Building Communities
Back in July 2014, a small group of podcasters banded together to launch The Gaming and Entertainment Network, a website which aggregated the content of eight independently produced shows. This eclectic group of podcasts covered a range of subjects such as gaming, movies, TV, hats and bacon as well as other aspects of popular culture. The project was conceived and implemented by Braxwolf from the popular blog Gaming Conversations. It was designed to raise awareness of the respective shows, as well promote group collaboration between the content creators. In addition to the website, TGEN (as it was abbreviated to) also had a presence on twitter, Facebook and Anook ensuring that the network was represented on all popular social media. Initially 8 podcasts participated in the project. Aggrochat, Battle Bards, Beyond Bossfights, Cat Context, Contains Moderate Peril, Couch Podtatoes, Massive Failure and Roleplay Domain.
Back in July 2014, a small group of podcasters banded together to launch The Gaming and Entertainment Network, a website which aggregated the content of eight independently produced shows. This eclectic group of podcasts covered a range of subjects such as gaming, movies, TV, hats and bacon as well as other aspects of popular culture. The project was conceived and implemented by Braxwolf from the popular blog Gaming Conversations. It was designed to raise awareness of the respective shows, as well promote group collaboration between the content creators. In addition to the website, TGEN (as it was abbreviated to) also had a presence on twitter, Facebook and Anook ensuring that the network was represented on all popular social media. Initially 8 podcasts participated in the project. Aggrochat, Battle Bards, Beyond Bossfights, Cat Context, Contains Moderate Peril, Couch Podtatoes, Massive Failure and Roleplay Domain.
The Gaming and Entertainment Network was intended to offer both convenience and choice to listeners. It was also supposed to foster and promote a collaborative ethos among the blogging community that had spawned it. As well as the individual shows, TGEN also produced its own quarterly round table podcast with a panel made up of members of each show. It was at times a little chaotic but the discussions were always fun due to the diverse spectrum of participants. Overall my memories of my involvement with the show are positive. Simply put they were good times. However, real life often trumps one’s aspirations. After three years, some of the podcasts started to fall into decline or stop altogether. Braxwolf, like so many of us, struggled to find the time to maintain the site while juggling work and family life. Inevitably TGEN finally closed and folk moved on. Not everyone though. Belghast and Scormus still regularly produce podcasts and Battle Bards is still a fixture of the community.
Setting aside the nostalgia, I guess what I really wanted to do was reference an example of collaboration between individuals from a shared community and highlight that such projects can be a success as well as a great deal of fun. I’ve been blogging for one and a half decades now and I was most fortunate to start at a time when blogs and podcasts were beginning to gain wider traction. From 2007 to about 2014 I was involved in such projects as The Newbie Blogger Initiative, the aforementioned The Gaming and Entertainment Network as well as the The Gaming Blog Nexus. All of which proved to be learning experiences and a great opportunity to meet and hangout with like minded people. Sadly, many have come and gone over the years but that is the nature of blogging. It has a very high rate of attrition. Some still soldier on, doggedly writing or producing shows. From time to time, someone long gone returns unexpectedly which is always a great surprise. Unfortunately, some members of the community have tragically passed away and left us too soon.
I really did enjoy the sense of belonging that came from the game blogging community back then. It’s still present today but it is a lot different because things change, especially myself. One can never recapture the events of the past but sometimes you can encourage others to try something, in the hope that they will also have a positive experience. I put a lot of stock in grass roots, community driven projects. So if you are a blogger, YouTuber or streamer and have a hankering to work collaboratively, build a community or simply just hangout with others, then don’t just think about it. Reach out to others and take the first steps. Doing is so much more rewarding than just endlessly planning. Even if things don’t work out at least you’ve tried and learned along the way. But there’s also a chance of creating something of value, finding new friends and making a lot of happy memories.
The TGEN Tribunal #6
The Gaming and Entertainment Network was set up in 2014 by several podcasters as a way to promote each other’s shows and reach a wider audience. All the networks members have strong views regarding creating and maintaining communities. Hence it was decided to produce a quarterly roundtable podcast made up of network contributors to discuss and explore a wide variety of subjects. The shows are lively and informal in nature, although there’s often a lot of passion when it comes to the topics being discussed. Frequently the shows are based around questions that our network listeners have asked and the idea of the tribunal is to reflect the feedback we receive.
The Gaming and Entertainment Network was set up in 2014 by several podcasters as a way to promote each other’s shows and reach a wider audience. All the networks members have strong views regarding creating and maintaining communities. Hence it was decided to produce a quarterly roundtable podcast made up of network contributors to discuss and explore a wide variety of subjects. The shows are lively and informal in nature, although there’s often a lot of passion when it comes to the topics being discussed. Frequently the shows are based around questions that our network listeners have asked and the idea of the tribunal is to reflect the feedback we receive.
Due to the realities of day to day life, the TGEN tribunal was somewhat irregular in 2016. This is something that we hope to address this year, so here is the first show of 2017. The panel includes myself, Syl, Braxwolf and Brian and was recorded on Saturday 4th February. Despite some technical difficulties during post production, a coherent (well relatively coherent) podcast has been edited together for our listener’s enjoyment. We hope you find the discussions interesting and would welcome feedback or potential questions for the next TGEN Tribunal which is scheduled for April/May.
TV, Streaming & VOD. Starting a new MMO vs returning to an old one. The Warcraft movie, fans & box office returns.
Support Your Local Podcasts
A recent discussion between the various contributors of The Gaming and Entertainment Network highlighted a recurring g theme; that of listener comments and reviews. My own experiences are that you only get any real feedback and an indication of whether you’re doing a good or a bad job, when you announce that you’re quitting. This issue never seems to go away and despite a wealth of tools to make the process easier, it’s still hard to address. You can’t force your readers or listeners to leave comments and you don’t want to start badgering them over it. Often if your audience is listening to your show while at the gym or commuting, then they can’t always address any call to action immediately. Yet feedback, both good and bad, can have a positive impact upon bloggers and podcasters. Creativity abhors a vacuum and echo chambers are also unhealthy.
A recent discussion between the various contributors of The Gaming and Entertainment Network highlighted a recurring g theme; that of listener comments and reviews. My own experiences are that you only get any real feedback and an indication of whether you’re doing a good or a bad job, when you announce that you’re quitting. This issue never seems to go away and despite a wealth of tools to make the process easier, it’s still hard to address. You can’t force your readers or listeners to leave comments and you don’t want to start badgering them over it. Often if your audience is listening to your show while at the gym or commuting, then they can’t always address any call to action immediately. Yet feedback, both good and bad, can have a positive impact upon bloggers and podcasters. Creativity abhors a vacuum and echo chambers are also unhealthy.
Not so long ago many pundits where predicting the death of podcasting but it remains a popular medium. You Tube and live streaming seem to have found their own niche and in some respects it’s a case of never the twain shall meet. Visual mediums have specific strengths and this is especially true when it comes to gaming. However audio content has distinct advantages, allowing listeners to focus on the topic in-hand. I think this is one of the major selling points of podcasts. The medium also requires the hosts of shows to marshal their thoughts and be far more coherent in their discussions and analysis. Or at least it does on those that I listen too.
Social media is constantly evolving and often new mediums go from being the province of fans and niche markets, to standard business tools. Podcasts, blogs and streaming channels are awash at present with corporate white noise. That may not necessarily be a bad thing, but they have an agenda and are often far from impartial. This is why it is essential that fans, amateur broadcasters and other fringe groups continue to make their voices heard. They may not always be impartial or without bias but they can provide a much needed counterpoint and a degree of balance. They also have less reason to lie to you. Obviously there are always a few individuals who are driven more by ego and personal gain than by fandom. However these can be easily filtered out.
So I strongly advocate rigorous support for podcasts. Sure I have a vested interest but I also do so out of principle. It is always good for consumers to have choice and alternatives. Gamers are also more likely to listen to recommendations from friends and shows that they feel they have a rapport with. So next time you enjoy a podcast that you downloaded for free, that someone else has taken the time and effort to prepare, please consider providing feedback by leaving a comment or a review. Also, tell your friends and other potentially interested parties. Reaching a greater audience can have all sorts of positive benefits for content creators; benefits that can be passed on to the listeners.