Published on: December 1, 2024, 03:23h.

Last updated on: December 1, 2024, 03:32h.

Getting to know Gordy Siddons, the man who inspired one of the most popular characters in one of the most popular video games of all time, is quite challenging. He often responds with “I don’t want to talk about that,” or “I don’t know,” leaving the conversation in silence for 10-15 seconds until a better question is asked.

When video game designer Josh Sawyer and writer Chris Avellone visited Goodsprings in April 2010 for inspiration and to interview locals for their new title, Siddons captivated them.

At that time, Siddons worked as a dynamite blaster for a mining company that mined lead, zinc, and copper from the local hills.

“I was blowing the mountain up,” Siddons, 60, tells Casino.org while driving to his mother’s house for Thanksgiving. “I was living in a mine, mining a mine.”

This is why Easy Pete, the character modeled after Siddons, offers dynamite to players in “Fallout: New Vegas.”

Goodsprings serves as the emotional core of “Fallout: New Vegas,” a game set 200 years post-nuclear war. Since its release in October 2010, it has gained immense popularity, selling almost 12 million copies worldwide.

While key scenes take place in Las Vegas and Hoover Dam, Goodsprings introduces players to the post-nuclear Mojave Wasteland.

The characters inspired by Siddons and other locals provide unwavering support as players navigate their role in a power struggle among mafia, tribal governments, and a tech billionaire.

“I thought he looked just like me,” Siddons remarks upon seeing Easy Pete for the first time.

“He acts like me, too – pretty much close, yeah – except that he leaves the bar all the time, but I’m at the bar all the time.”

All Out for Fallout

Annually for the past three years, the town of Goodsprings, with a population of 100, is flooded with around 4,000 fans. They flock to its landmarks – the Pioneer Saloon (renamed the Prospector Saloon in the game), the Goodsprings General Store, the church, and the cemetery – akin to Beatles fans visiting Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields in Liverpool.

For two consecutive days, Siddons and Pioneer owner Stephen “Old Man Liver” Staats, who is not depicted in the game, conduct tours of the landmarks and address fan inquiries.

“People often share with me what the game means to them,” says Siddons, believing its appeal lies in its depiction of “real people, real characters.”

“I think everybody is a character, if you get to know them,” he explains.

Siddons admits he has not spent much time playing “Fallout: New Vegas.”

“I catch glimpses of it when others play,” he mentions.

Plain as Pete

Siddons grew up near Fresno, where he claims to have been “a good kid.”

“Trouble gets in trouble,” he quips.

Before relocating to Goodsprings about two decades ago, Siddons worked as a landscaper in the California desert. He moved to assist his mother, who had moved to Goodsprings and took up bartending at the Pioneer. She needed help fixing up her home, and now resides in Laughlin, Nevada.

“I’ve been there ever since,” Siddons states about Goodsprings, located approximately 40 miles southwest of Las Vegas.

When asked about his thoughts on the “Fallout” franchise’s popularity, Siddons responds with mild enthusiasm: “It’s fantastic, I guess.”

He received a flat fee rather than royalties for using his likeness in the game. When questioned if this affects his sentiments, Siddons remarks, “I’m not upset at that – not at all. That’s probably why they named my character ‘Easy.’”

Pioneering Saloon

Prior to its association with video games, the Pioneer, established in 1913, was most noted for hosting Clark Gable during a sorrowful period in January 1942. The renowned actor used the bar as a sanctuary while awaiting news about his wife, Carole Lombard. It’s rumored that his cigarette burns still mark the bar’s cherry wood top.

Gable never received the news he hoped for, as Lombard tragically perished in a plane crash into nearby Potosi Mountain.

Sorrow also tinges Siddons’ past. He was once married to Mrs. Gordy Siddons, who succumbed to cirrhosis six years ago.

“I think about her all the time,” Siddons reflects, “but life goes on.”

They share a daughter but Siddons doesn’t elaborate on her, saying she is “grown and gone.”

“I haven’t had contact with her for quite a while,” he states, uncertain if she is aware of his unusual fame.

Nevertheless, Siddons asserts he remains the same amidst the changes surrounding him.

“I’m still the same old me,” he affirms, emphasizing, “except I have a bit more influence at the Pioneer now.”