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Blog Herding: Community Edition 11/24/11

From a video game perspective, we have much to be thankful for this season with the release of so many great games to occupy our time. Something else to be thankful for – the outstanding blogs posted by the Game Informer user community this week, including a few notable ones linked below.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Blog Herding Stats:

Period Reviewed: November 14 – November 20, 2011
Number of User Blogs: 102
Number of User Bloggers: 72
Number of User Blogs Herded: 10

Community Blogs:

Road To SWTOR: Can I Love An MMO?
The highly anticipated release of The Old Republic is nearly upon us and febtober swords questions what many of us are wondering – will the game be good enough to recruit those who don't normally play the MMORPG genre?

What Happens When A Franchise Becomes Too Big To Fail?
A few franchises have enjoyed overwhelming success over the years, so much so that Yusuke Urameshi debates whether they are now too big to fail. Read the blog and post your comments on the issue.

That "Out of Touch" Feeling
Have you ever played a video game just because everyone else was raving about it? Hist tackles this question in his latest blog that doesn't just focus on video games but all forms of pop culture.

Getting The Controller In The Classroom
This blog by Matthew Fugere explores Pedagogy (the art or science of teaching) and how video games can be used in the classroom to promote the overall learning experience.

Playstation 3D Display: 1st Impressions & Unboxing
Maybe you knew Sony was releasing a 3D display for the Playstation 3, or maybe you didn't. Either way, this detailed synopsis by Derreck documents his unboxing experience and first impressions.

The Price Of Entertainment
Most of us have felt the impact of trying to purchase all the latest video games that have flooded the market lately. This enlightening blog by Noobtubin8er discusses why games cost so much.

Top 10 Industry Feuds
Game Informer's resident "top ten list" architect is back and this time thegodofwine7 takes a more sinister but still comical approach by listing his thoughts on the biggest industry battles.

Halo's Anniversary And My Experience With The Series!
Longtime GI member but first time blogger, Another Matthew shares his personal testimony on how a broken Playstation 2 resulted in his discovery of the Halo franchise.

Dovahkiin Don'ts: And An Excuse For My Pictorial
A great read with plenty of tips on how to survive in the epic world of Skyrim. In typical fashion, Shootist2600 provides a riveting blog complete with pretty pictures.

Halo: CE Whatever Happened To The Game Of Tomorrow?
With the recent release of Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary edition marking the 10th anniversary of the original Halo, it's only fitting to include this account of the original game by Picker of nits.

Notable Reviews:

If It Ain't Broke...
Whether you like the game or agree with the score, this review sets the standard for how a proper review should be formatted. Check out this brilliant review of Modern Warfare 3 by Craigaleg.

The Best Tiger Woods Game Yet...
A solid review for EA's Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters posted by gamer and golfer HeyItsWill_5115. And if golf isn't your game, then take a look at his equally worthwhile review of Uncharted 3.

Skyrim: A Smooth Dragon Or A Hulking Behemoth
Gamers continue turning out reviews of Skyrim, Bethesda's epic continuation of the Elder Scroll series, but most are not as insightful and polished as this one by Noobtubin8er.

DOTY. (Disappointment Of The Year)
A fan of the Uncharted series but not as impressed with Uncharted 3, LaLiLuLeLo posts a quality review detailing why he awarded Uncharted 3 a surprisingly low score when compared to the majority of the other reviews.

Community Podcasts:

The 4th Floor Episode 26
It's been awhile since we've heard from the 4th Floor, but TOGNick and Liz return to talk about politics, scandals, movies, music, and yes, even video games, including reviews (with spoilers) of Modern Warfare 3 and Arkham City.

The Armchair Gamer Podcast Episode Seven
On the latest installment of the AGP, the hosts discuss online distribution, Minecraft, and the differences between Eastern and Western role-playing games. Listener discretion is advised.

The Indie & Mojo Show Episode 13: With Special Guest Hist!
Another All-Star GIO member visits the Indie & Mojo show. Listen to Indie, Mojo, and Hist as they talk about blogging, gaming, and everybody's favorite feature, "What butters/burns your biscuits."

Robot In The Corner Podcast: Episode 2-9
Skyrim. 'nuf said.

Don't forget to send your feedback, recommendations, and community events in to my personal Game Informer account located here to ensure this feature continues to provide the content you're eager to read.

Happy Blogging!

Your friendly neighborhood blogging community (November 14 - 20, 2011):
Allen (2); Anticitizen-One; Apozem (3); AustinB; benderstrike64; born4this; bouldergeist72; brainraider1; Cogito Splicer; Dan D Eldar; Daniel Campbell; DeadManWalking (2); Derreck; Di5a5terp13ce; dkeller2; Doctor Apozem; febtober swords; GreenHawk99; HarmlessKiller; Hist; indiejones (2); Jack; Jack, The Quixotic Gamer; jacktheglueman; Jonathan Harrison (3); Joshua Weibel; Lancehead255; Levi King; libertydude; Light Gamebeast23456 (4); Marshmallow Candy Robo; Marshmallow Dash (Fox) (2); Marshmallow Daze(Ewok King) (2); Marshmallow Wisp (Another Matthew); Masterassassin; Mat; Matt-boy; Matthew Fugere (2); Mike (3); Mray901; Noobtubin8er (2); o_JMan240_o; Ocarina Wielder; ochomcawsome; Oni no Tenshi; Ownzoir; Picker of nits; SaintofGaming; Shadow64; shooterboy23; Shootist2600; Silvershine08; sk8terguy97; slymd83; stayedstar; thatfoxguy (2); the guy who is meh; The Legendary Ewok King; The Midnight Mayor (2); The Observer (2); The Second Musketeer; The Towel Boy; The_Spaz; thegodofwine7 (2); TOGNick; TurdFurgy (6); Vegetarian Barbarian; Warm(Or) Puke (2); wayoverdue (3); Yusuke Urameshi; Zen SPLOG Assassin LEVON; and of course yours truly...Saint.

Video Game Quote of the Week:
"I never really was on your side."   Spy, Team Fortress 2

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Comments
  • Mod

    Excellent choices!

  • Nice, I made Blog Herding on my Birthday!  Thanks and congrats to all the others who made it too.  Happy Thanksgiving!

  • Cheers, all.

  • I was hoping to see one of mine get in, bet nevertheless, ill get it next time!

  • still got some work to do

  • Wow, honored to make the list amongst so many great blogs this week.  Happy reading everyone!

  • I'll make sure to get on here one day.

    Its about Quality not quantity.

  • This is my mission...

  • Mod

    I am Thankful that Saint takes his time to read every blog and make the tough choices for blog herding.  And for 99Cent stores.

  • Mod
    Thanks, Saint! But,man, I've got to get more creative to judge by this group. (Glad Noobtubin8er's great expose' made the cut.)
  • WOW, I was herded? I honestly didn't think it was good enough; I didn't even consider it a possibility, so I'm quite surprised! Anyway, I can't wait to become a better blogger! But for now, I'm swarmed by the incredible amount of great games, however I do plan on creating reviews and more blogs in the future; just don't expect a ton of blogs. And thank you, being herded means a lot to me. :D

    If there are any tips, sites you can direct me towards that'll help me blog, grammar errors, etc. I'll gladly listen.

    Also, sorry for all the name changes. >.
  • Wow, a blog and a review in the same week. Thanks to the academy that voted for me, to my agent...so many people to thank :P

    seriously, I am honored to be included with the other great blogs and reviews from the week. And thank you Saint for not only taking the time to put it all together but also to do it on a holiday. You the man!
  • you left me out again TT_TT

  • www top4biz com

    www proxy4biz com

  • Thanks Saint for constantly linking to our podcast. Those who appreciate things in the cast appreciate it!

  • That episode of Indie and Mojo was quite enjoyable. Though I must admit that people saying things butter their biscuits is humorous and slightly disturbing. It sounds like something Slingblade would say. I gotta listen to more podcasts from this community in general. I've only had time to check out Indie and Mojo, but it seems like we've got a few contributors who supply excellent audio commentary.
  • I'm the resident "top ten list" architect?  Niiiiiiice.

  • Mod
    @Zen SPLOG Assassin LEVON - Thanks! I did enjoy these and hope everyone else did too.

    @Derreck - Well, hope you had a Happy Birthday and a Happy Thanksgiving. Enjoy the present of being included in Blog Herding...but really, you did all the work.

    @Elias - And to you.

    @thatfoxguy - I like that enthusiasm.

    @durararaGO95 - Keep charging and you're sure to get noticed.

    @Picker of nits - Cool. It was a great blog.

    @shooterboy23 - Agree...quality over quantity...

    @The Midnight Mayor - Good luck then!

    @mojomonkey12 - I had no idea how tough it would be heh heh...you don't even know...so thanks. And 99cent stores are great, aren't they.

    @Shootist2600 - Ha! You pretty much have the blogs with photos nailed down though...nobody else really seems to do it quite like you.

    @Another Matthew - Surprise! Yeah, you're probably you're biggest critic. I enjoyed it...and for a first blog it was really good. About the best tip I can give you in this limited response is blog for the right reasons and with passion. The rest of it will work itself out.

    @Noobtubin8er - "He's on fire!" You're welcome! Yep. Drove into the empty GI offices, fired up Andy's computer and...no wait...truth be told...I provide the draft blog to the GI staff on Mondays...they check it over and post it on THU...something tells me it was dated to auto post on Thanksgiving...but thanks all the same. :D

    @Meta77 - I blame the Ghost Saint account.

    @sdkgreih - Your mom!

    @Light Gamebeast23456 - Yep! No worries.

    @Matthew Fugere - Honestly...I don't get to listen to all of the GI podcast...but I do enjoy Indie and Mojo. They have a great dynamic and always talk about interesting subjects. Truthfully though, the only reason I like it is because Mojo is old like me...and us old guys have to stick together. Those Robot guys are just a bunch of young whipper snappers.

    @thegodofwine7 - Hah Hah...you are in my book. How you come up with some of the topics you do is a gift, heh heh...and the community sure seems to love them.
  • I'll get here someday....