Michael Gray
Articles by Michael Gray
WoW Moviewatch: The Assassin
The Assassin has been around for a while, making it nearly criminal that we've not featured it before now. With a powerful, cohesive story, gorgeous music, and some truly jaw-dropping imagery, this is probably one of the finest machinima I've ever seen. It especially finds its power with convincing fight choreography, second only to BLIND for being some of the best we've ever seen. The mix of modern and fantasy architecture gives The Assassin a unique feel, and it would be interesting to find out more about the world. Ultimately, though, DTB created a spectacular movie, and you should take the time to watch 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: Back to Vanilla
I'm not sure if Doc Brown would approve, but Slightly Impressive traveled in time to visit the fabled world of the past, going Back to Vanilla. The legend and stories of this mythical time inspired the intrepid explorer to talk to the natives and test the truth of their inimitable skill and unmatched knowledge. I especially liked the subtle critiques of our rose-colored glasses, the overhyped claims of leveling difficulty, and the infinite hypothesis that raids that were so much better. I enjoyed this story and I hope to see Slightly Impressive do a few more sequels. We definitely need a McFly reference, though. 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.
WRUP: We band of bloggers
Sometimes, words fail. And so as we wrap up this WRUP, and ask your intrepid WoW Insider staff what they're playing this weekend, we turn to the bard for some paraphrased inspiration: This story shall the good player teach his newbs; And BlizzCon or expansion shall ne'er go by, From this day to the ending of the World (of Warcraft), But WoW Insider shall be remember'd; We few, we happy few, we band of bloggers; For you to-day that writes your posts with me Shall be my brother; be your words ne'er so vile, This day shall recommend your writing: And new players in real life now a-bed Shall think themselves accursed they were not here, And hold their epics cheap whiles any speaks That wrote with us upon WoW Insider's page! And with that, let's just get straight into it.
WoW Moviewatch: Lie
SimTgirl produces some incredible visuals in her video, and Lie is no exception. I'm not in love with the song, though it isn't bad, but SimTgirl managed to drag out some shockingly emotional moments and convincing narrative in the video. I especially liked the home video effect, which settled realistically into the overall piece. The biggest drawback in this video is the font, lettering, and spelling. I get where the lyrical accompaniment was going, but some brutal editing was needed in a few places. Overall, Lie was good, but spelling words wrong can be disastrous to the final effect. 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: ABATAP
This is more than just a movie we wanted to be made. It was a movie that had to be made. ABATAP is an Azerothian remake of Avatar, featuring all the blue-skinned trolls you could ever want. Somewhere between an epic remake of an awesome movie and a giggle-worthy parody of Azeroth's environmental issues, this might be the finest thing I've seen the week. Take some time, check it out, and let us know what you think! 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: Seed of Hate: A Warrior's Tale
Seed of Hate: A Warrior's Tale is a machinima created by Kenneth Clark to tell the story of his game character. Fan films like this are at once some of the finest things to come out of World of Warcraft but also the most difficult to pull off. It's easy to fall into self-aggrandizement, and you usually have to rely on art and technical skill to grant gravitas to the whole thing. Clark seems to be treading that water nicely. This trailer promises visuals and narrative motion, as well as just enough back story to hope the full version will actually have something to say. All in all, the trailer looks pretty good, and we can hope the final comes to solid fruition. 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 Fall of Gnomeregan
This is a mindblowing tour of the The Fall of Gnomeregan, with a strong flair for storytelling, eye-popping graphics, and a smooth, riveting soundtrack. This is one of those rare, story-based machinimas we just don't see very often. I'll let Harmon Productions describe the work: This is a Machinima/Animated retelling of my first ever Machinima video "Plight of the Gnomes" with Gnomeregan and most WoW assets converted into Source Filmmaker and rendered there besides some spots composited in. A huge chunk of the work was getting Gnomeregan and other things into the engine and making it look as best as possible, and despite some weirdness here and there I think it's a success. If you take the time to watch this video, I think you'll agree with Harmon. It really is an amazing piece, and probably one of the best you'll see for a while. 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: YouTube in Azeroth 2
This is the second time Simply Impressive is visiting YouTube in Azeroth. And frankly, one gag in this video makes it the funniest machinima I've ever seen. If you don't see the epic rap battle between Old Jaina and New Jaina, then you're missing out on all the fun. I mean, it's not the only joke. But Jaina made me laugh out loud. 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: Do You Wanna Raid Old Content?
Silver Letomi busts out a parody of a favorite snowman tune from Frozen with Do You Wanna Raid Old Content? After all, we're all stuck in the lull between expansions, and the old drive to keep pushing is getting harder and hard. Somewhere between a nostalgic reminder of raiding days and the angsty longing for a game partner, Do You Wanna Raid Old Content? is a fun live-action video from a great singer. Also, shout out for the Bad Wolf. We all totally see what you did there. 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: Hearthstone: The Ultimate Expansion
You haven't lived until you've seen the most recent threat to Azeroth: a Pandaren Lich King. The newest machinima from AFK Players portrays the final experience in our beloved game: Hearthstone: The Ultimate Expansion. Make sure you stay through the credits to hear the very special music mix. It's hard to compare to AFK Players. They consistently knock it out of the park in terms of content, humor, and sheer animation. And now that they've tackled Hearthstone for real, I feel like we can all relax and build our new decks together. 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: Azeroth News Network: Love Is In The Air Special
The Azeroth News Network: Love Is In The Air Special by Slightly Impressive spells out the inconsistencies and oddities involved in this February holiday. While the video is a tiny bit late for the real life Valentine's Day, there's still plenty of comedic value left for it in Azeroth. I've always wondered if it made me a creeper, sitting lonely in Dalaran and desperately begging strangers to have a picnic. But, hey, it's just an achievement. What's love got to do with 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.
WRUP: Weekend of news
This has been a week of news. Changes to casting on the move, nerfs to Garrosh, and Heroes of the Storm leaks. These news-filled weeks feel few and far between these days, so it's nice to feel like our beloved Blizzard is picking up steam. What do you feel about the news of the weeks, and what are you hoping to hear next week? Adam Koebel (@bendakwow) It's going to be a lazy weekend consisting of a lot of Olympics watching and a bit of raiding. As for this week's news, I think its nice they are taking challenge modes seriously. Remember, you've got several months to get around to them if you've been putting them off. Next week, I want to hear something new about Warlords. I enjoyed the artcraft post about garrisons and now I want more! Maybe it's too early to talk about class changes, but some zone previews or something along those lines would be cool.
WoW Moviewatch: Children of Stone
It's a special kind of "teaser trailer" that features original 3D graphics and clocks in at 5 minutes. That's more than a teaser; that's full blown movie in some corners of the machinima world. And while I'm eager to see the final video, I had plenty of fun with Xim Voodoo's Children of Stone trailer. Most of the characters look great, of course, though it can be a little disconcerting to see the rich, cluttered world of WoW turned into smooth 3D angles. Still, I think the story will be what really drives the final product, and we're eager to see 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: RoboGuard
The gnomes are on the edge of a technological solution, and PvP is worse than ever before. So when the NPCs receive an upgrade courtesy of Ian Beckman and Jesse Cox, we get the chance to enjoy RoboGuard. I'm pretty sure this version is just as valid as any other remake hitting the cinemas. My favorite parts are actually the scenes leading up to RoboGuard's big reveal. The final punchline is pretty good, but wouldn't have RoboGuard been that much more explosive is created by goblins instead? The world may never know. 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: Vanilla WoW in a Minute
Warlords of Draenor cometh, and it won't be long before we're all not-really-time-traveling into the past to either bring back heroes of legend or kill them. You know, whichever. The game mechanics are getting another overhaul, and the number of buttons are getting trimmed down. As I read over complaints and rose-colored glasses of how the original game was so much better, and so pure, I thought of this video by Wowcrendor. One of his earlier pieces, Vanilla WoW in a Minute is a good way to remember what the game used to really be like. It wasn't all traipsing through flowers with 40 of your best friends, and nobody needs to go back to that version of Alterac Valley. 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: Lowbies: The Great Boost
It's hard to believe that Slightly Impressive is already up to episode 5 of Lowbies. When the guild master gets distracted by pet battles, the group of Lowbies need to tackle the decision whether to boost themselves up to level 90. As you might expect from a comedy series, all does not go according to plan. I think it's interesting that Griffter uses this video as a way to highlight some unexpected drawbacks to boosting a character. Presented with dozens of new buttons and skills, an eternal lowbie might not even know what to do at max level! Also, training can be problematic. And fishing. Fishing is always a problem. 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: What Are NPCs Thinking 5
What Are NPCs Thinking 5 is the latest installment in the secret thoughts of Azeroth's most overlooked characters. Once again narrated by the incredible Wowcrendor, this series just keeps getting better. With sly references to other games and plenty of jokes, this video also introduces the newest superhero to WoW: Totem-Arm! He's got an arm that's also a totem that's also his arm! I think fanfic is probably right around the corner. If you want a few minutes of giggles and good spirits, make sure you hit up What Are NPCs Thinking 5. 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.
Breakfast Topic: Olympic WoW
Even if you're not following the sports, there's no way you could miss that the Olympics are happening. Who would want to miss a worldwide spectacle of heroes and some of the finest athletes on the planet? They're beautiful, amazing, and downright breathtaking. They're also a big interruption to a busy schedule of dailies, farming, and raiding. Of course, we're pretty deep in a pre-expansion lull, so that interruption isn't nearly as bad as it could be. (Thanks to Blizzard for not dropping Warlords in the middle of the Olympics.) Still, if you're trying to wrap up some goals, these Olympic fever could be pretty frustrating. At least you have plenty of random commentary and chatter during which you can squeeze in a little farming time. Are you playing WoW during the Olympics? Are they playing on a second screen? Have you had to cancel a raid or take a brief break to see one more ski run? Has the games had any effect on your game at all?
WRUP: Game we can't talk about
Some weeks, there's so much going on that it's hard to easily pick an opinion question. Given that, we asked your intrepid WoW Insider staff what they thought the biggest news of the week might be. Now that I have the answer, I kind of feel the big news is that a lot of people are playing some game they can't talk about. I'm assuming it's Fight Club. Adam Koebel (@bendakwow) Apparently I can't talk about what I'll be playing this weekend. Something about a NDA. Another slow week for news except for the 2 week warning for the end of the PVP season. I understand the PvPers are quite happy about the item level boost, but I'm more interested in the implications it has on the Warlords release date. Typically PvP seasons last about 20 weeks, give or take. If this one follows the same pattern,, it would mean an expansion release around mid-July at the earliest. The wait is killing me.
WoW Moviewatch: Back to Outland
Did you like Back to Northrend? If so, then you can go back to Kakio with Back to Outland. It's essentially the same concept, but executed in Outland instead. Similar to what I said with Back to Northrend, this new video is really starting to show the growth of Kakio's skills. Still some trouble with voice acting, but you can really feel the improvement. Great job, and nice work! 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.