machinima posts

'I cannot read the fiery letters,' said Frodo in a quavering voice.

'No,' said Gandalf, 'but I can. The letters are English, of an ancient mode, but the language is that of Lawyers, which I will not utter here. But this in the Common Tongue is what is said, close enough:

'You agree to review and adhere to the guidelines on using "Second Life," "SL," "Linden," the Eye-in-Hand logo, and Linden Lab's other trademarks, service marks, trade names, logos, domain names, taglines, and trade dress..'

He paused, and then said slowly in a deep voice: 'These are the Master Rules, the Terms of Service that rule all accounts.'

---

Well, a joint-project of Rhys Moult with Curtin University and the Tabor Adelaide iYouth Project has produced a video which essentially summarizes the 7,500 word Second Life Terms of Service in a straightforward and easy-to-digest form. It's top work, and you can check it out, after the fold.

We just came across a great podcast the other day that's focused on all things sci-fi: Galactic Watercooler. Although it's not a gaming podcast, their latest episode (#176) is all about EVE Online. The GWC hosts are apparently really into playing EVE and they talk about the game's setting of New Eden in the context of David Weber's Honorverse series of military sci-fi novels, drawing parallels between the two in terms of strategy and technology. They also discuss the things they've seen and done in their time in the game, from their first steps into (and fleeing from) PvP to a run-in with a virtual prostitute. (You're free to do many things in EVE's sandbox... but that is probably not one of them.)

The hosts are given a hand in relating what they've gotten from the game experience in EVE Online by two notable players. Ian Chisholm, the creator of the award-winning Clear Skies machinima and its excellent follow-up, explains how he tells his own stories in the game visually. He also discusses what drives him to invest so much of his time and effort into the projects, and the technical challenges in making Clear Skies a reality. A fantastic interview.

For those of us EVE Online players - or just fans of great machinima - who have been patiently waiting for Clear Skies 2, the wait is over! Ian Chisholm and his crew have managed to crank out Clear Skies 2 in amazing time, offering up yet another exciting adventure in the dangerous space of New Eden. As with everything awesome that we want omg right now - the load on EVE Files is insanely high right now. May want to consider using the torrent for the moment, if you can.

In the meantime, while you're waiting for the download, may we suggest you check out the trailer for Clear Skies 2, or perhaps our exclusive interview and behind-the-scenes look at the making with the creator! If it's still going after you've checked all that out, there's always the bloopers from the first Clear Skies, which are made of extra-special awesome.

[Thanks, CrazyKinux!]

If you're a fan of machinima, films made using video game graphics engines, there's a good chance you've heard about Clear Skies, an imaginative blend of EVE Online's far future setting with Half-Life 2 character models. Massively has taken a good look at Clear Skies in the past and had the opportunity to speak with the film's creator, Ian Chisholm, about what he has in store for us with Clear Skies 2.

However, rather than just reading more about it, why not check out the trailer? We've got an embed of the full Clear Skies 2 trailer for you below the cut. Enjoy!

E-ON is the official magazine of EVE Online, released quarterly and one of the most focused sources of EVE content out there. We've spoken with E-ON in the past and a few of us on the Massively staff are regular readers -- our EVE columnist Brendan Drain has been an E-ON contributor himself. The Spring issue of E-ON is now shipping and although it doesn't have the instant gratification of clicking on a hyperlink, there's some excellent content there that we really want to mention to our readers and in general point out that E-ON has a lot to offer EVE Online players.

This issue's cover story is "The End of New Eden" by Jim Rossignol and is an inquiry into the dreaded question of when the game will finally run out of steam. Sad as it is, all MMOs end eventually. Or do they have to?

The E-ON cover story looks at how different EVE is from the other MMOs running. Since EVE is really all about what happens in New Eden, an open sprawling galaxy where players do what they choose, the game isn't necessarily tied into expansion zones, new classes, certain quests or raid bosses. In other words, EVE doesn't suffer from the pitfall many MMOs do in that players quickly progress through the new content and then have nowhere else to go. EVE is unique in that it's a setting -- sometimes a harsh setting -- where PvP and PvE exist side-by-side and players determine their own path. Perhaps it's that freedom that's been a draw for many players so far and "The End of New Eden" looks at the prospects for this attraction continuing in future years. As there will be no EVE Online 2, it's all about one continually evolving setting and the possibilities this brings, and Rossignol's article is well worth a read.

A well-crafted science fiction story can deal with powerful themes. Fans of television shows like Battlestar Galactica know very well that a story of humanity's struggle for survival has a particularly strong emotional pull. The creators of EVE Online recognized this long ago, creating an extensive body of lore about the races of New Eden and their clashes with one another on a galactic scale. Their long history of conflicts creates endless ripples of discord felt by later generations, resulting in the subjugation of entire races countered by the will to be free of such tyranny.

The struggle to survive in the face of a great threat is central to the EVE Online machinima "Day of Darkness II", which is nothing short of exceptional. It's a short film created in-game by EVE player Dire Lauthris and a retelling of a key bit of EVE's lore. In fact, Lauthris drew upon one of the actual Chronicles called "The Breakout". Day of Darkness II focuses on the strife between the Caldari and Gallente races of New Eden, turning back the clock to a historic battle 200 years ago between the Caldari State and the Gallente Federation.

Yesterday we were treated to an interview on MSNBC that was held within Lord of the Rings Online. Aside from the fact that it's refreshing to see news coverage where games aren't being blamed for the world's ills, it was interesting to see them using game footage in this fashion. That said, people have been doing interviews in virtual worlds like Second Life for quite some time, and using machinima for everything from PR to corporate training. Still, we wondered - is this something you'd like to see more often on mainstream TV - machinimated interviews from different MMOs? Would you, for example, tune in to watch an interview with Vin Diesel if he were on his (rumored) Resto Shaman in World of Warcraft? Would you be more or less likely to watch interviews with game developers or PR people if they were held in their respective games? Or is that a bit too geeky for you, and you'd prefer to stick with in-person interviews?

Usually when a major news outlet picks up a story about a video game, it's in relation to how destructive they are, or how unmoral they are, or it will just be a really dry interview with a game designer that everyone's going to forget about in two hours. So when we got word that MSNBC was interested in the Lord of the Rings Online, we weren't expecting this oddly amusing interview.

Todd Kenreck, roving reporter and elven guardian, has taken it upon himself to brave the locales of Middle-Earth and catch up with LotRO's live producer Aaron Campbell. He braves the Misty Mountains, travels through Bree-Land, and gets all of the information from Aaron as the two chat in the scenic Rivendell. The entire interview is done inside of the game in a machinima style, and makes a pretty nice visual case for playing LotRO.

We've embedded the full video after the break, so everyone can enjoy some solid reporting from the lands of Middle-Earth.

Ah, the memories. With 10 years under its belt, EverQuest has introduced us to strange and wonderful lands. Anyone who has played the game can tell you about some of the many zones they've visited; tramping across the wide expanse of Butcherblock; spending tons of time in Paludal, Lake of Ill Omen, Highkeep, or so many other areas; getting chased out of Oasis by Spectres or Sand Giants (hell, getting chased out of just about any zone with giants in it unless you were adept at kiting); running from guards if you happened to stumble into a town that wasn't friendly to you. From one moment to the next, one group to the next, you never really knew what the day would hold.

This video, created by the team at SOE, is not only a nod to those fun "Where the hell is Matt" videos, but also a really nice trip down memory lane for those of us who have played - or still play - EverQuest. Added to the mix of various areas are tidbits of EverQuest trivia. One such little morsel is that Qeynos is actually Sony EQ spelled backwards, if you hadn't caught that. So, if you've ever spent time in Norrath, be sure to check out their 10-year tribute video - and the related trivia - after the break!

The sci-fi setting of EVE Online provides a great amount of material for players interested in creating machinima. But it's not everyday that a short film as good as Clear Skies or Havoc comes along. Then again, it's also not every day that something created by a player draws accolades from the game's creators -- but that's exactly the case with the work of EVE player Kyoko Sakoda, in "War Has Come" -- which beautifully captures the game, set to a cover of Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower."

Sakoda writes, "This is one of my first thematic works. I know the Bear McCreary version of the song may sound like it is out of place for a few hardcore sci-fi fans, but I could not justify using any other cover. Enjoy, and write feedback if you wish. I'm always looking to improve my storytelling, direction, and editing and compositing skills."

We've got "War Has Come" embedded for you below the cut, and it's well worth a look. We just wish Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower" was a longer song...

IGN has put together a top ten 2008 machinima movie list that's most definitely great for killing some time, should you have any in need of slaying. The list is surprisingly diverse, with movies created in Age of Conan, City of Heroes, Pirates of the Burning Sea, Guild Wars and of course World of Warcraft.

We're not too surprised to see an Oxhorn Christmas Tree and a Snacky's Journal 4 take the top two slots, as both series are always incredibly worth-while -- Snacky's Journal 4 won the 2008 Blizzcon Movie Contest. Although we highly recommend checking out The Return of The Revenge of Dr. Mechanico, as it's an amazingly wonderful use of City of Heroes as a storytelling device. Also, if you've really got some time to pass, take a look at Election Duel if you're in any way a politically-minded type with a sense of humor. Good stuff!

It seems like no matter what game you play, there's probably machinima for it out there. One can find funny videos about characters trying not to get deleted; short horror films that creep you out; well-known dance extravaganzas that kind of stretch what's actually in your game; and full-length movies that combine games to achieve their effect. Machinima artists offer us a great deal of freely available entertainment. As we're always on the lookout for something fun to watch during lunch around the virtual Massively offices, this morning we thought we'd ask what some of your favorite MMO machinima are? What makes a good MMO machinima to you? Is it technical ability, story-line, or are you fond of catchy songs that combine great games as we have in the above example from Baron Soosdon?

One of the most significant works of machinima created in recent years is Clear Skies, an unconventional amalgam of the gritty, far future setting of EVE Online tempered with a more human touch, imbued with life through clever writing and exacting manipulation of Half-Life 2 character models. Fans and critics alike have praised Clear Skies since its release. Indeed, the film recently took top honors at Machinima Filmfest 2008, garnering a Mackie award for Best Long Format Film.

This success at the festival was met with astonishment from Clear Skies creator Ian Chisholm as well as from his collaborators, John Guthrie and Richie Powles. But it was decidedly less of a surprise to the many fans of the film, a seemingly ever-growing number judging by the number of times Clear Skies has been downloaded from EVE-Files.

Massively recently caught up with Clear Skies creator Ian Chisholm, who was gracious enough to provide us with a sequence of production stills from Clear Skies 2, explaining how he brings a scene to life in stages from voice recording, to choreography, to the culmination of this work in the final footage. While we had his attention, Ian also discussed what drives a man to dedicate years of his life to a project of this caliber, and what he has in store for us with Clear Skies 2.

Can you tell me a bit about how you make the Clear Skies films? My understanding is the overriding vision for Clear Skies is yours, that you write the scripts and do much of the work involved with turning them into proper films, but how do you collaborate with others in creating Clear Skies?

Pretty much I did everything bar the voice acting in the first film, and even then a lot of that. I didn't bring anyone else into it as I didn't want to use up a lot of someone else's time and then have the project fail for some reason. Also I'm a bit of a control freak, relying on other people is difficult for me! I've found this time around that there isn't much I can farm out anyway, it's a bunch of esoteric skills that I've now got refined to the point that it's faster for me to do things than it is to teach others -- I attempted to teach lipsyncing to someone else but I may have well tried teaching them Martian. What I have got is a good friend working on reskinning some models, and a chap I spoke to ingame that has been working on level designs for various games for years. He's doing me some new sets for Gallente and Amarr ships, ensuring they will have a different visual style to my Caldari and Minmatar ones. He's really good, enthusiastic, and importantly has got a good history in sticking with a project to the end.

Machinima and MMOs just seem to go hand-in-hand so well. What's more fun than letting your guildmate friends be dancers in your latest music video spoof, or thespians in the latest episode of your dramatic series based on their World of Warcraft characters. It's for this reason that machinima has gained so much popularity in recent years. It's a way for everyday people to expand upon their fantasy lifestyle in an MMO and bring it out in the form of artistic expression.

So it should be no surprise that a website like Machinima.com would be so popular and successful. Recently they've upped the ante a bit in the form of $3.85 million in funding from MK Capital and other private investors. This money will be used to expand Machinima.com's business plans, allowing them to appoint five entertainment industry leaders to its Board of Directors.