Decent sources for video game criticism/theory?

[CM30]

What sources do you know for video game critique (in the academic/game design sense) do you know or visit?

For me, some of the sites my allies run are pretty good for this:

http://www.designoriented.net/

http://danielprimed.com/

http://critical-gaming.squarespace.com/blog/

What's more, they focus on what matters; the design and mechanics. None of that surface level middle school stuff your average Gamasutra source would use, these guys really seem to want to study game design at a decently high level, and I admire that.

 

[Bonfyre]

I usually don't read or watch game reviews.

 

[Aensland]

I usually don't read or watch game reviews.

Same here. I tend to just watch gameplay footage sans commentary. Occasionally, I'll check wiki's "reception" area prior to a game's release to see how it did in Japan.

 

[CM30]

That's a bit of a shame given some of the cool stuff you can find online.

I even bought this great Wario Land 4 themed design book:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Game-Design-Companion-Critical-Analysis-ebook/dp/B00HZNS6JW