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Michael Gray

- http://www.writegray.com

WoW Moviewatch: Guards 3

by Michael Gray on May 22nd 2013 (15 hours ago)

Work Warning: Lots of cursing and vaguely adult themes. A touch on the adult side.

Ian Beckman is a man who delivers. Whether it's a surprising range of comedic voice acting or solid graphics that deliver the funny, his machinima always serves up more than a few laughs. Guards 3 continues to lampoon COPS in this wild World of Warcraft.

I like how the small vignette turns into a larger story, and I'll admit the final bit was my favorite. Whether that's because I harbor my own angst about the king, or just because it was the most straightforward joke, the utter defeat of the villain serves as warning to anyone who gets a name wrong.

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

WoW Moviewatch: The Adventures of Tinkerbottom Part 9

by Michael Gray on May 21st 2013 (1 day ago)

I space out how often I talk about The Adventures of Tinkerbottom because, while it's cool, there are too many videos to keep up here. But the interactive video just reached a major milestone: Tinkerbottom now must suffer a consequence.

If you've not been following along, the premise is fairly simple. The videos focus on Tinkerbottom and the choices he faces. Commenters basically vote or suggest what his action will be. It's like a crowdsourced Which Way book with a video component. All in all, it's a pretty interesting experiment and definitely worth your time to check out.

Filed under: WoW Moviewatch

WoW Moviewatch: Not All Roleplay is Serious - Episode 7: NOOB

by Michael Gray on May 20th 2013 (2 days ago)

Work Warning: Minutely blue humor found herein.

It's been a while since we've seen a new video from Nixxiom (also known as SilverlinedPro). That makes this delicious bit of machinima even more tasty. With a somewhat painful look on those first seconds of a Tauren roleplayer's life, Not All Roleplay is Serious - Episode 7: NOOB demonstrates only the finest irony of a beginning roleplayer. Watch your flags!

Filed under: WoW Moviewatch

WoW Moviewatch: Moves

by Michael Gray on May 19th 2013 (3 days ago)

It's not the Dance Studio but Moves by Oveoflod serves up the kinds of dance we've always wanted to see. When you start the video, make sure you give it a few second to get into the groove. This absolutely fantastic dance video serves up the rhythm, rattle, and ... well, just watch it. Moves will be the Dance Studio of your imagination.

Filed under: WoW Moviewatch

WoW Moviewatch: Arm of Hades: Thundercats

by Michael Gray on May 18th 2013 (4 days ago)

This is a shot-for-shot recreation of the opening to Thundercats. David Nguyen did an astounding job of the video. It makes me both want to play WoW and watch the cartoon. It's just awesome. But there's more.

This is the kind of machinima and community involvement you hope to see. David directly credited Fifth Element for inspiring the video. It's always incredibly astounding to see machinima creators respond to one another this way. Congratulations to both David and Fifth Element on creating a cartoon machinima legacy.

Filed under: WoW Moviewatch

WRUP: Anticipating patch 5.3

by Michael Gray on May 18th 2013 (4 days ago)

We finally know that patch 5.3 is right around the corner. Biting our fingernails and virtually panting with excitement, everyone at WoW Insider headquarters looks forward to the release with summery exultation.

So obviously, we asked our staff about more than just their weekend plans. We asked what each member is excited about in the new patch. The good, the bad, and the ugly; we wanted to know it all.

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion

Weekly news roundup with Panser of TradeChat

by Michael Gray on May 17th 2013 (5 days ago)

TradeChat's Panser returns with this week's WoW Insider news recap, where we look back at the hottest news from the past week and whatever other kickin' rad things may have come our way. This week's topics include:

Ill-gotten goods go to charity
Free comics!
Would you play a WoW Fighter game?
Level your professions in Pandaria!
The mystery of the Unborn Val'kyr
Patch notes!
Is it ready to drop yet?

If you enjoyed the show, make sure to subscribe to TradeChat, leave a comment, and come back next week for the next episode!

Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, News items

WoW Machinima: Hockers

by Michael Gray on May 17th 2013 (5 days ago)

RomireVids is hitting the street with a brand new video: Hockers. A Pawn Stars parody, this video turns Azeroth into a bizarre, huge pawn shop. It's got some shout-outs to bizarre lore moments of the past, a few slightly purple jokes, and more than a few punchlines.

This video is a huge step up for Romire. The graphics are solid for the subject matter and the voice acting is excellent. Most importantly, the script flows convincingly and sticks to a single train of thought. It's a nice video from Romire. My hat's off to you, sir!

Filed under: WoW Moviewatch

Phat Loot Phriday: Unborn Val'kyr

by Michael Gray on May 17th 2013 (5 days ago)

The ghostly creature hovered in the air, quietly chewing on a chocolate chip cookie. Her iridescent wings flapped in slow, lazy arcs.

"And you don't know where you got her?" Lolegolas asked. "No clue at all?"

"None," Throgg confirmed. "I just opened up my pet bag and poof. There she was. She's pretty cute, though. In an adorable way, I mean."

Lolegolas nodded. "So, she's a mystery. Why is she unborn?"

"It turns out her people don't consider you really born until you kill a worthy target," Throgg said.

"That's kind of harsh," Lolegolas said. "Does she fight well?"

"Incredibly well," Throgg said. "That's why I gave her a cookie. She totally decimated my opponent a few moments ago. She likes cookies."

Item Note: The Unborn Val'kyr is shrouded in mystery; we're not quite sure where you can get it yet. While Northrend is an obvious component, the details are still vague. Stay tuned for more details!

Phat Loot Phriday brings you the scoop on some of the most ... interesting ... loot in the World of Warcraft, often viewed through the eyes of the stalwart Throgg and indelible Lolegolas. Suggest items you think we should feature by emailing mikeg@wowinsider.com.

Filed under: Phat Loot Phriday

WoW Moviewatch: Batman Beyond Twin Consorts

by Michael Gray on May 16th 2013 (6 days ago)

It's a little-known secret that Batman Beyond remains one of the best Bat-reimaginations we've seen. Clinging to continuity with a tenuous but resilient grasp, Batman Beyond captures some of the best bat-themes and bat-ideas.

You can imagine my thrill when I saw Fifth Element's bat-video, Batman Beyond Twin Consorts. With the same sense of excitement and flair they bring to all their videos, the raiding team of machinima gives Terry a whole new spin.

Filed under: WoW Moviewatch

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