My Perfect Console with Simon Parkin

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.

My Perfect Console with Simon Parkin is a leisure podcast hosted by Simon Parkin, with 209 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Simon Parkin hosts My Perfect Console with Simon Parkin, a leisure show with 209 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #181

  Úna-Minh Kavanagh, writer, producer and Irish-language game localiser (Among Us, VVVVVV).

  Oct 6, 20261h 14m

  My guest today is an Irish writer, producer, and multimedia creator whose work spans journalism, video games, language, and digital culture. Born in Vietnam, she was adopted at three days old by a primary school teacher from County Kerry, and brought to Ireland at six weeks of age. Irish became one of her spoken languages, and it would go on to shape both her education and her career: she later studied Irish and Journalism at Dublin City University , building a body of work that moves across reporting, video games, and digital culture. She has written books and essays on video games, migration, identity, and food, and has become a leading voice in Irish-language digital media through her localisation work on games including Among Us and VVVVVV . In 2026, she was recognised with the Emerging Talent award at the Irish Games Awards . NOTES Úna-Minh Kavanagh – website & socials Úna-Minh Kavanagh – Bluesky (@unaminh.bsky.social) Organic Matters – Úna-Minh's new Irish indie studio Organic Matters – itch.io CTRL: Essays on Video Games (the book featuring Úna-Minh's essay) CTRL: Essays on Video Games – Lilliput Press (Waterstones) Lilliput Press – publisher Among Us – Irish language localisation Among Us – official site (Innersloth) Among Us on Steam VVVVVV – Irish language localisation VVVVVV – Terry Cavanagh, official site VVVVVV – Steam Úna-Minh's Perfect Console Final Fantasy IX (2000) – Wikipedia Final Fantasy IX – Steam Nobuo Uematsu – composer, Wikipedia Hotel Dusk: Room 215 (Nintendo DS, 2007) – Wikipedia Persona 4 Golden (PS Vita, 2012) – Wikipedia Persona 4 Golden – Steam This War of Mine (2014) – official site This War of Mine – Steam Saltsea Chronicles (2023) – Die Gute Fabrik Saltsea Chronicles – Steam Also mentioned Die Gute Fabrik – studio behind Saltsea Chronicles Hannah Nicklin – studio lead and creative director, Die Gute Fabrik Citizen Sleeper – Gareth Damian Martin / Jump Over The Age Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector – Steam Limit Break – mentorship programme for marginalised game developers IMIRT – Irish Game Makers association (Irish Games Awards) Global Game Jam itch.io – indie games platform Dublin City University – where Úna-Minh studied Irish and journalism Support the show My Perfect Console – episode archive Support My Perfect Console on Patreon Become a My Perfect Console supporter and receive a range of benefits at www.patreon.com/myperfectconsole Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  Episode #180

  Paolo Pedercini, founder MolleIndustria (McDonald's Videogame, The New York Times Simulator, Future? No Thanks!)

  Sep 29, 20261h 22m

  Paolo Pedercini is an Italian game designer, artist, educator, and activist whose work has spent more than two decades challenging assumptions about what video games are for, and what they are allowed to say. In 2003, he founded Molleindustria as a project dedicated to the "reappropriation of video games and the radicalisation of popular culture." Since then, he has created a remarkable body of short, provocative games about labour, capitalism, religion, technology, and political power, including McDonald’s Videogame , Oiligarchy , Every Day the Same Dream , Phone Story , and Democratic Socialism Simulator. His games have often been satirical, often controversial, and always interested in using play as a way of thinking through systems and ideology. Now he is working on his most ambitious project yet: Future? No Thanks! , an open-world comedy adventure about a grumpy old man completing his bucket list in a solarpunk future. NOTES: Paolo Pedercini / Molleindustria Molleindustria – official site (all Paolo's games) Paolo Pedercini – Wikipedia Paolo Pedercini – Bluesky (@molleindustria.org) Future? No Thanks! (out now) Future? No Thanks! – Steam Future? No Thanks! – official site Other Molleindustria games mentioned McDonald's Video Game – play free in browser Oiligarchy – play free in browser Every Day the Same Dream – play free in browser Phone Story – Wikipedia Democratic Socialism Simulator – itch.io Faith Fighter – play free in browser Sweatshop (as mentioned by Simon) Sweatshop – play in browser The New Yorker piece (as mentioned by Simon) The Division 2 and the Severing of Politics from Video Games – The New Yorker Paolo's Perfect Console Cannon Fodder (Sensible Software, 1993) – Wikipedia Sensible Software – Wikipedia Shadow of the Colossus (2005) – Wikipedia Grand Theft Auto V – Rockstar Games Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas – Wikipedia Push Me Pull You – House House (Steam) House House – developer of Untitled Goose Game and Big Walk Radiator Forever – Robert Yang (itch.io) Robert Yang – game designer Other games and references mentioned Theme Park – Bullfrog Productions (1994), Wikipedia Postal 2 – Wikipedia GTA San Andreas Hot Coffee mod – Wikipedia The Yes Men – activist/prankster duo Foxconn suicides – Wikipedia itch.io – indie games platform Aftermath – independent games journalism Tom Bissell – My Perfect Console episode Untitled Goose Game – House House Next week's guest Úna Míng Kavanagh – IMIRT emerging talent award 2026 Úna Míng Kavanagh – TikTok (@unamingkavanagh) Support the show My Perfect Console – episode archive Support My Perfect Console on Patreon Become a My Perfect Console supporter and receive a range of benefits at www.patreon.com/myperfectconsole Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  Episode #179

  Anna Donlon, head of Valorant Studios (Valorant, League of Legends, Call of Duty: Black Ops)

  Sep 22, 20261h 30m

  My guest today is an American game producer and studio leader whose career has been shaped by a deep love of competitive shooters and more than two decades spent building some of the genre’s major titles. She began at Treyarch , where she worked as a senior producer on Call of Duty: Black Ops and Black Ops II , before joining Riot Games in 2015. There, she first helped lead League of Legends ’ cosmetic content and in-game events. She later moved into leading a new tactical shooter project, becoming Executive Producer of VALORANT and guiding the game to its launch in 2020. Today, as Head of VALORANT Studios, she oversees the franchise’s wider creative and strategic direction, while also championing initiatives such as VCT Game Changers, Riot’s programme supporting women and marginalised genders in competitive play. LINKS Anna Donlan – Valorant & Riot Games Valorant – official site (free to play) VCT Game Changers – Riot's programme supporting women and marginalised genders in competitive play Riot Games – official site Anna's Perfect Console Silent Hill 2 (PS2, 2001) – Wikipedia Silent Hill 2 Remake (2024) – Steam Grand Theft Auto III (PS2, 2001) – Wikipedia Shadow of the Colossus (PS2, 2005) – Wikipedia Shadow of the Colossus Remake (2018) – PlayStation BioShock (2007) – Wikipedia Ghost of Tsushima – official site Ghost of Tsushima – PlayStation Ghost of Tsushima: Iki Island – Wikipedia Also mentioned Kaboom! (Atari 2600) – Wikipedia ICO (PS2, 2001) – Wikipedia Red Dead Redemption 2 – Rockstar Games Arc Raiders – Steam Call of Duty: Black Ops – Wikipedia Call of Duty: Black Ops II – Wikipedia Treyarch – Wikipedia JumpStart – educational games series, Wikipedia University of California, Santa Cruz Next week's guest Paolo Pedercini / Molleindustria – official site Future? No Thanks! – Steam (out now) Support the show My Perfect Console – episode archive Support My Perfect Console on Patreon Become a My Perfect Console supporter and receive a range of benefits at www.patreon.com/myperfectconsole Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  My Perfect Console with Simon Parkin

  Correspondence Special #9: Which games should have been on the podcast by now (and much more)

  Sep 17, 202638 min

  In this special correspondence edition, Simon reads out your letters and answers your questions. Is there a cut-off point for working in games journalism? Which video game does Simon think should surely have been picked by now but hasn't? Who decides how long guests talk about their game choices? How does Simon actually make the show — from bookings to post-production to those musical stingers? What is Simon's new book about, and how did he uncover the untold legal battle thxat changed the shape of the video game industry? And did you know the UK government has a Head of Video Games and Esports who listens to the show? Us neither! All this and much more. And congratulations to letter-writer Chris Law, who wins a signed copy of  Blood Echoes: A Bloodborne Anthology . . Become a My Perfect Console supporter and receive a range of benefits at www.patreon.com/myperfectconsole Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  Episode #178

  Chris Cantrill, comedian, writer Saturday Night Live UK.

  Sep 15, 20261h 29m

  Chris Cantrill is a British comedian, writer, and actor from West Yorkshire whose work combines rapid-fire jokes with an off-kilter view of everyday life. He first came to prominence as one half of the acclaimed sketch duo T he Delightful Sausage , alongside Amy Gledhill , earning Edinburgh Comedy Award nominations for Best Show in both 2019 and 2022. As a solo performer, he added another nomination in 2024, before returning to Edinburgh this summer and finally winning the Comedy Award for Best Show in 2026. Alongside stand-up, he has appeared in programmes including Alma’s Not Normal , Daddy Issues , Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared , and Avoidance , while his writing credits stretch across television and radio. Most recently, he joined the writing team of Saturday Night Live UK , which returns for its second season this week. LINKS Chris Cantrill Website Instagram The Delightful Sausage Saturday Night Live UK SNL UK on Sky Simon's Observer Features How Saturday Night Live Landed in the UK Jack Shep on That Princess Di Impression Chris's Perfect Console Duke Nukem: Time to Kill Final Fantasy VII Bloodborne Animal Well The Case of the Golden Idol Other games discussed Castlevania: Symphony of the Night Dark Souls Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Resident Evil 2 Remake The Witcher 3 Elden Ring Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Become a My Perfect Console supporter and receive a range of benefits at www.patreon.com/myperfectconsole Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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