Seamus Blackley, the designer of the original Xbox, took to social media to share his experiences getting the coronavirus vaccine, and urged others to show up for their vaccine appointments despite misinformation about its safety.
In a brief Twitter thread, Blackley said that he got the Moderna vaccine. He explained that there had been 150 people who missed their appointments in a Los Angeles clinic, and that the medical staff there had to use the vaccines or throw them away. He went on to say that misinformation is dangerous and that the doctors and nurses were putting themselves at risk to help others. He also noted that he had been waiting his turn behind higher-priority groups, so learning that some doses were getting tossed out due to missed appointments was frustrating.
“The misinformation is tragedy,” he said. “There’s no danger. Get your vaccine. Please. Stop this f***ing virus. It will mutate and get worse.”
I just got the Moderna. There were over 150 no-shows to an LA City employee clinic, and they needed to use the vaccine instead of throwing it away. The misinformation is tragedy. There’s no danger. Get your vaccine. Please. Stop this fucking virus. It will mutate and get worse. pic.twitter.com/1XKvUbTd8l
— Seamus Blackley (@SeamusBlackley) March 17, 2021
The doctors and nurses were ANGRY about the disinformation and bullshit that causes people to bail. They asked us to spread the word. So LISTEN people: the experts who are trained and know the deal are putting themselves at risk to save us all, be a decent person and show up!
— Seamus Blackley (@SeamusBlackley) March 18, 2021
I should add the thing that annoys me most: we have been waiting for our turn and not trying to scam our doses because others need them more than us. So discovering that a bunch were about to just get thrown out was a real call to action and also really frustrating to know.
— Seamus Blackley (@SeamusBlackley) March 18, 2021
In a follow-up, he joked that it’s been 24 hours and he hasn’t gotten free WiFi or the ability to communicate with Bill Gates–a reference to one of the wilder vaccine conspiracy theories. Of course, in the course of his career, Blackley has actually met and worked with Gates.
Blackley is credited for designing the original Xbox in 2001, though his career has also spanned work on games like Ultima Underworld, System Shock, and Trespasser. He also represented video game developers at the Creative Artists Agency. More recently, he became the CEO of the tech startup Pacific Light and Hologram.
