This news story really took me back to the first few years I had a smartphone: Before I even worked for OG Massively, I had an OG Droid, and on that Droid, I had an app called Waze. It was supposed to be a crowdsourced traffic-density-and-obstacle map but often just functioned more like the app version of flashing your headlights at opposing traffic to warn ’em there’s a cop waiting around the corner, slow down you dummy.
Well, obviously Waze has come a long waze since then, including to our own pages here on MOP, all thanks to a collab with… World of Warcraft?
“Get ready to conquer your commute with the legendary Warchief Thrall from World of Warcraft as your Waze sidekick. Thrall’s wisdom and guidance will transform your daily drive into an unforgettable adventure,” Google announced last night. The Goog bought Waze a few years ago.
“All you road warriors can listen to Thrall’s words of encouragement and guidance as they navigate their drives. When faced with heavy traffic, he’ll advise you to ‘breathe — this is not the end of the world.’ When he offers suggestions like U-turns, he describes them as, ‘a clever strategy to fool any pursuers on our tail.’ Choose between two moods in the World of Warcraft driving experience — ‘Horde,’ represented by a miniature Thrall, the former warchief of the Horde, and ‘Alliance’, a warrior in blue and gold armor representing the Alliance. You can even choose the Red Drake as your vehicle — a great honor for any Champion of Azeroth! Buckle up, adventurers, and let Thrall lead you on an epic journey!”
I pre-emptively welcome this collab to my list of bizarre transmedia synergisms for 2024.
