MMOs and MMORPGs are incredibly popular. Therefore, there are now one or two TV or web series that revolve around such games. We have listed three particularly successful examples for you here.
MMOs and online games are increasingly seen in popular TV series and movies. However, they are often just minor appearances, such as a round of WoW in The Big Bang Theory or the infamous Fortnite scene in Avengers: Endgame.
In contrast, there are various series that focus solely on MMOs. We have listed three particularly successful examples for you here. Enjoy!
The Guild
What is it about? The Guild is a parodic web series by US actress and writer Felicia Day. The series spans 6 seasons and 70 episodes of 15 minutes each, focusing on “Codex,” the healer of the guild “Knights of Good”.
In the series, Codex’s life as a gamer dramatically escalates when her guildmates suddenly appear live at her place, causing chaos.
The series aired from 2007 to 2013 and is now concluded. No further episodes are planned.
Which MMOs are featured? None specifically. Felicia Day deliberately avoided infringing copyrights or creating licensing issues. Therefore, they play a fictional online role-playing game simply called “The Game.” In an interview, Felicia Day indicated that she used a previous WoW addiction as inspiration for the web series The Guild.
What is special about the series? The highlight of the series is the lovable characters, each of whom parodies certain gamer clichés. Among them are:
- Codex herself, who embodies the typical cliché of the female healer player and is insecure and shy in real life.
- Vork, the guild leader, is a notary in real life and a peculiar character who leads the guild with obsessive precision and exhibits various bizarre behaviors.
- Zaboo is a romantically idealistic young man who is into Codex and carries their in-game flirts over to real life.
- Bladez is the rogue of the group, who is quite the jerk in real life and stands out with dumb and inappropriate remarks.
- The scatterbrained Clara is the group’s mage and represents a housewife and mother who, despite her family, does not want to give up her gaming hobby and struggles to balance both.
- Tinkerballa is the ranger and also a rather unsympathetic character, who even momentarily joins the rival evil guild “Axis of Anarchy.”
All these cliché portrayals create a funny whole that, despite, and especially because of the many stereotypes, should provide many laughs for MMO players.
Where can you watch The Guild? The Guild is unfortunately no longer officially available on YouTube, although individual episodes may still be found. However, you can buy The Guild on DVD on Amazon.
- Vincent Caso, Felicia Day, Jeff Lewis (Actors)
- Jane Selle Morgan (Director) - Felicia Day (Writer) - Felicia Day (Producer)
- Audience Rating: Nicht geprüft
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Dad of Light
What is it about? This series is about a Japanese father who has become estranged from his son. The two hardly speak to each other, and eventually, the father resigns from his job without apparent reason. However, through an online game, the son tries to reach out to his father anonymously and help him.
The plot sounds quite cheesy but is based on a true story. There is indeed a player who experienced these events and documented them in blog entries. The series is based on these.
There is even a movie planned for Dad of Light. Due to the death of the actor playing the father, the role has been recast. When and if the film will come out in this country is still uncertain.
Which MMOs are featured? In Dad of Light, it is about a specific MMORPG, namely Final Fantasy XIV. There, you play the “Warrior of Light,” so the title “Father of Light” is a clear reference to that.
Square Enix, the developer of Final Fantasy XIV, also sponsored the production of the series.
What is special about the series? As already mentioned, the series is based on the real experiences of a Japanese player. Therefore, the series combines humorous and light-hearted events from the gamer everyday life with the decidedly serious story of estrangement within the family.
Additionally, the secret double life of father and son is a major theme, as the son can only reach his father via the game, and the father must not know who his online gaming partner truly is.
The end result is a heartwarming family drama that, because of the strong gaming connection, primarily appeals to fans of this genre and especially online gamers.
In contrast to many other series with gaming affinity, this one clearly centers on an actual online role-playing game that you can also play in the same form. This creates a whole new opportunity for identification.
Where can you watch Father of Light? Dad of Light has now also been marketed here under the German title “Vater des Lichts”. The series is currently running (August 2019) on the streaming service Netflix.
Sword Art Online
What is it about? This dark anime series is about a virtual MMORPG, into which players can log in via neural interface. This is meant to enable maximum immersion in a virtual world.
But hardly have 10,000 players logged in, they find themselves trapped in the virtual world. The game’s developer announces: “You won’t get out until you defeat all bosses on all levels.” Anyone who dies in-game or wants to log out actually dies!
Sword Art Online is the anime adaptation of a successful manga series. There are also three seasons of the anime, a continuation called Sword Art II, a film, and a planned live-action version.
Which MMOs are featured? No real ones. There are plenty of Sword Art games, but none are proper MMOs, and they mostly end up being co-op games. However, they occur in the world of Sword Art Online.
What is special about the series? While series related to MMOs are often fun works or even parodies, Sword Art Online is quite dark. The underlying story clearly warns about the dangers of online games where one can get too lost.
Here, it is pushed to the extreme, as the heroes can essentially die a real permadeath, rather than merely suffering the consequences of an online addiction.
Nevertheless, the series is not just dark and depressing. It also contains heroic moments and funny scenes that many online players will find all too familiar.
Where can you watch Sword Art Online? Sword Art Online is available through several means. You can currently watch the first season currently on Netflix. It is also aired on the TV channel Pro Sieben Maxx.
Alternatively, you can also buy the series on Blu-Ray from Amazon.
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