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Was it because Halo 3 sold more than $170 million in its first day? Or was it the Wii that gave the casual gamer market a larger slice of the entertainment pie? Whatever the reason the video-game industry is seemingly at an all-time high, it's no surprise that World of Warcraft has moved into the limelight as well.
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Once thought of as strange, nerdy outcasts, World of Warcraft players always had a negative stigma attached to them. The most popular MMORPG for the PC, the game has never been seen as cool or hip. Although it's still probably not cool or hip, it's being more socially accepted as the overall gaming market has grown in popularity and size (socially and economically). While capitalizing on a burgeoning market and postitive PR in the wake of the Wii's launch, World of Warcraft is positioning itself in a way that makes players feel okay to be gamers. With its recently launched celebrity endorsement campaign, WOW condones leading a dual life-celebrity by day, super sorcerer wizard mage by night. With cameos by legendary icons like Shatner, Mr. T and Mini-Me, WOW has effectively created a foundation for a brand that once shied away from the spotlight. Check out the latest French version with Jean-Claude Van Damme!
To reinforce the momentum of WOW penetrating popular culture, Toyota has also supported this effort by creating a spoof campaign of the virally popular WOW Leroy Jenkins video. And in this execution of a larger Toyota Truck campaign created, Saatchi & Saatchi literally summons the power of a Toyota truck to defeat an enemy within the game of World of Warcraft. Casting actual players for the voiceovers, the creative team immersed themselves in the game and have been playing it ever since.
Lastly, I'll leave you with a story in which a boy feigns death to avoid a moose attack. He learned this nifty trick from WOW. Also check out the links to watch the famous Leeroy Jenkins video and another viral video that has gained some attention, "Lightning Bolt." And finally, a YTMND message to all WOW players.
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Watch the Spots at Gizmodo.com
WOW News Story
Jean Claude Van Damme WOW TV Spot
Leeroy Jenkins Video
Lightning Bolt Video
YTMND Message
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| The War That Never Will Be |
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From the looks of it, the Wii is currently destroying the competition in this, the seventh generation of video-game console wars. Although it seems like a single-console future will never be likely given our capitalist system, multiple consoles seem to provide healthy, yet inconvenient, competition.
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Competition is good. Historically, most industries have thrived with healthy competition. However, we are now seeing the console war being invaded by an unlikely competitor-cheap knock-offs. Although I doubt any of these will ever make a blip on the radar against the Big 3, it's at least amusing to look at what they offer.
Winner, the PS3 clone with some Wii-Mote influence, boasts photo-playing functionality, karaoke capabilities and media storage. Not to mention it will be packing 2D and 3D games! You can get your Winner for about $150 U.S, and up to three million consoles will be in stock for Japan and North America. Next up, we have the Vii. While the Winner contained components of both the PS3 and the Wii, the Vii is a shameless rip off of the Wii in everything from the construction to the branding. The best part is that it has a CD loading slot that doesn't work; the console comes loaded with games out of the box. Since the late '80s, clones have been making their way into the hands of the innocent (or cheap), but my only sentiment beyond the obvious is pity for the kids on the receiving end of these things.
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Engadget Blog Posting
Gizmodo Blog Posting (With Video!)
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