Cosplay and gaming go hand in hand, and no one knows this better than the developers themselves.  Red 5 Studios, the team behind upcoming free-to-play team FPS Firefall, announced today they are formally sponsoring cosplay for their game.  And they aren't just going to toss some coupons into the air at the next convention.  No, they're going to sponsor cosplay goddess Crystal Graziano, known for her amazing Sweet Raiden work among others, for a full year of cosplay supplies, professional photo shoots and Photoshop work.

Dubbing it "The Cosplay Sponsorship Program," Red 5 will also feature Ms. Graziano as Mourningstar outfitted in a rig built by famed film special effects artist Steve Wang.  Watch the video below to see the work that went into the outfit. It's a brilliant idea, considering how visually strong the game art looks.  Plus it allows the Firefall team to build some much needed hype for their title amongst the people who are most passionate about their hobby -- the cosplayers.  

I love the idea of geek art getting pro sponsorship, and cosplay is the heighth of geek artistry.  This all makes me wish my sewing machine wasn't broken.  Think I could pick up a Monster Absolute Zero sponsorship if I dressed up as the can at the next SDCC?