The issue's been addressed before, but with all this talk of kids racking up massive bills in free-to-play games, and certain developers scrapping game content before release, only to sell it back to the audience as DLC, it's important to remember that not all game companies, publishers and the like look at gamers as little more than walking wallets, making shoddy games as some sort of a cash grab scheme.
It's unfortunate that it seems to be such a rare occasion, but some developers actually go the full nine to not only celebrate their players, but also relinquish profits to an honorable cause in their audience's name.
Two such proven companies are Piranha Games, and Infinite Game Publisher, the respective companies behind MechWarrior Online. We've all come across our share of screeching, spoiled, entitled little kids...hell, even adults, while playing online. But every once in a while, you come across someone who's only reason to play the game is for sheer joy. By all accounts, this was five year old Sarah Parries, who loved nothing more than playing MechWarrior Online with her father, speeding around in a Jenner class Mech.
Unfortunately, Sarah passed away in May, the result of inoperable brain cancer. Though her time in life and as a gamer was short, her time spent in game and eventual passing made a mark on both the MechWarrior Online community, as well as the game's developers. The companies announced that Sarah would be getting a mech of her favorite class, a Jenner, named in her honor. As of today, "Sarah's Mech" is available to all MechWarrior Online players for $10, of which all proceeds from each sale go directly to cancer research at theCanadian Cancer Society.
Piranha Games has also dedicated a page to Sarah, which is keeping track of proceeds collected. At the time of this publishing, the total is close to $30,000, and that's all within a single day. No doubt the money will continue to come in, ensuring that Sarah and her family will remain in the thoughts and prayers of the MechWarrior Online community, and Sarah's memory forever alive in the virtual world.
Currently in an open beta stage, MechWarrior Online is set to release later this year.