First off, G, you were hilarious. Some of the best humour in the episodes since you joined occur when you are joking in your distinctive flat tone and the other guys have no idea until it hits them and everyone has to laugh (myself included). Very subtle sense of comedy, and cheers for doing the majority of the grunt work that brings us listeners a new RFN week after week. I think the show is rather consistently well-produced and I place you guys up there with other fave podcasts of mine like BS Report and Freakonomics.
Will the show last til 2020?
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It probably depends on Nintendo the company itself. The Nintendo business model that has served so well for three decades is probably nearing the end of its run. I agree with Jonny that a convergence console/handheld can still offer enough value to keep it going another generation but I don't see how Nintendo consoles as we have known them can continue to serve the market at large when buying habits (something G alluded to in this episode) look to be transitioning in a different direction towards cheap-entry or service-based.
Financially today, the company is healthy, robust even, but the same could be said of other prominent companies just three years ago. How many were willing to bet Rim would be dashed on the rocks or Nokia as everyone has known it would cease to exist? Not that there is no way out...Nintendo is an entertainment company above all else and has that home-run ability to capture imaginations and forge new markets. People will pay for compelling new experiences so, through the continuing adventures of RFN, I look forward to tracking the company's efforts.
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tldr; if Nintendo can forge the way ahead to remain relevant in a rapidly transforming market I am confident RFN will be there to keep callin the plays.
Lastly, on favorite episodes, I have enjoyed many (I really do miss Greg's level-headed classy British voice of reason but have never listened to the original cast with Evan). One of the greatest compliments I can pay you guys is that there are some epidodes that I find myself wanting to listen to over and over. The show is such that it is fun to go back and listen to old episodes and banter even if they are "behind the times" of the industry. One such fave is episode 84: Intervention. Buzzed Jonny (oh man that intro) waxing poetic on Magic the Gathering and the crew's reactions get me to chuckle Every-time. "I find myself wanting to play it in the middle of the night..."