The games industry gets a rough ride at times, getting blamed for all manner of issues. Every now and then however, the games industry gets put to great use and confirmation that Konami are working to help an amputee gamer out is right up there with the good things in this world!
Konami have today announced that they are working with one of the UK’s leading prosthetic limb creators as they aim to create a bespoke bionic arm for a young gamer.
Quite easily inspired by the limb seen in their recent AAA title, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Konami and renowned prosthetics artist Sophie De Oliviera Barata have teams up with a group of engineers, roboticists and product designers in order to produce a highly stylized and multi-functional limb for 25-year-old James Young,
James tragically lost an arm and a leg when he was dragged on to the tracks, between two carriages of the London DLR as it was pulling in, however, despite his loss, he is refuses to let it interrupt his life and hobbies of travel and video games. He has become extremely adept at playing games one-handed, and was carefully selected by Sophie as a candidate comfortable with the idea of an eye-catching alternative limb and who would benefit from the capabilities it offered.
Sophie has established the Alternative Limb Project, wherein users could have a say in their prosthetic, creating limbs that people look at in amazement instead of looking away. With past designs including SteamPunk arms and cyborg-inspired legs, she also designed the crystal leg used by amputee performer Viktoria Modesta during the opening ceremony of the 2012 Paralympics.
Konami obviously liked her work and have instigated the project to highlight the stunning work she produces, with them working closely to create a limb ideally suited to James’ tastes and needs. The production and development of James’ limb is being tracked in a very personal documentary, which will follow the creation and production of the limb, with Sophie and James working together on the project. A huge fan of Metal Gear, James is well aware how many of the themes in the game parallel the challenges and opportunities he faces.
You can find the blog at www.ThePhantomLimbProject.com and Konami are hopeful this and the documentary will showcase the technology being used, the design process from concept to reality, and James getting to grips with the bespoke prosthetic.
You see, the games industry ain’t all that bad is it!
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