Metal Gear Solid 5 places players in the control of a character that after a 9-year coma discovers his left arm has been removed. This concept is a difficult one to fully understand when playing the character, but for many this is a reality. Konami, publishers of Metal Gear, are trying to make one man’s life a bit easier.
Working with world renowned prosthetics artist, Sophie De Oliviera Barata and a team of engineers, roboticists and designers to produce a multi-functional limb with a Metal Gear aesthetic for the young 25-year-old James Young.
James, who lost his arm when he was dragged between two carriages of the London DLR as it was pulling in, is an avid gamer. A fan of the Metal Gear Solid game series, he has become adept at playing games one handed. He was selected for the project, as someone who would benefit from the prosthetic and would appreciate the MGS inspired design that was planned for the project.
The production of the limb for James will be cataloged in a personal documentary. It will follow James along with Sophie as they work together to build this new limb for James. Konami will be documenting the process on a new blog created at www.ThePhantomLimbProject.com.
It is always good to see a company help out people in need. The challenges James faces are ones that millions of people face, and even if it is just a small gesture, helping one is a commendable move by Konami. We will have to see how the overall project processes and how the new limb will help James in his everyday life.
The Blog will go live today, with the documentary being released after the completion of the project in January.