Bethesda And Xbox Donate $10,000 To Honour Dogmeat, The Goodest Girl
Following the passing of the dog who inspired Fallout 4's faithful companion, Dogmeat, Xbox and Bethesda have donated money to charity.
To honour the goodest of girls, River, they shared the news on social media.
In a Tweet, Xbox wrote: "DOGMEAT FOREVER In honor of River, Xbox and @BethesdaStudios are donating $10,000 to the Montgomery County Humane Society."
They included a link to encourage others to donate in her honour.
How Did Dogmeat's Family Respond To The Donation?
River's family saw the Tweet, and responded: "On behalf of River and her family, thank you! She was so precious in our hearts, and we had no idea the magnitude of what she meant to the rest of the world."
Xbox replied: "River meant so many things to so many different people who played Fallout. Thank you for bringing such a wonderful companion into all of our lives."
I'm not crying, you are.
Joel Burgess, Capy Games Director, Tweeted on June 27 to inform the Fallout community of her passing.
In a series of Tweets, Joel encouraged the public to volunteer with their local area's rescue centres, or donating. He also asked fans to consider rescuing animals when adopting.
How Did River Get The Dogmeat Role?
We also found out a lot more about River's role in the game, as well as how she was picked.
Joel said: "It wasn’t obvious at first that River would be our subject. We’d started by researching some “professional” dogs, with film and/or police training. Lots of games go this route, and for good reason. But in the end, we didn't.
"I remember the catalyst; an eager new member had joined the Dogmeat team. I visited their desk a day or so later. Research covered the walls; countless images of German Shepherds snarling, all teeth and attack postures. Within a day or two, River started visiting the studio." And with that, history was made!
Joel then described what it was like having her in the studio, and the impact she had.
He continued: "River attended countless meetings; but not just to be poked, prodded, recorded and filmed as reference - her biggest job was just to BE with the team. The more they bonded with her, the more they saw Dogmeat as a character - a friend.
"The Dogmeat team was just a handful of us early on - as River stole hearts around the studio, however, more and more folks found ways to pitch in and help bring her personality into the game. She was more than a mascot or an inspiration - she was part of the team.
"This affected *so much* of how Dogmeat comes across in the final game. (And hey, she even won an award for her role - thanks to everyone's great work.)"
He added: "River was an exceptionally patient & gentle dog. This made her a great collaborator for gathering foley, modeling and animation reference. She loved being with the team, and they loved her right back. I believe it shows."
Rest in peace, River.
