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The gaming podcast guide.
Given the sheer number of gaming podcasts available which ones are deserving of your time and which deserve to be ignored?
I can only offer opinion on podcasts I have listened to so please feel free to offer suggestions on other offerings, good or bad, and whether defunct or still running.
The Bombcast.
My personal favourite gaming podcast sees the minds of Ryan Davis, Vinny Caravella, Jeff Gerstmann and Brad Shoemaker collide for over two hours each week. The show uses the familiar model of games being played, news, releases and letters as its main starting points for discussions. What makes this particular show stand out amongst its peers is the chemistry of the four main participants. The podcast showcases a great sense of humour throughout and offers frank assessments of games without crossing the line into hysterical flame baiting. Main host Davis is excellent and keeps the show running along smoothly with seamless transitioning and the ability to get the best from his colleagues. The podcast can be accused of running too long but the time can often seem to fly due to the quality of discussion which can veer from the comical, the creation of a time travelling honest Abe sim called Lincoln Force, to the serious, the state of the videogame industry at large. Certainly the most entertaining podcast around, I cannot recommend the Giant Bombcast enough and if you were to listen to just one podcast this would be it.
http://www.giantbomb.com/podcast/
Current status: Running
1up Yours/ ListenUp
One of the pioneers of the four men shouting at each other formula was 1UP Yours. The familiar format broke down into watcha been playing, news and usually a main topic or two to debate. Hosted by Garnett Lee, the show always had good pacing and transitions with interesting opinions and arguments. Many felt the line-up of Lee along with Shane Bettenhausen, John Davison and Luke Smith was the best of the number of line-ups’ the show went through. However I found Smith to be a little irritating to listen to and appreciated when the fourth chair was filled by the excellent Mark MacDonald and later Bryan Intihar, David Ellis and many more in the ever changing fourth chair spot. Unfortunately, with the UGO takeover of the 1UP network many editors left the company. Lee did continue on with the familiar ListenUp show before leaving himself. While running 1UP Yours was certainly one of the top tier podcasts available.
http://www.1up.com/do/minisite?cId=3149993 / http://www.1up.com/do/minisite?cId=3172882
Current status: Defunct
4 Guys 1UP
This replaced the above podcast and David Ellis stepped up to fill the host position. Ellis provided a somewhat unique spin on the format by inserting more interviews into the process but the run of this particular podcast was short lived as Eliis left for 343 studios.
http://www.1up.com/do/minisite?cId=3176640
Current status: Defunct
In This Thread
The latest attempt of the 1UP network to replace 1UP Yours with Ray Barnholt as host and an ever changing cast of a much depleted pool of 1UP editors. While Barnholt was an often interesting and amusing voice on the many 1UP podcasts he struggled to fill the host position which was largely due to the usual guests of Thierry Nguyen and Mike Nelson among others failing to engage. Regretfully I recently stopped listening to 1UP’s flagship show for the first time since it all began in 2005. The podcast is to be replaced again and at this point maybe 1UP should let it die as many other podcasts are doing the same format but much better.
http://www.1up.com/do/minisite?cId=3180393
Current status: Recently defunct to be replaced yet again
Retronauts
Retronauts was hosted by the excellent Jeremy Parish. Each episode covered a game franchise or game and looked back on its impact in the industry, how it held up and many other aspects with many childhood memories leading to fascinating anecdotes. The format was simple as three or four editors would gather to discuss various games of years gone by. In the 99 episode run many topics were covered but some episodes in particular standout such as the episode debunking the myth of Final Fantasy VII’s status as the best rpg ever to the history of horror games and an excellent look at the role of game music. With such a format it was only natural that the podcast would have a limited run as the main game series of yesteryear were given their own shows. This was clear with the fact that towards the end of the run a number of podcasts seemed to lack any focus and were seemingly released for the sake of it. However, the podcast stands up better on return than most with the majority of the podcasts on this page obsessed with the here and now and where gaming is going. Retronauts takes a step back and covers where we have been. A suggestion would be to start with those episodes featuring Shane Bettenhausen or Chris Kohler as both have a vast knowledge of videogame culture and entertain and fascinate in equal measures when in front of a microphone. Hopefully, the podcast can return in a number of years to return to examining the current releases that will have that stage gained retro status. A highly recommended podcast for anyone interested in the history of gaming.
http://www.1up.com/do/minisite?cId=3156908
Current status: Defunct
Active Time Babble
The rpg podcast of the 1UP network is hosted by Kat Bailey. The podcast concentrates on upcoming releases of games in the rpg genre. The show is limited by the relative slow release of game in the genre but is interesting nonetheless. Recommended for those with a healthy appreciation of rpgs of course with intriguing conversations about the state of the Eastern and Western RPG among other such related topics. A suggestion to the show would be to perhaps use weeks when little is being released to delve into the past of the many rpg franchises that have come and gone. A good show for a significant gaming genre.
http://www.1up.com/do/minisite?cId=3176689
Current status: Running
Talkradar (U.S. version)
One of the worst podcasts I have listened to and one which I jumped ship from after trying just a few episodes. The childish nature of the production as well as including the absolute worst aspects of daytime radio with wacky sound effects going off seemingly ad nauseum. While perhaps an attempt to parody daytime radio stations the podcast instead gets sucked in. One to avoid.
http://talkradar.wordpress.com/
Current Status: Running
Out of the game
Shawn Elliot, N’Gai Croal, Robert Ashley, Jeff Green and Luke Smith come together as former journalists to discuss any number of topics from games, books, movies and television to interesting social experiments, the state of game journalism, aspects of the human condition and everything in between. A fascinating podcast that makes most others look infantile in their approach to the podcast format in terms of content. What can be confused for snobbishness is actually a detailed and often well researched angle on many issues of today’s entertainments mediums. A more thoughtful approach to podcasting than most even if it can veer into overt childishness at times (usually with Elliot in the driving seat).
http://mexicutedbyhepitacos.libsyn.com/
Current status: Running
A Life Well Wasted
The most highly produced podcast available is the result of hundreds of hours of work by host Robert Ashley as he provides an hour long view of an aspect of gaming culture. Eschewing the traditional podcast setup Ashley divides each episode into three of four main sections of interviews with many fascinating figures. The podcast is an audio treat and is a vast step above its rivals in terms of quality of production. The use of music is excellent and the interviews are often fascinating. Videogame culture in its many guises is explored from the death of EGM, the cosplay culture, the discovery of Tetris to the floundering of the pinball industry. To date there have been six episodes due to the large amount of time it takes to produce such shows. This podcast I can wholeheartedly recommend everyone to try at least once and my second favourite behind the Bombcast.
Current status: Running but very spread out release dates
Mobcast
The Mobcast is the flagship podcast of Bitmob. The idea is that usually four people gather and bring a topic to discuss. The idea is unique amongst gaming podcasts and initially I enjoyed the Mobcast. However, while good topics are often brought forward the topics are rarely discussed in any detail and are often left mostly unanswered or answered in a mostly unsatisfying way. Sweeping generalisations curse the show as little time is used to reflect on any of the serious questions brought forward as each person will state their opinion and move on and hosting is often bland. To see how to do this well see ‘The Warning’ section of Weekend Confirmed.
Current status: Running
Pixel Revolt
The pixel revolt is the more community orientated side of the Bitmob podcast family. I will admit that I gave less time to this podcast than most but I found it to suffer with the same problems as the Mobcast and backed up by uninteresting participants.
http://pixelrevolt.libsyn.com/category/podcasts
Current status: Running
Rebel FM
Hosted by Anthony Gallegos, Arthur Gies and Tyler Barber. Rebel FM was spawned from the change in the guard at 1UP. This was a podcast I listened to for some time and quite enjoyed but suddenly became very tired of many aspects of it. The inordinate amount of love for Volition games and their average titles, while at the same time dismissing any and all Rockstar games, made Gies a difficult person to take seriously. While taste and opinion are an essential part of podcasting I felt he would often stray into nonsense. He continuously championed the Halo series and while this was not a problem when questioned about it compared to other shooters just used the vague reply of better mechanics. Gallegos and Barber were interesting but quickly became parodies of themselves as little would be discussed other than real-time strategy games and indie games respectively. As the show continued its latter show letter section became a strange dating centre in which the three would hand out love advice to all and sundry. Why not just turn it off you say? Why yes that is exactly what I did and stopped listening to this show quite some time ago.
http://www.eat-sleep-game.com/news/
Current status: Running
1up FM
A second podcast at 1up at the time when there were many editors around to the extent that a second major podcast each week was possible. Hosts Philip Kohler and Nick Suttner gave a rundown of new releases, introduced new staff and talked about hot topics of the industry. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the show was the end of podcast section called Pile of shame where an underappreciated game was dug up and played through. These included Beyond Good and Evil, Shadow of the Colossus and STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl among others. The show is now defunct but was an interesting and informative addition to the 1up podcast family.
http://www.1up.com/do/minisite?cId=3149975
Current status: Defunct
Weekend Confirmed
Weekend confirmed is the show currently being run by Garnett Lee of 1UP Yours fame. As suspected when released the show follows almost the exact same format as 1UP Yours but by essentially being the main proponent of that style of podcast Lee has earned the right to use it. The three man show of Lee, Jeff Canada and Brian Leahy, with occasional guests, run down the games they have played as well as any number of topics in the Warning. The warning is what the Mobcast attempts to do but in a far more detailed and satisfying manner as discussions and arguments occur rather that stating your opinion then moving on as on the Mobcast. Weekend Confirmed is one of the best podcasts available, and is not hurt at all by including the entertaining remixes from contributors of the chatter of the three main men.
http://www.shacknews.com/tag.x/Weekend+Confirmed
Current status: Running
8-4 Play
Mark MacDonald hosts from the offices of 8-4, a videogame localisation company, in Japan. The participants are highly enveloped in Japanese culture and offer a unique perspective on the industry with this biweekly podcast. The show has thus far avoided the trappings of the 1UP Yours formula and has included a fascinating discussion about the launch surrounding the NES, the unveiling of the 3DS and much talk of Monster Hunter and its vast appeal to the Japanese market. The podcast benefits from doing a show every two weeks as the discussion can seem fresher and the participants more enthusiastic and of course two weeks’ worth of news and views to discuss. 8-4 Play offers its own spin on the general game podcast formula and is all the better for it.
Current status: Running
The Soundtest.
One of the most interesting pocasts available on the 1UP network was the Soundtest hosted by Ray Barnholt. The podcast consisted of a number of videogame music tracks from all manner of genres briefly introduced by Barnholt. The show included music from new games, retro remixes, material from less well known games and many pieces of music in between. An excellent and unique podcast highlighting an often overlooked aspect of game design.
http://www.1up.com/do/minisite?cId=3178336
Current status: Unfortunately Recently Defunct
Squadron of shame
The Squadron of shame leads with the simple idea of playing old underappreciated or completely overlooked games to newer release and getting together to discuss the individual merits of the respective titles. There is a large library of games that have been covered already with the Squadron having played games such as Yakuza, Heavy Rain, The Dig and Lost Winds. More recently the podcast has moved into a series of discussion such as favourite endings in games and a debate on game violence. These topics are discussed in detail much like the talks about various games and are interesting listens. A good quality podcast although I would prefer if they moved back to the format with which they arrived of covering games in the so called pile of shame.
http://www.squadronofshame.com/
Current status: Running
Kojima productions report
The only company produced podcast I have listened to although not to any great extent. The Kojima report is focused on games released by Kojima productions which includes Lunar Knights and Zone of the Enders but is for the vast majority of the time taken up by talk of the Metal Gear series. I have listened to a number of these and while they are often quite straightforward while revealing little, as you would expect of a company podcast, it often has access to various people associated with Metal Gear series including artists, composers, singers, voice actors including David Hayter and, very rarely, Hideo Kojima himself. I have listened only to shows featuring Ryan Payton who has since left the company so I cannot comment on the continuing quality of the podcast but what I have consumed thus far has been interesting nonetheless.
http://www.kjp.konami.jp/gs/hideoblog_e/
Current status: Running
