Blog Herding: Community Edition 03/06/14

Next week is shaping up to be a big deal for the video game industry, as Xbox fans finally get to experience the integrated Twitch capability that PlayStation fans have been enjoying the past few months. There is also a release or two set for next week generating some commotion. In the meantime, sit back and enjoy a blog or two while you patiently await the highly-anticipated spectacle.

Blog Herding Stats:

Period Reviewed: February 24, 2014 – March 02, 2014
Number of User Blogs: 59
Number of User Bloggers: 39
Number of User Blogs Herded: 12

Community Blogs:

Alan Wake: Bringing The Terror To Us All
Alan Wake released a few years ago, but it has aged gracefully and still manages to attract players with its suspenseful story. LetMeGetToACheckpoint remembers the nightmarish experience.

Computer Game Poetics In "Coin Opera 2: Fulminare's Revenge"
David Chandler directs our attention to Coin Opera 2: Fulminare's Revenge, the second book in the series of video game inspired poems published by Sidekick Books.

The Sound Of No Music
DJH undertakes an interesting project and solicits help from some fellow GIO personalities with this blog about the impact of silencing in-game music and how it influences the experience of the game.

A Veteran Noob?
Arkayde's blog asks a simple question: Is it possible to be a veteran and a noob at the same time? She then goes on to explain her perspective, leading her to ask the question in the first place.

The Good And Evil Of Free-To-Play (Yes, There Is A Good Side)
Clearly gamers feel differently about the free-to-play business model, and Marco Polo joins the discussion with a look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of this approach.

Games That Should Have A Cartoon Series
We've seen a number of video games being featured in movies, books, and other forms of media. Former GI intern O'Dell Harmon considers a number of video games he'd liked to see receive a cartoon makeover.

My Top Seven Consoles
Do you have a favorite console? Of course you do. See if your list of favorite consoles looks anything like The Destroyer's list, which omits handheld devices.

The World Needs A Halo Wars Sequel
The legendary Halo series has spawned a number of sequels, and while most of them tend to be shooters, there have been a few spinoffs like Halo Wars. Irwin529 thinks it's time we saw a sequel.

If You Like (Blank), Try (Blank)!
Dima publishes a neat little feature comparing similarly themed games with the thought that if you like the one you might be interested in trying the other. Each entry includes the platform and price too.

The FPS Grows, Genres Bleed Together
Nikolas Davidoff expertly dissects the mechanics of the first-person shooter (FPS) genre and how the concepts vary amongst some of the more popular games in the field.

Assassin's Creed Should Not Be Set In Feudal Japan
We've seen the Assassin's Creed series visit areas from around the world, and now with rumors circulating about a potential trek to Feudal Japan, Adam Kaye voices concern if this proves true.

I Don't Want To Play Titanfall, I Just Want To Watch
While many gamers and industry analysts rallied behind Titanfall's recent beta test, not everybody is excited for the release of the game. Jon Gregory admits he doesn't want to play it, but will watch it.

Community Reviews:

The Melancholy Of Haruhi Suzumiya
Stranger explores the world of Haruhi Suzumiya, a franchise that started off as a series of novels but now features manga, anime, animated films and even a few video game spinoffs.

The Banner Saga Review
Josh Kowbel gives The Banner Saga high marks and praises the game as the first great role-playing game (RPG) of 2014. If you haven't heard of the game and are at all interested, check out this review.

The Best Is Yet To Come: Metal Gear Solid Review
The Metal Gear Solid series not only set the standard for stealth games, it introduced us to one of the most iconic soldiers in the history of gaming. This review by xl9 takes a look at Metal Gear Solid.

Killzone: Mercenary Review – A Use For That Second Analogue Stick
Pleased to finally discover a decent shooter for the Playstation Vita, Trenchmace plays through Killzone: Mercenary and summarizes the experience before awarding it a respectable score.

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 (02/24/14 – 03/02/14):
Adam Kaye (2); airbornebovine; arachnida95 (2); Arkayde; attackcobra; boxcar182; cerpintaxman; Cody LaCrone; David Chandler; Dima; DJH; Enuo (3); happydude633; Irwin529; jackson stone; Jon Gregory; Josh Kowbel; Jouten; KillerRabbitsFTW; Kurumi; LetMeGetToACheckpoint; Marco Polo (2); Matastig (2); Michaiah Vosberg; MSF codforlife; Nikolas Davidoff; O'Dell Harmon; Postmita; Prince of Snark Euphoric Ennui I; Psykologic; R35identevil; Rol2445; StonedMagician; Stranger (2); Studdzilla; The Destroyer (7); Trenchmace; xl9 (2); and of course yours truly...Saint.

Video Game Quote of the Week From Twitter:
"A strange sense of melancholy when failing to find an online match in any recently released video game. They built it and none came." @SimonParkin