Posted by pixiestixy on Wednesday, June 17th, 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?
Related Posts: Blizzard Franchises, Twitterpated, Choose… But Choose Wisely…, MMORPG, How Much Wrath is Too Much Wrath?, Distracted Gaming - What I Do During WoW Time,
By Peter on Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
Cool never thought there were that many celebs on wow
woot! first comment
By Wittgenstein on Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
Well, I have some experience with the “celebrity world” (mostly with the musical one), and I can assure you: there are LOADS of players out there in the musical scene, and they’re human just like us, so, you don’t need to act different from someone just because que is more famous than you. This reminds me a thing: he may be famous in RL, but you may be that key-piece of your guild PVP or PVE, be an Arena Tournament finalist, or whatever, in MMO, so, there’s nothing different between you and a celebrity, just the worlds are not the same.
By Sicarie on Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 at 6:40 pm
Man, I’d love to do some bg’s with Dave Chapelle on vent. That would so rock! After he’d kill someone and hear him yell out “I’m Rick James Bitch!!”
By HerofTime on Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 at 7:03 pm
Oh wow…. Kanye West in Azeroth. I would never have thought it. I may actually give his music a shot now.
But to answer the question, yeah, I think about it. I’m good RL friends with some of my brothers in virtual battle. But of all the people on this list I would want to raid Ulduar with Mr. T. “I PITY THE XT-002 DECONSTRUCTER!”
By Zerth on Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 at 7:08 pm
WoW is probably a great way to get away from all the reporters and weirdo’s so they can act like a normal joe for awhile.
By Kyndranigar on Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 at 7:24 pm
Jean-Claude Van Damme. “Je suis un mage.”
I would hate to think I got ganked in Wintergrasp by one of the Jonas brothers.
By Onewing on Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 at 7:33 pm
This does make me think
I think I will be much more kind to the seemingly inocent players roaming WoW….because you never know. That huntard that just ninjaed my epic sword could be O.J. Simpson.
By Barugaara on Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 at 7:39 pm
Your forgot Vic Mignolia
By Azurienatei on Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 at 7:50 pm
Its spelled Vic Mignogna, and he’s a musician and voice actor (He does TONS of anime voices!!). And as to the question, I’d TOTALLY love to have played with a celeb on WoW! I’d personally choose Vic, Dave Chapelle, Robin Williams (SO FUNNY!) and duh, Masi! I’ve no doubt they’d deliver major pwnage! I wonder if my guildies would ever let them join…
PS. LOVE YOU GUYS!! You’re all awesome! Keep up the hard work, Project Lore fellas!
By Rok on Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 at 7:58 pm
Dude… Dave Chapelle!?! Thats SO AWESOME! Listening to Dave on vent would be funny wouldn’t it? lol
Dude I wish they would publish their wow characters… That would be fun to hang out with them
By mahabone on Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 at 8:27 pm
damn i wish Felicia Day was in my gulid damn
By DeeJayDieSeL on Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 at 9:00 pm
i like how “your mom” is a tag
By sathas on Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 at 9:12 pm
When I first started the game (which was on it’s release), I met a guy and we lvl’d together and stuff. when we hit 60, we tried out a few guilds and didn’t like any of them. We decided to make our server’s first serious raiding guild. Today, we’ve downed almost every boss in ulduar. I found out a few months ago that I’ve known my best WoW friend IRL for a few years now (we go to school together) freaky, eh?
By Tharon on Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 at 9:17 pm
Well seein’s how I have partied with a # of Celebs in RL, only because I managed a Bungee Jump and we would set up backstage in Fresno. I would have to say that I would treat them the same way I treat every1 else in WoW regardless if they are famous or a regular Joe, which is how most of them prefer to be treated in RL if you ever have the pleasure of meetin 1.
Help a fellow Hordie and gank the Allies.
(Sorry PL, but I started the game as Horde and even tho I have a couple Alli alts, I still favor the Horde.)
By pixiestixy on Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 at 9:20 pm
@Kyndranigar watch out. Joe Jonas is watching.
@Onewing If you find a bloody glove, there’s your evidence.
@DeeJayDieSeL I was hoping someone would catch that
@sathas That is WAY freaky. Small world (of Warcraft).
By asdasd on Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 at 11:20 pm
Vin diesel NO *&%$!!!!!!
By Thurogh on Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 at 11:28 pm
This got me thinking not so much about being nicer to in game toons.. (because I’m always on the nice side) but the celebs I’ve written off as some plastic thingy…and they’re geek like me? Seriously cool. The above mentioned are on the cred list. Great article pixiestixy, as usual.
By Keltoroq on Wednesday, June 17th, 2009 at 11:42 pm
Basically i treat everybody with respect in WOW unless they ninja items or treat other people like they are superior.
In that case i go overboard.
Maybe i humiliated some celebrity in one of my rants.But if they got it they deserved it.
You basically choose american celebrities (are there any more?) so i guess i don’t find any celebrities playing here in europe.
My friends in the game are my celebrities.
Go Davepdk, Lhursa and Sorron…..you rock…
By Littleraven on Thursday, June 18th, 2009 at 1:07 am
yea, i always think of who i might be playing with. you get to know people pm ypur server fairly well if you have been there long enough (vek’nilash since 2006) and i recognize the same names in trade all the time and i wonder sometimes who those people are….what really gets me though is that someone i have leveled with since wetlands livesprobably 30 minutes from me…the fact that he is a total stranger and we somehow ended up on the same server is crazy to me
By Quetlan of Bloodhoof on Thursday, June 18th, 2009 at 3:33 am
On the tonight show Jennifer Love Hewitt came out as a WoW player, I bet she is a Night/Blood Elf
By Cirius on Thursday, June 18th, 2009 at 3:36 am
Never really thought about it, but for some of them it probably really is a good way to be left alone a little, you know, nobbody stops you in the streets of Dalaran to ask for an autograph, no paparazzi follow you around with a camera
so yeah wouldn’t treat anyone differently if i knew it was a celebrity
still i’d love to raid with Matt Stone and Trey Parker and hear Cartman on vent shouting : “I need more heals dammit!”
By Muradun on Thursday, June 18th, 2009 at 3:49 am
And lets not forget Alexis Knapp!!!!!!:D
By Lane068 on Thursday, June 18th, 2009 at 3:54 am
and Mila Kunis
By Redaurora on Thursday, June 18th, 2009 at 4:04 am
Goggins is a celeb
By Ben on Thursday, June 18th, 2009 at 4:34 am
wow never new those people played wow. Would be quite funny if a music or celeb chat started in trade one day and we was slaaggin on them and they was like hey im Kanye and everyone would be like nnnaaa xD
By Cristi on Thursday, June 18th, 2009 at 5:44 am
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
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.
By Shamtastik on Thursday, June 18th, 2009 at 6:13 am
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
By Hesteria on Thursday, June 18th, 2009 at 8:27 am
Another reason for me to love Mila Kunis…
heheh ^^
By DeeJayDieSeL on Thursday, June 18th, 2009 at 8:37 am
@ 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”
By Rail on Thursday, June 18th, 2009 at 9:35 am
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.
By Orkana on Thursday, June 18th, 2009 at 10:01 am
Mike Tindall who is a English rugby player (centre) plays wow too
By gron on Thursday, June 18th, 2009 at 10:49 am
mila kunis she said that wow is addictive and fun
and Vin diesel
By gron on Thursday, June 18th, 2009 at 10:50 am
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
By Maka on Thursday, June 18th, 2009 at 11:22 am
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…
By kevin on Thursday, June 18th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
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
By wyche on Thursday, June 18th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
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.
By Cozmus on Thursday, June 18th, 2009 at 2:36 pm
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!
By Pegraath on Thursday, June 18th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
@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
By Alayea on Thursday, June 18th, 2009 at 7:51 pm
@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.
By Dksev on Friday, June 19th, 2009 at 12:38 am
i thought it was only Vin and the guys off the adds ( FYI Ozzies warlock WTF) but these others ‘Wow’