Take a Real-Life Tour of the New Vegas Wasteland

Andy Chalk

One Flag, One Fleet, One Cat
Nov 12, 2002
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Take a Real-Life Tour of the New Vegas Wasteland

A U.K. man's photos and videos of Las Vegas and the Mojave desert provide a fun and fascinating look at the differences and many similarities between real life and the virtual world of Fallout: New Vegas [http://www.amazon.com/Fallout-New-Vegas-Pc/dp/B002SU4QG4/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1306176230&sr=8-3].

Chris Worth of the U.K. recently spent $3000 and the better part of a week touring and taking photos of the Mojave Desert, not because he has some deep-rooted affinity for barren landscapes [although he does describe the American west as one of his favorite places on Earth] but because of his affection for the "brilliant" post-nuclear RPG Fallout: New Vegas. He wanted to see how the real-world versions of various New Vegas locales compared to those in the game, and while he acknowledged that it was a "fundamentally silly thing to do," he noted that life itself is fundamentally silly too, so we might as well roll with it.

And roll with it he did, tracking down 34 separate New Vegas hotspots in the real world. Many of them, like Goodsprings, Primm and The Devil's Throat, exist in our reality, while others, like Novac, are entirely fictional creations meant to "inspire the spirit of the Mojave Wasteland."
[gallery=251]
Interestingly, Worth said he doesn't actually consider himself a gamer and claimed that New Vegas had been his first RPG since the 80s. "After years of not having even a TV, I bought an Xbox - along with a stack of other gear - when I moved back to London recently after some time away doing an MBA," he told News.com.au [http://www.news.com.au/technology/gaming/virtual-las-vegas-the-fallout-fans-ultimate-road-trip/story-e6frfrt9-1226055488463]. "I'd played the usual stack of Xbox titles - Halo, Forza, Mass Effect - and enjoyed them, but New Vegas was the first that really grabbed me and didn't let go."

Worth's photo-comparisons are a lot of fun and a real testament to the authenticity of Obsidian's work. It's also a sign, I think, that no matter what he says, Worth really is a gamer at heart. What we've got here are just a few highlights from his collection, so be sure to check out the whole thing [it really is quite impressive] at FalloutNewVegasTour.com [http://www.falloutnewvegastour.com/].


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John the Gamer

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May 2, 2010
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Fun, though maybe a little too dedicated. I thought the game was a job well done when I noticed the map looked almost the same as the one on google maps... Then again I'm not an American so what do I know.
 

Thyunda

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May 4, 2009
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It's something to do, isn't it? It actually sounds fun. Kudos to him for actually getting out and doing something amazingly pointless.
 

geizr

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Oct 9, 2008
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Nice picts, and, yes, life is only what you make of it. Rather than waste time sitting around bitterly grumbling about things, get out and do something fun and crazy for once.
 

DustyDrB

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Jan 19, 2010
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Hey, I was just looking at these on a different site a few days ago. It's still cool, though.
 

nekoali

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I really loved the fact that the signs for the real life Nipton were advertising the lottery. :)
 

valhala89

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geizr said:
Nice picts, and, yes, life is only what you make of it. Rather than waste time sitting around bitterly grumbling about things, get out and do something fun and crazy for once.
but... but... DRM sucks
 

AmrasCalmacil

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nekoali said:
I really loved the fact that the signs for the real life Nipton were advertising the lottery. :)
I think I read somewhere that Nipton's historic for a lottery.
I guess Caesar's Legion knew that too.

I remember looking over the Mojave when I was looking at Area 51 on google maps.
Was surprised about places like Goodsprings existing. New Vegas is pretty damn accurate to the area if you scale it down and allow for a few errors.
 

DustyDrB

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ace_of_something said:
That's all well and good but where is the deathclaw cave's real life equivalent? I need to get me some XP.
Don't you think you should take on some powder gangers and gecko before and work your way up to the Deathclaw? I'd hate to see something happen to ya.
 
Apr 28, 2008
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I love how the game is all washed out color-wise, while the pictures show that there's plenty of color to be had. Don't know why developers seem to leave out color.

Although the in-game dino pick is more vibrant then the real life dino pick, but thats the one exception I'm seeing.

I'd look at more of the pictures, but his site doesn't seem to be loading.
 

Avatar Roku

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Irridium said:
I love how the game is all washed out color-wise, while the pictures show that there's plenty of color to be had. Don't know why developers seem to leave out color.

Although the in-game dino pick is more vibrant then the real life dino pick, but thats the one exception I'm seeing.

I'd look at more of the pictures, but his site doesn't seem to be loading.
They actually played with color a lot in the game. Jacobstown is one of the most vibrant, colorful places I've ever seen in a game, whereas all the color is intentionally bleached out of Camp Forlorn Hope. Interesting stuff.
 

Andy Chalk

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Nov 12, 2002
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Irridium said:
I love how the game is all washed out color-wise, while the pictures show that there's plenty of color to be had. Don't know why developers seem to leave out color.
Probably because of the post-nuclearosity of the setting. Nothing says "blasted and bleak" like a washed-out palette.

shadic_Z said:
where's primm? thats a real place to
It's in the collection. He's got 34 locations covered, with multiple photos for just about all of them, so if you want to see the whole collection you'll have to check out his blog.
 

Thatguyky

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May 23, 2011
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That's pretty awesome. Kudos to that guy. If I ever go to Vegas I'm going to be keeping an eye out for these places. :p
 

pepitko

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Sep 23, 2009
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Great finds, that should totally be a tour in Vegas. I'd really love to go and see these "gaming landmarks."
 

redisforever

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I wonder how many people that live in Las Vegas recognize places from games like New Vegas, and Rainbow Six Vegas.
 

Spartanmk1

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Feb 14, 2011
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Home sweet home. Well, maybe Home 200 miles from home. I got some Nipton pictures of my own, as well as Search Light and Cotton Wood Cove. I've been on Nellis Air Force base, and I've stayed at Primm quite a lot.

I love my Mojave Desert.