Blog Herding: Community Edition 11/24/11

From a video game perspective, we have much to be thankful for this season with the release of so many great games to occupy our time. Something else to be thankful for – the outstanding blogs posted by the Game Informer user community this week, including a few notable ones linked below.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Blog Herding Stats:

Period Reviewed: November 14 – November 20, 2011
Number of User Blogs: 102
Number of User Bloggers: 72
Number of User Blogs Herded: 10

Community Blogs:

Road To SWTOR: Can I Love An MMO?
The highly anticipated release of The Old Republic is nearly upon us and febtober swords questions what many of us are wondering – will the game be good enough to recruit those who don't normally play the MMORPG genre?

What Happens When A Franchise Becomes Too Big To Fail?
A few franchises have enjoyed overwhelming success over the years, so much so that Yusuke Urameshi debates whether they are now too big to fail. Read the blog and post your comments on the issue.

That "Out of Touch" Feeling
Have you ever played a video game just because everyone else was raving about it? Hist tackles this question in his latest blog that doesn't just focus on video games but all forms of pop culture.

Getting The Controller In The Classroom
This blog by Matthew Fugere explores Pedagogy (the art or science of teaching) and how video games can be used in the classroom to promote the overall learning experience.

Playstation 3D Display: 1st Impressions & Unboxing
Maybe you knew Sony was releasing a 3D display for the Playstation 3, or maybe you didn't. Either way, this detailed synopsis by Derreck documents his unboxing experience and first impressions.

The Price Of Entertainment
Most of us have felt the impact of trying to purchase all the latest video games that have flooded the market lately. This enlightening blog by Noobtubin8er discusses why games cost so much.

Top 10 Industry Feuds
Game Informer's resident "top ten list" architect is back and this time thegodofwine7 takes a more sinister but still comical approach by listing his thoughts on the biggest industry battles.

Halo's Anniversary And My Experience With The Series!
Longtime GI member but first time blogger, Another Matthew shares his personal testimony on how a broken Playstation 2 resulted in his discovery of the Halo franchise.

Dovahkiin Don'ts: And An Excuse For My Pictorial
A great read with plenty of tips on how to survive in the epic world of Skyrim. In typical fashion, Shootist2600 provides a riveting blog complete with pretty pictures.

Halo: CE Whatever Happened To The Game Of Tomorrow?
With the recent release of Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary edition marking the 10th anniversary of the original Halo, it's only fitting to include this account of the original game by Picker of nits.

Notable Reviews:

If It Ain't Broke...
Whether you like the game or agree with the score, this review sets the standard for how a proper review should be formatted. Check out this brilliant review of Modern Warfare 3 by Craigaleg.

The Best Tiger Woods Game Yet...
A solid review for EA's Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12: The Masters posted by gamer and golfer HeyItsWill_5115. And if golf isn't your game, then take a look at his equally worthwhile review of Uncharted 3.

Skyrim: A Smooth Dragon Or A Hulking Behemoth
Gamers continue turning out reviews of Skyrim, Bethesda's epic continuation of the Elder Scroll series, but most are not as insightful and polished as this one by Noobtubin8er.

DOTY. (Disappointment Of The Year)
A fan of the Uncharted series but not as impressed with Uncharted 3, LaLiLuLeLo posts a quality review detailing why he awarded Uncharted 3 a surprisingly low score when compared to the majority of the other reviews.

Community Podcasts:

The 4th Floor Episode 26
It's been awhile since we've heard from the 4th Floor, but TOGNick and Liz return to talk about politics, scandals, movies, music, and yes, even video games, including reviews (with spoilers) of Modern Warfare 3 and Arkham City.

The Armchair Gamer Podcast Episode Seven
On the latest installment of the AGP, the hosts discuss online distribution, Minecraft, and the differences between Eastern and Western role-playing games. Listener discretion is advised.

The Indie & Mojo Show Episode 13: With Special Guest Hist!
Another All-Star GIO member visits the Indie & Mojo show. Listen to Indie, Mojo, and Hist as they talk about blogging, gaming, and everybody's favorite feature, "What butters/burns your biscuits."

Robot In The Corner Podcast: Episode 2-9
Skyrim. 'nuf said.

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 (November 14 - 20, 2011):
Allen (2); Anticitizen-One; Apozem (3); AustinB; benderstrike64; born4this; bouldergeist72; brainraider1; Cogito Splicer; Dan D Eldar; Daniel Campbell; DeadManWalking (2); Derreck; Di5a5terp13ce; dkeller2; Doctor Apozem; febtober swords; GreenHawk99; HarmlessKiller; Hist; indiejones (2); Jack; Jack, The Quixotic Gamer; jacktheglueman; Jonathan Harrison (3); Joshua Weibel; Lancehead255; Levi King; libertydude; Light Gamebeast23456 (4); Marshmallow Candy Robo; Marshmallow Dash (Fox) (2); Marshmallow Daze(Ewok King) (2); Marshmallow Wisp (Another Matthew); Masterassassin; Mat; Matt-boy; Matthew Fugere (2); Mike (3); Mray901; Noobtubin8er (2); o_JMan240_o; Ocarina Wielder; ochomcawsome; Oni no Tenshi; Ownzoir; Picker of nits; SaintofGaming; Shadow64; shooterboy23; Shootist2600; Silvershine08; sk8terguy97; slymd83; stayedstar; thatfoxguy (2); the guy who is meh; The Legendary Ewok King; The Midnight Mayor (2); The Observer (2); The Second Musketeer; The Towel Boy; The_Spaz; thegodofwine7 (2); TOGNick; TurdFurgy (6); Vegetarian Barbarian; Warm(Or) Puke (2); wayoverdue (3); Yusuke Urameshi; Zen SPLOG Assassin LEVON; and of course yours truly...Saint.

Video Game Quote of the Week:
"I never really was on your side."  – Spy, Team Fortress 2