Wednesday, August 6th brings episode one of The Grumpy Old Gamer podcast. We open with the question that’s been brewing in living rooms, forums, and Discord servers for years: is gaming worse now, or are we just old and bitter?
Probably both.
Ian joins me for this first episode. He’s a fellow gamer, fellow grump, and the only person who can rant about unskippable tutorials for ten minutes without repeating himself. We unpack the modern state of gaming from the perspective of people who’ve seen it all before. We’re not here to hate on new games for existing. We’re here to point out where things have gone backwards, sideways, or straight into the monetisation bin.
The episode runs five short segments, each focused on a modern gaming gripe that deserves griping about. We pull examples from recent titles and classic ones, with conversation bouncing between shared frustration and genuine affection for what used to be possible in games before engagement metrics took over.
We tackle games that launch half-finished and rely on patches to be playable. The slow death of cheat codes, unlocks, and secrets. How UI design now feels like clicking through a marketing deck. Tutorials that won’t shut up. And why some of the best games in years look like they were made in 1998.
But we’re not just doomscrolling and shouting at clouds. We also talk about what’s still great in gaming, including a few indie standouts and studios that still give a shit about the player. The aim isn’t to be angry for the sake of it. It’s to have a proper, grounded conversation about what’s changed, why it matters, and whether anything can still surprise us.
You won’t get news headlines, fake enthusiasm, or overproduced nonsense here. It’s just two grown men with too many opinions and not enough free time, talking about the hobby we still love, even if it’s driving us slowly mad.
So if you’ve ever shouted “Why is this menu still loading?” or wondered why your character can’t jump until the third cutscene ends, you’ll feel right at home.
Episode one drops Wednesday, August 6th. Subscribe now on your preferred podcast app, or just turn up and listen when you’ve got 40 minutes to spare and an eyebrow to raise. We’re not here to fix the games industry. We’re just here to moan about it with you.
And maybe laugh. At least a bit.
