Kept you waiting, huh?

So, every time I post something to the Limit Break Radio Facebook page I will inevitably get a ton of messages asking if I have any intention of bringing LBR back from ‘hiatus’ status. So, I thought it might be a good time to give you guys a little update.

Back around the time LBR stopped was when my time spent on FFXI hit a low point. I had no job, I had to move out of my apartment and, at the time, it looked like the only new events FFXI would support would be Voidwalker NMs and rehashed older events like Dynamis, Slavage or Nyzul. That didn’t seem like very much fun for me, so I stopped logging in. Because I stopped logging in, I didn’t feel I could speak about the game in the same way I would if I were logging in and playing. I happen to think this does a serious disservice to listeners. Hosts must have a connection with their subject matter. For a while, I just had no words to say about Final Fantasy XI.

Of course, that was then, this is now.

In the last two years I’ve made a few attempts to get back into Final Fantasy XI. I leveled Red Mage to 99 (well 98 technically I guess), made a brief run at getting an Empyrean Weapon with Eskalia, and transferred to Ragnarok with the help of Hyshio. Each time, my interest in the game would wain and I would stop logging in again. But, I have also found a great job that I love and takes up a lot of my time. I’ve hosted some other podcasts. I’m looking to move into an actual house and start a new chapter of my life and it feels really really good. I’ve also felt the FFXI itch for a few weeks and started logging back in to start trying some of the new Seekers of Adoulin content. I just got my first Delve weapon and have started leveling a Rune Fencer (lol, I know, I know). I am finding I have words to say about Final Fantasy XI again. It feels good.

I think about Limit Break Radio a lot. I miss the community, I miss reading emails and tweets. I’ve toyed with the idea of making new Limit Break Radio episodes. But I have to admit to all of you, I’m a little apprehensive. I know that, if LBR were to come back, I could never possibly be the same. It might not even come close to the old shows. But maybe that’s not a bad thing? Limit Break Radio has already had a few different incarnations so maybe a whole new approach should be taken. I’m not sure yet.

So I want to know what you all think. How many people out there would listen to new Limit Break Radio episodes? I also worry about the future of Final Fantasy XI. It’s no secret that FFXI’s population is hurting. Even with SoA’s release, the game seems really empty at times. And with Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn so close to release it will inevitably pull players away from FFXI in the future. What do you think FFXI’s future looks like? Are you just killing time until ARR? What are your thoughts on SoA? Please share your thoughts through emails, tweets or Facebook posts.

I want to thank everyone that has sent me messages, emails, Facebook posts and Tweets sharing their fond memories of the show and the cast. It’s always nice to be reminded that something you helped make meant enough to somebody that they take time out of their day to tell you how much they liked it. I can’t tell you how much that means to me.

I don’t want to get too many peoples hopes up that Limit Break Radio is definitely coming back. I am considering my options and want to know what you think.

Thank you all so much
-Aniero & LimitBreakRadio.com

Hey all, Aniero here…

Just wanted to let you know we’ve been planning and trying to record Limit Break Radio’s 65th episode but having a lot of scheduling problems. The plan is to have a roundtable discussion regarding Empyrean Weapons as well as talk about the new Final Fantasy XI October to March roadmap. However, due to the number of guests and an unfortunate power outage at the studio, we are having problems finding a day to do the show. Keep an eye on our Facebook and Twitter pages for an announcement about the live show. We apologize for the delay.

-Aniero & The crew of Limit Break Radio

Thanks everyone for joining us for the live stream of Limit Breaking News 18. I would like to apologize to the listeners for the constant stream interruptions, that shouldn’t happen next time. Check back for the edited episode coming soon.

If you’re like me: you’re sick of cable.

Not with the programming side of what cable delivers but the services it does or doesn’t offer. Commercials with jacked up volume to disturb those of us that like to fall asleep with the TV on. Changing what channels are offered in what package and making you pay more for access to specific channels, even if you previously had those channels on a basic cable subscription package. On Demand movies that don’t play all the way through, yet the account is still charged. Being charged for technical support. Seemingly random arbitrary charges that get piled on to your account.

It’s because of these reasons, when push came to shove and we had to cut down on household spending in our apartment, we chose to get rid of our cable TV service. We didn’t stop watching the television though. We’ve been using Netflix instant streaming service to the Xbox360 for quite some time and we judged based on the content offered by Netflix, it would make more financial sense to pay for cable based internet, Xbox Live & Netflix as opposed to cable TV service. Cable companies see this, and rightly so, as lost revenue for their business and now Comcast is looking to recoup some of those losses.

Now, the last time I duscussed Comcast in this form I warned that the decision by the US Court of Appeals that found against the FCC and in favor of Comcast would bring about the death of net neutrality, and that the cost of bandwidth could be passed on to the user. It seems that Comcast, instead of charging the user directly, have chosen to go after the services which provide bandwidth heavy content, you know them as services like Netflix, YouTube, Hulu and other streaming services.

Comcast is demanding Level 3 Communications, a partner in Netflix’s streaming movie service, pay an additional “toll” so users on the Comcast network can have access to the Netflix streaming service.

Comcast has tried to brush this event off as a “commercial dispute”. I’ll let you decide for yourself whether or not you think it’s simply a commercial dispute or if Comcast sees that 20% of its overall bandwidth is being used by Netflix and is using this opportunity to squash a competing video delivery service.

Comcast only stands to benefit from charging content providers a fee to gain access to their network. Why? If the provider agrees: HEY! Comcast gets more money! If they don’t agree Comcast users are prevented from using the alternative media delivery services, like Netflix, and are forced to go back to using cable video delivery services. But, it also leaves Comcast in a vulnerable position, because if Comcasts users are unhappy they will switch ISPs so they can have access to their high bandwidth services, right? WRONG! Internet service providers own or rent the physical network (cables, wires, etc) that deliver your internet service. To start a new ISP an individual must either use an existing network framework (cable, telephone, etc) or lay the cables and wiring for a totally new network. This means in most areas there are only two companies providing high speed internet service.

What happens if both companies decide they want to charge content providers to access to their network? What happens if all ISP companies decided to adopt this business model? What happens when ISP’s like Comcast look at LBR and say “you’re using too much bandwidth young man, you must pay $2,000 or we will not let Comcast users access LBR”? What happens when the scope is off of video streaming and placed on to online gaming?

So, what’s the answer?

I’m not one to say this lightly and I am dead serious when I say it: it’s time for the United States government and the FCC to act and to their job to protect the consumers against ISP restriction of the delivery of content. The internet needs to be classified by the FCC as a telecommunications delivery method so it can never be siphoned by ISPs or censored by special interest groups. To be clear: the FCC should not be given power to regulate the content of the internet, but rather the ability to regulate the ISPs to ensure that everyone accesses the same internet when we log on.

I realize ‘government intervention’ and ‘regulation’ are not popular words to use at this time, but the fact is that the internet is like a virtual landscape, and there are certain groups who want to not only control and shape that landscape but also control who has access to what parts of that landscape and for how much. And I ask you, is that fair? Should companies like Comcast be able to squash a brilliant idea like Netflix streaming just because the service is preferable to their antiquated and often times broken video delivery service?

I say no. And you can too.

Stop Comcast from Blocking Netflix! | Progressive Change Campaign Committee
Comcast Busted: New Tolls for Netflix Aren’t All You Should Worry About | Huffington Post
Forget Net Neutrality, Comcast Might Break the Web | Gigaom
Netflix Partner Says Comcast ‘Toll’ Threatens Online Video Delivery | New York Times