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Growing up in Canada, television shows about video games were very rare. With the exception of Video & Arcade Top 10, a poorly produced game show which aired past my bedtime, I didn't have many options as a kid. Nowadays, shows like The Big Bang Theory and The IT Crowd have carved a niche by depicting the lives of gamers in a flattering light. But these shows can sometimes feel disingenuous and campy, making fun of gamers more often than complimenting them.
These days, anyone with a video camera, talent, and a Youtube account can make a show as entertaining as any MTV special. From subtle sitcoms to laugh-out-loud mockumentaries, the online community somtimes puts traditional television programming to shame. Please find enclosed: a list of online shows, series, and comedy groups that will make any gamer laugh. Except the ones who don't laugh at good stuff.
You've probably heard of the Guild and its plucky protagonist, Codex (played by show creator, Felicia Day). Regularly promoted on Youtube and Xbox Live's Marketplace, The Guild is an online sitcom about the guild "The Knights of Good" and the lives of its members. The show debuted in the summer of 2007, and its actors are now internet stars, regularly appearing at conventions and award shows alike. Of course, the 11 million World of Warcraft players may have had something to do with The Guild's early success, but it's clear that the show has its own legs now, and attracts non-MMO fans as well as hardcore raiders.
"He's gonna take you back to the past to play the shitty games that suck ass. He'd rather have a buffalo take a diarrhea dump in his ear. He'd rather eat the rotten asshole of a road kill skunk and down it with beer."
- AVGN Theme Song
James Rolfe is the Angry Video Game Nerd, a foul-mouthed New Jersey gamer who, compelled by a sense of self-loathing, plays the worst video games on the planet. Each episode is a 15-minute-long retro game review that inevitably devolves into a bitter rant against the game, its developers, and often God Himself. From Konami's Top Gun to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Nerd has endured some truly horrendous titles, all in the name of addiction. The show's charm doesn't come from Rolfe's impressive video game collection, but from his character's predilection towards cursing and scatological humor.
After Youtube viewers flocked en masse to his channel in search of toilet-humor and video game references, both ScrewAttack and Gametrailers picked up the Angry Video Game Nerd for web syndication; the show airs on a bi-monthly schedule.
For a guy whose last name sounds eerily close to "ROFL," James Rolfe is certainly a funny guy.
Although the show recently stagnated into esoteric poker-related drama, Athene's channel views and subscription base is evidence of the show's quality and the devotion of its fans. Chiren Boumaaza stars as the protagonist of the series, Athene, a 20-something Belgian gamer who does little else beside play World of Warcraft and abuse his girlfriend, Tania. For all his boasting and narcissism, Chiren is actually quite good at World of Warcraft; supposedly he's at the top his battlegroup's arena rankings.
While most Youtube comments declare that Athene is a "no life lamer," you can't deny his charm, poor English, and persuasive -- albeit offensive -- attitude.
A typical episode of AtheneWins.
PurePwnageAngry Joe explains why he was disappointed by the Spike VGAs.
