Game Executive Elena Lobova, like so many millions, had to pack up a suitcase of her important belongings in Kyiv and leave her mother country. This is Elena’s story, who’s just arrived in Slovakia. It’s about bravery and courage, about how she left and how she got out, and what she will do now that she’s left.

The Circle Interview: Ukraine Game Exec Elena Lobova On Leaving Her Home & Country During Wartime

Welcome to Part 5, the final frightening portion, of the Circle's Halloween Series featuring Immortality. Emmy Award-winning composer Nainita Desai worked hard for over two years on Immortality's music and sound, creating three different themes in the soundtrack. To interviewer Valeisha Jackson, a Bronx intern for the New York Videogame Critic Circle, Nainita describes her process of creation, her early life in music, her journey of becoming a sound composer, how Britney Spears inspired her, the years she worked with Peter Gabriel, and more. For the complete Immortality series, go to NYGameCritics.com. And please join us on January 17 for the 12th Annual NY Game Awards at SVA Theatre in Manhattan.

Halloween Series! Immortality Composer Nainita Desai On The Music That Makes Games Eerie And Creepy

Celebrate the greatest games of 2023 at the New York Game Awards. Naughty Dog co-president Neil Druckmann receives the Andrew Yoon Legend Award. The New York Game Awards returns to SVA Theatre with hosts Reggie Fils-Aimé, Harold Goldberg, and Sherri L. Smith. Catch performances from the Daily Show’s Devin Delliquanti and musician Kimberly Hawkey. 

Visit our website: https://nygamecritics.com

Donate to our games education nonprofit: https://nygamecritics.com/donate

Follow NYVGCC on Twitter:  twitter.com/nyvgcc  

Follow NYVGCC on Instagram: instagram.com/nyvgcc

The 13th Annual New York Game Awards

Abubakar Salim joins Harold Goldberg and Kimari Rennis to talk about the release of Tales of Kenzera: Zau and how grief and African myth helped shape the game.

Donate to NYVGCC’s Playing With Purpose games writing program at NYGameCritics.com/donate.
Playing With Purpose brings journalism and narrative writing classes direct to schools. Participating students are given the unique opportunities: mentoring from game industry legends (like Reggie Fils-Aime and Phil Spencer), paid writing internships in NYGameCritics.com, and college scholarships.

Subscribe, follow, like, and rate wherever you listen:
YouTube: https://youtube.com/nyvcc1
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Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-york-videogame-critics-circle-podcast/id1445039345
Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/d696c02e-a1ae-4381-81c0-dacb1760498a/new-york-videogame-critics-circle-podcast

Follow Us:
https://twitter.com/nyvgcc
https://instagram.com/nyvgcc

Created and Produced by: Harold Goldberg (twitter.com/haroldgoldberg) & Ryan O’Callaghan (twitter.com/mrryanoc) 
Recording and Editing by: Kaitlin Stringer (twitter.com/stringerkait) 
Graphic Design by: Ryan O’Callaghan

Abubakar Salim on Tales of Kenzera: Zau, Grief & African Myth | Playing With Purpose Podcast Ep 1

Ben Starr joins Ryan O’Callaghan and Jade Entien to talk about Final Fantasy XVI: Rising Tide and how a lifetime of theater led to landing Clive Rosfield.

Donate to NYVGCC’s Playing With Purpose games writing program at NYGameCritics.com/donate.
Playing With Purpose brings journalism and narrative writing classes direct to schools. Participating students are given the unique opportunities: mentoring from game industry legends (like Reggie Fils-Aime and Phil Spencer), paid writing internships in NYGameCritics.com, and college scholarships.

Subscribe, follow, like, and rate wherever you listen:
YouTube: https://youtube.com/nyvcc1
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3CEs85a3sCpQorzmjo2gdC
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-york-videogame-critics-circle-podcast/id1445039345
Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/d696c02e-a1ae-4381-81c0-dacb1760498a/new-york-videogame-critics-circle-podcast

Follow Us:
https://twitter.com/nyvgcc
https://instagram.com/nyvgcc

Created and Produced by: Harold Goldberg (https://twitter.com/haroldgoldberg) & Ryan O’Callaghan (https://twitter.com/mrryanoc) 
Recording and Editing by: Kaitlin Stringer (https://twitter.com/stringerkait) 
Graphic Design by: Ryan O’Callaghan

Ben Starr on Final Fantasy 16 Rising Tide, Theater & Being Clive | Playing With Purpose Podcast Ep 2

Brandon Henriquez joins Ryan O’Callaghan and Ronald Gordon to talk about Video Game Amateurs, the NYC Gaming Community and how VGA went from Smash Tournaments to making an exclusive Bronx Brewery Beer: Power Up IPA.

Donate to NYVGCC’s Playing With Purpose games writing program at NYGameCritics.com/donate.
Playing With Purpose brings journalism and narrative writing classes direct to schools. Participating students are given unique opportunities: mentoring from game industry legends (like Reggie Fils-Aime and Phil Spencer), paid writing internships in NYGameCritics.com, and college scholarships.

Subscribe, follow, like, and rate wherever you listen:
YouTube: youtube.com/nyvcc1
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/3CEs85a3sCpQorzmjo2gdC
Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-…st/id1445039345
Amazon: music.amazon.com/podcasts/d696c02…s-circle-podcast

Follow Us:
twitter.com/nyvgcc
instagram.com/nyvgcc

Created and Produced by: Harold Goldberg (twitter.com/haroldgoldberg) & Ryan O’Callaghan (twitter.com/mrryanoc)
Recording and Editing by: Kaitlin Stringer (twitter.com/stringerkait)
Graphic Design by: Ryan O’Callaghan

Brandon Henriquez On Video Game Amateurs & The NYC Gaming Community | Playing With Purpose Ep 3

Raheem "Mega Ran" Jarbo joins Harold Goldberg and Ronald Gordon to talk about the creative process, teaching & education, Mega Ran's origin story, Nerdy People of Color, and much more.

Donate to NYVGCC’s Playing With Purpose games writing program at NYGameCritics.com/donate.
Playing With Purpose brings journalism and narrative writing classes direct to schools. Participating students are given unique opportunities: mentoring from game industry legends (like Reggie Fils-Aime and Phil Spencer), paid writing internships in NYGameCritics.com, and college scholarships.

Subscribe, follow, like, and rate wherever you listen:
YouTube: youtube.com/nyvcc1
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/3CEs85a3sCpQorzmjo2gdC
Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-…st/id1445039345
Amazon: music.amazon.com/podcasts/d696c02…s-circle-podcast

Follow Us:
twitter.com/nyvgcc
instagram.com/nyvgcc

Created and Produced by: Harold Goldberg (twitter.com/haroldgoldberg) & Ryan O’Callaghan (twitter.com/mrryanoc)
Recording and Editing by: Kaitlin Stringer (twitter.com/stringerkait)
Graphic Design by: Ryan O’Callaghan

Mega Ran On The Creative Process, Education & His Origin Story | Playing With Purpose Podcast Ep 4

Ronald Gordon (NYVGCC), Brandon Henriquez (Video Game Amateurs) & Mashfiq Ahmed (NYC DOE) join Ryan O'Callaghan at the Long Island Retro Gaming Expo for NYVGCC's game education panel, Pixelated Pedagogy: The Evolution of Video Games in the Classroom. The panelists talk about their favorite education games back when they were in school and share how their work is helping bring video games into the modern education space.

Donate to NYVGCC’s Playing With Purpose games writing program at NYGameCritics.com/donate.
Playing With Purpose brings journalism and narrative writing classes direct to schools. Participating students are given unique opportunities: mentoring from game industry legends (like Reggie Fils-Aime and Phil Spencer), paid writing internships in NYGameCritics.com, and college scholarships.

Subscribe, follow, like, and rate wherever you listen:
YouTube: youtube.com/nyvcc1
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/3CEs85a3sCpQorzmjo2gdC
Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-…st/id1445039345
Amazon: music.amazon.com/podcasts/d696c02…s-circle-podcast

Follow Us:
twitter.com/nyvgcc
instagram.com/nyvgcc

Created and Produced by: Harold Goldberg (twitter.com/haroldgoldberg) & Ryan O’Callaghan (twitter.com/mrryanoc)
Recording and Editing by: Kaitlin Stringer (twitter.com/stringerkait)
Graphic Design by: Ryan O’Callaghan

Video Games Education Panel @ LI Retro | Playing With Purpose Podcast Ep 5

Remy Siu joins Luis Aguasvivas (PopMatters) and Harold Goldberg (New York Times) to talk about the his love for immersive gaming experiences, his arts and music background, and the inception of his studio, Sunset Visitor, and his hit game, 1000xRESIST.

Donate to NYVGCC’s Playing With Purpose games writing program at NYGameCritics.com/donate.
Playing With Purpose brings journalism and narrative writing classes direct to schools. Participating students are given unique opportunities: mentoring from game industry legends (like Reggie Fils-Aime and Phil Spencer), paid writing internships in NYGameCritics.com, and college scholarships.

Subscribe, follow, like, and rate wherever you listen:
YouTube: youtube.com/nyvcc1
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/3CEs85a3sCpQorzmjo2gdC
Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-…st/id1445039345
Amazon: music.amazon.com/podcasts/d696c02…s-circle-podcast

Follow Us:
twitter.com/nyvgcc
instagram.com/nyvgcc

Created and Produced by: Harold Goldberg (twitter.com/haroldgoldberg) & Ryan O’Callaghan (twitter.com/mrryanoc)
Recording and Editing by: Kaitlin Stringer (twitter.com/stringerkait)
Graphic Design by: Ryan O’Callaghan

Remy Siu On Immersion, Building Sunset Visitor & 1000xRESIST | Playing With Purpose Ep 6

Luis Aguasvivas (PopMatters) joins Harold Goldberg (New York Times, NYVGCC) to talk about his time playing Final Fantasy VIII while recovering from illness while working for the Peace Corp in Africa.

Donate to NYVGCC’s Playing With Purpose games writing program at NYGameCritics.com/donate.
Playing With Purpose brings journalism and narrative writing classes direct to schools. Participating students are given unique opportunities: mentoring from game industry legends (like Reggie Fils-Aime and Phil Spencer), paid writing internships in NYGameCritics.com, and college scholarships.

Subscribe, follow, like, and rate wherever you listen:
YouTube: youtube.com/nyvcc1
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/3CEs85a3sCpQorzmjo2gdC
Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/new-…st/id1445039345
Amazon: music.amazon.com/podcasts/d696c02…s-circle-podcast

Follow Us:
twitter.com/nyvgcc
instagram.com/nyvgcc

Created and Produced by: Harold Goldberg (twitter.com/haroldgoldberg) & Ryan O’Callaghan (twitter.com/mrryanoc)
Recording and Editing by: Kaitlin Stringer (twitter.com/stringerkait)
Graphic Design by: Ryan O’Callaghan

Luis Aguasvivas On Playing Games While You're Sick | Playing With Purpose Podcast Ep 7

In this limited interview series, Sam Lake sits down with NYVGCC interns to talk about his amazing career at Remedy as the creative force behind Max Payne, Alan Wake, and more.

Sam Lake is the Andrew Yoon Legend Award winner at the 14th Annual New York Game Awards on Jan 21, 2025.

Go to nygamecritics.com/awards for tickets and more info about the NY Game Awards.

If you like our work, go to nygamecritics.com/donate to make a donation. All donations support our Playing With Purpose games writing program, which provides education, scholarships, internships, and more to students in underserved communities.

Sam Lake Interview Series (Part 1)

Sam Lake Interview Series (Part 2)

Sam Lake Interview Series (Part 3)

Sam Lake Interview Series (Part 4)

Sam Lake Interview Series (Part 5)

In this special edition of NYVGCC's Playing With Purpose Podcast, Circle president and New York Times games columnist Harold Goldberg interviews brilliant DJ/producer/games entrepreneur Clinton Sparks. With partners like T-Pain, Sparks is launching The Global Gaming League, "where gaming, music, fashion, sports, celebrity, and culture converge for an unparalleled live experience." Here, Sparks talks about his hopes and dreams for the organization - and reveals much about what makes him tick. On on Saturday, June 28, 2025, a GGL live event drops in Las Vegas showcasing the pilot episode. For this episode, the Circle's Ryan O'Callaghan does the intro.

Clinton Sparks Global Gaming League Interview

It's the First New York Videogame Critics Circle Podcast! It features Circle Founder Harold Goldberg, Sherri L. Smith from Tom's Guide and Dan Ackerman from CNET. We have a spirited discussion about the frights in:

Current Games:

Super Mario Odyssey's creepier levels,
Evil Within 2
Wolfenstein II: New Colossus
Resident Evil 7 (and 2)
Cuphead

Classic Games:
Bioshock
Manhunt
The 7th Guest
Resident Evil 2 (which Ackerman reveals helped him get a job in games journalism)
Fatal Frame

Books:
Soft and Cuddly by Jarett Kobak
Dan's book, The Tetris Effect
Harold's book, All Your Base Are Belong to Us: How 50 Years of Videogames Conquered Pop Culture.

Halloween by New York Videogame Critics Circle, Podcast 1

In this New York Videogame Critics Circle Podcast, Quantic Dream studio head David Cage talks about that difficult social issues and the pre-release criticism of Detroit: Become Human.

NYVGCC Podcast: David Cage Discusses The Difficult Themes Within Detroit: Become Human

In this NY Videogame Critics Circle Podcast, Harold Goldberg asks how Murray got her start as a novelist, how she moved into games, what it was like to work on Assassins Creed, and what the tattoo on her left arm means to her - and to her writing in Tomb Raider.

NYVGCC Podcast: Shadow of the Tomb Raider Writer Jill Murray

Starbreeze's head of content Brooks Brown greenlit Inkstories' multisensory Hero: A Verite VR Experience that takes you through a bombing in a Syrian town. Here, Brown, a Columbine survivor, talks about how his experience during the horrible high school shooting impacted his decision to produce Hero, which won the Storyscapes Award at the Tribeca Film Festival last week.

NYVGCC Podcast:  Hero VR Part 2, Starbreeze's Brooks Brown

So many cool holiday things! The New York Videogame Critics Circle Holiday Podcast features CNET's Dan Ackerman and Scott Stein, Tom's Guide's Sherri Smith, Circle founder Harold Goldberg and Jeremy Agyemang from the DreamYard, where we mentor high school studnets. We talk NY Game Awards reveals, Red Dead 2, Spider-Man, God of War, Ozobot, Anki Vector, the new Smash Bros., The Mysterious Package Company, Opiods, the best and worst holiday gifts, and so much much. Have a great holiday!

Crazy Great Holiday Games, Tech & Wonders - NY Videogame Critics Circle

In late September, 2019, New York Videogame Critics Circle Editor in Chief Harold Goldberg traveled to Los Angeles to play two new portions of The Last of Us Part II. Here, Naughty Dog co-game director Kurt Margenau and Goldberg talk about Ellie's newest harrowing adventures set in an claustrophobic blizzard and then, in a lush but ravaged Seattle.

The Last of Us Part II According To Naughty Dog's Kurt Margenau

Teaser for "Talking Games With Reggie And Harold" podcast. Help us help the homeless and donate at https://charity.gofundme.com/talking-games-with-reggie-and-harold

Talking Games With Reggie And Harold

Enjoy Reggie's and Harold's inside games stories in this fundraising podcast for NYVGCC's nonprofit mentoring. Please go to NYGameCritics.com/Reggie to donate. Today, Reggie and Harold talk about Beginnings: Reggie's beginnings at Nintendo, Harold's beginnings creating the Circle, and the beginning of our new initiative with Henry Love to help homeless students in shelters with games in the time of COVID-19. (Special thanks to Anton Sanko, who composed our great music!)

Talking Games With Reggie And Harold Episode 1

Microsoft Xbox's Phil Spencer is our special guest on Talking Games With Reggie And Harold! Listen for his surprise announcement! Then, please donate for our good cause at NYGameCritics.com/Reggie. This also is a special music-themed episode in which  the former Nintendo of America president talks about his work with Loretta Lynn to the E3 concerts Nintendo staged. Harold talks about meeting Miles Davis, Wynton Marsalis, Patti Smith, The Kinks, Talking Heads, The Cars, Green Day - and nearly getting arrested at a Bob Dylan show. Enjoy!

Talking Games With Reggie And Harold With Phil Spencer Episode 2

Have fun listening to Geoff, Reggie and Harold! But please donate to help us homeless students at https://charity.gofundme.com/talking-games-with-reggie-and-harold or https://nygamecritics.com/reggie. Here, we talk about Geoff beating Reggie at the Wii at E3 and how Reggie fought back to never be beaten again. We talk about the creation of The Game Awards and the loneliness Geoff sometimes feels, and how Geoff gives back at our New York Game Awards - every year. And we shout out to Evan Narcisse.

Talking Games With Reggie And Harold With Geoff Keighley Episode 3

First, please donate to our charity for homeless youth at NYGameCritics.com/Reggie. Today, the awesome DrLupo joins Talking Games With Reggie And Harold aboutBLM, Covid-19, his charity work, and games including Destiny, Fortnite and even Animal Crossing. Then, Dan Goldenberg talks about helping veterans via CODE, the Call of Duty Endowment.

Talking Games With Reggie And Harold With DrLupo Episode 4

First, please donate at NYGameCritics.com/Reggie. We need your help! To help mentor students of color and get them jobs! Today, Cloud9 owner Jack Etienne talks to Reggie and Harold about the team's storied history, the effect of Covid-19 on him and the teams, Cloud 9's first League of Legends team and whether Hai should have been an owner, the issue of bigotry in esports, what ownership means for Sneaky, and much more.

Talking Games with Reggie and Harold With Jack Etienne

Our first guest today is Evan Narcisse, writer for Spider-Man: Mile Morales (PS5) and The Rise of The Black Panther comic. In addition, we have news of a brilliant game technology from Square-Enix alums called Genvid. CEO Jacob Navok explains. Finally, Sherri Smith, editor in chief of Laptop Magazine talks the future of Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft with Reggie and Harold. Next week we'll have Naughty Dog's Neil Druckmann talking about The Last of Us Part II. It will be the final episode of this series of Talking Games With Reggie And Harold! So enjoy!

Evan Narcisse Joins Talking Games With Reggie And Harold

It's really "The Last of Us" - for Reggie and Harold. That's because the two wrap up their seven-episode fundraising podcast with a PlayStation Special. Please donate now at to help underserved communities at https://nygamecritics.com/reggie/. First up, Naughty Dog's game director Neil Druckmann speaks about the making of and release of The Last of Us Part II - and offers donors a signed Last of U Part II PlayStation Pro Bundle! Then, Media Molecule's studio director Siobhan Reddy speaks about the creation of Dreams and LittleBigPlanet.

Popular tracks by New York Videogame Critics Circle