A buzzer just sounded! Literally. The lights have gone down and I'm in the dark. Good thing I have an illuminated MacBook Pro, amirite. There's an ad for Sony phones and now Uniqlo. Just like before a movie. There's a funny no smoking ad with MGS theme exclamation points. Hahaha, now there are a bunch of phoney MGS themed ads like for guns and stuff. Great stuff.
Watching the MGS4 opening on a huge movie screen in full Dolby Digital sound. Beautiful stuff. It starts with Old Snake wearing a hooded outfit in the back of a truck. The sound is truly amazing. The credits role as it goes from gameplay to unable. Great mix of game play and cut scenes.
If you are thinking of purchasing MGS4, you really ought to play it in a movie theater.
Man, we just watched a killer in-game shootout and credits are STILL GOING.
Fumiaki Tanaka, Konami honcho, has taken the stage, talking about how the game is going on sale in the age of casual games. He's saying how the game will make its release date.
"MGS4 has great graphics, gameplay and music," says Tanaka. "Everything." He's talking about the power of the PS3. How they want to make more great games. Now he's talking about the special Metal Gear Solid 4 PS3 console.
The game will go on sale as scheduled and there will be big advertising campaigns and tie-ups.
Tanaka just introduced Kojima.
Kojima has taken the stage, saying that the game is finished. "It was a difficult game to make," he says. "It took a long time to finish." Since the game was the last in the series, the staff had to deal with that challenge. The PS3 hardware and HD game also presented challenges. Also the worldwide release.
"I thought about giving up," says Kojima. "But I had to finish it for the fans."
"Now, there is a casual boom," he says.
He's talking about taking risks, how it's important to take risks. How risks are important for the future of gaming.
"I'm not thinking of a Renaissance," he says, "but I'd like a return to gaming." Kojima has left the stage.
Watching the first PS3 MGS4 television ad. It shows scenes from the game. And a kid wrapped on in it, ignoring the phone.
Kaz Hirai has taken the stage, congratulating Konami and Kojima on finishing the game.
Hirai says he ended up playing the game for 2 hours and he didn't even know that much time had passed. "It's one of those games that you can get wrapped up in," says Hirai.
"Konami and Sony are taking this worldwide," says Hirai. "We are backing up MGS4's advertising."
Hirai mentions the special Metal Gear PLAYSTATION 3.
Hirai encourages folks to try out the game and the PS3, congratulates Konami again.
Now there's a photo opp. I take a pic. I shall post it later!
Later is NOW, have a look:
Oh! The English trailer, complete with MOVIE TRAILER GUY VOICE. Hey, this is pretty neat.
It's like a mega blockbuster movie trailer, complete with MOVIE VOICE GUY saying "This Summer"...
Now, Kojima is going to play through the game. For forty minutes. On a giant movie screen. Think about that.
Spoiler, spoiler, spoiler, spoiler, Regain energy drink. In-game. Kojima stops the demo, drinks a bottle of it, says it gives you energy. Spoiler, spoiler, spoiler, in-game iPod, spoiler, spoiler, listening to the original retro Metal Gear song, playing with it, changing it to JPop, playing the game with Jpop, spoiler, spoiler, , spoiler, spoiler, monkey in diaper, spoiler, spoiler, spoiler...
The game looks really nice on a movie screen.
Spoiler, "purchasable" customizable weapons (don't know if this is DLC or unlockable or what), spoiler, spoiler, spoiler, customizable Octocamo, spoiler, spoiler, spoiler,
Spoiler, spoiler, spoiler, in-game store where you can buy awesome guns, spoiler, spoiler, spoiler...
And the 40 minute demo is over. I cannot recommend playing this game in a movie theater enough.
Now, producer Kenichiro Imaizumi has taken the stage. Today's surprise is...
An ad for Regain energy drink. With Snake. Old Snake drinks the energy drink and becomes young. It goes on sale in Japan starting June 10th.
There's also a MGS4 duck alarm clock going on sale at the end of July.
Also, an official MSG4 Sony cell phone. MGS4 Salaryman cell phone game.
The MGS4 branding continues! There's also an in-game MGS4 branded MOTORCYCLE from motorcycle maker Triumph, the folks who made the bike Tom Cruise rode in Mission Impossible.
Remember that Assassin's Solid trailer? You can dress up as Altair in game. Watching a video letter from Jade Raymond. She's saying congrats, etc.
There will be MGS3 shirts from UNIQLO with designs by Logan Media, Power Grapfix and one more.
In Game, swimsuit model Akina Minami appears. Akina takes the stage, and talks with Kojima. Akina is a big Metal Gear fan, and Kojima says she's really good at Metal Gear. "I love Metal Gear so much," says Akina, "And I was thrilled to be in the game."
Now they're talking about Metal Gear fans around the world.
There's a map of the world and they're talking about launches around the world.
Last message from Kojima, "We've put the last 21 years of know how and experience and sense into this game. That's how we made it." He telling us that the game drops next month and thanks us for coming! A short film goes up with all the game's characters. There's a behind the scences clip that shows the team working on the game, arguing, talking about the project, finishing the game, having a office party and shooting a champagne cork into the ceiling,
The screen goes black and the voice actor who does Ocelot comes and saying the event is over, but something's in place for the launches in NYC, Akihabara and LA. And then asks something like, what about the sequel.
And that's it! Stick in a fork in us, we are done.