Just me and tons of other losers, err... geeks
Slowly but surely I'm catching up on this blogging thing. Anyway, time for some fun stuff!
So last Saturday, the international man of mystery himself, Hideo Kojima, was up in SF @ the Sony Store (inside the Sony Metreon) promoting Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. For those not in the know, he's the Producer/Writer/Director of the Metal Gear Solid series and is pretty much revered as a big deal in the gaming realm. Being that he rarely does appearances and such, I figured I'd take a hack an meeting the guy and scoring a 'graph. After Melody and I scoured through our E3 swhwag from years past, we dug up a press folder from E3 2005 when MGS4 was first announced. It looked pretty sweet and I figured no one would have one that day, so I'd impress Mr. Kojima himself with my rare find.
Kojima was slated to sign from 4-6. but I knew things weren't looking great when I read Isaac's twitter message saying he was already in a long line @ 9 AM. And it was 1 PM when I read that. *heh* ~~ he said he'd hook me up with a line space, if nothing else, so that felt pretty awesome. I got there @ 2, and lemme tell ya'... you'd think Jesus or Elvis was the guest of honor seeing how long that friggin' line was! I'd say easily 800 in line by the time I got there. For those familiar with the layout, the line started on the corner of 4th & Mission and it went ALL the way down to Moscone Center South! =X ~~ but I figured, my ass has a golden ticket somewhere, yeah? So I make my way down the line... ran into an ex-co worker from EA. He was doing well. Figured I'd make a good pact w/ him to reserve me a spot in case security was being tight with line holding. Walk down a little more... run into my fellow Husky boy, Richie! He was doing well and flaunting his newly-autographed Rex Navarrete DVD... (the VD! DEEEEEE-VEE-DEE!) He wasn't hanging in line though, so that was useless. =P ~~ went up a little more and ran into Mike, (Psycho) Joe, and their boy... (damn what was his name, it slips me) ~~ they were hangin', havin' fun and all that. Mike even had a freakin' box of Calorie Mate on him (among a bevy of other geeky things)! *heh* Figured I'd holler back at them if Isaac wasn't able to hold it down for me. Then I got to the front of the line and sure enough, there was Isaac about 20th in line or so. Said he'd been there since 7 or so. Like GOT DAMN, I ain't even been THAT early to an autograph session like EVER. Even when I set up shop for Lupe Fiasco's in-store appearance, I was there @ 11 AM and it started @ 2 or 3, I forget.
Anywho, they were just about to bust out wristbands and I was strategizing whether to risk looking like an a-hole for jumping the line or fall back a little and hang out w/ a more fun, motley crew. I went with the latter and ended up kickin' it w/ Mike and crew. Good times were had and it was actually a good thing, since at about 345, a limo pulled up.
Man, the mob of cameras was insanity but I was able to lay low and get ready for any sweet shots I was going to nail. Once the man himself came out (following a few gals), he walked rather briskly to get inside. With a super small window of opportunity, I was able to nail this shot:
HIGHER-RES PIC: http://www.fileden.com/files/2006/11/2/341221/IMG_1750.JPG
I was pretty happy with that one. =) Three things struck me from that pic and that moment:
a) I wasn't too starstruck seeing him, for the simple fact homeboy looks like a fake-ass Eugene from a distance. *heh* ~~ Seemed like a normal-ass dude to me.
b) What the hell were those pants he was wearing?!
c) Since when did Nole (from America's Next Top Model) have a day job as a Sony Metreon employee? XD (look just to the right of Kojima)
Anywho, I'd say after that, it was roughly an hour til I got in. I'd say Mike & crew were about 150-200th in line. Pretty damn good spot considering they were initially only going to give out 200 autograph wristbands. The other rules (which were BS) were:
a) He was ONLY signing either the MGS4 game or the gun metal grey limited edition PS3. (?!)
b) No photos w/ him.
c) No handshakes, hugs, or daps.
d) Get in, get the fuck out, and keep the line moving.
Well fuck...
However, just before I got in, the employee (the fake-ass Nole) told me that if I had an item different from the game/PS3, the guests (they being Ken Imaizumi, Kojima, and Yumi Kikuchi (Raging Raven model)) would sign that, but nothing else. So I was a bit happier and knew things would be alright. My folder was primed for some Sharpie action!
Anyway, on to more pics!
From a few places back in line.
Kojima signs stuff for a gal that the guys & I met in line.
ODD TIDBIT: She ditched her last BF because he turned down sex for WoW. No, really.
Ha! Kojima shakes hands after all! What a man, what a man...
The man signs my stuff. He was pretty impressed I dug that one out.
He chuckled when I said my 3-year wait for MGS4 is FINALLY over.
She's kinda' nice, yo.
The final product:
HI-RES PIC: http://www.fileden.com/files/2006/11/2/341221/Picture%20001.jpg
-- Funny sidenote. Ryan Payton was there too (one of the producers @ Kojima Productions, but he wasn't signing autographs that day. In fact, I heard he was holding the counter ticker thing while people walked through the line. Man, who did he piss off to not get a seat at the autograph table? XD --
More pics of friends going through the lines (posted mainly for them) can be found here.
And what geek outing is complete w/out cos-players?
Yep, now it's party!
Aww, what a doll. (Snake's kinda' neat, too.) *heh*
Neat side note about the Meryl gal/doll... she made that doll in a day or two for Kojima. I don't think she was able to get in the line, because she came late and didn't get a wristband or something, and she was pretty bummed. Anywho, with some help from some Japanese folk, she made a hand-written sign which she held up to the glass to explain her sitch. Apparently the PR team caught notice. Sure enough, they fulfilled her wish, she met the man, the Konami staff videotaped it, they interviewed her and everything! Great story and I was happy for her. It'd be that nice to be that big a deal to have fans beg to give me stuff. *heh*
Then the signing ended with MGS4 dog tags. w00t for free stuff. =D
Rest of the day was nice, just being able to hang with the dudes, talk shop about stuff... even ran into Jason Enos up @ Metreon (since he used to be the Prod. Mgr. for the MGS series.) He's got some rare stuff for me that he'll hook me up w/ later, so pics when that comes. =)
I'll hafta' post up a better pic of my signed folder. If any of y'all want the high-res versions of those pics, reply.
Indeed, I'm a gamer geek for life. I am resigned to this fate and I have no regrets.
More fun stuff to post later.
So last Saturday, the international man of mystery himself, Hideo Kojima, was up in SF @ the Sony Store (inside the Sony Metreon) promoting Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. For those not in the know, he's the Producer/Writer/Director of the Metal Gear Solid series and is pretty much revered as a big deal in the gaming realm. Being that he rarely does appearances and such, I figured I'd take a hack an meeting the guy and scoring a 'graph. After Melody and I scoured through our E3 swhwag from years past, we dug up a press folder from E3 2005 when MGS4 was first announced. It looked pretty sweet and I figured no one would have one that day, so I'd impress Mr. Kojima himself with my rare find.
Kojima was slated to sign from 4-6. but I knew things weren't looking great when I read Isaac's twitter message saying he was already in a long line @ 9 AM. And it was 1 PM when I read that. *heh* ~~ he said he'd hook me up with a line space, if nothing else, so that felt pretty awesome. I got there @ 2, and lemme tell ya'... you'd think Jesus or Elvis was the guest of honor seeing how long that friggin' line was! I'd say easily 800 in line by the time I got there. For those familiar with the layout, the line started on the corner of 4th & Mission and it went ALL the way down to Moscone Center South! =X ~~ but I figured, my ass has a golden ticket somewhere, yeah? So I make my way down the line... ran into an ex-co worker from EA. He was doing well. Figured I'd make a good pact w/ him to reserve me a spot in case security was being tight with line holding. Walk down a little more... run into my fellow Husky boy, Richie! He was doing well and flaunting his newly-autographed Rex Navarrete DVD... (the VD! DEEEEEE-VEE-DEE!) He wasn't hanging in line though, so that was useless. =P ~~ went up a little more and ran into Mike, (Psycho) Joe, and their boy... (damn what was his name, it slips me) ~~ they were hangin', havin' fun and all that. Mike even had a freakin' box of Calorie Mate on him (among a bevy of other geeky things)! *heh* Figured I'd holler back at them if Isaac wasn't able to hold it down for me. Then I got to the front of the line and sure enough, there was Isaac about 20th in line or so. Said he'd been there since 7 or so. Like GOT DAMN, I ain't even been THAT early to an autograph session like EVER. Even when I set up shop for Lupe Fiasco's in-store appearance, I was there @ 11 AM and it started @ 2 or 3, I forget.
Anywho, they were just about to bust out wristbands and I was strategizing whether to risk looking like an a-hole for jumping the line or fall back a little and hang out w/ a more fun, motley crew. I went with the latter and ended up kickin' it w/ Mike and crew. Good times were had and it was actually a good thing, since at about 345, a limo pulled up.
Man, the mob of cameras was insanity but I was able to lay low and get ready for any sweet shots I was going to nail. Once the man himself came out (following a few gals), he walked rather briskly to get inside. With a super small window of opportunity, I was able to nail this shot:
HIGHER-RES PIC: http://www.fileden.com/files/2006/11/2/341221/IMG_1750.JPG
I was pretty happy with that one. =) Three things struck me from that pic and that moment:
a) I wasn't too starstruck seeing him, for the simple fact homeboy looks like a fake-ass Eugene from a distance. *heh* ~~ Seemed like a normal-ass dude to me.
b) What the hell were those pants he was wearing?!
c) Since when did Nole (from America's Next Top Model) have a day job as a Sony Metreon employee? XD (look just to the right of Kojima)
Anywho, I'd say after that, it was roughly an hour til I got in. I'd say Mike & crew were about 150-200th in line. Pretty damn good spot considering they were initially only going to give out 200 autograph wristbands. The other rules (which were BS) were:
a) He was ONLY signing either the MGS4 game or the gun metal grey limited edition PS3. (?!)
b) No photos w/ him.
c) No handshakes, hugs, or daps.
d) Get in, get the fuck out, and keep the line moving.
Well fuck...
However, just before I got in, the employee (the fake-ass Nole) told me that if I had an item different from the game/PS3, the guests (they being Ken Imaizumi, Kojima, and Yumi Kikuchi (Raging Raven model)) would sign that, but nothing else. So I was a bit happier and knew things would be alright. My folder was primed for some Sharpie action!
Anyway, on to more pics!
From a few places back in line.
Kojima signs stuff for a gal that the guys & I met in line.
ODD TIDBIT: She ditched her last BF because he turned down sex for WoW. No, really.
Ha! Kojima shakes hands after all! What a man, what a man...
The man signs my stuff. He was pretty impressed I dug that one out.
He chuckled when I said my 3-year wait for MGS4 is FINALLY over.
She's kinda' nice, yo.
The final product:
HI-RES PIC: http://www.fileden.com/files/2006/11/2/341221/Picture%20001.jpg
-- Funny sidenote. Ryan Payton was there too (one of the producers @ Kojima Productions, but he wasn't signing autographs that day. In fact, I heard he was holding the counter ticker thing while people walked through the line. Man, who did he piss off to not get a seat at the autograph table? XD --
More pics of friends going through the lines (posted mainly for them) can be found here.
And what geek outing is complete w/out cos-players?
Yep, now it's party!
Aww, what a doll. (Snake's kinda' neat, too.) *heh*
Neat side note about the Meryl gal/doll... she made that doll in a day or two for Kojima. I don't think she was able to get in the line, because she came late and didn't get a wristband or something, and she was pretty bummed. Anywho, with some help from some Japanese folk, she made a hand-written sign which she held up to the glass to explain her sitch. Apparently the PR team caught notice. Sure enough, they fulfilled her wish, she met the man, the Konami staff videotaped it, they interviewed her and everything! Great story and I was happy for her. It'd be that nice to be that big a deal to have fans beg to give me stuff. *heh*
Then the signing ended with MGS4 dog tags. w00t for free stuff. =D
Rest of the day was nice, just being able to hang with the dudes, talk shop about stuff... even ran into Jason Enos up @ Metreon (since he used to be the Prod. Mgr. for the MGS series.) He's got some rare stuff for me that he'll hook me up w/ later, so pics when that comes. =)
I'll hafta' post up a better pic of my signed folder. If any of y'all want the high-res versions of those pics, reply.
Indeed, I'm a gamer geek for life. I am resigned to this fate and I have no regrets.
More fun stuff to post later.