Alas, GIA, I hardly knew ye.

Just recently (a few weeks ago), I discovered a gaming website that seemed to have the right perspective on gaming: The Gaming Intelligence Agency.

Everytime I find a web site like this, one that is worthy of respect and contributes to gaming analysis in a valuable and tangible way, I'm reminded of just how bizarre and powerful the internet really is. I absorb information from so many sources, pulling on loose threads of opinion, conversation, and interpretation. It makes me feel like I've got a grip on the state of gaming, like I've fashioned a little grand central station for myself through which all relevant things must pass. And then I randomly stumble on something like the GIA, whose Nile of gaming discourse has been raging past my hub for years with me oblivious all the while. The internet is an infinitely dimensional space, and no matter how much you contort yourself, you can only exist in one of those dimensions: yours.

Anyway, the point of this post (I think) is that the GIA has shut down. They made the announcement in the beginning of April, apparently, and the plug was pulled on the server yesterday. That makes five: Gamecenter, Stomped, Lum The Mad, Quarter to Three, and GIA... Gamespot just announced their subscription content service, Gamespot Complete, and if that doesn't go well quickly, I suspect we'll be eulogizing them next.

I was tempted there for a moment to predict the demise of OMM as well, but it may be that Chet, Eric and crew have discovered the truth: that running a gaming website is a hobby, not a job. Jobs have to pay, and the world doesn't look like it's going to support more than a handful of profitable gaming websites. Everyone else had better reconcile themselves to providing content for their own narcissistic purposes. Update when you can with what you can. God bless PA, though. I'll pay for that.

Providing the yang to this post's yin, though, I'd like to direct your attention to Angry Babies, a nascent site, if you'll pardon the pun, whose contributors look to have their heads on straight. I justify this opinion on nothing more than the fact that they gave Dungeon Siege a harsh review. Not nearly harsh enough, of course, but I'll remedy that myself shortly.