I started listening to gaming podcasts about a year ago and I did a previous blog shortly after that. So, I thought I would follow-up with myself as to what I am still listening to, have added since then, and dropped.

Podcasts I am still listening to:

The Married Gamers
I'm listening to much of the older (2008-2010) ones. They pretty much only play 360 (a little bit of Wii and DS, but got a PS3 in 2009). I enjoy listening to them. They got a pretty good banter back and forth. I find it interesting to hear how they game together, because I wish my wife would take some interest in the few 2-player co-op games I have. Some of there better episodes are the ones with guests from other podcasts. They tend to frequently have guests, which has introduced me to what other videogame podcasts are out there, but unfortunately I don't have the time to listen to them all. What I really dislike is their reviews (which are few and far between) because they tend to describe the gameplay in lengthy great detail. I wish it was short and to the point. I really enjoy their intro song, Three Minute Proposal by the Gentlemen, which is fantastic.

DGRadio
They used to be the Drunken Gamers, but they changed their format in early 2011 because they got tired of doing games only. I can't blame them since the fun for them was lost when they were constantly jumping to the latest game without finishing any of the previous games. There new format is good, but my enjoyment of the show really depends on whether or not I have an interest in their topic. The addition of poo crimes is hilarious; please, everybody send your bathroom poo crimes, doesn't matter if your the perpetrator or the victim, to drunkengamers@gmail.com. The Lightning Round (LR) kind of sucks now, because Moe the Cockhammer tries to avoid talking about the question. Otherwise I still like the trio and their chemistry, but they need to make some minor tweeks to the LR, and add more video game talk (even if it is an older game) instead of avoiding it. Part of my fondness for this podcast may stem from them being in Minnesota, where I once lived.

IGN Podcast Beyond
This is a PlayStation only podcast. I like these guys when they are all there, and they generally have a lot of enthusiasm. I recommend to avoid the shows in which they have other people take over for them because the guest hosts tend to act like fanboys of other consoles.

They've introduced to me Danny Wiessner and a couple of his songs that I like. "Game Girl" and "The World is Saved" which even had its own video made for it.

CAGcast
CheapyD and his cohorts (Shipwreck and Wombat). I love these guys stories about their personal life. The unflushable turd that needed to be mutilated with a coat hanger was hilarious. Shortly after hearing this story, DG Radio had one about a hillbilly shitting in a urinal (hilarious as well, despite insulting my living in Missouri).


Podcasts that are new to me since my last podcast blog:

Gamer Husbands
I just started listening to their first episodes which are ~3 years old this August 2011. I like their show so far.

Video Game Hangover
This is a new podcast trio this year. So far they are pretty good. I have enjoyed listening to about a 17 podcasts so far, and I highly recommend them.


Podcasts that I have stopped listening to:

This Week in Videogames
I have to say Andrea Rene is a beautiful host, unfortunately she left the show. I really enjoyed the episodes with Michael Ludden and Andrea Rene. The only host worth a darn on there IMHO is Adrian Acevedo-Smith. I don't care for Jessica Villareal and Flitz (who is called out by the chat room for fiddling with his groin on the show). Flitz is knowledgable about games and is sometimes funny, but I find him mostly annoying.
I haven't seen any new episodes since September.

Sarcastic Gamer Playstation Podcast
This podcast could greatly improve by dropping Frawlz. And why can't people use a real name to stand behind (Pac-Man Polar Bear is ridiculous)? Really all they do is give not funny bathroom style humor to current Playstation news. I gave them a try with about 5 podcasts; no more.

Gamers with Jobs
I dropped this podcast. They are PC fanboys, and I have no interest in playing on PC because I just don't care for the monitor on a desk set up. Also my PC is now 9 years old (dinosaur relic in the age of computer/electronics advancement). To give this some perspective, I have a backlog of Baldur's Gate II, Neverwinter Nights, and Oblivion. All great games from what most people say, but they don't motivate me to boot up the PC.

The PSP Show
It is a shame Ewan Spence stopped doing these; because I really enjoyed them. RIP


You may wonder why I am listening to 2-3 year old podcasts. It is because I didn't have a current gen console until this Christmas, so I am trying to catch up on some of the games I've missed out on by living vicariously through podcasters. I really don't recommend listening to the old podcasts, just pickup with their latest. Unless you are still living under a backlog like me.

Some conclusions I have made about what affects my interests in a podcast are that I prefer podcasters that are closer to my age (e.g. DG Radio, The Married Gamers) because I seem to have more in common with them (e.g. similar milestones in life such as married and just starting a family or have played on the same older consoles (Who has played Asteroids on an Atari 2600? vs. Who was in diapers when Pac-Man was released?) or (Who thinks text adventure games like Zork are great?)) and can better relate. As opposed to the younger podcasters (e.g. Podcast Beyond) who don't have the old school gaming experience. One of the hosts on Podcast Beyond says, "Old is old, I've got new games to play." I could potentially see this as a valid point if he was strictly referring to games that have not aged well or I don't have time to play the oldies but goodies with all the reviews I need to do. But instead his attitude is if its not a new release its not worth playing. *Shame*
I also enjoy the side stories such as what Cheapy D shares; they provide an entertainment value and insight into their lives, thus making them more personable.

Things that ruin a podcast:

1. Everybody not being equally mic'ed up; it is terrible when one person is loud and the other is quiet.
2. Putting out a podcast when you can't do a full episode. A seven minute podcast to explain why there is no podcast is stupid (I'm looking at you Sarcastic Gamers).
3. Putting out a podcast when short staffed (as in all the usual participants cannot contribute) results in a weak podcast that should have not been done in the first place. Just skip it this time and see number 2.
4. If you have audio problems, insert a message before the podcast explaining it and why you felt it was necessary to put out the podcast instead of redoing it. An apology and explanation is better than just suffer through the static and poor quality because we are too lazy to do it right.