Funny Games: Comedy Podcasting and Cultural Cut-Through

This September 2026 edition of the Video Games Industry Memo, written by George E. Osborn, argues that games can break into the wider cultural conversation by letting people who love games and already hold cultural visibility speak for the medium. The main feature is an interview with British stand-up comedian Glenn Moore, who has appeared on Mock the Week and Live at the Apollo and hosts the Button Boys podcast with comedians Pierre Novellie and Sarah Keyworth.

Moore traces his passion to a childhood one-hour daily gaming limit, which fostered a completionist streak. He now finishes more than 100 games a year, a habit that accelerated during the pandemic. His route into games media ran through contacts made while moving from newsreading into comedy, including BBC gaming correspondent Steffan Powell and writer Simon Parkin's My Perfect Console podcast.

Moore argues games are becoming easier comedy material than film or TV because audiences watch fragmented content while games share broader reference points such as Skyrim. He likens reluctant gamers to "shy Tories," people who play but hesitate to say so. Button Boys deliberately avoids industry topics like layoffs and toxic workplaces, focusing on game content and the diversity of the medium. Its traction includes weekly episodes since launch, a Patreon, first sponsorships from Team17 and 2K, a live show at London's Leicester Square Theatre on 15 September, and fan recognition at the Edinburgh Fringe. Moore hopes to record from a consumer games event floor.

The issue also carries news briefs: the White House's arcade.gov propaganda games, including a removed Tetris clone; a suspended sentence for a former Jagex employee over a $400,000 Old School RuneScape theft; Rockstar's employment tribunal with the IWGB; the Nova Games Foundation's six-figure student grants; and Roblox Arabia's social channels. Job moves, events and new releases such as the AI-controversial NHL 27 round out the issue.