Starting with the next episode of The Casting Game (whenever that happens), some things will be changing. But fret not, these changes, some of which I can talk about now, will only serve to make the show a better experience all around.
For starters, I'm sick to death of the irremovable gaps between the Poll Daddy hosted polls on this site. Even having to click a link to vote would be less of a hassle than all the extra scrolling I've been making you go through this past year.
Also, two things will be going away, but I doubt anyone will miss them. One is the game-show host voice I use at the start of the show. There's a reason I never went into voice-over work. ;-) Also, I'm ditching the "Photoshoppers, get to work on that poster" tag from the results posts. I wasn't getting any posters after more than a year putting out show. As Kim the Comic Book Goddess, who was on the Green Arrow: Quiver episode, pointed out, no posters likely means either I didn't attract any photoshoppers, or the ones I did were annoyed I didn't make it myself. I apologize if this was the impression I gave off; that I was lazy. I'm not. I'm just not that good of an artist. I made the Casting Game logo using public domain images and MS Paint. Plus, I wanted a multitude of posters, not just one, and even if I was an accomplished Photoshopper (or a Photoshopper at all for that matter), I am only one man with one perspective.
Another thing I'm going to be doing is providing winners of The Casting Game with an icon they can put on their site, along the lines of those you see o the sites of Parsec Award winners. Yes, there will be a more tangible prize than mere bragging rights. I'd of course love to have physical prizes to give, but I am but a humble convenience store clerk. Plus considering how time Pip Ballantine has won, I imagine the shipping rates to New Zealand would eat up my funds pretty quick if I had them. ;-) I can't show you the image because it hasn't been made yet, but it will be retroactive; I'll be sending them to past winners as well. If you have any ideas of what you'd like the award image to look like, let me know at my primary e-mail address, arkle AT comcast DOT net (typed like to avoid spambots).
Also, I am going to make an outro that I will tag onto each show starting with the next one. I do this because I realize I keep forgetting to say stuff I really need to during the show, like the website URL for voting, and the phone number and e-mail address for listener feedback.
On top of all that, soon I will make available a link to a text document containing all the rules to the Casting Game, including some new ones in development regarding tie votes. This should make things a little easier on first time listeners.
In summary, the plan is to make the Casting Game a but more structured, but also more fun at the same time. If it works, it works, if it doesn't, it doesn't. I hope you all will stick around to find out.
And hey, don't forget, there is a link on this website where you can suggest topics for the Casting Game to cover in the future. I won't promise they'll all happen of course, but I do read every single one. The more the merrier.
Thanks for your time,
Arkle
