WoW Anonymity: Who Are You Playing With?
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pixiestixy on Wednesday, June 17, 2009 - 40 Comments Tags: anonymity, anonymous, celebrities, celebrity gamers, make love not warcraft, masi oka, movie, the defenders, who plays wow, wow, wow commercials, yatta, your mom
pixiestixy on Wednesday, June 17, 2009 - 40 Comments Tags: anonymity, anonymous, celebrities, celebrity gamers, make love not warcraft, masi oka, movie, the defenders, who plays wow, wow, wow commercials, yatta, your mom 
Earlier this month Hollywood Reporter put out the news that Heroes actor Masi Oka is working on a family movie called "The Defenders," inspired by his love of MMORPGs, and WoW in particular. (Yatta!) DreamWorks has picked up the film, and apparently the story will focus on a group of mostly teens who play an MMO together and end up working together in a RL adventure of their own.
Sounds like a pretty neat idea, and it got me thinking. (Looking back in my blog, I do that a lot). Anyhow, the environment of WoW allows for a great deal of anonymity for those who choose it. Of course, some of us, such as the crew on Project Lore, put their character names out there, and so we're known for our toons.
But for the rest of us, WoW can be an escape of sorts from all our RL worries. And beyond Masi Oka, there are plenty of celebrities who have told the world that they, too, have gotten sucked into the World of Warcracft.Of course, there are the celebs we know from WoW commercials: Mr. T, Verne Troyer, Ozzy Osbourne, William Shatner, Steve Van Zandt. I think I got everyone.
And there are many others who have admitted to their fandom that the wider community doesn't necessarily understand (or approve of).
Off the top of my head, Vin Diesel comes to mind as a definite who has admitted to his geekdom. Other fairly well-known gamer celebs are Robin Williams, Matt Stone and Trey Parker (the creators of South Park who paid homage to the game in episode 147, Make Love Not Warcraft), Tetris creator Alexey Pajitnov, and of course Felicia Day of The Guild.
And then there are the lesser-known players of the game such as Dave Chapelle, Cameron Diaz, Kanye West, Ben Affleck and Maculay Culkin.
Now, a lot of you may not give a damn who you're playing with. And I suppose it doesn't really make a difference in the grand scheme of things. But it's kind of neat to think about. That elusive rogue in your guild could be Britney Spears, for all you know. Or, that shaman that keeps sending you whispers could be your mom. Or ex-girlfriend. Or Barack Obama. You would never know!
So, next time you log on, take a good, long moment to think it through. Could you be playing with someone you know (or at least know of) in RL? It's a possibility. If I had to choose who to play with out of those I listed here, I think I'd go with Masi. He seems like a pretty cool guy. So what do you think are the odds that you've ever teamed up with a celebrity? Would you have acted any differently had you known?
Reader Comments (40)
Americans and their perks...
Anyway, WoW's anonymity is one of if not THE greatest aspecsts of WoW (seconded only maybe by its cross-border aspect) and its the reason why i have been hooked and in love with the game since b4 it was even launched. Equality in RL is a fraud as a wise man once said: "We are all born equal, but even as the doctor is still holding us to give us that breath giving slap we become shackled by social, cultural, economical and political bindings that our parents are forced to endure" meaning kids born in high standings families will get the most of life while some1 born in the getto will be lucky to ever get out...other than in a box... and WoW is the perfect escape from all that were all that matters and all that is judged upon by others is YOU as a person, ur caracter, ur skill, ur intelligence, ur humor, ... you.
This can take mean a lot of things other than a celeb being able to mingle unpestered or a janitor being the guilds heart for his inteligent humor, but many more... and the best example (and wich i feel compled to share)
is non other than my own:
(Sorry for the very long drool but pleas bear with me :P )
We'll got love chances...5.6% crit chance that a tank must cover for... if 1% still stands its not enough....5.6% is a ABSOLUTE MINIMUM even 0.01% is too much...
my odds were somewere around 0.000001% to receive as a 7 years old farm boy in Easter Europe to be diagonsed HIV+ , and to receive the news in that one year were guy makes up his mind and says" THATS IT! no more mister nice guy this summer aint passing me by as a virgin!" (and i was a late bloomer, and trust me for the first 5 years not even a trained doctor would get suspicious of this disease-next to NO symptoms)... well lets just say it dint much improved my social life (as in it downright killed it completely), it gones so far as to me a part time mute, social interaction has been slowly but surely surgicaly removed from my brain...tomorow is my birthday... turning 21... still a virgin and cougthing everyday and the only place were i can still maintain a proper social relationship is WoW...
Got love chances.... a condom has 99% succes chance... that means 1% of the time it fails... 1 in 100 times i drop my guard to love someone that person is sentenced to death by me... and this dreaded disease spreads even further... changes... got to love'm
Like i said, sory for the long drool
For some WoW is a evil thing that causes adiction, for others it is a lifestyle... for me WoW is life, and yes and i am hopelessly adicted to it... Long Live Blizzard! Long Live WoW!... and so shall I... at least for a while longer.
I kept my "people I play with" list simple:
Girl next door
guy downstair
neighbour's kid/s
a couple of asians (I'm SEA, so no, I'm not racist)
and some random people messing around with their friends character.
Simple life, stress free :P
Another reason for me to love Mila Kunis...
heheh ^^
@ Redaurora
OMG yes! that is Epic!
"Hello, my name is Jerry, but in the world.... of warcraft i am GOGGINS! I am a resto shammy that is OP with uber chain healing! .... "CRITICAL HEAL!!! CRITICAL HEAL!!!!" Wow is more than just a game... its a new world. "Babies on the healer, babies on the healer!". I'm Goggins and i'm a resto shaman .... What's your game"
:D
Jerry Trainor!!! Me and My son watch him at least 4 times a day on Nickelodeon. Looks like he's doing good for him self. Gratz to him! Please bring Goggins back to PL for a special celebrity appearance.
Mike Tindall who is a English rugby player (centre) plays wow too
mila kunis she said that wow is addictive and fun :P
and Vin diesel
sorry again also in a MTV diary the guys from My chemical romance in their room in a hotel some of em are playing WoW
My best 2v2 partner who i had ran around with for a season turned out to be 12 o.0...and my cousin 0.0...
one time i was playing xbox live and met some kids from my school, not wow related but just shows you never know who your playing with
I used to work in an Apple store and Leonardo Di Caprio (or crap-io?) came in and picked up a copy of BC... that's all I really know for other celebs.
I think that Shaman that keeps whispering me IS Barak Obama. That explains why he keeps demanding my main to give up some gold so he can give it to the lowbies who don't have any!
@Onewing
That huntard that just ninjaed my epic sword could be O.J. Simpson.
No, he ninjad some leather gloves... and they didn't even fit :D
@Keltoroq
That's how I operate as well. Doesn't particularly matter to me who the person is, so long as they play fair and respect others.
i thought it was only Vin and the guys off the adds ( FYI Ozzies warlock WTF) but these others 'Wow'