Tales of the Rampant Coyote

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This is the Kind of Hero We Make Games About

Posted by Rampant Coyote on March 24, 2011

The L.A. Times wrote a pretty awesome article about one Hideaki Akaiwa, 43-year old man of action.

I prefer the more colorful description of the man at Baddass of the Week (warning: strong language). And general awesomeness. Yes, it’s a bit more colorful and embellished, but I think it also paints a better picture of just how dangerous and desperate things were.

The thing is – whenever there is a disaster, there are people like this. There are 50 guys working in the nuclear reactors right now, knowing that the radiation exposure they are taking in now is likely to shorten their lives by a not insignificant (nor painless) amount, because it needs to be done.

I’m sure as time progresses, we’ll hear more stories like this. Maybe not quite as dramatic as Hideaki Akaiwa, but still wonderful tales of heroism and compassion in the face of adversity. My prayers remain with the people of Japan in this disaster.


Filed Under: General - Comments: 5 Comments to Read



  • UDM said,

    About the people left behind in the reactors to take care of the situation, I was discussing this with my buddies the other day too. That these people are throwing more than just their lives in the face of an invisible adversity, to preserve the lives of millions of other strangers whom they don’t know, and probably would never have met – that’s really something else.

    Also, it seems that the Yakuza has been actively involved in providing aid and relief to refugees and survivors. Putting aside any possible conspiracy theories, I think that’s something worth commending too. It’s heartening to see (most) people working together in times of crises.

    And as for Akaiwa, /salute

  • sascha said,

    That guy did the right thing and I would say it takes equal amounts of desperation and courage. What have we learnt from that? Don’t rely on the government or other groups in such a situation and listen to your inner voice.

  • Rampant Coyote said,

    Amen. When the survival of you and yours is at stake, you have to take personal responsibility.

  • Ruber Eaglenest said,

    But this has nothing to do with the heroes of our games. Our heroes tend more towards the genocide side of the spectrum (although genocidal heroes could be equally interesting, like in Shadow of the Colossus).

  • Rampant Coyote said,

    Only if you restrict your view to the most popular mainstream games… 😉 But maybe I should have said, “This is the kind of hero we SHOULD be making more games about.”

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