Hey all,

So I assume that the majority of you have come here because you listen to podcasts. As a podcast producer, I thought it would be neat to hear from y'all about what makes a "good podcast" for you?

Note: This is NOT a "praise our podcasts" thread!!! I'm interested in what you look for in general or what you find in numerous or other podcasts. As much as I enjoy a good ego-stroking, we're in public right now; save that for our private time. ;)

I'm not looking to change things with our existing podcasts, I've just been thinking about my own philosophies and preferences a lot lately, and wanted to see if it synched up with others.

Thanks much!
-Craig

And I'll be the ever realist and say it's also not a "bash our podcasts" thread. Thank you.

<_<

Not trying to overpraise yours guys podcasts but I really like mostly what you do. You guys are serious when it needs to be but you don't take yourself seriously . The biggest thing to me is that when you guys talk to each other it seems to me that the convo would be almost exactly the same if the recorder wasn't on . The formulas you guys use is very good. But I admit that I lean more towards the the :3DB: , :TPL: formula obviously :SI: is what brought me here but I like the off the beaten path of the other two shows sometimes take, and also the breakups of the features , also I think Signed in needs a new song. I do listen to industry podscasts and I try to find ones that still ride the light side having fun and maybe missing some things but still keeping it fun. Examples are the ign platform specific shows but not the daily ones, and probably the dryest one I listen to is Major nelson but even that one they seem like friends and can be light when they aren't doing interviews at least. What I would like to hear is something that Major does is the after show because it's fun listening to something that doesn't matter at all, and I would like to hear more of Craig and Jeremy making fun of Sean.

If your podcast sounds like the morning zoo on a local radio station, I'm going to turn it off before it even gets going. I hate, hate, hate it when a podcast reaches for the lowest common denominator and has 2-3 guys acting out their teenage fantasies of being a morning "DJ".

I think I mentioned this a while ago #1 for me audio quality. If I am going to listen for more that a a few seconds you need to have everyone on decent sounding mics with fairly balanced levels between them. FWIW, SI sounds great.

Chemistry is helpful, and I'm not talking SiO2.

I don't mind a poop joke or a random off discussion regarding dinosaurs now and then, but like Meatloaf said, NO Morning Zoo.

Usually I like pretty light structure, :SI: :TPL: are about right. If a cast gets too rigid it feels canned to me. I had a hard time with the OXM podcast because of it's canned feel(IMO). Also I think the light structure makes for a more natural sounding discussion. Speaking of natural sounding discussion, I'm not a big "script" fan. I'd rather people have to think a little or re-phrase things than sound like they are just reading. It comes of dry and can be distracting. Bullet points good, speeches bad. Which reminds me; Sean do you have a paragraph written or read a online synopsis of books on TPL? Sometimes, you sound like you are reading and rushing to get it out. If you are literally reading, you should just paraphrase or bullet point. Anyone can read a description, we tune into shows because we (the royal) want to hear your (the podcaster's) thoughts and descriptions. Basically I'd rather hear your description of a thing than the promotional description. That last part should be taken as global podcast comment. (Sorry for the criticism, I'm not following directions well.)

Anyway, I'll stew on it for a while and really rip you guys a new one later. ;)

Edit:

Also, News. I'm not a big fan of podcasts that regurgitate lots of news.

Clever how long have you been listening to :TPL: because Sean's comfort level has become a lot better and his enthusiasm and love for comics is now coming through.

I will listen to some of the most terrible sounding podcasts as long as the content is good. Much like video games, the graphics may be pretty to look at, but the meat of it for me is the content/gameplay.

I also don't need them to make any points, as long as it is entertaining ;) This might come from a few years of listening to wrestling podcasts and even being on a few.

I don't need giveaways, or breaking reports, insider info, exclusives or anything of the like, just for it to be entertaining.

Look, I turned into the "me" monster there

yes, i write and read my synopis' on the show, its much much easier to edit that way...im sure. i just write down what i would say about the book.

@ Spicollidriver the forums have helped me get to know my listeners. ive become more comfortable as well as more show prep

also, Craig and Jeremy let my tangents fly and sometimes laugh at me so the company helps


oh, yeah, what am i looking for in a podcast?
if a friend is involved.

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww....

Sorry if that came off harsh, I didn't mean it to sound that way. I can tell Sean loves comics, and that's what I like to hear, Sean's love for comics. It's not that what he/your doing is bad but sometimes the reading comes off as "cold" and canned. What I'm trying to say is that I think Sean's strong suit is expressing himself on the fly and I love your tangents. Generally, your comic and game opinions are close to mine so I enjoy what you are saying and for better or worse I hold your opinion in pretty high regard. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable or self-conscious, so if preparing like that is best for you just keep doing it. Just know that there are still seanbies out there.

</end sean bash> ;)

Also, I enjoy bumper music in podcasts. It exposes me to some new music and that's cool.

Sound quality is my #1. It's really hard for me to listen to a show if there are sound problems or the Skype delay is so heavy that everyone is just talking over one another.

I also follow particular people. Most of the old 1UP crew that were super influential in me wanting to do a podcast in the first place are completely scattered at this point though. Garnett just started Weekend Confirmed a few weeks ago and I've caught the first few so far. I like the discussions they get into on that show and he's always been a great host, even if he needs to get knocked down here and there from time to time. <_<

I also look for current stuff. It's actually why I kind of fell out with a lot of the shows I was listening to. I do like hearing about upcoming stuff to a point, but I HATE hearing people talk around stuff they can't talk about or talking about stuff that isn't out for a month or more. By the time I'm playing it they're talking about something else that will be out next month. For me, when I see a movie, or play a game, or whatever, that's when I want to seek out discussion about it and see other people's takes. I don't find myself playing a game now and then going back to last month to listen to what other big deal video game podcasts said about it then. (Usually)

I understand what you're saying...you can tell when Sean is reading because he goes a lot faster, when he's just talking he goes slower and sometimes searches for words or hesitates before he says something. It's a word/breathing rate thing that makes the difference.

Maybe Sean just needs to feel more confident about what he's saying? Sean, you're good enough, you're smart enough and gosh darn it, people LIKE you!

Referring to Signed In:

Well, to be honest, as a long time listener, I was initially put off by the addition of Seanyx but after an episode or 3 he grew on me. Seanyxx provides a nice change up to the 2 man show and adds in a (welcome) new layer. I think people from all gaming types (hardcore, noob, casual, etc) can enjoy the show as each host seems to channel a different type of player for them to associate with.

Seanyx being great for the more casual type player and reviews things from that standpoint. Superfro being hardcore but normally only has a first (quick) glance on games he plays. This of course due to the large amount of games he plays. Prof on the other hand, while playing less games than Fro has a much more in depth analysis as he seems likely to spend longer with a given title. I think you guys provide a needed "holy trinity" to your podcast, each of your backgrounds and play styles bring something different to the table that creates a wonderful cornucopia of podcast joy.

Also, if you want to listen to audible perfection, check out GamesRadar's podcast (TalkRadar). While initially coming off as somewhat sophomoric in their approach (due to their humor) it is actually a very professionally assembled show, from the audio bumpers to their own entries on various subjects. They come very much prepared but they give the impression that they are winging it, and with that comes humor. They offer a great abundance of insider type info, relevant news, plus adding in their own personal and (quite often) hilarious stories about working in the industry and other anecdotes. I've listened to quite a bit of gaming podcasts and theirs is the only one (save Signed In) that has the ability to be both incredibly funny and informative.

Oh, like Fro I dislike the "hush hush" talk. I also dislike name dropping. Your not famous, just a dude like me who happens to talk about video games on the internets...
...which is why SI is nice. You guys play it cool. Just regular dudes talking about cool shit.

Me and Warren Ellis agree. It is like Troy Aikman told me . . . oh I forget what he said, but I am sure Tim Burton will remember.