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Simon Parkin

@simonparkin.bsky.social
4.5K followers 193 following 249 posts

Author and journalist. Creator of the My Perfect Console podcast. www.simonparkin.com

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sincerely, rob dubbin @robdubbin.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
nine games huh? (negotiating) i can do five games. no i won't use the graphics template. yes i will talk about each of them extensively. yes there will be a biographical component. what can i do to get this over the line? ok i'll throw in @simonparkin.bsky.social www.myperfectconsole.com/episode/167
myperfectconsole.com
My Perfect Console
The My Perfect Console podcast, hosted by Simon Parkin
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charlesjpratt @charlesjpratt.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
One of Hideo Kojima's real talents is that he would have exactly this idea but the stew would be dropped off by a drone that sings a little jingle which can alert enemies if they're in range. You then get a phone call from a nuclear scientist who warns you not to eat too much starch and dairy.
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Santa Fe Public Library @sfnmpl.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
#NatureLoversBookClub Discuss the wonders of the natural world. #SouthsideLibrary Community Room Wednesday, September 16, 2026 5:30pm–7:00pm September's Selection: The Forbidden Garden: The Botanists of Besieged Leningrad and Their Impossible Choice by Simon Parkin
The book cover for "The Forbidden Garden" by Simon Parkin, featuring a collage image that includes a neo-classical building with two figures in the foreground in a garden.
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robert p. baird @robertpbaird.com · 14/08/2026
It‘s a lot more fun to read the coverline as a caption, and to imagine EW taking a break from her rambles to watch the movie in her motorhome on a bright summer day. She’s just inside the open door, shouting at her laptop screen loud enough for her trailer park-mates to wonder if all’s ok.
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Simon Parkin @simonparkin.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
After footage of an abandoned routine resurfaced online, comedian Alfie Brown found himself navigating public condemnation while mourning the deaths of his closest friend and his father. He fled London for Liverpool to imagine a different future: observer.co.uk/culture/inte...
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Simon Parkin @simonparkin.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
A real joy to speak to Rob, and learn about how his time writing for Stephen Colbert has nourished his game design work.
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My Martin Amis podcast @mymartinamis.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
🎟️ TICKETS ON SALE NOW 🎟️ Early bird tickets at £35, on sale until the end of June. Join us for the launch of The Cambridge Companion to Martin Amis, with a panel discussion, intimate presentation on the arduous and electrifying task of Editing Amis, and more! BOOK NOW: trybooking.com/uk/GQIT
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George E. Osborn @georgeosborn.bsky.social · 16/06/2026
I went on @simonparkin.bsky.social’s wonderful @myperfectconsole.bsky.social to pick my favourite games for my own perfect home made console. Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts 🎧 podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/m...
podcasts.apple.com
George Osborn, strategist, author (Power Play: Video Games, Politics, and the Battle for Global Influence.)
Podcast Episode · My Perfect Console with Simon Parkin · 16 June · 1hr 30min
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anokayguy most Auteur @anokayguy.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
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My Perfect Console podcast @myperfectconsole.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
Polar has been praised for its vast, glacial beauty — but did you know the orchestral album was inspired by open-world video games? In this week’s episode, the Icelandic composer Gabriel Olafs joins host @simonparkin.bsky.social. Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts: bit.ly/4g9npg5
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Simon Parkin @simonparkin.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
Trial of the Space Invaders: The Case that Changed Video Games The true story of Nintendo’s years-long legal battle to establish who invented video games, and the secret, never-before-revealed settlement that profoundly shaped today’s industry. I cannot wait to share it with you. Coming: Jan 2027
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Simon Parkin @simonparkin.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
Trial of the Space Invaders: The Case that Changed Video Games The true story of Nintendo’s years-long legal battle to establish who invented video games, and the secret, never-before-revealed settlement that profoundly shaped today’s industry. I cannot wait to share it with you. Coming: Jan 2027
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Simon Parkin @simonparkin.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
Car fox, Brighton station.
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Stephen Totilo @stephentotilo.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
This was a lot of fun. The five games I picked for my own dream console were: - The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask - WarioWare Twisted - Red Dead Redemption 2 - Assassin’s Creed Valhalla - WarioWare Move It I explain why throughout the episode (these are not exactly my five favorite games, FYI)
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Simon Parkin @simonparkin.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
So excited to have edited and contributed to this beautiful collection of new and published pieces about The Last of Us. Includes stories from the New Yorker, the New York Times, Time, and GQ, as well as two intimate and never-before-published interviews with director, @druckmann.bsky.social.
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Simon Parkin @simonparkin.bsky.social · 10/05/2026
In the weeks leading up to SNL UK’s debut, there was an almost giddy sense of anticipatory schadenfreude among many onlookers in Britain. Then, after the premiere, wary praise turned into genuine excitement. How did they prove the naysayers wrong? observer.co.uk/style/featur...
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The Observer @theobserveruk.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
After more than half a century, Saturday Night Live, the great American comedy institution, has launched a British version (which sounds like an SNL sketch in itself). Employing 300 people and costing over £2m an episode, it’s a huge gamble. Simon Park asks: has it worked? bit.ly/48RGVtg
bit.ly
Look who’s laughing now: how Saturday Night Live landed i...
After more than half a century, Saturday Night Live, the great American comedy institution, has launched a British version (which sounds like an SNL sketch in itself). Employing 300 people and costing...
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Felicia Day @felicia.day · 17/04/2026
LOVED this interview :D
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Simon Parkin @simonparkin.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
Loved chatting with @felicia.day, whose story is so closely entwined with the evolution of the modern internet, in all its joyous and terrifying forms.
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My Perfect Console podcast @myperfectconsole.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
From Wakanda to Harlem. This week, @evnarc.bsky.social, comic writer, journalist, and narrative designer, joins Simon to discuss storytelling across Black Panther and Spider-Man: Miles Morales, and the cultural threads that run through his work. Listen now: bit.ly/4tak4AR
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Simon Parkin @simonparkin.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
After he sold Wordle to the New York Times, Josh Wardle felt lost. He found refuge in an unlikely place: the cryptic crossword. Now he wants to teach the world how to solve them. For @newyorker I spoke to Wardle about his new project, Parseword, out today: www.newyorker.com/culture/the-...
newyorker.com
The Next Game from the Creator of Wordle Is Here
Josh Wardle, the creator of Wordle, has a new game that aims to introduce players to the joys and agonies of the cryptic crossword.
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Simon Parkin @simonparkin.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
After he sold Wordle to the New York Times, Josh Wardle felt lost. He found refuge in an unlikely place: the cryptic crossword. Now he wants to teach the world how to solve them. For @newyorker I spoke to Wardle about his new project, Parseword, out today: www.newyorker.com/culture/the-...
newyorker.com
The Next Game from the Creator of Wordle Is Here
Josh Wardle, the creator of Wordle, has a new game that aims to introduce players to the joys and agonies of the cryptic crossword.
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My Perfect Console podcast @myperfectconsole.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
Which well-known video game voice actor is difficult to work with? Join @SimonParkin.bsky.social in conversation with legendary performance director Tom Keegan, who has pioneered the evolution of acting in video games such as Resident Evil 2, Wolfenstein and Battlefield. Listen now: bit.ly/4lk41h9
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My Perfect Console podcast @myperfectconsole.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
Did a chance encounter with Demon’s Souls in Japan help bring FromSoftware’s games to the West? In today's episode, Scottish journalist and Guardian Games Editor @mackeza.bsky.social talks about chronicling the video game industry, and her new book covering Nintendo. Available now: bit.ly/3OMBODk
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Simon Parkin @simonparkin.bsky.social · 28/02/2026
Enjoyed appearing on Jacob Watson-Howland's podcast, talking about The Forbidden Garden of Leningrad: open.spotify.com/episode/1yAT...
open.spotify.com
#75: WW2's Secret Story: The Scientists Who Starved for the Future - Simon Parkin
Spotify video
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My Perfect Console podcast @myperfectconsole.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
Joining us for our first episode of 2026 is the mathmetician and narrative designer, @jon.inkle.co. In 2011, Jon co-founded the independent studio Inkle, and has since worked on titles such as 80 Days, A Highland Song, and now a game set in a wartime computer: TR-49. Listen now: apple.co/45JM19p
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Glenn Moore @thenewsatglenn.bsky.social · 23/12/2025
I love listening to this podcast and I’ve been looking forward to doing this episode for ages - hear our countdowns of our favourite games of 2025, right here!
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Scribner Books @scribnerbooks.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
The Guardian picked THE FORBIDDEN GARDEN by Simon Parkin as one of the Best Science Books of 2025! bit.ly/3MoIE0x
bit.ly
The best science and nature books of 2025
From the threat of superintelligent AI to the dangers of overdiagnosis; plus the evolution of language and the restless genius of Francis Crick
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Simon Parkin @simonparkin.bsky.social · 16/12/2025
This week's episode––our last interview of 2025––features @harvey1966.bsky.social, co-designer of Deus Ex and Dishonored, in a profoundly reflective mood, exploring a life spent at the bleeding edge of immersive sim design. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.
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Simon Parkin @simonparkin.bsky.social · 14/12/2025
Critics once wielded savage pens. Now, audiences crave cheer. As the age of the vicious restaurant review fades, have we lost our appetite for honesty along with our taste for cruelty? In today's @observeruk.bsky.social: observer.co.uk/style/featur...
observer.co.uk
How we lost our taste for the vicious restaurant review | The Observer
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Alan Wen @damisanthrope.bsky.social · 14/12/2025
Great read, and can’t help but make parallels to other reviews
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Simon Parkin @simonparkin.bsky.social · 14/12/2025
Critics once wielded savage pens. Now, audiences crave cheer. As the age of the vicious restaurant review fades, have we lost our appetite for honesty along with our taste for cruelty? In today's @observeruk.bsky.social: observer.co.uk/style/featur...
observer.co.uk
How we lost our taste for the vicious restaurant review | The Observer
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My Perfect Console podcast @myperfectconsole.bsky.social · 09/12/2025
Join Simon live in Chicago as he chats with pioneering American video game developer Alex Seropian. Find out how Alex founded Bungie while a student at University, and why, after Apple's Steve Jobs revealed the game on stage, they took Halo to Microsoft. Listen now: bit.ly/48DkCGz
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Keza MacDonald @mackeza.bsky.social · 04/12/2025
My book about Nintendo is out soon! Early readers have said incredibly nice things about it! Pre-order here for US/UK: linktr.ee/super_nintendo
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Simon Parkin @simonparkin.bsky.social · 03/12/2025
‘The Forbidden Garden of Leningrad’ is one of @theguardian.com’s science books of the year. Pick up a copy for a loved one who enjoys nonfiction wherever you get your books: www.theguardian.com/books/2025/d...
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Marc マルク🗼 @shiftyweb.bsky.social · 03/12/2025
Incredible @myperfectconsole.bsky.social episode with Mark Cerny sharing a ton of annecdotes. Atari, Sega, Universal, Cystal Dynamics, Naughty Dog, Insomniac, Playstation, you name it. Priceless stories for videogame history enthousiasts. Give it a listen! Mark, write a biography I beg you! 🙏
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Billy Hynes Comics Enabler & Victim @billyhynes.bsky.social · 02/12/2025
A phenomenal interview within the format of the show while the guest clearly has about 100 hours at least of stuff to talk about. One day maybe. A book. But in the meantime, an excellent interview by Simon Parkin
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Simon Parkin @simonparkin.bsky.social · 28/11/2025
A rare Pokémon appears: Mark Cerny, on the show, next week.
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Simon Parkin @simonparkin.bsky.social · 18/11/2025
The story of how a Bournemouth schoolboy developed Worms, a video game that went on to become a global phenomenon, is extraordinary. One of my favourite conversations on the show this year-
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Simon Parkin @simonparkin.bsky.social · 11/11/2025
A privilege to speak with @yosp-jp.bsky.social, whose passion and belief in independent gamemakers is both infectious and authentic. Among many other things he tells the story of how a failure led him to join Ken Kuatargi's PlayStation project, an opportunity that changed the course of his life:
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A Profound Waste of Time @apwot.bsky.social · 11/11/2025
Origins of a Species 🐟 At the turn of the millennium one of gaming’s most unique and bizarre titles was released for the Dreamcast. @simonparkin.bsky.social sits down with its creator Yoot Saito to discuss the evolution, extinction and potential revival of the weird and wonderful Seaman.
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Simon Parkin @simonparkin.bsky.social · 11/11/2025
A privilege to speak with @yosp-jp.bsky.social, whose passion and belief in independent gamemakers is both infectious and authentic. Among many other things he tells the story of how a failure led him to join Ken Kuatargi's PlayStation project, an opportunity that changed the course of his life:
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A Profound Waste of Time @apwot.bsky.social · 04/11/2025
🤖🌟 Issue 6 of APWOT is live on Kickstarter! 🌟🤖 Featuring a beautiful lenticular cover of Astro Bot marking both our feature interview with the game’s director, Nicolas Doucet, and the 30th anniversary of PlayStation. Get in there! 💫 kck.st/4i1GAHT 💫
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Scribner Books @scribnerbooks.bsky.social · 28/10/2025
Named a Best Book of the Year by Scientific American and The Economist! The true story of the botanists who made “the heroic decision during the siege of Leningrad to guard biodiversity at the cost of human life” (NYT) The Forbidden Garden by Simon Parkin, now in paperback! bit.ly/3BIYQod
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Rami Ismail (رامي) @ramiismail.com · 29/10/2025
I am such a huge fan of @myperfectconsole.bsky.social, because I'm such a huge fan of @simonparkin.bsky.social. Getting to be on the show was a delight, and folks are telling me it was good - I'm glad to hear.
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Simon Parkin @simonparkin.bsky.social · 26/10/2025
While alive, Einstein fought all attempts to use his name and likeness as a promotional gimmick. His death, however, turned his face into a battleground, kickstarting the celebrity image rights industry. Inside the murky world of Einstein’s rights, now in audio: www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2...
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A Profound Waste of Time @apwot.bsky.social · 22/10/2025
🚨 It's that time of year again! Please sign up for the upcoming ISSUE 6 campaign! 🙌🙏 www.kickstarter.com/projects/caz...
kickstarter.com
Coming soon: A Profound Waste of Time: Issue 6
The sixth issue of A Profound Waste of Time. Kickstarter coming late 2025.
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Simon Parkin @simonparkin.bsky.social · 23/10/2025
*The Audience Versus* is coming to The Pleasance, Islington next Tues, 28th Oct. Face-off against @elliegibson.bsky.social and www.instagram.com/_ednight/ in a series of bastardised video game-challenges. With host @thenewsatglenn.bsky.social. Tickets here: www.pleasance.co.uk/event/audien...
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My Perfect Console podcast @myperfectconsole.bsky.social · 21/10/2025
The success of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 caught everyone by surprise, including those intimately involved in its creation. Join @SimonParkin.bsky.social in conversation with Lorien Testard as he recounts his journey from guitar teacher to game's composer. Listen now: apple.co/47xkVDw
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Evan Narcisse @evnarc.bsky.social · 18/10/2025
I'll be talking with @simonparkin.bsky.social today for a live recording of the @myperfectconsole.bsky.social podcast as part of the University of Chicago's amazing Year of Games Symposium. Come through if you can! www.eventbrite.com/e/my-perfect...
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