With the exception of the industry news gleaned from PAX East, it was a relatively quiet week in the world of video games. Many of the community members took advantage of the lull in the action to post a remarkable assortment of blogs covering the past, present, and future of gaming.

Blog Herding Stats:

Period Reviewed: April 02 – April 08, 2012
Number of User Blogs: 88
Number of User Bloggers: 50
Number of User Blogs Herded: 9

Community Events:

Private GIO Server On Xbox 360 – Coming Soon
Warbuff announces that in the near future he will be renting a Battlefield 3 server (Xbox 360) with the intention of making it available for the Game Informer community.

Community Blogs:

How Heavy Rain Changed My Mind About QTE
Heavy Rain succeeded in a couple of different ways, like providing a truly unique gaming experience. Matt Brooker shares how the game made him reevaluate his outlook on Quick Time Events (QTE).

Know Your Heritage
It was American Philosopher George Santayana who said, "Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it." This exceptional post by Noobtubin8er explores a similar concept and how it relates to the video game industry.

Where Is The RP In My RPGs?
A short but interesting blog by Nate77 questioning the approach found in some role-playing games that offer you the opportunity to make decisions, but decisions that don't seem to have any consequences.

Gaming The Past
Mojomonkey12 imparts upon us a history lesson from the world of video games in this message where he talks about Dr. William Higinbotham, a brilliant man who played a pivotal role in the development of what many claim was the first video game ever.

It Feels Good To Be A Gamer
Stepping away from his top ten list blogs, thegodofwine7 proves he can blog with the best of them in this heartfelt piece about what it feels like to be a gamer. No doubt many will echo his sentiment.

The Wow Factor
Many of us have a game or two under our belts that we appreciate for their "wow" moments. This blog by Prince of Snark Euphoric Ennui I mentions a few games that had this effect on him.

Video: Top 5 Video Games Of 2012
Sticking with video as a medium to circulate his thoughts with the community, this week Cody Gilley skips reviewing a game and instead chronicles his top five video games released in 2012.

Rethinking Online Gameplay
A thorough blog by BlackHeartedWolf exploring the merits of online gameplay and five measures he thinks would make the overall experience more enjoyable. Also, be sure to check out his reboot of the GIO Writer's Guild Weekly Challenge series.

Star Wars: The Old Republic Impressions
The Old Republic certainly has some steep competition in the MMORPG genre, but stayedstar provides a comprehensive analysis of what sets it apart from the rest of the existing titles.

Community Reviews:

Mass Effect 3 – Collector's Edition: Xbox 360 Review
Proof that good user reviews do exist, this outstanding review of Mass Effect 3's collector edition by Nick covers every little detail including all of the special items contained in the steel box case.

Shepard's Final Journey Is A Thrilling And Provocative Conclusion
Despite the controversy surrounding Mass Effect 3's ending, the community as a whole really seems to have enjoyed the game as another glowing review is posted, this one expertly crafted by Orochi Assassin LEVON.

A Galaxy at War – Mass Effect 3 Review
Yes, another Mass Effect 3 review to be featured this week. But this one by DeepBlueMyst is every bit as detailed and complete as the others, and easily earns a spot on this week's top reviews list.

The Journey Is The Destination
Looking at the user reviews for Journey, you would see of the six reviews, four of them are 10s and two of them are 9s. Joseph Breen explains why he is one of the readers who gave it a perfect score.

Closure Review
A brief but compelling review for a title you might not have heard of, Frosty describes it as a "solid puzzle-platformer with an artsy approach," while comparing it to Limbo and Lost in Shadow.

Kid Icarus: Uprising, Reviving a Fallen Hero
This review by JiroGamer SGS covers Nintendo's recently released Kid Icarus for the 3DS, the latest installment in the series that some consider a cult classic. The review scores the game 8.75 out of 10.

Community Podcasts:

In a Blog Herding first, there were no community podcasts posted this week.

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 (04/02/12 – 04/08/12):
aidanrinku (2); benderstrike64 (2); BillyBobJoe234 (3); BlackHeartedWolf (3); Buddy Acker; Chris, the savior of the galaxy (8); Cody Gilley; Cru Hunter; dagnastyep; Dan Talarico; DJH; Enigma; firedude3663; footthumb; freak24; Frosty; GoldvsSilver (3); Handman50; hdsun; Jolt (6); jordanthegamer; Le Hannibal (5); LittleManMordecai; Marco Polo; markus1142; Marz; Matt Brooker; maxiboy77; Meta77; Mike; mojomonkey12; Mray901; my pants are on fire (2); Nate77; Noobtubin8er; Oni no Tenshi; PickleMan4258; Prince of Snark Euphoric Ennui I (3); sorryjzargo; stayedstar; Stranger (3); The Handheld Tank (2); The Monster Hunter; thegodofwine7 (2); Tom; Warbuff (2); wayoverdue (2); xXBourne07Xx (2); Zero Gravity Ewok; and or course yours truly...Saint.

Video Game Quote of the Week:
"So, who is this guy Freeman?"  – HECU Soldier, Half-Life