Chris Plante's "Post Games" Podcast: Deep Dive into Video Games for a Mature Audience

The Genesis of "Post Games" and Chris Plante's Vision

The new "Post Games" podcast by Chris Plante, former editor and co-founder of Polygon in 2012, offers a unique audio experience similar to public radio programs, focusing on the subtle nuances of the video game world. Plante served as editor-in-chief at Polygon, helping to shape a clear editorial vision for the platform. He also co-authored the original story for the popular "Limetown" podcast, which was adapted into books and a TV series, and taught the first game journalism course at New York University (Polygon). In one "Post Games" episode, Plante delves deeply into how video games can help players understand the concept of death, hosting Caitlin Tremblay, who is working on the game "Ambrosia Sky", centered around this theme. Tremblay highlights the beauty of games inviting players to participate and collaborate, making them an integral part of the narrative and interacting with the virtual space.

Why Does "Post Games" Target Older Gamers?

A few weeks after leaving his editor-in-chief position at Polygon, Plante launched "Post Games" as a weekly podcast aiming to explore "how and why we love video games." This podcast targets older gamers, as Plante believes most gaming media content is almost entirely directed at young people under thirty, noting that gamers over 35 have entirely different interests and expectations. Plante asserts there is huge demand for this type of content, with reports indicating that over half of the 205.1 million American gamers are over 35. He believes traditional media channels have neglected this demographic or offered them subpar content at best.

Funding Model: Patreon and Independence

"Post Games" relies on fan support via the Patreon platform to ensure its continuity. The number of paid subscribers has reached a thousand subscribers, which is enough to cover Plante's family's health insurance costs. Plante aims for the number to reach two thousand subscribers by year-end to confidently secure the project's future. This model reflects a growing trend toward independent gaming media that relies directly on audience support.

The Future of Independent Gaming Media

Many media personalities in the gaming industry, whether resigned or laid off from traditional publications, are moving toward establishing their independent projects. This phenomenon demonstrates the need for greater diversity in gaming media. Plante argues that independent media outlets not only benefit content creators but also offer greater advantages to the audience and readers, emphasizing that by focusing on the audience, more commercial opportunities will emerge for independent or small-funded creators. Publications everywhere face pressures from factors like search engines powered by Artificial Intelligence and Google Zero, while Plante believes there are many underserved audiences not adequately served by traditional business models due to their reliance on large volume. And if major publications are unwilling to serve the growing demographic of older gamers, he is happy to do so.

"Post Games" Content and Plante's Vision for the Future

Each "Post Games" podcast episode lasts about an hour and is divided into three parts, most of which focus on interviews on a specific topic, while the third part covers news of the week. The episode topics are not always limited to major current events in the gaming world; for example, the first episode covered the history of the Seumas McNally Grand Prize for the Independent Games Festival, while the second discussed games with daring content. And when episodes touch on current topics, Plante seeks to offer a unique angle; for instance, when Death Stranding 2: On the Beach was released, Plante conducted a rare interview with YouTuber "Video Game Dunkey", who initially disliked the first game but returned to it two years later. Plante sees "Post Games" as his long-term future project, dreaming of continuing it for the next ten years, affirming his commitment to delivering valuable content aimed at long-term video game enthusiasts.