“Back in the Saddle: Fallout: New Vegas and Real-World Tourism in Goodsprings, Nevada”

Fallout: New Vegas, a video role-playing game released in 2012, is set in Southern Nevada in the aftermath of a nuclear war. The action begins in Goodsprings, which is in effect the game’s tutorial space, as the player learns how to move, fight, and interact with others, as well as being exposed to the game’s world and the factions that inhabit it. The game’s Goodsprings was modeled on the real-life town of Goodsprings, with several locations directly modeled on real-life buildings. The Prospector Saloon’s real-world analogue, the Pioneer Saloon, has become a tourist site for the game’s devotees. This study examines the creation of the in-game town of Goodsprings, player reactions to location, and how game-inspired tourism has impacted the real-world town, particularly the Pioneer Saloon.