"Fallout: New Vegas" Fan's Tour of Duty

I came across this interesting story earlier this week.

Obsidian Entertainment's "Fallout: New Vegas"

It's a news story about a gaming fan of the Obsidian Entertainment game, "Fallout: New Vegas," who did something quite remarkable.

Good Springs General Store - Real Life

Chris Worth, a dedicated British fan of the role-playing video game, was so impressed by the setting - a post-apocalyptic Nevada, that he set out to make the trek to real Nevada and other locations in the American South-West to discover the game's towns and sites in real life.

Good Springs General Store - Virtual

The result is the blog, Fallout: New Vegas Tour, which documents Worth's travels. 

Old Mormon Fort, Las Vegas - Real Life

The blog is fairly engaging with a lot of imagery - pictures of scenes in the game and the locations in real life - usually side by side. There are also comments about each area and how it differs in real life as compared to the setting in the game.

Old Mormon Fort - Virtual

I'm not sure if this is some sort of publicity stunt by Obsidian for their game. But it should be.

Nipton, CA, Town Sign - Real Life

What makes this story interesting is that a fan, and an international one at that, has made the expensive trek - approximately £2000, to see these sites in a dedicated, planned trip.

Nipton, CA, Town Sign - Virtual

It's these sort of stories that can help build the brand of both Obsidian and the Fallout: New Vegas game if the company were to choose to pursue it.

I haven't found any evidence that Obsidian are helping Worth in his efforts. Some great PR could be made if the two crossed paths - maybe inviting Worth for a tour of the Obsidian gaming studios where the game was designed.

It could help bring the fans of the game even closer to the virtual world Obsidian creates.

All pictures of Fallout: New Vegas and real life locations courtesy of Chris Worth.