WoW Moviewatch: Yesterday's News
by Mathew McCurley 
Nov 2nd 2011 at 12:00PM
Yesterday's News by slashdance is one of my favorite WoW machinima videos. Maybe because I have a soft spot in my heart for the coolness factor of the various types of meeting stones in game. Maybe because I totally feel for the poor Dwarven stonemason who builds them. Most of all, I think I wanted to share with you all this video because with Mists of Pandaria coming out, we'll be on expansion #4. A lot of time has passed in World of Warcraft. Like ... a lot. Going back and seeing how things used to be is almost like a history lesson as much as it is a nostalgia trip.
One of the things that strikes me about the video is that it's almost like watching myself play from the outside. I see people running up to stones and I see them clicking on portals, but it's not me doing it. These are actions that I take in game being represented in the fiction, but we perform that action all the time. It's a movie about a phenomenon in a game that is being portrayed as having its own reality. Whatever. It's late, I'm tired, and I love Yesterday's News.
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)
Luotian Nov 2nd 2011 12:06PM
I almost cried for him, but was then distracted by the water effects.
I would like to submit that LFD didn't kill meeting stones. Have Group, Will Travel did.
baronsoosdon Nov 2nd 2011 12:10PM
The Mists Of Pandaria version could be about all class trainers becoming unemployed.. for all eternity.
Luotian Nov 2nd 2011 12:14PM
They can go hang out with Pet Trainers that have been bumming around for a while now. Poor guys have been twiddling their thumbs and staring enviously at my vastly increased gold supply.
snarkygoldfish Nov 2nd 2011 4:19PM
I can only hope with the changes being made, that they won't be removed, however. I love the little clusters of them in cities, talking with one another in their various places - I hope they can continue to share their accumulated knowledge with each other...if no longer with us.
I dunno. I understand the game mechanic reason for removing class training. It was tedious and annoying, and I am very guilty of forgetting to check back in with them at times. But from a character standpoint...I loved that my silly shaman had to go, seek out, and then speak with an elder shaman or farseer to advance her knowledge. She had her favored teachers, certainly -- I imagine Nobundo was always far too busy, but Umbrua, sitting patiently outside of Stormwind always found the time for my Klimma's questions.
Much like the class quests...it gave a certain depth to the world around her.
So...yeah. Such a beautiful little video. The production values are amazing. People in this community never cease to amaze me with their creativity.
Jorges Nov 3rd 2011 11:58AM
I hope they don't competely make them obsolete. Maybe we could visit them to learn specific stuff. Maybe we could visit them every 15 levels to get our talents and learn the rest on the fly? That wouldn't be bothersome or annoying, I think...
Andrew Nov 2nd 2011 12:31PM
/blubberslikeasmallchild
Andrew Nov 2nd 2011 12:38PM
Slightly more coherent response:
I think I felt more for the flight masters in obscure places than the meeting stonemason, if only because the mason presumably could go off anywhere in his retirement while the flight masters are forced to stand there, alone, in places no one will see again.
Infinite Duck Nov 2nd 2011 5:57PM
Yeah, I almost burst into anime style girl tears watching that...
RetPallyJil Nov 2nd 2011 12:35PM
I've always liked this video!
kunukia Nov 2nd 2011 12:36PM
I admit to tearing up. Sweet ending.
Kensington Nov 2nd 2011 1:47PM
That was really nice. Thanks for sharing.
Bellajtok Nov 2nd 2011 2:24PM
Aw... Sad, sweet, and noofcourseIdidn'tcrywhatmadeyouthinkthat?
bethontheharbor Nov 2nd 2011 2:48PM
I admit it.. I almost cried. Kind of like they were crossing over at the end.
Drahken Nov 2nd 2011 3:11PM
I've had this in my Youtube favorites since the LAST time it was on WoWInsider. No matter how many times I watch it, I still get a little misty.
Glaras Nov 2nd 2011 6:32PM
Disclosure: I cannot watch this video without having tears running down my face.
As a historian, one of the things I study is a very old phenomenon with a very modern name called "disruptive change". Essentially, something new comes along and renders its predecessor obsolete, causing the old to go slowly (more or less) extinct. Those of us alive today have already experienced it at least once; one example I use shows three disruptive changes that I have personally witnessed -- the migration of personally recorded music from reel tape to 8-track/cassette to CD to digital. Each change literally destroyed the prior version.
Disruptive change can be very traumatic for people, and this little video brings that to life without a word of dialog. I've loved Yesterday's News ever since I first saw it, and I'm very glad you've brought it out again, to give new viewers a change to experience it for themselves.
Jorges Nov 3rd 2011 11:55AM
In my country we have a saying that goes "Cuando hay santos nuevos, los viejos no hacen milagros". A rough translation would be "When there are new saints, the old ones can't do miracles".
Samuel Nov 2nd 2011 6:35PM
Ah yes. This is one of my favorites! :D
Small note: This has been featured in this column before, but who cares? It deserves to be seen again!
Morgatho Nov 2nd 2011 6:45PM
This makes me wana go and use meeting stones and take FP to places I don't need to go.
Moongoose Nov 2nd 2011 7:19PM
In the immortal words of of Barney Gumble: "Don't cry for me, I'm already dead."
Soeroah_the_second Nov 2nd 2011 8:21PM
Good movie, but it assumes people actually used the meeting stones. But, really good movie. I just don't agree with the underlying 'LFG killed the world' implication, I feel the opposite.