Don't judge me for quoting Nicholas Sparks or knowing that he is an author the ladies love for his "chick lit" novels, but a line of dialogue from one of his books reads, "People come, people go - they'll drift in and out of your life, almost like characters in a favorite book. When you finally close the cover, the characters have told their story and you start up again with another book, complete with new characters and adventures. Then you find yourself focusing on the new ones, not the ones from the past."

I'm secure enough in my manhood to admit the profoundness of such a statement ripped straight from the pages of one of his novels, but thought it might be worth editing it to make it more specific to video games and our community. Perhaps something like...

"Bloggers come, Bloggers go - they'll drift in and out of your life, almost like characters in a favorite video game. When you finally beat the level, the characters have told their story and you start up again with another game, complete with new characters and adventures. Then you find yourself focusing on the new ones, not the ones from the past."

Bloggers come, bloggers go.

You find yourself focusing on the new ones, not the ones from the past.

From time to time I like to take a break from the thoughts and ideas I want to blog about and instead focus on other issues more specific to the GIO blogging community. It might not be as popular of a topic with the overall Game Informer audience, but I think it can still be beneficial. So, here goes.

The blogging statistics for January were impressive both in quantity and quality. The output of exceptional user created content this community is able to generate with regularity is a mighty fine accomplishment if you ask me. Many blogs are routinely pulling down hundreds of views. Take a moment to consider how big the blogging community really is - I'd say not that big. There are only a handful of bloggers who consistently post blogs; there are many more who only post 1 or 2 or a few blogs each month. Any blog pulling down hundreds of views has to mean that we are attracting views from the Game Informer general population, not just the blogging community. That my friends...is a notable achievement.

I wanted to spotlight five bloggers who, regardless of how long they have been a member of the website (some are fairly new and some have been here awhile), have recently been blazing trails, kicking butt and taking names with their blogging exploits. Make no mistake about it - these aren't "buddies" I'm choosing to brag about - they are bloggers who have proven their commitment to the community by providing consistently high caliber, thought provoking and entertaining posts for the community to enjoy and have routinely been featured in Blog Herding, with some having been featured in the newsletter - a feat that can only be accomplished by catching the eye of the Game Informer staff.

They are the bloggers who have come, when others have left. And they are but a few of the ones we should be focusing on now instead of the ones from the past. If you're not following the activity of these bloggers, I would encourage you to check out their works, because I am certain you will be just as entertained with their material as I have been.

Five GIO Bloggers Who Are On Fire

ADAMMWOOLLEY

A blogger who is able to capture the passion and emotion of his life as a gamer, from childhood to present day, and translate those experiences into heartwarming tales you feel happy after reading and that make you proud to be a gamer. His casual tone and straightforward approach often resonates with the broader audience and appeals to gamers of all types.

AshaMan3000 

There are a handful of members at Game Informer that I relate to more than others, mainly because we are about the same age and share a lot of the same experiences being the old school gamers that we are. AshaMan3000 is one of those members (although he's not quite as old as I am). Some might be surprised to learn that of all the members on the website, I talk to him as much if not more than any other, and it's often behind the scenes in private. But our friendship isn't what earned him a spot on this list. The fact that he blogs almost as much as I do and that his blogs are always unique and interesting is what earned him a spot on this list.

David Chandler

A skilled blogger far more adept at the craft of writing than I'll ever be; he uses larger than life words in simple ways to stitch together some of the most thought provoking and intellectually stimulating posts that I find myself reading over and over. He is a literary artist, mastering the skill of typing gold, and although he doesn't spend much time around the community other than to deliver more treasure, I am pleased each time I see his name, confident what I'm about to read will be a treat.

Marco Polo

There is often speculation about a secret society of elite bloggers, which always makes me chuckle, but if ever there was a blogger to debunk that myth it would be Marco Polo. He is the ninja of bloggers, operating alone and off the grid from the rest (or at least from me) - we seldom ever chat and if we do it always seems to be limited to Game Informer Online and/or blogging. He isn't one of those loud and obnoxious personalities that you remember to watch out for; he is one of those personalities that you are oblivious to his presence until you look around and take note, and then you are like, "Wow...look at all of these amazing blogs he's posted." He is a consistent and solid contributor who might fly under the RADAR but is always there, ready and waiting to strike.

markus1142

In terms of style, technique and personality, if I were to pick a blogger I felt was most like me, or I like him, I'd have to say markus1142 is at or near the top of that list. Perhaps we are long lost blogging brothers or more likely, we see inspiration in common themes and share a similar outlook on life. He doesn't know this, or maybe he does because he feels the same way, but sometimes I read his blogs and find myself thinking someone read my mind and typed out those thoughts into a blog. His performance in the month of January was phenomenal and he currently holds the record for six of his blogs being considered for blog herding in one week. No easy feat.

I applaud these bloggers for providing exceptional content and for their support of the community. I implore each of you to share in that praise by reading their blogs and commenting when you're so inclined to do so.

If you're new to blogging or interested in blogging at Game Informer, don't hesitate to poke around this group for some information on how to get started.

Bloggers come, bloggers go.