First Impressions: (10 out of 15)
At first glance, I notice a lot of things that stick out to me. The theme looks nice, and everything is right there on the home page, so it's not hard at all to find things. Since your website is not open yet, I won't be reviewing the current activity level.
Site Structure: (13 out of 15)
The overall site structure is good. As I was saying above, the home page has everything on your site displayed nicely. I specifically like how all of the forum categories show in a drop down box as well. It's easier for me to find things instead of having to look through them on the actual page. I do have one suggestion. Have you thought about moving The Community boards to the top and making General its own little board at the bottom? I know why you have it in the section it's already in, but it doesn't seem like it really fits there in my opinion.
Design Quality: (9.5 out of 15)
In all honesty, I am very impressed with the design quality on your site! It has a very simple yet sleek layout, and as I've already said it isn't hard to find anything on the page. Going along with what Teg said about your logo. I understand where she is coming from and she is 100% correct. Every time I see a gaming site, there is ALWAYS a controller in the logo, I think you should try to find something a little more unique.
Originality: (7 out of 15)
The major thing I want to touch on here is your niche. There are a million gaming websites out there and it's something a lot of people want to be a part of. I don't really see anything that is making your website different than any other gaming site I've seen/joined. I would sit down with a pen and some paper and start listing ideas that you have that could make the site better/different. Once you have a good list, narrow them down to the top three that you have. If you're like me, I love getting my members involved in some decision making processes because they are the ones that are using it the most. Create a poll or a thread and get them to vote and also tell you the suggestions that they might have. That could help a lot in making your site more different than all of the others.
Overall Mark: (39.5 out of 60)
I really hope I gave you some good suggestions and you take my advice. I think you are doing a great job so far, and even though your website is still a WIP, I think it will have a lot of potential once it is actually opened completely. Thanks for requesting a review! Feel free to request a re-review once your site is actually opened, so we can see how your progress has been since this one!
