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‘Brave Father Online’ is a ‘Final Fantasy’ movie with heart
Brave Father Online is a gem of a movie. It's charming, funny and has plenty to say about empathy, the value of community and why you should forge deeper connections with loved ones. And even though much of the action takes place inside a video game, the film's giant beating heart speaks volumes about the careful craft involved its creation.
Machinima's YouTube gaming channel has effectively disappeared
Machinima's YouTube gaming channel has been essentially scrubbed from the internet, as most videos on the site have been set to private and unplayable. Neither video creators nor users of the channel were notified, Kotaku reported, so the news sent a shockwave around the gaming and streaming communities. "Wow, they finally went ahead and deleted everything we've done," tweeted Ricky Hayberg, aka @RickyFTW. "Seven-plus years of work... lost to the sands of time #RIPMachinima."
Facebook nabs a trio of shows from Machinima for its Watch tab
The last time Machinima was in the news it was for paying "influencers" to say nice things about the Xbox One. Now, the company has inked a deal with Facebook for three new shows that'll live on the social network's Watch platform, according to Deadline. Those include a comic-book talk show (Action Figures), a gaming themed dating show dubbed Co-op Connection and sketch comedy in the form of Dank/Fire. The deal says as much about Facebook as it does Machinima. For the former, it's willing to spend that billion dollars on TV programming from just about any source. And for Machinima, this gives the network an even bigger platform to broadcast on than its 12-million subscriber YouTube channel.
YouTube stars are blurring the lines between content and ads
Beyonce, Justin Bieber, Kim Kardashian and Kendall Jenner are just some of the celebrities under the microscope for using social media to shamelessly plug sponsored products. Advertising without proper disclosures has become a growing problem with influencers that have thousands or millions of followers on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. And it's happening on YouTube as well, where it's often hard to tell whether videos from big-name "content creators" are paid ads or genuine reviews.
'Battlefield 1' helps you make movies on your game console
PC gamers have long had tools to make professional-looking movies. Console players, however, haven't had much luck... it's usually either raw gameplay or nothing. DICE and EA want to give living room directors their shot, though. They're implementing an enhanced spectator mode in Battlefield 1 that's tailor-made for cinematic productions on not just PCs, but also the PS4 and the Xbox One. You now have extensive control over the camera, and it's not just about choosing what to look at or how the camera follows a given unit. You can play with the field of view, depth of field and even an array of visual filters that include Noir and Battlefield 3's signature bluish tones.
The line between sports and eSports continues to blur
The division between the activities you do outside with balls and those indoors with mice is narrowing by the day. Not content with invading the realm of traditional broadcasting, eSports is now getting its very own daily recap show that'll mirror the format of ESPN's SportsCenter. Machinima is launching Inside eSports, which will air seven days a week and show off news and analysis from the world of electronic gaming. Unlike ESPN's offering, Inside eSports will be an online-only affair, which will broadcast on Go90, Verizon's nascent video network. It'll begin broadcasting in May, although you won't see many commercials and advertising for it until June -- presumably to give producers time to iron out any kinks.
PlayStation Vue adds Epix Hits to its streaming selection
You might not be able to catch Optimus Prime on Netflix anymore, but soon you'll be able to see the autobot on PlayStation's TV alternative. After expanding its reach in the US, Vue has announced that it will offer Epix Hits to the digital buffet of content already available. Joining the ranks of Machinima and a variety of channel packages, you'll be able to flip between gaming and blockbuster movies like Transformers: Age of Extinction all from the one place. Epix Hits offers a free 30-day trial, with the option to add it onto your Showtime subscription or even as a standalone monthly purchase. Even if you're not a fan of Michael Bay, the service still has a relatively low cost of entry and plenty more to keep you watching.
Machinima settles FTC charges over paid Xbox One 'reviews'
Ever watch a YouTube review of a game or console and worry that the reviewer was a little too enthusiastic? You're not alone. Machinima has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it mislead gamers by failing to disclose that Xbox One reviews from YouTube "influencers" (read: popular channels) were really paid promos. Under the terms of the deal, Machinima has to make sure that any promos are clearly disclosed, refuse to pay for those that aren't, and check in on campaigns to make sure that the disclosures haven't vanished. And in case you're wondering: while the FTC has determined that Microsoft and its ad agency were partly responsible, it believes these promos were "isolated incidents" that didn't reflect those two companies' policies.
WoW Moviewatch: The Craft of War: BLIND
I've treasured the WoW machinima community just as much -- if not more -- than the rest of the game. Over the years, I've witnessed so much joy and pleasure, not to mention raw creativity, that I'll always carry the indelible mark in my heart. What's not to love about a group of people who sing, animate, draw, and create? Hundreds of outstanding videos testify to the strength of that community. So when choosing one last final video for my personal swan song, I was stumped. WoW filk played during my wedding and during the birth of both my daughters. My wife and I fell in love with machinima together. I ultimately chose this, the machinima that took the world by storm. To this day, I still get notes asking if WoW Insider is aware of the video. So with a tip of that, I present to you: The Craft of War: BLIND. Keep an eye over your shoulders, folks. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.
WoW Moviewatch: Boom De Yada
For one of our very last moviewatches, I've been looking for videos that spoke of our long love of World of Warcraft. Videos that explained why we were still here and playing after all of this time... and I couldn't find one better than Irdeen's Boom De Yada. After all, we love the whole of the crazy virtual world in which we all live. We'll see you all in game. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.
WoW Moviewatch: The Lament of Captain Placeholder
If we're going out, we're going out singing sea shanties, just like The Lament of Captain Placeholder. Sure, it's sad that our friend Captain Placeholder has gone, but a new and more vibrant world has risen in his place. At least we hope it has. Farewell, fellow placeholders! We'll just sing ourselves out. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.
WoW Moviewatch: How World of Warcraft Should Have Ended
We're hoping our favorite game isn't coming to an end for a while yet, but that doesn't mean we can't still enjoy this classic animation that speculates on how Wrath of the Lich King should have come to a close. After all, if you're an end boss and your daily grind is being killed over and over, you'd get tired of it eventually and want a break. Unfortunately, for both Azeroth and Arthas' vacation plans, Deathwing ruins everything. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.
WoW Moviewatch: That's the World of Warcraft That You Play
In our revisiting of classic WoW machinima, we couldn't skip Ian Beckman's Weird Al parody, That's the World of Warcraft That You Play. Beckman's made two versions of this, and while the original (from the dark ages of 2006) holds a special place in the nostalgia center of our hearts, this updated version (from the less dark ages of 2013) includes commentary on all of the game's current classes. Despite their age, however, both videos are still surprisingly relevant to gamers today... but, hey, that's just the World of Warcraft that we all play. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.
WoW Moviewatch: The Story & History of The Furbolgs
Warcraft goes beyond just World of Warcraft, and nowhere is that more obvious than in the game's lore. Sure, you can find out plenty by questing your way through WoW, but there's a lot you won't find without delving into the older RTS games, the novels, or even more obscure sources. That's what makes Bellular's lore videos so great: they pull together lore from all sorts of sources to tell you new things about in-game elements you though you understood. This video digs into the surprisingly fascinating history of the Furbolgs... with the interesting suggestion that they might be related to the Pandaren. Wouldn't that be an interesting storyline to explore? Only time will tell if Blizzard ever decides to expand on the idea or leave it to collect dust as arcane game history. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.
WoW Moviewatch: ROFLMAO!
Monday is upon us once again, and since we're all in need of some workweek cheer, we dug into the Moviewatch archives to find this classic from Oxhorn. Sure, this 2007 machinima looks a bit dated, especially when compared with the new models that rolled out in Warlords of Draenor, but it's still darned funny. (Much like the even older Muppet Show skit this machinima is parodying.) Go on, we dare you not to laugh. Happy Monday, everyone! Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.
WoW Moviewatch: Like Froot
Look, I'm going to be perfectly honest here: I have absolutely no idea what's going on in this machinima. I'm not sure if it's telling a story or not, or what that story happens to be. But Like Froot, the latest music video from Youtuber Killercookie, still manages to be hypnotically entertaining, story or no. The bright visuals mix well with the song, which I've never heard before -- but it's now thoroughly stuck in my head. As always, Killercookie knows exactly what to do with model placement, animation, and cuts. I guess the lesson here is that sometimes you don't really need a story for a machinima, a pleasant tune and some colorful visuals are more than enough to entertain. If you liked this short, don't forget to check out Killercookie's Youtube channel for plenty more. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.
WoW Moviewatch: Yellow Flicker Beat
Death knights are inherently kind of creepy. And even with the revamp in Cataclysm, the Eastern Plaguelands are still pretty creepy as well, along with the death knight starting area on the eastern coast. Put that together with a little bit of Lorde and you've got Yellow Flicker Beat, a machinima music video from Time-Lost Productions. Time-Lost Productions has been doing these kinds of music videos for years, and it shows -- the production quality is good, the cuts are sharp, and the only minor critique I can make is that really I think the video would have stood on its own without the text that was added for emphasis. It totally didn't need it! If you liked the video, be sure to check out Time-Lost Productions' Youtube channel for more. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.
WoW Moviewatch: How to Rig a Pet Battle
Pet battling isn't easy. Sometimes you come up against the perfect team, all of your attacks seem to miss, and you're left floundering. And sometimes, like in the video above, you try to rig things in your favor. (Though the active word is definitely try.) Yes, Mooclucking clearly understands all of our battle pet frustrations. Unfortunately, this doesn't seem like a good solution for them. We'll just have to do our best to keep forging through even the toughest pet battles... and maybe steer clear of the pug while we're at it. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.
WoW Moviewatch: Garrosh and the Chopper
Did anyone see the Matthew McConaughey Lincoln commercial and not think about Warlords of Draenor's crazy time travel plot? McConaughey's unfocused rambling could refer to a lot of things, but any sci-fi fan has to stop and wonder "Wait, are we talking about time travel? Is Matthew McConaughey a time-traveller now?" You know who else is a time traveller? Garrosh Hellscream. And when Ian Beckman combines McConaughey's (slightly altered) monologue with machinima, it works perfectly to tell the character's story. And maybe sell choppers. We're not really sure how that part works. Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.
WoW Moviewatch: You want to be a hunter
Have you been thinking about rolling a hunter? If so, you might want to start by checking out this machinima by Mooclucking which walks you through the hunter basics. Unfortunately, this hunter trainer has seen a few too many night elf hunters named Legolas (or some equally identifiable variant) in his time and doesn't have much patience for newbies... but it all works out in the end. After all, the spirit healer can fix that right up, so happy hunting! Interested in the wide world of machinima? We have new movies every weekday here on WoW Moviewatch! Have suggestions for machinima we ought to feature? Toss us an email at moviewatch@wowinsider.com.