The Pitch: Ever wonder what it would be like if VH1 was still making episodes of Pop-Up Videos? Are you curious what it would be like if it had a video game tilt? What if I told you that there would be no actual popping and the video has been replaced by a still image, would you still be into that? If you're still on board, then let me introduce you to Pop Up Video Games.

What Happened? If Pop-Up Video Games proves anything, it's that I'm always looking for an easy way out. Even in 2003 I was looking for ways to make speedy articles I could quickly post. This is what I would call a filler piece, something I would toss on the site when I had nothing else prepared. Because there was little writing involved, making an episode took no time at all. This was great when I needed more time to writing a lengthy piece or, more likely, needed another day off.

I ultimately published fifty episodes of Pop Up Video Games, covering games as diverse as Ecco the Dolphin, Tomb Raider, Bad Day L.A., BMX XXX, Max Payne, Mario Golf and even Fatal Fury. Even though the photo editing is occasionally rough around the edges, there is a lot of useful information found within those fifty episodes. My goal from the start was to accidentally teach people facts, something that I continue to strive for five years later.

By 2006 I no longer needed the Pop-Up Video Games; the content on the site was strong enough and no longer required filler material. Five years in I had honed my craft and had a real vision for Defunct Games. As much as I loved the simplicity of these informative pictures, it didn't fit in with the new direction I was taking the site. The show had a good run, but in the end it just wasn't needed anymore.

Chance of Renewal: 50% - I've toyed with the idea of bringing this show back in one form or another. I would love to do a regular video feature that incorporates the pop-ups. I toyed with the idea a few years ago in my Ninja Gaiden: Book to Game Comparison video. I am still interested in bringing the show back for the weekends or other occasions, though it would need a little sprucing up after all these years. It's not at the top of my priority list, but I can see myself pulling the trigger one of these days.

The Pitch: Imagine a Siskel & Ebert-style review show, only we swapped in video games instead of pretentious indie movies. The show was to be hosted by Cyril Lachel and Patrick O'Connor and take an in depth look at several different new releases. This was all done as a podcast and made available for the world to hear.

What Happened? I'm going to be honest with you: Reviews in the Hot Seat is painfully bad. It's the kind of bad that sends dogs into a panic and turns flowing water into fire. It's so bad that the U.N. is currently using it on their bombing run in Libya. It's the kind of bad that shouldn't be listened to by anybody who is pregnant (or hoping to be in the future). Reviews in the Hot Seat is the very worst thing I've ever done on Defunct Games.

The idea was simple enough, take a couple of opinionated gamers and have them talk about five new releases. It's the easiest thing in the world; people do that on podcasts all the time. We weren't trying to reinvent the wheel; we just wanted to have a professional review show to compliment the written portions of Defunct Games. Well, that didn't happen. Instead Patrick and I have zero chemistry and there's not a single second of insightful information in the entire podcast. It's a train wreck from beginning to end; one that I wish would go away forever.

The worst part of the experience is that I knew it was going badly right from the get-go. I didn't have to wait until I edited it together later, I could tell that this was going to be an awful experience as soon as I opened my mouth. We only published one episode, after that I focused on the more traditional written reviews. I feel like I owe everybody involved an apology, especially the companies that contributed product for review (including 2K Games). I promise to never do that again.


Chance of Renewal: 0% - Didn't you hear me? I promise to never do that again. Oh sure, I may toy with ways to expand the review section and reach different people, but I can guarantee that you'll never hear another episode of Reviews in the Hot Seat. You have suffered enough.

As you explore the many pages of Defunct Games, you may notice other shows that appear to be on the way out. There are certainly a lot of shows that appear to be on an extended hiatus. In fact, this 10th Anniversary article is the first new episode of A Brief History of Gaming in a year and a half. I wouldn't blame you for thinking that I had completely forgotten about this show.

I'm here to ease some of your concerns and shed some light on the future of your favorite Defunct Games shows. For example, it's been exactly two years (to the day) since we've posted a new episode of I've Got Your Number. Should you be worried? Not even a little, I guarantee that we're going to make it to lucky number 16. The same goes for Worst Game Ever. Expect new episodes within the next few months.

I also plan on bringing back the popular Video Game Advice (Working Title) for another season. It's been two years since we've tackled a problem and the fans are getting antsy (I still get emails requesting new episodes). And you can expect new content from Radio Free Gaming and DGC On Demand.

There is one question I get more than any other: When is Cyril Read coming back? Well good news, because the new season of Cyril Reads happens later this year! I'm hard at work at recording and editing the episodes, so expect to hear all kinds of news about that in the near future. I can't tell you what it's going to be about, but I expect a lot of peace walking and snake eating. You have been warned!