For whatever your gaming news needs are, whether they be the latest trailers and screenshots or the games that will be worth the money or the latest controversy, I’ve pulled together a list of websites that will let you know more than you ever wanted about video games. Each one of these are unique to each other and offer different views, so at least one of these should suit your needs.
1. Kotaku
This is the gaming blog that began it all, the grandpappy of video game news. It has some polish, and is generally safe for kids, save for when they cover M-rated games. But whether or not simply discussing mature games isn’t kid safe is at your discretion. Uncluttered but still relevant, I’d suggest this for any bloggers, casual gamers, or anyone who doesn’t want too much of a good thing.
2. Metacritic
While this site is not strictly a gaming website, (it’s also about movies, dvds, tv, and music) it does give you the most accurate least inaccurate reviews of games anywhere. I say this because this site doesn’t actually write reviews, it aggregates them from a number of trusted reviewers and scores it based on them. While it’s a common feature, I like getting the list sorted by recent games or highest rated. After buying some real lemons, I always go onto metacritic before I make any video game purchase and see what the reviews were. I’m considering sending this link to my grandmother in hopes my little brother never has a “ultra bad but well-intentioned” birthday gift.
3. GamePolitics
This is the site where the filthiest games meet the most fame-ravenous politicians. As video games are this generation’s rock n’ roll, they never have a shortage of articles about people yelling about the latest ‘danger to our children’. But the most appreciated feature of this site is they are amazingly even-handed with the mountains of content they provide. While anything with the word “politics” in it must be approached cautiously, GamePolitics is useful for anyone, regardless of political leanings, that wants to know the threats of, and what’s threatening the games industry.
4. N4G
Self-described as “…a social game news site that covers the game industry 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.” This site is great for more hardcore gamers and people hip with the social networking scene. It may be too in-depth for some, as it provides articles not just about the games themselves, but also about the business of gaming, the debates, and just about any other bit of gossip even vaguely game-related. Actually, I can’t recommend it’s social networking aspect too much, the most social I’ve seen gamers online is when they’re ruthlessly arguing.
5. GameFAQs
(Sorry, I- I, uh, couldn’t get a logo)
This site isn’t about gaming news at all. But it is a helpful tool that plenty of gamers use when they’re stuck. It’s better than any cheat code book, magazine, or sponsored game guide could be, because the cheats, FAQs, and guides are all written by and judged by the players. It has some frivolous polls and Top 10s there for laughs, but they don’t distract from the site at all. It’s an indespensable resource for anyone who plays challenging video games.
But as useful as gamefaqs is, don’t go to their sister site, gamespot, for gaming news. It’s not worth it.
Honorable Mention: Penny Arcade
The guys who make the webcomic Penny Arcade are, hands down, the voice of the videogame market. With Mike Krahulik illustrating and Jerry Holkins writing, they’ve made one of the most popular webcomics on the Internet. While this is an achievement many could settle for, they’ve also created Child’s Play, a charity that has raised nearly 5 million dollars for toys in children’s hospitals worldwide. They also started PAX (short for Penny Arcade Expo), a gamer convention that has nearly doubled in attendance each year since 2004. When these guys have something to say, the whole industry listens.