The end of PATV and PAR. Is this the end of CheckPoint?

[Narcuru]

So Penny Arcade is closing both PA TV and The Penny Arcade Report effective the end of this year. (http://penny-arcade.com/2013/12/06/changes) Does this mean the end of CheckPoint?

Certainly as we know it, in terms of watching it on PA TV, but does LRR expect to continue to make CkPt for the foreseeable future (on YouTube or something)?

Or is this more of a ENN type of deal where they can no longer make it due to how the contract was written?

Hopefully Graham or someone will be able to tell us what's up for the future of CheckPoint soon.

[JackSlack]

... I'm thinking its getting easier and easier to do without Penny Arcade. I loved PAR and PATV had both Checkpoint and Extra Credits. What's left? PAX, which is awesome but problematic and the comic, which I could live without remarkably easily.

Huh.

[Narcuru]

... I'm thinking its getting easier and easier to do without Penny Arcade. I loved PAR and PATV had both Checkpoint and Extra Credits. What's left? PAX, which is awesome but problematic and the comic, which I could live without remarkably easily.

Huh.

While the discussion is related I'd rather keep this focused on what people think about the announcement as it pertains to LRR/CkPt.

[ElFuzzy]

So I watch every Checkpoint and comment on them here and there, but for whatever reason, I usually forget that it comes out Monday until later that evening. Either way I don't want it to go away, moving it to youtube would probably be easier than trying to move ENN.

[AdmiralMemo]

Checkpoint, Extra Credits, and SUSD are the only things really "alive" on PATV right now, with 9 other archived shows.

I wonder what the contract says, but I don't know about the future of Checkpoint outside of PATV. Up-side: Checkpoint doesn't cost too much in things like sets or anything, so if there's passion, LRR can probably fund it outside of PA. Down-side: It still does take time and money out of Graham, Kathleen, and Paul. I don't know how much, but it might be time and money better spent on other projects, if the regular paycheck from PA isn't coming in to fund it.

Much as I love CheckPoint, if it goes dark due to funding issues, I can totally understand.

[MisterDee]

I just hope that this isn't a huge financial blow for the crew. I'm sure that they've known about this for longer than us though, so hopefully those numbers were already factored in the Kickstarter.

[Narcuru]

Checkpoint, Extra Credits, and SUSD are the only things really "alive" on PATV right now, with 9 other archived shows.

I wonder what the contract says, but I don't know about the future of Checkpoint outside of PATV. Up-side: Checkpoint doesn't cost too much in things like sets or anything, so if there's passion, LRR can probably fund it outside of PA. Down-side: It still does take time and money out of Graham, Kathleen, and Paul. I don't know how much, but it might be time and money better spent on other projects, if the regular paycheck from PA isn't coming in to fund it.

Much as I love CheckPoint, if it goes dark due to funding issues, I can totally understand.

Yeah my assumption is that what they get from YouTube, if they were able to move it wholesale in the first place, would probably not be enough to justify the time they need to research/script/shoot/edit it all. It would probably have to be continued either out of passion for it, or if they felt they could get it picked up by another place (similar to the transition from ENN to CkPt).

[ElFuzzy]

Much as I love CheckPoint, if it goes dark due to funding issues, I can totally understand.

I completely agree, but there's a part of me that would be really miffed that both ENN and Checkpoint ended up shut down. I hope it keeps running strong.

I just hope that this isn't a huge financial blow for the crew. I'm sure that they've known about this for longer than us though, so hopefully those numbers were already factored in the Kickstarter.

Careful now, we haven't had confirmation that it's shutting down.

[Narcuru]

I just hope that this isn't a huge financial blow for the crew. I'm sure that they've known about this for longer than us though, so hopefully those numbers were already factored in the Kickstarter.

Careful now, we haven't had confirmation that it's shutting down.

Yeah, but I sincerely doubt that the money they would get from YouTube ads will be equal to or even close to the money they got from PA. I don't know for sure but I would like to believe they got paid better than that for it. IF (and this is a big if) they didn't know about it until after their Kickstarter, and thus assumed they would be getting that money at least for the next year (to me a reasonable assumption), then it could have ramifications on things. Having said all that they did raise more money then they needed to so its not like they will suddenly go poor because PA stops paying them.

[Jamfalcon]

I get the sense there was some warning, because for the last month or so Extra Credits has been posting their episodes to their own YouTube channel as well as PATV. This seems like a reasonable explanation for that.

[AdmiralMemo]

I am assuming both LRR and Extra Credits have copies of their archive so they can post them to YouTube if PATV not only shuts down, but also shuts off their YouTube channel.

[Narcuru]

Stolen from the LRR twitter: "Thanks for all the kind words about CheckPoint and PATV!

We knew this was coming and we’ll be addressing our plans very soon, sit tight "

Well that's good to hear. Can't wait until they tell us whats going to happen.

[plummeting_sloth]

Also probably explains SUSD's own kickstarter thing. And plans are good. I doubt the conversation will go all Godfather.


"Our plan is this: Nothing"

[WAYF]

Wow, I, uh... if the worst case scenario happens, i.e. both Extra Credits and CheckPoint are forced to stop making episodes due to financial issues (for example, that they are no longer getting paid for it), I will actually not know what to do. They're my last ports of call in terms of thinking about and learning about video games.

[Lord Hosk]

even after all the things that the crew has said on twitter, and in spite of not being into video games enough to care about most of the topics this still saddens me.

I hope that version 3 whatever that ends up being will be great. LRR seems to have a lot of good luck with the third version of things. Third moonbase, Third talking heads about funny news, desert bus shift supervisors each taking a third...

I have said it before but Checkpoint is what brought me here. I saw it on PAtv, then searched for "loading ready run" and that got me to the escapist just before Desert bus 5. Now Im here and it has meant so much to me to be here that Checkpoint will always hold such a strong place in my heart so im sad to see it go.

[AdmiralMemo]

I hope that version 3 whatever that ends up being will be great. LRR seems to have a lot of good luck with the third version of things. Third moonbase, Third talking heads about funny news, desert bus shift supervisors each taking a third...

Desert Bus 3 saw OctoPimp and the start of the Craft-Along, as well as the first 6-digit total.

[Narcuru]

even after all the things that the crew has said on twitter, and in spite of not being into video games enough to care about most of the topics this still saddens me.

I hope that version 3 whatever that ends up being will be great. LRR seems to have a lot of good luck with the third version of things. Third moonbase, Third talking heads about funny news, desert bus shift supervisors each taking a third...

I have said it before but Checkpoint is what brought me here. I saw it on PAtv, then searched for "loading ready run" and that got me to the escapist just before Desert bus 5. Now Im here and it has meant so much to me to be here that Checkpoint will always hold such a strong place in my heart so im sad to see it go.

I'm the same way, though it took me much longer to bother to google LoadingReadyRun (I don't know why, considering I loved watching it. I guess I didn't think they did anything else at the time (except for vague references to Desert Bus which somehow didn't sound interesting because I thought it was all about them playing the game*)). I started with CheckPoint, and CheckPoint+the Strip Search announcement is what brought me to here and the huge back catalog of videos. Its why I work on the CheckPoint wiki pages. While I'm sure the third iteration of this will work out whenever that happens. Its always sad when the thing that brought you here ends.


*DB007 was my first Desert Bus, and will not be my last. I have found the error in my ways and the only way to fix it is binge Desert Bus watching.

[Digital Dolphin]

Checkpoint was pretty much the last PA related thing I had any interest in. Unfortunately, other than the forums, it's also the only LRR related thing I still follow. So that's kind of sad

[Lurkon]

I will miss Checkpoint if they can't find a new home for it. But I'm almost positive something will pop up to take its place, and I'll love it.

[empath]

I'm confident that B.T. WILL find some way of making a "funny gaming industry news" program should Checkpoint have to be put out to pasture.

...I just hope and pray that they will be able to find a patron eager to finance it. *crosses fingers*

[MarkVI]

Am I the only one here who isn't as big a fan of Checkpoint? Don't get me wrong, it can be entertaining. I just think CP was a bit of a forced niche and wasn't really playing to the group's biggest talents. But the weekly sketches and any offshoots like Friday Nights and CH are really what keep me interested in them. Also the GPLPs with Brad were awesome. I think Desert Bus 2 originally brought me to the site, though it's so far back I can hardly remember.

[Jamfalcon]

Am I the only one here who isn't as big a fan of Checkpoint?

It's certainly on the lower half of my preferences (though I generally enjoy it more than Unskippable). I find it all funny, but different people like different kinds of humour, and LRR is good at providing a pretty wide variety. I completely see what people love about it, but I generally find it's a pleasent amusement, compared to the laugh out loud humour of the sketches or Feed Dump.

[RedNightmare]

Checkpoint is probably my least favorite series of LRR (I still love it though). I'll miss it, but I'm glad this won't hurt the crew too much.

To be honest I'm more concerned for Extra Creditz. They can keep making it on their own site, but I don't know how much they got from PA and how much that factored into their budget

[Lord Chrusher]

I am sad to see CheckPoint go. I like the fake new format and I have to admit I did get a lot of my gaming news from it.

[Master Gunner]

My preference is still for the original, 22-Minutes style, ENN. I still highly enjoy Checkpoint in its current form, though.