Players of EverQuest II can battle it out against the “evil Curt Schilling” during a three-day promotion to raise money for the fight against ALS, also called Lou Gehrig’s disease.
During the Yankees vs. Red Sox series June 5-7, Schilling will have an evil alter ego residing within the world of Norrath, just waiting for players to log in and do battle with. Each time Schilling is defeated, Sony Online Entertainment will donate up to $5 to the battle against ALS, up to a total of $10,000.
It seems Schilling’s character will remain in the game as a high-level mob when the promotion is over, too. During the three-day run, however, anyone can register for and log into EQII by clicking here for the Schilling challenge.
Players wishing to donate directly to the fight against ALS can do so by typing /ALS in the game.
From the EQII site:
ALS is about as devastating a disease as you can imagine," says Schilling. "It's relentless, ruthless, and devastates entire families as one member slowly perishes. With video games exploding in popularity, I can't think of a better place to reach the masses to raise awareness."
Schilling’s quite likely on to something here. The gaming community as a whole is a lot more generous and giving than it’s given credit for, and it loves a good sport. Schilling, quite obviously, is one such good sport.
Here’s hoping my fellow EQII players step up to the plate and lend their support in the fight against this horrible disease. ALS is a nasty disease that tends to be overshadowed by the many other equally good causes out there.
Sony’s participation is fantastic and I’d love to see it do more promotions like this. I’m just sorry it didn’t up the stakes a little higher than $10,000 for this one.
A long time a ago, a friend of mine’s dad died of ALS. It was a slow, physically and emotionally devastating death for the man and a tragic ordeal for his entire family. While $10,000 is great, it’s just a drop in the bucket of what is needed to fight this particular nasty.
For his part, Schilling is a credit to baseball and the gaming community. Yes, he’s a gamer, SOE games to be exact.
“I enjoy the anonymity and the ability to interact on a personal level with people I wouldn't normally meet or know," Schilling said. "That, and the game is a riot. There's no end to it, the world is enormous, the possibilities are endless, and above all else, it's a place to go and relax amongst friends. What I can't get enough of is your ability to interact with real live people. The game's about teamwork, and knowing the right way to pick and play your class properly in such a way that it complements a group. That's why EverQuest has stayed so popular."
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