A chill weekly podcast looking at at the artistic side of video games

"Use a pop shield to protect the mic from sharp outward breath."

More details on Listen Notes.

Today John Rogers, the creator of Gaming In The Wild shares his story of making the video games podcast.

► Tell us about you and your podcast

I'm John Rogers, an artist, writer, podcaster and more, based in Reykjavík, Iceland. I'm also the host of Gaming In The Wild, a weekly video games podcast that takes a look at the creative possibilities of the medium through an in-depth game review.

There are a lot of video game podcasts out there, with the majority of them focussing on high-tempo news and the recent big releases. Gaming In The WIld takes a different tack, and is intended to give a more mellow and thoughtful look at video games. It's not all Fortnite, Call of Duty, and Assassin's Creed. I firmly believe that video games are an exciting, thriving, and too often overlooked artistic medium.
 

► Why & how did you start this podcast? 

I started the show in 2019. I had experience working as a journalist, and working with audio, so that helped me to hit the ground running. As for the motivations, it's actually quite a personal story. I'll try to keep it short!

I've played games since I was a kid, but in the 2010s became so busy in my work as a journalist and editor that I left gaming behind. When I suffered from a profound bout of burnout in 2019, I took to gaming once more as a way to handle my anxiety, on the advice of a friend. I picked up a Nintendo Switch, and played hundreds of hours of 'The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the WIld' in the months that followed. I later realising that this huge, expansive virtual wilderness had taken an important role in my healing process, and became fascinated by gaming once more.

From there, I started to explore how gaming had evolved in the years I was away, discovering masterpieces to rival the great works of screen and literature, such as Kentucky Route Zero, The Last of Us Parts I & II, Disco Elysium, Outer Wilds, and many more. Video games had "grown up" while I was gone, and I felt I had to shout about it from the rooftops.

So the podcast is me discussing and analysing wonderfully intelligent, sensitive, diverse games and interactive experiences, and sharing this outlook and journey with a listenership.
 

► How'd you find the time and funding to do this podcast?

The podcast is funding by my Patreon patrons. I've decided against taking on advertising, to date; I've decided to focus on making the best show possible for my listeners, and to rely on their generous support. Nobody really likes ads, although people do understand why podcasts have them, I suppose.

I play games to relax after work, and usually have several on the go at once, so there's always something to talk about—I make notes as a I play, organise my thoughts for an hour and source music, and then spend a couple of hours recording, editing and posting the show during the weekend. I enjoy making time for the whole process.

My current dayjob is in the gaming industry—partially due to this podcast! Working in games has opened my eyes to just how much work goes into creating video games, and added layers to my understanding.
 

► What do you gain from podcasting?        

My motivation for doing the show isn't financial, and neither are my goals. I take huge pleasure in hearing for my audience, who are a lovely bunch—it's gratifying that the gentle, friendly tone and rhythm try to strike seems to resonate with a certain kind of person.

I've even heard from several friends that their partners have started listening to the show—not because they are interested in gaming, but because they find it a relaxing listen.

The community that has grown around the show, through the Patron Discord server, is lovely and very rewarding—I talk to people in there every day. Nothing makes me happier than finding out people have discovered a new game they loved, or made a new friend because of the podcast!
 

► How does your podcasting process look like? 

I record using Garageband, a Samson mic, and a small Behringer mixer. It's a compact setup that I can throw into my case when I travel. It usually takes a few hours to write and edit my notes, which are essential to the structure of the show. I don't like to read from a script, but use my notes as cues and jumping off points for a free-form, conversational style.

I sometimes have game developers or fellow podcasters on as guests. These are always popular episodes, but add layers of extra preparation, admin, and sound editing, so I usually stick to the convenience of the solo review format.
 

► How do you market your show?

I have grown at 8k Twitter presence for the show that acts as the main channel for announcing new episodes, talking about games as I play through them. I've also made friends with several fellow video game podcasters, and we mention each other's shows on our respective podcasts, and RT each other's new episodes. I'm interested in community, cooperation, and making something that's high quality, genuine, and authentic. I tend to think in podcasting—and life generally—that if you focus on the right things, the rest will click into place.
 

► What advice would you share with aspiring (new) podcasters?

I'm very picky about sound quality, and I think that it adds a lot to the general level of listener comfort. There are some simple audio tips that make a world of difference.

Use a pop shield to protect the mic from sharp outward breath. Position the mic a few inches from your mouth, and not too far away or off to the side somewhere—that a great way to get an unpleasant, echoey sound. Take time to EQ your voice track and make sure the sibilant sounds aren't too sharp and cutting, and that the bass isn't too boomy. If there are multiple people speaking, carefully balance the volume of the voices.

You don't need an expensive mic, but it does make a difference—go for the Shure sm7b if you're looking to invest in real kit—get a nice mic arm or solid stand that won't be in your way while you speak.

I'd also say that a settled format is good—start with a nice convivial intro and talk through the forthcoming contents of the show before you launch into—and don't spam your socials too much. Find your voice, find the energy you're going for, and just try and make a show you'd like to listen to!
 

► Where can we learn more about you & your podcasts?

You can find all the listening and social links at

http://gaminginthewild.com

. I'm most active on Twitter, so do feel free to say hello if you enjoy the show, want to offer an opinion, or even suggest a game! If you would like to join the Discord community and support the podcast, you'd be welcome to join—that at http://patreon.com/gaminginthewild. And as I always sign off the podcast: thanks for listening, take care of yourselves and each other, and bye bye for now!