Blog Herding: Editor And Reader Picks 4/15

Every Thursday we highlight both editor and reader blogs worth your undivided attention. Now's the time to get blogging! Check out our picks this week and then get writing. Maybe your posts will appear in a future herd.

Things That Should Not Have Sequels 2: Bioshock
"All I am saying is that BioShock 2 could have used some work, and maybe benefitted from being a spin-off. Something like BioShock: Big Daddy's Revenge, or Return to Rapture. Because, let's all be honest here, BioShock told a complete story. It had a beginning, middle, and two (depending on your path) definitive endings. The main story has been told, and really there is no reason to revisit Andrew Ryan's tale, but I'm getting ahead of myself." Sean explains why Irrational Games' original masterpiece did not require a second installment. Do you agree?

Exclusivity In Downloadable Games: Is This Necessary?
"Years from now, when video game historians look back at this console generation, they will point to the rise of downloadable games in XBLA, WiiWare and the Playstation Network as one of the most important things to happen. Not only has it created an extremely profitable business strategy, but it has opened the door for developers everywhere to get their games out to a large audience. But for reasons I don't understand, many titles are not given an adequate chance to reach a mass audience because of the exclusivity deals they sign into with one of the three platforms." Are exclusivity deals hurting the downloadable games market? GIO community member iceap shares his thoughts.

April Fools On My Dad: GI Edition
"As some of you may have seen from previous blog posts, I love elaborate pranks. I've pulled a lot in my life, but I've found that my favorite person to prank is easily my father. He's always genuinely annoyed by the pranks, but he also has the sense of humor to recognize how funny a good one can be. Unfortunately, this is the first April Fools since I moved to Minnesota from Kansas, so it was time to enlist some help for this year's joke." Dan's distance from his father didn't stop him from executing an elaborate prank that involved hundreds of Game Informer magazine pages, adhesive, and a vehicle. Check out the post for the final result.

Fairchild VI - Episode 5
A group of GIO community members put together a series of podcasts to discuss relevant topics in gaming. In their fifth episode, the group discusses the balance of power between big publishers and small developers, digital distribution, and why Metro 2033 is worth playing.

Why Final Fantasy XIII Is My Least Favorite In The Series
"I probably should have heeded the red flags early on. Some people told me the game doesn’t really pick up until about five hours in, others said that after 15 hours the game hits full stride. I shrugged this off, thinking it’s be foolish to judge any RPG by the introductory hours. Heck, Final Fantasy VII didn’t really “start” until you left Midgar, and FF VII’s first dozen hours were breathtaking. Little did I know that I would sit through almost 50 hours simply waiting to experience that defining moment. It never came." Tim explains the pros and the cons of Final Fantasy XIII and what elements hindered the experience for him. Warning: Spoilers ahead.

My Take: West, Zampella, And Respawn Entertainment
This week it was reported that ex-Infinity Ward employees Jason West and Vince Zampella have penned a deal with EA Partners to form a new studio, Respawn Entertainment. GIO community member B-Money provides his opinion on what their first IP could be.

Have you produced or read a blog post on gameinformer.com that you think should be considered for upcoming installments of Blog Herding? Send over an e-mail with a link to annette@gameinformer. com. I also accept bribes.