Post Games Podcast FAQ: Independent Journalism with Casey Newton

About Post Games & Chris Plant

• 💡 Post Games is a listener-supported podcast exploring why and how we love video games, focusing on overlooked and underappreciated topics.
• 🎯 Hosted by Chris Plant, a veteran with nearly 20 years in video game journalism, who co-founded Polygon and co-hosts "The Besties."
• 🧠 The show combines original reporting, research, interviews, and writing in an audio magazine format, aiming to be entertaining, informative, and under 90 minutes.

Patreon Support & Benefits

• ✅ Patreon support is essential for the show's existence, making it Chris Plant's full-time job.
• 🚀 Patrons receive exclusive benefits including a bonus act in every episode, early access, expanded newsletters, ad-free content, and a year-long video game journalism 101 course.
• 💰 Funding helps cover invisible work like HR, payroll, accounting, web hosting, and healthcare costs for the solo operation.

Independent Journalism Explained

• 🔑 Independent journalism offers a sustainable path for journalists to work on their own terms and capture the value they create.
• 💡 Inspired by figures like Ben Thompson and platforms like Substack, it allows individuals to build a direct relationship with their audience.
• 🎯 The "secret sauce" involves designing products that meet an unmet market need, rather than relying solely on a "cult of personality."

Casey Newton's Experience & Advice

• 📈 Casey Newton launched Platformer in 2020, finding significant demand for news at the intersection of tech and democracy, quickly becoming a full-time endeavor.
• 🧠 He advises independent journalists to think of themselves as doing a job for someone, providing curated information and analysis to their audience.
• ⚠️ This approach fosters mental well-being by focusing on service, contrasting with the "madness" of constantly seeking provocative takes for social media engagement.

Adapting to Change & Gaming Reflections

• 🔄 Independent journalism requires constant evolution as audience interests and subjects change, necessitating the entrepreneur to find new frontiers (e.g., from Facebook moderation to AI policy).
• 🎮 Casey Newton, a "video game normie," enjoys playing new games but questions if parrying mechanics are becoming too difficult for older players due to reflex time.
• 💡 Chris Plant offers to investigate the "parry window" and recommends Doom: The Dark Ages for its "Atlantic Ocean-sized" parry window, making players feel skilled.