The video game industry can often seem like a cold, unforgiving place. With big companies often in the news for negative reasons, it can seem like so many people are out to exploit somebody else. It is almost enough to make people feel bad for being gamers. Rest assured, however, that there are beacons of light within gaming that only became possible because of the medium.
These stories all show that there is goodness in the various gaming communities and even within some companies. Gaming has become a more communal activity thanks to the popularity of online multiplayer, so a lot of these have to do with people coming together to help others.
8 Online Friends Help A Gamer Escape A War Zone
GiantBomb user Evilrazer made a blog post in 2014 detailing his experience fleeing the Ukrainian city Luhansk after the war broke out. He had to immediately pack up and leave to other parts of the country. He said it was hard to find work in other parts of Ukraine because of discrimination at the time.
The most help he received was from the people he played with online in games like Left 4 Dead and Team Fortress. They gave him enough supplies and money to leave the country and find asylum.
7 People Meet And Sometimes Get Married In World Of Warcraft
MMORPGs are all about the organic interactions between players and the relationships that form. Sometimes these relationships go the distance, resulting in marriage. Several couples have either met in World of Warcraft or ended up getting married within the game.
On a related note, Japan even offers weddings themed around Final Fantasy XIV. We just hope these couples live happily ever after. No one knows how divorce proceedings go in World of Warcraft.
6 Many Gamers Advocate For Increased Accessibility Options
Gaming should be for everyone and there are many who dedicate their lives to this philosophy. Numerous gamers spend much of their time advocating for accessibility in gaming. A notable name is Sara Winters. Winters is legally blind and doctors prescribed video games to help improve her sight, and much attention has been brought to the accessibility issues surrounding her situation.
Another advocate for accessibility in gaming is Steven Spohn, who works with the AbleGamers charity to raise money and find new ways to get video games in the hands of those who normally would not be able to play them. Gaming can especially help combat the social isolation some medical conditions cause.
5 Final Fantasy 14 Composer Publicly Announces He Is In Remission
During an event for Final Fantasy XIV, composer Masayoshi Soken revealed that he was in remission after a long battle with cancer. During the announcement, he said he worked on music even while in the hospital. This was kept a secret from much of the development team who only found out during the event.
The game's director, Naoki Yoshida, broke down in tears and took minutes to pull himself back together to keep talking. Before anyone starts thinking this is a case of someone being made to work through a serious illness, Masayoshi Soken assures everyone it was his desire to keep working and the schedule helped him maintain a sense of normalcy during his treatments. He credits the fans and the team with helping him pull through.
4 Alexei Pajitnov And Henk Rogers Become Friends Through Tetris
Alexei Pajitno first created Tetris in 1984. Due to the way laws worked in the Soviet Union, he had no claim to the intellectual property. He only started getting royalties for the game in 1996. Long before then, he struck up a lasting friendship with Henk Rogers that continues to this day.
Henk Rogers is responsible for working out the complicated licensing issues when bringing the title to the west. The story around Tetris' origins is long and filled with tension, so it is great to see a beautiful friendship sprout from it.
3 Streamers Help People All The Time
Some people roll their eyes at the idea of streamers and watching people play games. However, the subculture has done a lot to help people on both an individual level and on a larger scale. Charity streams and community-wide events happen frequently to help out various organizations.
Additionally, streamers have reached out to viewers in trouble. Outside video games, other streamers have been seen helping out strangers in trouble on stream.
2 Runescape Servers Remained Open For A Little Longer To Help Someone Finish The Last Quest
When the original Runescape servers were on their way to closure, many players jumped back in to experience the original one last time. One player was incredibly close to the finish line when the countdown timer started.
He started crying and lamenting how it was going to end. The developers caught wind of this and actually extended the timer to let him finish the quest before closing down the servers forever.
1 Developers And Fans Often Pay Tribute To Deceased Players
There is almost nothing more tragic than someone's untimely passing. Paying tribute to friends and loved ones often helps with the mourning process. Both fans and developers memorialize those who left the world too soon.
Gearbox even immortalized two deceased fans with an NPC and a weapon. Blizzard paid tribute to Robin Williams with an NPC modeled after Genie from Aladdin. These are just two of many examples. It won't bring them back, but it helps a piece of them live on a little longer.