Amazing Podcasts

A Network of Awesome

Yesterday each of the members of The Gaming and Entertainment Network blitzed the world with posts announcing this awesome new venture we are all part of.  However since I ended up technically soft launching the network on Sunday when I posted the latest episode of AggroChat I opted to also follow up at the tail of the pack.  At this point I am uncertain how someone could miss there is such a thing as The Gaming and Entertainment Network, but just in case here goes my attempt to explain just how great this concept is.  TGEN as it will be referred to from this point on as the full name is longer than I want to type on an average basis, is really the brain child of Braxwolf from the Beyond Bossfights podcast.  So the lions share of the credit for this venture has to go to him.  I think each of us had considered the possibility of teaming up with other podcasters, but the most important thing is the person who gets the ball rolling.

Brax had quietly noticed that there were several of us that spring form the same basic community that surrounds MMO gaming and participated in events like the Newbie Blogger Initiative and my little creation Blaugust.  Then over the course of a few months we proceeded to hash out the details in some extremely long gmail threads.  At this point pretty much everyone involved has pitched in with some skill or at least voted in many polls that lead us to reach this point.  So many podcast networks feel corporate and impersonal, and I think while we all wanted to present our best face to the world… we also wanted it to come from the same place as our blogs and podcasts did.  As such TGEN is very much a podcast network for and by the podcasters.

Amazing Podcasts

The entire venture would be completely empty without the actual podcasts and I am not sure if it is absolute coincidence or careful planning but all of the member podcasts fill various niches and happen to be releasing mostly on different days giving us a pretty varied release schedule.  We have a new podcast releasing almost every day except Saturday, but with the whole weekend being family time thing…  at least as far as my blog is concerned that is a dead spot in the statistics anyways.  I feel like at this point I should probably just cut to the chase and introduce the member podcasts.

  • AggroChat – you guys should know this one by now, since it is the podcast tied to the blog.
  • Battle Bards – awesome podcast devoted to something that is often times overlooked in the gaming experience…  the music.  Each episode is thought provoking as they delve into various game scores with the awesome cast of Gypsy Syl, MMOGC, and Sypster.
  • Beyond Bossfights – excellent thought provoking podcast by the man who started this madness.  Braxwolf often digs into deeper topics behind the games and communities we love.
  • Cat Context – awesomely intelligent podcast that is in essence a conversation between friends:  Liore, Arolaide and Ellyndrial.  I started listening because they were my guildies, and stuck around because it was always interesting.
  • Contains Moderate Peril – One of the most polished podcasts I have listened to and always enlightening.  Reminds me of the classic news discussion show, and always has interesting co-hosts.  Additionally Roger has an amazing voice, and I could listen to him read a phone book.
  • Couch Podtatoes – Face it, every podcaster is jealous they thought of this name first.  You come for the interesting name but you stay for the great dynamic of Izlain, J3w3l and Doone.  They always dig into some interesting discussions and have been known to do some interviews as well.
  • Massive Failure – Join the MMO Troll as he talks about what is happening in MMOs and adding commentary to what is going on.  Troll being tongue in cheek as he talks about the good, bad and the ugly in MMOs.
  • Roleplay Domain – And rounding out our founders is a cool podcast that I just started listening to myself recently.  Roleplay Domain is devoted to roleplaying in any form be it on the computer, classic tabletop or live action.

That is one hell of a founding line-up if I do say so myself.  I am absolutely humbled to be included in this venture, and I hope we don’t let everyone down with our more rambling style.  TGEN provides an opportunity for us all to cross pollinate our efforts, and help support each other.  I know personally even in the few days since the launch I have seen a boost in listeners to this past Sunday’s episode of Aggrochat, so it seems like the basic theory is working.

Shared Mission

What makes me the proudest of our network is that while many can say phrases such as “like-minded podcasters” without really hanging that on any sort of a framework, we sought to fix that.  Early on when we started talking about this network we decided that we needed some basic tenets that we should all abide by.  We went into this planning for the contingency that the network might grow beyond these podcasts and encompass new ones, and as we inducted them… we should have a clear “code of ethics” for them to follow as well to insure that the statement “like-minded” stayed true as we moved on.  You can check out the full form on the TGEN About page, but I am going to copy the relevant bits here.

What can you expect from TGEN?

  • Honesty – If we like something, we’ll say so. If we don’t like something, we’ll say so. It’s a pretty simple policy, really.
  • Creativity – We value the diverse, unique talents of our creators. As such, we offer a wide range of shows. At TGEN you’ll find topical discussions as well as news, opinions, interviews, and even music! All of which relate back to our main foci of gaming and entertainment.
  • Diversity – We hail from all around the globe and represent a variety of backgrounds and experiences. As such, you can expect a variety of input and opinions!
  • Collaboration – Even as diverse individuals, we understand that we can accomplish more by working together, not only as creators within TGEN, but also with outside shows, personalities and networks.
  • Consistency – While our creators all lead busy lives and release schedules may differ, we want to make sure that we have a steady flow of new content available. All shows on TGEN are “active” shows that release on as regular a basis as life allows. No waiting months between releases for our shows.
  • Fun – This may be the most important, yet easily overlooked. The purpose of gaming and entertainment is to have fun. And if we’re not having fun, neither will our listeners. Let’s build something fun together!

I think all of this creates a pretty firm foundation for us moving forward.  There has been talk of trying to do some regular mixed podcast roundtables in the future so I can only see things like that strengthening the network as a whole.  Additionally I feel like there is plenty of room for us to grow, and I know personally I have a handful of podcasts that I would love to “adopt” as I am sure other members do as well.  I am extremely excited to be a part of this, and am looking forward to seeing just what awesome things we can do together.

#TGEN #Podcasts