Andy Robertson, journalist, entrepreneur (BBC, Ludocene).

My guest today is an American writer and narrative designer for video games. After graduating from the USC School of Cinematic Arts with an MFA in Animation, he worked as an animator in Hollywood, contributing to an early version of Shrek at DreamWorks, Dinosaur at Disney, and to the music video Californication by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. In 2001 my guest joined the video game studio Naughty Dog and worked as the cinematics animation lead on seven titles including Jak and Daxter and the first three Uncharted games, a series for which he also helped to develop the storylines. He then became a staff writer and narrative designer on Uncharted IV: A Thief’s End, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, and the recent blockbuster The Last of Us: Part II. In 2020 he left Naughty Dog after more than two decades and joined Crop Circle Games as narrative director on the studio’s first, as yet unannounced title. Play the console:A Mind Forever Voyaging.Rez.Ico.Bloodborne.Outer Wilds.Thank you for listening to My Perfect Console. Please consider becoming a Patreon supporter; your small monthly subscription will help to make the podcast sustainable for the long term, and you'll receive bonus content, and access to the My Perfect Console community: https://www.patreon.com/myperfectconsoleBecome a My Perfect Console supporter and receive a range of benefits at www.patreon.com/myperfectconsoleTake the Acast listener survey to help shape the show: My Perfect Console with Simon Parkin Survey 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

12 Dec 20231h 21min

My guest today is a Scottish comedian, writer, television presenter, narrator, and Twitch streamer. It was during his final year studying law at the University of Edinburgh, the city in which he grew up, that my guest first tried stand-up comedy.At the Edinburgh Fringe Festival that year he reached the final of the Chortle Student Comedian of the Year, taking second place to Joe Lycett. After being spotted at a gig, my guest then became one of the main presenters for CBBC, working alongside various puppet sidekicks – an experience that later formed the basis for his sitcom, Buffering.After writing and presenting shows for the channel, in 2014 he was nominated as Best Children's Presenter by BAFTA. The following year, my guest’s voice became familiar to millions, when he became the narrator of ITV2’s reality show Love Island. As well as appearing as a contestant on the eighth series of Taskmater, my guest also hosts a popular Twitch channel, on which he plays video games. Play the console:Last of Us Remastered FIFA 17 A Way Out The White Door Hogwarts Legacy Thank you for listening to My Perfect Console. Please consider becoming a Patreon supporter; your small monthly subscription will help to make the podcast sustainable for the long term, and you'll receive bonus content, and access to the My Perfect Console community: https://www.patreon.com/myperfectconsoleBecome a My Perfect Console supporter and receive a range of benefits at www.patreon.com/myperfectconsoleTake the Acast listener survey to help shape the show: My Perfect Console with Simon Parkin Survey 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4 Dec 20231h 13min

My guest today is founder and director of the independent game publisher No More Robots. After graduating from the University of Manchester with a degree in Computer Science and Mathematics, he became editor-in-chief of IndieGames.com. From there he worked as UK editor of the North American video game industry website Gamasutra ––today known as Gamedeveloper.com.After a brief stint working in PR, in 2017 my guest founded No More Robots. Since then, the Manchester-based company has published titles that have sold millions of copies, including 2018’s downhill mountain bike-racer Descenders, 2020’s royal-themed strategy game, Yes, Your Grace, and the adventure RPG Soccer Story.A frequent speaker at video game events, he has gained a reputation as an outspoken champion of indie studios, and a willing sharer of insider knowledge. Play the console:The Gene MachineCounterstrike: SourceWorld of GooPlants vs ZombiesTheme Park Tycoon 2Thank you for listening to My Perfect Console. Please consider becoming a Patreon supporter; your small monthly subscription will help to make the podcast sustainable for the long term, and you'll receive bonus content, and access to the My Perfect Console community: https://www.patreon.com/myperfectconsoleBecome a My Perfect Console supporter and receive a range of benefits at www.patreon.com/myperfectconsoleTake the Acast listener survey to help shape the show: My Perfect Console with Simon Parkin Survey 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

27 Nov 20231h 20min

My guest today is a New York Times-bestselling author and journalist. After graduating from NYU with a degree in writing, he worked as a freelance journalist covering video games for Wired magazine, Joystiq, Edge, Paste, and others.In 2012 he joined the staff of Kotaku, the video game website run, at that time, by Gawker. There he made a name for himself as a tenacious reporter, particularly with his empathetic coverage of crunch culture –– the term given to the egregious overtime working practises that remain prevalent across the games industry. This work led to my guest’s 2017 bestseller, Blood, Sweat, and Pixels, and in 2021 the follow-up, Press Reset: Ruin and Recovery in the Video Game Industry.For the past three years my guest has continued to cover video games and the people who make them for Bloomberg. “I've always been in favor of drastic transparency,” he once said, “radical transparency.” Play the console:Final Fantasy VIBaldur's Gate IIStarcraft IIReturn Of The Obra DinnThe Legend of Zelda: Tears of the KingdomThank you for listening to My Perfect Console. Please consider becoming a Patreon supporter; your small monthly subscription will help to make the podcast sustainable for the long term, and you'll receive bonus content, and access to the My Perfect Console community: https://www.patreon.com/myperfectconsoleBecome a My Perfect Console supporter and receive a range of benefits at www.patreon.com/myperfectconsoleTake the Acast listener survey to help shape the show: My Perfect Console with Simon Parkin Survey 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

20 Nov 20231h 20min

My guest today is a Canadian cartoonist and creator of one of the best-loved graphic novels of the 2000s. Born in London, Canada, he joined the Film Studies programme at the University of Western Ontario, but dropped out and moved to Toronto, where he became involved in the city’s comics scene. His first graphic novel, Lost at Sea, was published in 2003.The following year, he published Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life, a graphic novel featuring a distinctly Canadian superhero, who must battle his new girlfriend’s seven supervillain exes. A melting pot of video game references and manga storytelling techniques, the story featured a cast of smart and witty twenty-something dropouts.My guest expected Scott Pilgrim to sell a thousand copies. In fact, the six-volume series sold more than a million copies, and in 2010 was adapted into a film directed by Edgar Wright in which Michael Cera played the lead role. An eight-part animated series, titled Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, is due to launch on Netflix later this week, for which the entire main cast from the film have reprised their roles. Play the console:River City RansomThe Secret of Monkey Island 2Final Fantasy VIDark SoulsHadesThank you for listening to My Perfect Console. Please consider becoming a Patreon supporter; your small monthly subscription will help to make the podcast sustainable for the long term, and you'll receive bonus content, and access to the My Perfect Console community: https://www.patreon.com/myperfectconsoleBecome a My Perfect Console supporter and receive a range of benefits at www.patreon.com/myperfectconsoleTake the Acast listener survey to help shape the show: My Perfect Console with Simon Parkin Survey 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

13 Nov 20231h 10min

My guest today is an award-winning novelist, journalist, writer of games, and presenter of radio programmes. She grew up in London, studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford University, then received an MA in creative writing at the UEA. Her first novel, Disobedience, was released in 2006 and later adapted into a feature film starring Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams. In 2012 she co-created the story-based fitness game Zombies, Run! – which has been downloaded several million times and continues to be a market leader.In April 2013 she was named one of Granta’s Best British Novelists in their famous once-a-decade list. Her 2016 novel The Power, was featured in former US President Barack Obama’s best books of the year list, and won the 2017 Baileys’ Women‘s Prize for Fiction. The book was also adapted for television, debuting on Amazon earlier this year. If that weren’t enough, she is a regular presenter of science programmes on BBC Radio 4, Professor of Creative Writing at Bath Spa University and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.Play the console:The Secret of Monkey Island 2MystDiablo IIJourneyCitizen SleeperThank you for listening to My Perfect Console. Please consider becoming a Patreon supporter; your small monthly subscription will help to make the podcast sustainable for the long term, and you'll receive bonus content, and access to the My Perfect Console community: https://www.patreon.com/myperfectconsoleBecome a My Perfect Console supporter and receive a range of benefits at www.patreon.com/myperfectconsoleTake the Acast listener survey to help shape the show: My Perfect Console with Simon Parkin Survey 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

6 Nov 20231h 16min

My guest today is an award-winning writer and narrative designer for video games.As a child she split her time between Bangalore, London, and Saudi Arabia before settling in the UK to study English Literature at University. After a stint commissioning games for the BBC, she wrote the script for 2014’s BAFTA-nominated narrative adventure game, 80 Days, then contributed to the hit indie titles Sunless Seas and Boyfriend Dungeon, as well as the Sony blockbuster Horizon: Zero Dawn.My guest has won two Writers' Guild Awards for Best Writing in a Video Game, hosted the Independent Games Festival, and become a sought-after speaker, known for her sharp critiques of game mechanics that, as she describes it, promote colonialist values.Her latest project, Thirsty Suitors, a stylish, story-driven adventure that unfolds through turn-based battles, skateboarding, and cooking, is set for release later this week. Welcome Meghna Jayanth.Theme ParkPrincess Maker 3PernMUSHSavoir-FairePersona 4 GoldenThank you for listening to My Perfect Console. Please consider becoming a Patreon supporter; your small monthly subscription will help to make the podcast sustainable for the long term, and you'll receive bonus content, and access to the My Perfect Console community: https://www.patreon.com/myperfectconsole(Photo by Darren Salanson for EGM)Become a My Perfect Console supporter and receive a range of benefits at www.patreon.com/myperfectconsoleTake the Acast listener survey to help shape the show: My Perfect Console with Simon Parkin Survey 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

30 Okt 20231h 23min

My guest today is the American designer of two of the most highly regarded experimental games yet made. He grew up in Virginia, where his interest in hobbyist robotics led him to study mechanical engineering at Virginia State University. At that time he started designing mods for Quake, which eventually led to a job at Naughty Dog where he worked on the first two games in the Uncharted series.In 2009 he left the studio and moved with his wife to Japan. It was while travelling abroad that my guest had the idea for a game involving a passport inspector. The result, Papers, Please, sold millions of copies and won several awards, including the grand prize at the Independent Game Festival. His next game, 2018’s The Return of the Obra Dinn, cast players as an insurance adjustor for the East India Company trying to piece together the events that led to the destruction of one of its merchant ships and the crew’s deaths. In a poll of industry experts for GQ magazine the game was named one of the greatest yet made.Play the consoleWizards & WarriorsDark CastleOut Of This WorldThief: The Dark ProjectDigital: A Love StoryThank you for listening to My Perfect Console. Please consider becoming a Patreon supporter; your small monthly subscription will help to make the podcast sustainable for the long term, and you'll receive bonus content, and access to the My Perfect Console community: https://www.patreon.com/myperfectconsoleBecome a My Perfect Console supporter and receive a range of benefits at www.patreon.com/myperfectconsoleTake the Acast listener survey to help shape the show: My Perfect Console with Simon Parkin Survey 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

23 Okt 20231h 15min