PlayStation has released a touching video of the story of Emmanuel, a massive fan of the God of War series, and Santa Monica Studios coming together to give him a behind the scenes glimpse of the next title in the franchise. Titled “Makers and Gamers,” the video shows us the once in a life time opportunity for hard working Emmanuel from Mexico, to travel to meet Corey Barlog, the Creative Director at Santa Monica Studios. He received access to the developer’s studios, and also attended the E3 Conference as a guest with Barlog.
The poignant message throughout the 13 minute YouTube video is that game developers have a genuine impact on the community of fans. This impact can help players gain fresh impetus in achieving goals in their real life, as is the case with Emmanuel.
Emmanuel Mojica Rosas finds real affinity with the goals of the protagonist from God of War, the immortal Kratos. The determination Kratos possesses in achieving the seemingly un-achievable gave Emmanuel the drive to become the first person from his family to complete his studies at university, and then go on to become an English teacher at a local school. God of War is also behind his passion for the English language, as he found himself learning the dialogue in order to keep up with the dramatic events of the series.
Corey Barlog decided that Emmanuel would be perfect to invite along to Santa Monica and witness the evolution of the next game in the series. The new game sees Kratos and his son try to find their way among the fierce beasts and frozen landscape of Norse mythology. Emmanuel is visibly moved at the opportunity, and responds well to what he is shown, including his attendance at a premier of the gameplay trailer, where we are given our first glimpse at the new mechanics and weapons that players will be able to utilize in their struggles.
The Makers and Gamers video gives us a great look at the community heart of what makes video games so important to modern society around the globe. It is pleasing to see that Santa Monica Studios recognizes the reason behind making great games. Not just to make money, but to offer people a chance at escapism from their daily struggles away from the screen.