[This has been in the can since July …]
So, sat
on a plane between New York and Los Angeles I have a choice of watching a movie
I have no interest in, playing yet another game of patience on my IPad or
continuing this series on the Blog.
The Blog has it, so onwards ...
Into the Gamescape
A show
presented by three chaps from around the Gloucester area. Although that's only c 25 miles
away and we have mutual friends, I've never met them which is kind of weird as
I've met several US-based podcasters, but not the ones from down the road.
The
presenters break down into a normal chap, a clever clogs and a slightly slower
one who the other two take the piss out of (and of course is the one that the
listener inevitably likes best). Pretty standard British bloke banter really
which is both the best thing about it and also the worst - it's funny but
somehow a Glawster accent is somewhat
less appealing than an American one.
The show
itself appears irregularly but is always worth a listen. It is mostly Euros,
but they have also covered war games, Ameritrash and, heaven forbid, even
RPGs.
Board Games To Go
I believe
that only Geekspeak (with Aldie and
Derk from BoardGameGeek) was earlier
than BGTG as I missed the early episodes. This show is presented by Mark
Johnson, with guests appearing on some episodes. This is a show that shouldn't
work on so many levels, but it totally succeeds and is an absolute "must
listen". Mark's
presenting style makes this very easy to listen to and he absolutely has a
"radio voice". Above all
though he has interesting opinions and that is an essential ingredient for any
good podcast.
Recent
episodes include one on playing games outdoors (clearly not aimed at UK
listeners!) and one on games themed on a European vacation. My favourite shows are the ones he does
pre-Essen where he speculates on the games announced for the Fair, in much the
same way as we all do. However
some of us invariably make the trip and end up with a collection of mediocrity
based on a combination of short demos, the "buzz" and ill-advised
hunches ... but we never learn!
The Royal Society of Gamers
A
London-based podcast that formerly had 3 presenters and worked quite well. They consisted of an English guy, an
American and a German. The latter
was by far the most entertaining, in one episode stating that Jaipur was
"borderline racist" and, following some mild criticism of an abstract
game by a co-presenter, saying that his remarks "were offensive to
abstract players". Wonderful
stuff! The interstitial music
between segments was also very stirring.
Unfortunately
the German and American guys have left leaving the Englishman and several new
co-presenters. Sadly the production is lacking and it is difficult to pick out
the individual voices - bring back the foreigners!
The Spiel
So we arrive
at the Grand-Daddy of them all, at least in my view. This is the most professionally produced of all the Board
Game podcasts and is an audible joy from start to finish. Presented by Stephen
Conway and David Coleson from Indianapolis, two very zany characters who are
fanatical, and I do mean FANATICAL, about games.
The show
is divided into well honed segments, arrives fortnightly and usually runs to
well over two hours. It always
includes game reviews, including older titles, game news and competitions plus
much else. The production of the
show is absolutely first-class from the overall balance of the content through
to the carefully chosen interstitial music. My only criticism of the show would be that occasionally the
reviews are too detailed - sometimes you already have the game or it
simply doesn't interest you and you just want to get on with the show. However as I listen in the car, I
cannot skip to the next segment.
The
highlight of the year is the Spiel's coverage of the annual Spiel Des Jahres
award. They play all of the short-listed games for the 3 awards over several
episodes (usually including difficult to get hold of games) and forecast the
winners and their favourite game in each category. The Spiel have also migrated to video production and
their coverage of major events is excellent (Gencon and Essen last year). If
you look closely at their Essen coverage you might even spot yours truly!
I was
lucky enough to meet up for Dinner with David and Stephen last year at Essen
and they are as charming and interesting in the flesh as they come across on
the podcast. If you only have time to listen to one podcast, this should be the
one!
Of course
there are other podcasts, and some of these may be very good indeed, but there
are only so many one can keep up with. Of the others, I listen to Board Game Babylon with Eric Burgess if
the subject matter is of interest (which it often is). I also listen to The State of Games: the content is not
particularly of interest, but the female co-presenter sounds gorgeous!!
Gone,
but not forgotten ...
It must
take an incredible amount of effort to produce a regular gaming podcast, time
that could be spent gaming. Several shows have fallen by the wayside and this
is the pick of the best ...
Game On! With Cody and John
Presented
out of Indianapolis, the Gaming Capital
of the world, by John Richard and Cody Jones. This one ran for 84 episodes
and I listened to every one. Early episodes were very much Ameritrash and RPG
focused gravitating more towards Euros by the end. The show worked brilliantly
because it came across as two very good friends who were also game fanatics,
which, of course, was totally the case.
The Little Wooden Cubist
A
short-lived podcast that was a delight to listen to. Presented by Charlie
Eastwood, a
US-based priest who really was an enthusiast rather than someone who was
particularly knowledgeable about games. Charlie had a very easy going manner
and a radio-friendly voice that worked perfectly for this format.
The Happy Happy Board Game Love-in
Presented
by the incomparable Luke Morris, this is the only podcast that has made me both
cringe with embarrassment and laugh out loud. It may have been terribly
produced, but it was absolutely inspired. More episodes please Luke!
Non gaming podcasts
Podcacher
A weekly
podcast on Geocaching, produced by Sonny
and Sandy from Sunny San Diego. This
is a superb, very professionally produced podcast that covers everything about
caching, including events, Groundspeak announcements, tips & tricks,
caching stories and much more besides.
One very
impressive aspect of the show is that it is truly international. This show is both entertaining and is
also a great resource for anyone interested in the hobby. It is hugely impressive that Sonny and
Sandy produce a high quality show week after week without fail.
The Wrong Bed
You
didn't think there could be a podcast about darts, well think again ... Presented by Justin Irwin (The Bachelor of Darts) and Tricky D,
this podcast has now seen several seasons. Covering both the PDC and
the BDO, it features coverage of events, interviews with the dartists, and features such as Darts tweet of the week (drollest
twitter offering from a darts player) to Darts
on the Telly (spotting darts boards on television programmes). Irreverent,
fun and unmissable if, like me, you love your 'arras.
Friday Night Comedy from Radio 4
Basically
either The News Quiz (with Sandi
Toksvig) or The NOW Show (Punt &
Dennis) from the previous Friday. A good way to ensure that you don't miss the
best comedies on British Radio.
That
concludes my journey through the world of podcasting, at least for now.
Game – 2012 Plays
