GiP is a website designed by gamers for gamers of all types. One of the foremost goals of GiP is to revolutionize the way gamers of all genres connect to each other the way Facebook has revolutionized the way middle and high school girls, and all of your aunts (enstranged or otherwise) connect with everyone else on the planet.
But, GiP is not trying to be Facebook or any other "social networking" site. Instead the people behind GiP came at it from the perspective of long time gamers and asked, "What do gamers want to have when connecting to other gamers?" Then they went a built a site around that vision and they have done a good job with it.
GamesiPlay has forums, a personal page for account holders that is reminiscent of the My.Lotro page Turbine gives to Lotro players, and a unique point system that has obviously been inspired by the achievement systems of more recent games, and been taken back to the old school arcade days. Two more important distinguishing features are: 1) GiP is not restricted to just Computer Games etc. They have everything that doesn't fall under "sports." Trading Card Games (TCGs), Computer Games, Role-Playing Games (RPGs), Board Games, Card Games, Flash Games, you name it and they support it. 2) GiP works to support Tournaments and other events for multiple genres in the Real World, and works with Hobby Shops ad Comic Stores (you know, the guys that were the connection place for gamers before and during the time of the Internet (especially if they played RPGs or TCGs)?) which is quite unique for a "social networking" site.
One final thing to note about GiP is that it supports 2 important features for gamers and aspiring gamers: 1) A catalogue of games of many genres with basic information and ratings and places to go to play said game, try it out, or buy it. And, 2) multiple flash games and flash based adaptations of games that have been approved by the parent companies of those games and link directly to that score I mentioned before that is tied to your account.
While there is plenty more to be said about GiP, I shall leave it to you to decide for yourselves whether or not you wish to go to GamesiPlay and find out about it for yourselves . . .
For rating, I give GiP 5/5 stars for being unique, creative, and working hard to fill a niche role as best as they possibly can. The guys behind this site really have worked hard to put in as many things as they know they'd want and that they know other gamers would want in their site and it all comes together in a cohesive and coherent fashion.
-Ivaneus of Through the Palantir
