Some parts of the print media have suffered more than others from the
advent of the Web, but games magazines would come near the top of any
death list. Monthly titles have seen their news coverage poleaxed by
hundreds of blogs and sites that are able to run with the tiniest scraps
of news and screenshots as soon as they emerge.
But the best
gaming blogs also offer sparky analysis and pointed reviews, while some
simply serve up epic belly laughs. Our sister site GameSpot UK has all
of those and more on its blog
London Calling, but we couldn't really include them, could we? Here are the ten best we've found (that don't sit right next to us).
By sheer weight of posts alone, this is a required RSS feed or bookmark for anyone interested in Nintendo gaming, whether
Wii or
DS.
It sucks up stories from around the Internet and aggregates them
quickly, offering a central point for the Nintendo news of the day.
In
truth, Shacknews is one of those sites that blurs the line between a
blog and a news site, so comprehensive is its mixture of news and
features. With so many blogs chasing the same news, it's a worthy read
because it still manages to pick up exclusives and new angles.
Another
multi-format blog that digs behind the headlines, often offering posts
that are as interesting to people in the games industry as to gamers. A
difficult line to walk, but it manages it with aplomb. A clean design
and clear writing makes it a refreshing read.
Don't
come here looking for 20 news posts a day, but do come if your
interests encompass Sega, Suzanne Shaw and Sony-slating at every
opportunity. Not that UKR is a po-faced fanboy blog: it's so
consistently funny you'll never dare drink tea in front of your monitor
again.
iPhone
gaming, as you'll know if you've seen Apple's recent jabs at Nintento
and Sony, is huge. Touch Arcade is one of the blogs that have sprung up
to cover this burgeoning market, offering news, hands-on previews and a
bustling forum full of developers talking about their latest games.
As
befitting the blog of a broadsheet newspaper, the Guardian's Games
Blog eschews the scramble for press releases and screenshots in favour
of a more measured approach, offering analysis, interviews and opinion.
Always readable, and often thought-provoking.
There
are hundreds of blogs that simply rehash games news -- none of which
feature on this list. Destructoid stands out as one of the games blogs
with a definable character of its own: sharp, sparky and never knowingly
dull.
This certainly has the most momentum of all the UK blogs on this list, having recently scooped three gongs at the
Games Media Awards. They were well-deserved too: the writing is excellent, and it covers all the important news with a twist of humour.
One
of the two heavyweights of the games blogging world (the other is
below), Joystiq offers dozens of posts a day, getting news stories up at
the drop of a hat, and chasing down exclusive info whenever possible.
An essential source for anyone interested in gaming.
In
truth, it's hard to choose between Kotaku and Joystiq -- a good deal of
the stories they post are on the same subjects, such is the fierce
competition between the two. Kotaku edges it for its humour, however,
with its writers expressing their characters without becoming
self-indulgent.
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