Gaming

This is a well-represented category, with many podcasts covering computer gaming, console gaming, role-playing gaming and board gaming. Gaming podcasts run the gamut, discussing gaming news, interviews with industry professionals, reviews, or reports from gaming sessions.

The gaming podcasts also run between 15 minutes and 2+ hours. Although many listeners prefer a shorter podcast to a longer one, the longer podcasts often have dedicated listeners who insist that it can't be too long, as long as it's good, as the fans of the Gaming Uncensored podcast insist. A few examples of good gaming podcasts are listed in Table 3.5.

Table 3.5. Popular Gaming Podcasts

Host(s)	Podcast	Website URL
Charlie George	Tired Thumbs	tiredthumbs.blogspot.com
Jamie and Tommy	Gaming Uncensored	www.gaminguncensored.com
Paul Tevis	Have Games, Will Travel	havegameswilltravel.libsyn.com

Tired Thumbs

Charlie George hosts this podcast out of Joliet, Illinois as part of the Tech Podcasters Network. The show is released three times a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) with the average length being 10 to 30 minutes per episode. The show is G-rated.

"On Monday's show I review a game.... I play a game, I check it out and tell them is it worth it (the sale price), and if it is not worth it, I tell them a ballpark range at what I would buy it at. Wednesday I do gaming news and I do the email bag thing, and I also do my Tired Thumbs gaming tip of the week. And then on Friday I do a podcaster game file where I talk to a podcaster and I ask them what is on their shelf and what are they playing, and we usually have a lot of fun with that."

Charlie George, Tired Thumbs

Gaming Uncensored

This podcast, which features Jamie and Tommy, two college students from Texas talking about computer and video games, can run anywhere between 1 and 2 hours. The hosts have a good chemistry that allows them to take tangents that may or may not be related to gaming, but still manage to entertain the fans. (One of the best stories features Jamie receiving sales and marketing calls from the local funeral home on the morning of his 26th birthday.) So if you're going to cram a lot of gaming info into one podcast, focus on the entertainment factor.

Have Games, Will Travel

Paul Tevis, a writer and gamer, created this podcast after realizing he preferred talking about games over writing about them. His podcast revolves around reviews of board games and RPG games, as well as industry interviews when he goes to the conferences.

"I've always been better at talking than writing. In the gaming world, however, writing is how you get recognized. I'd been circling the gaming industry for a while, trying to figure out how I fit in, when I discovered podcasting. I listened to a few shows and said, 'Hey, I can talk about games.' So I did. It turns out that I had a bit of a talent for it, but more importantly, I found that I really enjoyed it.... My goal is to provide a short, information-dense show so that people who don't have another hour's worth of time to listen to podcasts are still willing to add me to their playlist."

Paul Tevis, Have Games, Will Travel

Secrets of Effective Gaming Podcasts

Gaming podcasts are more commonly run by two hosts than one, and the addition of a second host changes the dynamic of the podcast a great deal. One host gives a definite feel of intimacy as well as an air of one-on-one instruction. Two hosts generally bring a lighter mood to the podcast, and the two-host shows are almost always longer.

Doing a gaming podcast requires an almost fanatical dedication to gaming, which almost always requires a sizable budget for game purchases and plenty of free time with which to play them. If you have 10 games in your collection, you're going to run out of podcasts fast. Make sure you're playing a lot of games so you will have lots to talk about over the life of your show.

One thing to remember when it comes to gaming podcasts is that gaming fans are fickle. If you do not have a regular release plan, it is likely that you will lose listeners. Therefore, if a gaming podcast is your goal, you need to consider a regular schedule and stick to it. Most attempt a semi-weekly or weekly schedule. Regardless of that, communication with the fans is important. Adding a forum to your blog is a great idea (see Figure 3.3). Fans love a place where they can get together and discuss their favorite gamesand your podcast!

Figure 3.3. Gaming Uncensored message board.