Aurie Styla’s Replay Gang is a brand new podcast from critically acclaimed comedian, creator and broadcaster Aurie Styla. Each episode features a one-on-one conversation with a very special guest about their life journey - and the video games they played along the way. It’s a warm, funny, nostalgic look at the most influential story-telling medium of the last five decades.
The first episode, coming to all podcast platforms on Thursday 30th January, features the legendary writer and broadcaster Danny Wallace, who tells Aurie about how he came to be one of the first people in the UK to play Sonic The Hedgehog as well as his experience starring in the multi-million selling Assassin’s Creed game franchise. Future guests include presenter and streamer Elz The Witch, comedians Desiree Burch, Olga Koch, Matt Richardson & Glenn Moore, broadcaster Marcus Bronzy, and many more.
The first home video game console, the Magnavox Odyssey, arrived in the UK in 1973, more than 50 years ago. Since then, gaming has been a formative influence on several generations who’ve grown up with it. “I truly believe that gaming has been just as influential on today’s brilliant creatives as books, movies, TV and music - probably more so,” says Aurie.
Across the series there’s plenty of hot takes on AAA titles, but this isn’t just a show for the hardcore gamers; for some of Aurie’s guests, Minesweeper, Solitaire and The Sims were just as important as Gears of War, Call of Duty and the Grand Theft Auto series. “The beauty of gaming now is that it’s available to everyone,” says Aurie. “If you’ve ever picked up a game pad or downloaded a game, you’re a gamer as far as I’m concerned.”
Aurie’s conversations cover everything from role models and representation to emotionally transformative experiences through gaming; we also hear some wild confessions about how far our guests’ obsession goes, including recreating the Love Island villa in The Sims and undertaking real-time transatlantic flights in Flight Simulator. It’s a funny, fresh and moving look at a medium that’s changed the world and touched the lives of generations of gamers.
Aurie Styla’s Replay Gang is written and presented by Aurie Styla and produced by Matt Nida (Joe Lycett vs David Beckham, The Big Fat Quiz of the Year, Rhod Gilbert’s Growing Pains) for Wild Ambitions. New episodes are available weekly on all podcast platforms from Thursday 30th January.
Watch the trailer below
