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I like the Waypoint podcast from Vice. Any other recommendations?

I love the Beastcast and the Bombcast but also they are nowhere near the same kind of show as Waypoint Radio

Honestly that's kind of why I like listening to both. GB podcasts are great when I just want to listen to something silly and entertaining and Waypoint Radio is great for when I want to hear more detailed critiques and commentary on the industry.
 
Have been moving away from Giant Bomb stuff lately because it's just been in such a staff flux that I am not enjoying it much anymore.

Easy Allies has picked up the ball for me and much more though in terms of content and personalities. Plus the guys are very optimistic and good spirited that it never goes that cynical shit talk route that some GB personalities sometimes lean.
 
SunBroDave said:
Waypoint is a lot of hot air disguised as scathing critical thought. As a fan of Klepek and former fan of Austin's, it's been super disappointing listening as their latest podcast devolved into the kind of bullshit you find on Polygon.
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Can you explain what this means? Are you saying it's an echo chamber?

Not an attack or anything, I'm just genuinely curious because I really enjoy WR but I see a lot of commentary like this whenever it's brought up.
 
AEdouard said:
I like the IdleThumbs guys when they talk about videogames, but they more and more go into tangents that aren't, imo anyway, interesting to listen to. They seem to think they're much more charming and funny than they actually are (illustrated by their new non gaming related podcast). If I want irrelevant going nowhere conversations that are actually fun to listen to, I'll listen to Giantbomb.
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Funnily enough, my main issue with it was the gaming bits. They simply didn't play enough to fill a weekly show. As much as I love Hitman, and it's actually thanks to their podcast I even looked at, it felt like there was 2 solid months where that was all the guys had to weigh in on.

Their silly dystopian future stories on AI and robots I actually thought were pretty funny, but laugh-out-loud moments on IdleThumbs are often followed by an awkward silence that sucks all the energy back out.

Listening time is a pretty precious commodity to me, and although I didn't dislike IT, it just wasn't good enough to make the cut.
 
A little different from some of the general gaming weeking podcasts most people will recommend, but you could try Watch Out for Fireballs. They chose one game per edissode and go in depth and look at different parts of it. Usually this is older games, but they have been getting into more recent games over the last year.

As a warning, the intro parts can be a little corny, but they only last a few minutes.
 
Has it gotten better? I tried a few episodes around a year ago and it was the worst gaming podcast I'd ever listened to.
 
OP can't go wrong with Idle Weekened. Danielle and Rob provide good frames of reference for current games. I've been listening to old episodes after wanting more like Austin's podcast.

It's the Better Call Saul to Waypoint Radio's Breaking Bad
 
Strange how every Waypoint thread seems to raise Giant Bomb as a 'something else you might like' site. I understand that people from Waypoint "graduated" from GB, but I feel like the only person who really enjoys Waypoint Radio but hasn't really enjoyed any Giant Bomb content I've ever stumbled across.

FWIW, though I agree that the ratio between speakers on WR could be a little more even, it's the only gaming podcast I've been interested enough in to listen to regularly, rather than dropping after a couple of episodes, and that is in no small part due to Austin's insight. I disagree that it's a load of "hot air", the topics they discuss on the show are something I'm really interested in and don't feel like I can find elsewhere. Just feels like a bit more of a mature level of discussion on wider social issues in the industry.

Also I really hope they make good on their teasing of a NieR Automata spoiler discussion ep, cause that would be right up my street.
 
Keyser Soze said:
The Game Informer Show is the secret best podcast that does not get much love on GAF. Ben Hanson knows how to host a podcast, and can get a good show out of any staff the comes on - which is vaired most weeks. There is usually a good interview segmant at the end of most podcasts - with people working on the dev side.

The Giant Beastcast will always be good. It lost a part of its appeal when Austin moved to Vice, but the guys work well together regardless. The Giant Bombcast is kinda in flux right now, and can be good, but relies too much on guests until they add to the staff in coming week/months.
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Ben Hanson's laugh is tremendous.
 
I've actually been amassing a pretty large collection of podcasts due to the amount of downtime I've recently been having. Before I just has 2 or 3 podcast I cared enough to listen to every week. Nowadays I think I've developed a problem. . .

Super Best Friend Cast
8-4 Play Podcast
Idle Weekend
Podquisition
Cooptional Podcast
DLC podcast
TOVG podcast
GiantBombcast
GiantBeastCast
The Game Informer Show
Let's Fight a Boss podcast
 
leroidys said:
Has it gotten better? I tried a few episodes around a year ago and it was the worst gaming podcast I'd ever listened to.
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I don't know what you didn't like about the early eps but I think like any podcast it took a bit for them to find their footing. The past few months have been really enjoyable.
 
Zissou said:
Daft Souls and Waypoint are the two that I currently listen to. I've tried a bunch of others and haven't really enjoyed them at all. I'm still waiting for something to fill GFW Radio's shoes, but that might never happen- crazy to think it's been gone for a decade now.
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Daft Souls is amazing. So good to see them putting out episodes consistently again.
 
BiggNife said:
Can you explain what this means? Are you saying it's an echo chamber?

Not an attack or anything, I'm just genuinely curious because I really enjoy WR but I see a lot of commentary like this whenever it's brought up.
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I mean that they - mostly Austin and Danielle - act like they are delivering the hottest, most controversial, most "straight up" takes, when in reality they actually have very little of interest to say. What's offputting about them is a combination of their pretentiousness, preachiness, and their lack of anything really worth saying. And there is an "echo chamber" element in that a lot of the time it's Austin who starts down this "edgy" criticism path and then there's a lot of Danielle just straight up repeating what he said. Patrick's the only one on the podcast that I really enjoy listening to anymore (which is a shame, because I actually quite liked Austin when he was at GB and Danielle when she was on Idle Thumbs), but he often just gets so drowned out by the rest that he isn't given much time to really express his thoughts.
 
SunBroDave said:
I mean that they - mostly Austin and Danielle - act like they are delivering the hottest, most controversial, most "straight up" takes, when in reality they actually have very little of interest to say. What's offputting about them is a combination of their pretentiousness, preachiness, and their lack of anything really worth saying. And there is an "echo chamber" element in that a lot of the time it's Austin who starts down this "edgy" criticism path and then there's a lot of Danielle just straight up repeating what he said. Patrick's the only one on the podcast that I really enjoy listening to anymore (which is a shame, because I actually quite liked Austin when he was at GB and Danielle when she was on Idle Thumbs), but he often just gets so drowned out by the rest that he isn't given much time to really express his thoughts.
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I definitely would not characterize them as pretentious. They constantly talk about, especially in response to fan questions, how their takes and opinions aren't law and that one shouldn't feel like the need to think a certain way about a particular game.
 
4Player Podcast was my first gaming podcast and podcast in general. I would not know that NeoGAF exists without them and they just recently had their 500th episode. They've been streaming every day since the days when Twitch was Justin.tv and it makes no sense that they're not bigger than they are.
 
Ignore this if you love Waypoint as I honestly don't mean to derail your love.

SunBroDave said:
I mean that they - mostly Austin and Danielle - act like they are delivering the hottest, most controversial, most "straight up" takes, when in reality they actually have very little of interest to say. What's offputting about them is a combination of their pretentiousness, preachiness, and their lack of anything really worth saying. And there is an "echo chamber" element in that a lot of the time it's Austin who starts down this "edgy" criticism path and then there's a lot of Danielle just straight up repeating what he said. Patrick's the only one on the podcast that I really enjoy listening to anymore (which is a shame, because I actually quite liked Austin when he was at GB and Danielle when she was on Idle Thumbs), but he often just gets so drowned out by the rest that he isn't given much time to really express his thoughts.
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I have to agree. I actually really love Austin, Danielle and Patrick, but for some reason I find Waypoint Radio unlistenable. I feel like Austin as a host has given way to his most offputting and pretentious qualities. I cannot stand when he reads his editorials or think pieces. I feel really conflicted about this because on one hand I want there to be a place for the elevation of written criticism, but the level of Art With a Capital A they treat their opinions with is just cringeworthy to me. His repetition of the ".com digital pyramids.com etc etc" joke every damn week(and even when he guests on others podcasts) is insufferable to me. This is all to say I think it would be better served with a different host.
 
IcyStorm said:
Waypoint wasn't even around until September, and you haven't explained why you think it was the worst gaming podcast.
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A bunch of pretense and hot takes by tryhards. 0 insight or worthwhile discussion.

Used "around" as a qualifier as I wasn't sure when I listened to it. Somehow I forgot to record the date on my calendar of important life events.


Edit: sunbrodave answered this better
 
leroidys said:
A bunch of pretense and hot takes by tryhards. 0 insight or worthwhile discussion.
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Do you have any examples?

They go through in depth on their game experiences and use real life experiences to help frame what they say—it's some of the most down-to-earth discussion I've heard in a podcast without it just being merely surface level, typical reactions to games. It's like the opposite of pretentious in that everyone I've heard on Waypoint and Idle Weekened have changed me across as being completely honest and open. I cannot see what you mean having ng listened to the entirety of Waypoint Radio and about half of Idle Weekend.
 
leroidys said:
A bunch of pretense and hot takes by tryhards. 0 insight or worthwhile discussion.

Used "around" as a qualifier as I wasn't sure when I listened to it. Somehow I forgot to record the date on my calendar of important life events.


Edit: sunbrodave answered this better
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I thought their conversation yesterday about Persona 5 and the acceptance of LGBTQ stereotypes in other cultures was very insightful.
 
Spring-Loaded said:
Do you have any examples?

They go through in depth on their game experiences and use real life experiences to help frame what they say—it's some of the most down-to-earth discussion I've heard in a podcast without it just being merely surface level, typical reactions to games. It's like the opposite of pretentious in that everyone I've heard on Waypoint and Idle Weekened have changed me across as being completely honest and open. I cannot see what you mean having ng listened to the entirety of Waypoint Radio and about half of Idle Weekend.
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ch298807 said:
I thought their conversation yesterday about Persona 5 and the acceptance of LGBTQ stereotypes in other cultures was very insightful.
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So the answer to my non-rhetorical question seems to be "yes, it has gotten better".
 
Not a fan of Waypoint or the Giant Bomb/BeastCast at all. Tried listening to them for a couple of weeks and thought it was a massive waste of time.

I think DLC (hosted by Jeff Canada and Christian Spicer) is incredible and don't know why it doesn't get more love. I think the dynamic between the two hosts is awesome and Christian Spicer is the most underrated voice in games media imo.

My two other favourites are The Game Informer Show if only because Ben Hanson is a very clever and witty host and Frame Trap because the Easy Allies guys are so jolly but also incredibly thorough when they talk about the games they are playing.
 
ymmv on their analysis but I feel like the Waypoint folks are super humble and admit to their own biases and flaws a ton
 
SweetJohnnyCage said:
Easy Allies have two podcasts dedicated to general gaming, with others dedicated to movies, anime and Nintendo specifically.
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Really like EZA, but Waypoint is so vastly different. I do like Waypoint because they are journalists first, and dig in to deeper or specific issues. EZA is entertainment first.
 
AEdouard said:
Hi there. Cool that you're starting to enjoy podcasts. I listen to a ton of them, and a good bunch gaming related so here's my two cents.

First, I'll rent for a tiny second and a half about Waypoint Radio. I'm not really a fan. I listened for a few weeks, but dropped it. Here's my problem with it: Austin Walker is great, but not as the lead dude in a podcast. He takes way too much space and eats up 80% of the air time while smaller personalities are pushed to the side. I enjoyed Danielle Riendeau in a few previous things, but here she seems intimidated by Walker and basically says: Yeah, I agree! So true! And not much else. Walker needs to learn to take a step back and let people talk and maybe go less into the tiny details of gaming experiences only he had while people nod their head.

But hey, I enjoy: the Giantbombcast of course, the Giant Beastcast, DLC, Retro Warriors and Polygon's Quality Control and the Besties (they're back).
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I kind of feel you on the Waypoint comments. I think Austin is great. I think Patrick is great. I think Danielle is great. They are all great, but for whatever reason adding them all together is resulting in a show that is lesser than the sum of its parts. I'm not sure why, but it may be partially due to the reasons you listed. Maybe they just haven't found their legs yet, but all of them are podcast veterans, so I'm not sure that's the case. Maybe it's because they all hold such similar views and tastes that it's just hard for them to have discussions that don't boil down to simply agreeing with each other's comments.

I'm not going to drop the show any time soon, but it's currently not very high on my podcast listening priority list.
 
GiantbeastCast ep 96, 1hr and 3min in, was the funniest bit I've heard in a podcast in years, perhaps ever. It's about a listener who emailed in complaining about how he caught his dad using cheat engine on 'Hollow Night' and the Beastcast, especially Alex, just opened the taps to a relentless stream of jokes, improvs and adlibs that had my face melting, I was laughing so hard. Mercy
 
Breaking Normal said:
Not a fan of Waypoint or the Giant Bomb/BeastCast at all. Tried listening to them for a couple of weeks and thought it was a massive waste of time.

I think DLC (hosted by Jeff Canada and Christian Spicer) is incredible and don't know why it doesn't get more love. I think the dynamic between the two hosts is awesome and Christian Spicer is the most underrated voice in games media imo.

My two other favourites are The Game Informer Show if only because Ben Hanson is a very clever and witty host and Frame Trap because the Easy Allies guys are so jolly but also incredibly thorough when they talk about the games they are playing.
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I think the takeaway here is that you enjoy more structured podcasts. Can't stand the Game Informer podcast. They seem, like the unlistenable IGN podcasts, to be walking on eggshells all the time not to offend anybody anywhere and so have no bite to their opinions at all. DLC however is very enjoyable and is definitely one of my favorites too. True that the dynamic between Jeff and Christian is great because they're so different from each other. One being the wide eyed always, almost annoyingly, positive dude, and the other a pretty cynical sarcastic critic.
 
BiggNife said:
Can you explain what this means? Are you saying it's an echo chamber?

Not an attack or anything, I'm just genuinely curious because I really enjoy WR but I see a lot of commentary like this whenever it's brought up.
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i gave up on it because i thought it was an echo chamber. i understand the importance of having a progressive stance on issues, but it's a video game podcast. it felt forced occasionally. it also doesn't help when they all have the same views so there's not so much of a discussion just one person stating their thoughts and then everyone saying "oh good point!"

i also thought the banter stuff was horrible. i get that you like your cat. i don't want to hear about it for 10 mins.
 
Zefah said:
I kind of feel you on the Waypoint comments. I think Austin is great. I think Patrick is great. I think Danielle is great. They are all great, but for whatever reason adding them all together is resulting in a show that is lesser than the sum of its parts. I'm not sure why, but it may be partially due to the reasons you listed. Maybe they just haven't found their legs yet, but all of them are podcast veterans, so I'm not sure that's the case. Maybe it's because they all hold such similar views and tastes that it's just hard for them to have discussions that don't boil down to simply agreeing with each other's comments.

I'm not going to drop the show any time soon, but it's currently not very high on my podcast listening priority list.
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Yeah. Frankly, I think Patrick is totally fine and manages to be OK on Waypoint. I think the problem is really more with the Riendeau-Austin mix. Riendeau needs a more relaxed partner to be able to really engage in the conversation. And Austin needs someone with the, I don't know, conversational authority to take control of the conversation from time to time. Like a Gerstmann or something.
 
AEdouard said:
Yeah. Frankly, I think Patrick is totally fine and manages to be OK on Waypoint. I think the problem is really more with the Riendeau-Austin mix. Riendeau needs a more relaxed partner to be able to really engage in the conversation. And Austin needs someone with the, I don't know, conversational authority to take control of the conversation from time to time. Like a Gerstmann or something.
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Vinny, Bakalar, and Austin almost always resulted in a very entertaining and insightful conversation.

It was certainly a good time hearing Austin again on the most recent Beastcast.
 
I think the Beastcast is the best current gaming podcast. The chemistry between the cast harkens back to the golden era of 1UPYours.



I used to think Podquisition was great but man, I can't help but get the feeling it's jumped the shark. I'm less and less inclined to listen.


Glixel's podcast is really good too, but they really need better audio production! It still sounds like they are podcasting on HAM radios.


Bombcast is of course the classic, and is still consistently good week after week. Gerstmann is video games.

Oh and 8-4 is great but
the spoilers man.
 
Zefah said:
Vinny, Bakalar, and Austin almost always resulted in a very entertaining and insightful conversation.

It was certainly a good time hearing Austin again on the most recent Beastcast.
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Agreed, they worked great together. Maybe you're right and it has something to do with the fact that the three of them, on Waypoint, want to go in the same direction all the time. While generally agreeing on the biggest issues, Vinny, Bakalar and Austin are three very different people interest wise.
 
I really like the Beastcast, but I preferred it with Austin, as much as anything because it scratched the itch 1up and Weekend Confirmed used to do

I like Dan, he takes more shit than he deserves imo, but they could do with instigating a 'no wrestling talk' rule. You can't give Dan a window with it, it seems like his touchstones don't go much further than wrestling and Metal Gear no matter what the topic. Which is a shame because he can be quite critically interesting when he wants to be
 
Not video game related but My Brother, My Brother and me and Sawbones. You're welcome
 
Not that helpful but I really miss Red Sun Gamer. Their enthusiasm was so nice to hear, even about games I probably would not be interested in. Are there any shows like that anymore?
 
+1 for Idle Thumbs (although the earlier episodes have some unpleasant language and there was a quality dip in the earlier 200s), Idle Weekend, and Important if True.

If you like Jim Sterling, The Podquisition is good.
 
Giant Beastcast and Frame Trap are my two go-to podcasts. They don't always go in depth but when they do, the discussions are great.
 
Breaking Normal said:
I think DLC (hosted by Jeff Canada and Christian Spicer) is incredible and don't know why it doesn't get more love. I think the dynamic between the two hosts is awesome and Christian Spicer is the most underrated voice in games media imo.
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I still listen to this now and again myself. Christian can be really great when espousing over an issue, but he easily loses me the moment he goes for the cheap jabs and jokes, often right as he is in the middle of making a great point.

He also is a treat for calling out Jeff on some of his absurdity, usually propagating hype culture("you are excited for this, but will get a free copy and only play it for 1 hour while calling it the most amazing thing on the show!")

Which largely feeds into why I don't tune in often as it really just does feel like hypecast. Industry discussion/news is usually quite solid, but gaming discussion can really be hit or miss. Granted, the two hosts have a lot going on between other commitments, kids, etc... so it is expected to not get much out of their weekly takes and they do own up to that.

Actually that is an issue with pretty much every podcast(though EZA is kind of an exception, surprisingly given hype is part of their MO. But they are rather grounded with it and tend not to merely glorify the shiny new thing for merely being a shiny new thing).
 
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