If you’re a supporter of the Fallout series’ post-apocalyptic world, you are surely aiming to make yourself available at the live event tonight. Seriously, make your night free. Todd Howard, a prominent figure from Bethesda and probably the one who is mostly credited for the existence of Fallout, if not by many, is going to give a live event. And he’s not going to do it solo. The executive producer and the head of the Fallout TV series Geneva Robertson-Dworet is his partner. They will have a so-called informal talk straight from screening where Will Neff will be the one to lead the discussion. Just to make it clear, all this is happening at LA’s Lighthouse Theatre. And the event is going to be on the official Fallout Twitch channel starting at 7 PM PT, so, please, do not miss the chance, mark it on your calendar, set an alarm, and do whatever it takes!
What is the issue then? This is without a doubt a daring move. What about screening the new season and then the director and one of the producers get to have a public conversation? Well, it wouldn’t be the case, had there not been a promotional tweet. This is merely a sign, it says the games are so deeply connected to the Amazon series that you could not separate them even if you tried, just like with a Deathclaw’s grip. They have not only let the show breathe in its own atmosphere but also the game’s creative head has been brought in to talk about it which is the main attraction for the gamers who have been around for years, living with the uncertainty of how the show fits into the canon. The presence of Geneva Robertson-Dworet indicates the very thing that this is one vision. Or at least, it’s a powerful aspiration, if not a complete understanding on their part.
The announcement was very straightforward, it simply gave the facts with a link. And what were the replies? The replies are nothing but a Wasteland of a different nature. Twitch turmoil. It’s hard to grasp, but the first thing that users like Shaher Mia do is to ask the most critical question, for instance, Shaher quotes someone with the phrase ‘Will there be Twitch Drops?’ Yes, that is the real gamer mindset right there. A cool icon for watching? That seems totally reasonable. Hustle is another way of engagement, like with MandaTWT who was just so happy to see Will Neff hosting: ‘WILLNEFF!? Absolutely, so glad for him and very proud!’. This is the touching side of the community.
But wait, what was I just saying? Oh yes, then it becomes… odd. Quite a few of the replies are just spammy nonsense, users tagging each other and offering them the site for advertising their stuff: ‘Exposureonlyfan’ or ‘Unitedbabess’. It was as if the bots had taken over the thread for a brief moment. And, yes, the classic complaints about Twitch were also mentioned. One user, ChoicelessBag, expressed a mini-rant: ‘everyday I avoid your spams ADS and I am proud of making you lose money.’ Another, zRyan, simply pleaded, ‘twitch unban me PLEASE.’ It’s a beautiful and messy snapshot of the platform.
Moreover, no one can ever talk about Fallouts without someone referencing that game. media_trex and OverkillTTV almost at the same time voiced their disagreement: ‘It’s a shame 76 was a flop, I was intrigued by the idea of it, but what a grind it was.’ It’s quite ironic that during an event promoting the TV series, Fallout 76’s ghost keeps popping up. It’s like that one cousin whom nobody talks about at the family reunion but you can still sense their presence around. The players’ memory is strong and they will not allow Todd to forget it, not even if he is discussing the show.
What will the ‘fireside chat’ be like? Usually, a ‘screener’ is a term that refers to the audience that the people in the theater have seen the episodes. So Todd and Geneva will most probably be there with comments based on that recent buzz and perhaps dropping some hints about Season Two. Will Neff as a host is a good choice. He is familiar with the gaming world, knows streaming well, and can probably ask the questions that the chat is shouting about. The most important thing is synergy. They will want to show how the new narratives of the series, possibly even new settings like New Vegas which we saw hinted at in the end of Season One, relate back to the games that we cherish. It’s all about strengthening that bridge even more.
For gamers, it is not only a talk show; it is a direct line. Todd Howard rarely chooses such public live formats in his live Q&A sessions. When he speaks, the ones who tune in on PlayStation and Xbox are listening closely.
