‘Bite Me’ Pits Gamers vs. The Undead

When the zombie apocalypse comes, and you know it will, will you be prepared? Such is the premise of the new web series, Bite Me from Machinima.

The series centers on three hapless losers, who find themselves in the middle of a full scale zombie attack and must rely upon their expertly honed gamer skills to fend off the unending horde. Machinima partnered with Xbox and video game producer Capcom to create the zombie comedy, which has proven to be a hit with audiences. To date, it’s accumulated nearly 2.5 million views across the first three episodes.

Leading the cast of this weekly, Shaun of the Dead meets World of Warcraft series is former lonelygirl15 star, Yousef Abu-Taleb. His character, Mike (a waiter who likes to urinate in people’s food) along with his two equally unimpressive roommates (a cubicle drone and a sign-spinner), are all that stand in the wake of the on-coming zombie tide.

Apparently, when zombies attack, the military, law enforcement, or anyone with a decent job is unavailable. So far the three have managed to survive with their brains, such as they are, intact. Although, at this point, it is unknown if these particular zombies are even interested in human brains. After all, it’s LA; the zombies are probably all vegans.

Founded in 2000 as a hub for machinima (3D animation using computer game engines) Machinima, Inc has grown to be one of the top providers of video entertainment aimed at a gamer-centered audience. It’s also one of the most popular channels on YouTube.

Machinima partnered with Epic Level Entertainment to create Bite Me, Machinima’s first live action series. The program was produced with the assistance of YouTube’s Grant Program, as well as support from Microsoft and Capcom. Microsoft’s Xbox and Capcom’s videogame Dead Rising 2, both feature prominently in the series.

There is no question that zombies are currently very popular. Audiences, perhaps having grown tired of sparkling emo vampires, have begun to crave more mayhem and less hair gel from their monsters. Furthermore, there has been no shortage of zombie-themed web series ranging from the John Heder comedy, Woke Up Dead to the more serious Universal Dead, which is currently being turned into a major motion picture. In fact, there is so much source material that zombie could constitute its own Streamy Awards category in 2011.

The first season of Bite Me consists of five episodes, three of which are already available. Given it’s popularity, there’s a strong likelihood it will continue in some form. Maybe we’ll see a second season on the web, or Bite Me could rise up to try to take over television or film. Check it out on YouTube.