Bogost, who started the blog with Georgia Tech colleague Gonzalo Frasca, attributes the closure to two things. One is the mainstreaming of the discussions Water Cooler Games sought to start back in 2003, when games' relevance to politics, advertising, education and the news were not common topics in the overall conversation.

"The very idea of our project was novel then, in a way that it is not now. Isn't that what we wanted all along?" Bogost wrote.

And two, it sounds like the man's made his arguments, and is resting his case. And himself. He says that closing WCG will open up new opportunities for his writing.

"While I'm sure I'll continue to write occasionally, on Bogost.com, in my Gamasutra columns, or in other articles about political games, advertising and games, and other topics covered on WCG, the truth is that I've said most of what I want to say about them, generally speaking," Bogost says.

The blog will remain online and archived, but no new contributions will be made to it.

"From my perspective, the Water Cooler Games project was very much a success. The fact that so many venues now exist for discussing of what we coyly called 'video games with an agenda' speaks at least in part to the influence we exerted," he says.

Well put. Water Cooler Games had a long and rich life and contributed tremendously to video gaming's many communities. And this isn't the last anyone will hear from Bogost, for certain.

When Blogs Close [Ian Bogost, via GamePolitics]

As in, blogs run by video game platform holders, developers and publishers. They're interesting entities! And here's why: blogs came to prominence as an easy way for the average person to throw some stuff up on the internet and get people talking. By their very nature they're informal. So what business do these massive, global corporations have in saddling up and getting into the whole blogging thing?

The answer’s not as simple as you think. Yes, there are PR benefits to be had, but that’s a cynic’s answer, not to mention a shallow one. What kind of PR? Are they tapping new markets? Consolidating existing ones? Trying to make amends for previous PR disasters? And – most importantly – what are they getting out of these blogs besides from PR?

I ask this because these blogs are doing so much more than what you’d traditionally label “PR”. They’re engaging directly with their fanbase. They’re talking with them, listening to them, replying to them through blog posts and comments. Theyre not just telling their fans what they think they should be hearing, they’re listening when the fans talk back, and sometimes even doing something about it.

Which is new, very new, at least for this industry. So to get a little more information on these blogs, see what some of these companies are really getting themselves into, let’s take a look at three of the biggest, most prominent company blogs out there: Microsoft’s Gamerscore blog, Sony’s PlayStation.Blog and Capcom USA’s Unity Blog.

In examining each, I’ve not only spoken with the blogs themselves, but taken a look at how well they’re doing their jobs, in terms of both blanket PR coverage (ie the drip-feeding of news) as well as what’s potentially an even more important aspect: how well they’re able to cultivate and foster the growth of a community.

GAMERSCORE – What, no Major Nelson? Nope. Love him or hate him, his website is little more than an Xbox Live (as opposed to Xbox 360) noticeboard, and his podcast is a podcast, not a blog. No, when it comes to Microsoft’s shot at tapping the blogosphere, that job’s left to Gamerscore.

One of the oldest company blogs around (and by far the most senior of those we’re looking at today), Gamerscore was established in October 2005, as part of Microsoft’s long-running desire to focus on community with their Xbox platforms. “From the concept of the first Xbox, having fun playing with others, and being able to connect online has been the key to the system’s success”, says John Porcaro, Xbox’s Director Online Community.

“Because we’re gamers at heart, many of us were plugged into the games community”, he continues. “We were listening to online conversations going on about the Xbox, and about our games, and we wanted to be more a part of the conversation. Creating an official blog gave us a way to communicate more directly, more quickly, and more informally”.

On the whole, it’s been a successful venture for Microsoft. They’ve got the core 360 owner in their sights. The Gamerscore guys are great at providing readers with stuff like an inside look at gaming events (with their Flickr galleries), as well as serving as the only official MS website where you can find not just major Xbox news, but the minor stuff like XBLA announcements as well.

On the downside, it can at times also feel a little too targeted, coming off as occasionally sterile, and it lacks the character and personality that you’d expect from such an informal arena. So while it’s been useful for Microsoft as a PR tool – quite literally, since Gamerscore also are often first to publish Microsoft press releases – it hasn’t really developed the kind of community vibe you’d have expected to see for a console as community-focused as the 360.

PLAYSTATION – At the start of this piece, I raised the possibility that some companies may be into the whole blogging thing in an attempt to make amends. Try something new, do something right in the PR sphere where, previously, they may have been having…issues. Issues like those Sony faced in 2006-2007, with their $599/Massive Damage/Last-Gen PR firestorm.

Now, in mid-2008, the PS3 is slowly recovering from its woeful launch, and the PlayStation.Blog has been in many ways the keystone in this amazing turnaround in Sony’s relatonship with its userbase. Sony’s Director Corporate Communications Patrick Seybold says of the blog’s timing and introduction: “We felt there was a new level of transparency people just expected from PlayStation, and we had the desire internally to open up in the interest of building trust and a healthier dialogue with our customers”.

“Not only do you get an immediate read on the pulse of your most passionate fans, but you get to bring them a bit closer into the fold and share more details about the reasoning behind certain decisions — it is a win-win opportunity”, he continues. “I saw PlayStation.blog as another opportunity to show our fans that we are as loyal to them as they have been to us for all of these years”.

Updated on (around) a daily basis, it makes no bones about its PR focus. It’s as serious as Microsoft’s Gamerscore blog, perhaps even more so. There’s no fan art or YouTube clips of old toy commercials here, it’s all cold, hard facts. Or, at least, the posts are. Where the PlayStation.Blog shines is in the site’s comments section, which have often proved to be a more useful source of information than the posts themselves.

While an original post – whether by Sony or one of their third-party developers – may contain some pertinent information, PS3 users are able to comment directly under the post with questions. On 98% of major sites, those questions may as well be rhetorical. Nobody would read them, let alone answer them.

But browse the comments section on a PlayStation.Blog post and you’ll find developers rolling up their sleeves and answering questions. And answering them properly. And, in doing so, often providing some extra information, the kind of stuff that may not matter to the PR team when formulating a press release, but may be vital to the kind of hardcore user that’s bothering to comment on a company blog. How many frames per second it’ll be running at, when a European release may be announced, that kind of thing.

It’s not perfect, however. Again, like Microsoft’s effort, the PlayStation blog can come off as feeling a little sterile, a little “corporate”.

CAPCOM - Capcom’s blog (well, technically a network of blogs, but we'll roll them up into one for convenience) is, due to their status as a developer/publisher, a little different. They have a lot less technical information to keep their fans occupied with: they don’t need to update you on the status of their online network or on upcoming firmware notices.

Which, in this case, works to their benefit. Because in place of that more mundane stuff comes an increased focus on doing what blogs do best: nurturing a community by getting down amongst it and having a laugh, rather than trying to will one into being via some great, old-fashioned PR machine.

“The goal has been to create the kind of place that I would like to be as a Capcom fan if I didn't actually work for the company” says Capcom’s Seth Killian. “Since I spent most of my life as exactly that kind of person, this wasn't hard to imagine”.

”Mostly I just wanted to have some fun, talk more directly with fans, and sidestep the corporate-speak death that makes games seem like they suck. I use it as a chance to do some really in-depth stuff on the games, to share some behind-the-scenes Capcom shenanigans, and to showcase all the amazing Capcom-related fan stuff that's happening”.

Yes, they run PR. They’ll post about hype for upcoming games, the odd screenshot gallery, etc. But they’ll also post crap you wouldn’t dream of finding on most other company websites. Like opportunities for fans to come in and test upcoming games. Links and translations to the Japanese websites of Capcom games. Stupid old YouTube vids of Street Fighter commercials from 1993.

You know. The kind of stuff that goes beyond PR, and attracts a fan, keeps them around and, through engagement with other fans and the company itself – turns them from fan into super fan. Yes, this has a downside, namely the fact you’ll be drinking the Capcom kool-aid straight from the source, but then if you’re a die-hard Capcom fan, is there really anything wrong with that?

I’d love to now go into detail about what each company’s approach to blogging really means, and why they’re taking the approach they’re taking, but I can’t. And that’s what makes this so interesting. These guys are flying by the seat of their pants. This whole “community” thing is new ground for the gaming industry, and two of these three blogs (Sony & Capcom) are only a year old.

All three men I spoke with were adamant that, as new as their blogs were, the pace that blogs and social media have been running at could soon render them out of date, and out of date before blogs have even had a chance to develop their own set of “dos and do nots”. Being aware of that, they’re just running with what they feel is right, and so long as they’re able to communicate with their more hardcore fans, they’ll keep pushing on.

Capcom’s Seth Killian sums it up best when he says “I think the current corporate feelings about the blog are, in order: vague confusion, excitement, fear, a different kind of confusion, and amusement. That might not sound good until you realize that just last year the feelings were: fear, anger, and seeking revenge, so we're headed in the right direction”.

In a four-hour special called "News War," FRONTLINE examines how news media today is changing. Interesting and fascinating — Worth a watch, if only to see a millisecond of Kotaku. Be sure to blink so you can miss it! Brian Ashcraft

It's In Part III, Chapter 19 [PBS, Thanks to all who sent this in!]

You can never have too many game developer blogs... seriously. And if someone were to ask me which company would I want to jump on the blog, community game site bandwagon first, I'd probably say the now defunct Clover, but second up with definitely be Capcom.

They have awesome games and, until today, much of their site and game details were in Japanese. But the company just opened the doors on Capcom Unity, a slick website that is home to all of their games, blogs and news for the company.

While the site is already pretty neat looking, Capcom promises to create brand-specific community sites for games like Ace Attorney, Devil May Cry and Resident Evil. Eventually, they even want to open the doors for user created content.

Hop onto the site tonight and you'll find links to both Brian Dunn's Lost Planet Blog and Scarlett's blog (right now featuring an interview with a member of the Japan Translation Team. Brian Crecente

Capcom Unity

Galaxies Today [The New York Post]

There's others, too. Reader Jan sent along this neat trend chart that riffs on the Tokyo subway. Created by Japan-based design agency Information Architects, it's a mash-up of the most used websites from last year and what to expect from next. As the agency's site says, "It's totally unscientific and almost useless, but definitely fun to look at." To find us, Kotaku's the last stop on the enfeebled and underfed brown (yummy) "Blogs" line. Fitting. Brian Ashcraft

The Kotaku Subway [iA, Thanks Jan!]

Rayman Raving Rabbids has a blog. Yes, it's over at our stinky arch-nemesis' own personal Mordor, IGN. But it features lost of portly game progammers with the consistency of cottage cheese being mangled by insane, cackling rabbits. Which, frankly, is good enough for me. Florian Eckhardt

Rayman Raving Rabbids Blog [IGN Blogs]

Ton of Clay is the blog of gamedev Clayton Kauzlaric, creator of Voodoo Vince and Total Annihilation. It's been up since August, but I've just today had my attention drawn to it by friend Stickypig, a firm admirer of Vince.

As with most gamedev blogs, this one deals mostly with the trials and tribulations of birthing a game at all, and specifically with the artist's darlings that ended up cut and mourned:

Ah, flaming zombie rats. We hardly knew ye. These were probably my favorite concept among the first generation of monsters we created for Voodoo Vince. They sort of floated around the French Quarter moaning and farting little fireballs. They were eventually cut and replaced with the Bomber Beetles. They were charming, in a bizarre sort of way, but were too lackluster and sad once we saw them in action.

Also cut was a zombie riverboat, complete with undead salty captain.

Eliza Gauger

Ton of Clay [Blogspot]

Microsoft's XNA Game Studio Express got its own blog. It's called XNA Team Blog (clever!), helmed by XNA manager dude Boyd Multerer and looks pretty Spartan compared to Major Nelson's page or even the Gamerscore Blog. Microsoft's favorite thingy is to set its employees loose in the Blogosphere to communicate with folks, address pressing issues and troll Sony. Brian Ashcraft

More Here [XNA Blog]

Last year I had about 100 sites in my aggregator, I have no clue how many are packed in there now, but reading through them takes up a good part of my day.

My very favorite sites end up being the places I go to steal talent to put to work rowing the SS Kotaku. 1Up blogs (Luke), Wonderland (Alice) and GeekOnStun (Mike) all fell victim to that trap and while some of those writers have moved on to brighter futures, I still love their sites.

Blues News: I've been reading this site since before I was writing about games. I'm a HUGE Blue fan. He doesn't know it, but he's like family.

BBC News Technology: This little British RSS feed is often filled with tech news, but occasionally they bust out with some interesting gaming news.

British Gaming Blog: I'm not sure when this site snuck onto my aggregator, but I can always depend on finding something I hadn't heard of here.

Collision Detection: As Luke points out, Clive Thompson is the man. From his musings on neolithic Britons to Plasma Ping Pong and Lester Bangs, this is the place to go for equal parts intellectual stimulation and gaming education.

Dean and Nooch on Gaming: The San Jose Mercury News duo cover all things tech and gaming. I'm astounded that the paper still doesn't support the two's blogging efforts. That's right, they do it in there "free time."

Digg: I don't really read this for story ideas as much as to track the interest in topics. It's sort of my gaming buzz stock market and like a billion times better than del.icio.us.

Gamerscore Blog: Corporate blogs should be taken with a grain of salt, but that doesn't mean you should pump them for information. This one's run by Msoft marketing guru John Porcaro.

Gamesblog: The Guardian Unlimited's blog on gaming includes stories by Keith Stuart, Aleks Krotoski (seriously, we really do know she's not a guy.) and Greg Howson and is a definite must read.

Gamespot: It might be trite to say that you should read Gamespot's news coverage, but that doesn't make it any less true. I love their Rumor Control.

Impress Game Watch: I may not be able to read Japanese, but I can still look at the pretty pictures and then quickly IM Ashcraft and ask him WTF they're talking about. He loves it when I do that.

Major Nelson: He might have some sort of job over at Microsoft that involves Xbox Live and management, but all we really care about is his obsessive posts about the Marketplace.

NeoGaf: The best gaming forums on the planet. Chockfull of hatred, self-loathing and a surprising amount of news and juicy tidbits.

Penny Arcade: Who doesn't love these guys. If video game journalism were a Shakespearean play, they would be the clowns. (Kotaku would be the homicidal, naval-staring stepson.)

Terra Nova: The original virtual worlds think tank.

The New York Times: They may publish far too few game-related stories, but when they do they're pure gold.

Video Game Media Watch: Balanced on the precipice of full-time freelancing, Kyle Orland is likely about to turbo charge his game journalism site.

Voodoo Extreme: Fast, fun, opinionated read on all things PC.

Water Cooler Games: Ian Bogost is probably one of the few gaming academics, developers and bloggers around. Go read his stuff on serious gaming.

This is just a sampling of the excellent sites I read daily and I try to add sites to the list as often as possible. Of course I also spend a huge chunk of the day talking to PR people, sources, moles, weasels and other assorted rodents. What are some of your favorites? Sites, not rodents. Brian Crecente

Namecheck: Do People Still Read? [1Up]

Marie-Sol Beaudry, producer of Red Steel, is now updating live from the Ubisoft Paris studio. Over on the new Red Steel blog on IGN, she has this to say about der hackenslashen:

We're continuing to tweak the controls to optimize the game and ensure it's a great experience on all levels, for example keeping the precision and accuracy of the aiming but working on the sensitivity and the stability. Also the sword fighting is going to offer more diversity in movements and couple of special moves I will not talk about this time...

Beaudry speaks a bit more on the Wiimote's role in the game, and promises another update in two weeks. She even includes a charming photo of herself, gamely accosting the viewer with her Ninchucks of doom. Eliza Gauger

Red Steel Developer Blog [IGN]

I'm not entirely sure what 'MetaFuture' has to do with gaming, but then again I didn't see any relationship between Half-Life 2: Episode 1, sand blasting, and civil rights until Gallant pointed it out.

Go give Metafuture a read before Gallant inevitably fires himself. Joel Johnson

The Site Discussed [MetaFuture]

If you have a blog and you're going to E3, you're probably going to want to blog those priceless "Wouldn't that have been awesome?" revisionist accounts of your pat, innuendo-infused dialogues with the Konami booth babe in the assless chaps. But if this is your first E3, you're going to learn the hard way that Internet access can be hard to come by on the showfloor.

So what to do? Well, those thoughtful bastards over at Microsoft have decided to park a huge honking XBox 360 Internet access bus in the E3 parking lot and they're going to open it on up to you, John and Jane Q. Blogging Public.

Unfortunately, it isn't open to everyone... only the blogging elite. You know, people like me. In Microsoft's own words: "You really need to be an active community member or blogger. This means having an active blog that has regularly posted about videogames in the past few months, or community members who are actively participating in discussions within their respective community."

Time to start a Blogspot account and back date some of your gaming forum posts from the last few months, don't you think?

All Aboard the Blogger Bus [Gamerscoreblog]

It started like teenagers do, kind of bumbly, awkward and definitely underdeveloped, but 1up.com's now weekly 1UP Show has evolved considerably in recent weeks into something far more than editors sitting around a roundtable talking about games (see the Aug. 20 first video feature) and into a pretty cohesive and brilliant piece of weekly entertainment. It does what podcasts, video reviews and written reviews all should strive for in a coherent 30-minute video package.

The 1UP Show bridges the disconnect between gamers and reviewers perfectly, which is consistent with one of 1UP.com's biggest strengths. Its editors and contributors all have blogs and for the most part update it with some regularity, and the blogs aren't always just about games - sometimes it's about their lives. Managing editor Che Chou often shows pictures of the hijinks he and his wife and their group of friends get into.

So, what? What the hell does this have to do with video games? Well, what 1UP taps into so well is connecting with gamers by showing that in addition to being writers/editors/bloggers/employees, they are also enthusiasts - and that's something everyone who loves video games can relate to.

The 1UP Show Index [1Up.com]
Chespace, Che Chou's Blog [1UP.com]