One Life Left on Eurogamer tonight!

Dear Eurogamer Readers,

Hi! Thanks for having us. We are excited.

And we will start by stating the obvious: One Life Left isn't for everyone.

We think some of you will love it, join in, become part of our team. That would be great. More on that later. But if videogames are your life, are absolutely everything to you, if you scowl and spit at those who take the name in vain, it is likely you will hate us. That's fine too! See, the thing is: we do not take gaming very seriously. We love videogames! We really do. We have been living with them for a very long time and we also know that, as well as being beautiful and thrilling and addictive and all kinds of wonderful, they are more often than not crazy-stupid. So is the games industry that produces them. And so are we, so our show is stupid too.

But that's OK! There are lots and lots of game podcasts that are tough, hardcore gaming men sat around a desktop microphone gossiping about this week's biggest gaming rumours, that promise hard facts and definitive reviews. We're not one of those. We have news, reviews, features and music, but really we're a radio show about videogames that mostly talks about anything but. Audio dieticians might suggest you take One Life Left in addition to something else to maintain a healthy life balance. We'd suggest you listen to us and, if you can digest what you hear, join us.

If you're already a listener, hello again. It's good to see you. Nothing is going to change: same old us, same old format, same old jokes. If you're starting right now here is a guide to the things you need to know:

One Life Left is presented by three people.

Ste Curran makes games. He is Creative Director at Zoe Mode, a games developer in Brighton currently working on several unannounced next-generation console games. He used to be Editor-at-Large of Edge Magazine.

Simon Byron promotes games. He is a Director at Barrington Harvey, an important PR agency who do PR for lots of important videogames. He used to be Editor of Amiga magazine 'The One'.

Ann Scantlebury ignores games. She is a student at Goldsmiths in London. She has barely any interest in games at all! Although she played Forza quite recently. And expressed some disgust at Viva Piñata.

One Life Left also features guests, interviews and phonecalls with whoever we fancy chatting to that week.

Sometimes it is no one! Sometimes it is someone very important, like Tom or Ellie or someone very important. It is rarely anyone particularly super-crucial to that week's news - we just talk to people we like who like games. Essentially we have filtered the videogame industry so you don't have to.

Talking of which. We have lots of regular contributors who produce tiny two-minute features. Many of One Life Left's feature producers are secret games industry superstars in disguise. Guessing who they are is part of the fun.

Currently on the One Life Left Feature rotation roster:

Free Market Economy:
Derek Williams, a market trader from Doncaster, provides One Life Left's equivalent of a chart rundown. He plays synthpop and explains what business has been like on his stall this week.

A Pint of Rice Wine and a Packet of Octopus Please:
Ray Silvergun works in Tokyo for a well-known Japanese developer. Every episode Ray teaches you a Japanese word with working examples drawn from daily frustrations.

Craig 'The Rage' McClelland:
Furious poet McClelland reads from his one of his many videogame anthologies, each a punchy, rhythmic work on the nature of play.

Taliah:
Seven-year-old Taliah reviews Nintendo games because Nintendo games are for kids.

You'll also learn to love Ann Fiction, the doyouinverts, Simon Byron's PR Tips, David McCarthy, Odds On O'D's Gaming Tips, The Top 5, One Listener Left and maybe even the fabled 'Uncle Charles, Uncle Charles Is Gaming Cool Yet?' There are dozens more on hold and new ones waiting in the wings. You will get to hear them in time if you stay with us. Or maybe you can be one.

You make the show as much as we do.

See, the big thing, maybe the biggest thing about One Life Left is that we rely on listener contributions: letters, emails, MP3s and (soon, hopefully) Skype-in phonecalls. The show is full of in-jokes but they all include you.