Idle Thumbs
361 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 6 years ago - ★★★★★ - 866 ratingsIdle Thumbs is a video game podcast full of in-depth discussion and absurdity. Between overly-enthusiastic dissections of their latest media experiences and baffling phonological explorations of Jeff Goldblum's name, the cast has managed to find a regular audience of dedicated readers. Scoop up the latest episode and hear us extol the virtues of whatever we've just watched, played, or read—then attempt to answer reader mail before getting sidetracked about robots.
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Episodes
Idle Thumbs 44: Salacious Thumb
September 25, 2009 05:00 - 1 hour - 55 BytesWith Nick Breckon out on assignment, things go a little bit wrong. 2K Marin's Steve Gaynor joins us for this week's descent into a tempest of hard-boiled corruption and deceit, where no one knows who to trust or where to turn. We're pretty sure ODST is like a film noir, so we took some cues from that.
Idle Thumbs 43: Jeff "Gone" Goldblum
September 18, 2009 05:00 - 1 hour - 71.3 MBThis week Chris and Nick don some custom callsigns to check out Modern Warfare 2's multiplayer, become terrified by the high definition frog face of Zuma's Revenge, and almost steal Jeff Goldblum's shoes. As for Jake? He is only good at keeping people focused on the deep depression.
Idle Thumbs 42: The Dreamcast
September 09, 2009 05:00 - 1 hour - 58.6 MBFor just one night, into your face we cast not pods, but dreams. Our dreams are powered by robot hands with pistol grips, three part harmonies and too many microphones, but we're thinking you'll find something you like.
Idle Thumbs Standalone Expansion PAX 3: BioWare's Mac Walters
September 08, 2009 05:00 - 19 minutes - 13.4 MBIdle Thumbs brings its PAX 2009 coverage to a close with a quick talk with Mass Effect 2's lead writer, Mac Walters. In Space.
Idle Thumbs Standalone Expansion PAX 2: Valve's Chet Faliszek
September 07, 2009 05:00 - 27 minutes - 19 MBNestled amongst rowdy board game players, the Idle Thumbs crew pins down Chet Faliszek of Valve to discuss Left 4 Dead 2 and how Madden offers but small comfort to Browns fans.
Idle Thumbs Standalone Expansion PAX 1: Ron Gilbert
September 06, 2009 05:00 - 48 minutes - 33.4 MBIdle Thumbs kicks off its PAX coverage and continues its trend of interviewing Monkey Island creator Ron Gilbert on a bidecennial basis with this hastily-edited affair. Enjoy.
Idle Thumbs 41: Space Boss: The Lord of Space
September 02, 2009 05:00 - 1 hour - 47.5 MBWe play catch-up this week, clearing out both our backlog of nearly-current games, and our overflowing bag of reader mail.
Idle Thumbs 40: Idle Thumbs 40,000 (Nobody Beats the Blizz)
August 26, 2009 05:00 - 1 hour - 65.8 MBWe're back from BlizzCon, abuzz with the latest biz from the Blizz. Also sampled: The Monk, The Wiz(ard).
Idle Thumbs 39: Video Game Baby
August 20, 2009 05:00 - 1 hour - 43.6 MBFollowing a double-barreled podblast assault, this week's baffling episode sees the Idle Thumbs valiantly but vainly struggle to stay on topic and discuss a new video game, despite dubious double entendres and threatening voice mails. How's our driving? Take a wild guess.
Idle News Podblast - 08/17/09: With StarCraft II 2
August 17, 2009 05:00 - 37 minutes - 26 MBWith fleeting, ghostly visions of long- decommissioned Dragoons still haunting their minds, the Thumbs crew attempts to discuss StarCraft II while staving off the effects of sleep deprivation. Jake draws pictures. Plus, rumor has it Far Cry 2 makes its triumphant return--and there's only one way to find out. (Read the games discussed list.)
Idle News Podblast - 08/13/09: With Brutal Legend
August 13, 2009 05:00 - 18 minutes - 12.5 MBChris and Nick got a chance to sit down with the multiplayer component of Double Fine Productions' upcoming Brutal Legend and are ready to share their hands-on impressions with you. Will Chris describe it in terms of Pikmin 2's versus mode? Will Full Throttle be mentioned? Grab your axe, your axe, and probably your axe, and listen in.
Idle Thumbs 38: Up On This Boss
August 12, 2009 05:00 - 1 hour - 59.4 MBThis week on the Thumb we dive into the many meanings of Nintendo's mysterious inflatable horse peripheral, reel at how many GameCubes are turned on right now, and debate whether "Castroid" is a game genre or horrible medical condition.
Idle Thumbs 37: You Gotta Have Spice
August 05, 2009 05:00 - 1 hour - 69.5 MBA 386 perfectly captures his slam dunk. Looking down from space, you see the Earth and smile. Mid-swing, the game asks you to recalibrate, and you do it just this once. Sometimes, you gotta.
Idle News Podblast - 08/01/10: Surprise!
July 31, 2009 05:00 - 39 minutes - 27.4 MBSometimes a podcast goes off the rails and is killed for the betterment of mankind. People occasionally ask why. Hopefully this provides an answer. Freshly exhumed from the lot out behind Chris' apartment, enjoy the moist wreckage of the Idle Thumbs Episode 36 that wasn't. Won't titillate or offend, but might.
Idle Thumbs 36: Shambling, Goofy
July 30, 2009 05:00 - 1 hour - 64.8 MBAfter an earlier attempt to record goes down in flames, we bring you this tale of mice and mods and Miyamoto, of nerds, their noises and Neo Tokyo, of DOTA clones and questions asked, of adventures past and pods cast. Enjoy.
Idle Thumbs 35: A Great Way to Have Fun
July 22, 2009 05:00 - 1 hour - 57.2 MBJoin us as we take a safely-secured look at Wii Sports Resort, and spoil exclusive food news. A connection to the Internet is required to listen to this episode.
Idle Thumbs 34: The First Age of Extreme
July 15, 2009 05:00 - 1 hour - 72.9 MBThumbs accidentally traveled back in time to an age when beards reigned, in this arcade- and strategy-flavored episode.
Idle Thumbs 33: "The Kane of Lynch" or "This Crazy Robot" or "Rock the Mouse"
July 08, 2009 05:00 - 1 hour - 69.9 MBLengthy discussions abound in this cast-and-a-half. We go off on the experiences unique to shorter, tighter games, the dying art of an equal player vs CPU ruleset, the American Civil War, and what it really feels like being the king. Plus: More video game dreams.
Idle Thumbs 32: The Stuff Dreams Are Made Of
July 01, 2009 05:00 - 1 hour - 42.9 MBIngredients: Co-op grappling-based wizard platforming, never-ending falling blocks, Peter Molyneux, Pyramid Head. Season to taste or until awakened screaming.
Idle News Podblast - 06/29/09: With StarCraft II
June 29, 2009 05:00 - 36 minutes - 25 MBSpecial Report! Nick's back from Blizzard's preview event, ready to offer up his hands-on impressions of the StarCraft II multiplayer beta. Also, lots of side topics and diversions you can't do without. But mostly StarCraft II. And a gay pride parade.
Idle Thumbs 31: The Future of Games
June 26, 2009 05:00 - 1 hour - 42.6 MBYou can't shut your eyes. A small child spots you, waves eagerly. You try to reach him, but are stopped short as the cables restraining your fingers go taut. Struggling against wires and straps binding your shoulders and feet, you get one last glimpse of the boy before he's dragged screaming into Max Payne's departing van.
Idle News Podblast - 06/24/09: Without Nick Breckon
June 24, 2009 05:00 - 10 minutes - 7.49 MBWith Nick still out of town, we're passing the time with more from last week's cutting room floor. We'll be back soon with real podcasts.
Idle News Podblast - 06/18/09: With Cheese Plate
June 18, 2009 05:00 - 51 minutes - 35.5 MBWhere we come from the games beat themseles. There's a shaved Muppet around every corner, and Samus Aran can't shut up. It will please you, with a depth that might surprise you. Featuring Steve Gaynor as Mr. Dream.
Idle Thumbs 30: Idle Thumbs E30
June 10, 2009 05:00 - 1 hour - 55.8 MBWe're back from E3, filled with hands-on impressions, tales of awkward industry encounters, and an important question: Who needs a motion wand when you have a ten year old boy trapped in your TV?
Idle Thumbs 29: Dreaming of Gillen
May 27, 2009 05:00 - 1 hour - 51.7 MBSometimes the past is just as good as you remember it. Sometimes it's better. Nick turns back the clock ten years to explore the less traveled branching paths of adventure gaming, Jake is revamped and thrown back by Nintendo's latest offerings, and Chris? Chris dares to dream.
Idle Thumbs 28: Other People Get It
May 20, 2009 05:00 - 1 hour - 45.2 MBAfter taking a week off in silent honor of the Duke, we return. Lawsuits fly and franchises fall as they try to get you to ride around on a fake skateboard. E3's coming back. I probably have Swine Flu. Don't worry, other people get it.
Idle Thumbs 27: What is Game?
May 06, 2009 05:00 - 1 hour - 51.1 MBThis week you, the readers, take control, as we spend the entire episode with our grubby mitts elbow deep in the Idle Thumbs mailbag. With special guests Steve Gaynor of 2K Marin, and each and every one of you readers listening along at home.
Idle Thumbs 26: Raising the 'Bargo
April 28, 2009 05:00 - 1 hour - 49.1 MBWe return from break full of questions. Why are all the best games about America made in Europe? Does your game dialog sound more like Steven Seagal or John McClane? Is there going to be a twist? We don't know, but we really want to tell you why the Moon is awesome.
Idle Thumbs 25: Pause Theme from Battletoads
April 15, 2009 05:00 - 1 hour - 58.3 MBWith the fight against Robo-Manus safely on hold, our co-hosts are free to discuss the love/hate battle with ruthless games, the slow decline of the mod community, and the science gone mad of achievements paired with grinding, all with a funky back beat you can dance to.
Idle Thumbs 24: Shadow and Colossus: Back in Action
April 08, 2009 05:00 - 1 hour - 55.1 MBLike good games on the DS, we are back. With GDC a fond and distant memory, we tackle the surprising stack of good new titles for Nintendo's handheld, learn some new moves from a hobo, see the latest from BioWare and Double Fine, and shed a tear as Wander goes Hollywood.
Idle Thumbs Conf Grenade 4: [Transmission Lost]
April 01, 2009 05:00 - 37 minutes - 26.1 MBThe final Conf Grenade pops and fizzles its way into your ear, offering our closing thoughts on the Game Developers Conference. Join us for some last words before the GDC book slams closed for another 51 weeks.
Idle Thumbs Conf Grenade 3: Morality, the Medical Surprise
March 30, 2009 05:00 - 57 minutes - 39.5 MBSteve Gaynor and Duncan Fyfe join us for the penultimate Conf Grenade, blasting through GDC's midsection at a rate so fast, you might not survive the trip. Put on your game designer hat and buckle up.
Idle News Podblast - 03/27/09: With Free Monster Samples
March 27, 2009 05:00 - 3 minutes - 2.43 MBI don't even know what to say.
Idle Thumbs Conf Grenade 2: Don't Look at Me, I'm Hideo
March 27, 2009 05:00 - 1 hour - 456 MBPartake in a virtual luncheon with a pantheon of gaming greats. Witness the changing of Will Wright's mind. Scream as you are wholly seared into the fourth dimension of experimental gaming. We're joined by guests Alex Ashby, Lawrence Bishop, and B. M. Bronstring.
Idle Thumbs Conf Grenade 1: A Fish Called Extreme
March 25, 2009 05:00 - 1 hour - 59.5 MBGDC is warming up, and so are we. Idle Thumbs alums Marek Bronstring, Duncan Fyfe, and Lawrence Bishop join in for an look at GDC's first days of Indie-focused content, our anticipated panels, fabricated sex scandals and more. We love GDC this much.
Idle Thumbs 23: At the Mountains of Money
March 19, 2009 05:00 - 1 hour - 54.3 MBYou lie on the ground, the last breaths leaving your body as you look up into the glowing, burlap sack-wrapped eyeholes of the man who ended your life. As voices recede and the world drifts away, you realize your dying thought will be "I wish I'd spent the 99 cents on that rocket launcher," and are disappointed.
Idle Thumbs 22: Put On the Top Ghost
March 11, 2009 05:00 - 1 hour - 54.3 MBSometimes a game blows up in your face, 106 moves in. Sometimes a tutorial man tells you the controls backwards, just because. Sometimes, no matter what you try, the old man just can't kill that snake. When the world's got you feeling down, do what we do, and put on the top ghost.
Idle News Podblast - 03/09/09: Countdown to Tears
March 09, 2009 05:00 - 18 minutes - 12.9 MBFive years ago, prophecies by Steven Spielberg and EALA's Neil Young charted a course of new, untold emotional resonance, and the future of video games was irrevocably changed. As Game Developers Conference 2009 approaches, the clock ticks ever closer to the video game singularity: Prepare for the countdown to tears. Games discussed: Steven Spielberg, Neil Young, the crying game.
Idle Thumbs 21: The Hypersonic Effect
March 04, 2009 06:00 - 1 hour - 55.6 MBVirtual worlds fall around you. Objectives appear before your eyes, cluttering your vision. Everything falls silent. As tears stream down your space visor you realize, too late, that it has you. Welcome to The Hypersonic Effect.
Idle News Podblast - 02/26/09: With Saitek Cyborg
February 26, 2009 06:00 - 12 minutes - 8.64 MBSpecial Report! Awesome robot robot robot; actually, he's a cyborg, and he comes bearing contests. Saitek Cyborg, at your service.
Idle Thumbs 20: Idle Thumbs 2000
February 25, 2009 06:00 - 1 hour - 70.1 MBHas your desire to explore and investigate given way to a guided experience that just wants to hold your hand? Find out at the next waypoint. Join us as we offer up impressions from the DICE Summit, discuss this week's surprise assault of great games, and eat our own butt.
Idle Thumbs 19: Upping the Majesty
February 18, 2009 06:00 - 1 hour - 62.8 MBSpecial guest Steve Gaynor joins us as we sail over grassy dewswept mountains resplendent with gaming's bounty, then crash-land into an F-bomb laden cutscene. Plus: Watch your cursor drift towards the "buy" button as Nick fills us in on the Dawn of War II single-player.
Idle Thumbs 18: Citizen Killzone
February 12, 2009 06:00 - 1 hour - 59.2 MBFollowing modern trends, this episode eschews its core gameplay for a series of scattered but crowd-pleasing showpieces. Hop in a Big Stompin' Mech with F.E.A.R. 2, use a mandatory turret to defend your favorite FPS titles, and perform an overly-animated finishing move on "opinions."
Idle News Podblast - 02/05/09: With Joe Pesci
February 05, 2009 06:00 - 27 minutes - 18.7 MBSpecial Report! Duck for cover, commandeer a Jeep, and man a turret: Resident Evil is back, and Idle Thumbs is blasting through the gates of a midnight embargo. With Joe Pesci. Sometimes something comes up mid-week that we want to talk about. This time we actually did. We may do more of these in the future.
Idle Thumbs 17: War of the Broses
February 04, 2009 06:00 - 1 hour - 59.2 MBGrab a brew and waste the Space Fuhrer with your friends from the quad. Chris weighs in on Killzone 2, Nick weighs the good and bad of two upcoming strategy titles, and Jake weighs the importance of a polished first play experience... with your mom. How many times have you heard a dictionary say "penis?"
Idle Thumbs 16: The Sources' Duel
January 28, 2009 06:00 - 1 hour - 53.3 MBConfidential informants collide and megatons are dropped in this week's high-speed episode. We talk about gaming narrative as a pastiche of tone and suggestion, but you just want your damn cutscenes. Plus: Wired's Chris Kohler joins us to dismember your naked form with a samurai sword. Replayability: 3.7.
Idle Thumbs 15: I'll Kill the Last Alien
January 21, 2009 06:00 - 1 hour - 59.6 MBKaz Hirai says you'll truly appreciate the complexity of this podcast in about nine and a half years. What's that? Gonna cry? Nick Breckon says you're a baby who likes baby games. And a cheat, too, I bet.
Idle Thumbs 14: Interface with the Animus
January 14, 2009 06:00 - 1 hour - 62.1 MBBioShock 2 lead level designer JP LeBreton joins us for this accidentally retro-filled episode to recount the rich tapestry of game music, talk up the LucasArts classics, and dream of a world where Grand Theft Auto was reimagined as a 1930's Warner Bros. cartoon.
Idle Thumbs 13: Manipulated Through Time
January 07, 2009 06:00 - 1 hour - 77.3 MBWe loudly ring in Year of the Video Game with a double episode of post-holiday potluck warmth. Like a worried mom, we lecture about driving under the influence of video games. Like a drunk uncle, we can't shut up about "ol' Spelunky." You know (wink), "the Tomb Raider?"
Idle Thumbs XI-2: The Legend of Big Bird's Bones
December 30, 2008 06:00 - 1 hour - 41.3 MBConcluding our trio of podcasts recorded two weeks ago due to holiday issues, the crew remains joined by 2K Marin's Steve Gaynor to discuss psychopathic murderer Gordon Freeman, John Madden getting a government bailout, classic network sitcom Coach, and the love affair between the Japanese people and Wizardry.