Pure Pwnage
(pronounced “Pure Ownage”) is an Internet sitcom, or "webisode”, by “
ROFLMAO Productions”. The show portrays aspects of “the life of a pro gamer,” featuring a Canadian self-proclaimed pro video game player named Jeremy. Through a combination of interviews and situational conflict resolution, Jeremy reveals what it is like to be a pro gamer. Locations for the show include Calgary, Montreal, and mainly
Toronto but recently it has been filmed in the
Netherlands. The creators of the show estimate their viewer base to be over three million.
The show is filmed in gonzo from the point of view of Jere
my's roommate and brother Kyle. As of late 2005, Kyle is currently attending film school and will soon graduate. The Pure Pwnage website states that ROFLMAO may go into full-time production after Kyle’s graduation, and, as of January 2006, is negotiating the airing of Pure Pwnage on television. A DVD is now scheduled to be released after Episode 12, which is the planned end of the first season.
Most of the information about the Pure Pwnage series comes from the Teamspeak chat public interviews, the Pure Pwnage website, the featurettes, and the regular episodes (see List of Pure Pwnage episodes).
The World of Pure Pwnage
Pure Pwnage takes the audience to a world where the power and importance of video games is revealed to be far greater than the gaming layperson might expect. Kyle appears to film the show in gonzo, and it seems to mix the real world with a fictional one, blurring this with references outside Kyle’s lens at times. The show, and its extension in the internet community, extensively breaks the fourth wall. Hence fans typically address the show's characters as if they were real people.
Pro gamers vs. noobs
In the world of Pure Pwnage, certain elite video game players are quick to judge others based on their ability to master video games. Those with limited ability in a given skill, or who otherwise exhibit characteristics of one who is new to that skill, are collectively known as noobs.
Persons with abilities that exceed those of others, primarily in video gaming, are referred to as pro. The noob/pro distinction is not mutually exclusive, as a pro may be rendered a noob by a more proficient pro. A complete noob cannot become pro simply through training; this merely results in a trained noob.
The term "Pro Gamer" does not necessarily mean that gaming is used as a source of a income for said gamer, but rather a commentary on the gamer's skill.
Micro
Most characters in Pure Pwnage exhibit a fantastic video game playing ability known simply as micro. The neologism micro stems from micromanagement strategies inherent in playing RTS games effectively. One’s “micro” ability is applicable to any manner of video gaming, suggesting that any individual function of any given game peripheral may be managed with a significant level of refinement and expertise.
The primary function of micro is to win while playing video games, and otherwise pwning noobs. However, micro can be both practiced and made use of in real life — otherwise known as RL. Examples of this include efficiently dialing telephone numbers and quickly checking one’s bank balance at an ATM.
When a video game player reaches a certain high level of ability, that gamer transcends mere micro ability, and thus possesses UBER micro. In order to attain a high degree of über micro, the gamer must undergo significant physical and spiritual training. This training is conducted under the tutelage of a person with much greater micro.
Those who possess partial or complete über micro abilities are able to practice their micro without the aid of an actual peripheral device. To the layperson, it appears that a person demonstrating über micro is keying and mouse-clicking empty air.
Those who have achieved a significantly high level of über micro may begin to manifest their video game playing abilities in more profound ways while in RL. In this way, characters in Pure Pwnage are not limited by the normal restrictions of reality.
Characters
During an interview, Kyle insists that all of the characters on the show are not acting. He suggests that the personalities on Pure Pwnage display their true-to-life abilities and eccentricities, and the characters take great pains to maintain that the Pure Pwnage world is simply an extension of the real world.
Spoiler Warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
- Jeremy (alias teh_pwnerer)
- The protagonist of Pure Pwnage, twenty-four year old Jeremy is a stereotypical pro gamer. He lives in Toronto, Ontario with his brother, Kyle. Jeremy spends the vast majority of his time playing video games and "pwning noobs", using the online handle teh_pwnerer ("the ownerer"). He has been playing games since the age of two, when he used to "totally pwn pong".
- Due to Jeremy’s profound immersion in video game culture, his social skills have atrophied. However, he has also developed the ability to quickly master any video game, and can play competitively against extremely skilled opponents.
- See also Jeremy’s weblog.
- Kyle
- Jeremy’s younger brother and director of the show, Kyle is a full-time film student. He determines what events to film, but mostly just follows Jeremy around. Occasionally, he tries to introduce Jeremy to a diversion other than video gaming. According to Jeremy, Kyle is a "total noob" in many ways.
- The show is shot almost entirely from Kyle’s point of view, so even though he often talks to the other characters, he is never really seen on camera. Not even the Pure Pwnage website has any pictures that show Kyle’s face (though there is a wallpaper that partially shows Kyle with his face hidden behind a camera and a baseball cap. It has been suggested that this is not actually Kyle, but someone else portraying Kyle while Kyle himself shoots the scene.) Kyle's face is partially visible as a reflection in the restaurant window seen in Episode 1. In a picture of Kyle filming Jeremy you can see that Kyle is partialy balding on the back of his head, leading rumors that the mysterious man in the episodes is Kyle.
- Doug (alias fps_doug)
- Jeremy’s boisterous friend and rival, Doug spends most of his time playing Counter-Strike: Source, defeating his opponents by skillfully "getting the headshots". Doug has serious anger management issues, and can appear to be a psychopath, obsessed with FPS games to the point that he goes out training and practicing imaginary headshots in real life.
- Doug’s triumphant catchprase, "BOOM! HEADSHOT!", has become a popular exclamation among FPS players and has been displayed on many online message boards. Doug has grown tired of this phrase, and now hates when people ask him to say it. He is considered to be the most well known character.
tic and dangerous weapons dealer, Owen Davain (Philip Seymour Hoffman). But there's one thing: Julia doesn't know that Ethan is a secret agent.
