amazing... I would absolutely love a segment like this. Not only will it be interesting to the Allies, but the audience as well. In the end it is the EZA podcast. We watch it for Easy Allies. I highly recommend this to open up the show. And Jones, if you do decide to do this, how about call it "Setting the Tone".

Spinexel

Howdy Jones! I really like your idea of looking to the community to provide a positive opening experience for the podcast. I also agree with the community response so far which suggests treating this like a segment, not a bit. How about having a monthly user created segment? $1 patrons can submit segments, and $5 patrons can vote and enter submissions. May come with some logistical overhead, but you do specialize in production! ;) Shoot, while I'm at it, you could even highlight (in some type of traileresque fashion) a community showcase feature (finalists? highlight reel?) each month to really lean into how great it is to be in this community! ^-^ Thanks for reading Jones and squad! St0mpz

St0mpz

That's a valid opinion that you do not have the enthusiasm for drawn out bouts of imagination, but I challenge you to not so quickly equate this behavior to immaturity. Several of the allies do just that in Fiasconauts, which is a popular show amongst many members of the community. People who mature and keep this sense of wonder go on to do amazing things (like play video games for a living)! What I think the segment lacks is conviction. Kyle was possibly the most opinionated ally, and was never afraid to directly oppose an ally, or all the allies. If two allies expressed opposing loud, stubborn opinions, then we'd have a bit. Don't ever get old -St0mpz

St0mpz

Just because opening bits go away, that doesn't mean they have to be gone forever. I agree that gaming gladiators was weak (and I've been skipping it lately). Getting to the point is always a good thing, especially when there's a big topic. There's no shame in trying the podcast without an opening bit for a while and seeing how it goes. I'm glad that you are making these considerations about it.

Jeremy Farbman

Hey Jones, I know this is mentioned in other comments, but I think I have an idea for why the opening bit may not be working. It seems to me that you are viewing it as a bit, rather than a segment. When it is a "bit" it feels it has to be funny. I however, find that not to be the case. When Kyle was the moderator, although he did do bits, more often than not, he treated the beginning as more than just a joke. You mentioned how Kyle's bits got hate no matter what. Although things like "This week in joker news", and "Pro Strats Only" did get hate, most of his openings didn't. Things like "Glinny's Cauldron" aswell as "And for that Reason" were loved because they were segments for the show. By viewing it as a bit, it becomes a throwaway moment, when it can be so much more. Right now, Gaming Gladiators is a throwaway moment in the show. It ends up being one ally bringing up one point, and then everyone agreeing, and you moving on to the next fight. Rinse and repeat. What made Kyle's segments fun, was that this game, at the start of the show turned into a real conversation rather than staying a game. I feel like if you could find a new segment, which let all the allies shine, while being enjoyable for the guests, that enjoyment would be passed onto the audience. What makes Glinny's Cauldron fun, isn't the concept, but the people involved. I guess what I'm trying to say is that bits, are naturally not fun to watch. Easy Allies is in the business of selling personality, and segments, are what let personality show. Thanks for reading, Spinexel

Spinexel

I never liked Gaming Gladiator, but didn't want to be a downer, so just kept skipping that segment(thanks for the bookmark, btw) and didn't comment about it. At the same time, what I am actually NOT doing is giving you an honest opinion of when things don't work for your viewers. Imho, these bits might work if the majority of your viewers were kids who might actually talk about these types of battles. But I honestly think most of your viewers are over 25-30 and are over these kind of imaginary battles.

Y. Win

I think "silver linings" is an interesting idea and wouldn't be opposed to it. The biggest problem I would see (call my cynical...) is the risk of a race to the bottom, by creating stories with the sole aim of being the "silver lining" that week. Largely, I think the difference with the EZA podcast (against other podcasts) is that people directly invest their money into "the allies". People want 4-hour episodes of Frame Trap, spoiler modes, etc. because they want to know more about the Allies. People liked Kyle's podcast because he was funny and had a dry wit. You have successfully transformed the podcast into show which, I think, incorporates the Allies as a whole more, looking for their input and asking them to take on slightly more preparation to avoid the dud questions where Kyle would sometimes stumble into a brick wall. Why not start the podcast by allowing each present ally to briefly discuss their "one thing" that week, or something of the sort? Could be something they read which made them smile (in the vein of "silver linings"), or a film they watched and had a thought on, or thoughts on a game which is not in the news (and therefore won't be discussed that week). Allow them to show a bit of their personalities and passions, satiate patrons' want to hear about the people we choose to follow, and take the heat off yourself a bit. If no one bites, it still does its job. You are the moderator - you don't have to put pressure on yourself to be the star of the show!

Hey Mr. Jones, As we’re getting to the heart of the summer months, I was wondering if EZA will do a digital version of Easy Livin’ akin to what EZX wound up being. I’ve really enjoyed the reaction streams with multiple combinations of allies, and I got to thinking how said combinations could be switched up for various streams, maybe to continue fundraising for Coronavirus relief or for Black Lives Matter. What do you think? Does EZA’s current streaming schedule make an event like this redundant because it would just be more streaming for a few days, or could this be something to help shake things out of the ordinary and generate some excitement? Thanks as always for reading and have a wonderful rest of your day. Cheers! P.S. I GREATLY appreciate the candidness in your answer in my question last week regarding having marginalized voices on EZA content. I figured your response would be what it was, but I still thank you for addressing it, because in all the groups I support, it was noticeable pertaining to EZA. QUESTION: Is EZA considering doing a digital Easy Livin’ that could be akin to what EZX ultimately became or because a digital Easy Livin isn’t anything more than just more streaming than normal, would such an initiative be pointless?

Brandon K Gann

Safety Post. Forgot to add: I think you're doing an amazing job so far. I think you're being too hard on yourself because of the cocktail of shit that's raining on all of us at the same time. If it was ONLY Kyle leaving, or ONLY a pandemic we're surviving, or ONLY the resurgence of racism and bigotry, or ONLY the economy tanking, if ONLY it was adjusting to EZA with a 1yr old, etc, etc. Give yourself some credit, Jones. You're doing amazing, the entire crew at EZA is doing amazing, and please know that there's so, so many of us that are incredibly happy and fulfilled with your content and will continue to support you!! You and the gang have my utmost Love and Respect. Always.

Kexx

Agreed with GermanScientist. I think the "problem" you're having, or feel you're having, is that you continue to address it as the Opening "Bit", when it might be best to treat it as the Opening "Segment". This frees you from comedy, and instead can just be anything else. Personally, I think trivia and guessing games are always fun for everyone. You get the best of every corner; patrons get to submit, we get to feel special if ours gets chosen, if not, we can still play along with the panel, and it weirdly gives us something/someone to root for. The folks over at IGN do a segment on Scoop! called 20 Questions, and they try to guess what game it is. Obviously it takes too long, and we don't wanna steal stuff, but something along those lines. Examples: Guess the Game by playing only 5s of it's opening track/main menu screen (for instance, I would recognize FF6 the second that starts :P ) Guess the Box Cover you're describing Guess the Character you're describing (physically or their personalities/attitudes) Again, it's not funny, but fun! We as viewers and/or patrons get to participate in numerous ways, your personal job is only to moderate (so no pressure for you at the guessing), and it's fun to watch the panelists try to guess.

Kexx

Checkpoint Reached

GermanScientist

Though Kyle did have a few opening Bits like Pro Strats Only Please, most of them weren't bits but rather short opening segments. I don't think anybody expects the opening to be comedy. My favorite type of opening segment are those that live on throughout the podcast, or return at the end,. Think "Recruit Me", the good old "Prove It Ticket", "The Objective"/"Goals", or even the "Word of the day". I think gaming gladiators is a great first idea for an opening Segment, although when I first read the idea, I thought (since you mentioned the panel "betting on" who would win ) you would pick one matchup per week, discuss/"bet", and then perhaps do a dice roll at the end of the podcast to see who won. The Silver Lining segment sounds like a good idea especially during these special times, but I can imagine it being challenging to keep those short. Normally that type of post fits well in L&R as a nice surprise . Please don't "give up" on the opening segments, and don't take the criticism too seriously. It's often a vocal minority, and you can't please everybody! PS. Here's a fb poll of favorite opening segments: https://i.imgur.com/ncyuQe6.png

GermanScientist

Hey Brandon, just wanted to say I think you're doing an amazing job with the podcast. Taking over a position is extremely hard, as it's impossible for you to be looked at with a fresh set of eyes, as opposed to being compared to who was there before. I'm relatively new to EA, been a Patreon member for about 6 months now, so for me it was an easier transition I'm assuming than for those who have been around since the start. You have been incredibly gracious through the whole process and having a production background I know how much time and energy goes into these things. Keep up the amazing work, and try your best not to let the YouTube comments get to you. I would much rather a slightly different podcast that is genuine to who you are, as opposed to trying to please everyone/imitate the old one.

Feedback for "silver linings" or any other replacement icebreaker: To me the biggest risk with any of those is if the panel has nothing to say and you just linger on dead air. For some bits that can be part of the comedy, but if you're going for heartwarming, the start of the podcast feels dangerous. That stuff fits well in L&R because you can highlight it as a sweet moment and then move on to another one if there's nothing else to say. So whatever you choose, I would say either prep the panel ahead of time or otherwise have a solid plan in place to deal with the potential for dead air. It would be weird vibes and would stall the start of the podcast, the way some of the less engaging opening bits have before.

Bradley Spies