The Guardian on The Guild
by Mike Schramm 
Dec 22nd 2008 at 6:00PM
British newspaper The Guardian has a look at our favorite web series, The Guild, and how it has taken the MMO community by storm and vaulted its way up into one of the most popular television series that's not actually on television. There's no question that The Guild's popularity online was fueled by the fact that it follows a group of people who spend most of their time online, and with a built-in audience the size of World of Warcraft's, you might think that all they had to do was get the references right.But as The Guardian notes, success for The Guild isn't just a matter of hitting a niche audience. Felicia Day and Kim Evey say they spent eight hours a day emailing the show around when it first came out. And while the show is of course sponsored by Microsoft now, the whole first season was powered by hard work and donations. The Guardian attributes The Guild's success to "direct marketing of content to a niche peer group" -- find an audience, and then make sure they know what you're doing.
And of course, as a Guardian commenter notes, it doesn't hurt that the show is funny, and as Felicia told us herself, they've gone out of their way to explain and convey the WoW-related stuff to an audience that might not always play MMOs. The series is attracting a lot of attention these days, not just as an MMO story, but also a how-to guide of how to get a television series off the ground without actually being on broadcast television.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Fan stuff, Virtual selves, Odds and ends, Blizzard, Humor, Fan art
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Kesava Dec 22nd 2008 6:24PM
They've been getting some nice exposure, haven't they? Kudos to Felicia Day and the rest of The Guild!
Justin, Long Time Reader, First Time Poster Dec 22nd 2008 7:34PM
How anyone can watch this poorly acted, poorly written piece of crap is beyond me. The main character is distractingly ugly, which wouldn't be a problem if she possessed even the slightest semblance of comic talent, but she doesn't. The WoW references no longer make any sense now that the creator has admitted to "quitting" WoW a few months ago. The characters are cliche, etc etc, the list goes on.
PS. How much is Felicia paying you a month to promote this trite pile of fail?
Wicked Dec 22nd 2008 7:49PM
Are you kidding me? I find the Guild hilarious, and I find Felicia Day to be very attractive.
And I know I'm not the only one...
http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2008/7/28/
Hilton Dec 22nd 2008 7:52PM
I think it's hilarious! If you don't like it, don't watch it. They don't say they are playing WoW, they are playing "an online game", therefore the WoW references don't have to make perfect sense.
It's one of my favourite Not-On-TV shows.
wordsofivory Dec 22nd 2008 10:52PM
"The characters are cliche, etc etc, the list goes on."
...wow. Talk about missing the point.
"The main character is distractingly ugly"
Have you ever seen the women outside of the show? She's not half bad looking. But then, you missed the point; she's *supposed* to look like a pasty-faced, socially repressed nerd with psychological problems.. not like a healthy, attractive women who gets fresh air and exercise.
"which wouldn't be a problem if she possessed even the slightest semblance of comic talent, but she doesn't."
Clearly the people laughing think otherwise. But we're all just stupid and you're one of the view who get the "point", right?
"The WoW references no longer make any sense now that the creator has admitted to "quitting" WoW a few months ago."
There are more MMOs than WoW. Anyway, it's not like WoW suddenly reinvented its lingo in the last three months or anything.
"How much is Felicia paying you a month to promote this trite pile of fail?"
Have you ever considered that maybe... just maybe... they're "promoting" it simply because they're MMO fans whose enjoy the show, just like 99.99% of us?
Keyra Dec 23rd 2008 2:02AM
"Justin, Long Time Reader, First Time Poster"...well, you're well on your way to a wonderful career as a forum troll.
So you don't like "The Guild". No one is forcing you at gunpoint to watch it. Move along, nothing to see here.
Felicia Day is unattractive? Well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I guess. Personally, I find her to be "hawt", but that's me. However, I do know that I'm not the only one. Perhaps for you, it's the silicone-enhanced toothpick centerfolds with bios of "turnoffs include smacking your bubblegum in Starbucks"?
How much are they paying WoWInsider to post articles promoting them...answer? Zero dollars and zero cents. They do so because they, unlike yourself, enjoy the series as it speaks to the hearts and minds of many thousands of people who can identify with it.
Apparently, you can't. Therefore, I would suggest only this...keep being a long-time reader and post again only when you have something that isn't so asinine and acidic to add.
Jaikara Dec 23rd 2008 6:40AM
You are a sad, sad little man my friend. Move along, no one here cares for your trolling.
Eric Dec 23rd 2008 10:52AM
I wish I could pay to remove your pile of epic fail from the comments.
Randy Dec 23rd 2008 12:05PM
You obviously know nothing since Felicia yes did quit WoW, but she's been back with a vengeance for some time and is kickin it in Northrend. And yes I know this for a fact as I'm an officer in her guild.
As for you not liking the show or thinking Felicia is ugly, um, nobody really cares, if you don't like it don't watch.
Zali Dec 23rd 2008 12:57PM
He's an angry elf.
Kyle Dec 22nd 2008 8:17PM
Wow, I just was watching TV and in the guest stars it said Felicia Day, she was a hospital patient.
Kyle Dec 22nd 2008 11:24PM
Yeah, she was in an episode of House.
Dave Dec 23rd 2008 12:13AM
I like the series and all but do they really need a post every time they lift a finger or get mentioned? This is getting redundant how often they get mentioned on a WoW news site. Next we will have footage of them going on vacation with up to the minute coverage courtesy of wowinsider.
Hilus Dec 22nd 2008 9:36PM
Their show is amazing, i am so glad for their success!
Fishbone Jones Dec 22nd 2008 10:18PM
This is a bit of a stretch to be considered a legitimate news piece , isn't it? All the other promotion and such on this site is warranted and appreciated. But at some point, enough's enough.. so there's a newspaper article about The Guild out there. So? They've been everywhere with a great PR department behind them... I half expect to stumble onto a Felicia Day interview on my Nasa podcast.
That said, I enjoy The Guild and am glad to see them getting such support and exposure. Even if this site buries things of interest just to have an excuse to say "Me too!" when it comes to ever ubiquitous Felicia Day interviews.
Kyle Dec 22nd 2008 11:25PM
This isn't a news site. When it comes down to it, it's a blog, and they can post whatever the hell they want.
The Claw Dec 22nd 2008 10:45PM
"The Guardian attributes The Guild's success to "direct marketing of content to a niche peer group""
Nothing to do with the near-unlimited free advertising they got on wowinsider and every other site where male editors are up to their knees in drool salivating over Felicia Day?
Kyle Dec 22nd 2008 11:28PM
The post talks a little about how it is even funny to non-MMO players. I can attest. I brought a friend of mine who's mostly an "old-school" gamer (plays emulators and whatnot mostly, and is a Nintendo fan), who's never played an MMO and is one of those guys who thinks MMOs are for losers, to the PAX screening with Felicia and Zabu (forgot his real name haha). He genuinely enjoyed it and was laughing out loud throughout the screening (as was I, of course). He doesn't get any of the MMO references but still found it hilarious. I was surprised, seeing as this is a very niche show.
haircute Dec 22nd 2008 11:42PM
That's it. I'm done with this blog. I realize that you guys can post what ever you want but I simply can not stand the shameless promotions you do for this show any longer.
The simple truth of the matter is that The Guild is simply not a very funny show. I think the fact that The Guild features a female as the main character isn't because she's smart, funny, or even particularly attractive but rather that it's the easiest way to get fanboy viewers. The Guild is a mediocre show that is only popular because there is simply nothing else like it. Fanpeople will latch easily and with vigor anything that panders to them.
Goodbye, WoWinsider. You have been very helpful to me in the past!
wordsofivory Dec 23rd 2008 12:15AM
You're "done" with the website because they made a post about a show that the MMO community quite enjoy, and is strongly appreciated at a sitcom face for the genre?
"The simple truth of the matter is that The Guild is simply not a very funny show."
No, that's not a fact. It's an opinion.
Anyway, have fun wandering the internet.