Simon Parkin
@simonparkin.bsky.social
4.2K followers 150 following 200 posts
Author and journalist. Creator of the My Perfect Console podcast. www.simonparkin.com
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simonparkin.bsky.social
I don’t think so! We only recorded it recently?!
simonparkin.bsky.social
Blippo+ is a handcrafted TV-channel surfing game from a past that never existed. L.A.-based actors, comedians and artists collaborated to direct and film hours of footage.

A joy to interview @theuniverse.bsky.social, one of its creators, whose career is studded with bright jewels like these.
myperfectconsole.bsky.social
With a career that spans music, tech, and cultural criticism, is there anything @TheUniverse.bsky.social can’t do?

Join @SimonParkin.bsky.social in conversation with the multi-talented Claire L. Evans as she reveals the five titles she chose for her perfect console.

Available now: apple.co/47awNv0
simonparkin.bsky.social
Thrilled to have spoken to Alexander, whose translation work I have long admired, and whose influence can be clearly seen in so many games, including this week’s rerelease of Final Fantasy Tactics.
myperfectconsole.bsky.social
Good scheduling is key to successfully translating massive games like Final Fantasy XIII.

Join @SimonParkin.bsky.social and translator @aokajiya.bsky.social as he discusses how he helped bring Japanese classics like Vagrant Story and Final Fantasy XII to Western players.

Listen now: bit.ly/3KlzWPX
Reposted by Simon Parkin
myperfectconsole.bsky.social
Slow Horses is back. To celebrate, listen to our episode with Daniel Pemberton, composer of the show’s theme tune (and many more), who reveals how Rolling Stones’ frontman Mick Jagger recorded the song’s vocals — using a studio on his ‘back-up’ island: www.patreon.com/posts/daniel...
Reposted by Simon Parkin
olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social
this is, hands down, the best video I've seen on men's influencer content and it's not close either
Reposted by Simon Parkin
geekdadgamer.bsky.social
This was a special conversation for me for many reasons. Was fab talking to @simonparkin.bsky.social of course. But also, talking about my childhood, my family, how game discovery was woven in to my very first job, and how these 5 games mean the world to me. If you like my stuff, do share widely.
myperfectconsole.bsky.social
Why is physical play often considered more valuable than digital play?

In our latest episode, veteran journalist and Family Gamer TV founder @geekdadgamer.bsky.social shares his insights on the evolution of children's play and how digital and physical play can coexist.

Listen now: apple.co/4pqYSFC
simonparkin.bsky.social
This NYT interview with Cameron Crowe is a great listen. At one point the interviewer shares several of his theories as to why Crowe's more recent work might be weaker than his earlier films. Ballsy! podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...
'The Interview': What Happened to Cameron Crowe? He Has Answers.
Podcast Episode · The Daily · 13/09/2025 · 52m
podcasts.apple.com
Reposted by Simon Parkin
simonparkin.bsky.social
For today’s Observer magazine I interviewed Brett Goldstein at the house he’s renovating in Fulham, about the secret tape that made him Roy Kent, his new film’s rejection of algorithmic love, and why, after 5 years in the froth of success, he’s ready to put down roots: observer.co.uk/culture/inte...
simonparkin.bsky.social
For today’s Observer magazine I interviewed Brett Goldstein at the house he’s renovating in Fulham, about the secret tape that made him Roy Kent, his new film’s rejection of algorithmic love, and why, after 5 years in the froth of success, he’s ready to put down roots: observer.co.uk/culture/inte...
Reposted by Simon Parkin
myperfectconsole.bsky.social
How do you balance a career in games PR with punk stardom?

In our latest episode, @lizzietrouble.bsky.social , lead vocalist and guitarist of indie Teens in Trouble, discusses her dual life and, reveals her surprising link to Street Fighter 4.

🎧 Listen now: bit.ly/4m0JOvj
simonparkin.bsky.social
Comedians x Video Games = The Audience Versus, a new live show that pits the audience against a team of comedians in a series of match-ups using silly rules.

Debuts at The Pleasance on 29th September, featuring Sarah Keyworth, @pierrenovellie.bsky.social and hosted by @thenewsatglenn.bsky.social.
Reposted by Simon Parkin
myperfectconsole.bsky.social
How did viral indie hit Blue Prince make it from concept to reality?

In this week's episode, the game's creator, Tonda Ros, reveals the "golden goose" that made it all happen and shares the five games he'd put on his perfect console.

Listen now: buff.ly/0KlvTFO
simonparkin.bsky.social
I spoke with Tonda Ros, creator of this year’s indie hit, Blue Prince, about how, as a child, an unexpected bequeathment - not unlike the one that powers his game - provided him a near endless supply of NES games.
myperfectconsole.bsky.social
How did viral indie hit Blue Prince make it from concept to reality?

In this week's episode, the game's creator, Tonda Ros, reveals the "golden goose" that made it all happen and shares the five games he'd put on his perfect console.

Listen now: buff.ly/0KlvTFO
Reposted by Simon Parkin
amsterdammed.bsky.social
This week on #bbcinsidescience: solar panels in space, @simonparkin.bsky.social and @valmcdermid.bsky.social talk about Simon’s book, The Forbidden Gardens of Leningrad, shortlisted for the @royalsociety.org Trivedi Book Prize. @adamhartscience.bsky.social talks hunting for conservation.
simonparkin.bsky.social
I saw Lightning Bolt play at ATP years ago, an experience that was both intimate and feverish. A joy to have Brian on the show, discussing his band, working on Guitar Hero, and his indie game projects Thumper and Thrasher, which are just as exhilarating as his live music:
myperfectconsole.bsky.social
The secret to Guitar Hero’s success? Authenticity.

This week’s guest, Brian Gibson, bassist for Lightning Bolt and acclaimed game designer, recalls how working musicians shaped the game–and how later music games lost something of that underground spirit.

Listen now: buff.ly/QHKEumU
Reposted by Simon Parkin
royalsociety.org
In 'The Forbidden Garden of Leningrad', Simon Parkin draws on previously unseen sources to tell the remarkable story of the botanists working at the world's first seed bank during the siege of Leningrad in 1941 and the moral dilemmas they faced: #SciBooks royalsociety.org/medals-and-p...
Reposted by Simon Parkin
simonparkin.bsky.social
The Forbidden Garden of Leningrad is out today in UK paperback.

The book tells the true story of the botanists who worked at world’s first seed bank during the siege of Leningrad.

It’s a finalist in the Orwell Prize and the 2025 Royal Society Prize.

Pick up a copy wherever you get your books.
simonparkin.bsky.social
The Forbidden Garden of Leningrad is out today in UK paperback.

The book tells the true story of the botanists who worked at world’s first seed bank during the siege of Leningrad.

It’s a finalist in the Orwell Prize and the 2025 Royal Society Prize.

Pick up a copy wherever you get your books.
simonparkin.bsky.social
Ralph is one of the sharpest critics working in games, and his journey to running one of Australia’s largest and most impactful channels is fascinating.
myperfectconsole.bsky.social
Do you have online friends you’ve never met in person? Whose real names you don’t even know?

This week, video game critic @skillup.bsky.social joins @simonparkin.bsky.social to pick his perfect console and explore the power of friendships formed through online gaming.

Listen now: apple.co/47ntcKz
Reposted by Simon Parkin
gregjenner.bsky.social
I hugely enjoyed chatting to Simon about the video games that defined my life, and the place of gaming in public history 👇
myperfectconsole.bsky.social
In our new episode, @GregJenner.bsky.social reveals how video games like Total War and Assassin’s Creed have inspired countless players to fall in love with history.

And some have even made it their profession.

🎧 Listen now: bit.ly/4mw9UqY