“Bethesdaland” E3 showcase | 2017
The world we built
In 2017, Bethesda Softworks wanted to really ratchet up the quality of their E3 Showcase. With the surprise announcement of 3 new games, Bethesda’s goal was to draw as many attendees as possible to their event, and simultaneously give fans a highly immersive experience.
Ultimately, the winning idea was to build a “Disneyland-style” pop-up theme park for 4,500 lucky fans and media partners to attend. With 8 total IP’s to highlight, each video game would be given its own “world” to exist in ala Tomorrowland, Fantasyland, etc.
Guests were treated to fully integrated creative design from top to bottom, including furniture, decor, fabrication, scenic design, food & beverage, and even gameplay.
Concept and ideation
Fallout, Dishonored, Doom, The Elder Scrolls, Prey, Wolfenstein, The Evil Within, Quake. These were the properties Bethesda entrusted us to bring to life at Bethesdaland.
We started like any fans would - by playing the games (well…all the ones we hadn’t already played). After getting a feel for the worlds and setting, we found “live-action” trailers online to observe how the games were previously brought to life in the real world.
During this process, we found what I call “cornerstones” to base the creative around (“Nuka-World” for Fallout, “Papa-Joe’s Diner” for Wolfenstein, etc). Once approved by the client, we got to work visiting prop houses, scouting scenic elements, and establishing what assets were required to build this theme park.
How magic is made
With a 6 month planning phase and over 150,000 square feet of space to activate in, the task of creating 8 unique and game-accurate worlds for Bethesdaland was certainly daunting. Check out this 10-day timelapse for an inside look at how we made the magic happen!
Fabrication and scenic
Once the bones of Bethesdaland were established, we shifted our focus to the “Hero Moments” in each world.
With our fabrication team, we began the build-drawing and rendering process, figuring out what ideas were practical and what ideas were impractical.
I knew we needed a massive moment after entering the park, and we found a great screengrab online of Vault-Boy in front of a fereis wheel, and it stuck! We also created a life-size Reveant from Doom, and recreated three-dimensional icons from Quake.
For food & beverage, we knew the details would mean everything. We had thousands of custom tankards made for The Elder Scrolls, and wrapped the lobster rolls from Dishonored in game-accurate faux-newspaper.
end result
With over 4,000 guests attending in-person, and over 3 million guests joining the livestream, the 2017 E3 Showcase became Bethesda’s most-watched and highest-attended event to date.
Unbeknownest to the guests at the park, we had built 2 secret worlds that wouldn’t be opened until after the announcements of “Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus” and “The Evil Within 2”.
Guests were treated to a surprise performance by The Chainsmokers, and were able to explore the new unlocked areas in full.
Bethesdaland will always hold a special place in our hearts, and contributed greatly to our love of bringing IP to life.
render
reality
Creative Design: Paladin Creative | Event Production: Best Events | Digital Design: iam8bit | Venue: LA Center Studios