Do you listen to podcasts/videos while gaming?

Instead of saying something is a podcast game, I should say what *isn't* a podcast game. Unless stuff like strong music or affecting moments are happening, I'm probably listening to something else. Witcher 3 and Divinity 2 are good examples of games like this, where my attention is rewarded well and often enough to discourage opening a podcast.

Wowzers, I didn't expect the 'Always' option to have so many votes. O_o

So I've done that before

and then I had an epiphany one day that I realized I didn't enjoy what i was doing. I wasn't getting full enjoyment out of the game and often totally missed what was being said in the podcast because focused on doing what I'm doing in the game. Worst of both worlds. I know people that feel completely differently, but that's how it was for me.

I realized I was only doing it because some games bored me enough that I needed more stimuli. So now I don't play grindy games like that much. I'll still occasionally play them (like Destiny 2) but only if I'm voice chat hanging out with friends.

@slag: I like your styles, slag.

My wife asked me to watch It with her and surfed the web on her iPad the whole time. Do something or don’t, but don’t half-do a bunch of crap not interesting enough to hold your attention. Find something worth investing your time in.

Its hard for me to listen to podcasts without doing something else, whether its household chores, driving around or playing games, so I often seek out comfort food games like old RTS titles or games without any story to play in the background. The latest Breaking Brad put me back on a Rogue Legacy kick and its perfect for the bomb/beastcast.

I wouldn't watch or listen to anything if I didn't. Story heavy games I don't, on my first playthrough, but everything else? Always either music, giantbomb, or television shows.

Absolutely Always.

There is no way I can just have one thing going on. I am never going to just play a game or just listen to a podcast or just watch a video.

Depends on the game and the situation of the game. Story/Immersive games is pretty much always going to be a no. There are some exceptions to this, for example, in God of War, I listened to a podcast while grinding out Niflheim and Muspelheim, but nowhere else in the game did I listen to a podcast.

Ni No Kuni 2 I pretty much listened to a podcast for most of my play of it.

Sports or racing games I will as well. Strategy games too, though I'll often mute or pause for moments that require a bit more concentration.

After about 600 hours of Splatoon on the Wii U, I got tired of the default music, and started listening to remixes and podcasts while playing.

I picked "Only during repetitive games," but "Always" would be more accurate. To an extent, I need to keep YouTube videos playing on my Surface 3 in order to keep track of time when I'm playing games while fixing my lunch or dinner, and also just to maintain a level of awareness for what's going on in and around my house since I don't like the notion of a game completely closing me off from the outside world. Also, the quiet time in certain games gets too quiet, particularly the time spent grinding in RPGs, the aforementioned "podcast games", and just games that I'm extremely familiar with in terms of time spent with either the genres of the games themselves that don't require my full attention. (Now that I think about it, I wonder if I can play Dark Souls 1 on autopilot.) More power to you "I need all of the immersion" and "I don't like splitting my attention" people, but I can't do that with games anymore.

Personally, if I don't do that(immerse myself) in story based games, I've permanently spoiled the experience for myself.

I turn everything off and put my phone on silent for games like The Legend of Heroes.

@slag: I've also had something similar to this, but it's always game specific, rather than always being present. I'll try listening to the Bombcast while playing Furi or watching some QLs while playing Bayonetta and its always a one-track road to Frustration City.

I picked "only in repetitive games", but it would be more accurate to say "always, unless the game requires constant or focused attention". So, story-heavy games, ones with great atmosphere, or those that simply require my full attention are out. For example, I'll listen to a podcast/GB video/TV show while grinding out a level in Dark Souls. But once it's boss time? Video goes off and TV volume goes up, pay the fuck attention until Artorias sends me packing for the fiftieth time AND back to our regularly scheduled laziness.

I'm actually surprised how many people are as desperate for stimuli as I am. I always thought the feeling of "I NEED to be watching/listening to something else, I can't JUST be playing Enter the Gungeon" was an insane one unique to me. Glad that so very many others are head-cases too.

Audio is important for me too, but there are plenty of games where it just isn't necessary to the experience. In those cases, putting on an audiobook or a podcast is the way to go.

I think it's actually the reverse for me, in that I game while listening to podcasts. When I'm playing a game, the default is generally to just listen to game audio but if I have a podcast I want to listen to and my commute time for the day is over I'll generally throw it on and play something low impact while listening like getting some Stardew Valley days done or clearing out fetch sidequests in whatever RPG is currently occupying my time.

Not usually during a narrative oriented game, but if I'm playing Civ or The Sims then yeah.

I listen to podcasts while editing spreadsheets, cleaning, working out, doing yard work, that sort of thing. I actually like focusing on one media at a time though. I have so little time for games these days that if one is so unengaging that I need to have a podcast on, then it isn’t something I have time for.

When I was playing a lot of WoW and Old Republic, I definitely listened to podcasts. Eventually I came to the conclusion that if a game is so boring/repetitive I can listen to podcasts while playing it, it's a waste of my time. Haven't touched an MMO since.

If I'm just grinding away experience/money/resources in an RPG or something? Sure! I'll probably do this when I try to get the b-team leveled up in Octopath Traveler.

But generally I don't listen to podcasts while gaming. I've tried to before and I always find myself too disconnected from both to really care about either and I just wind up being annoyed.

I do during GOTY or if I had a lot of podcasts lined up back to back. I only do it with repetitive games like tower defenses and such; not story games

You people that picked always are animals! :P

I'll smash through podcasts while doing stuff around the house, cleaning, eating, or playing puzzle/twitchy/repetitive games like Path of Exile and Rocket League. Nothing like a bit of picross with a podcast!

But anytime I watch movie or TV show (or play a game with a story or mood) I'm all in on just that thing. The thought of playing something like Hollow Knight and losing out on the atmosphere is bizarre to me.

During repetitive and grindy moments for sure. It could be grinding in a hundreds hours long rpg or inventory management. Honestly I feel like podcasts are doing these games a favor because I usually can't stand grinding, and the podcasts make it way more tolerable.

I also listen to podcasts with less narrative focus games especially turn base strategy games like Civ and Xcom.

I only do it for games where i can switch my brain off and just focus on the podcast. Otherwise i retain nothing from them.

I don't for most games but I like to listen to my own music or podcasts in what I call "infinite" games, stuff like Gran Turismo Sport, Fifa, so racing games, sport games, sandboxy stuff like Minecraft, Stardew Valley, Cities Skylines (it has amazing OST but after 200 hours sometimes I need a change), MMOs are also one type. I can definitely divide my attention in a way that I don't lose focus on either the game or the podcast.

I've bought games purely with podcasts in mind. But yeah, it's a case-by-case thing. Obviously I'm not going to mute the new AAA hotness to throw MBMBaM or something on, but some games are just perfect for it.

If I'm playing an RPG and hit a grindy section of the game, or a particular play session ends up being more crafting/resource gathering/house-keeping focused, then I'll throw on a podcast or GB video. Otherwise, I prefer to focus on one thing at a time.

@efesell: Man..... Is it an ADD problem or do you just not enjoy focusing on any one thing at all?

Like many others have said, situationally, for sure. My summers are dominated by Diamond Dynasty grinds and the audio commentary for MLB The Show has long reached a point of evergreen staleness. This is the first year I actually turned the commentary off, but there is still only so much low murmuring of a baseball crowd punctuated by cracked bats and slapped leather one can be reasonably entertained by.

I also turned to podcasts during times I was slogging away at question marks on the Witcher 3 map or completing menial tasks in God of War (in fact, God of War marking a turning point for me where I actually turned the subtitles on so I could keep listening to podcasts and not worry about missing the lake dialogues; I generally hate subtitles other than foreign films) but I typically play story heavy games with headphones on until the moment it potentially turns into more of a grind than an emotional experience.

I would never play games with an active narrative and listen to or watch something else at the same time, but I do also have to admit I'm less likely to start up a narrative-based game if I have a massive podcast or television backlog. There are a lot of games I'd love to play that I withhold from myself because I have too many Marc Maron episodes to get to.

I guess? I dunno, I'm no specialist. I can split focus fairly easily between games and things like podcasts/videos so I just prefer to have multiple things going.

I wouldn't have thought it so strange of a thing. Surprised at the results of this poll honestly.

@paliv: I hear ya.

Podcasts are for errands and driving around.

Music is for errands, driving around, and working out.

The vast majority of games I play are games that are perfect for podcasts. Rougelites, sandbox games like Minecraft and Terraria. Pretty much anything that doesn't have voice acting or a story that I need to pay attention to. I honestly don't remember the last time I played a game with a real story. It's probably been years, but that might be me just watching a ton of let's plays of those games on YouTube. I tend to enjoy watching somebody else play those games more than playing them myself.

I picked repetitive/grindy games only because I exclusively listen to podcasts while playing FIFA. I don't really have the means to listen to podcasts as I only have a 5 minute commute to work and I also work in the restaurant business. So a good session of FIFA, A couple beers and the most recent episode of the Bombcast or Beastcast is a great way to unwind after a long workday.

Although I play and enjoy a large and eclectic mix of games, my taste in games essentially boils down to two types.

I like story heavy games where the mechanics are secondary (or tertiary) to interesting characters/dialogue/atmosphere. Your Witchers and Personas. And these are not podcast games.

Then the second group is roguelike/lites. Anything with procedural generation/permadeath. And in the beginning these games demand all my attention while I learn how the game works. But after a while they all become podcasts games as I bash my head against the wall until I break through.

Never. I only want to play games I'm interested in, and if I'm interested in them, I want to hear them and nothing else really.

*Google searches The Legend of Heroes*

Oh, sure. Mention an anime game to someone with an anime avatar. I see how it is.

Anyway. I will admit that having the Persona 4 Endurance Run play as background noise while playing Persona 4 Golden for the first time was tricky to avoid spoilers that weren't associated with "bitches and whores", and my attention wasn't as divided when shit was getting real starting the third chapter of Nier Automata.

I highly recommend it. Particularly starting out with Trails in the Sky, the Steam version. It is, in my opinion, one of the best JRPGs of all time. Particularly in terms of world building and story writing.

@harbinlights: Given my general opinion on JRPGs, I'll pass. I've been trying to change that negativity with Tales of Berseria, and Square is getting back on my good side with Final Fantasy XV on Steam, but my weeb interests in games are more aligned with Senran Kagura.

Also, come to think of it, I strongly prefer gameplay over story, which is probably another reason for why I can shift my attention since games that I'm good at playing don't need much of my concentration.

That's too bad. But I respect your tastes.

If you ever change your mind, it's definitely a best-in-genre game!

Only during repetitive/grindy stuff. Diablo 3 is the best podcast/video game for me. Stuff like Monster Hunter: World and Absolver PVP though, I surprisingly prefer turning everything off when playing them, oftentimes even music. Somethin about em really makes me wanna zero in and focus.

Listening to podcasts/videos got to a weird place for me in the past though where I used to seek out grindy games so I could listen to stuff while playing, but then also seek out stuff to listen to just so I could play grindy games while listening to something/anything. Always tried to squeeze the most out of my time but ended up just feeling like I'd wasted it. To make matters worse I'd actively avoid playing something that demanded more attention because I didn't want to give up listening to something else, even though those kinds of games are far and away my preference. Mindlessly browsing Netflix is a similar kind of thing.

I started out only listening during repetitive/grindy games, but I've reached the point where its basically always. Which is problematic when its a game with a very strong story. I'm playing Yakuza 0 right now, and I've been forcing myself to turn off the podcasts at least during the cutscenes.

On the other hand, I also plan on picking on Monster Hunter World soon as it comes to PC, and I suspect that'll be a game I'll have no problem listening to podcasts during.

Yep! If I'm playing a game where I don't care so much about the story or dialogue, I'll often have the current week's GB content running in the background, and I alt-tab to the video if it sounds like something REALLY COOL is happening.

This sounds weird, and it is. Seriously. I started doing this about a year or so ago. Playing video content without actively watching the video?! I'm not saying it makes sense, it's just something I do.

Only during grindy games so MMOs or rogue likes are some examples. I rarely play those kinds of games anymore though.

Answer 3 sums it up pretty much. I do listen to podcasts and sometimes I watch videos or even movies, but if there is any kind of story or gameplay that requires attention, I want to focus.

Most of the games I play these days are pretty mindless, as I just want to wind down for an hour here and there. Over the last couple of weeks, I've probably played video games for about 4 hours (a couple on No Man's Sky and a couple on Skyrim). I've listened to podcasts for that entire time.