PC Gamer Podcast with Meier

In case you haven't checked it out, PC Gamer magazine (the US version) has a podcast now. It's not bad, as far as these things go. Knowledgeable people talking knowledgeably about computer games and the like. Sure, they may review a game a month before it even goes gold, but you don't get to be the number one computer gaming magazine in the country by knowing nothing.

The third edition of the podcast has the usual stuff talking about games, violence and Hot Coffee (aren't we tired of this topic yet?). The best thing from my vantage point was the interview with Sid Meier. Not a lot of new information in the interview, but it does give a look at what Firaxis is trying to accomplish with Civilization IV. There is a little glimpse into the design process at Firaxis and further insight into the place of console gaming in Firaxis's future. There's a lot of discussion about the mod possibilities for Civ IV, something that is intended to be much easier for both the developers and consumers.

I think there should be more gaming podcasts. Video Game News has one, and Poweruser.TV has a general science/tech podcast that often deals with gaming. All three of these are now on my regular listening queue. It is actually surprising how well game discussion - dealing with a very visual and tactile medium - translates to aural and literal forms. Game reviews are always more words than pictures, so the move to radio broadcast isn't as cumbersome as one would think.