Blizzard Teams With Make-A-Wish Foundation

Andy Chalk

One Flag, One Fleet, One Cat
Nov 12, 2002
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Blizzard Teams With Make-A-Wish Foundation


Make-A-Wish Foundation [http://www.blizzard.com/] to bring a little light into the life of a 10-year-old boy with a brain tumor.

The diagnosis for Ezra Chatterton is not good, but despite his situation and the prospect of a long and potentially unpleasant regimen of treatment, the boy wanted only one thing - to be allowed to play World of Warcraft [http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/index.xml]. Fortunately for Ezra, his father had an interest in the game as well, and the two were eventually able to begin enjoying the game together. When the Make-A-Wish Foundation contacted them, he knew exactly what he wanted.

Faced with a time crunch, Blizzard reacted very quickly. Ezra and his father, Micah, were brought to Blizzard headquarters in Irvine, California, where he spent the day helping with the creation of a new flame-shooting crossbow as well as a character, a Tauren [http://www.blizzard.com/wow/townhall/tauren.shtml]named Ahab Wheathoof. He also recorded voice-overs for the character, helped design a new quest, and was even able to insert his dog, Kyle, into the game. As a final touch, the team bumped Ezra's character from level 63 to level 70, outfitting him with the best gear and piles of gold.

Ezra spent almost seven hours with the Blizzard team, and came away exhausted but thrilled. "If Blizzard is listening, I'd like to say thank you for everything you've done for my character to make him so good," he said. "I want to thank them for making the quest of the lost dog and the Old Rancher and all the stuff they gave us." Ezra began treatment for his tumor on Tuesday; Blizzard will incorporate his changes to the game within the next four weeks.


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Russ Pitts

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May 1, 2006
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Is it wrong that I'm even partially considering being outraged that they broke the fourth wall for this kid and magic-bumped him to 70th level, etc?
 

Logan Frederick

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Aug 19, 2006
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Under most circumstances, I would agree that the meritocracy of MMOs should not be tampered with. Except when brain tumors are involved.
 

Joe

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Jul 7, 2006
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Russ Pitts said:
Is it wrong that I'm even partially considering being outraged that they broke the fourth wall for this kid and magic-bumped him to 70th level, etc?
Yes.
 

Blaxton

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Dec 14, 2006
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Joe said:
Russ Pitts said:
Is it wrong that I'm even partially considering being outraged that they broke the fourth wall for this kid and magic-bumped him to 70th level, etc?
Yes.
I second that.

This thread makes me feel like Virgin Suicides did... painful, but too funny not to laugh.
 

Russ Pitts

The Boss of You
May 1, 2006
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Joe said:
Russ Pitts said:
Is it wrong that I'm even partially considering being outraged that they broke the fourth wall for this kid and magic-bumped him to 70th level, etc?
Yes.
Just checking. I had a feeling sick kids trumped all cynicism, I just wanted to be sure.
 

Joe

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Jul 7, 2006
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It's cool. This was a stale yellow on the cynicism highway. Total judgment call.
 

Myan

I Want to Go to There!
Dec 16, 2003
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Russ Pitts said:
Is it wrong that I'm even partially considering being outraged that they broke the fourth wall for this kid and magic-bumped him to 70th level, etc?
Ok, I'll be the contrarian here.

No, you shouldn't be outraged. Mainly because his bumped character will more than likely be, sadly, short-lived due to his medical status. And hence have very little influence, if any, on his server's economy.
 

Russ Pitts

The Boss of You
May 1, 2006
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Wow, Myan. Way to take it to the dark place.

But that's exactly what has me bunched up about this. Yes, it's awesome that Blizzard is willing to bat for the poor kid and make his dreams come true, and I suppose this is more like giving him a hundred free Wendy's Frostee coupons than altering the state of the game in any permanent way. But still. I have a hard time believing there aren't going to be ripples spreading outward from this.

Stale yellow = Go very fast.
 

Joe

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Jul 7, 2006
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I see where you're coming from, but then I repeat the mantra: "It's just a game." Really, giving a dying kid his last wish trumps a bunch of auction house freaks bitching about a crossbow they'll never interact with.

As much as I hate everyone, I can't get too worked up about Make a Wish and the people who accommodate it. Making a kid's short life even marginally better does more for him and his family than games, or anything else, normally could for anyone. This kid will never drive a car, go to college, kiss a girl (of course, aforementioned auction house freaks might not do so hot on this front either) or, you know, live past 11. Toss him some gear if it puts a smile on his face. His parents won't have that many to remember.
 

Russ Pitts

The Boss of You
May 1, 2006
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I'm with you, Joe. And I'm totally playing devil's advocate here, because I don't play WoW (or any MMOG) and give probably less of a crap than you do, if I'm being honest.

But I think the "it's just a game" mantra is a cop out, especially for those of us who make our living, like lampreys on the shark, from those who take these games just as seriously as their own real lives, if not more. There are games we take pretty seriously, too, Mr. Yankees fan. So "it's just a game" while accurate, is a bit of a canard in this case.

Still, giving a dying kid a chance to feel awesome is cool, and I'm glad they did it for him. I'm just wondering if anyone, at any level had to soul search a bit about breaking the rules in this case.