Paralyzed kid to be in next Ratchet game

looney-bin · #1 04-18-2007, 12:59 PM

http://ps3.ign.com/articles/781/781429p1.html

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US, April 17, 2007 - ABC's popular reality television show, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition has made a habit of helping families in need. Domiciles made up of returning war veterans, devastated tornado victims, and selfless hurricane Katrina volunteers are just a few of many that have benefited from a surprise household remodeling. Now, the folks at Insomniac Games want to pitch in and help out a family too.

On Extreme Makeover: Home Edition's April 22 episode, the Burbank, California-based developer will unveil a digital version of 9-year-old James Westbrook for use in Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction.

Westbrook, the victim of a car accident that left him paralyzed in July 2006, never lost his passion for playing videogames or the desire to design one of his own. James' father, SFC Gene Westbrook, was paralyzed himself when he was hit by a mortar at an American mess hall in Baghdad, Iraq two years earlier.

Among the obvious personal struggles the family found themselves dealing with, moving two wheelchairs around a house that wasn't built for them was yet another problem. Enter Extreme Makeover and Insomniac Games:

"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."

In one week's time, Insomniac's entire 160-person studio came together to produce the playable version of James, complete with his own flying saucer, in what typically takes an entire month.

"We're still finalizing the details of James' in-game character," said Ryan Schneider, Marketing Director, Insomniac Games. "We have the basic gameplay mechanic down, but how we incorporate that into Ratchet and Clank Future is still being determined."

Leto · #2 04-18-2007, 01:33 PM

...good?

Because it's always been my gaming dream to have a playable handicap parking space.

Zerox · #3 04-18-2007, 01:41 PM

Maybe they'd put him in the Insomniac museumk or something. There was one in both Ratchet and Clank 2 & 3.
That's awesome, nice of 'em to do something like that.

Voodoo Hand · #4 04-18-2007, 02:53 PM

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...good?

Because it's always been my gaming dream to have a playable handicap parking space.

So very wrong,............but so very funny.

Havoc · #5 04-18-2007, 03:09 PM

Okay this is just plain stupid on OH so many levels... I find Extreme Home Makeover already being overly dramatic about the families they help, this is taking way to far... publicity stunt ftw!

Havoc

***Nate*** · #6 04-18-2007, 04:00 PM

Face it: sob-stories get ratings.

Havoc · #7 04-18-2007, 05:03 PM

My house could use a renovation... you think my life story + jumping in front of a bulldozer might get me that extra room I always wanted so badly? I certainly hope so!

Havoc

Jordan · #8 04-19-2007, 10:17 AM

This is wrong...

That poor boy, what if his head can't get through places?

Laser · #9 04-21-2007, 04:43 AM

well its better than puttin that kid in the next GTA VI as a hijakerable wheelchair

Havoc · #10 04-21-2007, 10:19 AM

I'd be all for that... being able to whack old grandpa's out of his wheelchair and then grab it yourself and roll around the city killing people. That would TOTALLY own. It's already fun to scare the old people in Saints Row and see how they are trying to run away as fast as they can, imagine crippled people

.

snuzi · #11 04-21-2007, 10:23 AM

I just got the imagine of them trying to crawl away or wheel the hell out of there as fast as they can. Holy shit is that funny

. Insensitive, but funny regardless.

skillyaslig · #12 04-21-2007, 11:16 PM

Plah! so getting parazlyed means you get free stuff and moola eh? Stupid world and all those who live on it...I hate that kind of crap.

Strike Witch · #13 04-22-2007, 03:50 AM

....So can you ride him?

Hobo · #14 04-22-2007, 08:08 AM

Oh man, these cripple kids have the BEST lives.

Especially the terminal ones!

OANST · #15 04-22-2007, 09:21 AM

Seriously. Let's all pour our derision on these game makers for making the life of a crippled child just a bit more tolerable. Boo, Insomniac. Boo, I say.

Havoc · #16 04-22-2007, 11:24 AM

We going on the 'he is crippled so he is miserable' tour now? He's crippled, big F*CKING deal! Life sucks, deal with it. Just because you're in a wheel chair doesn't mean you're suddenly special and should be treated as such. And people who think they are special just because they ARE in a wheelchair should be rolled down 120 flights of stairs. THEN they'll be special.

OANST · #17 04-22-2007, 11:29 AM

You're the dumbest person I've ever heard of.

Havok.

Havoc · #18 04-22-2007, 11:55 AM

If by dumb you mean; Telling it like it is and not being afraid to stand up for his own opinion, then yea, I'm an absolute idiot.

OANST · #19 04-22-2007, 11:59 AM

You sure are.

Havok.

Patrick Vykkers · #20 04-22-2007, 01:52 PM

Every minute of the day, I can't help but praise OANST for how well chosen his avatar is.

looney-bin · #21 04-22-2007, 01:55 PM

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Every minute of the day, I can't help but praise OANST for how well chosen his avatar is.

Yeah. It's asthough the mudokon's saying it. lol

Daxter King · #22 04-22-2007, 02:04 PM

This is really stupid. "You're crippled, you're in a video game!" WTF? What about all the other crippled people what do they get to do? Bask in the glory of some large headed kid? This is the complete opposite of equal rights, which the US was almost originally made for.

OANST · #23 04-22-2007, 02:41 PM

Noone has the right to be in a ****ing video game. They just did something nice for one kid.

Voodoo Hand · #24 04-23-2007, 01:39 PM

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I'm an absolute idiot.

I quite agree.
It`s tragic that you were not born 70 some years earlier.
The NAZIS could have used a good man like you when they were occupying Holland in the 40ies.

A kid in a wheelchair , his dad in a wheelchair, now here`s some folks we can really make fun of.

What a bunch of self-centered cry babies ," WHAAA....Someone is doing something nice for this kid, and I never get anything, and I am normal".

Let the kid have his day, it no skin off your ass.

And Havoc, don`t think it can`t happen to you, I am sure you are aware of the ROY HORN incident, and that f*ucking tiger loved him.
Now that he is just another cripple , we should disrespect and ridicule him, Right ?

:

If by dumb you mean; Telling it like it is and not being afraid to stand up for his own opinion, then yea, I'm an absolute idiot.

No, your not " Telling it like it is", your telling it like you think it is.

They are just your opinions, why are they always persented like Universal Truths ?

Daxter King · #25 04-23-2007, 02:23 PM

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No, your not " Telling it like it is", your telling it like you think it is.

They are just your opinions, why are they always persented like Universal Truths ?

Anyone can say the same about you. Point is just because he is crippled it doesn't mean he deserves to be in a videogame. If they put a normal kid in the game, most of the people would be mad. But no, he is crippled, he gets to be in it!

Voodoo Hand · #26 04-23-2007, 02:54 PM

:

Anyone can say the same about you. Point is just because he is crippled it doesn't mean he deserves to be in a videogame. If they put a normal kid in the game, most of the people would be mad. But no, he is crippled, he gets to be in it!

That being said, I guess your option would be to e-mail Insomniac Games
and inforn them that their act of charity will ruin your game experience.

That`ll show um

Leto · #27 04-24-2007, 01:28 AM

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No, your not " Telling it like it is", your telling it like you think it is.

Oh my ****ing god, you take the cake.

You win. :D

looney-bin · #28 04-24-2007, 06:57 AM

I think Voodoo takes Havoc too seriously.

SeaRex · #29 04-24-2007, 11:39 AM

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They are just your opinions, why are they always persented like Universal Truths ?

Havoc has more in common with fundamentalist Christians than he'd like to admit. It's said that we hate that which we see in ourselves, after all.

Unfortunately, you lose game because you compared someone to a Nazi.

Havoc · #30 04-24-2007, 12:46 PM

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No, your not " Telling it like it is", your telling it like you think it is.

They are just your opinions, why are they always persented like Universal Truths ?

Well unless my 'thought' of this kid getting to be in a video game because he happens to be crippled is false, then I think I'm pretty much telling it how it is. I have nothing against him being in a videogame, I have something against the over dramatic way this is shown in the news and on Extreme Home Make Over. Have you ever seen this show? It's a fun show yea but totally f*cking drama queen every single episode. And this just takes the cake. If it would have been a stand alone thing, video game company randomly caring for a crippled kid then hey, good for the kid. This is just advertisement.

Havoc