WoW Moviewatch: Should I re-sub to WoW?
by Michael Gray 
Oct 17th 2011 at 12:00PM
Wowcrendor tackles that with Should I re-sub to WoW? When Blizzard released free, limited accounts, dozens of ex-players came back to Azeroth to see what had changed. It turns out that nothing has really changed on a material level. Sure, Deathwing reshuffled the game board, but the game's still the same.
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.Filed under: WoW Moviewatch
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Randomer Oct 17th 2011 12:35PM
I absolutely hate these threads, they contribute nothing and what kind of answers are you supposed to give. Re sub if you want to play, read wow insider and mmo champ to check out new content.
razion Oct 17th 2011 12:42PM
It's not just threads--we see these type of people come in to the PTR all the time, as well as live realms on trial (or rather 'restricted') accounts. It would be a blessing if it was isolated to just the Forums. That said, the Forums are a *lot* cleaner than they used to be, and I hardly see trolling in them to any near degree. My time in the new community site Forums actually reminds me of the comment sections we have here at Wow Insider--they seem to be self-moderated fairly well, although the voting could impact a bit faster on their end.
As for the video, I did quite enjoy it, as the situation is fairly cut and dry: if you're interested enough to ask if you should sub, there are worse places to spend fifteen dollars. And certainly, if fifteen dollars is the sort of money you can't afford to throw around at the moment then A) you have bigger things to worry about than free time and B) it isn't even up for discussion, really, as your income is best used elsewhere if money is in-fact that tight.
blazenor Oct 17th 2011 12:35PM
Could not have said that better, on the money as always Wowcrendor.
Ice Oct 17th 2011 12:56PM
I know people hate me for this but can we have little less wowcrendor already over here?
I mean, most of us are subbed to him at youtube and he does wow video once per week.
Its getting bit too much of "oh new video, 2 days and its featured on wowinsider too".
I got some critique about hes videos lately.
Let me start by saying that the epic meal time was brilliant and well made overall. Something I like and want to see more of. I'm fan of crendor.
But the problem I have had lately is that these videos start to feel like they are done in sweat-shop speed and style. This is essentially your generic mmo-champion forum post arguments (or trade chat) made into video form. And hes making these "every week". Some machima makers spend months between their videos. I would love to see more visually engaging video aswell, they start to feel bit too much of audio-driven. I mean you can put the video on and watch other websites and not necessarily miss anything on the visual side.
Heres dare for crendor, make next video about 3 minutes or longer. Dont use ms paint pictures nor wow modelviewer animations just slapped in background - use bit more video editing (wow modelviewer is fine just make sure it fits there visually).
Your audio and some jokes are already brilliant. You have amazing voice.
But that seems to be bit too much of the carrying factor in these videos. I would love to see machinima that not only has epic voices but great visuals, story arc and camera work too. I wouldnt mind if I had to wait more or not get one of the other videos in mean time(like l2p) - just show that you can do more than just ms paint with funny jokes.
You have amazing ideas and voice but when are you going to improve the visuals? MS paint wont last forever, can it?
DarkFinch Oct 17th 2011 1:16PM
The mspaint and great jokes/voices is what Wowcrendor is. That's his style and he has perfected it. What you are asking Wowcrendor to do is like asking Trey Parker and Matt Stone to change South Park into a Pixar-style cartoon. It won't happen b/c that cut-out style animation is part of what made South Park so unique and great.
Hey Wowcrendor! Keep doing what you are doing! If you want to change it up, that's fine. Don't change JUST BECAUSE some people ask you to. Be your own artist.
Ice Oct 17th 2011 1:41PM
I'm not saying that he should go to "pixar level". I just mean there should be more visuals and more camerawork or such. Some of hes videos have this already so I know he can do this.
I think they would add more to the videos rather than take from them.
I'm just suggesting he should focus more on improving on visual quality for the future.
Thats my suggestion/critique. I'm not saying hes videos are bad or something, thats not what critique is at this case.
But I feel that he should focus on getting modelviewer models blend into the scene and not have odd glitches on them (happens sometimes) rather than feel like cut and pasted together, less static ms paint images (in some cases they are fine) and more visually pleasing things and some funny stuff going at the background.
He has the personality to grow in youtube. I would love to see him grow bigger in youtube and I feel it needs bit more visual work.
Natsumi Oct 17th 2011 1:44PM
He's probably too busy doing videos about other games or having a life or some of his other amusing antics to put more effort into his WoW videos than is absolutely necessary.
Oh, and that Epic Mealtime vid you praised so much, FULL of MS Paint.
Ice Oct 17th 2011 2:07PM
Thing about epic mealtime was that it had that visual extra on it and the camerawork was working on it. I would've liked to see more visual styled epic mealtime but that one worked well because other stuff accompanied it (like the fish feast picture had ms paint bacon pictures not plain picture on white background like here).
MS paint works on most cases but for example in this video I didnt really like it.
It felt bit too much disconnected from the video itself due being only paint picture. It could've been done with modelwiever or other characters helping with the image to make it "inside wow" even tho it was meant to be "irl" shot (wow outside wow? inception!).
And like I said, I wouldnt mind if we didnt get some other non-wow-video while he makes epic one.
I just felt that THIS and few others lately have been slightly lacking and hope he improves. He has good videos and lot of potential but lately they have been bit too much of "short jokes" rather than "epic stories".
Lishalacey Oct 17th 2011 2:23PM
I think you are misunderstanding what fundamentally makes a machinima great.
It is the IDEA behind something, not necessarily the execution, that makes something memorable. I'm sure you've seen plenty of videos that are shot beautifully, but without the right cinematic touches (music, jokes, text, lyrics, etc.) they are quickly forgotten.
Wowcrendor is EXCELLENT at what he does because he has great ideas and presents them in a relatable and memorable way, and for that I'll be forever entertained by his videos.
Dreyja Oct 17th 2011 2:29PM
I appreciate that you took the time to actually put forward some legit critiques. I have to say that I disagree though. There is something to be said for developing a "style" that works at a pace that keeps people interested.
The MS paint thing still makes me lol and as long as he continues to be so On The Nose with what is quirky and funny about the Warcraft community then he'll continue to hit them out of the park. IMHO. :D
Plus... the sweat shop analogy, let's face it, if he was employing small children in a factory somewhere, his drawings would be better. XD ;-p I tease.
SamLowry Oct 17th 2011 3:35PM
I'd rather see funny, penetrating critique once a week than a breathtaking experience twice a year (that I'll still forget about tomorrow).
Diop Oct 17th 2011 5:44PM
"It is the IDEA behind something, not necessarily the execution, that makes something memorable. I'm sure you've seen plenty of videos that are shot beautifully, but without the right cinematic touches (music, jokes, text, lyrics, etc.) they are quickly forgotten."
I dunno, BLIND is pretty much all execution (I mean the idea, rogue sneaks into SW and has fight, is hardly brilliantly original) and that's probably one of the most famous wow machinima around, so there is room at the other end of the scale, but saying that that's not what wowcrendor does and what he does do is superb in its own way.
Sunaseni Oct 17th 2011 9:35PM
Let me tell you how this works, the visuals aren't the main draw of WoWCrendor's videos. Crendor's videos are essentially essays, the idea he's conveying is the most important thing. Therefore, visuals are secondary, and improvement is ultimately unnecessary to his goal. You're asking for visual imagery to be emphasized, which clashes with the importance of his message. The only use for visuals in a Crendor video is to provide puns or additional sources of humor; there's no need for it to have the level of polish as BLIND or some such.
In essence, the only point to criticizing the visuals are for issues such as: the concept wasn't conveyed well enough with (this image here), or (this image) isn't all that funny. Just as there's no point criticizing a movie for not having enough words on screen, there's no point criticizing Crendor's video for lack of visual flair. Wrong medium, bub.
gionymnemonic Oct 17th 2011 1:26PM
Well...of course nothing changed. I mean, the same old people wonder the world and queue with the LFG tool. The kind you don't want beside you.
Went on the PTR lately just to see what's going on. Man...closed it fast, and no, I won't be resubbing for quite some time. No sireeee.
Now, with a good guild (mine was the best) things can be bearable, but no matter what you are forced to interact with the other ones. the unpleasant ones. They're too many to just ignore.
And, yeah, for me at least, it's not cutting it anymore.
Natsumi Oct 17th 2011 1:41PM
So you were a member of Ensidia? Or one of the other guilds pushing WORLD FIRSTS? No? Hmm, guess your guild was NOT the best. It may have been a fun place to be, with fun people, but unless you've got world or realm firsts, you're not in the best guild. Your attitude is that of the filthy Orc in the video complaining about everyone else and how bad they are. YOU are the kind of person I don't want next to me in the LFG queue, I'd rather have the under geared, poorly performing folks in half PvP gear, at least they usually have a better attitude than yours.
Go back to RIFT, or whatever other terrible game you went to, and leave the rest of us alone.
Revrant Oct 17th 2011 2:22PM
Wow, Natsumi, that's a lot of buttfury, calm down.
SamLowry Oct 17th 2011 3:38PM
When was the last time you read a critique of WoW that didn't eventually sound like an ad for another game?
Revrant Oct 17th 2011 2:22PM
Esh, that was insufferable, and some of these comments are brimming with vitriol and spite, did I walk into the Naga section of the site?
Natsumi Oct 17th 2011 4:05PM
What you got 'gainst Nagas? You a hater?
Revrant Oct 17th 2011 4:11PM
Meant for this thread, I for one love Naga, from a distance.
Esh, nuked, I didn't realize the reader's taste in satire amounted to what we did at age eight, say things in a dumb voice while pretending to be the person we're making fun of.
Message received.