Pretend that a zombie apocalypse has already come and gone. The planet is ravaged and ransacked of most normal, warm-blooded beings. As soft moans carry on the wind and the streets become increasingly cluttered with viscera and “undeath,” developers continue to make games. The games in this alternate reality are much like our own. Bethesda is still making Fallout 3 and thatgamecompany is still willing to talk about fl0w. The only problem is, who is left to discuss or present these games on a decrepit Earth? The gifted people at GameZombie.tv have it all handled.
When I first heard about GameZombie, my initial reaction was one of curiosity. How could a group of guys (and a few girls) present the videogame industry as if no one was around to play the games? After watching a few of their videos, I quickly became indoctrinated into the idea and their universe. Interviews can tend to be boring, especially at events when developers have already said the same thing hundreds of times. The playful twists, colorful jabs, and superb editing that GameZombie unrolls onto all their content certainly livens up the process.
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to travel to the GameZombie office to check out the staff and see what they had in motion. Hit the break to learn more about their site and what they offer.
“We bring it to you first…’cuz everyone else is dead.”
One of the first questions I asked the crew at GameZombie was how they started and what made them decide to go with the slant of presenting material within an imaginary zombie apocalypse. The Creative Director of the operation, Spencer Striker, was more than happy to oblige my question. He told me that idea for GameZombie was born from himself and earlier team members being immersed in the right fiction at the right time. Books like World War Z and George Romero movies present a stark contrast to the real world in terms of the typical people-to-zombie ratio (which is currently zero from what I am told), and the concept of a group of survivors continuing to pump out interactive video-game related content in such a “material-rich, dark universe” was too good to pass up. With the idea in tow, the team started creating sketches, plot lines, and other content to back it up.
"We get some criticism for the amount of style we put in our videos."
GameZombie was able to get their site up and running before GDC 2007 in time to get into the event. Once in San Fransisco, the team was willing and able to toss a camera in any industry veteran’s face that they could. Only after getting back home to their office in Bloomington, Indiana did they become aware that they had excellent, original material -- and that’s what GameZombie focuses on providing. Content from E3 is still bumping out of the site, but it's stylistic elements like GameZombie’s multiple cameras, remixed music and stringent editing standards that set them apart from the typical interview. As in the case of the Fallout 3 interview immediately below, the juxtaposition of angles and presentation certainly gives anyone a unique glimpse of Todd Howard and his baby in motion.
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Naturally, there are critics of GameZombie's style who would prefer to see one-camera interviews that are meant more to provide information than entertainment. While the staff admits to being a little more human than zombie when it comes to receiving negative feedback, they seem certain that their post-zombocalyptic, stylistic approach is the best way to provide unique content to viewers.
“We win 80% of the time.”
Of course, GameZombie doesn’t just focus on interviews. They also provide reviews, previews, and discussion topics. The group is familiar with causing a stir as well. The series called “Zombie Bash!” is based on the premise of cutting down popular games. The first video in the planned series is all about the console version of Final Fantasy XI and how terrible it is. As you may imagine, the video is still taking its licks on the Internet.
Internet fights over popular titles are always great, but when I had a chance to ask who would when in a fight between zombies and Mr. Destructoid, the response that is sure to impress.
Mr. Destructoid would destroy the zombie horde with his left arm-mounted machine gun, his three-round rocket launcher on his right arm, and the twin launchers for mortar rounds/gas grenades behind his head. He would however, sustain several lethal bites in the course of the life or death battle, and would thereafter become a zombified Mr. Destructoid, forever torn between his desire to devour human flesh and his will to bring quality video game journalism to humanity.
I had a great time meeting the members of GameZombie and look forward to what they’ll be offering in the future. Unlike a horde of zombies, marching mindlessly through the streets, GameZombie is made up of passionate individuals dedicated to bringing something different to your computer screen. They update on a regular basis and keep a fairly large staff to make sure new material keeps coming. Make sure to take the time to check them out.
Contest:
10:57 AM on 08.11.2008
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Fail/10
Sounds fricking great ta for the heads up Brad
It´s a fail
Seema kinda lame =/
it was just a very poor developer interview with some horrible camera effects/technqiues that we all learned in highschool to liven up our 5 minutes projects
I'm sorry to be so harsh but it was. I can really see the potential, but as it stands, it's just awful.
I'm not one to cause drama. Ok, maybe I am. BUT, I will begin by saying that you are welcome to your own opinions, just as I am. The problem that arises though, from people having their own opinions, is the lack of facts. I'm sure you came across my videos, and my amateurish interviewing skills, and considered me to be one of the hawt girls who lacks any type of knowledge. I admit that I am not the go-to girl (but which girl really is) when combing for breaking news in the video game world--BUT I do play games. And those video editors that you gave props to, well I'm one of them. The last time I checked, you don't see anyone else VJing and then editing their own material. And especially, *gasp* a girl!
Ever since my first visit to their website, the videos they produce have always seemed to have this fun sort of inspiration about them. It's all a bunch of friends just getting together and producing extremely respectful material for the web and the people of games! Impressive!
I can't wait to see how GameZombie has prospered in another 2 years! ...inevitably leaving Chlorophyll, crying in his room by himslef.
Great interview Brad.
First of all, I work with GZTV. Second of all, if you don't like our work, that's fine. Totally cool by me, created work is subject to opinion. However, I worry that there's some uneducated opinions out there, and I want to help shed some light on our work process.
GameZombie.tv is an organization made up of students that do this on top of their class load and regular jobs. We've got a large team working on a large number of videos. We're still learning, and we'll never stop learning. Making online video is a constantly evolving game and it takes hard work and discipline to maintain a very cohesive visual identity in such a shifting environment - especially amongst such a large team as ours (the photos only show part of our team).
If you think about it, you KNOW a GZTV piece the moment you see it because of our editing style. Like it or not, it's becoming iconic and identifiable as our style over anyone else. Since we've started, a lot of fads have come and gone, and we still maintain cohesiveness. We're proud of that, and while it may not be what everyone wants, we've been very very successful at staying on target with our look.
We regularly use HD equipment and do a multi camera shoots. We work with high end software including (but not limited to) Cinema 4D, Fina Cut Pro, and After Effects. If you're not familiar with the programs it's some heavy software for a lot of people to learn, and our editors know it inside and out. Our editors have done this inside of 2 years while putting nearly 200 videos onto the internet. For us, and for any video media site, that's a HUGE accomplishment, and took a lot of work.
We put out 2-3 new videos a week on average, and most are exclusive interviews. That's not an easy thing to do, and we've become a Webby Honoree because of it.
Sorry for the long defensive rant, but sometimes we don't think people realize the man hours that get put in to this work. If you still don't like us or our style. Hey, that's cool. We dig it and it's all good, but we're less forgiving when we're accused of hackery because we strive very hard to do something original and entertaining.
Thanks all,
~Charles from GameZombie.tv
As for me crying in my room by myself, I'm glad to see personal attacks aren't beneath you, as lame as that one is. But I won't go down to that level instead I'll point out that the criticism that I offered was just that, criticism, and I think it was pretty constructive, without resulting to getting personal.
Charles, no doubt effort is put in by the team the trouble is you can shoot poo on an HD camera and its still poo. you can edit video that is thin on content into a stylish product, but the content still isn't there. Yes you have put up a lot of content in the past, but my friend quantity and quality, maybe you should put out less content and strive to have it at a high level of quality in the content and not just the editing. I hope you can see my point.
Overall I just want Gamezombie to take something away from this, you see there is a problem with this form of games journalism and that problem is that it never really achieves something, its like a newspaper only publishing fluff pieces. All I want is for the GZ team to wake up and ask themselves if the content under the editing is really what they want to be producing, whether it is something a professional organization would put out. Now i know your going to came back and say "Look at how professional our videos are blah blah blah.." and to that all I can say is re read what I have said please!
Spencer maybe you should send out another group email and get the rest of the team to make an account here :D. At least we could get the team to read Dtoid that way.
If you would like to further discuss GZ, ill gladly stop by the liveshow.
If you don't show, well, anybody after that doesn't call you a wuss, they'll be cutting the story short.
SS
Props to GameZombie for all of their efforts and creativity!
I can see you point. It's not that I ever couldn't, I just disagree with you. I hope you can see my point even through disagreement. GameZombie.tv feels we do deliver quality with quantity, and we feel we do so with a unique and iconic lens.
Please point us to some of your work, I'd love to see what you're doing with video work right now. I can tell you've got some strong views on video theory, and it sounds like you've got experience shooting interviews. Hook us up with some links, we always love seeing what our fellow artists are shooting and producing.
Have a good day,
~Charles from GameZombie.tv
We definitely want to deliver the content as our primary goal but we also don't want it to look like just another video interview or review or the like. We are trying to set ourselves apart from our competitors by doing something unique and original. That's what GameZombie.tv strives for, so if that's not what you're into then that's perfectly fine. We got into this knowing that we were not going to please everyone, it's just not possible. But if you really look at our videos, not just glance at it, you will see both the content and the style that we continuously strive to deliver.
First and foremost, whether I'm a casual gamer, or hardcore gamer, it doesn't matter. I'm STILL a gamer. And last time I checked, I never described myself as being 'hardcore.' Unlike some people, such as yourself perhaps, I have friends. I like to play video games with friends. Hence the Wii with the CASUAL games. I still play X360 games. Have I reviewed any? No. And that's b/c the guys on the team aren't going to play the 'girly' games, so I'll do the dirty work.
I admit. I should know a lot about the gaming industry. I do read articles--wiki and specific gaming sites such as this or kotaku, etc. So, you don't like my questions--I just happen to enjoy a conversationalist approach. If you want a hard hitter, go watch Keighley.
And let's be honest. You may not think girl gamers are worth a rat's ass. But everyone else does. Well, not everyone. But enough people who write the checks. Example, Frag Dolls demonstrating games at E3.
And it appears as though you thought I said you were crying in a room by yourself. At this point in time, I wish I had, but sadly I cannot take the credit. And I'm pretty sure saying 'I hope for the sake of the talented editors that the zombies manage to eat all of the hawties and the creative director in one fell swoop, so that someone else can step up and help this site reach a higher level' is a personal attack. But what do I know? I own a wiiiiiiiii.
On a lighter note, if you have any real suggestions on how to improve the content of the videos, I know I'd love to hear them. Pointing out the problem is the first step, but when you don't provide solutions, well you're not really helping us out.
And while we're exchanging tips on improvement, I'd suggest (for your sake) that you write up your comments in Microsoft Word. That way you can spell and grammar check. You know, just in case you're trying to be a professional blogger.
Totally unnecessary man.
~Charles with GameZombie.tv
P.S. You really should spell check. It'll make you appear smarter :D
but gamezombie will keep it moving.