Gamer Podcasts

ianunderhill wrote:

It's branding. The big question is, "Does Polygon have the audience it thinks it does?" I don't see what precious, cloying earnestness has to do with games journalism. On the other hand, if you're building a new site that fits into an over-saturated space and you're staffing it with people who used to work on other sites, it's important to justify your existence by pitching yourself as something different. Frankly, I'm sick to death of hearing about how amazing this phantom site is going to be when we finally see it, but on the other hand, the reviews and other content currently being published through The Verge are definitely high-quality.

I agree.

What are they really telling us with that documentary? All of their branding is about this serious mission to be better than those crummy existing sites (with vague promises of "doing games journalism right"), with little actual detail about what that even means. When you're coming to the table with LOTS OF DOLLARS and corporate sponsorships out of the gate (Internet Explorer, lolz), you're probably not going to engender a lot of sympathy for how incredibly hard it is to make your "important" video game web site.

Oh, but THIS web site could NEGATIVELY IMPACT SOMEBODY'S LIFE IF IT FAILS! Wow. That makes it like what... every other web site out there? You gotta try harder than that, fellas.

To me, it's difficult to imagine exactly what they're talking about (and especially, why they're so serious about it). Chris Remo on the Idle Thumbs ruination cast actually summed up my own feelings in response to a general question about "game journalism," where he basically just said "I think there's too much of it."

It seems like we already run the gamut from actual industry insider rags (like Gamasutra) to daily PR aggregators (like Kotaku, Shack, etc) to in-depth "serious" commentary / literary-like criticism (like GWJ) to in-depth "journalism" like stuff (like the PA Report) to something that has bits and pieces of all of that (like RPS).

The Polygon guys may be great people. They may be good at what they do. I don't know. But the documentary (and the stodgy, self-serious public front of the organization in general) just turns me right off.

Show, don't tell, guys.

ianunderhill wrote:
gore wrote:
ianunderhill wrote:

Frankly, I'm sick to death of hearing about how amazing this phantom site is going to be when we finally see it...

Show, don't tell, guys.

Really, I think we're wanting the same thing here. I'm not defending the documentary stuff (hence use of words like "precious" and "cloying") and I don't understand why you seem to think I am.

I am agreeing with you. My criticism is directed at Polygon itself (and its PR), not at you.

(Ninja edited to make this clear)

gore wrote:

I am agreeing with you. My criticism is directed at Polygon itself (and its PR), not at you.

(Ninja edited to make this clear)

Noted. As mentioned, I didn't think we had much of a disagreement, and I'm grateful for the clarification. Thank you.

Your mention of "its PR" is something to keep in mind. Considering the PR angle, isn't it possible that Polygon employees might engage in defensive public reactions to criticism because they're concerned about saving face to keep their jobs in an outfit which still hasn't launched its site? Again, not excusing any arrogance etc. here, just contemplating motivations.

ianunderhill wrote:
gore wrote:

I am agreeing with you. My criticism is directed at Polygon itself (and its PR), not at you.

(Ninja edited to make this clear)

Noted. As mentioned, I didn't think we had much of a disagreement, and I'm grateful for the clarification. Thank you.

Your mention of "its PR" is something to keep in mind. Considering the PR angle, isn't it possible that Polygon employees might engage in defensive public reactions to criticism because they're concerned about saving face to keep their jobs in an outfit which still hasn't launched its site? Again, not excusing any arrogance etc. here, just contemplating motivations.

When I was reading the tweets, it sounded like a couple grown men who were butt hurt, and couldn't take criticism. Which I found beautiful because what they do for a living is criticize.

There isn't really anything I can add to the discussion about the documentary that hasn't already been said. All I've got is, "Really? Really? You do realize that you are putting together something that already exist? There are hundreds...thousands of video game websites, what is so special about this one? Oh, you have a lot of money? You have the best writers? Guess what, the average person doesn't care about any of that and the ones that do care already have a website that they go to, who will be writing about the same things you are writing about."

The videos just offended me. Errr...

MP3 has music at the end, YT one doesn't.

Link to page:
http://hatchetjob.libsyn.com/hj100-c...

Direct link to MP3:
http://traffic.libsyn.com/hatchetjob...

So I've been absent to this thread for a while.

I tried listening to the latest Weekend Confirmed, and stopped because they were discussing more Dishonored and I'm really trying to keep myself in the dark on that before I begin playing tonight. But even then, it felt like they couldn't get the steam rolling.

There's something about the Conference Call where it feels like everyone jumps in and there's an energy from the get go rather than having to build up to it. I don't know what it is or how to describe it. My best guess is it's just the chemistry between the different folks? I dunno.

Thus far Conference Call and Jumping the Shark are still the only Podcasts I've been listening to regularly, though. I might start listening to Idle Thumbs today as I've begun bringing my MP3 player into work with a pair of headphones. I'll give that a shot and see if it's my style, but every attempt to listen to Bombcast so far has been failure for me and from the way people speak the two are quite similar.

Though Radio Radar has suddenly appeared on my list as a replacement for TalkRadar. What's the story there?

Just got into my first episode of Final Score and I'm liking it so far. Good variety of games and the personalities are good so far.

ccesarano wrote:

I might start listening to Idle Thumbs today as I've begun bringing my MP3 player into work with a pair of headphones. I'll give that a shot and see if it's my style, but every attempt to listen to Bombcast so far has been failure for me and from the way people speak the two are quite similar.

I love both Idle Thumbs and the Bombcast, but the only similarity between the two is that they're very well regarded. They are very different kinds of podcasts.

I don't mind people sitting around and goofing, but it's a matter of execution. Giant Bombcast always sounded like everyone sat down at a microphone and thought "Okay, I have to be funny" and then went out intentionally trying to be funny rather than being themselves.

I'm listening to a recent episode of Radio Radar now, and while it partially has that going on, it still sounds like a group of guys speaking naturally.

So the issue isn't necessarily the rambling, it is whether you can tell someone is being themselves or not.

To each their own, I suppose, but to me the whole reason Giant Bombcast and Idle Thumbs are my only guaranteed listens is specifically because they don't sound forced and have a natural chemistry between them. I find most others (includingTalkRadar) always felt like they were trying too hard.

Dyni wrote:
ccesarano wrote:

I might start listening to Idle Thumbs today as I've begun bringing my MP3 player into work with a pair of headphones. I'll give that a shot and see if it's my style, but every attempt to listen to Bombcast so far has been failure for me and from the way people speak the two are quite similar.

I love both Idle Thumbs and the Bombcast, but the only similarity between the two is that they're very well regarded. They are very different kinds of podcasts.

They are also a bit similar at first blush to a new listener in that they can sometimes get a bit rambly... especially in the beginning. Sometimes they tell hilarious stories whereas other times they are laughing or going on endlessly about something where you feel you've missed the punchline.

Idle Thumbs gets way deep into the art and technical aspects of games. And mostly pc games which I gravitate toward. Giantbomb talks about more mainstream games and news.

They're both great, but like Weeekend Confirmed, I sometimes can't get through an entire episode. The Conference Call is the only can't miss gaming podcast in my feed.

I agree with kuddles. Nothing about the bombcast ever seems forced to me. Just sounds like a group of friends hanging out and talking about games. Amongst other things

+ 2

Every Tuesday is like a little slice of Christmas Morning when I see the Bombcast updated in my iTunes.

Eh, guess it varies from person to person.

That's very true. I've found few things in media as subjective among people as what podcast personalities they gel with. It's interesting to me.

ccesarano wrote:

I don't mind people sitting around and goofing, but it's a matter of execution. Giant Bombcast always sounded like everyone sat down at a microphone and thought "Okay, I have to be funny" and then went out intentionally trying to be funny rather than being themselves.

I feel like it has a lot to do with what type of friendships you have around you. Among my primary circle of friends from college, our conversations and riffs were wildly non-sequitur or grasping at jokes miles away from the topic at hand. Consequently, discovering MBMBAM earlier this year was a revelation. On the other hand, if the majority of your relationships are more professional in tone, then I understand why the bombcast or MBMBAM just wouldn't have the same automatic appeal.

Listening to last week's Weekend Confirmed, and I'm a bit conflicted on the Audible.com advertisement. I realize they've had Audible ads before, but they inserted it into the discussion about Dishonered. They were talking about the Dune series, and it was a natural fit, but it still felt kinda dirty.

I have no idea what MBMBAM is, but most of the jokes I'm used to with friends are snappy off-the-cuff wit that seems to fly out of nowhere, or is just a sort of ribbing. I had a good laugh driving to Escapist Expo with my friends listening to the Conference Call, as hearing Rabbit and co. poke at Sands for Madden was enjoyable. Then again, that's not even quick wit either. That's just friends having fun and enjoying each other's company.

So yeah, probably varies on your sense of humor, and the GWJ CC aligns more with my sense of humor, as does Talk Radar it seems (though not always, they're stretching it at times as well).

My brother My brother and Me(MBMBAM) is insane but I love it. The Mcelroys are insane. They take questions that people have posted on yahoo answers and give them advice. Like a crazy demented video game influenced dear Abby.

They also take questions from emails, but that podcast has made me laugh so hard sometimes. I can never think if Garfield the same ever again. But the podcast is very hit or miss and you have to like their type of humor.

TheCounselor wrote:

Listening to last week's Weekend Confirmed, and I'm a bit conflicted on the Audible.com advertisement. I realize they've had Audible ads before, but they inserted it into the discussion about Dishonered. They were talking about the Dune series, and it was a natural fit, but it still felt kinda dirty.

I acutally kinda like it, thats how they do the ad's on TWiT and in my opinion it really makes the ads more interesting to listen to. I actually have always wondered why more podcasts dont do it that way.

For the curious, here's a sampler clip for MBMBAM they put on youtube. Have your headphones on first.

ccesarano wrote:

Thus far Conference Call and Jumping the Shark are still the only Podcasts I've been listening to regularly, though. I might start listening to Idle Thumbs today as I've begun bringing my MP3 player into work with a pair of headphones. I'll give that a shot and see if it's my style, but every attempt to listen to Bombcast so far has been failure for me and from the way people speak the two are quite similar.

I listen to Jumping the Shark, but lately, I've been finding them increasingly cynical and jaded. It hit me a couple weeks ago when Bill was absent from the show. Thinking about it, it's kind of a slide they've been on since their split with Gameshark.com and Danielle leaving the cast.

ccesarano wrote:

I don't mind people sitting around and goofing, but it's a matter of execution. Giant Bombcast always sounded like everyone sat down at a microphone and thought "Okay, I have to be funny" and then went out intentionally trying to be funny rather than being themselves.

While I'm the first to fault Giant Bombcast for rambling, I find them genuinely funny. I do find it harder to listen to when Vinnie isn't on, or when Jeff is sounding particularly snooty.

Vinnie seems to balance the crew out. Jeff can get a little snooty and dismissive Brad can OCD about small details in his games or trophies/achievements and tend to ramble on, but Vinnie always has that ability to lighten the mood or completely take it in a new direction.

Toanstation wrote:
ccesarano wrote:

Thus far Conference Call and Jumping the Shark are still the only Podcasts I've been listening to regularly, though. I might start listening to Idle Thumbs today as I've begun bringing my MP3 player into work with a pair of headphones. I'll give that a shot and see if it's my style, but every attempt to listen to Bombcast so far has been failure for me and from the way people speak the two are quite similar.

I listen to Jumping the Shark, but lately, I've been finding them increasingly cynical and jaded. It hit me a couple weeks ago when Bill was absent from the show. Thinking about it, it's kind of a slide they've been on since their split with Gameshark.com and Danielle leaving the cast.

+1. I love those guys but Danielle brought a lot of energy to the show that's been missing since she left. I still listen but it has fallen down my list a bit, unfortunately.

GiantBomb has fallen further on my list but not because of the personalities but I finally realized that they hardly ever talk about anything I am interested in.

The GWJCC stays at the top of my list because I like the people on it and they usually have good discussions, even though (in my opinion) the desire to keep it at approx. 1 hour means that sometimes the discussion just ends by fiat when I wished they would have kept going.

Three Moves Ahead is hit or miss (mostly hit). They usually talk about stuff I am interested in. Sometimes, though, everyone doesn't seem prepared, so their "dive deep" format kind of suffers at times.

Idle Thumbs is quite good; you can tell the people on it like each other and they have something interesting to say about gaming in general or about a particular game, once you get past the in-jokes. You can tell they have tried to tone that sort of thing down in this incarnation but sadly it seems like some of the inspired lunacy has gone missing. Still really like it though.

holy carp! some serious shakeup over at wired game/life. Not just Cortinas, but Chris Baker gone too.

Yeah, a bit sad. Depending on whatever they come up with I might lose another podcast from my rotation.

All the podcasts were better this week. I guess that's what happens when you have Dishonored and XCOM to talk about.

I dunno, after all Jeff C's talk about his fantastic "banana" and "orange" that he was playing (which wasn't funny the first time), I was somehow letdown by finding out it was (just) Dishonoured and X-Com. Because, however the podcast schedule worked out last week with the games' embargos, I had already been flooded with opinions for the 2 games by the time WC came round.

tboon wrote:

they usually have good discussions, even though (in my opinion) the desire to keep it at approx. 1 hour means that sometimes the discussion just ends by fiat when I wished they would have kept going.

I hear you there. I think it's probably in the interests of the demands on the time of the podcast members that they try to keep it down. Also, since they do some cutting and retaking then the recording time is almost certainly a bit longer than the final product. Having said that, it's a shame that the email bag is sometimes only a couple of mails since it sounds like they get several good emails each week and they lead into interesting discussions.