Coming Soon To WoW's World's End Tavern: Robin Williams - Update

[jurnag12]

Seems like an unbelievably tasteless marketing ploy to me.

The man apparently loved and played the game, and it was requested by the fans. I wouldn't call listening to your community and honoring a fallen player tasteless just because they might get some publicity out of it.

Blizz gets some buzz, we get something to remember him by in-game (and this would very much not be a first time for a memorial to be put into the game), and Williams is immortalized in a game he deeply enjoyed. Everyone wins.

 

[Charli]

And here a couple days ago some guildies scoffed when I told them he was a gamer, like a dead person was somehow encroaching on their honored title. I hope to see this NPC appear in WoW - hope that all the petitions follow through - just to say "I told ya so".

I thought this was common knowledge among WoW playerbase. Huh. Oh well.

I knew they'd do it. I wasn't sure how or where (Either immortalizing his character on his server or a brand new NPC)but now I know.

 

[sumanoskae]

He was a fan of Half Life? Now I feel even more sorry for him; he'll never get to play Half Life 3.

 

[Mahoshonen]

Don't forget Pokémon. Williams expressed interest in playing Professor Oak if there were ever a live-action Pokémon movie, and if I recall, Nintendo execs at some level or another claimed he was there top choice in that event.

Personally, my top choice for live-action Prof. Oak would be to give Patrick Stewart a topee.

In any case, RIP Mr. Williams, and grats to the WoW community for making this happen in so short a time span.

He was a fan of Half Life? Now I feel even more sorry for him; he'll never get to play Half Life 3.

Yeah, but then neither will any of us. BA-DUM-TISH!

 

[roski]

Seems like an unbelievably tasteless marketing ploy to me.

It is tasteless, it takes just a modicum of sense to tell that you shouldn't advertise the monument you're planning on building to honor the deceased on the day after he died, it's obvious they've never even met the guy, have some tact for the love of god.

 

[OverEZ]

Anything to capitalize on nostalgia, eh Blizzard?

 

[Kyrinn]

Well it wouldn't be the first time Blizzard paid in-game tribute to a fallen WoW comrade. People can cry about insensitivity, marketing the dead, and whatever else but in reality it's just like any other tribute to the dead. Blizzard doesn't profit from this whatsoever.

 

[Infernal Lawyer]

Why are people claiming that this is a shameless marketing move? The community asked for it, and people aren't going to start playing WoW just to see a RW NPC.

 

[RedDeadFred]

Why are people claiming that this is a shameless marketing move? The community asked for it, and people aren't going to start playing WoW just to see a RW NPC.

All of this. I don't play WoW. This won't change anything. I do however think that it's a nice gesture and may even search it up later to see what the tribute ended up taking the form of.

 

[Nikolaz72]

Do the commenters here even read the article? It specifically states 'Community Request' not that Blizzard has complied or even answered the petition. How's that a marketing ploy?

 

[Azmael Silverlance]

Thats a nice gesture on Blizzard`s part. And they have put TONS of tributes, refferences, easter eggs in WoW already so this is also logical especially after the community asked for it.

 

[mew4ever23]

It's a nice gesture, but I'm not sure I particularly care for the location of the tribute - You know what the average player population of Shatrath City is day to day? Maybe a handful of players, if that. I hope it's in the WoD Shatrath instead, or in a location where more players will see him.

 

[Therumancer]

Seems like an unbelievably tasteless marketing ploy to me.

I've had similar thoughts, as well as thinking that if this much attention was given to him while he was still alive, maybe things would have ended differently. Of course it seems we know more about him after he's passed than we did when he was alive.

That said something CAN double as a memorial and marketing tactic, in the case of WoW, if he really was a player it's not unreasonable. Honestly though if I was Blizzard I'd be a bit more subtle than people's other ideas. If I was the guy who was going to make his memorial, I'd put an NPC standing around one of the auction house areas named after his character, since he allegedly liked to troll the trade channel (and I imagine Robin Williams was a hugely amusing Troll). People on the server where he played will probably figure it out, so it will get around, but it will be a mystery to begin with.

This would be a tribute to Robin Williams in WoW, as opposed to another celebrity parody like Haris Pilton (who I've actually wondered about playing WoW, given the reference). At the end of the day celebrities are people too and kill time doing the same things the rest of us do. I'm wary when people claim to be someone famous online, since I figure most keep a low profile, but it is possible.

 

[Therumancer]

It's a nice gesture, but I'm not sure I particularly care for the location of the tribute - You know what the average player population of Shatrath City is day to day? Maybe a handful of players, if that. I hope it's in the WoD Shatrath instead, or in a location where more players will see him.

Well the lore/concept behind The World's End makes it the best place for something like that to show up, especially seeing as it already has another well known celebrity cameo. That said, it would give people a reason to visit an old, and neglected zone (which ironically used to be a hub for the entire game).

 

[mad825]

Along with games, Williams was also quite a big anime fan, citing Ghost in the Shell, Akira, Evangelion and Cowboy Bebop as his favorites.



http://img1.ak.crunchyroll.com/i/spire1/7a484037ad59213b276da482e04b6bf21380163935_full.jpg

We get it, he was a human being who enjoyed media. FFS. What next? You're going to idolize over the food he liked?

celebrity culture should just go and die.

 

[RA92]

Along with games, Williams was also quite a big anime fan, citing Ghost in the Shell, Akira, Evangelion and Cowboy Bebop as his favorites.



http://img1.ak.crunchyroll.com/i/spire1/7a484037ad59213b276da482e04b6bf21380163935_full.jpg

We get it, he was a human being who enjoyed media. FFS. What next? You're going to idolize over the food he liked?

celebrity culture should just go and die.

60+ year old people aren't widely known for being into the subcultures of gaming and anime, so I thought it was noteworthy.

Regardless, I will hunt down the miscreant who pissed in your cornflakes this morning - with vengeance!

 

[Sylocat]

They named a tavern the "World's End?"

 

[Abomination]

I'm thinking one of the Conclave of the Wind's models would be the best tribute. They look suitably like genies and would be one of his most iconic appearances.

Called it.

Then again, a bit case of "wait and see".

 

[Karloff]

To be honest I was kinda hoping Blizzard would use one of the characters he actually played, on his server, as the model. It wouldn't have been as instantly recognizable, but it would show him as he wanted to be seen in Warcraft, which would have been a kind tribute. But failing that, sure, the genie's good.