It’s the last episode of Season 3 of One Life Left and we have an agenda. That agenda: to tidy up all the loose ends from the other shows in Season 3, to apologise and move on. It’s a departure from our previous (unwritten) agendas which, for Simon at least, mostly involve swearing and libel. But Simon isn’t here. In his place, no-longer-a-mystery-guest Jonathan Smith, who calms Ann’s nerves with a steely gaze and fearless hands. That will make more sense after you’ve heard the news.

The news which, because you demanded it, includes a post-news-section gossip with someone who attended the Rock Band conference. Extra news, only a week late! Fear not, though, because we manage to get through a lot in our final hour-and-five minutes. We have two phone guests. We have four features. We have two incredible WORLD EXCLUSIVE REVIEWS, a scoop so great any other podcast would be issuing press releases right this second: one of Grand Theft Auto IV and one of Lego Indiana Jones. Beat that Major Nelson! Or anyone else we care to pick a fight with, frankly.

And then, at the very end of the episode, something truly awesome: some Other Business. You can wait for that. Do wait. It will be worth it.

Any Other Business could refer to another part of the episode too, which is almost entirely unedited. You will notice the part where it is particularly unedited. It would have been almost effortless to cut it out but we have left that in because we found it funny. It is super indulgent but hey, this is the last show, and perhaps gives those who weren’t ever able to make it to a preamble a taste of what that was like, i.e. surprises, muffled noises, nonsense and giggling.

The sound on #72 might be a little worse than on previous shows. We’ve had a few problems with the desk today, to the extent that for a couple of hours it looked like the show wasn’t going to happen. We’re going to refit studio OLL shortly. We’re looking for way to fund that. We’re thinking of selling t-shirts! Or Ann’s hair.

And that’s it. Thank you to all our guests and contributors, thank you to Resonance FM and to Eurogamer and thank you all so much for putting up with us this season. It has been a genuine pleasure. We’ll see you soon, we hope – if not in Malmo or at the (recently postponed) One Life Left Wrap Party then for Season Four. Keep checking onelifeleft.com, thetriforce.com or our Facebook page for details on that. We’ll let you know as soon as we do.

Love,

The One Life Left Team

xxx

PS: If you didn't know by now, we have a last.fm group! That's new, and a brilliant way to compare notes on awesome music with other listeners. We are very close to the 500 mark on Facebook, so help us surpass that by clicking here, or identify yourself as a fan to others on that same site by clicking here. Our MySpace is here -- clicking around our friends list there is a good way to find out about the bands on the show. The OLL forum is here and if you want to email us with letters or things to play you can do so at the address in the show: team at one life left.com.

Those of you who can think as far back as the start of Season 3 might remember that we often promised to call people and never ever got around to it, mostly because it took about a dozen episodes for Resonance to get around to installing the phone. We make up for that today by using our Skype phone on no less than four occasions! To varying degrees of success, as you'll find out.

What else can we reveal without spoilers? Well, contrary to our hastily penned trailer on Eurogamer there aren't any reviews this week -- blame the fight we had about Riff last week and not wanting to turn Simon's last episode of the season into another row. But to compensate the news section contains actual news, an OLL regular returns to debut new material, Derek's still Derek and Craig 'The Rage' McClelland continues to hurt.

The show is presented almost completely unedited* so you'll please forgive the minor errors. Post production could have fixed them all, e.g. by highlighting the whole One Listener Left section and pressing delete, but we're all about honesty. Also laziness. We do forget to call someone as Simon mentions at the end of the show but perhaps we'll remedy that next week.

By we I mean Ann and Ste, because Simon's off on holiday now. He'll be back for the OLL wrap party which is tentatively scheduled for the 26th of April in London somewhere (we're seeking a venue, so write in if you can help with that). Ann and Ste will return next Tuesday for the OLL Season 3 Finale with a very special copresenter. Please join us then.

Oh, music: It's quite a musical episode. A Lemmings remix by a friend of a listener, a track from ex-OLL-standards Colon Openbracket, a quick blast of a new CFCF remix (vs Sally Shapiro) and a Mega Man II remix by Johan Agebjorn.

Hey! We have a last.fm group! That's new. Also, please join our Facebook Group and help us push on to the 500 mark by clicking here, or identify yourself as a fan to others on that same site by clicking here. Our MySpace is here -- clicking around our friends list there is a good way to find out about the bands on the show. The OLL forum is here and if you want to email us with letters or things to play you can do so at the address in the show: team at one life left.com.

*Of course it doesn't have the half hour preamble in which we checked the mics, Ann made us drinks and Simon called Simon's sister and talked about celebrity conquests. For that sort of thing you'll have to listen live. Sorry!

Maybe you'll have noticed by now but episode 70 of OLL clocks in at well over 63 minutes. That means it's the longest One Life Left ever, assuming you don't count the Christmas Party which you shouldn't because that was essentially unlistenable, if not literally unbroadcastable.

But despite loosening our belts by five whole percent we still didn't manage to squeeze in all the OLL fatness we'd planned. Sure, we got the features done -- three contributors make the most of their spots in the audio sunlight (can you have audio sunlight?) (no.) -- and the news is there as always. There are more reviews than ever, live section One Listener Left, no obvious libel and another game-person hunting mission. Plus there are two important, exciting event announcements, one of which is revealed below so hey, SPOILER WARNING. You might want to listen and then come back.

Spoiler buffer zone for those slow to decelerate. We missed things! It's such a packed show. Sorry about that. We didn't miss them deliberately. We will carry them over to next week, no worries. If you are expecting a better letters section or the best Ann Fic ever you will have to wait a little while. Oh, and we also didn't mention the very special guest coming to our party.

What party? Well, on April the 26th we'll be doing another One Live Left from a pub in London. There'll be live performances from feature contributors, special guests, prizes, music, booze and dancing. Venue to be announced but it will be brilliant and you should come. More details to follow. See you next week.

Join our Facebook Group and help us push on to the 500 mark by clicking here, or identify yourself as a fan to others on that same site by clicking here. Our MySpace is here -- clicking around our friends list there is a good way to find out about the bands on the show. The OLL forum is here and if you want to email us with letters or things to play you can do so at the address in the show: team at one life left.com.

Those of you who tune in live to the preamble might be surprised to hear that actually, all things considered, OLL is pretty well prepared. We have a list of things that we need to get through and a rough schedule detailing how we're going to do it.

So, everything's in order for One Life Left #69, right? We have the news (check), some reviews (check), features from OLL's beloved contributors (check) including a very special never-before-broadcast snippet from the OLL archives (check). We don't have any letters but we'll do an appearl for some midway through the show and I'm sure that'll work out (check).

We do have some music, though (check). And we have a vague plan to track someone down that may or may not come to fruition (check), we're going to talk to a listener and give away a game, phone one of Eurogamer and we're going to say something so unbelievable and irresponsible in the first ten minutes that we'll need to edit it out in post production (check). Wait, what was that last one?

Never mind, I'm sure it's going to be fine.

Two things for you to do over the next week.

1) Write to us, because our Inbox was pretty empty this week.

2) Partake in Simon's Wikipedia challenge, as revealed halfway through the show.

You could combine them. That would be efficient.

Join our Facebook Group and help us push on to the 500 mark by clicking here, or identify yourself as a fan to others on that same site by clicking here. Our MySpace is here -- clicking around our friends list there is a good way to find out about the bands on the show. The OLL forum is here and if you want to email us with letters or things to play you can do so at the address in the show: team at one life left.com.

Like a perfect adventure game it begins with a quest: a listener who wants us to make something happen. And it finishes with... Well, you'll have to listen, won't you?

But while the narrative road that runs through One Life Left #68 is untested and overgrown with hazardous distractions, the journey still takes us to some familar places. There's the palatial, long-standing Casa Derek, of course; the glorious peaks and gloomy valleys of The Rage; Ray Silvergun's bonsai gardens; and Mount Odds On O'D. That's not an imperative. Please don't try.

There's also Ann's adventuorous news, Simon's adventurous backchat, Ste's 'adventurous' handling of the desk* and a genuinely adventurous guest who tries to avoid talking about some super secret game-related stuff and ends up talking about cocks instead. We'll have more of that sort of thing next week. I mean the game-related stuff. Well, either, really.

What else? Oh, just listen. Incidentally, #68 is the 20th episode in Season 3, which means we're truly on the home straight now. There are four more live 'standard' episodes this season. We'll talk about our plans for after that next week, I think. See you then.

Join our Facebook Group and help us push on to the 500 mark by clicking here, or identify yourself as a fan to others on that same site by clicking here. Our MySpace is here -- clicking around our friends list there is a good way to find out about the bands on the show. The OLL forum is here and if you want to email us with letters or things to play you can do so at the address in the show: team at one life left.com.

Present because there are presents, correct because there were no major sound problems this week. Simple.

So simple and trouble free that there are, for the first time ever, two phone guests. In fact there were four but the other two (Simon’s Mum and another listener) were part of the pre-show preamble which we meander through for about half an hour before we hit 8pm and hit record. That’s right: those 30 minutes are lost forever, except in the heads of the 60-odd privileged listeners who were unfortunate enough to tune in a bit early.

In addition to those guests we have all kinds of minifeatures, some reviews that actually almost touch on being actual reviews, lots of game music remixes (though not, you’ll note, Ann’s idea of remixes), an interview with a band who don’t sound very sure they know what videogames are, and a competition that you’re going to have real difficulty winning. Another reason to listen live if you can.

There is no One Life Left next week. Ste’s off to LA, Simon’s off to see Muse and Ann’s going to cram like she’s in a High School movie montage. We’ll return for episode 20 at 8pm on the 19^th of March refreshed and rejuvenated with at least one announcement. Exciting.

Music in 67: My Brain by Mr Glide, Bootstrap by Pluxus, Candy by God knows who ft. some Japanese girls, Zelda 3: A Link To The Piano by Zoola, and that might be it. Actually I’m not CERTAIN we played the Pluxus track but if we didn’t we intended to and we will soon.

Join our Facebook Group and help us push on to the 500 mark by clicking here, or identify yourself as a fan to others on that same site by clicking here. Our MySpace is here -- clicking around our friends list there is a good way to find out about the bands on the show. The OLL forum is here and if you want to email us with letters or things to play you can do so at the address in the show: team at one life left.com.

Welcome to the severely delayed OLL #66. Delayed because the audio quality within is, uhm, what's the technical term for this? Ruined. Let us say ruined. Because something, some technical thing, went wrong two minutes into the show and we're still not exactly sure what it was. Everything seems to be fine now but we'll need you all to be alert next week if it happens again.

So in many ways this episode is actually worse than last week's test but it could have been worse. It has been lovingly stitched back together by OLL engineer James Scott and we offer our unreserved thanks to him. There are many reasons why you should be grateful too. The majority of those are the features, of course: Craig, Derek, Odds on, Taliah and Ray Silvergun producing spectacular work for our Eurogamer debut. There's also a new feature: One Listener Left, in which you can participate if you listen live during the next show.

That will be on Tuesday at 8pm. There will be preamble* and cake before that from around 7.30pm. Visit the website then for a link to the stream as soon as it goes live. Oh! It's probably wise to point out at this point we will be taking a week off after this in order to (try to) fix the studio problem permanently. Good luck with THAT, Ste.

*Thankfully as listeners were quick to point out all the idiotic nonsense before the show was in perfect quality, leading us to believe that Studio One Life Left is sentient and taking delight in taking the piss.

Music in #66: well, it's mostly fucked, isn't it? But Butterfly Kisses by The Depreciation Guild, Rhona by Acrnym (sic), and Pacman (Glass Cage OC Remix) by Israfel.

Join our Facebook Group and help us push on to the 500 mark by clicking here, or identify yourself as a fan to others on that same site by clicking here. Our MySpace is here -- clicking around our friends list there is a good way to find out about the bands on the show. The OLL forum is here and if you want to email us with letters or things to play you can do so at the address in the show: team at one life left.com.

Usual caveats for an OLL special: this is not a typical One Life Left if such a thing exists, and if this is your first time here you should probably go back a few episodes and start listening there. But if you're a veteran...

Presenting, an unexpected 'treat'as part of the build up to Tuesday's First Show On Eurogamer Radio: The OLL Test Transmission we recorded last week. This was really just meant to be a technical test but we decided the best way to do that was by doing the show exactly as we normally would. So we went onto A Popular Gaming Forum and asked them to help us out by listening. They listened! Sweet!

So yeah, it's quite dodgy at the start because we're still trying to find our way round the revamped Studio OLL (and you'll especially enjoy the major hiccup about 20 minutes in, which I've left in for illustrative purposes). But by the end it's fairly standard OLL stuff, mumbling, rambling and off-track discussion over chiptune music and Ann's disinterest. There's also a new live listener count which we expect to prove invaluable over the next few weeks.

Some notes that I'm not sure we mentioned during the show or that are worth repeating:


* The first proper broadcast is at 8pm on Tuesday. Be there. If you have technical problems let us know and we'll ask our new, awesome off-site engineer Mark.

* We're going to have the mics up during show preparation beforehand (perhaps from as early as 7.30PM). This stuff will not be podcast, obviously. We might have a Skype name for you to call in and say hello.

* Same goes for after the show. So if you want to hear all that you'll have to listen live.

* Podcast details stay the same. You don't have to resubscribe.


That's it. See you on Tuesday!

Music in #x04: Whatever I could find on iTunes in the heat of the moment, so: Sponsored by Destiny by Slagsmalsklubben, Machine by Mark Denardo and about half a second of something suitably overwrought by Desaparecidos.

While you're waiting for Tuesday's premiere, join our Facebook Group and help us push on to the 500 mark by clicking here, or identify yourself as a fan to others on that same site by clicking here. Our MySpace is here -- clicking around our friends list there is a good way to find out about the bands on the show. The OLL forum is here and if you want to email us with letters or things to play you can do so at the address in the show: team at one life left.com.

Is this thing on?

OK. You might think you've guessed the news by now. Listen on, listen on. At least as far as Ann's news, and then read on.

...


So. OLL #65, as well as carrying the weight of The Announcement, has all the stuff you'll have learnt to tolerate in the previous sixty-four episodes. There is A Stoic Lack of Interest with Ann Scantlebury. There is Belligerent Shouting with Simon Byron. And there is Panicked Fumbling with Ste Curran. That last sentence is the newspaper pull-quote on the poster of Ste's life.

There's gossip, a phone guest, a top five and an impromptu apology. There is poetry, brilliant, furious poetry. There the return of the doyouinverts. There is Derek! Derek! Derek! And we have news on Simon's Florida summit with Taliah.

It is One Life Left! There is gaming, content, nonsense and conjecture. But really the episode's all about the announcement and we are so goddamned excited about that that it's difficult to play this piece of text distant and cool.

Clarifications (and spoilers for those who'd rather hear us talk about it on the show first): for you, you right there, you, our favourite, it doesn't mean a great deal of change. In fact it barely means any change at all except that a) we're allowed to eat and drink in the studio again, b) guests get to sit on a couch, and c) FM listeners won't be able to pick up OLL but an awful lot more gamers will.

There are other advantages, too. Not least, and there is a hint of the future here, that the idea of live shows outside of our weekly slot on the schedule is no longer a dumb, unattainable dream. If World War III breaks out in a week's time and we want to tell you something live from the OLL studio we can.

Assuming you're still alive. Is it really broadcasting if there's no-one there to receive?

We will find out.

BROADCASTING DETAILS WILL APPEAR HERE THIS WEEKEND. CHECK BACK ON MONDAY TO FIND OUT WHAT'S GOING ON.

Music in #64: Farfar by Hugg & Pepp (for Simon's reaction), Can't Get You Out Of My Shed by Printed Circuit (for Ann), Kom Igen Komissarian by Slagsmalsklubben (for old time's sake) and The End of Radio by the brilliant, brilliant Shellac.

While you're waiting for our Change, join our Facebook Group and help us push on to the 500 mark by clicking here, or identify yourself as a fan to others on that same site by clicking here. Our MySpace is here -- clicking around our friends list there is a good way to find out about the bands on the show. The OLL forum is here and if you want to email us with letters or things to play you can do so at the address in the show: team at one life left.com.

The newly 64-bit OLL celebrates with another late episode and a slightly reformatted cast. Simon's gone to charm the ageless Taliah out of premature retirement so Tom Eurogamer returns for a triumphant second appearance on One Life Left, all the more triumphant because he's tag-teaming with Ellie Gibson! Ellie brings the funny remarks, Tom brings the videogame knowledge. In that sense it's just like having Simon in the studio, except with fewer moments involving inappropriate touching.

Consequently OLL #64 is a little less unruly (unexpectedly) brimming with videogame chat, including discussions about what it means to give a game 10/10, how you deal with feisty comments on the internet and even an EXCLUSIVE REVIEW OF THE NEW TOMB RAIDER GAME THAT NO-ONE HAS PLAYED YET. If we had a magazine we would put that on the cover, and then put a silver bag around the cover and put it on the silver bag too. We don't. We have a radio show! And it also includes news stolen from around the internet, features, reader letters / contributions and game-related music (though ann calls into question the validity of one of the songs; judge for yourself here).

So sorry for the slight delay but you'll see why it happened about 60 seconds in. If you want to know exactly what happened you can read about it here at OLL's sister blog (it's usually a good idea to check there if there's been a delay to the podcast; either there or on our Facebook).

Simon will be back next week for a very special episode that'll include a huge One Life Left announcement. If you've ever considered listening live on the Resonance 104.4FM website episode 65 is the one you should try. Exciting times. See you on Tuesday.

Music in #64: Tetris Piano Concerto in A minor by Jeremy Robson, Wizball Transformation by ocean, You Take My Breath Away by The Knife, Game Over by The Lost Levels, and the music from Area 1 / Earth in Rez.

Still here? Make yourself useful and join our Facebook Group and help us push on to the 500 mark by clicking here, or identify yourself as a fan to others on that same site by clicking here. Our MySpace is here -- clicking around our friends list there is a good way to find out about the bands on the show. The OLL forum is here and if you want to email us with letters or things to play you can do so at the address in the show: team at one life left.com.