Bel's Blog Bonanza - Developer Appreciation Week 2015 Edition .

Hey folks and welcome to Bel’s Blog Bonanza, a bi-weekly feature here on MMOGames where I attempt to highlight some of the more interesting topics currently cycling through the gaming blogosphere. One of my favorite aspects of writing about games, is the interactions I have with other bloggers. In this column, it is my goal to highlight some of the individuals in this community and present their interesting take on current issues. Let us dispense with the introduction and get to the awesome.

 

Developer Appreciation Week 2015

Credit: Belghast

For some time now in the game blogging community the last week of March has been know as the Developer Appreciation Week.  This event was started in 2010 by Scarybooster, a man who has become known for having really great ideas…  and deleting his blogs in fits of passion.  While the original Scarybooster.com does not exist, nor does Scaryworlds.com we can use the magic of the Internet Archive to see some of the first DAW posts.  Even though Scary is not really actively blogging, and has removed himself from twitter, the community remembers his efforts and have decided to continue on in his honor.

Editor’s Note: It seems Belghast’s hopes have been answered and Scarybooster has blogged!

Last Friday the incomparable Rowan Blaze took up this torch in a post urging the members of the gaming blogosphere to show their love for their favorite developers as part of DAW2015. The call has been heard and answered, and today I am bringing you a very special version of Bel’s Blog Bonanza outlining the various posts made on this topic.  Here is hoping that all of this developer loving will somehow coax Scary out of retirement.  His epic ideas still live on in our community.

 

ArenaNet

• I Have Touched The Sky – Guild Wars 2
• Ravalation – Guild Wars 2
• Shards of Imagination – Guild Wars 2
• The Mystical Mesmer – Guild Wars 2

Bioware

• Harbinger Zero – Star Wars the Old Republic
• Ravalation – Star Wars the Old Republic
• Tales of the Aggronaut – Star Wars the Old Republic
• ZerneBlog – Star Wars the Old Republic

Blizzard

• Alternative Chat – World of Warcraft
• Tales of the Aggronaut – Heroes of the Storm
• Tales of the Aggronaut – World of Warcraft

Carbine Studios

• I Have Touched The Sky – Wildstar
• MMO Quests – Wildstar

Daybreak Game Company

• Shards of Imagination – Everquest 2
• Tales of the Aggronaut – Landmark
• Tales of the Aggronaut – Everquest 2

En Masse Entertainment

• Harbinger Zero – TERA

Funcom Productions

• I Have Touched The Sky – The Secret World
• Tales of the Aggronaut – The Secret World

Motiga

• Tales of the Aggronaut – Gigantic

Riot Games

• Tales of the Aggronaut – League of Legends

Square Enix

• Gaming SF – Final Fantasy XIV
• Tales of the Aggronaut – Final Fantasy XIV

Turbine, Inc.

• Ravalation – Lord of the Rings Online
• Tales of The Aggronaut – Lord of the Rings Online

Trion Worlds

• I Have Touched The Sky – Rift
• Tales of the Aggronaut – Rift
• Tales of the Aggronaut – Trove

Undead Labs

• Tales of the Aggronaut – State of Decay / Moonrise

Zenimax Media Inc.

• Tales of the Aggronaut – Elder Scrolls Online

 

Some bloggers instead focused on a more general approach with their Developer Appreciation Week posts rather than focusing on one specific game.  As I remarked in one of my own posts “[Devs] are my rockstars, and even if you are making a game that no one will ever play…  you are being awesome.  Games bring me so much joy, and there is a cast of often nameless and faceless people who struggled through crunch time to get that product into my hands.”

General Industry Love

• Healing the Masses
• Tales of the Aggronaut