Oh no! We've been transported into a world _inside the computer_ where we need to defeat big bads with the help of our monster pals! That's right, we're in China talking about the world's most popular massively multiplayer online roleplaying game (MMORPG), World of Warcraft! Why _is_ it so popular after more than a decade? Next week, we're gonna get _wicket_ on you as we travel to India to talk about fans of the oft misunderstood sport, _cricket_! ## Episode outline ### Fandom Facts **Origins:** World of Warcraft is a popular MMORPG created by Blizzard Entertainment and set in the already existing _Warcraft_ universe. It was released in 2004, and the player takes on the role of a member of either the Horde, or the Alliance as one of the many multitudes of races and classes. In China, it is known as "World of Magic Beasts". **Most Active:** Interest in [World of Warcraft has been on the decline](https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=%2Fm%2F021dvx,Aion), with the most interest taking place between November 2004 and September 2011 with a peak between January 2007 and January 2009. **Size of Fandom:** As of 2014, according [to an article in Engadget](https://www.engadget.com/2014/01/28/100-000-000-world-of-warcraft-accounts-infographic/), there were over 100 million World of Warcraft accounts. However, a more accurate number might the number of active subscriptions: [a peak of 12 million in October of 2010, and 5.5 million in October 2015](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_of_Warcraft). The subreddit, [r/wow](https://www.reddit.com/r/wow/) has over 400 000 subscribers. **Around the world:** World of Warcraft is popular in many different parts of the world. Below are some rough estimates of number of players from different parts of the world: > 1. China, Asian Realms: 3.2 million players > 2. United States and Canada, North American Realms: 3.0 million players > 3. United Kingdom, European Realms: 1.0 million players > 4. ...
Everything you consume is political; 100%! _It cannot be avoided_ and, really, that point shouldn’t be avoided _anyway_! Why then do people insist that the fandoms and media that they participate in be apolitical? This week, we’ve definitely got things to say! In particular, we talk about: * How media normalizes certain behaviours and ideas, and makes them the default experience * How politics is often used as a shield to deflect from critical examination of media and fandom * The privilege of being able to treat things as though they are _not_ political And more! All in under thirty minutes. ## Episode Outline **Topics:** Be critical of the media you consume; media is political (yes even feel-good media); Doctor Who is designed to be changed (and woman doctor is not political); violence is normalized in media; Undertale is great; Politics does not mean political party; politics as systems; politics via omission; systems determine behaviours and outcomes ## Where can I get updates? If you want to follow us on social media, we’ve got you covered: * Facebook: [facebook.com/fanthropological](https://facebook.com/fanthropological) * Twitter: [@fanthropologic](https://twitter.com/fanthropologic) And of course, we can be found where all fine podcasts are found (e.g. [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/2IVp8MBIUyCqlKyZn79iHn), [Apple Podcasts](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/fanthropological/id1163621210?mt=2), [Google Podcasts](https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cDovL2ZlZWRzLnBvZGlhbnQuY28vZmFudGhyb3BvbG9naWNhbC9yc3MueG1s)). Oh, and here at [fanthropological.com](https://fanthropological.com) ## What is Fanthropological? Every week, our podcast, Fanthropological, delivers about an hour of fandom-related "fanalysis" covering a different fandom every week and giving you hard data, history, special guests, and, of course, speculation! We cover topics spanning the gamut of anime, manga, comics, video games, comics, movies, books, television, and, in general, geek culture. ## Who are you? We are the Nickscast! Three products of late-80s / early-90s pop culture who love exploring fandom and everything geek … who ...
How does such a small franchise maintain a strong fanbase almost thirty* years later? And just what is it about fuzzy pickles and odometers that reel people into the games in the first place? ## Episode Outline ### Fandom Facts **History and Origins:** > The Mother series ... consists of three role-playing video games: the 1989 Mother for the Famicom, the 1994 Mother 2, known as EarthBound outside of Japan, for the Super NES, and the 2006 Mother 3 for the Game Boy Advance. Written by Shigesato Itoi and published by Nintendo, and featuring game mechanics modeled on the Dragon Quest series, the Mother series is known for its sense of humor, originality, and parody. The player uses weapons and psychic powers to fight hostile, everyday objects, aliens and brainwashed people. Signature elements of the series include the lighthearted plots, the battle sequences with psychedelic backgrounds, and the "rolling HP meter": as player health ticks down like an odometer (damage doesn't instantly subtract HP), players can outrun the meter to heal before dying. While the franchise is popular in Japan, in the United States, it is best associated with the cult following behind EarthBound. > — [Wikipedia - EarthBound](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_(video_game_series)) **Names** Sometimes fandoms have a definitive name (e.g. "Whovians") other fandoms... struggle. Here are some of the names that [the community has come up with](https://earthboundcentral.com/2012/03/what-are-earthbound-fans/): - Starmen - Motherheads - Momma's Boys - Mother Lovers - EarthBounders - Boundies - Eagleandians **Search Data:** In a surprise twist, unlike most of the fandoms that we have covered on the show, [EarthBound fandom has been almost constant](https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=all&q=%2Fm%2F01282w,%2Fm%2F01s7_9) (it's only decreased a little bit since 2004). The most notable spike in interest occured in October 2008, which likely coincides with the release of the unofficial English fan translation ...
