The Closet Gamer was born out of a 5' by 6' closet in my daughter's bedroom. When living in a 1300 sqft apartment with a kid who literally has everything, space becomes a bit of a hot commodity. Each year me and my gaming stuff have been pushed farther and farther into the darkest and deepest depths of the home...
Left: Sleeping three year old. Right: The Closet
Until finally I ended up in The Closet. A standing desk, a stool, a bunch of recording & photography equipment, terrain, paints, tools, bennies, cards, minis, dice, a bottle of whiskey, and there's even enough room for a little ice bucket for beer.... all in a 5' by 6' closet - The Closet. I was #blessed enough to have recently gotten some bookshelves to move my RPG books out of The Closet, but their memory lives on. My board games live in a different closet - not The Closet - but a closet none-the-less.
It started out as a place for me to keep all my crap, paint my miniatures, and watch Game of Thrones. Then I realized I could also play games in The Closet using things like Roll20.net and Google Hangouts. The Closet was quickly becoming a sort of gaming T.A.R.D.I.S.
As if I wasn't already getting WAY more use out of a closet than anyone has the right to be getting, I wanted more! I'm an avid podcast listener. Love podcasts. Radiolab, 99% Invisible, Gaming and BS, Nerds-International... the list goes on. I probably listen to a good 30-40 hours of podcasts a week, thanks mostly to having a job where I don't have to talk to people. So why not spend more of my time dedicated to podcasts, and start making them? And some videos too!
As it turned out, The Closet was the almost perfect place to do this. Good acoustics, controlled lighting, and far enough away from where my wife hangs out so as to not send her into a homicidal rage when my accents get a little too boisterous or as she would say... 'annoying' (whatever).
I've had this idea stewing in my head for a while. Now, I have tremendous respect for the current crop of tabletop RPG podcasters out there. Hell, I've learned just about every trick in my book from them. But I've always thought that something was missing from the segment. That tickle in your ear from a highly produced show like Radiolab. The drama of shows like The Truth and The Darkest Night. The story that we so often talk about and bring to life in our games just doesn't have good representation in RPG podcasts. I hope to bring that thing.
In a previous life - before I joined the corporate machine, sold my soul for a salary, offered the world a miniature version of me, and long before The Closet was a thing - I was an audio engineer, sound designer, and musician. I hope to use these long-dormant skills to bring you, discerning listener, gorgeous ear candy related to this wonderful hobby we call role playing.
It all starts on June 17th, 2017 with Enpey Cees.
Welcome. Prepare your ears. And Game Well.
Michael
(The Closet Gamer)