Blog Herding – The Best Blogs Of The Community (March 26, 2015)

Greetings, bloggers! My name is Louis Garcia, and I'm now in charge of Blog Herding. Some of you may know me as a former Game Informer intern. We've got some new additions to Blog Herding lined up – such as community playdates and writing challenges – that I hope you'll enjoy. This inaugural edition of the rebirth of Herding features some great blogs by our fantastic community, and our first writing challenge.

Now then, let's get to the blogs!

Community Blogs For March 16 – March 22:

Video Games, The Internet, And Hatred
This blog actually misses our cutoff point by a day, but it deserves to be included. Blogger Will Watson writes a call to arms for acceptance of all gaming has to offer, and a plea to leave hatred out of the console conversation.

Ranking My Favorite Dragon Age Inquisition Companions
The Dragon Age series has given gamers some of the best role-playing games ever. One of its strengths is the eclectic mix of characters (lead writer David Gaider has spoken often about how characters make or break stories for him). In this post, Eric Watson explains which characters were his favorite. I happen to be a Morrigan fan, but will always have a soft spot for a drunken Oghren. Who do you like?

Nintendo's NX – How Soon Is Too Soon?
The Big N recently announced a new console platform, NX. More info is hitting next year, but much has been speculated about the announcement. Is it too soon? Will it launch with a new Earthbound game? Will we ever see another Year of Luigi? Anime & Game Fan sounds off on the first question at least, but you can join the discussion in the comments and let everyone know what you think!

The Unspoken Challenges Of Party Chat
Chatting during online gaming sessions is paramount, but often times it just doesn't work. That isn't always due to a technical limitation: Sometimes too many people can muck up the airways. Even while playing FIFA online with good friends I'll be privy to screaming, music, and random conversations between two people oblivious to the soccer on the pitch. This is why I like to stick to prancing and dancing in Monster Hunter 4 as my main mode of communication. Side note: Make sure to have good etiquette when chatting online with new people; no one likes to hear rude remarks! Or farts, as blogger Rebekah has.

It's 2015 – Do You Know Where Your Collector Editions Are?
Craigaleg asks a very good question: Where are the bobbles, figures, soundtracks, and Fallout lunchboxes from your collector's editions? Mine? Some are displayed prominently in my bedroom and at work. Most are sitting in a closet. What about yours? Is your Songbird atop your shelf, scaring the kitty, or just forgotten in a closet alongside old winter boots?

More Handsome Collection Weirdness
This second post by Rebekah outlines some odd decisions made for the recent Borderlands collection – including the omission of the first game. Not having the first Borderlands in a collection that's headlined by jerk nemesis Handsome Jack makes sense since he isn't in the original – but it still stinks. While the latest two iterations had some funny writing and great shotgun-blasting shenanigans, the first game in the series will always hold a special place in my heart. What do you think of the game's omission, readers? All this talk of Pandora makes me want Borderlands 3...

My Love Of Open World Games
I both love and hate open-world games for one reason: There is so much to do. Exploring Fallout 3's dystopia kept me in the world for nearly 200 hours, but like a dog, I'd often see something interesting – a shack, a cave, or even a bluff – and quickly stroll over that way while forgetting what I was doing. In this post, Goldenboy99 shares his love of open-world games, while listing some of his favorite places to visit. What are your favorites? 

Gaming's Most Captivating Universes
Video games take people to some pretty cool places. Whether it's a secret bunker on an island full of treasure (and monsters), an alien world, or a village with talking cats ready to fight dinosaurs, there's always something cool to check out. Christopher Prohaska lists some of his favorite here.

I Needed A Break
BestNinjaNacho has probably beaten more games in two weeks than I have in the last six months, but outlines an important idea in this blog: Sometimes a break can work wonders.

Community Writing Challenge:

For the very first Blog Herding writing challenge, we want you to blog about one thing: Which game have you always wanted to complete, but never have? I'm ashamed to admit this, but I've started Super Metroid dozens of times, only to quit right before I beat it. But enough about my shame – cook up a blog answering the writing challenge and we'll share it in Blog Herding. And be creative! Try out different writing styles, post a slew of images, or even your own YouTube video reenacting how you've never beaten Super Mario Bros. because Bowser is just too powerful. 

I hope you enjoy the blogs! Please contact me via my Game Informer page or on Twitter at @LouisGarcia12 with any blog news or playdate suggestions.