WoW Moviewatch: The BBC on WoW
by Elizabeth Harper 
Apr 28th 2007 at 11:42AM
Proving that World of Warcraft is a big enough phenomenon for even the most mainstream media to notice, this three-minute clip features BBC reporters attempting to explain gold farming and buying to a non-gamer audience. While the information may not be terribly informative to those of us who already play and understand the game, it's usually interesting to see how exactly the media attempts to portray gamers to the larger public.
Previously on Moviewatch...
Filed under: News items, WoW Moviewatch
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Shat Apr 28th 2007 12:35PM
I'm impressed. That's got to be the most competent portrayal of a game in the media I've ever seen. The reporter must be either really good, or a Warcrack head.
Kirby1612 Apr 28th 2007 12:47PM
I'll have to agree with #1, they didn't make it look like an addictive world where people lose their real lives to play a virtual one. I guess American Media always finds a way to twist a story to make it seem more interesting.
Lertes Apr 28th 2007 12:51PM
Cheating or not cheating, I have bought gold to be able to purchase a flying mount, for the very same reason as that Brit had: It would have taken me long time to farm that money on my own, and seeing that I pay 13$ a month for the fun, I would also pay extra for having even more fun. I don't like it, I think we all would be better off without the out-game market. But after all, why should anyone bother how I got my flying mount? I play my character, I pay my 13 bucks, I do all the questing and farming. Yes, playing WoW is a selfish thing.
Thijz Apr 28th 2007 12:59PM
I agree with #1, although we had a feature on Dutch television a few months ago that was pretty good too.
fob Apr 28th 2007 1:34PM
What the point of buying gold for real money? I mean you can use some cheater and set your gold to 99999999999 in most single player games but will you be still playing it? I am certanly not cose interest comes only from your own efforts.
The other problem is that wow is much gear requiring game and most good things require much hours of farming and farming is not fun. I hope some day Blizzard will realise their mistakes but than WAR is coming...
clump Apr 28th 2007 1:36PM
Buying gold! Cheating. No matter what. If you want money. Create a tune to do that. I've only one 70 char.But he can earn me enough to get an epic mount and raid. If you want an epic you go all out and aim for it. WOW made it easy to to do in the BC. Just needs a little endurance. People who say " Oh I don't have the time". Time for what? Time to raid ? No chance, you will never have time to raid. You Will Never Be Good Enough TO Raid.
Baluki Apr 28th 2007 1:37PM
God, did they really NEED to use a gnome for most of that? It was probably the journalist's character.
Anyway, that was a pretty good story, and definitely one we'd never see on American TV. It was remarkably balanced and free of criticism. In the US, it would've been about game addition and/or violence, and they wouldn't have even bothered to research any of it. And if it were on Fox, it would've been almost entirely fiction.
And I'd like to say something to #3, but what can I say that he/she probably hasn't already heard before? Well, I always just post this link:
http://www.nogold.org/381/why.php
Theserene Apr 28th 2007 2:04PM
Sometimes I am really proud of my country's media - go BBC!
Freak Apr 28th 2007 2:46PM
@8: Are you frigging kidding me? Proud of a country's media that includes the most vicious tabloid press in existence? I'm not going to tell you American media are any different...they're ALL swine.
Shat Apr 28th 2007 3:27PM
@9, I think he meant the mainstream media.
felunost Apr 28th 2007 9:28PM
I saw that when I came down to get a drink I chuld not belive my eyes ;p - my party were not to happy as I left them waitting but still.
and about the "i don't have time" thing if thats rly the case why does blizz not add a bank? not like the one atm but one were you can put money and it will slowy build - I whuld act in the same way rested XP does in that it let people who do not play as much get the same stuff as people who play for days on end...
Tumples Apr 29th 2007 5:53AM
@9, He means people like the BBC, who I really like as well, they are one of the best and most unbiased new teams in the world in my opinion. Yet another great article by them.
Dreadlass Apr 29th 2007 6:59PM
Australia is also not immune to terrible "journalism" in regards to WoW..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFnKysu0oOI
Thank christ it's a current affairs type program and not -actual- news.
Beo Fraser May 1st 2007 2:15PM
BBC News Online has done a lot of WoW coverage - they covered the Burning Crusade release, the delay of BC, the gay rights problem that OZ had with Blizzard, the virtual plague that spread from Hakkar to everyone.. I think someone there is very much into WoW. It's nice :)