Happy birthday dear podcast! According to my calendar, today one year has passed since we recorded the very first episode of Björeman // Melin. In our latest episode we spent some time scrolling back through the year. I was struck by how many old episodes feel a lot more recent than they actually are. First impressions do last, I guess.
But much more important than the podcast itself are the people. Listeners with all their comments, ideas, and corrections of course. But most important to me personally: I would never have become friends with Joacim Melin without this podcast. I fired off the first message in the (surprisingly short) exchange which lead to the podcast being created very much on a whim. We were just as likely to have no chemistry at all as we were to have anything to say. A year later, it is a pretty rare day when we do not exchange at least a few messages in Slack.
Heck, we even have a nice crowd of listeners. How incredible is that?
Thanks Jocke and everyone else for making this year so much fun! Full steam ahead!
Switch
Nintendo introduced their next console today. Switch is the name, and - even though it is a solid step up in the naming game from Wii - it does not feel perfect. Perhaps it is just too new to my ears. It does feel appropriate in any case.
The hardware ideas are cool. I especially love using the separate parts of the controller as standalone controllers to allow more people to play at once. And that snapping together and apart of controllers with other things … if it feels as good in real life as they made it look and sound it might be something you sit around doing all day. There are of course very practical questions about the hardware, like how long batteries last, but I guess the main question is how much space there is for a sorta-portable console. Both "very little" and "a surprising amount" sound likely to me. Yes, many of us have tablets and powerful phones and are unlikely to want to drag around another device for quick gaming. On the other hand: not everyone has a phone, and if there is one thing smartphone gaming has taught me it is to yearn a more precise physical controller whenever the going gets tough. It is great that the controllers allow play both attached around the screen and separated with the screen supported by a fold-out stand.
Where will people end up playing most: on a TV or on the builtin screen? Something which makes me happy is the thought of a kid being shoved away from the TV taking the whole console with her into her room. Freedom!