My Perfect Console with Simon Parkin

Evan Narcisse is an American writer, journalist, and narrative designer whose work spans comics, criticism, and video games. After graduating from New York University, he began his career as a culture and technology journalist, writing for outlets including Time, Kotaku, and The Atlantic, where he explored the intersection of race, identity, and storytelling in popular media. He left journalism to become a writer for Marvel Comics, and there helped redefine a cultural icon with Rise of the Black Panther. As a narrative designer he has contributed to several major video game projects, including Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Redfall, and Black Panther. Now, as a senior writer for Brass Lion Entertainment, he’s working on a new action title from the Wu-Tang Clan. Across mediums, his work combines sharp insight with deep empathy, expanding how, and for whom, stories are told.Recorded live at the University of Chicago. Become a My Perfect Console supporter and receive a range of benefits at www.patreon.com/myperfectconsoleTake the Acast listener survey to help shape the show: My Perfect Console with Simon Parkin Survey 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ed Atkins is a British contemporary artist known for his haunting, hyperreal digital videos—works that combine computer-generated bodies, poetic monologues, and a profound sense of longing, absurdity, and decay. Since the early 2010s, his art has been exhibited at major institutions around the world, including Tate Britain and MoMA, and he’s taken part in various festivals, including the Venice Biennale, the Holland Festival, and Manchester International Festival. He’s also written a series of books of poetry and memoir, most recently ‘Flower’, which he describes as an anti-memoir. Working across video, text, and performance, he often explores what it means to be human in an age of simulation and screens, where flesh, feeling, and code are increasingly intertwined. Become a My Perfect Console supporter and receive a range of benefits at www.patreon.com/myperfectconsoleTake the Acast listener survey to help shape the show: My Perfect Console with Simon Parkin Survey 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tom Keegan, a performance director with roots in theatre, animation and games, credited on titles like Resident Evil 2 Remake and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. He discusses why he wrote a directing guide, how he briefs actors for games, translating between actors and developers, mocap realities, and the impact of strikes and AI on performers.

Keza Macdonald, Scottish games editor at The Guardian and author of Super Nintendo, reflects on two decades covering games. She recounts interviewing Nintendo legends, structuring her book around cultural themes, and early magazine life. Conversations touch on breaking into games journalism, battling online harassment, and how key games reshaped play and careers.

Ed Fries, former Microsoft executive who founded and led Microsoft Game Studios and helped create the original Xbox. He tells origin stories of Xbox, the Bungie acquisition and Halo’s surprising retail breakout. He recalls internal politics, technical choices, and why consoles mattered to Microsoft. He also discusses his work supporting indie developers through 1Up Ventures.

Prokop Jirsa, Czech lead designer at Warhorse Studios known for shaping historically grounded RPGs. He discusses launching and iterating on Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, balancing realism with player onboarding, Czech influences on setting and humour, and design ownership at his studio. Short anecdotes cover formative games, studio beginnings, and advice for aspiring designers.

Dr. Elin Festøy, Norwegian creative producer and BAFTA-winning maker who uses games to illuminate wartime histories. She discusses making My Child Lebensborn and New Beginnings to teach empathy through Tamagotchi-like care. She explains working with survivors, classroom use, viral global reach, and funding a foundation to support children born of war.

Jon Ingold, British game designer and co-founder of Inkle known for narrative games and the Ink scripting language. He discusses TR-49’s archival deduction and live audio overlay. He talks about designing reactive archives, keeping narrative coherent amid player freedom, and the influences from parser fiction, theatre, and classic mystery storytelling.

Phil Fish, indie game designer behind Fez and star of Indie Game: the Movie, reflects on his Montreal roots and creative journey. He discusses Fez’s long development, why Fez 2 was cancelled, retreating from social media, burnout after sudden fame, and the pleasures of quiet, secretive creativity. Short, candid, and nostalgic.

In this engaging conversation, Emmy-nominated writer and comedian Heather Anne Campbell shares her journey from studying improv in Chicago to writing for shows like Rick & Morty. She recalls her love for Tetris as a timeless game that captures her childhood memories. Heather talks about the vibrant arcade culture, her path into games journalism, and the unique storytelling of The Last of Us. Plus, she defends the cultural impact of Fortnite and praises the psychological depth of Disco Elysium, all while emphasizing the importance of improv in her career.