South Park Machinima

It was very good premier. I'm sure 7 million WoW (World of Warcraft for you newbs) fans loved it. It will be on YouTube and all the file sharing sites in no time if you didn't tivo it. Ain't I so digerati?

I knew WoW graphics were very cinematic, but it looks like Machinimas, computer animations produced by real-time game engines, finally made mainstream splash. Sure, non-fans wouldn't recognize that it DID use WoW game graphics, but it was good enough to invoke emotions and inhibits characters, compare to those paper-cut characters. However, the show was another cheap-shot at stereotypical gamers, rather than reaching for higher dramatic potential for the new medium.

If you are interested, you can see the real Machinma done with WOW assets, without extensive modifications and help from the Blizzard.

I think Blizzard just sold another million copies of WoW after tonight, not to mention their upcoming expansion pack. Yes, the gaming is the main stream to stay. The narrative potential of the medium is yet to be discovered.