The Guild photo by Angie Riemersma

Gamers all over the world have been chuckling, smirking and emoting to the exploits of Codex and her fellow members of Knights ofGood. Even more amusing, the exploits outside the online game world, as the group adjusts to the frequently awkward, embarrassing and heartwarming challenges IRL (for those who don’t speak gamer, that’s “In Real Life.”) The series began in 2007 as a fan supported online effort. With season 2, the online series was distributed by XBox 360 and Microsoft and sponsored by Sprint. Fans thrilled to the release of the first professionally produced music video during ComicCon, Do You Want to Date My Avatar. The video has taken the internet by storm; gamers and nongamers alike are falling hard, and lining up to date any of the avatars from the Knights of Good. (Show them you love it, too; purchase the video on Amazon MP3 or iTunes for a mere 99 cents. Well worth your gamer gold.)

You can catch up on all of the fun online; series 1 and 2 are viewable on MSN and the WatchTheGuild YouTube Channel. However, for true fans, the real loot is found on the DVDs for the first two seasons. You can buy them on Amazon.com and even get instant video-on-demand with the Season 2 purchase. In gaming terms, this is the reason for raid, gang.

Seaosn 3 was released on XBox 360 on August 25th; the rest of us were eagerly checking MSN’s link to Season 3, Episode 1, at 12am PST, TODAY. The episodes are 5-8 minutes in length, each, so checking it out will not eat a lot of your time, but I tell you, it’s well worth it. Also, if you ever watched Star Trek: The Next Generation, you may recognize a certain face at the end of the episode playing a new character who may be critting on our favorite guildies before the end of Season 3. This season is jumping right in, epic clad feet first. I admit, I watched it a few times over, and have it playing in the background as I type. Now I am chomping at the bit for the next episode. Felicia and the other talented actors are dropping epic loot, and they’re linking it today.

You might wonder why I’d be so emphatically behind this group; even encouraging purchases for shows you can watch for free, online. Here’s why I love this show so well and loyally; these people create this show for the love of the game and the community. They poke fun, but in a smiling, nudge and a wink manner, because they really do know the highs, lows and all the eccentric in betweens that exist in the gaming community. Felicia Day, who is the originator of the series, is herself an experienced World of Warcraft gamer. She’s also a damn fine actress and writer. This series shows a certain geeky savvy and definite wit. More than this, though, they are bringing the community of gamers out of the game closet and out into the world in a manner that shows, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the gaming community is truly impressive, varied, colorful and well worth exploring. They are making gamer geeks chic by showing that we can all take ourselves lightly. And making people all over the world laugh and share and talk…hey, that’s not a bad way to spend your days.

Yeah…it’s good to be a gamer geek…and I still want to date that avatar.

Watch the Guild