Yay! Tekzilla came in as one of iTunes Best of 2008 (iTunes store link here) for Podcast picks in the classic video category! Other pals that took the prize include:

2008 Audio
gdgt weekly

2008 Video
ill doctrine
Scam School
Project Lore

Classic Audio
TWiT
MacCast
Coverville
Buzz Out Loud

Classic Video
Ask A Ninja
Wine Library TV
GeekBrief
Diggnation
MAKE: Magazine

Congrats to everyone!!

I was listening to the gdgt roundtable this morning, and they started talking about the iPhone / iPod Touch as a gaming device. Josh Topolsky insisted that Apple was trying to drink Sony and Nintendo’s milkshakes, while Ryan said that Apple is just going for the “value add” of having games.

This got me thinking about my iPhone and the experiences I’ve had using it as a handheld gaming device, especially compared with the Nintendo DS and the PSP. Granted, gaming on my phone has not been my number one priority, but I’ve download a few decent ones: Spore Origins, Tris (which I believe is now unavailable) and Tap Tap Revenge. But at the end of the day, was it more fun for me to play games on my iPhone than if I’d brought along the DS or PSP? Well, no, not especially. Was it more convenient to not have to carry a second device? Of course. Yet the overall experience quality is still going to be better on a standalone gaming platform. I just wonder if people really care all that much about having the absolute best experience… maybe they just don’t need it.

This brings me to another point on the podcast: do mainstream users really care about the nit-pickings of technologists when it comes to their buying decisions? Yes, there can definitely be a trickle effect of opinion that can sway people (”Oh, I’ve heard this phone is very buggy, I’m going to wait for the next version”). But what about mainstream gamers? Are games on the iPod/iPhone ever going to effect the number of handheld devices being purchased, and the amount they’re used? Is it just a nice added benefit to the phone, or a major selling point?

Developers are cranking out some beautiful looking games for the App Store, and I’m sure they’re enjoying the direct-to-buyer system (that is, if their app makes it through the approval process), but I wonder what other frequent gamers are thinking.

Do you think people will eventually buy the iPod or iPhone with the primary function of being their gaming device?

Image courtesy of Apple.com

Wow, an Austin Powers reference? Really? And I thought I was above that…

Anyhow, next week I’ll be at the New Media Expo in Las Vegas, primarily to give a workshop with my esteemed colleague Tom Merritt (of Buzz Out Loud, Real Deal, East Meets West, The Sword and Laser, and CNET TV fame). Holy crap, Tom, you’re on a lot of stuff! Our workshop is entitled “Developing an Engaged Community (a.k.a. Don’t Feed the Trolls)”:

You want an engaged community. You want your audience to interact with your show and help spread the word. Then you get flamed. Then your feedback is filled with trolls. What do you do? Veronica Belmont and Tom Merritt have dealt with the best and worst of the online community and share their experiences and specific tips and tricks for dealing with a passionate audience. They’ll tell you how to reward the good convert the bad and avoid the purely evil. You’ll come away from this workshop armed with knowledge on how to make your community a better place for you and your listeners to grow your show.

If you’re going to be there, the workshop is at 10:30AM on Thursday. But that’s not the only reason I’m heading to Vegas! There are a few great parties on Friday night that you should check out, like the Revision3 Meet-Up at the Double Down Saloon from 6-8PM (with me, Zadi Diaz and other Rev3 peeps), and then the Coverville 500 party at Bally’s at 7PM (presumably until whenever we feel like it).

I’m really excited to meet some of the podcasters that I’ve always admired, like Brian Ibbot from Coverville and Scott Johnson from The Instance and Extralife Radio (is Randy Deluxe going to be there? I don’t even know!). Should be a great time, hope to see some of you there!

For some reason I ended up on a plethora of podcasts this week! Here’s the rundown for your listening and viewing enjoyment:

Sunday: This Week in Tech with Leo Laporte, Steve Gillmore, John C. Dvorak and Patrick Norton. We talked about all sorts of news, including SXSW (and Twitter, natch) as well as some unfounded rumors involving Revision3. Which leads us to…

Tuesday: Tekzilla! I love guest hosting this show, mostly because it means I get to hang out with Patrick and Roger all afternoon.

Thursday: The Instance Episode #100! I was honored and delighted to be on the 100th episode of my favorite podcast. Scott and Randy had folks on air that have made appearances or recorded special pieces for the show over the last 100 episodes, so it was like a big homecoming.

Friday: I went down to CNET for an in-studio recording of Buzz Out Loud. It was nice to be back in the BOL chair, even if I let Tom run the production side of things (it’s been a while, I’d probably break it). They live stream on ustream.tv now too, so I was able to record it. Not too exciting to watch us talk, I bet, but you get to see me chug some coffee.

And on Monday and Wednesday I recorded upcoming episodes of Mahalo Daily, so it was quite a full week.