Man, you gotta love a studio like Insomniac. Not only are they one of the best companies in America to work for and, I'm told, shower their employees with money and naked attractive people on a daily basis, but they've also got hearts the size of Buicks. The word on IGN is that Insomniac, in partnership with popular tear-jerking television show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, will unveil a digital version of 9-year-old James Westbrook for use in their upcoming Ratchet and Clank Future on the PS3.
James was paralyzed in a car accident in July of 2006 and his father, SFC Gene Westbrook, was also paralyzed in Iraq two years prior. His family's house, as you might suspect, wasn't really equipped to handle two wheelchairs roaming about, so Extreme Makeover stepped in to do something about it. Seeing as how young James is a huge gamer, Insomniac stepped in too. In the span of a single week, the company's 160 employees all focused on the sole task of creating a playable James, complete with flying saucer, for use in Ratchet and Clank Future.
"We were immediately moved to do something special for the Westbrook family when we learned about their tragic situation and James' passion for videogames design," said Ted Price, Insomniac Games' founder and CEO. "For all of us at Insomniac, this opportunity to help such an amazing family with our game-making experience was a real honor. We've never inserted a member of the public into our videogames, and we think it's incredibly appropriate that James will be the first gamer to enjoy that unique experience."
The big surprise was foisted upon the Westbrook family as they were introduced to their new home. If you want to be reduced to a snivelling, blubbering sentimental mess along with your favorite Linde, you can catch the episode of Extreme Makeover on April 22nd on ABC.
And to Insomniac: thanks for giving us some really, really great news.
[Via IGN]
Contest:
1:34 AM on 04.18.2007
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I think you found a number 11.
The likelihood you'd see this on anything other than a game-related site is doubtful. Which is sad, especially when you see how many good, wonderful people there are in the gaming community, but all those people are ignored when a douchebag like Jack Thompson has to blabber incessantly about things he knows nothing about.
With this being on a mainstream TV channel, maybe, just maybe, people will start to see games in a more positive light.
This announcement came at the perfect time.
but seriously, this is awesome.
good for James!
Thank you Insomniac, sincerely.
Great Job, Insomniac. Not only do your games kick ass, but you guys have your hearts in the right place.
coolest nicest thing anyone in the game industry done all year
It's obvious this was done way before VT, it's about to air. And they do crazy stuff like that all the time on the show, especially for kids. Why? Because it's heartwarming to see average families that life has shit on have something awesome happen to them. It's a tv show, not an international aid organization.
Ask yourself the same thing for Bill Gates donating a few billion to starving kids in Africa. Is he being adventageous to try and better himself?
Fuck no, the man has more money than he could ever spend so he donates a large chunk of it to people who need it way worse than he does.
If someone who has a better opportunity tries to help someone less fortunate, it's a great equalizer and commentary on how we're all human and we all could use some help now and then. I think what Insomniac did was awesome and something they totally didn't have to do, and now this kid has a fantastic positive memory that'll carry with him for years. Heh, you never know where he might end up.
CliffyB showed up in the initial issue of Nintendo Power, and now look where he ended up.
Sure it's cool for the kid now, but it can't be looked at as anything more than pity. The kid likes games, great! But to put him into a game just to PUT HIM INTO IT? Yay I get to play a handicapped kid in the next ratchet and clank?
It's stupid and pointless to me. Maybe give the kid a tour of the studio and a free playstation 3. But putting him into the game certainly isn't doing the game any favors, and will just turn out to be some sappy anecdote about it in the future.
I'd rather be immortalized forever in some work of some sorts than having some free material stuff.
It's still going to be pretty dopey in the game. I know! Why don't we just have every big video game have a make-a-wish style character in it! Then everyone will weep and feel better about themselves for caring for the handicapped.
God, I'm a dick.
Heh, I remember how into video games I was as a nine year old. If Nintendo had told me I was actually in whatever new game was coming out, I would have lost it. I can't think of a cooler thing to give a young-gamer.
However, if they can improve the lives of someone, and at the same time give them a truly memorable experience by letting them be a part of something that they love very dearly, in this case video games, then I'm all for it. Which I think they do, they gives these people a chance to do things that they weren't capable of before, as well as sometimes pay off their debts or whatever so that they don't have all that drama and stress added onto what they were already having to deal with in the first place.
When I first married his mom, it was his dream to develop video games. I'm really not sure why, but lately that's just not the case. It could be that he sees me working from home and providing a decent home, it could be that he's realizing that video games aren't the only thing in the world, I don't know. What I hate to see, though, is such a specific dream go to waste. He's a great kid when he wants to be and even though he's gone through life with more stress and heartache than many of us could dream of, he's always thinking of less fortunate people around the holidays, or asking what we can do to help a bum on the street while driving by. C'mon, what 11 year old does that?
MAJOR kudos to Insomniac AND Extreme Makeover for this. I will definitely be watching it, and will have my step-son right next to me watching it. I hope it rekindles that fire in his dream.
huff huff.
"Extreme Home Makeover is INCREDIBLY exploitative, both of the family's tragedies and of the viewers' emotions. Every week it's another horrible story about a family that had way too many kids for their own good (in a world where some women set themselves on fire when they discover they are pregnant, and where the American ecological footprint is INSANE), and then something shitty happened to them where they can't take care of said kids."
Dude, have you watched the show? That's a complete BS description of what actually goes on. I'm not a fan of it, but my girl watches it every week and the things that happen to these families are beyond their control. They didn't put themselves in the situations they had to face, nearly all the time it's natural disaster or a severe medical condition. Read about a few of the families they've helped, like say... this one. The dad, and later his two daughters became blind in their teens due to a medical condition he was unaware he could pass on. Except his son, who was born deaf. Or this woman, who ADOPTED and took care of 18 special needs kids, even though she had myasthenia gravis herself. They lost their home in a fire due to faulty wiring, and the insurance would only cover the mortage. Yes, they do gimmicky themed things for the kids, and it's often cheesy and sappy. Yes, it often involves corporate sponsors. But they go to this effort to help people whose lives have taken horrible turns, and I personally love seeing the faces of the families when they see all that has been done for them. I thought you were liberal, man. :) Love the show btw, say hi to the Geek for me.