I had never watched a web series until a friend told me about The Guild. This is a series about a group of gamers who are devoted to "The Game" (a MMORPG with an ardent following, similar to World of Warcraft and its ilk). Initially, it didn't strike me as something I would be interested in, as I wasn't a part of that fervent gamer culture. But I thought I should give it a shot at least, and I am so glad I did.
First off, if you have no experience with online gaming or MMORPGs (that's Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game for those of you who are truly lost in this discussion) do not fret. Yes, there are multiple gaming references and asides that mean something hilarious to avid gamers but just completely passed me by. But I quickly became drawn to this group of oddball gamers and became invested in their stories. The cast is led by Felicia Day, who I first saw in Joss Whedon's incredible Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, and she does not disappoint. A gamer in a real life, this show was a passion project for her and she has quickly become one of the most influential people in the world of web series and entertainment. She plays Codex, a perpetually frazzled woman whose life revolves around The Game and her guild. Despite talking and playing with these people for hours on end every day, none of the guild members have actually met, and the first series starts with an endless round of webcam-style talking heads as you get to know the various characters that make up the Guild. They are too varied and complex to describe: suffice to say, these are some ridiculous characters, each with their own quirks and strengths, who continue to amaze me as the series progresses. Eventually, they find themselves in need of an actual real-life meeting, and as these disparate people come together, united solely by their love of The Game, you know that you are watching a hit show. In later seasons, the show picked up MSN as a sponsor, so you can watch every single episode on their Bing website. This is not a huge time commitment as the average length of an episode is 5 minutes, so you can easily finish the first season in an hour.
The show is wrapping up its 5th season and has evolved a great deal from its humble beginnings. Everything looks more "professional" and "shiny" (I lack the cinematographical know-how required to basically explain that they have better cameras and lighting now), the episodes last longer, there are different settings, and because of the series's growing popularity, there has been a particular abundance of guest stars that will thrill anyone well-versed in nerd culture. What hasn't changed though is the core belief at the center of the show, that people can be brought together by their love of something, whether it's The Game, comic books, or Neil Gaiman. In this way, it is a true depiction of the power of nerd culture and why we have huge events like Comic-Con to celebrate nerds and the things they love. Being a nerd is no longer a personality trait to be shunned - it is something to embrace, and The Guild expertly shows us how people can grow and change their lives, based solely on the fact that they made friends while playing a game.
First off, if you have no experience with online gaming or MMORPGs (that's Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game for those of you who are truly lost in this discussion) do not fret. Yes, there are multiple gaming references and asides that mean something hilarious to avid gamers but just completely passed me by. But I quickly became drawn to this group of oddball gamers and became invested in their stories. The cast is led by Felicia Day, who I first saw in Joss Whedon's incredible Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, and she does not disappoint. A gamer in a real life, this show was a passion project for her and she has quickly become one of the most influential people in the world of web series and entertainment. She plays Codex, a perpetually frazzled woman whose life revolves around The Game and her guild. Despite talking and playing with these people for hours on end every day, none of the guild members have actually met, and the first series starts with an endless round of webcam-style talking heads as you get to know the various characters that make up the Guild. They are too varied and complex to describe: suffice to say, these are some ridiculous characters, each with their own quirks and strengths, who continue to amaze me as the series progresses. Eventually, they find themselves in need of an actual real-life meeting, and as these disparate people come together, united solely by their love of The Game, you know that you are watching a hit show. In later seasons, the show picked up MSN as a sponsor, so you can watch every single episode on their Bing website. This is not a huge time commitment as the average length of an episode is 5 minutes, so you can easily finish the first season in an hour.
The show is wrapping up its 5th season and has evolved a great deal from its humble beginnings. Everything looks more "professional" and "shiny" (I lack the cinematographical know-how required to basically explain that they have better cameras and lighting now), the episodes last longer, there are different settings, and because of the series's growing popularity, there has been a particular abundance of guest stars that will thrill anyone well-versed in nerd culture. What hasn't changed though is the core belief at the center of the show, that people can be brought together by their love of something, whether it's The Game, comic books, or Neil Gaiman. In this way, it is a true depiction of the power of nerd culture and why we have huge events like Comic-Con to celebrate nerds and the things they love. Being a nerd is no longer a personality trait to be shunned - it is something to embrace, and The Guild expertly shows us how people can grow and change their lives, based solely on the fact that they made friends while playing a game.
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