Game warrior: Departed fan remembered with virtual game memorial
Willow Foundation
One virtual warrior will stand the test of time, immortalised in the world of classical antiquity and the historic Roman Republic.
Being the first person in the world to see Total War: Rome 2 aside from the game's maker, James knew he would be the envy of gaming geeks the world over.
As a huge fan of the popular strategy series of games, which allows players to build the Roman Empire from scratch, James was given the extremely rare opportunity to see the game in action long before its release.
But shortly after his visit to the studio, James sadly lost his battle to liver cancer.
The studio tour was organised by the Willow Foundation, a charity that organises special days for the seriously ill. James took advantage of his time at the game maker's Horsham, UK headquarters to discuss some of the exciting new features.
"It's pretty rare for us to open the studio doors to the public as we always have a lot of secret stuff going on," said Craig Laycock, community manager at Creative Assembly. "He [James] certainly seemed pleased, despite how early the code is."
James was honoured with an appearance in the game. High-resolution photos and measurements of his face were taken to generate a virtual replica, injecting him into the game world of sword-wielding warriors and ruthless gladiators.
The unique experience will be a lasting memory of James' real-life battle, as he gains a place on the battlefields of a digital Roman Empire.
Check out James' video game debut in the image below.
