<![CDATA[Kotaku: Machinima]]> http://cache.gawker.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/kotaku.com.png <![CDATA[Kotaku: Machinima]]> http://kotaku.com/tag/machinima http://kotaku.com/tag/machinima <![CDATA[ Machinima Raises Millions ]]> Despite the bruised economy Machinima.Com managed to raise $3.85 million in capital from MK Capital and other private investors, the entertainment network announced today.

"Any company that is planning to launch a major video game or movie can't afford to overlook Machinima.com and its powerful reach in the gaming and entertainment communities," said Terri Perkins, media strategy director at Funcom, a leading independent developer and publisher of computer and console games. "We ran an InVideo ad campaign on the Machinima.com YouTube channel when we launched Age of Conan and the results were impressive, exceeding 2.37 percent click through rates."

Good news for machinma, I’m a long-time supporter of the in-game art form. It’s nice to see that the one of the leaders in movement got such a huge injection of cash. Hopefully this will lead to a bigger push into mainstream media. There are still plenty of people out there who have never heard of Machinma, which is a shame.

Machinima.com Raises Millions to Drive Expansion

Advertisers Using Machinima.com to Launch Major Video Games and Movies

LOS ANGELES - November 6, 2008 - Machinima.com,the premier entertainment network for the video game generation, today announced it has received $3.85 million in capital from MK Capital and other private investors to help fund business expansion. The machinima genre has gained tremendous popularity during the past several years, and Machinima.com is attracting some of the world's largest technology, gaming and entertainment advertisers.

"Any company that is planning to launch a major video game or movie can't afford to overlook Machinima.com and its powerful reach in the gaming and entertainment communities," said Terri Perkins, media strategy director at Funcom, a leading independent developer and publisher of computer and console games. "We ran an InVideo ad campaign on the Machinima.com YouTube channel when we launched Age of Conan and the results were impressive, exceeding 2.37 percent click through rates."

Machinima is the integration of filmmaking techniques, animation and videogame technologies to produce computer generated animation in real-time. Machinima.com is the undisputed leader in the category, providing news, articles, interviews and in-depth features on creating machinima as well as the largest selection of machinima videos from around the world. Many of the world's leading advertisers are leveraging Machinima.com's highly-engaged audience to drive significant results for their campaigns including: EA, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Paramount Pictures, Sega, Universal Studios and Warner Bros.

"This funding is an endorsement that Machinima.com is a next-generation online video-programming brand that not only delivers significant reach and video views, but also delivers an extremely high level of user engagement which is the key differentiator for online video brands - embeds, comments, ratings, etc." said Allen DeBevoise, Machinima.com chairman and CEO.

To assist in its expansion, Machinima.com recently appointed five influential, entertainment industry leaders and entrepreneurs to its Board of Directors that will govern the strategic direction of the company. The Board members include: Yair Landau, former head of Sony Pictures Digital, Joi Ito, CEO of Creative Commons, Matt Coffin, founder of LowerMyBills.com, Mark Terbeek, partner at MK Capital and Allen DeBevoise, CEO of Machinima.
"Machinima.com will continue to see growth as these advertisers are actively looking for effective ways to market new games and movies to this elusive and highly-engaged audience," said Mark Terbeek, partner at MK Capital. "MK Capital is excited to be on board during such an exciting growth period."

About Machinima.com
Machinima.com, is the premiere machinima entertainment network for the gamer generation showing user-generated and professional videos, gameplay and trailers from popular video games. The network comprised of highly-engaged gamers and content creators is the ninth most subscribed YouTube channel and serves more than 30 million videos views per month. Companies from the film, gaming and consumer industries are using Machinima.com as an advertising platform for launching new video games and movies and reaching gaming and film enthusiasts around the world. Current Machinima.com advertisers include: EA, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Microsoft, NVIDIA, Paramount Pictures, Sega, Universal Studios and Warner Bros. To learn more, visit www.machinima.com or its YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/machinima.

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Thu, 06 Nov 2008 09:00:21 MST Brian Crecente http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5078335&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Obama, McCain and a Headcrab ]]> A graduate student at the University of Southern California is working on a project that employs Half-Life 2 as a setting/context for political cartoons. Sounds a little out there, but MFA student John Brennan has turned out that video so far, which features Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama on a debate stage, and a headcrab just to show this is Half-Life 2 we're dealing with. And I guess those are combine soldiers in the back beating up on something as these two talk, too.

It's more than some machinima. John's colleague, R.J. wrote me to say that it's an interactive piece, in which the user can press mouse buttons to get the two candidates to speak their lines. (You see it demonstrated in the video) "That part will probably be available later," R.J. said, "for now it's just the video."

Brennan himself told GamePolitics about the political-cartoon purpose of the mod, and says he has a process for getting real people into Half-Life 2, provided he has enough photography as a source material. Newsmakers like those two definitely qualify. That combined with "access to MoCap data, and some good people helping out," resulted in the Half-Life 2 debate so far.

I'm also a little weirded out that I recognize the music at the beginning. That's "The Everlasting Blink" by Bent, album of the same name. Why'd he pick that?

Campaign 2008: Obama vs. McCain [John Brennan via Gamepolitics, with thanks to R.J. too.]

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Sun, 02 Nov 2008 13:00:00 MST Owen Good http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5074163&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Obama vs. Mccain: The Great Debate in WoW ]]>

Screw Ohio. Screw Colorado. What does the voting public of Azeroth, population 11 million, think about the upcoming presidential election.

Machinima.com hopped into World of Warcraft to find out. So is Azeroth a red or blue state? I’m not sure which was more surreal: Listening to undead Warlocks and human Paladins talk about the right to choose and which character the candidates would be in the game or watching what looks like a minotaur in a bikini poll people.

This is a must watch, but because it’s funny as hell and because it sheds a bit, a very small bit of light on what some gamers think of the candidates.

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Fri, 31 Oct 2008 16:00:00 MDT Brian Crecente http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5072652&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Machinima Filmfest Announces 2008 Nominees ]]> We mentioned that the Academy of Machinima Arts and Sciences was looking for a few good flicks back in August; they announced their finalists earlier this month, with the awards ceremony to be held in New York City in November. There's a pretty wide variety of quality entries that run the gamut from artsy to funny to pretty wacky and from short to pretty damn long. It's certainly an interesting collection worth nosing through if you've got some time to spare.

The 2008 Nominees [machinima.org via GameSetWatch]

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Sun, 19 Oct 2008 11:30:00 MDT Maggie Greene http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5065575&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Meet the Cow ]]>
I swear, I swear that I am not a mole for Valve. I know I post well more than my share of Team Fortress 2 shit, but they keep making it, and I keep laughing, and I'ma keep posting it. Djy1991 and ICTOC created this, hosted over at machinima.org — which is behind the awesome awesome "Meet the ..." sendups of inanimate objects in TF2, and this one looks at the 2Fort Cow. The ending is cow-meets-Cloverfield amazing and makes me want to hit myself in the face with a shovel.

Meet the Cow [machinima.com, via Ubercharged.net]

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Sun, 10 Aug 2008 17:00:00 MDT Owen Good http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5035253&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Machinima Festival Looking For a Few Good Flicks ]]> The Academy of Machinima Arts & Sciences officially launched their call of submissions for the 2008 Machinima Film Festival today.

The festival will be held on Nov. 1 at Eyebeam in Manhattan, but if you're interested in trying to get your work included you need to submit your entry by Sept. 12.

The festival will also feature panel discussions about the art of making machinima as well as the awards ceremony honoring the best new machinima of the year.

2008 Machinima Festival Opens Call for Submissions

“Sundance of the Video Game Set” Returns to NYC, Nov. 1, with Blockbuster Roster of Films Created Using Virtual Spaces and Popular Titles Like Halo® and The Sims™ 2

NEW YORK, NY, August 7, 2008—The Academy of Machinima Arts & Sciences
(AMAS) has opened the call for submissions for the much-anticipated 2008 Machinima Film Festival (www.festival.machinima.org), which will be held Saturday, November 1, 2008, at Eyebeam, a multi-disciplinary art and technology center in Manhattan. Filmmakers interested in submitting their work for the 2008 Machinima Awards (“The Mackies”) should do so by Friday, Sept. 12.

As in years past, the 2008 Machinima Festival will feature panel discussions with prominent machinima filmmakers from around the world discussing this new form of cinema which often uses popular video games like Halo® 3, World of Warcraft® and The Sims™ as source material for entirely new and often subversive works.

The main highlight of the 2008 Machinima Festival is the awards ceremony honoring the best new machinima movies produced in 17 categories, beginning at 8PM. This year also sees the introduction of new award categories, notably “Best Long Format” recognizing the increasing number of feature-length productions, and “Best Game Studio Machinima” honoring realtime cutscenes and cinematics found in today's next-generation titles.

Hailed as the “Sundance for the Video Game Set” by MTV News, the Machinima Festival evolved from its humble beginnings as an adjunct to QuakeCon in Mesquite, Texas in 2002, into the field’s definitive celebration and showcase. The event, which is organized and produced by AMAS, consistently draws hundreds of machinima professionals, enthusiasts and critics, who gather to explore the works of modern innovators, network and discuss the future of the industry.

Detailed submission requirements and instructions can be found online at www.festival.machinima.org. Interested parties may also contact AMAS at:
ress@machinima.org.

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Thu, 07 Aug 2008 14:00:00 MDT Brian Crecente http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5034310&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Left 4 Dead May Get Machinima Maker Post Launch ]]> Valve's Doug Lombardi sat down with us this week to talk on a bunch of topics including the decisions behind the creation of zombie thrill-killer Left 4 Dead and why Microsoft hasn't given up on Games for Windows Live and just moved to Steam. We also learn that Left 4 Dead, which includes 20 maps stretched over four "movies", will likely get a movie viewer down the line that will allow gamers to watch their entire game session as a movie after a playing through a chapter.

Check out our three-parter after the jump.

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Wed, 16 Jul 2008 15:40:00 MDT Brian Crecente http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5026009&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Mass Effect Monkey Killers Unite! ]]>
From the same folks who brought you The Sims 2 Male Restroom Etiquette video comes this Mass Effect machinima, "So I Ran Over A Monkey". I just recently finished playing Mass Effect for the first time (go PC version!), and I have to say that my teammates's adverse reactions to my accidentally shooting a space monkey to death led me on a genocidal rampage that left many a monkey-based economy in shambles. Shepard's looking pretty rough though, isn't he? That's monkey guilt right there. You're never the same. Thanks Mystfit for dredging up the painful memories.

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Mon, 07 Jul 2008 09:40:00 MDT Mike Fahey http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5022489&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ "I Love the World" of Video Gaming ]]>
If you're getting dominated in TF2, ganked in AoC, pwned in Halo 3; feeling blue after finishing MGS4 or down in the dumps because your 360 RRoD'd — or if you're just feeling awesome and want to feel even better about this crazy habit we have, which forces us to sit inside for hours on a perfectly good day otherwise, then just watch this video that ThatsMrOffDutyNinjasent us, and sing along.

This is a parody of the Discovery Channel's "I Love the World" promo, and that's the original soundtrack to which Gamers Prodigy brilliantly matched the game footage. It's fabulously hilarious and sentimental at the same time. For me, at least.

There's at least one cameo here that's in your wheelhouse ... boom-de-yada, boom-de-yada, boom-de-yada ... Everyone give the commenter to your left a big hug.

"I Love the World" Video Game Edition [hosted by CollegeHumor, created by Gamers Prodigy]

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Sat, 28 Jun 2008 15:00:00 MDT Owen Good http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5020511&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Half-Life's G-Man Gets Even More Frightening ]]> The G-Man from Half-Life series has long been one of the spookiest figures in gaming for me. His mysterious motives and menacing disposition were the cause of many a nightmare while I was playing through the first game. Welcome to my new nightmare. Byron Mallett was screwing around with implementing some motion capture data in Source when something went horribly, horribly wrong. I'm not sure if this alleviates my fear of the G-Man or raises it to an all new level. Either way, thanks for sharing Byron! ]]> Mon, 05 May 2008 09:40:00 MDT Mike Fahey http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=387130&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[ Red vs. Blue: Reconstruction ]]> Rooster Teeth has a trailer out for the sequel to Red vs. Blue: The Blood Gulch Chronicles. Check it:

Now, clearly, these are production values in the upper 1 percentile, and we'd expect no less of Rooster Teeth, and I'm not gonna hate on it. But can I ask a question? How come any elected-office character in a military-genre movie has to have a condescending Southern accent?

It's like a British friend of mine once said about the stereotype of his accent: "If I am in a Star Wars movie, then I command the Death Star."

That said, I can't wait to see (and hear) where this is headed.

RVB: Reconstruction {Rooster Teeth, embedded video courtesy of Slackerchan at Gametrailers]

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Sun, 06 Apr 2008 15:00:00 MDT ogood http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=376586&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Dead Fantasy II: Return Of Video Game Girls Kicking The Crap Out Of Each Other ]]>

If you thought the first episode of Dead Fantasy was spectacular, you simply aren't prepared for the fan service orgasm of part two. The story so far: Tifa, Rikku and Yuna from various Final Fantasy releases are inexplicably trading blows with Hitomi, Ayane and Kasumi of Dead Or Alive fame. In the new episode of Mounty Oum's epic kick-fest—he also did Haloid—the girls go at while sprinting down the side of a massive tower, dramatic fireballs are thrown and franchise guest appearances abound. There's even a bit where someone runs on lava. It's that terribly good.

You'll notice that near the end of this 11-minute fan film, Oum teases Dead Fantasy is "to be continued." He says five more episodes are in the works, so expect a heaping helping of lady kicks in the future.

Thanks for the heads up, Dara!

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Mon, 24 Mar 2008 17:20:29 MDT Michael McWhertor http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=371647&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ WoW MMOvie Featuring Indiana Pwns ]]> Witness the first 10 minutes of MMOvie, a planned feature-length, HD quality machinima film created by Nate Taylor and produced by Full Stealth Films. The movie will be released in increments, and if this first ten minute chunk is any indication it's going to be hilarious. It features the adventurous trio of Indiana Pwns, his adopted Night Elf sister Bridget Pwns, and their Draenei pal Harnold, who can only talk in Arnold Schwarzenegger movie quotes. Witness a bloody rain of murlocs, a wand that for some reason summons giant dinosaurs, and Bridget trying to get a bit-too familiar with her brother as they try to outrace zone deletion. Probably no safe for work. Audio definitely not safe for work.

MMOvie: Installment 1 [Voig.com]

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Mon, 17 Mar 2008 09:40:11 MDT Mike Fahey http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=368690&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Gordon Freeman's Bro Returns In Full-Life Consequences 2 ]]>

Previously, on Half-Life 2: Full Life Consequences, Gordon Freeman's bro John walked really fast and blew up the house of zombie ghosts and shot the last boss in the eye but Gordon Freeman was stepped on. In the latest installment, "What Has Tobe Done", John Freeman gets an e-mail and drives his motorcycle there and fires a rocket launcher at the boss's weak spot. Kaboom!! Wow. We thanks Kyle for setting us up the clip really fast.

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Wed, 27 Feb 2008 18:30:10 MST Michael McWhertor http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=361626&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Zero Punctuation Plus A Touching Love Story ]]> This week Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw of X-Play fame takes a look at SimCity Societies and doesn't quite like it, coming to the conclusion that drawing your own city in MS Paint would be a more fulfilling experience - but that's not important. What is important is the touching story of love and loss that follows the review, featuring characters from Valve's Team Fortress 2 and a musak version of "Up Where We Belong" from 1983's An Officer and a Gentlemen. It'll bring a tear to your eye. Share it with someone you love this Valentine's Day.

Zero Punctuation [the escapist]

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Wed, 13 Feb 2008 11:20:59 MST Mike Fahey http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=356014&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ What If Halo Had More Blood? ]]> Fledgling machinima studio Darkspire Films is a far cry from Rooster Teeth of Red VS. Blue fame, but they try their best, with varied results. In the latest episode of their Halo 3 series Matchmaking, they take a moment to ponder the question, "What if Halo 3 had more blood?" Then they ask a couple more questions before getting to the punchline. Might want to plug in some headphones if you're at work, as the language gets a bit strong. "Arg my fucking other leg!" Beautiful. ]]> Tue, 12 Feb 2008 10:20:57 MST Mike Fahey http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=355069&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[ Zero Punctuation Experiments with Machinima... Badly ]]>

While I love Croshaw's latest review, this one of The Witcher, I wasn't so delighted with the bit of comedy machinima slapped on to the end. It was, I hope, just an experiment and one we won't see more of anytime soon. Fortunately The Review of The Witcher has a wonderful punchline and mentions washing gimps, so I'll forgive him his indulgence.

Zero Punctuation: The Witcher [The Escapist Magazine]

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Wed, 23 Jan 2008 14:00:51 MST Brian Crecente http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=348143&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Resistance Party = Old Hollywood ]]> If you long for the days when Fred Astaire and Grace Kelly took to the stage, dancing and singing amongst...dancers and singers...AND you happen to love the PS3 sensation Resistance: Fall of Man, then these photos are for you. Created with the help of 40 volunteers and Resistance's screen-grabbing tool, this is something really special. More pics:

user3.1.jpgChampagne fountains are overrated.
user1.1.jpgAnd to top if off, there was a special "homage to Burning Man." Ouch. But I have a feeling Master Chief's Spartan armor can handle the Resistance flame war and still manage to sell another bajillion copies before the day is through.

RESISTANCE REINVENTED [threespeech]

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Mon, 17 Dec 2007 13:20:43 MST Mark Wilson http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=334833&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Tales Of The Past III - 90 Minute WoW Machinima ]]> Over on Warcraftmovies.com, Martin Falch has just released a true masterpiece of machinima. Tales of the Past III is a 90 minute movie that features some pretty big names from World of Warcraft lore. Thrall, Jaina Proudmoore, Arthas, and many more make an appearance in this epic story of good versus evil.

Since the death of Yimo and the shattering of the Orb of Visions, the Horde and the Alliance have accepted an unstable peace agreement. However, old hatreds stand in the way of cooperation and at the same time, chaos erupts as the Lich King finally takes action.
Unfortunately I missed parts I and II (downloading now), so a bit of the backstory is missing for me, but I was completely floored by the quality of this fan film. While voice acting ranges from average to alright, the writing is downright brilliant at times, and the action is just...wow. Think Advent Children. Seriously.

In all honesty I downloaded the movie expecting to flip through it and write a little blurb, but I wound up watching the entire thing. I even teared up a little, though I won't admit it. The whole thing is 2.3GB to download, but completely worth it. If anything, watch it for the most appropriate use of Metal Gear Solid music outside of MGS ever. I'm going to go hook my PC up to the 42in LCD and watch it again, with popcorn.

Tales of the Past III [Warcraftmovies.com - Thanks StopTheOncoming]

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Thu, 13 Dec 2007 15:00:24 MST Mike Fahey http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=333383&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Holy Hell, That's a Long Machinima: BloodSpell ]]> bloodspell.jpg Have 84 minutes to kill? No? Me neither. But if I did, I'd wade in and take a look at the feature-length cut of the BloodSpell machinima by Strange Company (directed by Hugh Hancock) - it's long, it's been four years in development all told, and seems like one hell of an ambitious project. I did take a short gander at it, and if the whole 84 minutes is as nicely put together as the short bit I watched, it's probably worth a looksee. The machinima was made with the Neverwinter Nights engine. It's also being released under Creative Commons:

We`re fairly sure BloodSpell is the largest Machinima film ever created. It`s an independent film that, because it is using Machinima technology, isn`t subject to the usual limitations of smaller films. But, at the same time, we don`t have the politics, money and producers of a Hollywood production involved, so we can experiment with ideas, styles and attitudes that wouldn`t be possible in a more top-heavy Hollywood production.

Of course, we still have some limitations, and BloodSpell won`t be beating out `Lord of the Rings` for visual effects. But we hope that what we lack in slick polish, we can make up for in originality and passion.

So take a look if you're fond of machinima and have an hour and a half to kill.

BloodSpell [via GameSetWatch]

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Sun, 28 Oct 2007 11:30:17 MDT Maggie Greene http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=315943&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Where's My Halo YouTube Button? ]]> I may have been drunk when I suggested it last night, but it's a good question. OK, maybe it isn't, but I'm still going to ask it.

Why hasn't Bungie created a tool that allows for easy exporting of in-game Halo 3 videos? Currently you can shuffle around the data that helps recreate the video, but you still need to own the game to watch a replay and the only way you can create a playable video is by capturing it yourself. I'm sure this isn't news to anyone with a copy of the game.

Wouldn't it be nice though, if they came up with some sort of tool that allowed you to take that data, run it through an engine and export it as a video file? Granted I am a technological idiot when it comes to video... and lots of other things... but this seems like it would be useful.

I started thinking about this again this morning while talking to MTV's Stephen Totilo about the upcoming Spike TV Game Awards nominations. (Stay with me here). He had asked what nominees I had selected for breakthrough technology and mentioned he liked Bungie's Saved Films tech. While I agree it's a very important new element to Halo 3 and all games, I feel like it's a bit broken.

I mean you can do that in Skate, you can do that in Tony Hawk Proving Ground. Why not Halo 3?

Keeping the data in the game creates a hurdle for those who want to use it beyond their Xbox 360. Think of the Machinima applications. Much more importantly, think of how much more prevalent vid caps would be if you could get them onto YouTube with a click of a button.

Of course this all stems from my frustration at not being able to pull a vid of me teabagging Brian Lam for you to see from my saved films from last night.

Crecente's Saved Films

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Fri, 19 Oct 2007 11:00:45 MDT Brian Crecente http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=312910&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ A Lonely Pyro ]]> Lit Fuse Films is easily my favorite machinima studio at this point, and while they had me with Rusty Whispers - Dennis, their latest bit of game created joy created with Team Fortress 2 has landed their site a permanent place in my bookmarks. Ignis Solus features a lonely Pyro trying to keep himself entertained in a wide-open map, with cameos by the Scout and everyone's favorite, Heavy. I'm hoping to see a lot more from Lit Fuse using TF2, as the art style really adds a great deal of character to short films like this one. Lovely. ]]> Tue, 09 Oct 2007 09:20:11 MDT Mike Fahey http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=308656&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[ That Was Daniel ]]> From Robert Stoneman and Lit Fuse Films comes the second video in the Rusty Whispers series, Daniel. You may remember the first film, Rusty Whispers - Dennis, which I enjoyed terribly. Something of the Dennis charm is lost in this second video I fear. It features a similar character...a loner who lives in a remote place as the war is going on...but the feel is a bit off. The whole thing has an air of foreboding somehow. Very well crafted and narrated, just not Dennis. ]]> Fri, 28 Sep 2007 18:00:08 MDT Mike Fahey http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=305068&view=rss&microfeed=true <![CDATA[ Combine Nation: Episode One ]]> Several people have written in to let us know that Lit Fuse Films' newest machinima is up - called Combine Nation, Zachariah Scott (the writer and director) tells us to "think Cops-meets the office meets half-life 2, and you'll have a pretty good picture of what to expect with 'COMBINE NATION'." Lit Fuse was behind the epic War of the Servers and That Was Dennis, which Fahey described as "one of the neatest little bits of machinima I've come across in a long time."

There's plenty of other stuff on the Lit Fuse site if Combine Nation doesn't strike your fancy. The higher quality versions of Combine Nation and everything else can be found over there.

Combine Nation: Episode One [Lit Fuse Films]

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Sun, 19 Aug 2007 11:00:06 MDT Maggie Greene http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=291048&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ That Was Dennis ]]> This is one of the neatest little bits of machinima I've come across in a long time. From Robert Stoneman, the director of the epic machinima film "War of the Servers", "Rusty Whispers - Dennis" is the oddly touching eulogy for Dennis, a lonely man who lived with birds. Thanks to the amazingly earnest and competent narration of Ben Hundley and some charming music from Aphex Twin, I was oddly touched at the end of this man's story. For a much nicer version of the video as well and to check out "The War of the Servers", visit Lit Fuse Films via the link below. Rest in peace, Dennis.

Rusty Whispers - Dennis [Lit Fuse Films]

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Thu, 02 Aug 2007 09:40:12 MDT Mike Fahey http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=285204&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Games Convention To Showcase Art & History ]]> The Games Convention i Leipzig isn't just a media event like many conventions you'd be likely to find stateside. It's a celebration of all things gaming, and no where will that be more evident this year than the GC ART exhibition area, where full exciting exhibitions await those eager to delve into the art and history behind our favorite hobby. The "public_play" exhibition will feature 500 square meters of space dedicated to the theme of "digital play and public spaces". Telespiele 1972-2007 is a massive exhibit showcasing gaming systems and computers from the first Pong machines to the PS3. Machinima will of course focus on creating art from video games and will include both films to watch as well as a chance to create their own Machinima with expert guidance on hand to answer questions. Finally Digital Beauty - 3D Character Design will challenge visitors to determine if a series of 20 images are real or virtual, as well as providing workshops on 3D character creation. Hit the jump for more information on one of the top ten reasons I will regret missing Leipzig.

GC ART Draws in Visitors With Four Exhibitions on Digital Games

Following the successful launch of the GC ART exhibition area last year, GC 2007 (Games Convention) repeats its display of computer and console art once again. The exhibitions "public_play", "Telespiele 1972-2007", "Machinima" and "Digital Beauty - 3D Character Design" will be on view in Hall 5 from 23 to 26 August, providing visitors with a look at different aspects of digital games. Numerous workshops offer interested visitors the opportunity to try their own hands at creating minor artwork.

public_play

In conjunction with the Computerspiele Museum Berlin, GC ART presents the exhibition "public_play". Spread over 500 square metres, exhibits from international artists are displayed on the theme of "digital play and public spaces". The backdrop to this is various sights from around Leipzig, recreated with the aid of large-format projections and sound stages.

This 21st century playground will include works by the Leipzig artists Matthias Henning and André Greif. In their work "Gamblers" four computers play ludo against one another - a sociable gathering in which computers take the roles of the players. A further highlight of the exhibition is skipping over digitally-stretched ropes. The digital and the real combine in Pong, the first computer game from 1972. The Atari classic is set up in a manner that enables it to be played directly on a dress.

Telespiele 1972-2007

In the exhibition "Telespiele 1972-2007" the GC takes its visitors on a tour of the past. The 35-year history of digital games is attractively presented on a space of 200 square metres. Content ranges from the first "Pong machine" to the mass phenomenon that was the Commodore 64 and on to the current next generation consoles. However, it is not only hardware that is on show. Games, games magazines, manuals and numerous rarities never before seen in Europe are also on display here.

One section of the exhibition is dedicated to the computer history of the GDR. Items on display include the curious Z1013 computer construction kit, the popular KC series, the PC 1715 office computer, the educational computer A5105 personally promoted by Margot Honecker, Minister for National Education in the German Democratic Republic from 1963 until 1989, and the BBS 01, East Germany's sole games console.

The collection was established by journalist and author René Meyer, who is presenting the exhibits to a wider audience for the first time with the support of the Leipziger Messe.

Machinima

The influence exerted by computer games on film production can be viewed by GC visitors on the Machinima stand. Together with the project group "Animation in new media" (www.animationsprojekt.de) the Leipziger Messe demonstrates that computer games are not solely dedicated to entertainment. As a tool for creative work, they offer the opportunity to develop new forms of expression in art.

Daily film shows at the Machinima Gallery offer an ideal opportunity to pass the time. Entertaining, artistically-sophisticated and critical Machinima films are shown, under the motto "New Trends in Machinima". They offer an insight into the wide range of themes, genres and production approaches of the Machinima scene, as well as clarifying the current trends.

Those wishing to learn more about Machinima or that possibly have the urge to make films of their own can obtain useful information from the Public Forum. Well-known Machinima producers and experts offer their opinions on themes such as "What is Machinima?", "Creative Gaming" and "Machinima production with MovieSandbox". In addition to practical help for beginners and those more advanced in the world of digital film making, they also provide a cultural classification for the Machinima phenomenon.

The third component of the exhibition this year is provided by the Machinima Laboratory. Here GC visitors can try the different types of Machinima film making out for themselves, as well as garnering tips from the experts.

The artificial word Machinima is composed from "machine", "cinema" and "animation" and refers to films created with the aid of games engines. The first Machinima were enabled with the aid of the programme LMPC (Little Movie Processing Centre) by the Leipzig physicist and programmer Uwe Girlich, who analysed the structure of the game engine Quake in 1996. LMPC allows users to create or alter film-like scenarios.

Digital Beauty - 3D Character Design

What creative minds can create with computers and specialised software is scarcely different to reality. The exhibition "Digital Beauty - 3D Character Design" displays 20 images created on the PC and poses the question to visitors: "virtual or real"?

Workshops are held each day of the GC for all those curious as to how it works, or who wish to try their hand at 3D character design. At the workshops Ronny Jesse, winner of the award "Animago 2006" in the category "Digital Beauties", explains how an own "character" is created in small stages. Participants are accompanied through the various stages on the PC.

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Tue, 31 Jul 2007 09:40:23 MDT Mike Fahey http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=284259&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ 1800-MAGIC Episode 4 ]]> Somehow I imagine these sort of conversations every time I play Shadowrun. This Red V. Blue replacement is coming together, but it still seems a little rough around the edges.

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Tue, 03 Jul 2007 16:00:12 MDT Brian Crecente http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=274914&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Rooster Teeth on Shadowrun ]]>

The only thing worse than tech support is Shadowrun tech support. I hope Rooster Teeth pump out as many vids for 1800-MAGIC as they have for Red V. Blue.

1-800-Magic [Rooster Teeth]

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Thu, 07 Jun 2007 13:03:25 MDT Brian Crecente http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=266865&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Clip: The Most Powerful Person In The World ]]>

Australian machinima artist, Thuyen Nguyen, has put together this terrific little piece called The Most Powerful Person In The World that he refers to as "a love letter to video games." Tired of the negative representation of video games in the media recently, Nguyen decided to create his own counterpoint in the form of this four minute video. Accompanied by a soothing soundtrack by Lackluster, Nguyen manages to compile all his game footage in a manner that recalls something you might see at a high end art museum show on the medium of gaming. Great stuff and well worth a viewing or two.

[via GameSetWatch]

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Sun, 20 May 2007 12:00:00 MDT fdemarco http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=261951&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Film Fest Features King of Kong, Machinima ]]>

Hal Forsstrom, long-time reader and the programmer for the Silverlake Film Festival's Animation Program, writes to let us know that King of Kong will be screened at the LA fest tomorrow and Tuesday.

King of Kong, a documentary about gamer high scores, will be shown at 7 p.m. on Saturday and 10 p.m. on Tuesday. The festival will also be showing Machinima shorts on Sunday at 4:45 p.m.

Silverlake's second annual Machinima showcase includes: 1KProject II by Guillaume Klein; Back and Forth by Jared Sain; Landlord Vigilante by Eddo Stern and Jessica Hutchins; Asskicker by Matthias Seidel; World of Farmcraft by Chera Kee and Shon-Ting Fu; The Least Equipped by Max Geiger and Ben Sherman; My Trip to Liberty City by Jim Monroe; An Unfair War by Thuyen Nguyen; One Life by Jeff Jew.

Hit up the official site for more details.

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Fri, 04 May 2007 11:00:23 MDT Brian Crecente http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=257714&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Clip: ROFLMAO! ]]>

Those of you that troll the internets non stop in search of entertainment and then come here and complain when you've seen something before may want to just pass this clip up now . It has already been floating around the internet for a few weeks now, which in human years is practically a lifetime, but searching through the Kotaku archives, I was surprised to see that we hadn't posted it here yet.

This is the third in a series of machinima shorts Brandon Dennis aka Oxhorn. The others in the series are funny, but this one holds a special place in my heart since it spoofs one of my favorite childhood songs Mnah Mnah. Mnah Mnah was a 60's novelty song recorded by Piero Umilani and was used in many shows of the time including a lot of air time on Benny Hill. But the version that I, and probably most of you, remember best was from the Muppets.

Well, leave it to Oxhorn to re-invent the song for the internet generation by combining it with World of Warcraft machinima and changing the nonsense lyrics to even more nonsensical leet speak. Despite how it may sound described, the outcome is pure genius.

For nostalgic purposes, I have included the original Muppets version of the song after the jump.

Oxhorn's YouTube Page [YouTube - Thanks, Freezair Silvereye!]

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Sun, 22 Apr 2007 11:00:00 MDT fdemarco http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=254306&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ USC SCA To Offer Machinima Class ]]>

Continuing video games' slow takeover of the world, the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts is going to be offering a seminar on machinima. The class is being created in an effort to bring film and game students together to work on a common project.

CTIN 464, Game Studies Seminar. In this 2 unit class we will develop machinima. This is a perfect cross-division class for film and game students to work together. We will play games, watch films, and discuss the possibilities of machinima as an art form. Documentary machinima will be encouraged, and all topics are fair game, including projects about games. The history of machinima is short, and its full potential is yet to be realized- by aspiring media students.

Machinima being studied and created in a college setting... I never thought I'd see the day. At this rate it shouldn't be too long before we see Harvard offering classes likeHow To Quickly Level Up Your Warcraft Character and Goldfarming 101.

[Thanks, Sean]

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Sat, 07 Apr 2007 14:00:00 MDT fdemarco http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=250490&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Halo Machinima Red Vs. Blue To Wrap Soon ]]> RVBRooster Teeth Production's long running machinima series based on Halo: Combat Evolved will conclude its Blood Gulch Chronicles in a matter of weeks. When the series made its debut four years ago on April 1st, 2003 it was originally intended as a mini-series that would span no more than 8 episodes. Ninety-three machinima later, with four feature-length DVDs under their belt, the Rooster Teeth team is finally wrapping it up.

Series co-creator Burnie Burns posted on the RvB forums this Sunday, making the announcement and hinting at what's to come.

One hundred is a great number, and it seems like the perfect place to call it a show. I am sure you have some questions about our plans for the series and beyond. We will be talking about all of that in the weeks and months to come, but I want to use this time to thank all of you for nearly half a decade of support. For now, it's back to work.

Is this really the end or just a much needed reboot prior to the release of Halo 3? We'll know more soon, I'm sure.

Thank You [Red Vs. Blue Rooster Teeth Forums]

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Tue, 03 Apr 2007 20:40:52 MDT Michael McWhertor http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=249404&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Vote For Machinimaker Award Finalists ]]>

Machinima.com and Lionsgate Films are currently holding a contest for... machinimas! Who'd have guessed, right? There are ten finalists competing for the Gamebox 1.0 Machinimaker Award and the top three winners will receive an Nvidia graphics card so as to allow them to make even more, even better machinimas to share with the world. Some of the submissions are extremely impressive and even though they are using already made graphics, the talents of the creator still shine through.

If you are a machinima fan, set aside a little block of time to check out the ten finalists and then vote for your favorite. The voting period goes from now until April 8, 2007, so you still have some time to cast your votes. A DVD of the winning entries will follow soon after the contest ends so you can enjoy them in your very own home.

Gamebox 1.0 Machinimaker Award Finalists [Machinima.com - Thanks, Joe]

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Sun, 25 Mar 2007 12:00:00 MDT fdemarco http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=246907&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Spike TV Taps This Spartan Life ]]>

Spike TV hired gamespace talk show This Spartan Life to put together some online only episodes for them. The two I've seen so far only mention the show in the intro and extro. The first stars the Frag Dolls and the second is an in-game interview with band Augustana. Future segments will feature GameHead's Geoff Keighley, Splinter Cell: Double Agent producer Julian Gerighty and Blizzard Entertainment's Tristan Pope and Terran Gregory, who worked on the machinima for the WoW-themed South Park episode.

You'd think Spike TV would get the crew to do at least one of their shows about the VGA's since that's what it's meant to be promoting. Odd. All of the episodes can be found over on the VGA site.

Spike TV This Spartan Life

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Mon, 11 Dec 2006 11:00:31 MST Brian Crecente http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=220816&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Clips: Big Lebowski Miichinima ]]>

A clever Wii gamer used the console's Mii creator, Wii Bowling and what had to be an awful lot of editing, to recreate the "pee'd on my rug" bowling scene from movie The Big Lebowski. While it's kinda funny to watch, I think this mostly proves you can't really make evocative machinima with Miis.

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Tue, 28 Nov 2006 10:00:46 MST Brian Crecente http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=217627&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Ed Wood Second Life Festival ]]>

Ed Wood and Second Life go together like chocolate and peanut butter. After all, Ed was a director of inspired incompetence; Second Life is an entire virtual world filled with that incompetence.

So we were pleased to get a note from Kotakuite Ben B. telling us that the second annual Ed Wood Machinima Festival is taking place this weekend in Second Life. As he explains:

Ed Wood made films so bad, they were good. This weekend, Second Life residents have 48 hours to make a movie in the spirit of Ed Wood. Halloween Night, 7pm SL time, we will screen these movies IN Second Life at our theatre in Lukanida. Last year, the Ed Wood Festival was Alt-Zoom's first ever machinima festival, and so we are celebrating our first birthday as well by giving out L$60,000 in prize money for Worst Film, Worst Story, Worst Acting, Worst Costumes, and Most Disturbing Film!

You can check out last year's winners over at the official site. And, you know, I may very well finally dust off my furry avatar with the excreting phallus-nipples to make a dashing appearance. Maybe Eliza will deign to be my date.

Ed Wood Machinima Festival [Official Site]

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Fri, 27 Oct 2006 07:40:59 MDT brownlee2 http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=210540&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ The Ballad of the Noob ]]>

The Ballad of the Noob, a finalist in the Blizzard/Xfire World of Warcraft Machinima Contest. The fact that I laughed at this fills me with self-loathing: much like if someone had made a joke about, say, GURPs that I found amusing, the fart-like laughter bubbling out of my Cheetos-stuffed throat is confirmation that I have reached humanity's nadir.

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Thu, 26 Oct 2006 08:40:11 MDT brownlee2 http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=210278&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Mackies Move in on Second Life ]]>

Alice of Wonderland reports that the Mackies (the 2006 Machinima Awards) will be presented in Second Life as well as onstage in NYC.

I'm pleased by this gradual accumulation of Second Life mirrors of meatspace. Just as it's a common parting question, after having met someone new, to say "are you on MySpace," I can see it becoming typical to ask after Second Life events occurring concurrently with their realtime counterparts. The idea tickles my science fiction gland, despite Second Life's ability to slow my hot shit computer to a hideous crawl with its horrible polygons.

Speaking of which, how are they going to handle streaming video and a grid full of avatars?

2006 Mackies in Second Life [Wonderland]

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Tue, 24 Oct 2006 21:20:28 MDT egauger http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=209930&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ The Future of Machinima ]]>

Jason McMaster, sometimes writer for the lofty Gamasutra, recently sat down with John Gaeta and Rudy Poat, who came up with a technology for the upcoming fil;m Trapped Ashes which can allow virtual cameramen to enter a server and simultaneously film and interact with CGI, being generated in real-time.

I know the machinima guys are using game engines to make these little movies. They all log in and do these stunts while recording them. We're actually building it that way from the ground up. The big thing for us is the content and not the engine.

Our next project would be something like this, but taken steps further. We're giving it the looks and real time experiences that haven't been seen in games yet. We want to make everything from interactive storytelling, to maybe PS3 online delivery. It could be some kind of online TV show that you could interact with or create characters that would show up later on.

It's a fascinating read: the concept of generating and interacting with real-time CGI, and what it means for gamers and machinima makers.

Beyond Machinima: Rudy Poat and John Gaeta on the Future of Interactive Cinema [Gamasutra]

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Fri, 20 Oct 2006 07:00:04 MDT kotaku.com http://kotaku.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=208951&view=rss&microfeed=true