Aug 26 2008Racing Across Azeroth In Real Life
Two guys made rigs that turns running on treadmills into their characters actually running through Azeroth. They made them by attaching a bike wheel with an optical mousepad and mouse to the treadmills. It's estimated that characters in the game run around 12MPH, but since the two didn't want to have simultaneous heart attacks, they rigged the system to only have to run 6MPH themselves for their characters to reach that 12MPH top speed. How did it work out? You'll have to watch the video after the jump to find out. But suffice it to say that even running at a paltry 6MPH, they were both dangerously close to myocardial infarctions. I hope all of you WoW players out there learn a valuable lesson from this. One about the benefits of performance enhancing drugs.
Hit the jump for a couple more shots and a video of the race.
RL Race Across Azeroth [manapotions]
Thanks to Aaron, who actually was one of those guys (and I believe the guy behind Mana Potions), and Berry, who can beat Cheetah in World Class Track Meet using the Nintendo Power Pad and without cheating.
Reader Comments
1. f - August 26, 2008 3:39 PM
First!
2. mike - August 26, 2008 4:08 PM
DUH! thats why those video game characters are always in such good shape and can jump kick your face off. thats what happens when you run around everywhere. now any fat people that run quickly, however, should be thrown out of the game for obvious paradox reasons.
3. poop - August 26, 2008 4:42 PM
hey! i had this idea first! with the "america's army" game! good to see some other chumps having some great ideas for a change.
4. SluggishGirl - August 26, 2008 4:42 PM
I'm just shocked as hell that WoW geeks built something. Kudos, geeks. But you still ran at half speed, you lazy slug.
5. SluggishGirl - August 26, 2008 4:52 PM
wait a friggin minute. whats with those wigs?
6. Aaron - August 26, 2008 5:03 PM
Eli (pink wig) and I (green wig) are the two guys behind ManaPotions.
Also, just the tags on Geekologie articles are some of the funniest things I've ever read.
7. odysseus - August 26, 2008 5:10 PM
hate to say it but this is a friggin great idea. I wish I had one, as many hours as I play WOW, i'd be in awesome shape.
8. Coolbeans - August 26, 2008 7:57 PM
Wait. There are WoW players that aren't 300lbs? Huh? They live in their mom's basement right though? I'm confused.
((Cool concept though..they should hook all those overweight Arkansas government workers up with these machines rather than firing them like they are trying to now))
9. #2 - August 26, 2008 8:30 PM
OMG this is so geeky.
10. Panda Jäger - August 26, 2008 8:39 PM
@ #6:
hey aaron, you're one smokin' geek. i'd totally do you. but you've gotta leave the ears on. (^_^)
11. Spencer - August 26, 2008 8:39 PM
Now Id like to see you guys do the same test but for my GNOME and run it on your knees LOL
O.o
12. bas - August 27, 2008 3:29 AM
You guys are THAT out of shape that you can't run at 6mph for less than five minuets? Jesus weeps for you.
13. http://webescape.wordpress.com/ - August 27, 2008 7:48 AM
Jesus, two people really REALLY need to get laid.
14. Lynz - August 27, 2008 8:22 AM
This is freaking awesome. And super geeky. And probably the only way to get WoW players to get moving. I speak for myself here.
15. boredom - August 27, 2008 9:37 AM
@2, you've played america's army? You like it?
Oh and not all wow players live in their parents basements, some live in the attic or on the middle floor.
16. Kelly - August 27, 2008 1:23 PM
I ride my bike several times a week, while playing City. :D (Click for pic! Yes, I know the shorts are dorky, it's an exercise outfit, what do you want from me?)
17. JohnnyIrish - August 27, 2008 2:48 PM
@16
What do we want from you? I'll take a large pizza with pepperoni and a 2 liter of sprite thanks. Did I mention I'm hungry?
18. Amy - August 27, 2008 3:11 PM
Ok, I'll admit; Elijah, you're hot. Crazy as fuck, but hot. As for me, I'm sorta glad I quit WoW. When your boyfriend of 2 years dumps you in-game, you know you're playing too much.
Besides, I gotta commit to my Xbox 360. I missed you baby. What's that? You want me to play Too Human? Soon, baby, soon.....
19. OctoGooch - August 27, 2008 3:41 PM
a bit off topic, but, amy, youre friggin beautiful.
20. OctoGooch - August 27, 2008 5:27 PM
wait a minute, kelly is just as friggin beautiful. where'd all these hot nerd chicks come from?
21. Amy - August 27, 2008 6:01 PM
We hide in the dark corners of the intarwebz waiting for moments where we can speak up without getting clobbered by hordes of sweaty-palmed dweebs wearing 4-chan paraphernalia.
22. OctoGooch - August 27, 2008 6:09 PM
i knew it! *CLOBBER*CLOBBER*CLOBBER*
23. Amy - August 27, 2008 10:00 PM
ACK! Wipe your palms first!!!!
24. Trav - August 27, 2008 11:26 PM
Hahaha. The stereotype of the 'gamer' is old, worn out, and beaten to death. The vast majority of gamers today are not male virgins living in their parents' basement playing games all days. Video games are as mainstream as movie theaters, if not more-so nowadays.
The rest of the world's population (the part that somehow lacks an important bit of intelligence or they'd realize the truth) needs to grow up and realize that stereotypes are for idiots.
Comments like some of the ones here:
"I'm just shocked as hell that WoW geeks built something." (Duh, a lot of wow players are GEEKS - implying intelligence)
"Wait. There are WoW players that aren't 300lbs? Huh? They live in their mom's basement right though? I'm confused." (Quite a few are successful business people and in very good shape)
"Jesus, two people really REALLY need to get laid." (Who says they don't get laid on a regular basis? You'd be surprised at the amount of 'geek' sex which goes on out there - most of it probably much better than the 'mainstream' drunken sexual escapades in frat houses)
"wait a minute, kelly is just as friggin beautiful. where'd all these hot nerd chicks come from?" (If you'd open your eyes for a few minutes, you'd realize that nerd/geek =/= automatically ugly hosebeast. Again, stereotypes are for losers)
I will have to agree though. Kelly and Amy, you are both incredibly gorgeous, and to know that you are amongst the geek army makes me proud to be one. :) I'm also sorry to hear that your boyfriend dumped you in WoW, Amy. Heh. I quit Lineage II for a similar reason - my now ex-wife was cheating on me with people she met in the game, lol.
25. Amy - August 28, 2008 12:02 AM
Hehe, Trav, you are completely right, on all points.
Kelly, you're super cute, I want one of those setups in my room, where can I get one? And I'm sorry about your ex wife, Trav...that's pretty low. "Oh baby, you hot little dark elf, you, wanna go raid an elite dragon in mah pants?" *shudder*
There really ought to be, yano, a Geekologie convention of some sort. I don't know nearly enough closet geeks in my area, and I'm rather tired of being the only one buying pirated copies of Dr. Who.
A geek army...hmm...I like the sound of that. We'll start with the lower 48, then move on to conquer Canada.
26. Johnnyirish - August 28, 2008 11:51 AM
Nerd chicks are great. Many I've met are sexual goddesses in the bedroom to boot. As for Amy and Kelly, yep quite the lookers. I'm more partial to Amy's goth look though seeing as I grew up going to the goth/industrial scene. That and well shes got that whole chain/bondage thing going.. I could totally chain her to my bed post. Woah.. calm down Amy. No need to be worried.. I totally keep a tv and Xbox within your reach.. Relaxed now? See nothing to worry about..
27. poop stain mcgee - August 28, 2008 2:06 PM
Um, wow. Nice night elf hair y'all got there.
Now that you guys hit the Darnassus finish line, it's time to /who, find mages, whisper them and get ports to Stormwind and dance naked on tables in Goldshire! =D FTW!