{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/63b458521043e00011114396/6a8f6279c36cbadbe76b6c63?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"Mike Diver, journalist, author (Aliens: The Video Games)","thumbnail_width":200,"thumbnail_height":200,"thumbnail_url":"https://open-images.acast.com/shows/63b458521043e00011114396/1787781615672-d2822db2-647a-438e-9e51-ff02404ff804.jpeg?height=200","description":"<p>Mike Diver is a British journalist, editor, and author whose career has moved fluidly between music criticism and video games writing, always with an eye for subculture, history, and stories beyond the mainstream. He began at the music website <strong>Drowned in Sound</strong>, where he rose to become content editor, before going on to work with <strong>Clash</strong> and contribute to publications including <strong>Kerrang! </strong>and <strong>Rock Sound</strong>.</p><p><br></p><p>Later, he turned increasingly to video games, writing for outlets including <strong>Edge</strong> and <strong>Kotaku</strong> - as well as heading up teams at <strong>VICE Gaming</strong> (later <strong>Waypoint</strong>) and <strong>GAMINGbible</strong> - and bringing the same curiosity and critical energy to games culture, retro hardware, and the history of the medium. Alongside his journalism, he has written six books on video games and edited several more, covering subjects from indie games and esports to Sonic the Hedgehog and Final Fantasy. His latest book, <strong>Aliens: The Video Games</strong>, continues that fascination with the way great pop-cultural worlds mutate and endure through interactive form.</p><p><br></p><p><u>LINKS</u></p><p><br></p><p><strong>Mike Diver – website &amp; book</strong></p><p><a href=\"https://www.waterstones.com/book/aliens-the-video-games/mike-diver/9781036127718\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Mike Diver –&nbsp;<em>Aliens: The Video Games: An Unofficial Guide</em>&nbsp;(Waterstones, out 30 August 2026)</a></p><p><a href=\"https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Aliens-The-Video-Games-Hardback/p/58218\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Aliens: The Video Games</em>&nbsp;– publisher White Owl / Pen and Sword</a></p><p><br></p><p><strong>Alien games discussed</strong></p><p><a href=\"https://store.steampowered.com/app/214490/Alien_Isolation/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Alien: Isolation – Steam</a></p><p><a href=\"https://store.steampowered.com/app/1150440/Aliens_Dark_Descent/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Aliens: Dark Descent – Steam</a></p><p><a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aliens:_Colonial_Marines\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Aliens: Colonial Marines – Wikipedia</a></p><p><a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aliens:_Infestation\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Aliens: Infestation (Nintendo DS) – Wikipedia</a></p><p><a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien_vs._Predator_(arcade_game)\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Aliens vs. Predator (Capcom, 1994 arcade) – Wikipedia</a></p><p><a href=\"https://store.steampowered.com/app/1547000/Alien_Rogue_Incursion/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Alien: Rogue Incursion – Steam</a></p><p><a href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3d9rBKdnkk8\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Alien: Isolation 2 – official announcement trailer</a></p><p><br></p><p><strong>Mike's Perfect Console</strong></p><p><a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensible_Soccer\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Sensible Soccer (1992) – Wikipedia</a></p><p><a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensible_World_of_Soccer\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Sensible World of Soccer – Wikipedia</a></p><p><a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streets_of_Rage_2\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Streets of Rage 2 – Wikipedia</a></p><p><a href=\"https://streets4rage.com/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Streets of Rage 4 – official site</a></p><p><a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snatcher_(video_game)\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Snatcher – Wikipedia</a></p><p><a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1944:_The_Loop_Master\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">1944: The Loop Master – Wikipedia</a></p><p><a href=\"https://store.steampowered.com/app/1515950/Capcom_Arcade_2nd_Stadium/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium (includes 1944) – Steam</a></p><p><a href=\"https://www.thewitcher.com/en/witcher3\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – official site</a></p><p><a href=\"https://store.steampowered.com/app/292030/The_Witcher_3_Wild_Hunt/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Steam</a></p><p><br></p><p><strong>Other games and references mentioned</strong></p><p><a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drowned_in_Sound\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Drowned in Sound – Wikipedia (music website where Mike began his career)</a></p><p><a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waypoint_(website)\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Vice Gaming / Waypoint – Wikipedia</a></p><p><a href=\"https://aftermath.site/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Aftermath – independent games journalism site</a></p><p><a href=\"https://respec.co/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Respec – independent games journalism site</a></p><p><a href=\"https://minathehollower.com/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Mina the Hollower – Yacht Club Games</a></p><p><a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yuzo_Koshiro\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Yuzo Koshiro – composer of Streets of Rage 2 soundtrack, Wikipedia</a></p><p><a href=\"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hideo_Kojima\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Hideo Kojima – Wikipedia</a></p><p><a href=\"https://evercade.co.uk/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Evercade – retro gaming handheld</a></p><p><br></p><p><strong>Next week's guest</strong></p><p><a href=\"https://www.sarahgriff.com/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Sarah Maria Griffin – official website</a></p><p><a href=\"https://www.waterstones.com/book/eat-the-ones-you-love/sarah-maria-griffin/9781803366579\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\"><em>Eat the Ones You Love</em>&nbsp;– Sarah Maria Griffin's latest novel (Waterstones)</a></p><p><a href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/profile/sarah-maria-griffin\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Sarah Maria Griffin – writing about video games for The Guardian</a></p><p><br></p><p><strong>Support the show</strong></p><p><a href=\"https://www.myperfectconsole.com/\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">My Perfect Console – episode archive</a></p><p><a href=\"https://www.patreon.com/myperfectconsole\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Support My Perfect Console on Patreon</a></p>","author_name":"Simon Parkin"}