2. Red vs Blue: The Blood Gulch Chronicles
The surreal adventures of Sarge and Donut are not the first instances of machinima, but they certainly are the most influential, drawing attention to a medium the vast majority of gamers didn't know existed. On paper, it sounds extremely boring - in-game models of Master Chief act out dialogue written by a bunch of unknown fans. But when you watch it... it's so out-there and absurd that you can't help but smile.
Maybe it works for you, maybe it doesn't, but there's no denying how important this series was for establishing Halo and Master Chief as icons. The games obviously did their part, but a show, well anyone can watch that. It truly opened the door for all other fan-service Halo projects. It also proved that graphics had finally reached a point where one could produce entire shows based on the visuals and the average person could follow along without squinting at blurry N64 textures.
For more on Red vs Blue and Rooster Teeth, head to their official site.
