Video Games as Tools - Machinima

I talk about video games as an art form ALL THE TIME. Practically every other post on this blog is about how video games need to be accepted as an art form, because they are art. But one thing I don't talk about nearly as often is how they can be used to create art.

Video Games can be great and powerful tools in the right hands. How so? Well, several ways. An example? Machinima.

What is Machinima you ask? Simple. Machinima is using the art assets in a video game, and manipulating them in a way to create a video. The most typical type of Machinima is music video parodies. These can vary to really really good. To... Less good. It just depends really. That said, while there are some out there that are straight up parodies of songs (which in many cases can be better than the original song.)...

*Caution crude content... But what do you expect, it's a Ke$ha parody. She has to freaking censor her own name, and that's not even a swear word.*


There are plenty that just take existing songs and create a music video for them. These are probably my favorite music video machinima.



I mean look at that. That's art right there. That was made using World of Warcraft animations, and essentially Photoshop. If you're familiar with the Warcraft Lore the story to the video even makes sense, as it shows a character rescuing Thrall (a major character) from an orcish internment camp.

Another great example is "Gilnean Like Me" a music video for the song "Wolf Like Me".

*Caution some mild language. But man this video is epic.*



This one is just gorgeous. Using the song, and the visuals from WoW, it tells the story of a man who becomes a Werewolf, as his homeland is attacked by an undead faction known as the Forsaken.

This is absolutely art. Absolutely.

But there are plenty of Machinima doing things other than music videos. Although music videos are probably the vast majority.

There are entire dramatic series done in Machinima form. For example, WoWcrendor's faux "How To" series.



Or the "Freeman's Mind" series, which while hysterically funny, is both too bloody and contains too much language for me to post here. Basically it's a guy narrating Half-Life, if the main character, instead of never speaking, wouldn't shut up about how much his job sucks. Also he kills guys. But don't worry it was "self defense with an automatic weapon".

There's plenty of dubs, too.



Basically anything you can imagine can be done via machinima. Including this. And I'm not even sure what this is.

8 Reasons Modern Warfare 2 is One of the Worst Things to Happen to Ever Happen to Gaming

I don't try to lie about it, I'm a video game snob. I'm not especially humble when it come to... Well, most things. But video games especially. So when a game comes along that single handedly sets back the medium several years, and is so successful it sells, in Yahtzee's words, 3.7 copies to every mammal in North America, it kind of upsets me.

That's the case with Modern Warfare 2. A game so mindbendingly terrible for the industry, that my only explanation for how it sold so well is that people saw it's awfulness, and forced their brains to tell them it was actually the greatest thing ever, to avoid believing something so terrible could possibly exist.

Allow me to tell you exactly why.


1. It's an FPS on the console.
This one will probably be argued against, but seriously, there are two types of game that have no business being on any console, and those are RTSs, and FPSs. If I'm going to play either of those, I need the precision that a mouse and keyboard can give me, not the borderline archaic scheme that comes with a controller. Any FPS on a console should be ignored, and instead purchased on the PC. Which brings me to point 2,


2. The PC version has no dedicated servers.
Dedicated servers are also pretty much necessary for FPSs to work. What a dedicated server is, is basically a server that is always up, and is also much more stable. Without it, you can't bookmark a server, and lag will always be an issue, which screws up FPSs even more than a controller scheme.

3. You've played the exact game dozens of times before.
A podcast I listen to, Octale and Hordak Vs. The World, refers to MW2 as "Ghost Recon 19". While it may just be a joke, it's not inaccurate at all. The EXACT SAME GAME has been being released for years. There's nothing unique about MW2 at all. Nothing. It's the same game that's been being released for years.


4. Trying to get into FPSs? Pick something else.
I'll admit it, I suck at MW2. I didn't buy it of course, I have standards, but a friend did bring it over to my house a few weeks back, and I played for a couple hours. Speaking as someone only skilled in FPSs AT ALL when they are on the proper system, that is, the PC, I think I got about 2 kills in the span of around 2 hours. It was like trying to break down a brick wall with my forehead. All I got from my attempts was a headache.


5. Team Fortress 2 is a much better game.
TF2 is by far the best FPS on the market. The main reason? It's something different. In a world of brown FPSs, came the little gem from Valve, my favorite gaming company out there today. (Who also came out with another one of my favorite games of all time, Portal.) TF2 is class based, but not in the way that MW2 is, by that I of course mean it isn't, instead certain classes have strengths and weaknesses, unique ways to play, and different ways to be countered. And the best part? They're all a whole lot of fun. Except maybe Scout. Because seriously, screw Scout.

So far, I've explained why it's a terrible game. Now let me explain why it's bad for the industry.


6. 5 Maps, $15.
The recent MW2 Map Pack costs $15. For 5 maps. That is not a good deal. You know how much new maps for TF2 cost? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. TF2 is frequently updated with new maps, modes, and weapons, and you know what? It's all free. That's because the company that makes TF2 isn't scum. Which brings me to the next point,

7. Infinity Ward made it, and even they got screwed over by it.
Infinity Ward are the developers. They made Modern Warfare 2. Activision is the parent company. The own IW. They got the billion dollars that MW2 made. How did they repay IW for making them over $1,000,000,000 off of one game alone? Fear mongering, and shorting people the money they were promised. First, they fired the heads of the company. The two leaders of IW were fired shortly after the game launched, for "disorderly conduct". Then, none of the employees of IW left. Why didn't anyone in IW have any loyalty and leave when the owners were fired for no good reason? Everyone who helped make IW was promised royalties for the game. Those royalties have been delayed indefinitely, in other words, Activision pocketed the money. If anyone speaks up about being shorted on the royalties, they'll be fired for disorderly conduct as well, and good luck getting any royalties then. Isn't that illegal? Probably, but it's complicated, because they aren't outright being SHORTED the money... It's just being delayed indefinitely. Disgusting isn't it?


8. Bobby Kotick

This is the man responsible for screwing over IW, and is also the man responsible for most of what's wrong with gaming right now. Bobby Kotick is the C.E.O. of Activision. This is the man who said he wants to take all the fun out of game development. Because an employee who hates his work, and life, is a good employee! This is also the man who said he raised the price of MW2 by an extra $10, why? Not so they can support the game for free, obviously, but instead because he can. This man is not a good person.


There you have it, 8 reasons you should hate MW2 as much as I do. Too bad that if you're reading this, you already own 3.7 copies, statistically. I don't like the cliched phrase, vote with your dollar, but seriously people, we cannot allow this kind of thing to pass. If you bought MW2, I hope you know you contributed to killing gaming. I might sound alarmist, but seriously, that's what you are doing. You are killing gaming. I love this hobby, and if you do too, don't buy MW3 when Activision inevitably makes IW make it using thinly veiled threats.

This is not acceptable. Don't support this kind of thing. It's bad.

THIS IS VERY GOOD SANDVICH!

I found this in my TF2 screenshot's folder the other day. I really want to know why and how the Heavy was making this face.


BUT THAT IS NOT WHAT THIS POST IS ABOUT! THIS POST IS ABOUT... I don't know. I really don't. Um, hey how about... Wait no, I can't do that... Or how about... Nooo, that's a bad idea... Um...

You know what, this post is about this right here:



ENGIE BEAR! My bizarre picture on this blog, which is case you had not guessed, is not an ACTUAL picture of me.

Around six months ago, this skin was released for Team Fortress 2, my personal favorite FPS (I happen to be a proud not-owner of Modern Warfare 2, a game which statistically, all mammals in North America own 2.7 copies of, according to Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw.) which would, upon install, turn the Heavy Weapons Guy, into a bear. Why a bear? Why not a bear, really?

Now for some reason, probably because it's a really strange idea, this skin was found particularly humorous to a few people in the TF2 community on the Nsider2 forums which I used to be very active on. In fact, it gained so much popularity, that people took an image, and began poorly photoshopping it into all sorts of other things, at first just other classes, and then all sort of other things. Turret bear, demon bear, demon bear eating another demon bear, the images were endless really.

And thus, Engie Bear was born.

Why is that my picture on this blog? I made a blog, I needed a picture, that was something the right size I had already made. Simple enough, really.

And so, in conclusion, SANDVICH AND I ARE COMING FOR YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOU!