My Perfect Console with Simon Parkin

Simon Parkin
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In My Perfect Console, Simon Parkin, award-winning author video game critic for The Observer invites well-known guests from the worlds of gaming, film and television, music, comedy and more to pick the five video games they would like to immortalise on a fictional games machine. They discuss those five games in chronological order of release, interspersed with biographical chat about the guest’s life and career –– a lens that often leads to new and unexpected insights. "Thoroughly modern and ahead of its time...a gift." - NEW YORK'S VULTURE "Charming, insightful." -- THE GUARDIAN TIME OUT'S 50 Best Podcasts VULTURE's Best Podcast of the Year Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. Luke Whittaker, gamemaker. (South of the Circle, Lumino City).

    1 day ago

    Luke Whittaker, gamemaker. (South of the Circle, Lumino City).

    Luke Whittaker is a British game designer and creative director. With a background in animation and games design, he co-founded the BAFTA-winning indie studio State of Play in 2008, helping establish a reputation for meticulous, hands-on craft and playful experimentation. He was the creator and lead designer of Lumino City, the puzzle adventure built entirely from hand-made paper and card models, which won a BAFTA for Artistic Achievement. Since then he has worked on a string of distinctive projects including the Apple Award-winning pinball painting game INKS and the paper-crafted puzzle games KAMI and its sequel. As writer, director, and lead artist on South of the Circle, he even travelled to Antarctica to research a deeply human Cold War love story. Now, with Spycraft, a 1960s spy adventure that blends a physical board with video game mechanics—and comeswith a physical gadget built to play it—he continues to blur the boundaries between digital play and physical craft. Relevant Links: Luke Whittaker & State of Play State of Play Games – official site State of Play – about the studio Spycraft & the Board device Spycraft – State of Play Games page Spycraft – on the Board store Board – the gaming device Spycraft runs on South of the Circle South of the Circle – State of Play Games page South of the Circle – Steam South of the Circle – Apple App Store Luke's Perfect Console North & South (1989) – Wikipedia Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade: The Graphic Adventure – Wikipedia Sega Rally Championship – Wikipedia ICO – Wikipedia Firewatch – official site Firewatch – Wikipedia Other games and references mentioned Lumino City – State of Play Games page Samorost – Amanita Design Machinarium – Amanita Design KAMI 2 – State of Play Games page Shadow of the Colossus – Wikipedia Oxenfree – Night School Studio RetroPie – retro gaming on Raspberry Pi The Turner Contemporary – Margate Support My Perfect Console on Patreon   Become a My Perfect Console supporter and receive a range of benefits at www.patreon.com/myperfectconsole Take 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.

    1hr 31min

  2. 16 Jun

    George Osborn, strategist, author (Power Play: Video Games, Politics, and the Battle for Global Influence.)

    George Osborn is a journalist, strategist, and analyst whose work explores the increasingly fraught intersection of video games, business, and politics. He has worked as a reporter, consultant, and as Head of Campaigns and Communications at Ukie, the UK trade body for games, developing a rare vantage point on how the medium shapes, and is shaped by, power. He is also the founder of Half-Space Consulting and the editor of the Video Games Industry Memo newsletter, where he examines the forces driving the modern games business. In his new book, Power Play: Video Games, Politics, and the Battle for Global Influence, he argues that games have become far more than entertainment: they are now digital third places, contested spaces in which authoritarian regimes, populists, and extremists seek to wield influence. LINKS: George Osborn: The book: Power Play – buy via Bookshop.org UK (supports independent booksellers)Power Play – Waterstones Power Play – Bookshop.org US  The newsletter: Video Games Industry Memo – George's newsletter (free to subscribe) The Games:  GoldenEye 007 (N64, 1997) The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (N64, 2000) Championship Manager 01/02 Mass Effect 2 Balatro Also mentioned Bellingcat – investigative journalism outlet founded by Eliot Higgins  Support My Perfect Console on Patreon Become a My Perfect Console supporter and receive a range of benefits at www.patreon.com/myperfectconsole Take 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.

    1hr 30min
  3. Gabríel Ólafs, pianist, composer, founder Reykjavík Orkestra.

    9 Jun

    Gabríel Ólafs, pianist, composer, founder Reykjavík Orkestra.

    Gabríel Ólafs is an Icelandic pianist, composer, and producer whose work blends classical tradition with fantasy and a strikingly modern sense of atmosphere. Born in Reykjavík in 1998, he began playing piano at the age of five, receiving both classical and jazz training before emerging as a recording artist while still a teenager. His debut album, Absent Minded, was released in 2019, and his subsequent work has expanded steadily in scope—from the solo intimacy of Piano Works to the folk-inspired Lullabies for Piano and Cello, which grew out of a 1906 Icelandic songbook he discovered in an antique shop. He is also the co-founder of the Reykjavík Orkestra, and has quickly become one of the most distinctive young voices in contemporary instrumental music. Most recently, with Polar, he has moved further into speculative, atmospheric composition, drawing in part on the dreamlike emotional language of video games. Gabriel Ólafs:  Website Releases Archive Spotify Apple Music YouTube Instagram Polar:  Listen on Spotify Listen on Apple Music Buy CD (Decca Classics) Buy from Decca Records US YouTube Playlist Polar: Traveler's Log:  Listen on Spotify Polar: Building A World:  Watch on YouTube The Waves:  Listen on Spotify Forza Horizon 6:  Official Site Xbox Other Gabriel Ólafs Releases / Labels:  Oli Records Decca Classics Releases Archive Jóhann Jóhannsson / IBM 1401:  Listen on Spotify Watch on YouTube Nils Frahm:  Website Spotify Gabriel's Perfect Console: World of Warcraft The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered God of War Death Stranding Baldur's Gate 3 Other Games Discussed The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Diablo IV Metal Gear Solid 2 Become a My Perfect Console supporter and receive a range of benefits at www.patreon.com/myperfectconsole Take 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.

    1hr 23min
  4. Elise Kova, romantic fantasy novelist.

    2 Jun

    Elise Kova, romantic fantasy novelist.

    Elise Kova is a fantasy novelist whose rise from online serial writer to international bestseller has made her one of the defining voices in modern fantasy. She began writing young, producing her first novella in sixth grade, and later returned to storytelling in earnest when she started Air Awakens in 2012 as a hobby, posting chapters online and building an early community of devoted readers. After querying the book without success, she chose to publish it independently in 2015, a decision that gave her full creative control and transformed her career. Within a year she had become a full-time author, and soon afterwards her work began appearing on bestseller lists, from USA Today to the New York Times. Since then, her novels have reached readers around the world, selling millions of copies and spawning a string of beloved fantasy series, including the Loom Saga, Married to Magic, Dragon Cursed and Arcana Academy. Next, she returns to that world with Prince of Swords, one of her most eagerly awaited books yet, publishing in July 2026. Elise Kova – Website & Books:  Elise Kova's official website  Elise Kova – About & FAQ  Prince of Swords – Elise Kova's website  Prince of Swords – Penguin Random House The Games: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time Final Fantasy X Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne Persona 3 Bloodborne Music mentioned:  Zedd – Clarity (Spotify) Simon's books & projects:  Trial of the Space Invaders: The Case that Changed Video Games Look for the Light: The Last of Us Anthology – Tune & Fairweather (pre-order)  Support My Perfect Console on Patreon Next week's guest Gabríel Ólafs – Polar (Spotify) Become a My Perfect Console supporter and receive a range of benefits at www.patreon.com/myperfectconsole Take 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.

    1hr 32min
  5. Brendan Greene, game-maker (PUBG, Prologue: Go Wayback!)

    26 May

    Brendan Greene, game-maker (PUBG, Prologue: Go Wayback!)

    Brendan Greene is a game designer whose work reshaped the landscape of competitive multiplayer video games. Raised on a barracks in County Kildare, he grew up in an army family with little more than an Atari 2600 for company. He studied Fine Art in college, taught himself web design, and spent years freelancing — even moving to Brazil — before rediscovering video games through the DayZ mod for Arma 2. What began as hobbyist tinkering on Reddit forums became something much bigger when he created the Battle Royale mod in 2013, inspired by the cult Japanese film. Three years later, the mod became PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. PUBG’s brutal, hundred-player survival format exploded into a global sensation, helping cement the battle royale genre as a dominant force in modern video games. Now, through PlayerUnknown Productions, he has returned to his fascination with emergent storytelling with Prologue: Go Wayback!, a game that challenges players to navigate nature’s unforgiving systems and carve their own path through the wilderness. Become a My Perfect Console supporter and receive a range of benefits at www.patreon.com/myperfectconsole Take 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.

    1hr 24min

  6. 12 May

    Jerk Gustafsson, studio director, MachineGames (Wolfenstein series; Indiana Jones and the Great Circle).

    Jerk Gustafsson is a Swedish game developer whose career has been shaped by a builder’s instinct — first in the physical world, and then in virtual ones. He left school at fifteen to work as a bricklayer, before discovering PC games in his twenties through Quake, the id Software classic that opened his eyes not only to play, but to the thrill of creating spaces of his own. After teaching himself level design through modding tools, he joined Starbreeze in 1998, where he worked on acclaimed titles including The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay and The Darkness, eventually stepping into a lead design role. Later, as a founding force at MachineGames, he helped guide the studio’s bold revival of Wolfenstein with The New Order and The Old Blood. Today, as Studio Director, he has overseen the studio’s expansion into some of its most ambitious work yet, most recently with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. Become a My Perfect Console supporter and receive a range of benefits at www.patreon.com/myperfectconsole Take 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.

    1hr 27min

  7. 5 May

    Chandana Ekanayake, founder Outerloop Games (Falcon Age, Thirsty Suitors, Dosa Divas).

    Chandana Ekanayake is a game developer and creative director whose career spans more than two decades of work across some of the industry’s most varied and inventive projects. Born in Sri Lanka he moved to the United States at the age of eight, and grew up watching his parents rebuild their lives from scratch—an experience that shaped both his work ethic and his creative perspective. After leaving art school early, he taught himself the skills that would carry him into the games industry at just nineteen. There he contributed to titles such as The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind and The Matrix: Path of Neo. In 2017, he co-founded Outerloop Games, a fully remote studio built around collaboration across continents and a commitment to diverse, personal storytelling. Since then, the studio has released games including Falcon Age, Thirsty Suitors, and now, Dosa Divas, a game that combines turn-based combat and cookery.  Become a My Perfect Console supporter and receive a range of benefits at www.patreon.com/myperfectconsole Take 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.

    1hr 27min
  8. Natasha Hodgson, writer, composer, performer, Operation Mincemeat.

    28 Apr

    Natasha Hodgson, writer, composer, performer, Operation Mincemeat.

    Natasha Hodgson is a British writer, performer, and composer for theatre, television, and audio. As a co-founder of the theatre company Spit-Lip, she co-created, co-wrote, and co-composed Operation Mincemeat, the wildly inventive musical that began life at the New Diorama Theatre in 2019 before evolving through multiple runs to become a West End phenomenon. In 2024, the show won the Olivier Award for Best New Musical, with my guest also nominated for Best Actress for her performance as Ewen Montagu. In 2025 she continued the role on Broadway, where the production opened to critical acclaim and multiple Tony nominations. Alongside her theatre work, she has written for television series including Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared, The Amazing World of Gumball, and Bravest Warriors, and created the acclaimed BBC Sounds comedy series The Sink. Across stage and screen, her work combines sharp wit, musical invention, and a flair for ensemble storytelling. Why on Earth Have I Seen the Same Broadway Show 13 Times? An Investigation - Taffy Brodesser-Akner, New York Times Magazine. Operation Mincemeat Official Website Become a My Perfect Console supporter and receive a range of benefits at www.patreon.com/myperfectconsole Take 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.

    1hr 43min
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In My Perfect Console, Simon Parkin, award-winning author video game critic for The Observer invites well-known guests from the worlds of gaming, film and television, music, comedy and more to pick the five video games they would like to immortalise on a fictional games machine. They discuss those five games in chronological order of release, interspersed with biographical chat about the guest’s life and career –– a lens that often leads to new and unexpected insights. "Thoroughly modern and ahead of its time...a gift." - NEW YORK'S VULTURE "Charming, insightful." -- THE GUARDIAN TIME OUT'S 50 Best Podcasts VULTURE's Best Podcast of the Year Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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