If you gaze long into peter molyneux, peter molyneux will gaze back into you

I'm in the same boat, searching for reference.  I've been leaning towards Japanese gaming sites.  I have not idea what's going on but I really like their layouts and aesthetics.  Stuff like this:
http://www.micmac.jp/welcome/index.php?C=25&A=2006070101
http://www.falcom.co.jp/sora_3rd/index.html

I've also been hitting Kuler up lately for interesting color swatches:
http://kuler.adobe.com/

Chiptune is the coolest thing I've seen in a long time.  Not something I'd recommend for a "site", but still very cool.

that kuler thing is AMAZING!
man, i wish i knew about that 6 months ago.
i spend SO MUCH TIME tweaking color palettes. this makes it a lot easier, and faster.

i want to be inside you.

well, look at how crisp his pants are!

i think that last one is Mark McKinney.

the wind.

i thought nifflas was a superstar.

when people hype your game on NEOgaf, you're famous,

DIY

DIFY.

What about DIYFS?

i swear like a breathe, so, yes, that too, fuck.

art schmart fart.

here's a more interesting question: are games design?

ok then, the answer is: yes.

but a lot of it is very bad art.

the question of games as art is a tired one.
i would strongly suggest streering your article away from it as its been asked and answered way too many times already and usualy goes absolutely nowhere.

i used to care a lot about this question but ive since moved away from it.
now im just doing my own thing, for me. and i think thats how it should be.
art is in the intention and my intention is to make a game that says something about me and how i feel about X or Y.

the power to express oneself through the game is, i think, the edge indie games have over the rest.

but beign indie does not make a game artful.
and being artful does not make a game good.

there's a lot of absolutely shite indie games, just like there are a lot of shite comercial games. and the opposite is also true.

uhm...sorry about that.
maybe that was a bit too cryptic.

what i meant by that is that i find that a lot of indie game makers make the games they make because they want to. they make the games they want to play, wish existed. they do it for fun, they do it for themselves. not for money, clients, etc etc.

or atleast thats how i see it.
i find indie game dev to be a very selfish endeavour.
even if communities such as this one have florished around this little hobby of hours, and even if we often help eachother achieve our goals, trading art, tech and feedback, i think that ultimatly, we do it for ourselves.

DIY.
DIFY.

oooooo!
interesting!
defecation!

the f is for for.
not fuck.

DIY

DIFY.

i just want their glorious return to wipeout.
things havent been the same since wip3out.

a lot of designer's republic's core talent splintered off and started new studios.
but still, they invented futuristic.

or just do like me and shamelessly rip-off the designer's republic.

KIRBY CANVAS CURSE

amazing game.
one of the few games that actually uses the touch screen in a non-retarded way.
should be mandatory playing.

GP Lackey is a machine.

i was asking him if he tought the 50-something days would be enough and he wasnt sure. then something like an hour later he sends me 3 animations. first passes, but still!

as for the rest, the game is currently in its cocoon, about to emerge all pretty and gorgeous.

soon, i will post a little teaser trailer and...
we'll....you'll just have to see.

i agree.
i think the high number of "illegal posts" is due in part to how confusing the forum's structures and rules are.

indie games! dont post your indie games in indies games!