There’s more Red Shirt Guy news today. As well as the fact that the video of him asking that now famous question of the lore devs at BlizzCon has seen well over 3 million views on YouTube, an Australian website News.com.au conducted an interview with the Red Shirt Guy and it turns out his name is Ian Bates a 17 year old Florida resident.
So far, he’s pleased with the response that Blizzard to the whole thing. A few days ago it was reported that Blizzard Lead World developer Alex Afrasiabi confirmed that the Wildhammer Fact Checker who is standing guard next to the previous missing in action Falstad Wildhammer is now a permanent NPC in honor of Ian’s dedication to Blizzard lore.
Here’s an excerpt from the interview:
Ian said he’s found a “few minor flaws in WoW’s storyline”, but most “can be chalked up to retcons” – moments when an author takes the liberty of changing a story’s history to enable it to continue credibly.
“Falstad is the only major one I’ve found,” he said.
He said while he had been “swamped with messages” about his brush with fame, he was still nervous about the public spotlight and had so far only agreed to a radio interview and a WoW podcast.
Kudos to Blizzard and Alex Afrasiabi for immortalizing the unexpected contribution of of WoW super-fan Ian Bates! I wonder if they’ll also add a lore tag line to the Red Linen Shirt created by the tailoring profession in WoW.
On a related note, thanks for the comments and emails that have been coming in supportive of those suffering with Asperger Syndrome. Hopefully, Blizzard will see fit to support Asperger charities such as the US Asperger Association and the US Autism and Asperger Association given the tremendous awareness that Ian Bates has created with his epic question at BlizzCon 2010.
-Wolfshead
Autism is a developmental disorder that starts in early childhood. Learn the signs, how it’s diagnosed, and how to choose the right therapies, education, and support for your child. Please visit VeryWellHealth to learn more about this disorder.
I was actually surprised at Blizzard’s reaction to this and also the speed in which it was implemented. I agree it is a great move! 🙂
Red Shirt Guy also got some public recognition from one of the top guilds in the world. Not sure if you’ve already seen this, but if not, here’s a link to the story. http://blacksen.com/archives/846
Pretty awesome imho.