Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

'Make Love, Not Warcraft' Episode Wins An Emmy

Posted by Zonk on from the mmogs-are-just-a-bit-mainstream,-methinks dept.

WoW Insider has the word that the South Park Episode "Make Love, Not Warcraft" has won the Creative Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program. The episode, which heavily features machinima shot inside a Blizzard-run World of Warcraft server, has proven extremely popular with fans of both the game and the show. So much so that the DVD set including that episode includes a 14-day trial for WoW, and extensive commentary on the episode from the show's creators. From the WoW Insider post: "This isn't the first Emmy that South Park has won, but perhaps this kind of attention will get WoW more positive (or at least humorous) attention in other television shows. Though, when it comes to TV ratings, 9 million people worldwide does not a target audience make. For example, American Idol was considered slipping when it only had 30 million US viewers for an episode. Would you like to see WoW references appear more often on TV? Or are you too busy playing to care?"

82 comments

  1. Of course it got the Emmy! by dbolger · · Score: 5, Funny

    Its the best show in the World!... (of Warcraft)

  2. No, I don't want to see it mentioned more in TV by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    at least, not if it is mention like in Star Gate: Atlantis. Wost game reference in a TV show ever. I groaned and hit my head against a wall until the pain was worse than hearing the comment. It took a few hours.

  3. Just watched the episode again by realsilly · · Score: 3, Informative

    My husband and I just had the opportunity to watch the episode again on DVD. We listened to the commentary by the South Park creators and found it interesting how the episode came to be.

    Best part about what I learned is that Blizzard was gun-ho to help out with the episode.

    --
    Life takes interesting turns, but the most interest is when you're off the beaten path.
    1. Re:Just watched the episode again by Vexor · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Best part about what I learned is that Blizzard was gun-ho to help out with the episode.

      As they say, no publicity is bad publicity.

      --
      ~Vexed and loving it!
    2. Re:Just watched the episode again by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Quit fucking repeating this WRONG bit of information, please. If it were true, companies wouldn't try to cover up bad press.

      You think Jack-in-the-Box benefited from the country knowing that a bunch of people died from eating their hamburgers?

      You think Firestone was happy about the publicity they got when their tires were blowing out and killing people?

    3. Re:Just watched the episode again by WilliamSChips · · Score: 1

      I don't think that Blizzard will get publicity like that.

      --
      Please, for the good of Humanity, vote Obama.
    4. Re:Just watched the episode again by Sj0 · · Score: 1

      Blizzard gets plenty of bad press from the psychotic types who play the games until they die. I tried WoW for a couple days and that was the first thing a friend of mine said to me.

      Thankfully, I realised that WoW sucks ass; it's paced to make money, not to be the least bit fun.

      --
      It's been a long time.
    5. Re:Just watched the episode again by realsilly · · Score: 1

      Well, if you bothered to watch the episode with the Commentary turned on, you'll hear that Blizzard was gun hoe about helping out with that episode. And Blizzard is powerful enough at this point that if they didn't agree with being included in the Episode and it's creation, then they would not have provided the additional character within the episode where it was Alliance against Alliance. They would have come out disclaiming that they were not in agreement with the epsiode. Besides the fact that Comedy Central would make money off of Blizzard's game, and to do so without their permission would put Comedy Central in legal trouble.

      Nice research on your end. NOT!

      --
      Life takes interesting turns, but the most interest is when you're off the beaten path.
  4. a trial subscription with the DVD? by jollyreaper · · Score: 4, Funny

    a trial subscription with the DVD? That's like handing out free needles with the DARE program.

    --
    Kwisatz Haderach
    Sell the spice to CHOAM
    This Mahdi took Shaddam's Throne
    1. Re:a trial subscription with the DVD? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      you're kidding right, that's more like giving them a 14 day trial of what the drugs are like!

      It's... so... cold.

    2. Re:a trial subscription with the DVD? by fourtyonederful · · Score: 1

      yea, its like, thanks for buying "Thank You For Smoking" on dvd - here's your complimentary pack of Marlboros, and some candy cigarettes for your little ones too.

    3. Re:a trial subscription with the DVD? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's actually a brilliant idea.

  5. Not just WoW players by techpawn · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I know a lot of other MMO players who got a kick out of watching it and laughing at WoW players or ourselves seeing a bit of ourselves in the WoW universe

    --
    Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what your country did to you
    1. Re:Not just WoW players by EtoilePB · · Score: 1

      I was sitting there logged into EQ2, running an instance, while the episode ran for the first time on the TV behind me. I had to log as quickly as possible, heh -- felt dirty. ;)

  6. Obligitory episode references: by CaptainPatent · · Score: 0

    Looks like all the other nominees just got pwned.

    Maybe the Emmy commitee was a bit boared?!

    I'm just glad I never gave up on the world...
    of warcraft.

    --
    Well, back to rejecting software patent applications.
  7. I was impressed, until... by damrat · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I was impressed with the Emmy, until I saw this morning that Andy Samberg and Justin Timberlake's "Dick in a Box" won an Emmy last night, too. Makes you wonder just how low the standards for winning an Emmy are, after all. Or how sorry the competition was...

    1. Re:I was impressed, until... by WiseWeasel · · Score: 1

      How can you hate on "Dick in a Box"? That was pure brilliance!

      --
      "I like systems, their application excepted", George Sand (French)
    2. Re:I was impressed, until... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      An Emmy certainly isn't as prestigious as an Oscar. There's so much stuff on TV, they have to give the things out like candy sometimes. Keep in mind, though, that it's still an award where each category only has one winner. Plenty of shows get nominated for Emmys that don't win.

      Just like any multicategory award, you should see what category it won or was nominated in to decide how much prestige to afford to the award. Getting an Oscar for Best Picture is a much bigger deal than getting an Oscar for Best Audio Direction or whatever, as important as I'm sure the guy in charge of audio insists his job is.

      I suspect the South Park episode was probably in a fairly competitive category, though. South Park isn't going to get an Emmy for putting out crap.

      In fact, checking to see what category it actually won, it got the "Creative Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming Less Than One Hour)". There's a lot of excellent animated programming that would fit in that category, so it's a pretty big deal, I'd say. If it'd been for something like technical merit for the use of machinima, then it would've been pretty lame.

    3. Re:I was impressed, until... by multisync · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I don't know what the competition for it was, but I remember that Samberg/Timberlake video well and found it hilarious. In fact, I remember the show Timberlake hosted as one of the best of last season. If you didn't think it was funny, you're entitled to your opinion, but for me it doesn't work as an example of the "low standards for winning an Emmy."

      --
      I don't care why you're posting AC
    4. Re:I was impressed, until... by Is0m0rph · · Score: 1

      Bring it on down to homelessville... Timberlake's two shows he hosted with the Omletville and Homelessville skits were too funny.

    5. Re:I was impressed, until... by multisync · · Score: 1

      Not to mention the Barry Gibb talk show with Jimmy Fallon.

      I wasn't even going to watch the show, cause I had no interest in listening to his music. I'm glad I did. I thought he did a great job hosting, and even enjoyed the songs he performed. Just goes to show that even if a performer's material isn't to your taste, if he's talented - and you keep an open mind - you will probably be entertained.

      --
      I don't care why you're posting AC
    6. Re:I was impressed, until... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ac to the death

      Yea seriously. I Always had a bad impression of Timberlake due to his music, and have never been a fan. But when I saw that episode of SNL I was very very surprised, and actually quite impressed.

    7. Re:I was impressed, until... by drsquare · · Score: 1

      There are millions of funny videos on youtube, it doesn't mean they should get awards.

    8. Re:I was impressed, until... by multisync · · Score: 1

      I didn't say every funny video on youtube should get an award. I was disagreeing with the gp's opinion that the video didn't deserve the award it won.

      There are millions of songs on the radio. There are hundreds of movies released every year. There are dozens of Broadway plays. They don't all get Grammys, Oscars or Tonys, but some do. Whether or not the ones that do deserve them is a matter of opinion. I was simply stating mine.

      --
      I don't care why you're posting AC
    9. Re:I was impressed, until... by damrat · · Score: 1

      Let me clarify my statement: I feel like there was a time that the Emmy Award carried with it a certain prestige. It was the television equivalent to the Oscar -- the closest thing the television medium had to it, anyways. I think perhaps the Golden Globes has taken that away from them, and I think the prestige value has fallen. Fallen quite a lot, actually. I tried to use the Samberg video to that point out. Personally, I think "Dick in the Box" was hilarious. I hope to see more things on TV like the SP WoW episode and "Dick in the Box". I guess I am still somewhat old school when it comes to awards like the Emmys, though. I'm trying to imagine Spike Lee standing there trying to feel proud for winning hs Emmy for "When The Levees Broke", and then Andy Samberg walks by...

    10. Re:I was impressed, until... by multisync · · Score: 1

      I see a bit of a contradiction in your position. On the one hand, you feel the prestige value of the Emmys has fallen and cite the "Dick in a Box" video winning as an example, yet you concede that the video is "hilarious." If the award is for comedy, shouldn't a video that is "hilarious" qualify? I'm going to go out on a limb here and speculate that you feel the comedy in that video is low-brow schoolboy type humour that only immature geeks like us really find funny, but I don't think that is the case. The test for comedy is does it make people laugh. If it does, it's funny, and there's no sense in feeling ashame of yourself for laughing.

      Kevin Smith commented once that when it comes down to it, what people really want are dick and fart jokes. It might not be quite that simple, but I think there is a ring of truth to it. People laugh at stupid things, especially if they involve bodily functions.

      As for Spike Lee, there is quite a bit of comedy in his movies, particularly early ones like Do the Right Thing. I have no way of knowing this, but I suspect he would find Dick In A Box funny and maybe even deserving of an award. Seeing a young Andy Samberg walk down the aisle to accept his award might remind Spike of being a young films student full of promise and a B&W comedy called She's Gotta Have It (which - according to IMDB - originally received an X rating due to the sexual content).

      But, hey, you're entitled to your opinion, and I appreciate you taking the time to help me understand where you're coming from.

      --
      I don't care why you're posting AC
  8. more choice by Tom · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Or are you too busy playing to care? No, like most non-WoW-players, I'm too busy caring about whether or not WoW is good or bad for me (as a player and consumer) and the industry.

    Certainly the size and money involved allows Blizzard to try things nobody else could afford. On the other hand, in markets in general and creative markets specifically, too much concentration on one offer (no matter how good it is) reduces the progress of everyone else.

    I'd rather have more choice.
    --
    Assorted stuff I do sometimes: Lemuria.org
    1. Re:more choice by Selfbain · · Score: 2, Interesting

      There is a lot of choice in mmo's right now and the genre (does mmo count as a genre?) is about to explode. There are lots of new games going online within the next year. The star trek geek in me that died a long time ago is feeling a strong pull to try Star Trek Online.

      --
      Well, it has never been successfully tested.
    2. Re:more choice by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Until you realize you spend the first 20 levels running around wearing a red shirt, no armor, and everyone else is aiming at you.

    3. Re:more choice by brkello · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Huh? You are too busy worrying about a game that you don't even play? I'd say that you are unique and there aren't a bunch of people suffering anxiety attacks because they are worried that World of Warcraft is stifling creativity in gaming. Even though you don't make any sense, let me put these fears to rest. For gaming to be accepted as an art form and accepted by society, we need a game like WoW. You need a game that is a hit with so many people so that it becomes known to people who don't play the game. Once society recognizes enough people play games, it will become a "normal" activity...rather than something to be feared by parents and played by children and nerds. So stop worrying...WoW is good for gaming.

      --
      Support a great indie game: http://www.abaddon360.com
    4. Re:more choice by C0rinthian · · Score: 1

      Even though it's the biggest MMO ever, it's still pretty niche. If anything is going to have the widespread impact you're talking about, it'll be something console/handheld.

    5. Re:more choice by phildawg · · Score: 3, Insightful

      But you have one major failure in your logic. WoW isn't stealing MMO players away from other competitive MMOs. It is creating new MMO players from those who used to refuse to pay a monthly fee for a video game they could never own, or never had a desire to try out an MMO as they were content with playing diablo, counterstrike, etc.

    6. Re:more choice by Knara · · Score: 1

      Isn't Trek Online about 3 years out at the minimum?

    7. Re:more choice by Selfbain · · Score: 1

      It's due late next year according to the wikipedia article. My understanding is the initial launch will not have all the features they currently have planned (no spaceship internals for instance).

      --
      Well, it has never been successfully tested.
    8. Re:more choice by c0mmanderb0nd · · Score: 1

      The MMO Genre has been quietly "exploding" for years now. It started back with UO, then came EQ. Since then lots of new games have been coming online and the reason you are not aware of them is because they quickly die out. Examples Star Wars galaxies, Auto Assault, The Matrix Online, and to many others to list. If anything the MMO market is slowing down because so many people have lost big on it. Of course all WOW is doing is giving hope to the hopeless that maybe they too can build and online cash cow like Blizzard has. The reason WOW is such a hit is because they combined a lot of good simple elements a lot of games got right and have a little bit of something for everyone to like about it. Of course while they do a lot of little things well, they don't necessarily hands down win on a certain element. But overall they are the big winners. And before you invest anytime in the Star trek online take a few minutes to find a star wars geek and find out how badly Star Wars Galaxies scorched the genre. Maybe even worse than the prequels and Jar Jar binks.

    9. Re:more choice by statikuz · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Pretty niche? 9 million players worldwide (plus another 3.5m for TBC) compared to only 11.6 million Xbox 360's SHIPPED worldwide? 26 million PSP's sold, which is indeed a lot, but one single computer game that not only sells, but has subscribers in those numbers definitely isn't "niche."

    10. Re:more choice by NeilTheStupidHead · · Score: 1

      And if you can survive that, you deserve some body armour and a gold shirt. Though I can't recall ever seeing any Starfleet personel ever wearing armour, even in the warzones that appeared in several episodes. I always thought that was unrealistic, even for a science fiction series.

      --
      Lose: misplace or fail || Loose: not bound together
    11. Re:more choice by Tom · · Score: 1

      But you have one major failure in your logic. WoW isn't stealing MMO players away from other competitive MMOs

      Maybe, maybe not. I don't know either way, which is why I worry a little.
      --
      Assorted stuff I do sometimes: Lemuria.org
  9. TV clings to the scraps by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Aww, look at the cute little dying medium, trying desperately to hang on by grabbing onto the Gamerwebs the kids love so much nowadays.

  10. Yoda... by Eric+Pierce · · Score: 1, Funny

    > 9 million people worldwide does not a target audience make.

    Yoda is in the house!

    1. Re:Yoda... by SydShamino · · Score: 1
      Nine million good ratings for Comedy Central it would be. From Wikipedia it is:

      The original television airing of the episode drew 3.4 million viewers, most between the ages of 18 and 49. This popularity made the episode Comedy Central's highest-rated midseason premiere since the year 2000. However, the highest ratings for the tenth season belong to the season's premiere, "The Return of Chef", which drew more than 3.5 million viewers.
      --
      It doesn't hurt to be nice.
  11. Does this game make me look fat? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    > Would you like to see WoW references appear more often on TV?

    "Are you insecure about your choice of hobbies? Do you require the validation others?"

  12. Well, Emmys are for television... by AmazingRuss · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ...and television is 200 channels of suck. I would hate to be the person who has to dig through all that and find the bits that suck the very least.

  13. How to win an award by Opportunist · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Let's take a quick look at the episodes that won an emmy or something smiliar. Bottom line: Be creative and move a hint away from the vanilla roll-down-22-minutes-to-fill-between-ads trash that clogs our TVs today, and you got one.

    And that episode simply and plainly did that. It's one of the first to feature and parody a popular video game. I mean, a video game it doesn't try to sell.

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    1. Re:How to win an award by geekoid · · Score: 1

      NO. this just shows that feeding into a hype fed by a misconception that is believed in Hollywood gets you notice. This episode was not unique, the writing was mediocre any it didn't make a point.

      --
      The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
    2. Re:How to win an award by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      Or that way. But it stood out of the crowd and was very zeitgeisty.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  14. Another Good WoW Story by Greyfox · · Score: 4, Funny

    Jimmy's Story.

    --

    I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?

  15. errr by doyoulikeworms · · Score: 3, Funny

    Mom! Bathroom! Bathroom!

    1. Re:errr by d0rp · · Score: 1

      Mom! Bathroom! Bathroom! That's a big boy!
  16. No, I wouldn't. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    I'm so sick about hearing of fucking World of Warcraft...I'm -so- glad I don't run Windows any more, otherwise I'd probably be obsessing over it like the rest of the sad bastards wasting their lives away in front of the screen.

    There's nothing new about World of Warcraft -- practically any feature that it has can be found in MMORPG's that have existed for years now (Ultima Online is a classic example -- a little too classic maybe, as it hasn't caught up with the times). There's just nothing special about it enough to warrant the amount of attention that it gets on Slashdot -- it's a game, one of many, and it's no more original than First Person Shooter #50 that iD is probably already working on.

    1. Re:No, I wouldn't. by Don853 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Except that it's special just because of the size of its user base. It's a huge force in the PC gaming industry, and it affects future development because everyone else wants to try to replicate that kind of success. (and it seems to be unfortunately keeping Blizzard pretty occupied with a genre I'm not particularly interested in).

      Walmart doesn't do much of anything unique either, they just do it better/faster/cheaper, and because of that they're very relevant.

    2. Re:No, I wouldn't. by Brigade · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Not just the size of the user base, mind you, but the demographic.

      WoW was the first video game medium to tap in to the "non-gamers" on such a large scale. I remember when I was addicted to FFXI and even had it installed on my then-girlfriends laptop so I could grind levels while we were just hanging out at friend's houses socially (yes, addicted) .. that particular group of friends gave me no end of grief about playing a damn game (and an MMO at that) instead of being sociable (read: Getting drunk and smoking pot).

      Cut to less than two years later, and EVERY one of them (and their girlfriends) are playing WoW and trying to talk me into getting into the game. To this day I can call them looking for something to do on a Friday night and the response I usually get is "Sorry, this is the only night that we can get together to make a run on X." (I think it's Molten Core .. I swore off MMOs)

      Both Blizzard and Nintendo have figured out that the "hardcore gamer" segment is just that, and they have expanded and tapped into the mainstream market. Meanwhile, Sony and (to a lesser extent Microsoft) are busy playing catch-up. Since when (before South Park) has a specific video-game been considered a pop-culture reference? (Maybe Pac-Man, but not in a LONG while).

    3. Re:No, I wouldn't. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      actually, blizzard is also replicating the success of one of the older online game: ragnarok online. Well they still couldn't reach the peak ro has reached(25million) but they are doing fine

    4. Re:No, I wouldn't. by badboy_tw2002 · · Score: 1

      No, I think they've figured out that "hardcore" doesn't represent the same group of people across the full spectrum of gaming. I would argue that staying in on Friday night because its the best time to play is "hardcore" behavior (not because they should be out clubbing or whatever instead, but because it shows they've changed behavior for the game).

      You don't have to be a stereotypical neck-bearded lives-in-their-parents-basement loser to like gaming. I've seen people who never pick up a game controller (or haven't since they were kids) rush out to buy a PS2 with Guitar Hero or a Wii after playing at their friends house. They now play religously all the time. "Hardcore" just means you spend a lot of time on a particular thing. I can be hardcore about the NFL, golf, boating, chess, knitting, etc. Everyone has something, and I think there's probably a game out there for everyone to be hardcore about. What Blizzard found was how to give people who weren't otherwise hardcore about MMO's a seemingly simple and easy access to a "hardcore" experience they can spend a lot of time doing. Whether they grew the market themselves or took from other gaming segments is debatable, but what's not, I think, is that there's a whole new section of "hardcore" MMO players that weren't there before.

  17. The Simpsons also... by Octopus · · Score: 1, Funny

    featured WoW in an episode, but it really fell flat.

    Countdown to the death of The Simpsons...

    3...

    2...

    1...

    1. Re:The Simpsons also... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Where have you been? The Simpsons died more than 10 years ago.

    2. Re:The Simpsons also... by shark72 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      "Where have you been? The Simpsons died more than 10 years ago."

      NB that the South Park film grossed something like $50MM at the US box office. The Simpsons Movie earned more than that in its opening weekend, even after adjustment for inflation.

      --
      Sitting in my day care, the art is decopainted.
    3. Re:The Simpsons also... by Deagol · · Score: 2, Informative

      I'm guessing The Simpsons Movie (like the show itself) was much more family-friendly than the South Park film. I doubt many kids walked out of The Simpsons Movie asking, "Mommy, what's a clitoris?" ;-) Mass market appeal has its financial rewards.

      --
      Method of processing duck feet
    4. Re:The Simpsons also... by Babbster · · Score: 1

      You've got it right. Even live-action movies aim for PG/PG-13 so that they can bring in families with kids. An animated film rated R automatically reduces its audience by excluding the young (the ones too young to either sneak in or just pass as 17+ when they approach the minimum wage staff at the theater) and the old who "don't like cartoons." I suspect most studios would be ecstatic making $50 million on an R-rated animated feature - if they have the chocolate salty balls to make one, of course...

    5. Re:The Simpsons also... by drsquare · · Score: 1

      The Simpsons is living on past reputation. If it was released today, no-one would watch it.

  18. "9 milllion does not a target audience make"??? by the0ther · · Score: -1

    those cable news shows only pull in like 200,000 viewers a night. don't tell me that 9 million WoW players is just another turd in the bucket.

  19. Never got the appeal of WoW by SlappyBastard · · Score: 1

    A repetitive and easy game. Sort of get the group/chat thing. But, by the tenth paint-by-numbers mission I couldn't gag the damn game down anymore.

    I've long suspected that WoW is more of a culture of "Wow! We did this and this and that and got this and this and that, and jeepers, aren't we great."

    Blizzard obviously figured out what gamers want.

    --
    I scream. You scream. I assume that means we're both acquainted with the problem. We proceed.
    1. Re:Never got the appeal of WoW by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Pretty much any great game is easy and repetitive. If it was hard it would be frustrating and if it was original it would require thinking. What makes it great is that it is easy and repetitive and fun.

      Take doom / quake / ut / generic fps: point at something, shoot, yay I won. These are not classic games because of the 1p mode, they are great because you compete against other people in live-action battles. WoW adds status (level and gear) to these battles against other actuall people to lock people into coming back.

      What you discovered is that people who refuse the initial lock in won't see what is fun about the game. These people generally play the game already wanting to dislike it, or with little patience just 'to see what it's about', or maybe with a personality just not suited to the style of game. Some people sit down at a chess board and say 'gah I moved pieces around last game it's the same boring thing all over again' whereas others find fun in optimizing their moves to the N-levels deep. I contend that the former probably doesn't really understand why people play any games though, let alone WoW.

    2. Re:Never got the appeal of WoW by Sabalon · · Score: 1

      WoW is great. You get to create a vast variety of characters (okay...6 types, but they look different, at least in the facial hair.) and explore to your hearts content.

      Not only do you get to complete complicated quests (such as "go talk to the guy 5 feet to my right and take him this.") you receive grand rewards which almost compete with what you sold as vendor junk three levels ago. And speaking of selling, lets not forget how expensive purple pixels are. Items with those rare pixels sell for stupid amounts because people think purple makes them so cool.

      Seriously though...it was a fun game for a little bit. I am in awe just walking around looking at some of the environments. However, the repetitive nature really got to me. I understand the "kill x number of this, seek that quests." but it is sad when the this is the same as the kill x number of this quest you did 5 level ago, just with a different name and color.

      However, my biggest beef was with the other players. Yeah...there are good and bad ones, but I didn't like how blizzard forces you to work with them to move forward. I like to be able to get on when I want, kill when and what I want and get off when I want (he he). But so many quests become group quests and the instances are pretty hard even if you do pick up some others. It got pretty annoying.

      Still, the WoW episode of SP pretty much pegged it all and I'm glad they got an Emmy!

    3. Re:Never got the appeal of WoW by Dewser · · Score: 1

      Such is the nature of most MMORPGs. But WoW by far, does not force you to group with people to play the game. You can solo your way to 70 and never once work with another individual. You can jump in the game and spend an hour doing something without relying on people. I do it regularly. Grouping only helps enhance the experience. There are some great people who play the game and you can end up making some good friends. Hell I even met up with an old friend from High School who plays the game.

      Though if you don't like grouping with people, then an MMORPG is probably not the game for you. Quests are repetitive to some degree but they are not all that bad and they are that way to help you gain the XP to go further into the game.

      If you want a time sync and a game that really requires you to be in a group most of the time, then try out Final Fantasy XI.

      And on one final note, these games aren't for everyone. I like them because A) it costs less than going to the bar every night :D and B) it takes me away from reality for a bit. My wife watches the TV I play WoW and we are happy.

      --
      Dewser - all around techy "In the immortal words of Socrates - 'I drank what?'"
    4. Re:Never got the appeal of WoW by SlappyBastard · · Score: 1

      Not a big fan of FPS games, either. The only series in recent years to really locked me in is Total War.

      --
      I scream. You scream. I assume that means we're both acquainted with the problem. We proceed.
    5. Re:Never got the appeal of WoW by DimGeo · · Score: 1

      You've obviously never been in an elite instance with 4 other players, and have never been out-mobbed because some aggro-ninja was getting too much attention from those scarlet champions... Or have never been the said aggro-ninja yourself :P . IMNSHO, the real game is questing with people in STV and running instances, at least until 60...

    6. Re:Never got the appeal of WoW by SlappyBastard · · Score: 1

      I've heard a very similar argument made in favor of using LSD.

      --
      I scream. You scream. I assume that means we're both acquainted with the problem. We proceed.
    7. Re:Never got the appeal of WoW by Avatar8 · · Score: 1
      To each his own, but I have to say, if you only played long enough for 10 quests, you didn't give it much of a try. If you consider WoW repetitive then you haven't played many MMOs. Dark Age of Camelot was much more repetitive as far as level or skill gain, Ultima Online was repetitive to get skills to certain levels and Everquest (I heard) was a pure grind fest for leveling and money gain. WoW has substantially more variety than any of those.

      At launch there were 2500 quests per faction (Alliance or Horde). With the numerous content patches and the release of Burning Crusade, I'd guess there are at least 4000 quests per faction now. I've been playing nearly three years now, and I'm still discovering new places and new quests.

      I'd suggest you simply did not discover which part of WoW appealed to you. Exploring, crafting, dungeon crawling? Huge variety of things to do that appeal to a vast number of play styles. Granted not all of those play styles are free to do whatever they wish (i.e. crafting requires that you reach certain levels to keep improving your skill), but WoW is still the best MMO I've played since I started in 1997.

      The original WoW quests did lack variety in style, so much so they could be categorized as kill counts, drop counts and FedEx quests. There are numerous exceptions, but those were the majority. With the release of BC, several new styles of quests were added at the beginning zones for new races, in the Outland zones and a few scattered in the "old" world.

      There is so much variety in WoW, I'm very surprised when I hear anyone who considers themselves a gamer say they didn't find anything in it that interests them.

  20. Next up: The Oscars! by Brigade · · Score: 1

    Just a matter of time: http://www.whorelore.com/ (Not work safe)

    Seriously .. forget mainstream TV .. I can't recall the last time a video game inspired a porn series. (And it seems that Blizzard got pissed and had them change the name from "World of Whorecraft")

  21. Re:Never got the appeal of WoW (explanation) by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 1

    Well, IMHO, it's all about forming a Care Bear guild, doing your Druid quest, and then having a few hundred Alliance level 70s p0wn you six ways to Sunday ...

    --
    -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
  22. I miss the old days by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 1

    when TV shows were all about bowling and drinking, two more important things than playing WoW ...

    --
    -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
  23. Simpsons did it... by Torodung · · Score: 1

    South Park already did that joke. ;^)

    --
    Toro

  24. One of the Best ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Cartman : Butters, you said you're always on your computer.

    Butters : Well yeah, but I'm playing Hello Kitty Island Adventure.

    Cartman : Butters, go buy world of warcraft, install it on your computer, and join the online sensation before we all murder you.

    It's one of the best episodes I've ever seen (I have all the first 10 series here on various media), and well deserving of the Emmy. It encapsulates everything that MMORPGs stand for, from Stan's dad ("I'm not an R-Tard"), to the bloated spotty characters they become after killing 65 million boars for 2xp each, just so they can gain 30 levels. (How many of us don't see a little of ourselves in those characters).

    Nice bit of promo for Blizzard too :-) Whilst they may not have taken too kindly to it when it was first aired, they now have a great new addition to their advertising ...

    "World of Warcraft, as seen on the Emmy Award winning show, Southpark".

    TIMMY !!!!!!

  25. Not a very good episode... by flibbidyfloo · · Score: 1

    Am I the only one who thought this episode didn't live up to its hype? I'm no hater; I played WoW from beta to BC and I've seen every SP episode more than once. I just thought it was a pretty average episode in the laughs and insight departments. It was creative enough to win an Emmy for that aspect, but it doesn't rank anywhere near the top of SP episodes overall.

  26. A better episode would have been ... by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 1

    LEEROY JEEENKIINS!!!!

    Seriously, that is what WoW is really like.

    Personally, I love to join a group and tank like an aggro monster truck, as my party dies behind me ...

    --
    -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
    1. Re:A better episode would have been ... by Avatar8 · · Score: 1

      Then I take it you are a mage or hunter. :-)

    2. Re:A better episode would have been ... by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 1

      Then I take it you are a mage or hunter. :-)

      No, usually I'm a res pally, or a druid carrying a 12 pound fish ...

      --
      -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
  27. No I wouldn't by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Please do NOT put more WoW references on TV. Thanks.

  28. How do you stop something that has no life? by Bushido+Hacks · · Score: 1

    Let his mother assign him a whole bunch of needless and rather stupid chores like clearing out a beehive.

    --
    The Rapture is NOT an exit strategy.
  29. disgusting by geekoid · · Score: 1

    The only reason for this Emmy is that it feeds into the 'Video games are BAD' stereo type.

    Bah.

    --
    The Kruger Dunning explains most post on /. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
    1. Re:disgusting by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The only reason for this Emmy is that it feeds into the 'Video games are BAD' stereo type.
      Actually, the stereotype that it feeds is: "Video games are BAD, m'kay?"