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Extra Life

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FableVision Games for Good: Extra Life 2019!

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Most video games don’t give you seven extra lives, but here at FableVision, we’re gearing up for our seventh year participating in Extra Life, a 24-hour game-a-thon! Never heard of a 24-hour game-a-thon before? Extra Life unites thousands of gamers, Team FableVision included, to play games for a full day, raising money throughout the process. Through generous sponsors and some excellent gaming skills, Extra Life has raised over $50 million for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals across America. The proceeds from FableVision’s sponsors will benefit children in our local branch, Boston Children’s Hospital. 

Team FableVision will be “gaming for good” between November 2-3 at the studio. As a studio, we’re committed to creating content that inspires, teaches, and moves people to action, and Extra Life is a fantastic way to take action ourselves. The event helps us directly channel our interests into helping others in a different way than usual, and we’ve loved participating these last five years!

Can FableVision beat last year’s record of $6,609? Only if we get help from our amazing supporters. Each participating member of the FableVision family is looking for donations, and no amount is too small. Sign up here to join our team or to donate to a team member and support a great cause. Thank you so much! 

While we anxiously await the 2nd, read on to learn more about some of our players this year. Get ready to game on!

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This is your first ExtraLife. What about the game-a-thon excites you the most?
Julie Oliveira, Production Artist: In the time I've been at FableVision, I've heard the term "Extra Life" come up quite often. Whenever I hear a coworker talking about it, it’s always in the context of something fun or a fond memory. I fully support the cause Extra Life supports, and I also really enjoy playing games of all kinds, so I think this is the perfect event to have fun with everyone at the studio while also supporting a great cause. I can't wait for my first Extra Life with FableVision and to make a lot of great memories this year! 

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This is your second year participating in Extra Life. What tips do you have for playing games late into the night?
Allie Caton, Production Assistant: I only made it to 10:30 p.m. last year, but this year I'm aiming to stay up later! In addition to caffeine, I've been saving a few games I'm really excited to play at Extra Life. I won't leave until I've played them all!

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Why is the Extra Life cause important to you?
David Welsh, Game & Narrative Designer: Extra life is important to me because kids deserve the best medical care, especially when they’re sick and vulnerable. Gaming is a unique way to build excitement for the fundraising that provides hospitals with the resources they need to help children.

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What about Extra Life makes it a successful event?
Peter Stidwill, Executive Producer: Extra Life is a highlight of the year for me. When else do you get such a great excuse to play games for a whole day? For me, the thing that makes Extra Life a great success is the range of different types of games⁠—digital, board, card, and physical⁠—that we can switch between during the day. Each year I get introduced to whole new games and experiences that I would never have tried otherwise.

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You’re an Extra Life veteran. What about the event keeps you coming back?
Gary Goldberger, President: I'm super excited for this to be my 7th Extra Life event. Supporting our Boston Children's Hospital has been very near and dear to my heart; it is an institution that has not only had a positive impact on my family's members lives, but also on so many in the area and around the world. The Extra Life Game-a-thon is a wonderful way to raise money. Not only do we get to do something that we love (playing games for good) but we also get to do it with people that we enjoy being around (co-workers, friends, and family). I love that every year there are new people joining and new games to play while we continue to support BCH.

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What advice do you have for other people who can’t be at the event but want to be involved?
Sarah Ditkoff, Communications Director:
Here are my three tips:
1. Participate in Extra Life by joining the Extra Life community! 
2. Support FableVision's Extra Life team by donating here. 
3. Follow Extra Life team's gaming the day of on social media by using #ForTheKids or join us on Twitch to play along.

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5 for 5: Five FableVisionaries Reflect on Five Years of Extra Life

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This year’s Extra Life 2017 marks our fifth year of throwing the studio doors open early on a Saturday morning and keeping them open for 24 hours. FableVisionaries stream in for hours of gaming, laughter, camaraderie, and reflection as we raise funds for Boston Children’s Hospital. FableVision is a mission-based studio intent on moving the world to a better place through stories that matter and move, and our passion for change-making extends beyond the standard nine to five. That’s why we believe that Extra Life, the 24-hour charity gaming marathon, is such a cool and meaningful fundraising extravaganza.

As the founder of this rich tradition at FableVision, President Gary Goldberger reflects, “In addition to having a lot of pride and respect for the work that they do, Boston Children’s Hospital will always have a special place in FableVision’s heart. Five years ago, Extra Life represented something fairly straightforward – a fun event for the staff to take part in that was for an excellent cause. Raising money for one of the country’s leading children’s hospitals and working as a team to ‘game for good’ was a double win. I love getting the team together, sharing laughs, games, and food, opening the studio to friends and family, and knowing that our efforts are helping provide care to children (and families, by proxy) in our own great city.”

Each year, new Extra Life teammates join our veteran marathon gamers. Today we’re casting a light on five faces from our all-star Extra Life team as they head into game day. To register for our team or pledge to any of our Extra Life team members, please visit our Extra Life page and donate now. Game On!

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How has Extra Life evolved since you started this tradition at FableVision Studios?
Even though it’s for a good cause and FableVision’s always looking to join forces with “mission-match” movements, I wasn’t sure if people would want to participate when we started doing Extra Life in 2012 – but we have the best team! So many people were on board right from the start. It’s evolved over the years, and has easily become one of my favorite FableVision traditions. Different people have brought their own traditions to the event as well, from waffles to Jeopardy to their own types of activities. Everyone is able to create their own gaming space for this amazing shared experience. There’s no better team than Team FableVision, and no other group I’d rather game for good with!”

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As a fifth year veteran, what pro tips would you give to someone looking to start their own Extra Life team?
There are a lot of important causes that need our time and attention right now. If you do choose to participate in Extra Life, my strongest piece of advice is to have fun with it! Everyone’s looking for a way to give back. The Extra Life community has a lot of love, so take that to heart and surround yourself with people you enjoy being with. Fill your team with comrades near and far, ask friends and family to support your efforts, and take some joy in the experience of raising funds for a good cause.

 

 

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You’re making waves as the newest member of the team! Why did you decide to join Extra Life this year?
I decided to join Extra Life because of the mission – children need healthy physical development in order to grow and thrive at home and in the classroom, and Boston Children’s Hospital can provide that support and care to the most vulnerable kids and their families. As a Boston native and the daughter of a nurse, I know how privileged we are to have one of the best hospitals in the country available to our children. Extra Life has the capacity to bring that incredible care to more children, and change more lives.

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This isn’t your first Extra Life race. Why did you decide to join FableVision’s team?
I might be a FableVision rookie, but I’m an Extra Life veteran. I love gaming, and I've always been attracted to causes related to my hobbies. Organizations like Extra Life show that games can be a force for good in the world in the same way a 5k walk or charity dinner can be. We can get really passionate about the things we enjoy, and I think that applying that passion to helping kids puts life into perspective. It's been a while since I've participated in Extra Life, so I'm excited to be back with a great team this year!

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Extra Life has become a family affair for the Landry clan. As an Extra Life veteran who returns every year without fail, what makes this annual event special to you?
I was initially drawn in by the proposition of being allowed to play video games for 24 hours. Since then, it has grown to mean so much more to me. Extra Life is a fundraiser that feels specifically catered to me: an avid game player, and an older brother to 5 awesome younger siblings (many of whom have received care from Boston Children's Hospital). Being able to do something I love while also raising money for a children's hospital is truly a surreal experience. To me, Extra Life has become something akin to a holiday or vacation, in that I spend almost every other day of the year looking forward to it. Changing the lives of others AND beating my favorite games in the same night is really what gives Extra Life a special place in my heart.

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2016 Extra Life Through The Eyes of A Beginner

What a night! For the fourth year in a row, Team FableVision took on the challenge to game for good and raise money through Extra Life for Boston Children’s Hospital. And guess what? WE DID IT.

I was a new addition to FableVision’s Extra Life team this year. I was excited: it was an opportunity to immerse myself in having fun with my co-workers, meet their families, and do something for a greater, bigger cause at the same time.

Munching on some of Brian’s famous sugary waffles, I began the day with a lighthearted game of Sushi GO (if you haven’t played before, the game cards have silly illustrations of sushi and dumplings). Those wanting to get creative with their breakfast wandered over to the pancake art station complete with colorful tubes of batter.

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A video posted by FableVision Studios (@fvstudioboston) on

The studio transformed into a gamer’s dream den. Scattered across the studio were various stations set up to accommodate board games, PlayStation, X-Box, Wii, and a host of desktop computers dedicated to online gaming. Folks brought along nail polish, knitting gear, and henna as a respite from gaming overload.

Gaming all the way into lunch, Michael collected a few of us and we went to get some fresh air and play whiffle ball! Caked in mud and running around makeshift bases, I felt like a kid again.

The Extra Life evening brought FableVision’s first-ever Trivia Night hosted by Michael and Sam. Armed with empanadas from La Sultana Bakery, teams raced across the FableVision conference room to get their answers in to questions that ranged from the oldest city in America (St. Augustine in Florida) to identifying the various forms of pasta (harder than you think!).

The night was long but boy, was it worth the effort! Team FableVision proudly raised a whopping $5,457 (and counting!) for Boston Children’s Hospital! Our page will stay open until the end of the next year so we still need your help to meet (and exceed!) our goals! A huge thank you to all those who’ve pitched in and supported our team.

Until next year, gamers! 

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