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Konami announces plans to help develop a prosthetic limb inspired by Snake’s in Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain for a young double amputee gamer.
Konami ‘s newest initiative is called The Phantom Limb Project, in which the Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Limb publisher will work with Sophie de Oliveira Barata and her team of engineers, roboticists, and product designers to construct a “highly stylized and multi-functional” limb for the 25-year-old amputee gaming fan James Young. Young lost an arm and a leg after being pulled onto the tracks between two separate trains of the London DLR metro system.
Although Young is without two arms, the man is a hardcore fan of video games, as he continues to partake in the medium. In fact, ever since the incident, he’s taught himself to rely solely on his right hand when wielding a controller. However, Barata and Konamiseek to restore his left limb completely in a bid to make Young’s physical interaction with the world more manageable.
Barata’s Alternative Limb Projectis different from other organizations in that it collaborates with amputees in need on distinctive designs for their prostheses. After all, it makes sense for the one wearing the new appendage to be comfortable with its shape and style.
Sophie de Oliveira Barata’s past work is rather dynamic, ranging from steampunk arms to legs resembling those of a cyborg’s. For those completely unfamiliar with the artist’s conceptual flair, Barata’s production of the “crystal leg” worn by performer Viktoria Modesta in the opening ceremony of the 2012 Paralympics is probably the most recognizable of her creations.
With Young being a fan of Konami’s stealth action series, the studio felt compelled to assist with the enterprise, and is helping chronicle the project with a 3-part documentary that will log the entire process’ progress. There’s no telling what the final product will look like, but there’s a possibility that it could resemble the bionic arm worn by Snakein MGS 5 .
As of late, Konami’s name has rarely been associated with news as optimistic and uplifting as this particular story. For starters, the studio had an extremely public falling out with one of the industry’s most prominent creators, as Konami and Hideo Kojima’s relationshipended very badly. Not to mention, a few months ago, there were claims that the company’s treatment of its employees was terrible, with Nekkei releasing a damning work environment report. Nevertheless, it’s always possible for some ships to correct their course, so it’s nice to hear of the Japan-based firm helping create some positive change in this world of ours with The Phantom Limb Project.
Konami ‘s most recent game, Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain is currently available for the PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
Source: The Phantom Limb Project(via GameSpot)