Metal Gear Solid 4 Launch - Tokyo and NewYork

Metal Gear Solid 4 Launch - Tokyo and NewYork

Tokyo Launch
This morning,Metal gear Solid 4 launched in Tokyo, Japan. According to Famitsu, there was a line of twenty or so in front of the Yodobashi Camera in Shinjuku at 8:30 this morning. By 9:15am, the line grew to about 50 people, and swelled to around one 100 thirty minutes before the store opened.

The Yodobashi Shinjuku store manager pointed out that the rainy weather wasn't exactly ideal for the launch event, and that by sometime time today the store would probably sell out of the PS3 Metal Gear Solid 4 bundles.

Over in Tokyo's Ikebukuro, there were 20 or so people lined up in front of Bic Camera. By the time the store opened at 10am, the line had grown to 60 customers — mostly males in their 20s and 30s, couples too and ladies buying for their boyfriends.


Dudes with consoles.


While the rain drizzled in Tokyo's Yurakucho as MGS4 went on sale at Bic Camera. The store typically draws long lines, but at an hour before the store opened there was exactly zero people lined up out front for Metal Gear Solid 4. Because of the bad weather, the line of ten customers was waiting inside. Five minutes before opening, the line reached 23 people. Note: this is the same Bic Camera where Sony held its official Playstation 3 launch with PlayStation creator Ken Kutaragi.




New YorK Launch

This was the scene outside the Metal Gear Solid 4 midnight launch at the Virgin Megastore in Times Square, New York City. The epic crowds were here to get their brand-new copy of the game signed by Hideo Kojima, who was in attendance with the lovely Yumi kikuchi, the voice and model for the "Beauty" Raging Raven.

The real madness took place inside, of course. Hit the jump for full details.

Kojima's signing took place on the bottom floor of the three-story megastore, and throngs of people had already started lining up long before the event had begun to kick off. When I arrived, the energy was unbelievable, with crowds periodically chanting Kojima's name or "Metal Gear! Metal Gear!"

I chatted up some fans in line, and when one person told me he'd just bought a PS3 specifically for this game, some six or seven other people immediately chimed in that they had, too. Everyone there identified themselves as a diehard franchise fan who couldn't wait to meet the creator.

After a bit of waiting, an announcement let the crowd know that Kojima himself was about to appear. People went nuts, and began chanting his name in chorus anew, raising their fists in the air:

When Kojima descended the escalator, a flurry of cameras, flashbulbs and cheers erupted. In this blurry little pic I took, Kojima is waving to everyone as he comes down. Sorry for the poor quality, but I actually think my hands were shaking - the high energy and anticipation were very contagious!

Here, Kojima has taken his place at the table with Ms. Kikuchi. Forgive my finger in the frame. There was a big rush of people trying to get photos and I had to snap quickly!

As a game journalist, I of course have to maintain a fair and balanced objectivity when writing about games. But on a personal level, I am a mammoth fan of the Metal Gear Solid series and always have been. So when I got the chance to shake Kojima's hand, I must confess I babbled like a nut, and I think I said, "Thank you I love Snake please bring him back thank you I love Metal Gear thank you!"

I've seen a few midnight launches here in New York City, but never have I seen anything game related of this scale and spectacle. There had to have been a few hundred people there, everyone buzzing with excitement. Very cool!

TOKYO Source - KOTAKU - Brian Ashcraft

New York Source - KOTAKU - Leigh Alexander

0 comments:

Need to say something ? Spell it out :)