4501

Generalizations always suck. Every single podcast ever created including Idle Thumbs and GFW Radio had pure shit moments like what you describe on GWJ or some things you could say about Weekend Confirmed.

Personally, I’ve continued listening to GWJ and have never regretted the decision.

4502

Okay.

4503

:-) okay, except for that one

4504

Gaming podcasts have been rocky for me lately. I grab Geekbox and RebelFM and even Gamers with Jobs, but I haven’t actually listened to one in forever for various reasons. With Geekbox, it’s because they lack a sparkplug, and their replacement for one (Fitch) gets on my nerves. With RebelFM, it’s because I don’t like musical breaks and the damned show is too long. With GWJ, it’s because they started to get that Television Zombies tone to their podcast, which just puts my hackles up ever since Television Zombies drove me off. My actual gaming slate is probably down to:

RolePlayers’ Realm (which I sometimes fall asleep in - yo, these indie RPG developers are a little boring sometimes)
Three Moves Ahead
8-4 Play
Jumping the Shark (which is circling the drain, but I’m cutting it slack until Bill gets cured all the way)
Giant Bombcast
The Joystiq Show
Retronauts (until they start talking to users, when they start talking to users)
Games, Dammit (not on such good footing before the reboot, but lately it’s been on an upswing, since Jeremy seems to be playing much better to his guests’ personalities by NOT making it a show about all the random crap they’re playing)

7 sounds like a lot, now that I look at it, but I used to process a lot more. I’ve been filling the gap with lots and lots and lots of comedy stuff, which makes me think that what I really like about podcasts is less the actual content and more the chemistry between the hosts.

4505

I still listen to GWJ but it’s no longer one that gets heard every week. And when I do listen to it it’s just the opening “whacha been playin’?” segment, as I find getting different perspectives on games I may have been interested in or never heard of to be great (and primarily why I listen to as many gaming podcasts as I do), but I’ve not heard the podcast past that point in many moons - typically the topic I find uninteresting or irrelevant (to me), and I always think the mail section is the WORST on almost ANY podcast, but it seems especially bad on GWJ.

Also, Corey Banks drives me nuts like few people can do. Even when he’s saying something I totally agree with, I can’t help but want to slap the shit out of him, and then slap him for shitting.

The only gaming podcast I listen to start to finish these days is GiantBomb, as I can never seem to get enough of those guys and their dynamic. I wish they had some better PC gaming discussion though, as I find the PC Gamer crew (US, I dote on the UK crew but they are only a monthly 'cast) obnoxious and ill-informed (and almost always interns, which drives me nuts). I think someone mentioned just last page the PC Gamer intern issue, as well.

4506

GWJ is still my go-to. Poor Cory. If he had a lower voice, would people give him less shit?

I skipped the second Skyrim segment too, only because I haven’t played it yet (NaNoWriMo… excruciating) and don’t want to hear bitching before I even dip in, but no biggie. Funny, I remember that Saints Row 2 discussion where they bagged on the one guy playing it, but that was before it was common knowledge that it was a great game. I bet they’re sorry now!

Really like Zacny’s recent inclusion in the rotation, with his smart, dulcet tones. Can’t stand when Lara Crigger’s on (though she seems like swell people). Thought Shawn’s wife Karla actually did a great job in her Zelda segment last week, very pleasant to listen to.

4507

I realized a couple years ago that this is what really makes a podcast worthwhile. Having content you’re immediately interested in might be a good way to get you in the door, but it is ultimately the interaction between the hosts that will keep you interested long-term. It’s why I listen to CAGcast. They never play PC games and often misreport the news, and both CheapyD and Wombat can come across as assholes, but they have a certain chemistry that makes listening to them entertaining. It’s also what made listening to the RockPaperShotgun podcast worthwhile even though it usually had terrible sound quality.

I don’t find them obnoxious (unless Logan is really on a tear), but they often seem to be out-of-touch with what I would consider “currently interesting in PC gaming.” I know part of that is because I have no real interest in MMOs or MOBAs (e.g., DOTA). I know those are the two biggest “PC exclusive” categories right now, but popular big-budget multi-platform games and indie games are still important to balanced coverage of PC gaming. I find that the interns often exacerbate this problem since they often seem to only be playing one or two MMOs or MOBAs and don’t have time (or money?) to play a bunch of other games. The other issue (again, mainly with the interns) is that there is too much cast rotation, so I sometimes don’t even really get to know who’s who and no real chemistry is formed between hosts.

4508

I like the PC Gamer podcast because the have really good info and seem to enjoy doing the show. But man, much like the magazine , I get really tired of their extreme PC partisanship. Not that I begrudge them being PC fans and sticking up for PC development, but their complete contempt for consoles is just tiresome.

4509

The GWJ folks did the same thing with AC2 when it came out in 2009 as they did with SR2. They walked it back pretty quickly when it came out and was such an improved iteration of that series, but still.

I like Rob Zacny’s observations, but something in his delivery makes me think he’s just put his monocle in and is swirling a snifter of brandy before speaking.

4510

Crud. I haven’t listened to it yet, but Alex Nevaro is on Giantbomb this week, and I don’t really “get” him. He comes accross as kind of a hater, sort of seems to snidely dislike everything, and is generally un-fun to listen to. Hopefully GB won’t have that vibe this time that it normally gets when he’s on. Sigh.

4511

Patrick is good, but sometimes tries a bit too hard to fit in with Jeff and Ryan’s more natural comic sense. I will say there have been times that Patrick was commenting on something business related and really showed his age by getting virtually everything you could get wrong, wrong. I excused it because being 24 or so I’m guessing, he’s never owned a business or really been the one “in charge.” Some thing you only know by having been there.

But having said that, I don’t listen to Giant Bomb to get the latest business news, I have the WSJ for that. I listen for their input on gaming issues and on that, nobody does it better. Yeah, sometimes I could do without the language, but it doesn’t really bother me. It’s still the best gaming podcast bar none since the old Gametime days.

4512

That “executable” run was amazing.

I’ve liked Patrick since getting to know him on G4’s Feedback. Speaking of, that podcast is really bumming me out now that Sessler isn’t hosting anymore. Used to be one of my favorites when it was Adam, Matt Keil, Abbie Heppe and Patrick every week.

4513

I’ve always pronounced “executable” like Will does. shrug

So, with everyone agreed that PCG sucks now, what’s the PC gaming cast to listen to instead? Aside from PCG UK, I mean. I miss Dan Stapleton ;_;

4514

I don’t understand how someone could mis-pronounce Excecutable unless they also mis-prounce Execute? But who knows, I’m sure there are plenty of words I’ve only seen in print that I mispronounce.

This is the problem - I don’t think we have a PC gaming dedicated podcast, and PC Gamer doesn’t take it seriously enough to put together a regular cast with any sort of chemistry. They just throw whoever seems to be free at the moment together - and generally that’s un-informed interns with nothing important to say, whose opinions I couldn’t care less about, and who on the whole seem to only want to talk about League of Legends. Again. And again. And again.

I’m up for any suggestions though, if there are some out there?

4515

Bit-tech.net still does its mostly PC-centric hardware and gaming podcasts.

4516

I’m amused that some of you actually listen to our podcast. We’re awful.

4517

Take some pride in your work, dude.

4518

One thing I like about the Bombcast is how often they talk about PC games. Though it isn’t a PC-centric show.

Listen to old episodes of Idle Thumbs?

4519

I’m pretty sure I used to pronounce it the right way (well, I usually called it an “E-X-E”), but now that it’s an issue, I’m sure I’m going to overthink it and call it the wrong thing!

4520

I’m a big fan of GWJ myself. The only times I don’t listen all the way through are when they start talking about board games and collectible card games, or handheld stuff. As long as they’re talking about PC, 360 and PS3 games I’m there. They often also pose a philosophical question related to gaming, and discuss it.

BTW, some other ones I listen to with some regularity:

The CAGcast, mostly for the interaction between CheapyD and Wombat
The Joystiq Show, though I miss Chris Grant
Eurogamer
and I still listen to the PC Gamer Podcast