A short time ago we were lucky enough to chat with Axiom Verge developer Tom Happ about the challenges of making what many consider to be a spiritual successor to the iconic Super Metroid; a massive, open-ended 2D adventure which exercises your trigger finger and tests your grey matter at the same time. If you've already consulted our glowing 10/10 review then you'll know it's a must-have release, and the game appears to have been very well received across all of the formats it has launched on.
A recent blog post by Happ has added another layer of importance to that commercial success. In it, he explains that his young son Alastair suffers from Kernicterus, a bilirubin-induced brain dysfunction which is caused when newborn jaundice isn't treated in a timely manner.
If, like us, you have no idea what Kernicterus is and the impact it has, then allow Happ to explain exactly what this means in terms of his son's quality of life:
His mind is completely functional but his motor control is extremely damaged, so his movements are either super stiff or super random. He can't sit up or crawl, and it's doubtful he'll ever be able to walk. He might be able to play video games one day with eye tracking software or the like, but probably not reflex intensive games like Axiom Verge. He can eat but can't pick up food or even bring his hands to his mouth unassisted. He will eventually be able to hear - after a cochlear implant surgery he's undergoing in a few weeks - but everything's going to sound like an 8-bit NES sound sample.
Happ then outlines the various options open to him and his family when it comes to improving Alastair's quality of life - all of which are costly. It's here that he mentions what a massive, massive difference the success of Axiom Verge makes to his family's situation:
None of these things are covered by insurance (which, being an indie, I need to pay for in full), so you can imagine how thankful I am that Axiom Verge can support the tens of thousands of dollars this is costing. We have also begun a malpractice lawsuit - but this is a years long process that is just in its infancy, and may not really cover the overall costs anyway.
I wish I could reciprocate what Axiom Verge and its customers have done for us. But I don't get that much time to field questions in the comments, Steam forums, or Facebook. To be honest I don't even get to work a full 40 hour week, even though I work at home now. We regularly see a number of therapists and doctors - a physical therapist, an occupational therapist, a speech therapist, a feeding therapist, 2 audiologists, a neurologist, a GDI doctor, various surgeons - as well as the associated scans and tests. It's hard to stay focused on anything for very long with so much going on. I've become that flaky person we all know who agrees to do something but then never replies to urgent mail about how the deadline is tomorrow and nothing's been done.
A lot of people say, "don't worry about work, focus on your son" - but bear in mind my work is directly correlated with my son's well being. Rather than just being a hobby, Axiom Verge (and whatever else I do in the future) has now become necessary for supporting him and his medical needs for the rest of his life.
Thanks for understanding.
As you can imagine, Happ's post has triggered a flood of support, and industry legend Dan Adelman - who worked with Happ on the game - has reported that many kindly souls have offered to donate money to offset medical costs.
That Happ has been able to create a game as polished and refined as Axiom Verge single-handed whilst dealing with such incredible pressures and worries is remarkable; what makes it all the more striking is that aside from the blog post in question and a post when his son was born, he's remained largely tight-lipped and laser-focused on getting Axiom Verge released on as many consoles as possible.
You might say that this Herculean effort has an end goal - supporting his young family, as Happ freely admits - but it's tempting to wonder how many other mere mortals would have thrown their hands up in despair and simply given up when faced with the same kind of reality.
If you haven't downloaded Axiom Verge yet then we'd recommend that you do so immediately - not just because it's an amazing experience, but also because you'll be giving Happ and his son vital support. If you'd like to donate as well, then do as Mr. Adelman says and point your browser over here.
[source axiomverge.com]
Comments (75)
@Mega_Yarn_Poochy well, he is the developer of a game that is in a Nintendo system and that is inspired in a Nintendo game so...
Sometimes is nice to know who are the people behind a game!
@Mega_Yarn_Poochy Try to be a little bit more empathetic towards this very personal story of a developer behind a great indie game. The link with Nintendo is that it's available on the Wii U eShop.
@Mega_Yarn_Poochy Buying Axiom Verge on WiiU
@Mega_Yarn_Poochy jeez man. What's wrong with you?
I hope technological advances eventually make life easier for him and his son. I also wish him a lot of success and in very impressed with his game, I can't wait to play it.
This made me cry.
Tom Happ, I hope you'll manage. Good luck to you and your son.
I hope the best for him and his son. Sad that he has to go through all of that.
@Mega_Yarn_Poochy
Please delete your insensitive comment.
That sucks man.
I remember when this released, first on vita then on Wii U, being on the fence about buying this and eventually forgetting about it.
Definitely buying it on my next pay day now. I know how it feels caring for a newborn with health issues under difficult circumstances.
My problems were miniscule in comparison and short term but I know how even the smallest degree of support can mean the world to you.
Dang, this was heavy. I've been considering to get Axiom Verge for a while now. Now I want it even more, not just because I want to play it but also to help this poor guy out. There's not many people who are like him. Not many as dedicated.
@Mega_Yarn_Poochy you are a complete and utter fool.
Thank you for a fantastic game and we all hope and/or pray for the best outcomes for your family.
I hope his kid gets the help he needs and can be happy despite the cirkumstanses. Axium Verge is excellent btw, glad to see the money go to a great cause.
aww
@Mega_Yarn_Poochy Axiom Verge is a game on a Nintendo system. It shows the personal side of a developers life. Very often we play the end product but have no idea of who or what goes on behind the scenes in their life while making it. And because of the game's success it will help Happ give his son a better quality of life. It also educates people about a disability most people probably never heard of before and raises awareness. Plus the Kernicterus Center charity now has got some good publicity. I think your comment was very insensitive.
My cousin has a wee girl who was born with Rett Syndrome. She can't walk, talk or communicate with her mother (my cousin).
She has a very short life expectancy due to her frequent epileptic fitts, but she is so beautiful, and happy with her family around her. Everyone in my family, and everyone who has met her is in a constant state of raising funds for the charities which support research into her condition. I swam half a mile in open water just last month.
My family can, to a degree, relate to this man's pain. But I think that only as a parent can you truly comprehend how hard it is to forever resent the sheer unfairness of it all. It takes a heavy toll on your strength and well-being. My cousin is so exhausted, but incredibly loving and passionately upbeat about her daughter's future. She is quite simply the best mother that Shona could have been given. She's incredible.
I'm buying a copy tonight, and donating to his chosen charity. I hope his son continues to recover.
Hopefully we can all do something positive with our money in light of this article.
To have a child that's born with a disability must be really hard, but know your child's disability could of been prevented had the medical 'experts' done their job properly must be harrowing.
Wow what a poopy thing to have, you have a normal functional mind but you are stuck in a body that does not respond well at all. That kid will have some real hardships, but with a father like that he will be able to sort it out.
Okay, what I said was very insensitive and I shouldn't of said what I did. I'm sorry to all I have offended.
Anyway...
It really is sad how things like this can happen to people. People who could be the next Einsteins or Gates, crippled by something they could control, forcing them to become "untalented", "useless", "pointless" as some people would put it (those people deserve to go to Hell).
I'm glad this boy has a father who is will support him despite setbacks. I've played Axiom Verge and its wonderful. Full of charm and care I'm sure the developer also puts into the care of his son.
Hopefully, in the future, we'll be able to make everyone have equal opportunity- let the blind see, the deaf hear, and the disabled walk. I hope for the best to Tom and his son.
It's good to see that he can still support his son despite the circumstances even as a small indie dev. Axiom Verge is great game and hopefully like he said maybe someday with eye tracking software, his son can play his dad's games
@Mega_Yarn_Poochy Well there are people (such as Stephen Hawking) that are suffer from an illness or syndrome but are still just as smart as other people. I see "special needs" as just another way of saying that we are equal; we all have needs and we are all special. 😏
@LegendOfPokemon 👏👏👏👏
Beautifully written.
@Mega_Yarn_Poochy I didn't get to see your original post, but I saw the response to it. I was very surprised to see your post apologizing. That doesn't happen on the net pretty much ever. Kudos to you for doing the right thing.
My parents adopted a kid a few years back who has a ton of health problems, both physical and developmental. He's four and only now just starting to talk, he started walking just last year. He's mostly blind and can only hear due to implants. And that's just the beginning of it. The doctors visits are insane. I can only imagine what Happ goes through with his son who, quite frankly, seems even worse off. Good luck man. I'll be picking up Axiom Verge this week. Not only for your son, but because it seems like a damn good game.
@Indielink No profanity, thanks.
@MailOrderNinja Basically, it was me saying this isn't Nimtendo related so it shouldn't be here.
I wouldn't exactly call it Nintendo-related, but I definitely welcome it. It's a great story that I hope will have a happy conclusion.
This is upsetting. I don't understand (he didn't go into detail) sounds like the doctor was a hack and didn't address or understand the severity of the jaundice. Probably assumed it would just go away. Terrible, I hope he receives every last cent of his claim. I'm so sick of the American healthcare industry; for-profit hospitals; pharm- sponsored docs; price gouging; ob gyn butchers; Medicaid scams...the list goes on. Sorry for the rant. There is some serious soul searching needed in our healthcare system.
He does really well as a parent to cope. I'm fortunate because I was born with jaundice among other stuff but because it was sorted properly I'll never have to experience what he is going through. That must suck so bad to know that someone did something that irreversible to your child. I wish him all the best and seeing as I have been meaning to take a look at axiom verge, now would be a good time lol.
Will pick it up Friday to help support his family.
Just seeing Alastair's little face breaks me. As a parent, I can't even imagine how mentally, emotionally, financially and physically challenging this must be for them. I hope the best for them.
It's impressive that Happ was able to develop something as amazing as Axiom Verge with all of this going on. Not only is he dedicated to his craft, but his young son and family as well.
I wish Tom and his family the best and hope that Alastair gets the help he needs. No matter what some may say, this kid is beautiful both inside and out!
I hate that I live in a country where you have to make a perfect Super Metroid sequel to have any hope of paying for necessary medical care. And now I definitely need to buy this game.
I was holding out for a discount on this game, but forget that idea! My prayers go out to you and your son.
I'm buying this game in a few days to help support this guy.
I can relate to the guy.
My little girl was born with Moebius Syndrome. At the time of her birth, there were like 500 reported cases in the whole world. No one could pinpoint her exact condition, but thanks to a friend of my wife, and a bit of research we found out. Thankfully, she wasn't born with some of the worst conditions (lack of fingers, physical abnormalities, deafness), but couldn't swallow very well and her lips are paralyzed, as well as some sight problems.
I worked freelance but decided to take a normal job while working on some extra projects at night. The expenses (like US$4,000/month) were daunting (in my country, the basic salary is US$125), but today she is able to talk almost perfectly, can eat by herself and has a great sense of humor. She can't smile (we are working our @ss off for a miracle operation in Canada, next year), but she can laugh and even tell jokes. She loves video games and play Mario tennis every Saturday (her favorite), as well as some FlingSmash.She is six, by the way.
Buying Axiom Verge right now.
Downloaded AV on PS4 & Wii U. Incredible game, but nowhere near as remarkable as its creator. I send my love to this man & his family.
Marketing
It's sad some people are more concerned with trying to point out what they think is just marketing instead of just showing some love.
I pray the best for his son, and his whole family.
On another note, Axiom Verge really is a great game.
God has, and will continue to bless you Tom Happ!
Bought a copy because of this article.
Will double dip if a 3DS version does end up happening.
God bless him and his family. He sounds like a talented and all around stellar guy and his son is adorable.
@InklingOrange Suurreee......
Don't be disrespectful.... This guy is going through a lot. You think he's bluffing? Then prove it.
@InklingOrange
Seems that InklingOrange needs to be splatted!
I was thinking about buying Axiom Verge - but now I'll definitely be doing it. Thanks NLife, for sharing this amazing story .
I ended up buying Axiom Verge on Wii U the other day, and reading this made me not mind paying full price anymore
Hey, I barely hang on in this economy but I always say that quality devs need the support; now I can keep the dev in my prayers, enjoy the game, and hopefully others are going to buy it too.
So many people have a heavy load to carry, it seems. Hope we all stay strong!
Mr. McFerran, I realise you had no intention to insult but this paragraf, unless clarified doesn't sound good.
"...but it's tempting to wonder how many other mere mortals would have thrown their hands up in despair and simply given up when faced with the same kind of reality."
I get what you are trying to say and how you are trying to elevate and put value on this person's perseverance, but to insinuate that any other parent would do any less for their child (healthy or with special needs) shows lack of compassion that probably stems from lack of life experience.
Maybe your sentiment would be better represented by saying something like:
"You might say that this Herculean effort has an end goal - supporting his young family, as Happ freely admits - but it's tempting to wonder how many more people would find the energy to continue developing a game when faced with the same kind of reality."
@NeoNeoNeo My point was that many other people who are faced with adversity buckle under the pressure. I'm not sure I would be able to continue doing my job if one of my kids was in this position. It takes a very special and dedicated person to be able to deal with that kind of pressure, create something remarkable and still have energy left in the tank to look after a sick child and support an equally worried partner.
What is it with insensitive people neglecting matters such as this one just because "it's got nothing to do with Nintendo"?! First yesterday's Pokémon GO article, and now this (yes, I know some offenders have apologised since).
Yeah, I understand that many come here for Nintendo news, but it just so happens that with all the great comes the not so good too, so you're gonna get your real stories directly or indirectly related to Nintendo one way or another. If you're not interested or don't have anything pleasant to say regarding a sensitive story, feel free not to read or comment - it's that simple.
Opinions on whether a news piece belongs on the site or not is no excuse for a lack of sensitivity, compassion, or disregard of any moral whatsoever. I've seen some toxic comments over the past few days, real shocking ones at that.
Course, I can't force anyone to do anything, but let's try and keep this a clean and friendly communal environment like it's been for so many years
@SM4SHshorts Couldn't agree more.
Maybe just disable the comments section for the next sensitive subject 😜 As for axiom I think it's an 8/10 game great not perfect 👍
Just shows me how completely broken the US health system is. Every insurance should cover this.
@Damo I understand what you are trying to say, my point being that the current structure of that paragraph does not do your thinking justice.
It is fine and valiant to admire this person's or any other's perseverance and strength of character WITHOUT saying that others would probably buckle under the pressure and give up. In fact, if you really spend some time and investigate the lives of people with children with special needs you will more likely find more examples of people finding the strength for extra efforts than examples where people would have "thrown their hands up in despair and simply given up". This type of thinking and deduction related to this subject is very childish. I am sorry for being so blunt, but there is no other way of saying it sincerely.
This type of admiration for others /doubt in one's self capabilities is usually expressed by people who are currently not in a similarly demanding time in their life as the one above.
The truth is, if you had a child with special needs you would be capable of doing everything and then some.
@InklingOrange I suspect that you are very very young or very very damaged. One day you may realise how insensitive your comment is. When you do realise, do not give yourself too much of a hard time. Just realise your mistake and decide to be a better person from that point onward.
In the meantime, please understand, that no one, absolutely no one in that position would use his/her child very demanding state for a marketing ploy. So sad you even thought about it.
@maceng Great to hear of your daughter's success! What a great fighter she is! Does she enjoy music and if yes what are her favorite tunes? Lots of love to your little girl.
My original plan was to wait until Steam had a sale (I'm unemployed and don't have much money), but I now bought Axiom Verge + Soundtrack to support its creator in a sad situation!
Thanks for bringing this up NL.
God this is incredibly sad, but he should feel so proud to have created a video game that has been able to financially support his son, a lot of people around the world can't support their family like that.
Well that made me sad. Guess I'll buy Axiom Verge to cheer me up. Good luck to him and his son.
Now I have a big reason to support his work. He's a nice guy and a good father. Not everyone has such strenght.
I actually just downloaded it this weekend due to all the hype. I'm enjoying it so far
Poor son. I have to open Steam and play Axiom Verge now...
@InklingOrange You do realize if you have nothing constructive or insightful to add to a conversation, you don't have to comment. It's best to just keep quiet and move on
All the best to him and his son. I'm currently enjoying Axiom Verge on Wii U.
@NeoNeoNeo She loves music (and dancing) more than anyone at home. Her favorite song is the soundtrack from Frozen, which she sings every morning.
Thanks for the kind words!!
I guess I could be self-righteous and say I am going to buy the game immediately so I can trumpet my own self-worth to everybody.
If the gentleman really just wanted people to donate to the Kernicterus foundation (as the Dan Adelman tweet would lead you to believe) for this disease instead of funnel money directly to himself or build up his name within the industry, he would have posted about donating to the Kernicterus foundation in his blog and not try to boost the sales for his game to line his pockets or land a job with a major developer/publisher.
He did not even mention the Kernicterus foundation in the blog. It was more of an advertising and political rant of a blog.
Legalize medical marijuana, Fund stem cell research, and insurance companies are evil (the usual propaganda) but most importantly of all buy my game to build my name/brand up among the bigger developers and line my pockets.
“With the Wii U version of AV released and the XB1 version in certification, I thought I'd take a moment to talk about my son, Alastair. It's not something I talk about a lot because, basically, I don't want to make you depressed.”
i.e. this game is getting long in the tooth and I need to boost sales. If you did not know it just released for WiiU and will soon be coming to the Xbox 1. Let me tell you about my son so you will feel depressed about not giving me your money already. Guilt trips sell that is why grifters use it all the time on their marks.
“Rather than just being a hobby, Axiom Verge (and whatever else I do in the future) has now become necessary for supporting him and his medical needs for the rest of his life.”
i.e. buy my future games too instead of donating to the Kernicterus foundation.
Guys if you can't donate or purchase the game and wanna help, share this article! Good luck to the man and his family, all the best from one Father to another.
@InklingOrange if that's what you genuinely believe, it probably says more about you than Tom Happ.
I think this story just shows that people can still achieve great things even through difficult times.
I just wish that some of these lazy developers take note of what Happ has achieved, and is what he's wiiling to do to succeed.
@RetroRider
See what we were just talking about? This comment section is a mess.
These people got offended because @Mega_Yarn_Poochy was just stating his opinion, no matter how badly taken it was, thats what you do on a comment section; give your opinion. And @InklingOrange is only misinterpreting the article, maybe because he's had bad experiences with marketing, or fakeish stories, or small sad violins.
Man people, not everybody has to be a saint all the time!
I'm not even going to buy this game, regardless of what I'd just read. Not because I'm insensitive, or because I have no heart, it's because I am underage and can not spend some money left and right like so many people on here do. Also, I genuinely do not have an interest in this game, so even if I did have extra financial cush, I wouldn't spend it on this.
Wow, behind all that nice, lovely, innocent layer of "I need support", lies the people who devour someone alive if they oppose for whatever reason.
For some reason, it reminds me of Grumpy Cat. For some far out reason.
...What a trainwreck this was. Again.
@iGen I agree with you that everyone is entitled to an opinion. Maybe NL should have placed this under Random or something. Still, the large majority of the NL readers thought that, yes, it is Nintendo Life worthy news, and there is that.
Also, I feel that Inkling Orange's comment was way out of line.If you gonna say that someone did something for marketing purposes, then include valid points, not just what it seems a vicious comment,specially considering that the developer didn't want to receive money directly and anyone that buy the game is going to do it because they like the game, mostly.
@maceng
Well, yeah. That's why I labeled it as a wrong viewpoint. Because he's got it all wrong.
Do you see me blasting him? No. And trust me, I can really blast people. Why can't people just see that if someone screws up, one of the things you DON'T do is never letting them hear the end of it. Unfortunately, this is one of the major crap-bits of social media.
Everyone is mean.
Oh well...
Wow... I had no idea about all this with Thomas Happ. I have no words...
@iGen This is why I still say the comments need a better layout for improvement, once some people see that one of the first comments is a negative one or opposite of the majority's opinion, they will respond with a small flame war.
Comments should be sorted by newest at the top instead of oldest and have reply chains so you would know who the hell is replying to what and who.
@RetroRider
You're so right. I wish they would go with that so none of this bullsh*t ever escalates farther than it has to.
Bah.
Bought the game to support the dad and his lad. Honestly never been much of a Metroid fan (not a fan of the game, the genre, or much of anything sci-fi, although I was a fan of Simon's Quest so Metroidvania can't be all bad).
However, upon downloading it last night, I must say, I am PLEASANTLY surprised with what I've played so far. I wasn't even drawn in by the gameplay videos (again, speaking to my indifference to the genre) but upon starting the speedrun mode just to quickly jump in, I really enjoyed it. I look forward to playing it again. Bravo to Mr. Happ and prayers for his boy.
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