About six months ago, Bethesda Softworks' Pete Hines figured Feb. 18 was the perfect day to conceive a child, as the baby would be due on Nov. 11, the ship date for The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. One couple conceived well early of that, but their baby's birth will still forever be associated with the game.
Little Atari Lynn—yes, that's right—decided it was time to bust out of the womb as mom and dad sat down for Todd Howard's half-hour demo of the game at QuakeCon. The proud papa told Game Informer that the sight of the Frost Dragon on the screen is what sent mom into labor.
[Update:] We've been contacted by the mother, who notes that she is still in labor—and she's reading your comments. So cut the freelance child development counseling, a field in which gamers are not renowned experts. Stevi, however, notes she's taken four advanced childbirth and infancy classes. So STFU.
Regarding "Atari," that name is not in honor of the longtime brand in video gaming. "The name Atari comes from the name Ataru which means 'to hit a target' and the word Atari is used when a prediction has come true or someone has won the lottery. Her first and middle name together mean 'To hit a target, from the lake'. The name is not everyone's cup of tea. We assume that by the time she is in high school, most of the children her age are not going to know what an Atari is, considering a lot of kids while we were in high school had no idea."
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Dad said that the couple hung around, rather than dash for the hospital, because they thought at first it could be false labor. And, yeah, "she is a trooper and lovesSkyrim."
While Hines had promised an "unknown reward" for anyone who named their baby "Dovahkiin" in honor of the game, I think Atari Lynn deserves something. Game Informer suggests a complimentary Collector's Edition of the game. That's appropriate.
Babies and cons are not an unprecedented phenomenon. Remember, Fahey actually got laid at BlizzCon, and the result was the birth of his and Emily's twins this year.
Update: Woman Goes Into Labor During Skyrim Presentation [Game Informer. h/t Ursus-Veritas]
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