Nerd News: Get Your Facts Straight
Even though I've got the Frequent Visits link to your right when you click here, I figured I'd give a little spotlight to geek-related news sites.
Why? Well, mostly because I'm tired of hearing people perpetuate stupid news that reliable sites either didn't report or debunked weeks ago. And also, because it's a good idea to know stuff. If I haven't made it abundantly clear by now, I'm a nerd-of-all-trades, so whether you're a fan of anime, video games or comic books, I've got you covered. Bookmark these links; they're vital to keeping up with their respective fandoms.
Video Games
Destructoid - One of the younger video game news sites, Destructoid is a sister site to Japanator, and one of the most frequently-updated and accurate gaming blogsites on the web. Though admittedly the writers can sometimes get a little...opinionated with their posts, they still deliver gaming news in as straightforward a manner as possible. They cover all games, too--East or West, major or independent, so go check them out. With reviews, news updates, and regularly added features there's pretty much always something for you to read. And if you miss a day they even collect the previous day's posts in a single update for you to peruse at your leisure (something *every* news site should do, really).
Andriasang - I have no idea where this site came from, which I'm sure is breaking some sort of gaming expert taboo, since I've seen it on every other website I'll be linking to as sources for information. AndriaSang focuses exclusively (from what I've seen) on Japanese games, so if you're all about BioWare or something like that, you're outta luck. Still, for those of us who grew up on J-RPGs, Street Fighter/Tekken, MGS, and so much more, it's not necessarily a bad thing to focus on what's new in the Land of the Rising Sun. The most interesting function on the site (something I wish all gaming websites had), is an actual release calendar for all the current systems getting new games.
Siliconera - Siliconera, essentially, is AndriaSang except it also focuses on what's actually coming to America. Even better, they also get interviews with popular Japanese developers, providing both a glimpse into how the creators of our favorite games think as well as a chance for Western fans of Japanese games to ask about what's coming up next.
RPGFan - For fans of RPGs only, obviously. RPGFan is probably one of the oldest gaming news sites on the web, existing even back when I first got online back in 2000 or so. With frequent updates that focus on reviews, previews, translated interviews, and screenshots, if you like RPGs at all this site is super-helpful.
RPGamer - Another RPG news site. You'd think there would be some overlap, but not really. While it has a similar pedigree to RPGFan (it's actually even older), RPGamer gives it's fanbases a focus on different features, a greater focus on reviews, and even (*gasp*) a release schedule for all RPGs being released in America over a given two week period. Extremely helpful for those of us who don't always have time to keep tabs on games that pique our interest.
Anime
A/N: Usually, I do *not* allow forum posts to count as legitimate information, but in cases like these, where those willing to translate are few and far in-between, and do not work for "official" websites, one must seek out alternatives. Still and all, the forums I'm linking to all cite their sources and they allow no unfounded posts.
Japanator - For those who like to keep up with anime on both sides of the Pacific Ocean, there's this blogsite. Japanator is the sister site of Destructoid, and shares some of the same staff, but is centered entirely on Japanese entertainment products. The big difference between this site and the others I'll mention, is that they also post anime-related video games, Japanese visual novels, and Japanese dramas. Occasionally they even throw in a Tokusatsu post or two. This isn't the favorite website of mine it was back when I was seeking a replacement for animeOnline (a more beautiful site you'll never find), but it's still good to check out now and again.
AnimeSuki's Upcoming Series forum - (The Upcoming series thread is here, for those who don't care about anything other than announcements.) Years ago, I'd tell you that any anime download site that didn't allow licensed materials was a waste of bandwidth and development time. On some level, I still agree with that statement, but Animesuki found a far more useful purpose than being one of thousands of places to download anime from. With a collection of people that translate blog news posts and Japanese news sites in their spare time, AnimeSuki's one of the center places I go to stay ahead of the curve on anime. The flaw here is that if you only watch dubs (...really?), this place is so far ahead of the curve it's like finding out your Christmas presenton January 2nd, but that's a very small subset of people.
MyAnimeList's News Discussion Forum - I've been a fan of MyAnimeList for several years now, since my OCD-lite forces me to make lists for EVERYTHING. But it wasn't until last year (or late '09), that I realized how useful their News forum was. With a dedicated translator who consistently posts news about releases and general goings-on in the anime world, there's not a day that goes by without me checking this place at least once.
Comics
Newsarama - A comic site I've been following for six or so years now (almost since I got back to comics), Newsarama's a necessity if one wants to keep up with comics. Known for their lengthy post-project interviews (52 Exit Interviews, All-Star Superman discussions and more) and a number of comics history-related features that could turn even the newest comic fan into well-read "comics scholars", Newsarama's worth a visit every other day, if not every day.
ComicBookResources - Again a case in which, generally, there is very little overlap between news from the same entertainment medium. CBR generally does an excellent job in "upcoming series" interviews, putting out nearly a dozen every month at the least (though it says something that Newsarama's Vaneta Rogers can keep up with their output almost by herself), but also focuses on Q&A interviews with major creators, like Marvel EiC (now President) Joe Quesada, or those working on major franchises (Batman and X-Men). In addition, the weekly columns they post generally offer readers an insider's perspective on the comics world in general; a valuable asset considering the number of fanboys that have confused views on how things work. And all of this doesn't even bring Spinoff Online into the equation, a mini-site on CBR that covers genre-based entertainment with a focus on comic-related releases. I actually don't go a day without checking this site.
DCU: The Source - DC Comics' personal news blogsite. Information on DC's games, movies, comics, and cartoons, direct from the horse's mouth.
Tokusatsu
A bonus for my Tokusatsu fans. Check out JEFusion if you want to keep up on Kamen Rider, Super Sentai, or anything related to Japanese superheroes.
Admittedly, I was supposed to get a bit more done today, but eh...stuff happened, and I want to be up early tomorrow for video coverage of C2E2 (Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo), on Newsarama. I'm predicting it will focus on comics, but hopefully they'll catch a few animation panels as well.
Anyway. This is update 3 of 10. I'll try to do another five tomorrow, to catch up on all the crap I haven't done, but for now, I'm signing off to get some sleep. Laters.
Why? Well, mostly because I'm tired of hearing people perpetuate stupid news that reliable sites either didn't report or debunked weeks ago. And also, because it's a good idea to know stuff. If I haven't made it abundantly clear by now, I'm a nerd-of-all-trades, so whether you're a fan of anime, video games or comic books, I've got you covered. Bookmark these links; they're vital to keeping up with their respective fandoms.
Video Games
Destructoid - One of the younger video game news sites, Destructoid is a sister site to Japanator, and one of the most frequently-updated and accurate gaming blogsites on the web. Though admittedly the writers can sometimes get a little...opinionated with their posts, they still deliver gaming news in as straightforward a manner as possible. They cover all games, too--East or West, major or independent, so go check them out. With reviews, news updates, and regularly added features there's pretty much always something for you to read. And if you miss a day they even collect the previous day's posts in a single update for you to peruse at your leisure (something *every* news site should do, really).
Andriasang - I have no idea where this site came from, which I'm sure is breaking some sort of gaming expert taboo, since I've seen it on every other website I'll be linking to as sources for information. AndriaSang focuses exclusively (from what I've seen) on Japanese games, so if you're all about BioWare or something like that, you're outta luck. Still, for those of us who grew up on J-RPGs, Street Fighter/Tekken, MGS, and so much more, it's not necessarily a bad thing to focus on what's new in the Land of the Rising Sun. The most interesting function on the site (something I wish all gaming websites had), is an actual release calendar for all the current systems getting new games.
Siliconera - Siliconera, essentially, is AndriaSang except it also focuses on what's actually coming to America. Even better, they also get interviews with popular Japanese developers, providing both a glimpse into how the creators of our favorite games think as well as a chance for Western fans of Japanese games to ask about what's coming up next.
RPGFan - For fans of RPGs only, obviously. RPGFan is probably one of the oldest gaming news sites on the web, existing even back when I first got online back in 2000 or so. With frequent updates that focus on reviews, previews, translated interviews, and screenshots, if you like RPGs at all this site is super-helpful.
RPGamer - Another RPG news site. You'd think there would be some overlap, but not really. While it has a similar pedigree to RPGFan (it's actually even older), RPGamer gives it's fanbases a focus on different features, a greater focus on reviews, and even (*gasp*) a release schedule for all RPGs being released in America over a given two week period. Extremely helpful for those of us who don't always have time to keep tabs on games that pique our interest.
Anime
A/N: Usually, I do *not* allow forum posts to count as legitimate information, but in cases like these, where those willing to translate are few and far in-between, and do not work for "official" websites, one must seek out alternatives. Still and all, the forums I'm linking to all cite their sources and they allow no unfounded posts.
Japanator - For those who like to keep up with anime on both sides of the Pacific Ocean, there's this blogsite. Japanator is the sister site of Destructoid, and shares some of the same staff, but is centered entirely on Japanese entertainment products. The big difference between this site and the others I'll mention, is that they also post anime-related video games, Japanese visual novels, and Japanese dramas. Occasionally they even throw in a Tokusatsu post or two. This isn't the favorite website of mine it was back when I was seeking a replacement for animeOnline (a more beautiful site you'll never find), but it's still good to check out now and again.
AnimeSuki's Upcoming Series forum - (The Upcoming series thread is here, for those who don't care about anything other than announcements.) Years ago, I'd tell you that any anime download site that didn't allow licensed materials was a waste of bandwidth and development time. On some level, I still agree with that statement, but Animesuki found a far more useful purpose than being one of thousands of places to download anime from. With a collection of people that translate blog news posts and Japanese news sites in their spare time, AnimeSuki's one of the center places I go to stay ahead of the curve on anime. The flaw here is that if you only watch dubs (...really?), this place is so far ahead of the curve it's like finding out your Christmas presenton January 2nd, but that's a very small subset of people.
MyAnimeList's News Discussion Forum - I've been a fan of MyAnimeList for several years now, since my OCD-lite forces me to make lists for EVERYTHING. But it wasn't until last year (or late '09), that I realized how useful their News forum was. With a dedicated translator who consistently posts news about releases and general goings-on in the anime world, there's not a day that goes by without me checking this place at least once.
Comics
Newsarama - A comic site I've been following for six or so years now (almost since I got back to comics), Newsarama's a necessity if one wants to keep up with comics. Known for their lengthy post-project interviews (52 Exit Interviews, All-Star Superman discussions and more) and a number of comics history-related features that could turn even the newest comic fan into well-read "comics scholars", Newsarama's worth a visit every other day, if not every day.
ComicBookResources - Again a case in which, generally, there is very little overlap between news from the same entertainment medium. CBR generally does an excellent job in "upcoming series" interviews, putting out nearly a dozen every month at the least (though it says something that Newsarama's Vaneta Rogers can keep up with their output almost by herself), but also focuses on Q&A interviews with major creators, like Marvel EiC (now President) Joe Quesada, or those working on major franchises (Batman and X-Men). In addition, the weekly columns they post generally offer readers an insider's perspective on the comics world in general; a valuable asset considering the number of fanboys that have confused views on how things work. And all of this doesn't even bring Spinoff Online into the equation, a mini-site on CBR that covers genre-based entertainment with a focus on comic-related releases. I actually don't go a day without checking this site.
DCU: The Source - DC Comics' personal news blogsite. Information on DC's games, movies, comics, and cartoons, direct from the horse's mouth.
Tokusatsu
A bonus for my Tokusatsu fans. Check out JEFusion if you want to keep up on Kamen Rider, Super Sentai, or anything related to Japanese superheroes.
Admittedly, I was supposed to get a bit more done today, but eh...stuff happened, and I want to be up early tomorrow for video coverage of C2E2 (Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo), on Newsarama. I'm predicting it will focus on comics, but hopefully they'll catch a few animation panels as well.
Anyway. This is update 3 of 10. I'll try to do another five tomorrow, to catch up on all the crap I haven't done, but for now, I'm signing off to get some sleep. Laters.
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