Taking a peek into the gaming industry can be a tricky thing, with PR people, gaming blog editors, and even forum moderators getting between you and the daily news. One way to go straight to the source? Follow as many gaming professionals as you can on Twitter. Luckily, a new site makes that easy, featuring a long list of both gaming professionals and gaming writers to follow.
Twitter is one of two things, depending on your feelings on social networking. The 140-character messages could be a great way to peek into the lives of those you admire or are interested in, or it's a complete waste of time, populated by narcissists. In truth, it's a little bit of both, but today I know what Neil Gaiman is doing. That's pretty cool.
Following those behind the games you play is interesting as they chat about the day's work, meetings with Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft, setbacks and surprise breakthroughs. While much of it can be dry, you can often find a few jewels about the business. Following a bunch of gaming writers can also be fun, as you get the scoop on what they're working on, what games they're discussing between each other, and what they think of unreleased games before the reviews hit the public.
If you're new to Twitter, setting up an account is easy: our favorite clients are Twitterific on the Mac, Tweetie on the iPhone, and Peter Bright is a fan of Tweetdeck for the PC. Then you simply go to someone's Twitter page, click "follow," and you'll be getting their updates. You can find us at @BenKuchera, and @FrankyCaron, by the way. Michael Thompson also twitters via @Vansau, and you can find Andrew Webster by following @A_Webster.
So do you use Twitter? If so, who are some gaming personalities you enjoy following?