WoW Moviewatch: IRL - In Real Life
by Michael Gray 
Jan 23rd 2012 at 12:00PM
The video is incredibly smooth, well produced, and excellently narrated. I think the little in-jokes, clever, informative graphics, and carefully balanced approach is what makes the movie so effective. It'd be easy to go on a rant about how the game's never done -- you can't ever say you're "done" -- and so on. Instead, the narrator looked inside himself and found his own answers.
This video won't be for everyone, but it's definitely worth watching.
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 1)
Shammwich Jan 23rd 2012 12:22PM
Interesting, a very candid video about his experience playing wow. I think everyone at one point or another has struggled with game/life balance, and in the end everyone does have to find their own answer.
Pam Jan 23rd 2012 12:21PM
He's young. He should get out and about!
WoW is perfect for us old farts that are already jaded by divorce, grown kids, 20 years on the same job etc.
Fubar Jan 23rd 2012 12:30PM
Hey! Who are you calling...
Never mind.
/joins the club
Plainswander Jan 23rd 2012 12:26PM
Good movie.
As much as I love this game, and I really really do, it does have the ability to suck up way too much of a persons life. I think a lot of players, especially long-time, or higher level players, can relate to this.
I know I can.
Keelhaul Jan 23rd 2012 12:28PM
Brilliant. Change a bit of the storyline and that's me as well. I will say, however, that though most employers aren't going to hire you because of your "gear score", employment opportunities do exist for those who have had this sort of saturated in-game experience.
-Keelhaul, aka "The Mogfather"
Pantro Jan 23rd 2012 12:48PM
Not an addiction ;D But I'm quite a casual player except on pvp standards xd
PS: got a girlfriend :D
Pavelix Jan 23rd 2012 12:49PM
World of Warcraft most underestimated tip:
"Bring your friends to Azeroth, but don't forget to go outside Azeroth with them as well."
jpandarlol Jan 23rd 2012 1:54PM
I've always thought that TIP was referring to Outland.
tw_holt Jan 23rd 2012 2:47PM
This is a beautiful video and story. I think his voice would be awesome for radio/ads/voice acting!
Jorges Jan 23rd 2012 4:06PM
Good for him, I guess. Glad he could overcome his addiction.
Personally, I still can't quite understand how someone can get addicted to a game. I mean, I've been playing since 2006, but I also have a job, changed GFs twice in that period (4 yrs with the current one and loving it!), have to do house chores, and also play many other games. Sometimes I just take a break from wow for one or two months and do something else. And I've also killed Illidan, LK, and on my way to DW. Also over 9000, loads of mounts and pets, and alts! .... hmmm maybe is about maturity? personality? how you comfront problems? proper time administration?
I don't know, with all due respect, I think that people that get addicted to WoW could be equally addicted to anything else. They're just prone to it.
Lars Petersson Jan 23rd 2012 7:42PM
I agree entirely. When WoW comes up, I usually say that people with addictive personalities should stay the heck away from this game...
lumacman Jan 23rd 2012 4:52PM
Thank you for sharing this video. Truth is like a sword. It plunges to the heart of the matter, and cleaves away all the trash and excuses we make in our lives.
I started playing wow a few days after its launch here in the states. I had just lost my mother to cancer and my brother was heading off to college soon. We were both long time fans of Blizzards games and with WoW on the way we were excited to be able to live in the world that we had played in so much of our younger lives.
In truth my brother was more excited then I was. I had seen many of my friends deal with their evercrack addictions and I didn't want that for myself, and yet I still played. I was the antisocial social gamer. I refused to join a guild, i never raided, refused to get sucked into the drama. I was content to run by myself or with my brother. funny how all that can change.
I still blame my brother for finding my wife first. we needed a healer and he invited the wrong person. she accepted anyway and as a group we hit it off. in time we hit it off as well. we have been married for coming on five years now with my son just tuning four.
All great stuff yes, but here is the issue. WoW sucked away all the time that i let it and I let it take way to much. To the point of obsession, to the point where i had to make choice about being a husband and a father or a WoW player. I chose my wife and son over some digital data and cool armor.
some months later my wife and I are playing again with balance in mind. its not an easy task. but it something worth fighting for.
wowcrendor Jan 23rd 2012 5:20PM
When anything in life becomes an addiction, it's a problem. There are people addicted to partying, which can be just as bad as being addicted to a video game, food item, smoking, etc. Like most things in life, everything in moderation. If you eat too much or too little, it's bad. If you sleep too much or too little, it's bad as well. And the Same for exercise.
I used to play WoW multiple hours every day in high school, mainly because my friends played a bunch as well. There came a point though, a little after high school was over, when we all realized that we had to do something with our lives instead of sitting around playing games all day.
Granted, I still play a few hours of games a day, but that's because I'm lucky enough to do it as a job. If I had the option of either makings videos or gaming, I'd choose videos any day since it makes other people happy + pays the bills. A lot of people bash gaming, when all they do is work/school, come home, watch TV for multiple hours, go to bed. That's just as bad as playing a game for hours. Again, everything in moderation.
Plainswander Jan 23rd 2012 6:15PM
Wise words.
Nilocor Jan 24th 2012 2:09AM
Well said. Also, i like your videos :D
Awesome Jan 24th 2012 3:29AM
how rare, a wowcrendor post! Love your videos!
On topic however, I feel it's sad that he couldn't learn how to moderate his playstyle. Giving up WoW to live life is a better choice between it, or selling your soul to the game. The best answer, however, is to moderate your time on and offline, getting the best of both worlds
lumacman Jan 24th 2012 12:07PM
Dude! I love your videos!
I don't know how you do it, but your insight into the game and the people that play it leave me rolling every time I see one of your videos.
there was a point where in my guild i had one of each of the types of people that play WoW. I so wanted to have billy come and play in my guild. I love that poor little guy...
Sevrin Jan 23rd 2012 7:06PM
Hello!
I just wanted to say thank you for all the comments, really glad you have been enjoying my film!
Really means a lot!
And don't worry, I don't get addicted to alcohol, hard drugs or anything like that! ;D
Lipstick Jan 24th 2012 6:35AM
This pulled at the heart strings, some of which are tied in knots forever entangled in some of my own experiences.
It's a difficult world to navigate sometimes, and whether in azeroth, or elsewhere sometimes we all get a bit lost, and off track.
Here's to putting one foot in front of the other, and each of us finding the path which leads us home..