Before I started working in the gaming industry, I thought all the big game publishers were as silent and seemingly uncaring as Nintendo. Since then, I found this , where a fan expressed how the game Journey helped her get through her father’s death. The developers of the game read her story and made a video, where the fan got to meet the entire studio of ThatGameCompany. Or the other end of the spectrum, I was recently reminded that humor can make these big companies more human as much as tributes can. Indeed, video games are an important part of our lives and often help us get through the tough times. It warms my heart to see it yet again, this time with Bethesda.
Redditor NoohjXLVII (Andy) posted a very touching story about the death of his father, and subsequently his younger brother. Andy explained that he used Fallout 4 to get through it all. He built a robot with hammer saws, a sentimental nod to his father’s love of wood working. Andy said that traveling the wasteland with this robot was like travelling with his father; that it let him bond with his father.
If that didn’t hit you right in the feels, then Andy’s next update will: “today my younger brother (age 24) is in the ICU… They don’t think he’ll make it.” I’m 25, I can’t even imagine dying right now and I certainly can’t imagine how these brothers felt. According to Andy, the both of them often theorized what they would do if the events of Fallout happened in real life. His brother said he wanted to be a super mutant and Andy wanted to be a ghoul – this way they would travel the wasteland together forever.
Two months after his brother’s death, Andy posted a very surprising update: “Hey guys, it’s me again. I’m the one who posted that depressing post a couple months back, Bethesda responded to that post by turning my brother into a character that you can find in Nuka-World.” No petition, no request to Bethesda. They even sent Andy a care package, according to the comments, without any prompting whatsoever from Andy.
Bethesda, EA, Sony, Microsoft, Ubisoft, BioWare – they’re all usually great at listening to their fans when it really matters. Yet there is one that has never made that list: Nintendo. The last tribute they did was to memorialize their own CEO, Satoru Iwata, but they don’t tend to do anything special for fans. There are plenty of examples of Nintendo not listening, a list too long for here. I still get stuck on this issue because of my love for the Zelda series. I want to believe that the company who made them puts as much care into its fans as it does its games. I’m let down every time. Being able to read stories like Andy’s gives me hope – at least everyone else cares.
I cannot express enough how touching Bethesda’s tribute is. I mean, on one hand it’s great marketing for Bethesda, but on the other hand… It hammers in all the more how important video games are to all who play them. I’ve posted before about how Dragon Age: Origins got me through the misery of unemployment. It’s not nearly as sad a story as Andy’s, but it’s another example of how games help us through the struggles of real life. Andy’s story will live on in the history of gaming – I know I won’t forget it.