Unconsoleable is a relatively new, really excellent show about video games that is hosted by Anna Tarkov and Jessica Dennis. They have a perfect iTunes star rating and got themselves into New & Noteworthy in iTunes all on their own.

As gamers, they are proud to be "filthy casuals" so long as "hardcore" or "real" gamers are defined as being almost exclusively those who play ultra-complex or "basically just shooting dudes" types of games.

Consoles scare Anna and Jessica, and that's fine by me.

Yes, English majors...the construct that is the name of the show is a flagrant crime against the English language and slap in the mouth to real word "inconsolable", but it's clever and works and shut up.


In case you're worried: you need not consider yourself a gamer at all to enjoy the show. Do you figure "gamer" doesn't describe you because you just have a few games on your phone/tablet/computer and play them occasionally?

In that case...Unconsoleable is especially tailor-made for you in particular.

Most of the games I've played for a while now have been on my phone, whether ported versions of classics or new stuff like Monument Valley or Crossy Road. By a wide margin, I relate more to Anna and Jessica than I do the personalities behind the vast majority of "gaming" podcasts out there.

Unconsoleable is my entry point for a lower-pressure, friendlier way to get into good games that don't absorb all of my nonexistent free timeIt serves that purpose for me in the same way that I wanted Giant Size to be a jumping-on point that doesn't alienate non-hardcore or new comics readers.

I realized that Unconsoleable satisfied that need for me when it came to gaming part of the way into the second episode. I was learning about games I didn't know much or anything about, and they weren't talking down to me.

I decided to float the idea of joining forces at some point during that listening binge, while cleaning house the weekend before Thanksgiving. I sent a feedback email about how much I enjoyed the show. It was warmly received.

I gave some more time to consider and plan my pitch. I had to have this show on ESN.

I'll put it this way: I didn't know Crossy Road existed until I heard them talking about it.

According to GameCenter, they are both still handily destroying me at it.

In general, I think the potential audience for Unconsoleable is enormous.

The adoption rate of smartphones is radically higher than consoles (both currently and historically). As a result, "filthy casuals" are the not-so-sleepy giant of gaming, and have been on the rise ever since Nintendo's portable systems suddenly started outselling TV-connected consoles.

Ask anyone "Do you have a smartphone?" and I'd be shocked and appalled if they'd never, ever played a game on it.

There's an interesting, unique story to tell here in various respects beyond "casual gaming"-focused show that's well-produced.

This one checks all the boxes I need in that respect, while at once featuring co-hosts who haven't expressed any interest in being on the development or "pro reviewer" side of things. Neither of them is out in L.A. trying to pitch a YouTube show. There's nothing wrong with dev or reviewer perspectives, it's just that the direct audience/player perspective is a story that I don't hear told anywhere else.


It'll take some days to make sure we have everything merged and joined and forwarded properly (including finalizing very-slightly-modified art), but if you already love Unconsoleable, the good news is that nothing you like is changing. Stay subscribed to the feed you're subscribed to already. You're all set.

We plan to add some lightweight, unobtrusive sponsorship very soon, along with a reasonable amount of network cross-promotion and cross-pollination (because...why else would you join a network, right?).

We're actually starting with a single sponsor on episode 14 next week (SketchParty TV for iOS). Episode 14 is kind of a big deal beyond it being Unconsoleable's first official-official, on-network show.

Oh yeah...

Anna and Jessica's guest on episode 14 is none other than Matt Hall, the developer of Crossy Road!

Please welcome me in welcoming Anna and Jessica to ESN!