Are there any other gaming podcasts that aren't dying?

Weird topic starter, I know, but let me explain why I'm asking such a question.

Whereas it seems most people sit in front of their computers and listen to podcasts these days (yes, yes, I know some of you listen while jogging or travelling), I personally have around forty to fifty hours per week at my factory job to listen to various things on my MP3 player.

I didn't get into the gaming podcast scene until early in 2010, much to my regret, but it seems that I found my way onto the proverbial jet just as it was beginning to nose dive.

Don't get me wrong, the Bombcast still seems to be going strong, although nowadays, as I listen each week, I half expect an announcement of someone leaving. Now, don't flip out. I only feel that way mainly because that is what is happening on every other podcast I listen to.

Talkradar is slowly losing all of it's cast members and will probably soon be ending it's run. Joystiq just recently changed it's format into a more "60 minutes" style that seems to have only served to kill it's personality. Talkradar UK is also taking a break so they can ostensibly change their format. Rebel FM is having trouble putting up a weekly podcast and it's members are seemingly losing interest. Although I don't listen to Gamespy, they evidently just recently either quit doing their podcast or made serious changes. 1-UP always seems to be imploding, so we don't need to discuss that.

The Whiskey Media podcasts are seemingly the only ones that still show a vested interest in their subjects and still have the backing of their bosses.

So I guess my question is: Do you all think the gaming podcast scene is coming to an end? Do you think it has something to do with the tough economy these days? And if it's okay with the mods that I've listed all those other podcasts, I'd like to hear some suggestions from the community of other podcasts that are going strong and don't seem to be dying a slow death.

Any intelligent comments would be welcome!

http://www.giantbomb.com/profile/hs21/shadowy-cabal-podcast-ep-15-not-on-rails/30-83621/

Since 1up died I only listen to the Bombcast now myself. My guess would be that it's just not worth it for the people that do it. My understanding is that most of them just did it as a hobby, but it takes so much time to do them weekly that they are getting tired of doing it.

I still enjoy most of IGN's podcasts, My Brother My Brother and Me, and Weekend Confirmed.

Idle Thumbs died a year ago but if you haven't listened to it it's worth going through their back catalogue. Possibly one of the only video game podcasts where that's true. Edit: I lied, listen to A Life Well Wasted if you haven't already, it's a series of 8 interesting stories about gaming in an NPR style similar to This American Life, done by former 1up freelancer Robert Ashley.

On the modern front I listen to Weekend confirmed which is of extremely variable quality and intelligence but if you want to fill time it will certainly suffice, Eurogamer's hour-long show has been fucking nailing it the last few weeks by going deep on a single topic, 1up seem to have brought Retronauts back from the grave and new host Bob Mackey is turning that ship around like a pro. So it's not all bad.

If you're into game design stuff the recent series of GAMBIT Looking Glass Studios interview podcasts is still going and they're doing a good job there although the audio quality is always pretty poor.

Edit: I also gave Rebel FM a go when it started out, but it just seemed to be a bunch of children talking about their dicks and farts so I stopped listening.

@Insectecutor: @project343: Thanks guys. Good suggestions. Yeah, Rebel FM just got to be too ego-centric for me.

And I'm absolutely interested in game design stuff. I wish more development studios would put out their own audio shows, but I'm sure that's a nightmare to fit into their schedules and even harder to get around PR.

Talk Radar and The Bombcast are plenty for me. Especially with Talk Radar releasing two podcasts a week. I think these are the only two podcasts worth listening to that have to do with games.

I think that listeners have come to expect a certain level of quality from their podcasts that isn't totally necessary. 
I've always listened to podcasts for the chat and that particular team's unique take on topics rather than huge production values.  
All the Whiskey Media podcasts seem to have a strong structure that manages topics to compliment their site content, compared to The Drunk Tank that seems to be a round table chat about anything with some light self promotion.
One problem is that there isn't room for a revenue stream and if you put ads in a podcast people would stop listening.

@Irishranger said:

The Whiskey Media podcasts are seemingly the only ones that still show a vested interest in their subjects and still have the backing of their bosses.

The reason why I don't think you'll see Whiskey Media podcasts reformatting and downscaling dramatically is that the editors seem to make the call as to what content appears on their appropriate sites. Plus they already spent money on podcasting equipment and it's a no-brainer as to how much they promote the sites themselves. There'd be no reason to cut them back.

Weekend Confirmed is still going strong.

The Pixeljunk guys also do Pixeljunk Radio quite regularly, I haven't listened to enough of that to figure out if it's good or not, but since they're a bunch of Westerners (Brits and Americans) in Japan it has an interesting flavour.

I think Skype kills podcasts way harder than Fact Checking ever could. Don't listen to any podcast where the participants chat over Skype. They're always fucking dire.

@mijetman said:

One problem is that there isn't room for a revenue stream and if you put ads in a podcast people would stop listening.

Sad but true. I for one, would still listen even with ads, but I guess I'm a lot more tolerant than your average internet user. ;)

@Insectecutor said:

I think Skype kills podcasts way harder than Fact Checking ever could. Don't listen to any podcast where the participants chat over Skype. They're always fucking dire.

Careful, don't let the Screened guys hear you say that. :D

I'm partial to the CAGcast as well as the Game Informer podcast, although the Bombcast is still my go to podcast.

The Pixeljunk guys also do Pixeljunk Radio quite regularly, I haven't listened to enough of that to figure out if it's good or not, but since they're a bunch of Westerners (Brits and Americans) in Japan it has an interesting flavour.

I think Skype kills podcasts way harder than Fact Checking ever could. Don't listen to any podcast where the participants chat over Skype. They're always fucking dire.

Noobtoob died like a bitch.

Rooster Teeth's Drunk Tank is always a great podcast to listen to, usually it has something gaming related left in it, but the hilarity that goes on makes up for it if you're just going in for that.

I generally listen to Bombcast, This is only a Test and Behind the Screened Door other than that.

Pixeljunk Radio is amazing. I also enjoy the CAGcast and CallofPodcast. The Mobcast seems to be better since going to a monthly format. 8-4 Play is super great as well.

@Taklulas said:

@Insectecutor said:

The Pixeljunk guys also do Pixeljunk Radio quite regularly, I haven't listened to enough of that to figure out if it's good or not, but since they're a bunch of Westerners (Brits and Americans) in Japan it has an interesting flavour.

I think Skype kills podcasts way harder than Fact Checking ever could. Don't listen to any podcast where the participants chat over Skype. They're always fucking dire.

are you saying the Screened.com podcast is bad?

I've never listened to it so I assume you mean Alex now calls in on Skype. I imagine it was better when they were in the same room, just as the tested podcasts are better when they don't have some guy call in on Skype who can never get a word in and always feels like a third wheel.

@Insectecutor: With it being just Alex and Rorie, it's a lot more manageable than what can happen on Tested, since it's only the two of them talking. Alex also has a good mic, so it's easy enough to listen to, especially with it being shorter than an average Bombcast or Tested Podcast.

Holy crap, that's a lot of stuff I hadn't heard of, thanks everyone. I'll have to get busy looking into some of those. Hopefully they don't die as soon as I do, which has been the case as of late.

@Insectecutor said:

@Taklulas said:

@Insectecutor said:

The Pixeljunk guys also do Pixeljunk Radio quite regularly, I haven't listened to enough of that to figure out if it's good or not, but since they're a bunch of Westerners (Brits and Americans) in Japan it has an interesting flavour.

I think Skype kills podcasts way harder than Fact Checking ever could. Don't listen to any podcast where the participants chat over Skype. They're always fucking dire.

are you saying the Screened.com podcast is bad?

I've never listened to it so I assume you mean Alex now calls in on Skype. I imagine it was better when they were in the same room, just as the tested podcasts are better when they don't have some guy call in on Skype who can never get a word in and always feels like a third wheel.

Isn't My Brother My Brother and Me done over Skype? That's one of the funniest podcasts out there. Also this podcast is awesome: http://www.giantbomb.com/forums/general-discussion/30/the-mighty-electronic-box-uk-podcast/509246/

@Sitoxity: OK, maybe it'd work when it's only two people but still you must lose some of the dynamics of having them in the same room, reading body language etc. I was really talking about the Skype conference casts where there's three or four people all chatting over Skype, some have bad mics, some have connection problems, some babble on for ages not being able to see that the others are bored, and all that.

@Jonny7892: Will check both those out. Always eager to be proved wrong. Wait a minute, that Mighty Electronic Box is your podcast! Full disclosure damnit :)

The only gaming podcast I listen to besides the bombcast is the CAGcast.

@Insectecutor: Oh yeah, those type of podcasts can end up being pretty terrible, but I still enjoy Screened. The banter and chemistry between the two is still there, the most that you have to deal with is the maybe 1 second delay on some of Alex's responses. It'll never be as good as having them both there, but that doesn't mean it's much worse.

I really like the Geekbox...but there hasn't been much gaming talk on it lately. You should check out NPR's Wait Wait Don't Tell Me...it's more of a game show about events in the news but it is really funny.

@Snapstacle said:

http://www.giantbomb.com/profile/hs21/shadowy-cabal-podcast-ep-15-not-on-rails/30-83621/

Should record another one but without Jazz, go properly off the rails. Without "The Man" holding us back.

@mijetman said:

One problem is that there isn't room for a revenue stream and if you put ads in a podcast people would stop listening.

Sad but true. I for one, would still listen even with ads, but I guess I'm a lot more tolerant than your average internet user. ;)

I enjoy listening to the new Podtoid (Destructoid's main podcast) with Jim Sterling, Max Scoville, Tara Long, and Johnathan Holmes. They only talk about videogames about half the time, they're not always super current, but they're often fucking hilarious

Although I don't listen to Gamespy, they evidently just recently either quit doing their podcast or made serious changes.

@Taklulas said:

@Insectecutor said:

The Pixeljunk guys also do Pixeljunk Radio quite regularly, I haven't listened to enough of that to figure out if it's good or not, but since they're a bunch of Westerners (Brits and Americans) in Japan it has an interesting flavour.

I think Skype kills podcasts way harder than Fact Checking ever could. Don't listen to any podcast where the participants chat over Skype. They're always fucking dire.

are you saying the Screened.com podcast is bad?

I've never listened to it so I assume you mean Alex now calls in on Skype. I imagine it was better when they were in the same room, just as the tested podcasts are better when they don't have some guy call in on Skype who can never get a word in and always feels like a third wheel.

3 whiskey podcasts and MBMBAM is all I'll ever need. I mean, I often run out when I'm working hard during a week, but by that point I really don't want to listen to more podcasts...

3 whiskey podcasts and MBMBAM is all I'll ever need. I mean, I often run out when I'm working hard during a week, but by that point I really don't want to listen to more podcasts...

Do DnD podcasts count, if so check out Critical Hit

The Mobcast changed its format from weekly to monthly and it helped the quality, I think.
Also, the Irrational podcasts (especially the interviews) are still good and will probably stay that way, since they only do them if there is something or somebody that makes for good podcasting.

Yeah I'll recommend Weekend Confirmed too, but it's definitely hit or miss.  They need to get a crew and grow some chemistry instead of their fairly random cast.  So far it's good though and it's only disappointing in comparison to the work Garnet did back at 1up.  

@Insectecutor said:

I think Skype kills podcasts way harder than Fact Checking ever could. Don't listen to any podcast where the participants chat over Skype. They're always fucking dire.

My Brother, My Brother and Me would like a word with you about that.

Electric hydra, Podtoid, At the controls, and Mega64 podcast are all great and going strong. 

I enjoy listening to the new Podtoid (Destructoid's main podcast) with Jim Sterling, Max Scoville, Tara Long, and Johnathan Holmes. They only talk about videogames about half the time, they're not always super current, but they're often fucking hilarious

The new Podtoid's quite good, and when they're not talking about games Jim Sterling and Max Scoville talk about Willem Dafoe being a serial rapist or somesuch.

I love it.

Along with what everyone else has been saying, stand-up comedian Kumail Nanjiani Just started a gaming podcast called The Indoor Kids over at Nerdist.com. I haven't listened to all of them, but so far they are quite entertaining.

@project343 said:

I still enjoy most of IGN's podcasts, My Brother My Brother and Me, and Weekend Confirmed.

I love MyBrotherMyBrotherAndMe.

Most of IGN's podcasts seem like they are a little on the simple side for the crowd at Giantbomb. Three Red Lights was good back in the day, but thats for totally non gaming reasons... it was more or less just bashing the 360 in its hayday for the RRoD plague (i am a 360 owner myself...so it was kind of like therapy every week hearing other people were going to beat the crap out of their 360's as well).

I used to love all of 1Up's podcasts (Retronauts, CGW/GFW, 1upFM and even the 1UPshow), but Weekend Confirmed is not my cup of tea at all.

Shows I still do like though... PlayerOnePodcast, GamersWithJobs, The Geekbox, RebelFM, HeyAsh Whatcha Playin, 8-4 Play, and I guess I still like Retronauts but that is because Ray Barnholdt and Jeremy Perish are still on there. And ofcourse, This is only a test and Behind the Screened Door.

I give Weekend Confirmed a chance every now and then, but Garnet Lee inevitably drives me away after a week or two. That guy rubs me the wrong way for some reason.

The Game Informer Show is tolerable-to-good.

I give Weekend Confirmed a chance every now and then, but Garnet Lee inevitably drives me away after a week or two. That guy rubs me the wrong way for some reason.

@WickedCobra03 said:

@project343 said:

I still enjoy most of IGN's podcasts, My Brother My Brother and Me, and Weekend Confirmed.

I love MyBrotherMyBrotherAndMe.

Most of IGN's podcasts seem like they are a little on the simple side for the crowd at Giantbomb. Three Red Lights was good back in the day, but thats for totally non gaming reasons... it was more or less just bashing the 360 in its hayday for the RRoD plague (i am a 360 owner myself...so it was kind of like therapy every week hearing other people were going to beat the crap out of their 360's as well).

I used to love all of 1Up's podcasts (Retronauts, CGW/GFW, 1upFM and even the 1UPshow), but Weekend Confirmed is not my cup of tea at all.

Shows I still do like though... PlayerOnePodcast, GamersWithJobs, The Geekbox, RebelFM, HeyAsh Whatcha Playin, 8-4 Play, and I guess I still like Retronauts but that is because Ray Barnholdt and Jeremy Perish are still on there. And ofcourse, This is only a test and Behind the Screened Door.

Player One Podcast is the one that made me start this thread. I was going to go over there and start listening and download their back catalog as I do with most podcasts, only to find that they are ending with #250. Just hit me the wrong way.

DRUNK TANK DRUNK TANK DRUNK TANK

Mega 64 do videocasts.