Taking a few steps back, say back about late 2004 I would guess, City of Heroes was a few months new and Paragon Radio was rocking the new world. This is where it began for me and continued through the Gameamp, and TMS Broadcasting changes. Gaming radio for MMO's was the “live on the scene play by play” that added an extra element to Online gaming. Contests, Party's, live commentary for quests or missions and the chance that your character may get a "shout out" on air. If you were listening on-air but not in game, it made you want to be in game and join in. If you were in game and not on-air...that was just odd. There was a good variety of music for everyone. The news was informative and up to date. It was our very own private radio station geared toward the MMO gamer, it was harmony. Sadly, MMO Radio is no longer kicking out the jams but it's legacy lives on.
The last 6 years we have seen a collection of Internet radio stations come and go, almost as much as some games. I still believe that Gaming Radio is a solid viable form of media information/entertainment. If you are one of the lucky ones who have a Net Radio station with the call letters of your fav MMO, you have your own private media outlet. There are others that are a “Collective” or group of Podcasters that will enlighten, instruct and entertain on everyday life of a gamer, as well as the latest news. There is a plethora of these on several MMO's and always worth a listen.
This is also a business. We have major players in the arena with the backing capital and clout to present for us Game Developers, CEO's and the brightest talents of our time. We are always with updates, guides, interviews and industry news so we can all keep track of this industry that we love so well. We have even advanced into streaming video and a TV format. The inter-webs are alive with the sound of gaming. With all of the polish and fine tuning, the voice talents and notable persona’s, my heart still goes back to the early days. With a cheap headset, impromptu shows, because who in the hell would write a format, we made our way to internet radio.
I remember having to practice keeping the interview running smoothly. Working to keep the silence, the pauses in a conversation and the “Um..Uh...Um” to a minimum. If you were the one editing you found out very quickly that 90 minutes of raw audio could take over 5 hours to edit. If you were lucky enough to have all of your guests in one room, it was easier to control Darth Vader breathing into the mic. No matter how many sound checks you do before, there is always Capt Munchy who decides to unwrap his twinkie, live on air. Live or prerecorded there was always something moving it off center. Just a bunch of gamers doing a show, along with Darth Vader and the Twinkie we had one hell of a good time.
My latest adventure in Internet Broadcasting Tom Foolery was a couple of years ago with Gamer Network Radio or GNET Radio. We had gone through a few transitions ourselves, Vanguard Radio, Uberguilds Radio, and GNET Radio is where it has finally settled. I had so much fun during this time and met so many fantastic people. We were lucky enough to even get a few gaming celebs to help with radio ads, like Chris "Binky" Launius, Community Manager, Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising, April “Cuppa Joe” Burba who was the Community Manager for Tabula Rasa, Jeremy Dale Lead Animator for Warhammer Online. I know two of these games fell short and are no longer operating but the people we met were wonderful and supportive.
Shameless plug incoming....
Vanguard Radio ad for Vanguard Roleplayers
DJ Artagus "Art's Closet" intro
For the adult gaming crowd GNET Radio offers a variety of information for the gamer, PC, Console, FPS, MMO and more. They offer an IRC chat room, live call in capability during some shows and encourages participation from all their listeners. The podcasts and live shows do an excellent job at keeping me entertained. They are a large part of my listening library. If you stop by, tell them Art sent ya and you might get a some pie or visit The ESCape Show and get a coupon for Popeye's Chicken, or not.
...end shameless plug.
Either way, the gaming media we have within reach offer so much in support of our favorite hobby. Bloggers, Podcasts, Game Radio, Game TV, Video Blogs, it's a wealth of entertainment and information. Professional or your buddy with a 5 dollar headset, if they share some interesting tidbit, play your favorite tune, make you laugh once or twice a week it's worth the time spent.
