2012 Piggies Awards for Massively Multiplayer Games Blogging Recognize top WoW and SWTOR Bloggers

EDINBURGH, Scotland, January 30, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

The top names in Massively Multiplayer Games (MMORPG) blogging, including bloggers focussed on World of Warcraft, RIFT, and new blockbuster Star Wars the Old Republic, have been rewarded in the 2012 "Piggies" awards for MMORPGs and MMORPG blogging. The awards were announced this month on MMORPG information and blogging portal MMO Melting Pot.

The "Piggies", as they are known, were started by blogger "Larisa" of the Pink Pigtail Inn, one of the oldest and most respected World of Warcraft bloggers, as a way to celebrate the writing of her peers as well as the games she loves. This year, they have reached a new level of visibility as the Pink Pigtail Inn passed the awards on to the rapidly-growing community site MMO Melting Pot.

MMO Melting Pot started as a site to publicise the best of blogging on "MMORPG" games like World of Warcraft, and since its launch in May 2010, has grown to over six hundred thousand visitors per month.

"Contrary to the popular image of gamers as uncreative, there are thousands of MMORPG bloggers, writers and commentators out there. The Melting Pot was founded as a place to showcase their work." says Hugh Hancock, MMO Melting Pot's owner and editor. "The best MMORPG bloggers produce writing as brilliant as any you'll see on top websites getting millions of hits. However, because they're in a niche they often don't get the exposure they deserve."

"There are many fantastic bloggers out there only get a few comments or a handful of page views on their articles. Our mission is to change that. Continuing the Piggie awards is another way for us to bring more attention to the underrated stars of the MMORPG blogosphere."

Award winners this year ranged from Oestrus, a blogger who won "bravest post" with an article about coming out as transgender in the often-homophobic gaming community, to an Honourable Mention for "Garrosh Hellscream". "Garrosh" is a blogger who not only writes as the World of Warcraft character of the same name, but also accepted the award in-character, saying "I am unsure of exactly how one advances from nominee to award recipient.  Presumably it does not involve honorable combat."

Bloggers recognised in the awards come from a wide variety of backgrounds. Blogger Gareth Harmer, who blogs under the pen name "Gazimoff", works as a Solutions Designer at a major telecoms company, but blogs about gaming as a lifelong interest. "It's incredibly intellectually stimulating - MMOs are complex multi-faceted systems that present some of the most unique gaming challenges a gamer can experience." says Mr Harmer, who won "Most Solid Content Provider" in the 2012 Piggies.  "It's also very rewarding - the people I've met and the community I've become involved with are thought provoking, naturally inquisitive and hugely entertaining. I wouldn't trade it for the (virtual) world!"

Other winners included "Apple Cider", who writes on controversial issues in the Warcraft community from a feminist viewpoint, and who recently returned to blogging after being harassed away from a previous blog. "It makes me feel like not only MMO Melting Pot "gets" me, but all of you do too," said Apple Cider, who prefers to use her pseudonym to avoid unwanted real-life attention. "Being named the Most Noticed Breakthrough Blogger of 2011 gives me a lot of courage and motivation to keep doing what I do and keep highlighting the issues I feel are important in our community."

A full list of winners and Honorable Mentions, including links to the winning blogs and posts, can be found at http://www.mmomeltingpot.com/2012/01/the-piggie-award-winners-2011-part-3-bloggers-and-blogging/

The MMO Melting Pot opened in 2010, aiming to showcase the best work in the Massively Multiplayer Online Role-playing Games blogging world. Since its launch, it has grown to over 600,000 viewers a month, featuring new blog posts from around the Internet, often from unknown writers.

Contact:

Hugh Hancock, Editor, MMO Melting Pot
Email (Preferred): hugh.hancock@strangecompany.org

Web: http://www.mmomeltingpot.com
Twitter: @mmomeltingpot
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SOURCE MMO Melting Pot