GoAnimate Vs Xtranormal (PG13+)

This animation is not a swipe at either GoAnimate or Xtranormal. I'm a strong supporter and user of both sites. The only reason I don't use Xtranormal as much is, as the video points out, it costs REAL money... and, whilst GoAnimate isn't 100% free either, its flexibility (again pointed out in the video) means it's where I get better value for money.

So watch the video and then I'll tell you what it's really all about...



I created this animation as a way to try out Xtranormal's new Stikz theme - which is some weird merger between 2D and 3D animation, resulting in a few awkward angles by the auto camera that really aren't appropriate for the theme (notice some of the side views where the stikz guy's face is almost a line).

Partially inspired by TinyWatchProductions' iPhone4 vs HTC Evo Xtranormal video that went viral on YouTube back in June of 2010 (Just imagine the Xtranormal character as the iPhone4 customer) my animation is a parody of some of the mostly pointless discussions I've been involved with on my Harry Partridge - GoAnimate Responds? animation.

Why people feel the need to blatantly insult GoAnimate and the people who use it and then expect a considered response to their rants I'll never know. Further more, just because they've made up their mind that GoAnimate is worthless why do they think they're going to convince someone, who finds GoAnimate both fun and useful, to agree with their point of view.

I understand GoAnimate isn't for everyone but if people comment negatively, in an insulting way, on my video I'm not going to just sit back and let them get away with it without a rebuttal - for my own twisted amusement, just to see how long I can string out the futility of it all (and to see how long it takes that person to click that they're not getting to me at all).

Back to the video... I doubt Xtranormal users think like the girl in my video. As an Xtranormal user I certainly don't but I thought this animation would be more interesting to contrast two competing animation programs rather than GoAnimate and some random GoAnimate hater.

Both sides of the argument actually contain a light sprinkling of facts about both applications and it's debatable as to which one is hit with the most insults. It seems like GoAnimate is getting the lions share of the negativity but then the Xtranormal user comes across as ignorant, closed minded, slow and short sighted. Finally being revealed as having never tried GoAnimate in order to form her opinion of it.

I do get a laugh out of this nearly every time I view it mostly for the last line "Why would I want to try it? It's shit!" Which sums up for me the attitude of most negative comments. Just think about the line literally. You don't need to actually try shit to know it's shit. If you've decided something is really that bad why would you try it?

There in lies the futility of arguing with people who have already made a decision.