Education Through Youtube (Part 2)

Making Up For Lost Time

 Most of the people who know me are very much aware that I am passionate about video games, and many of these people also know that I dropped out of a nursing course at University over a decade ago. My year-and-a-bit foray into nursing is the only taste of higher learning that I've had, having finished high school and not really being inspired to do anything afterwards. I knew that I liked to take care of people, and I am from a family of brilliant nurses (and a trained midwife) so it seemed like a sensible thing to do. The thought of actually working in the games industry felt unattainable, like being a rock star or an a-list actor.

 Looking back, I wish I could have drilled it into my teenage self that the cliché of "you can do anything you want, if you try hard enough" has its foundations in reality. Instead, I found myself spending my teens and early twenties doing bar work and retail; both of which have resulted in some great life lessons and friends that I am so proud to have. These jobs never gave me much opportunity to learn, though, and that was why I reached out to "Train2Game"; an open-learning course that turned out to be a bit of a joke. Despite the course's dubious credentials, it allowed me to put together the portfolio you see on this site, as well as giving me the confidence to apply for work in my chosen industry. I was willing to be vice-sub-assistant deputy teaboy, but luckily I was rewarded for my tenacity with a QA role and this crazy ride began.

 Every moment in my professional life since then has been a somewhat scattered ascent up the steep rock-face of "learning on the job". I love my current job, and if there's anyone who's thinking "I can't do <X> for a living", I want to let you know that if you care enough, you'll make it happen. My lack of formal education means relatively little in my current role, as does my growing up without a PC in the house for most of my childhood, as I've learned the role of QA tester over the past 4 and a half years. Despite this, I am constantly tripping myself up with imposter syndrome and the belief that my lack of technical or academic knowledge is going to define my whole career. It's a stupid insecurity, given that the games industry is already full of inspiring characters who have defeated much greater odds to achieve their goals.

 Anyway, the upshot of all of this is that I have been lucky enough to pick up some good habits from colleagues and fellow game developers who have shown me that especially in the tech world, nobody is ever finished learning. Books and seminars can be useful, but people go to great lengths to make learning the trade of game development more entertaining. This brings us to the whole point of this blog post (apologies for the introspective opening), the amazing channels that are out there that I feel have helped me to become a better game developer. I want to start with one that I've been following for quite a long time now, and has been a gateway to much wider sources of analysis.

As before, all titles will double as links to the appropriate Patreon pages.

Mark Brown & The Game Maker's Toolkit

 Mark Brown is the first youtube channel I ever supported on Patreon, and this was largely because his Game Maker's Toolkit series was the first instance I had seen of critical analysis on specific gameplay mechanics and themes. Before this, I could see when a game had a problem with its mechanics or level design, but I couldn't ever convey it succinctly. I am not a trained level or mechanics designer, but GMT provided a lens through which to see the core tenets of modern game development and almost overnight, I became better at identifying a game's shortcomings and conveying them to other people. Some might think that this would be useful for a QA tester, and technically it is, but this insight is more useful when giving feedback, as opposed to writing bugs. Fortunately, I'm lucky enough to work somewhere that QA feedback is not only acknowledged, but actively encouraged, so I feel like this channel has equipped me well.

 Mark puts a great deal of work into his roughly 10-15 minute pieces, and not only is his voice a calming and well paced guide through the subjects he's discussing, but he also rewards his Patreon backers with a generous amount of "behind the scenes" content, video critiques of the games he's played that month and most valuable of all (to me): his reading list. 

 The GMT reading list is Mark's favourite articles, videos and essays about all sorts of subjects that can conceivably apply to gaming. Every month, he posts some solid gold that has led me to follow some of the video makers I'll mention later. Many of the articles he cherry picks are related to specific game mechanics, some are indie blogs that describe the process of making a game with a small team, there's a small selection of choice interviews with game developers great and small and some are really gratifying deep-dives into classic games from my childhood and teens.

 Whatever your chosen genre or area of expertise, I can almost guarantee you that Mark has made a video to suit your interests. I've never regretted kicking him a few quid for the work he does, and he always seems grateful. His work only continues to improve, and I look forward to the next series he makes.

Recommended Videos:

1. The Last Guardian & The Language Of Games.
2. Boss Keys - A Link to the Past's Dungeon Design.
3. How Games Do Health.

Extra Credits

 The Extra Credits guys have been making educational videos for years now. They started as a channel solely dedicated to helping people understand how games are made and why developers often make choices that seem wrong or ill thought out. At this point, I doubt there's a part of game development that they haven't touched on. They've covered all genres, some more in depth than others, and while some of the lessons they convey may seem obvious, it's a great place to look for a video about getting started on your own game, why some games have stories that work while others fail, and even career advice for someone who wants to break into the industry.

 They've also branched out into teaching history, which was a treat for me. For those looking for the "game design" nuance in there, I'm afraid to say that it's 100% historical storytelling. That being said, a good designer reads fiction & non-fiction, takes trips and brings life experience to their project, so give some cutely drawn history a shot. Episodes are short and concise, with a distinctive and mostly consistent art style.

Recommended Videos:

1. Design Club - Baldur's Gate: Durlag's Tower.
2. Design Club - The Blue Shell.
3. Overwatch & Asymmetric Character Design.

Tommy Thompson's AI & Games

 My countryman Tommy Thompson is a senior lecturer in computer science and researcher in AI. He also develops his own games. His knowledge of the driving forces behind AI makes for a very interesting insight into what makes game non-playable characters (NPCs) compelling to interact with. From the undeniably brilliant (albeit slightly inconsistent) Xenomorph AI in Alien Isolation, to the much lauded "game director" functionality of Left 4 Dead, AI & Games is a thought-provoking and never too technical insight into what makes our games more challenging and creative.

 His breakdowns of classic games known for their AI is the reason I keep coming back to watch his work. He is a prime example of an educator who can take a feature and boil it down to what makes it work and why sometimes it doesn't. Computers aren't as smart as humans...yet.

Recommended Videos:

1. The Perfect Organism - The AI of Alien: Isolation.
2. Resurrection & Reverence: The Return of DOOM.
3. In The Director's Chair: The AI of Left 4 Dead.

Hamish Black's Writing On Games

 Another fellow Scot (as if the name didn't give it away); Hamish Black has been recording a podcast about games for quite a while now, and has been making videos about writing in video games for a couple of years. Sometimes these take the form of critiques of specific games, while other times, they can focus on an aspect of interactive storytelling that Hamish finds especially valuable or troubling.

 As someone who enjoys writing blogs, fiction and interactive fiction, it's no surprise that the topics found on this channel often resonate strongly with me. I've always found Hamish's videos to be quite even-handed, and while I don't always agree with the points he's making, I feel like he always backs up his opinion, so I can at least see where he's coming from. With the game industry's long running "What's More Important: Story vs Mechanics" debate as strongly contested as ever, it's good to know that there's someone who cares enough about interactive narrative to keep putting out consistently solid content, which only seems to be getting better.

Recommended Videos:

1. Wolfenstein: The New Order Is About More Than Defeating the Nazis.
2. How the Meaning of Vanquish (and Spec Ops: The Line) Changed.
3. The Witcher 3 and the Management of Narrative Scale.

Danny O'Dwyer's noclip Documentaries

My first time hearing Danny O' Dwyer was during my phase of listening to the GiantBombCast's ridiculous 3-hour long podcasts. I have since stopped listening to them as who has that sort of time to listen to a podcast every week? I digress. Danny is an extremely competent, well connected player (ho-ho!) in the games industry. His career has allowed him to make friends and interact with people that some might describe as the "rock stars" of modern game development. His channel "noclip" was set up in 2016, and the name refers to a type of video game cheat that allows players to walk through walls. This alludes to his ability to get inside the walls of big game studios to interview the people who make our favourite games.

 His first documentary was a behind-the-scenes of my favourite game of 2016, the great DOOM! He has since gone on to interview Marcin Iwinski of CD Projekt: one of the people behind my favourite game of 2015, The Witcher 3. He has a candid interview process that seems to get the best out of the people he's speaking with. I am really hoping that noclip's success allows Danny to bring the insides of great studios into the light.

Recommended Videos:

1. DOOM Resurrected [Part 1] - To Hell & Back (DOOM Documentary).
2. The Story of Rocket League (Part 1) - How To Build a Rocket.
3. FINAL FANTASY XIV Documentary Part #1 - "One Point O"

 

Double Fine Adventure

Ok, I admit it. I love Tim Schafer to the extent that I have played through and loved most of his games, despite not actually enjoying the format of the typical adventure game. His inimitable writing style and sense of humour have pushed me through Grim Fandango, Monkey Island 1 & 2, as well as causing me to have Broken Age in my Steam list (I'm yet to get around to playing it.)

 I don't really do Kickstarters, but Double Fine's campaign to fund Broken Age was brilliantly marketed, to the extent that they went dramatically over budget. $3million over budget, actually. I may love Tim Schafer but I have no illusions about his slight...inexperience with managing a budget. The "Double Fine Adventure" showcased the process of pitching the idea of Broken Age to the general public, all the way through to release via highs, lows and E3 press conferences. Highlights include when the campaign was so successful that they broke Kickstarter as they broke $1m, sitting down with Peter Chan to look through his old art work and composing with Peter McConnell. With cameos from voice actors like Jack Black and Elijah wood, and interviews with Ron Gilbert and Tim Schafer, this is a must-watch for fans of Double Fine.

 For anyone who's curious about what it's like to develop a game, there's few examples better than 2 Player Productions' coverage of Broken Age's development. 

You can find the first video here.

GDC Talks

 I couldn't talk about using Youtube to learn game design without referencing possibly the greatest resource out there. The huge range of talks and presentations made at the Games Developers Conference (GDC).

 This catalogue of post-mortems, feature breakdowns, new development proposals and groundbreaking new ideas are an invaluable insight into how the best people in the industry are pushing us forward. From game design to AI programming, composing scores to compositing images; this is the place to find what you're looking for. 

 I have put this last, as most casual fans of videogames are less likely to be interested in an hour-long talk about a single feature in their favourite game, but some might. I know that as someone who wants to learn all he can about game development, this is a resource that I dip into regularly. I encourage anyone who's interested to have a look around the youtube vaults. There'll be something there for you.

Recommended Videos:

1. Building Game Mechanics to Elevate Narrative in Oxenfree.
2. Building Beauclair in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Blood and Wine.
3. DOOM: Behind the Music.

 And that's it from me this time! If you made it to the bottom of the page, thank you for reading! I find that doing these blogs is a really good exercise for me, as I learn more about why I enjoy these channels. It also serves to highlight the benefits of thinking back on what you learned from watching a youtube video in your lunch break.

 This is just a select few of my favourite resources. I hope that maybe in the future, I'll be able to add more. For now, these are the highlights.

 Next time I blog, I will have probably celebrated 6 months in Sweden. So far, things are going great and I hope this continues for a long time. Avalanche has been a wonderful experience so far, and Stockholm is treating me well. I'll probably talk a bit about what I've been playing (including some rugby) and maybe throw in some movie or TV chat as well. Thanks again for reading!

Education Through Youtube (Part 1)

Getting With The Times

 On a recent episode of Brashcast; the podcast I host with my good friend Liam, we were discussing the recent "PewDiePie" racism scandal. This brought us around to the topic of whether or not we are simply too old to watch these youtube "personalities", as we both expressed the opinion that neither of us were fans of PewDiePie, but being guys who enjoy gaming and with an ear to the ground for gaming news, we were both aware of him and his particular schtick. The issue of his credibility as an entertainer came up, and while I acknowledged that his latest scandal was made worse by his inarticulate attempt at "being real for a second, guys", I did appreciate that it must be tough to evolve his channel from the sort of loud, whacky, pandering nonsense that made him a multi-millionaire to something that really tries to say something important. The tonal shift between what his fans expect from him and the stunt that he pulled (which I won't go into, as it's not strictly relevant) is more than most people were ready for, and he's paid the price for it. He has lost sponsors, who were happy for him to shout into his microphone while playing bad games, with a fanbase of tweens looking on in adulation.

PewDiePie misjudged his audience and how his sponsors would react to his change in content.

 The whole conversation on Brashcast caused me to consider the evolution of Youtube as an entertainment and educational medium. Every once in a while, youtube celebrates its milestones by recounting its most famous videos. Sneezing pandas, Charlie biting his brother's finger and every iteration of the bunker scene from "Downfall" with misspelled comedy subtitles have been entertaining us in short chunks for over a decade now. While I am still as prone to watching cat videos or shows about videogame news, I have in recent years started to accumulate a catalogue of youtube creators who are dedicated to improving the world, one viewer at a time. These people are scattered throughout youtube, and regardless of what your chosen passions may be, there's almost certainly a professional that has decided to start a channel where you can learn how to improve yourself.

 I've heard people speak about how they would have killed for the free information that circulates on the internet these days, and that "kids these days" don't realise the resources that they have now. There are channels dedicated to fitness, yoga, composing and performing music, make-up tutorials and even some candid discussions on mental health from people who are going through or have gone through tough times. Personally, I have used youtube tutorials and a bit of "google-fu" to perform the following tasks:

• Build a Raspberry Pi emulation machine
• Fix my bike when it was broken
• Build a PC
• Start a blog
• Record a podcast
• Make chiptunes
• Create very simple games in Unity
• Figure out where to go on Holiday, and what to do when I'm there
• Work out what backpack to buy

 And the list goes on. I feel like many people don't give youtube the acknowledgement it deserves as an educational tool, and while guides to performing relatively simple tasks like burying your waterlogged phone in rice are useful for some, I'd like to take the time to acknowledge the youtube creators who are committing themselves to educating people. These are the men and women who have redeemed youtube in my eyes, raising it above a casual source for videos of dogs greeting their estranged owners, cats being rescued from highway embankments and short comedic skits (all styles that I have personally enjoyed). 

 Being the colossal nerd that I am, I have chosen some shows that follow the theme of dissecting pop-culture and teaching us about why we enjoy the movies, books and of course; the video games that we love so much. I've also chosen some shows that are straight-up educational tools to assist an aspiring writer and game designer. This will read a little bit like my blog about the podcasts that I love, and hopefully it will inspire some people to check them out. Many of you have probably already figured out that youtube is an awesome resource for self-improvement, but I felt like after bashing PewDiePie and by extension, youtube "personalities", I should acknowledge that there's way more to it than that. Here is a list of the Youtube channels that have been inspiring me lately. Please note that each title header comes with a link to the relevant creator's Patreon Page, where you can support them in their work and even get rewards.

Crash Course

 Hank and John Green are internet superstars at this point, having started the "Brotherhood 2.0" project back in 2007, with the ambition of forming a tighter bond between two brothers who live in different parts of the USA. As someone who is soon to be living in a different country from both of his brothers, I can understand the calling to maintain regular contact. John is an accomplished author, who has given TED talks and is at this point, if not an authority; then at least a competent conversationalist on the topic of almost everything. Hank is a trained Biochemist, climate change activist and entrepreneur who also speaks across a huge range of subjects.

 The two brothers created the channel "Crash Course" in 2012. This channel was designed as a primer of sorts, for the different subjects that were available on the American High School curriculum. While the show is child-friendly, it teaches about subjects that I knew little or nothing about. I don't recall how I stumbled across it, but I have thoroughly enjoyed learning about a range of subjects thanks to the Green brothers. Subjects such as:

• Literature
• Computer Science
• Physics
• World History
• American History
• "Big" History (History of the Universe, etc)
• Psychology
• Anatomy & Physiology
• Economics
• Philosophy and even more...

 While the brothers used to host the shows, when they started getting increasingly busy, they reached out to specialists to help them. They are always interesting, even if the subject itself isn't your cup of tea, and they always have cute little interstitial videos that are sprinkled throughout the shows. The Green brothers created the group "Nerd-fighters" with the slogan "Don't Forget To Be Awesome!" (or DFTBA) and they are seemingly one of the internet age's true forces for good. It's just lucky that they're entertaining as well.

Recommended Videos:

1.  Crash Course US History #1
2. Crash Course World History #1 (yes, I am a history nerd)
3. Crash Course Literature: The Odyssey

 

The Nerdwriter

The Nerdwriter channel is essentially a series of short video essays, dissecting elements of modern society, with a particular emphasis on movies and TV. Its creator Evan Puschak is a former film student and has been making videos as the Nerdwriter since 2011. He describes the channel's aim as "cultivating worldview", and while his Patreon blurb comes across as a little bit high-minded and pretentious, his videos are genuinely insightful and intelligently written essays on whatever he wants to discuss. As mentioned, he has a particular predeliction for cinema, but he has also covered topics such as social media, video games and even political discourse. His breakdown of how Trump speaks has left me unable to un-hear it.

 His dissection of films cover the full range of disciplines, from acknowledgement of the pacing of a particular scene, what makes an actor like Anthony Hopkins special and why he believes that "Passable Movies" need to become a thing of the past if innovation is to have its place. While not explicitly educational, his videos offer insight into not only the imaginary worlds of movies and TV, but also the way human beings are manipulated by what they see.

Recommended Videos:

1. Scott Pilgrim: Make Your Transitions Count
2. How Donald Trump Answers A Question
3. Helm's Deep: How To Film An Epic Battle

History Buffs

Nick Hodges' "History Buffs" is a show for those of us who can't help but feel uncomfortable watching a movie, knowing that it's rife with historical inaccuracies. Maybe it's part of being Scottish and having sat through Braveheart on multiple occasions, but it's always troubling for a history nerd like me to watch a movie without the opportunity to express my frustration at the seemingly simple mistakes that studios make in the name of mass-market appeal, simplification or simple ignorance.

 In the show, Nick dissects a well known movie that is based on true historical events. He doesn't pay specific attention to a particular era, and so his shows cover World War 2 (Saving Private Ryan) to Ancient Rome and Greece (Gladiator & 300). Maybe it's because I myself am an insufferable know-it-all, but I really enjoy learning little bits of history as I see movies (some being good, others not so much) being discussed on screen.

 His shows do vary in length, though. I quite like the 10-25 minute long episodes, but I can understand if some people wouldn't want to sit and watch his episodes on Apollo 13 or Dances With Wolves, which are almost an hour long. If nothing else, his show might inspire you to go back and watch a favourite old movie with an eye for the little things you might have missed.

Recommended Videos

1. Amadeus
2. Braveheart
3. Saving Private Ryan

Knowledge Hub/Alternate History Hub

 So this channel isn't strictly educational, as much as it is an artful use of geography, history and anthropology to create science-fiction stories of the "what if?" varieties. From the now cliche question of "what if the Nazis had won?" to the somewhat ironic "what if YouTube destroyed us all?", Cody has steered his channel in a way that crosses fan-service with genuine research and goes some ways to settling those geeky arguments that friends have about  both real-life history and their favourite movies and TV shows.

 The show always points out that this is just speculation, and that realistically, it's almost impossible to predict what would have happened had things gone differently. He does always back up his ideas with well researched study of the subject, often projecting the ramifications of these alternate timelines outwards to their final conclusions. The result is really a series of short-form sci-fi stories that are well presented and professionally made. Eat your heart out, Phillip K. Dick!

Recommended Videos

1. What If JFK Was Never Assassinated?
2. What If The Black Death Never Happened?
3. The Obligatory "What If Germany Won WW2?

Coming in Part 2

 So that's it for part 1. I hope that anyone reading might be inspired to try out one or maybe more of these channels. Their creators are constantly working to make the world a better place, and to spread a message that it's cool and fun to learn. I know that makes me sound like a high school school teacher who's just "trying to reach the keedz" but I think that these shows are doing a good job of supplanting a lot of the crap that America passes off as "documentaries". While the "History Channel" and "Discovery" take the 4 minutes between adverts to show us obese racists who made a fortune on duck whistles, or people raking through defaulted storage lockers, this content is educating and entertaining us at the same time. (Although I did have to sit through a short advert about car insurance that had James Corden in it, which was a trial).

 In part 2, I will focus my beam of praise on the video creators who are educating me in my career as a videogame developer and helping me to understand what makes a videogame worth playing, and how the industry can push forwards. I know this is a more niche topic, which is why I covered my more "pop culture" themed shows in part 1. The next part will cover videos about game design, storytelling and narrative design, game development as a business, AI & behaviour models, as well as some slightly drier lectures from the legends of the games industry.

 Until then, thanks for reading!

Podcasting a wide net. (Part 1)

Ever-growing influence

While the podcast genre has been around in some form since the 1980s, it was only with the advent of iPods and the prevalence of programs like iTunes in the mid 2000s that the term "Podcast" became more commonplace. This adaptation of what is essentially "talk radio" was really popularised by the comedian Ricky Gervais, as he chopped up parts of his radio shows to make little half-hour chunks that were sold for 95p on iTunes. These podcasts formed the backbone of what later became "The Ricky Gervais Show", and even "An Idiot Abroad".

Even with the rising popularity of Podcasts, it took me a couple of years to get interested. The first podcast I can recall looking for and downloading is probably Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier's "Smodcast" where the directer and producer of films such as "Clerks", "Mallrats" and "Dogma" get together and talk about stuff. The word "stuff" might sound vague, but that's what the show was. You never knew what they were going to talk about, although "sharks & nazis" became a common theme on the show eventually. This is largely due to a combination of Smith's fear of being eaten by a shark, and Godwin's Law.

From there, I fell in love with podcasts. In fact, from doing a little bit of research for this post, I have found and downloaded the first episodes I could find of 4 different podcasts! I currently have over 70 unheard episodes of podcasts on my iPod, which is something that drives my OCD crazy, but on the other hand, I just can't say no when the opportunity presents itself to be entertained by something for free.

That's right, most podcasts I listen to are 100% free. All you need is an ipod or you can even just listen to them from your computer or phone if you like. While many podcasts subsidise their costs with in-podcast adverts or the occasional Patreon voluntary donation service. It can take a bit of time to find a podcast you like, especially in areas where there's so much coverage that it can be hard to weed out the bad from the good.

Podcasts are great for nerds like me

For example, it won't come as a surprise to any of you that I love videogames and that I listen to gaming related podcasts to catch up on news about the industry, hear interviews and often just enjoy listening to other nerds clowning around. The problem is that because the games media are tech-savvy, they know the power of podcasts and it means that finding the good podcasts can be a real challenge. Of course, personal preference is king here, with factors such as "who do I already know I like?" and "how much time do I have to listen to an episode every week?" helping to form a decision. I really like the Giant Bombcast, but it tends to run over three hours, and that's a weekly show. I just don't have time to listen to that, even if it is funny. They also talk about wrestling way too much for me.

Three of my favourite members of the ever-rotating IGN UK Podcast Crew

Personally, I listen to the IGN network of podcasts, which offers numerous options, including weekly Playstation, Xbox & Nintendo podcasts, as well as some with wider scopes coming from their American, British and Australian teams. I love the UK podcast especially, as they cover more press events and movies than the other teams, but that may be my British sensibilities when it comes to humour and culture. They have also recently started running monthly podcasts called "Unfiltered" where IGN's Ryan McCafferey interviews the industry's most experienced and interesting developers. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes to know how their games are made. If you like talking to your friends about games, give IGN a try. It might be your thing.

Because I only have so much time, I now limit myself to just the IGN podcast network for gaming news, and I find that between the multiple podcasts they host, I am pretty well covered. When it comes to comedy however, I have a broad range of tastes and that makes comedy my second-most listened to genre of show.

Some of the world's funniest people make podcasts

So I mentioned Ricky Gervais and Smodcast at the top of the article, and it's certainly true that these shows helped to popularise the platform that is now a source of entertainment for millions around the world. Comedians like Richard Herring, Greg Proops, Paul F Tompkins and Peacock & Gamble all have established podcasts, and as a fan of stand-up and comedy in general, I love the ability to listen to free, often improvised comedy on a weekly basis. For any of my friends who enjoy comedy at the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh and are wondering if they should see a comic live, give Richard Herring's Edinburgh Fringe shows a shot (if he's attending the fringe, I don't know if he is this year) as he tends to have the best comics on his show, where they do a small set and an interview.

There are a few podcasts that easily bridge the gap between nerdy and comedy, and I guess it makes sense that I'd be a fan of that kinda crossover.

The Nerdist

The Nerdist Podcast is presented by Chris Hardwick of "At Midnight" TV fame. He is something of a stalwart member of the nerd community, and despite his obvious business savvy, he never fails to be affable, enthusiastic and funny when speaking to his guests. While he's a good host, the real strength of the show is the list of people he gets on his show. It's AAA people like Patrick Stewart, Iain McKellan, Ben Kingsley, Guillelmo Del Toro, Bryan Cranston, Nathan Fillion and many many more. There's a good chance that if you are a fanboy/fangirl of any sci-fi or fantasy franchise, he's had them on the show at least once. He is also able to get people to open up in a way that's quite uncommon, especially when they're probably used to shows like Jimmy Fallon or Conan, where they're being watched by a huge crowd.

There are sometimes very profound and moving emotional moments, which showcases how good Hardwick is at not only handling the awkward parts with uncommon sensitivity, but also how he is able to steer the conversation back to something more light-hearted eventually. I am compelled to mention the recent episode where he interviewed one of my all-time favourite actors Gary Oldman, and he allows him a moment to work through his feelings as he talks about his friendship with the recently departed David Bowie.

We Have Concerns

The pairing of Jeff Cannata and Anthony Carboni is one made in podcast heaven. Before I even get into what the show is actually about, the real selling point is the chemistry between the two presenters. As someone who podcasts myself, I appreciate the seemingly effortless flow of the show, with both presenters jumping in and out of improvising comedic sketches.

Ok, now that my shameless fanboying is out of the way, I will describe the show beyond the already self-explanatory title. These guys are nerds, and that means they like to learn about the world around them and the latest scientific breakthroughs, but that also means dealing with their anxieties about what is potentially going to kill them or ruin their lives. The topics run the gamut from "what are private companies going to do with my DNA?" to "when are they going to replace factory workers with robotic scorpion men?" Yeah, you can probably tell that hyperbole is a language these guys speak, and while Anthony is prone to outbursts of rage and confusion, Jeff is often the counter point who tries to calm him down with his sometimes infuriatingly positive outlook on life. #teamdadjoke

The Comedy Button

Ok, so while you could conceivably pass off the last two entries as "highbrow comedy" for the most part, TCB is definitely not that. Described by its hosts as "poker night with the guys", the show is a completely ridiculous and hilarious insight into the chat of five best friends (sometimes with extra guests) as they discuss everything from sex, to monster truck rallies and all sorts of stuff in between. This show is responsible for many an uncomfortable snorting laughter fit on public transport, as I try to stifle myself. I was lucky enough to get on board with this podcast at the beginning, so I know the tropes and running jokes that run through the show; "Ryan rarely talks", "Brian doesn't know much about history", "Scott is a well-to-do white guy", "Max is composed mainly of anime and pop-culture references" and "Anthony is a smelly hippy". Fortunately, knowledge of these caricatures isn't required to enjoy the show, and it also benefits from not relying on modern trends to follow what's going on, in fact these guys spend a lot of their time talking about the 80s and 90s, so people born in the 80s will likely enjoy their (what's the opposite of "rose tinted"?) nostalgia.

 Despite the scatalogical and sometimes downright offensive nature of their comedy, it's always well conceived and it's never malicious. Their level of self-awareness and ability to confront their own faults is especially endearing, and it's been great to join them for the ride as they followed the very interesting career paths that they've all been on. Three of the crew work in games media, and you can catch two of them on IGN's podcast Beyond, while Anthony works in game development as a designer and Scott works for Lucasfilm, sometimes giving cool insights into his job there. There have also been heartbreaks on the show, and recently Brian has been very open about the pain his family are going through as his mother deals with late-stage cancer. This is a show that has a lot of soul, it's just that it's often buried underneath jokes about masturbation, eating junk food and playing with 80s action figures.

Fist Shark Marketing

Possibly the "weirdest" comedy I listen to, Fistshark Marketing is an improvised comedy show, performed by a trio of games industry bloggers and journalists; Jim Sterling, Conrad Zimmerman and Jonathan (Paulson) Holmes. I started listening to these guys on the old Destructoid videogame podcast before it all sort of disintegrated. This show is absurd, strange and ultimately quite a challenge to get into, but once you know the tone of the show and are able to roll with the content, it's hilariously funny.

Jim and Conrad play the roles of senior marketing executives, while Paulson is their confused and somewhat naive fresh recruit. The format tends to lend itself to a "fly on the wall" recording of three ten-minute meetings as the team discuss the latest catastrophe that they have to deal with. This ranges from Gordon Ramsey being abandoned on a desert island with a bunch of dogs for a new reality TV show, to the potential PR nightmare of having their client "The Zodiac Killer" being confused for Ted Cruz. If you want a silly, fun time then give Fist Shark a go.

The Bugle

Fans of the HBO show "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" will be familiar with Oliver's distinctive comedic sensibilities. "The Bugle" is a time capsule of classic British comedy, featuring John Oliver and Andy Zaltzman. Unfortunately, John Oliver's success has made him far too busy to record new episodes, making it next to impossible for the show to keep going. It still releases the occasional piece of content, but for the most part it is winding down.

If you like your political satire with a healthy dose of the absurd, you'll love Zaltzman's work and I'd recommend seeking him out if that's your sorta thing.

Smodcast

Smodcast is the first Podcast I think I ever listened to, and the first thing that struck me was how open and unflinchingly honest the content was. If there's one thing Smith can do, it's rambling. He's got a 25 year career of movie-making anecdotes to look back on, as well as discussing his childhood and reviewing the painfully funny journals of "emo-Kev", his teenage self. Mosier is much more stoic, but the balance between (especially post-weed) Smith and the more restrained Mosier is one that leads to a great show.

As I mentioned before, sharks and nazis used to form the backbone of the show, but in recent years, the pair have shown their affection for Mosier's "home and native land" of Canada. The last episode I listened to compared to careers of Corey Hart and Bryan Adams, with their typical level of tongue-in-cheek speculation that Corey Hart hates Bryan Adams for stealing his spotlight, while Adams is aggressively apathetic to him. A real highlight of the show is their segment called "Scan-BC" where the pair react to twitter posts from a police scanner in British Columbia, where the crimes are largely small-town scuffles and disagreements.

While Smith has expanded his "Smodco" network to include numerous different shows, which are of varying quality and interest to myself, Smodcast remains the only one I'll listen to consistently. The chemistry of these two old friends sitting next to each other and chatting away is something that still entertains. Besides his stories about making movies, Smith is sometimes a little bit too open about his married life. You'll find yourself knowing things about him that will make you wince, but I understand that while he'll never take his shirt off, he will gladly talk about other personal habits.

Honourable Mentions

Dan Harmon's "Harmontown"

Allie Goertz & Julia Prescott's "Everything's Coming Up Podcast"

Next time,

In part 2, I will tell you about some of my favourite podcasts that have really opened my eyes to the world around me, discussing human interest stories, technological advancements and some of history's lesser told tales. Some are even teaching me how to write. All that and more, next time!