What is GameLog?

The really short answer to that is:
GameLog has blogs about games.

The short answer is:
In GameLog, individuals write individual blogs for individual games they're playing..

The not-so-short answer is:
GameLog is a site where people who are interested in games can keep track of the games that they are currently playing. A GameLog is like a collection of journals of the games you are playing as well as the ones you have already played. Using GameLog you can keep track of the games you have played, write comments about them and also write a journal for each individual game.

Also, you can read what others have written, see what others have played, see their opinions. Find out about games you wouldn't have otherwise looked at, etc.

So, what's the point?

Get help about picking what to play

Most people will play a game if their friends are playing it. Many will pick up a game based on a short recommendation by a friend. Full-length game reviews are important, but the power of peer recommendation and word of mouth is a greater determinant for the sucess of a game.

GameLog tries to capture the power of word of mouth. The power of hearing something about a game from a fellow gamer and friend. The power of getting excited about a game you played for 5 minutes at a friends house.

Sure, you can read all about a game on the web. But this isn't about that. This is about getting into the nitty-gritty of a particular experience. For example, everyone LOVES Metal Gear Solid. It sold millions. Me? I didn't like it that much. It just wasn't my style. I would have really liked to know that before I plunked down my $$$ on a copy.

Reflecting on game-playing experiences

I take my games seriously. That doesn't mean I don't have fun or that I'm a "professional gamer". I just like to reflect on what I do and why I enjoy it. Why does a certain game "work" while another just rubs me the wrong way? Is it just me, or is it a general trend? Which things are particular and which are generalizable? I like to think critically of games.

Keeping a journal of game-playing experiences helps make you aware of how games work, why they work and what could be done to improve them. It helps you reflect on your experiences and provides a record that you can then go back and look at.

The Community

Eventually, if all goes well, this site will have enough gamers using it to make it all worthwhile. Sure, maybe YOU really liked GameX but does that mean I will? Well, maybe. It depends who YOU are, what other games you've played and what you thought about them. Hey! I just noticed you really enjoyed GameY, so did I. Chances are our tastes are more similar than we thought. Who cares that the specialized press gave it a 2 out of 10. I'll like it anyways, most likely for the same reasons that you did.

As opposed to sites that tell you what other people bought and offer recommendations, here you can make up your own mind. If people like what you have to say you'll build a reputation. Be the one that everyone listens to!

History

I (Jose Pablo Zagal) began developing GameLog around June of 2003 when I was a PhD student at Georgia Tech's College of Computing. I wanted to learn some PHP programming and figured I might as well do it in the context of something I cared for. By the end of July I had an ugly (but functional) site up and running. Since I was gung-ho about keeping it "real", I figured I might as well pay for a domain. Since "gamelog.com" was taken I opted for "gamelog.cl". (cl = Chile, which is where I'm from)

Anyways, I've been using it regularly and have tried to make it work and look better. Of course, this doesn't mean that it is perfect. Far from it!

In July of 2004 I decided to overhaul the site completely (in my free time). The original was so ugly that I though no one wanted to use it for that reason. You know, people are scared away from sucky-looking sites since they look amateurish. Fortunately, a professional designer friend had sent me an idea for my personal home page. Not only did I update that, but I then hijacked the design onto GameLog. I think it looks a lot better!

As time permits, I expect to add more and more functionality as well as fine-tune the design. Hopefully I'll be rewarded with more users. :-)

You can also see what the latest updates and bugfixes are.

Acknowledgements

A lot of people have helped in many different ways and I apologize if anyone has been left out.
In alphabetical order, I would like to thank:

• Rodrigo Barria
• Amy Bruckman
• Brian Hochhalter
• Mark James (for use of his Silk Icons set)
• Heather Logas
• Nicolas Loira
• Marleigh Norton
• Alex P. (for his Web 2.0 Logo Generator)
• Stephanie Timms
• Jenelle Walker