Thanks to machinima, users can document, archive, and share their performances in video games and virtual worlds. As game developers create engaging environments and immersive stories for players to experience, independent machinima producers can expand the fictional universe by tinkering with the game engine itself. However, the author suggests that machinima’s relation to games is problematic. The popularity of this form of expression among fans of the original games is paradoxically an obstacle for machinima’s broader acceptance outside the gaming sphere. It is not clear if machinima can break from its esoteric roots and become a valid alternative to traditional filmmaking.
Lenhard, A. et al. (2008) Teens, Video Games, and Civics. Pew Internet and American Life Project. URL: http://www.pewinternet.org/~/media//Files/Reports/2008/PIP_Teens_Games_and_Civics_Report_FINAL.pdf.pdf
