Machinima.com
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| URL | http://www.machinima.com/ |
|---|---|
| Type of site | Machinima, Entertainment Production, Gaming Community, News Source |
| Registration | Free, Optional |
| Available language(s) | English |
| Owner | Allen DeBevoise[1] |
| Created by | Hugh Hancock |
| Current status | Active |
Machinima.com (pron.: /məˈʃiːnɨmə/ or /məˈʃɪnɨmə/) is a gaming and media streaming website, and a Multi Channel Network. Machinima.com aims to be a hub for machinima, the art of creating animated videos in real-time virtual game environments. The site features machinima-related articles, and news. Machinima productions can be submitted for possible redistribution after staff review.[2]
Machinima.com strives to engage the 18 to 34-year-old male demographic[3] through widespread availability across multiple platforms such as YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook, and through Android and Apple's iOS.[4] The company was founded in January 2000[4] by Hugh Hancock of Strange Company, and is headerquartered in Los Angeles, California.[5]
The company's name, 'Machinima', is a portmanteau of the words 'machine' and 'cinema',[3] and relates to the use and manipulation of video-game technology to create animations.[6] The website has helped to bring attention to machinima, the art of creating animated videos in real-time virtual game environments, and to encourage productions based on game engines other than those of id Software's first-person shooter computer game series Quake.[7] As of February 15, 2013, Machinima has over 453,200 followers on Twitter,[8] 1.09 million fans on Facebook,[9] and over 7,138,512 subscribers to its YouTube channel.[10]
Contents |
Programming [edit]
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This section relies on references to primary sources. (October 2012) |
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This section appears to be written like an advertisement. (October 2012) |
Machinima, Inc. hosts thousands of videos through a series of Youtube channels which include, but are not limited to Prime, Respawn, Realm, Sports, VS, and Trailers. The content uploaded onto these channels are produced in-house and by signed directors from around the world.[11]
Machinima, Inc. also utilizes social media platforms such Facebook and Twitter to provide fans with timely news, featured uploads, interactive questions, and live event coverage. Machinima's Facebook pages and Twitter accounts cater to each of their network channels like the main Machinima channel (which has over 1 million Facebook fans as of September 10, 2012[13]), Prime, Respawn, Realm, Sports, VS, Trailer, Happy Hour, Inside Gaming, and ETC.
Inside Gaming [edit]
Inside Gaming is the editorial brand of Machinima, Inc.[14] Coverage of gaming news, previews, and reviews is provided for more than 600,000 weekly viewers through daily and weekly shows on it's YouTube channel.[14] It is hosted by Adam Kovic, an employee of Machinima, under the alias The Dead Pixel. It was under this alias his notability and fame were built, when it was his initial Xbox Live Gamertag. Kovic has since risen to be a "star" within the Machinima community. He is often seen in Halo 3-themed machinima form, which is recognisable by his lava-red Recon helmet.
Inside Gaming is the successor to Machinima's discontinued segment, Inside Halo, which was less successful due to the lack of news surrounding the Halo series. Inside Halo was also hosted and started by "Soda God" and he let Adam host the show one week and Soda God the other. When Soda God ceased hosting Inside Halo as often, Kovic unintentionally gained control of the series given that he was doing more recent episodes. Eventually an official co-host, Matt Dannevik joined Adam Kovic on the set of Inside Gaming Daily, the daily format of Inside Gaming, and was laid off in December 2012.[15]
Inside Gaming also hosts its own awards show, the Inside Gaming Awards, annually in Los Angeles.[14] The awards show celebrates the biggest developers and achievements in the video-games industry,[14] and features top gaming choices by viewers and the staff of Inside Gaming. Categories in which games are selected include Game of the Show, Best Online Multiplayer, Best Original Games, and many more.[16]
Winners of the Inside Gaming Awards
Machinima Live [edit]
Machinima, Inc. streams live frequently on their channels via Youtube. This includes the streaming of video gameplay events, convention coverage, and more. Streams can be viewed on Youtube on Machinima Live. Machinima Live is well known for it’s 24 hour live stream such as one that took place in 2010 after the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops. Machinima staff, directors, and guests took part in playing the game in attempt to reach 15th prestige while taking 4 hour shifts. Such an event also occurred after the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.[17]
Mortal Kombat: Legacy [edit]
A live action Mortal Kombat series produced by Warner Bros. Digital Distribution, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and Warner Premiere featuring Michael Jai White, Darren Shahlavi, Jeri Ryan and Tamoh Penniket known as Mortal Kombat: Legacy. This series was aired exclusively on the Machinima Youtube channel and served over 60 million combined views.[18]
Bite Me [edit]
Bite Me is a web series that hit the web on December 31 of 2010 about three gamers as they find themselves in the midst of a real life zombie outbreak. Relying only on the knowledge and skills they have accrued over years of gaming, these guys will have to drop the controller and pick up anything that they can use as a weapon. For the first season of the show, Machinima partnered with Microsoft and Capcom and accumulated over 14 million viewers. The second season hit the web March 6 of 2012 and was also aired on the premium cable network for horror, FEARnet.[19]
Machinima Prime [edit]
Machinima has developed a premium channel to feature the highest quality content produced by network content creators along with major production companies and Hollywood studios known as Machinima Prime. Weekly shows that run on Prime include, but are not limited to Life on the Road, XARM, Prank Lab, and Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn.[20]
Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn [edit]
Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn is a live-action web series that debuted on October 5, 2012 and continued until the release of Halo 4 on November 6, 2012. The series represents the largest monetary investment Microsoft has ever put behind a live-action Halo project. The goal of the web series is to introduce the franchise to people unfamiliar with the games. In this long awaited epic series, Halo fans will be taken back to the infamous beginning of the Human/Covenant war, when the Master Chief inspired a young cadet who would eventually become the commander of the UNSC's greatest vessel ever: the UNSC Infinity.[21]
XARM [edit]
XARM is a combat-sports concept reality show series produced by Endemol USA in which fighters compete. XARM is a fast-growing brutal combat sport featuring fighters from across the MMA universe. A combination of arm wrestling and MMA XARM is visceral and bloody - there is nowhere to hide and no escape.[22]
Prank Lab [edit]
Prank Lab is an original new series of practical jokes captured on hidden camera. The show is from Katalyst Media, the production company founded by Ashton Kutcher and Jason Goldberg. Prank lab pushes the boundaries and brings members of the public to the brink of insanity with its mix of unbelievable pranks and jaw-dropping quick hits.[23]
Machinima VS [edit]
In 2012, Machinima, Inc. branched out to competitive side of gaming with the inclusion of Machinima VS. This channel is set to feature event coverage from some of the world’s best players, teams, and casters with the highest level of gameplay.[24]
History [edit]
In December 1999, id Software released Quake III Arena. According to Paul Marino, executive director of the Academy of Machinima Arts & Sciences, film makers who had been using prior versions of the Quake series to record animated videos, then called "Quake movies", were initially excited, but the enthusiasm dampened when id announced that, in an attempt to curtail cheating in multiplayer games, it would take legal action against anyone who released details of Quake III's networking code, which was included in the game's game demo file format. This precluded the use of custom demo-editing tools that had facilitated the creation of videos that used the older Quake and Quake II demo file formats, slowing the release of new Quake movies. Another contributing factor to this decline was that the self-referential nature of the gaming-related situations and commentary of Quake movies was losing novelty. Marino explained bluntly that "the joke was getting old".[25] Therefore, the Quake movie community needed to reinvent itself.[26]
In January 2000, Hugh Hancock launched Machinima.com, a resource for video makers who used computer and video games as a medium. The site's name was foreign to the Quake movie community. The term machinima was originally machinema, a portmanteau of machine and cinema. However, Hancock had misspelled the term in a previous email, and the new name stuck because he and Anthony Bailey, who had worked on Quake done Quick, liked the now-embedded reference to anime.[27]
The site opened with multiple articles, interviews, and tutorials, and was soon able to acquire exclusive releases of new productions. One such work, Quad God, was the first to use Quake III Arena[27] and the first to be released in a conventional video file format instead of a demo file format exclusive to a certain game. The switch to conventional media offended some machinima producers, but Quad God, by Tritin Films helped to introduce machinima to a wider audience[28] and to solidify Machinima.com's launch.[27] Matt Kelland, Dave Morris, and Dave Lloyd called the release of Quad God "a key moment in the development of machinima.[28] In turn, as Machinima.com became more popular throughout 2000, other game engines, such as that of Unreal Tournament, became the basis of new productions and the focus of new software tools for machinima.[27]
On 30 January 2006, Hancock announced his resignation as editor-in-chief of Machinima.com and that control of the site would be transferred to the staff of Machinima, Inc. Among the reasons cited for the change were differences in approach to the site and a desire to devote more time to Strange Company's 2006 machinima production BloodSpell. Hancock called the decision "possibly the biggest step I've taken since I founded Strange Company nearly nine years ago".[29]
In May 2009, Machinima released the series called Terminator Salvation: The Machinima Series, a prequel before the 2009 film, comprising six episodes.[30] It was about the story of one of the characters named Blair Williams (voiced by Moon Bloodgood) and her story about her reaction to the apocalyptic war between machines and humans. It was also distributed by Warner Premiere, Wonderland Sound and Vision and The Halcyon Company. It is currently for download in iTunes, XBOX Live, PlayStation Network and Amazon Video.[31]
Towards the end of 2010, Machinima revamped their webpage and removed the forums (wanting users to use the Facebook page instead), and the ability to upload videos.[citation needed]
In January 2012, Machinima discontinued their podcast feeds on iTunes without an in-feed announcement. Back episodes remain available but no new episodes have appeared on the feed since moving to YouTube exclusively.
On April 11 of 2011, Machinima aired a show called Mortal Kombat: Legacy. This show is an adaptation of the popular video games series known as Mortal Kombat and takes place in their fictional universe. This Warner Bros. Digital Distribution, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, and Warner Premiere production has brought Machinima over 60 million views.[32]
In June 2012, Machinima partnered with Meteor Entertainment to promote Hawken which is a highly anticipated free-to-play online game to be released in December 2012.[33] In the same month, Microsoft announced the inclusion of Machinima programming on Xbox Live during the Electronic Entertainment Expo gaming industry event.[34]
In May 2012, Google invested $35 million into Machinima. It was the first time Google has openly backed a content company by taking an equity stake.[35]
In December 2012, Machinima.com announced it was letting go of 23 staff from its workforce. Machinima said the lay-offs where due to re-organizing as part of its global growth strategy, but were still hiring in other key divisions whilst these layoffs where happening.[36]
Expansion of distribution mediums [edit]
Machinima, Inc. has expanded on to many websites and platforms to distribute their content. Machinima currently maintains their main website, eleven YouTube channels, an iPhone/iPad application, an Android application, Facebook applications, Facebook/Twitter/Google+ feeds, and a newsletter that distributes news content.
Social media integration [edit]
Machinima uses social networking throughout a variety of services including Facebook and Twitter as distribution platforms for it's productions;
Machinima also has Integration with Apple IOS and Microsoft Xbox Live service.[37]
Machinima's partnership with Google includes Google's £30 million investment into Machinima.[38] The channel has become the most popular non music channel on Youtube.[39][40]
In addition on Google's own social network Google+, Machinima.com has +1,364,447 users. Machinima frequently posts content for users on various social media networks core to the concept of sharing and generating hits for Machinima-affiliated videos.
Social Media figures [edit]
7,138,512 Youtube subscribers.[41]
4,159,567,148 Youtube video views.[41]
1,131,221 Facebook likes.[42]
28,478 talking about Machinima via Facebook.[42]
504,830 followers on Twitter.[43]
Ranked 33,806 visited site in the USA.[44]
Figures accurate as of April 2013.
Criticism of Machinima.com [edit]
As a Multi Channel Network Machinima has over 5000 partners worldwide[45] who are contracted to produce video content under the Machinima brand.[6] The company has been criticised for the use of perpetual contracts.[46] Ben Vacas, known to the YouTube community as 'Braindeadly', attracted media attention in January 2013 over contractual issues with Machinima.[47] Under the terms of his contract, Machinima were permitted to place advertisements on Vacas's videos and in return he would receive a percentage of the profits generated.[47] However, the contract also disclosed that it existed "in perpetuity";[46] meaning Machinima would hold the rights to any content created by Vacas published on his partnered youtube channel in his lifetime, a detail Vacas failed to read.[46]
References [edit]
- ^ Connie Guglielmo (2012-04-18). "Google Invests in Machinima, Sees 'Financial Return'". Forbes. Retrieved 2012-09-18.
- ^ Machinima.com Film Submission.
- ^ a b "About Us - Machinima". Machinima. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
- ^ a b "Machinima, Inc.: Private Company Information - Businessweek". Businessweek.com. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
- ^ "Machinima Breaks One Billion Monthly Video Views". Machinima.com. Retrieved 16 February 2013.
- ^ a b DVorkin, Lewis. "Who's Doing It Right? How Machinima.com Got 70 Million Viewers on YouTube - Forbes". Forbes.com. Retrieved 8 February 2013.
- ^ Marino, 12–13
- ^ "Machinima (Machinima_com) on Twitter". Twitter.com. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
- ^ "Machinima". Facebook. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
- ^ "Machinima". YouTube. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
- ^ "Machinima.com - Distribution". Machinima. Retrieved 2012-09-12.
- ^ "Machinima - Youtube". Machinima. Retrieved 2012-09-12.
- ^ "Machinima.com - 1,000,000 Fans on Facebook". Machinima. Retrieved 2012-09-10.
- ^ a b c d "Machinima Announces Winners of Third Annual Inside Gaming Awards - Machinima". Machinima.com. Retrieved 16 February 2013.
- ^ "'''YouTube''': ''Inside Gaming''". Youtube.com. Retrieved 2012-09-18.
- ^ Sonntag, Lawrence. "Machinima.com Announces Nominees for Inside Gaming Awards 2011". Machinima. Retrieved 2012-09-10.
- ^ Fassino, Justin. "Machinima - Call of Duty Black Ops Live Stream". Machinima. Retrieved 2012-09-10.
- ^ "'''YouTube''': ''Mortal Kombat: Legacy''". Youtube.com. Retrieved 2012-09-18.
- ^ "'''YouTube''': ''Bite Me''". Youtube.com. Retrieved 2012-09-18.
- ^ "'''YouTube''': ''Machinima Prime''". Youtube.com. 2010-12-16. Retrieved 2012-09-18.
- ^ "'''YouTube''': ''Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn''". Youtube.com. Retrieved 2012-09-18.
- ^ "'''YouTube''': ''XARM''". Youtube.com. Retrieved 2012-09-18.
- ^ "'''YouTube''': ''Prank Lab''". Youtube.com. Retrieved 2012-09-18.
- ^ "'''YouTube''': ''Machinima VS''". Youtube.com. Retrieved 2012-09-18.
- ^ Marino, 10–11.
- ^ Marino, 11.
- ^ a b c d Marino 12.
- ^ a b Kelland, Morris, & Lloyd, 30.
- ^ Hancock.
- ^ Terminator Salvation: The Machinima Series (Ep. 1 Preview) on YouTube
- ^ By Nando the Barbarian (2009-05-21). "Terminator Salvation (BD) | WBshop.com | Warner Bros". Terminatorsalvation.warnerbros.com. Retrieved 2012-09-18.
- ^ "Machinima - Mortal Kombat Airing Exclusively on Machinima". Machinima. Retrieved 2012-09-10.
- ^ "Machinima Partners with Meteor Entertainment". VentureBeat. Retrieved 2012-09-10.
- ^ "Xbox Live is getting Nickelodeon, Machinima, & tons of live sports". VentureBeat. Retrieved 2012-09-10.
- ^ "Google Invests in Machinima". AllThingsD.com. Retrieved 2012-09-10.
- ^ "Machinima Layoffs".
- ^ "Machinima Overview".
- ^ "Forbes - Google invests in Machinima sees financial return".
- ^ "The Independent".
- ^ "Forbes - google invests in machinima sees financial return".
- ^ a b "Youtube machinima page.".
- ^ a b "Machinima Social Tracking.".
- ^ "Twitter figures".
- ^ "Traffic Ranking.".
- ^ "Affiliates - Machinima". Machinima. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
- ^ a b c Marsden, Rhodri. "Channels spawned by YouTube are making a fortune but are the people making the videos missing out?". The Independent. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
- ^ a b Stuart, Tessa. "Rage Against Machinima". Houston Press. Retrieved 15 February 2013.
- Hancock, Hugh (30 January 2006). "Hugh Hancock leaves Machinima.com". Machinima.com. Machinima, Inc. Retrieved 2006-09-28.
- Kelland, Matt; Dave Morris, Dave Lloyd (2005). Machinima: Making Movies in 3D Virtual Environments. Cambridge: The Ilex Press. ISBN 1-59200-650-7.
- "Machinima.com Film Submission". Machinima.com. Machinima, Inc. Retrieved 2006-09-28.
- "Machinima.com Forums". Machinima.com. Machinima, Inc. Retrieved 2006-09-28.
- "Machinima.com: home". Machinima.com. Machinima, Inc. Retrieved 2006-09-28.
- "Machinima.com News Submission". Machinima.com. Machinima, Inc. Retrieved 2006-09-28.
- Marino, Paul (2004). 3D Game-Based Filmmaking: The Art of Machinima. Scottsdale, Arizona: Paraglyph Press. ISBN 1-932111-85-9.
| Achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by JennaMarbles |
Top Subscribed Channel on YouTube machinima Ranked fourth as of December 2012 |
Succeeded by nigahiga |
| Preceded by RihannaVEVO |
Top Subscribed Channel on YouTube machinimarespawn Ranked 23 as of November 2011 |
Succeeded by davedays |
