Kane holds the record of being the longest running villain in a video game series (15 years according the Guinness Book of Records). He is the head villain in the long running Command & Conquer series of computer games. To everyone including the player, Kane is portrayed as the leader of a fanatical army of followers constituting freedom fighters/rebels/the oppressed/the marginalised in a world that is slowly being poisoned by a powerful alien substance called Tiberium. This army is called the Brotherhood of Nod, or just NOD. Their enemy is the GDI represents the privileged spoilt minority who lead comfortable lives in the Blue Zones, safe from the deadly affects of Tiberium.
Kane in action.If you want to know more, click here to go to the official Command & Conquer website. Make sure you also visit the Red Alert and Generals tabs up top to see the other two universes of Command & Conquer!
A CHANCE ENCOUNTER WITH THE MESSIAH.
Nearing its release date, I still hadn’t ordered C&C4 yet. I had tried to several times but somehow never really completed the online order. There was always something stopping me.For one thing, I wanted the US version cover over the UK version cover, if not for anything other than wanting to avoid the ugly age suitability rating on the UK version. But the shipping costs of sending it to the UK from US were too high for me. I had decided that I would just wait till I got back to the States to get it. (That would be this August). A few days before the release though, I discovered that the HMV near school had an attached cybercafé that was having free walk in plays of C&C4 for one week from March 19-26. So I decided not to buy it first and go for the free trial.
I decided to go there on the first day of the trial week, March 19th, but time was going to be tight cause class finished at 11am and I had a train to Manchester to catch at 7pm, and I still hadn't done my laundry and packed my things. But I really wanted to at least spend an hour trying C&C4 out, so I went anyway. I reached the cybercafé at HMV at about 11am (right after class duh!), and the guy said the game had not arrived. He said to come back in the afternoon. I was disappointed, and I thought the game wouldn’t be coming in at all that day, but I hung around, the area, and came back at 12pm, upon which I could see that they were setting the place up. I got excited. There was something definitely going on. But again they said it wasn’t ready and told me to return at one.
At 1pm, I came. There was a huge crowd waiting. Alright here we go! But no, we just stood there and waited. I could see that all the coms had C&C4 already up and running in their main menus. So I asked the young chap next to me : What are we waiting for?
“The actor is coming”
Huh?
(Pause as his sentence registered in my mind)
NO WAY. Kane is coming??? OMG. Why was he coming? Isn't this just a free one week trial?
“This is the UK launch. Everyone also gets a free copy of the game” he continued.
WTF. Ok, I seriously thought this kid was pulling my leg.
“I’m totally serious! You don’t know this? Why are you even here? Did you just walk by and decide to drop in?”
Errr.....Yeah mate. I was just here to try out the game for free. Mate.
Surprise! Thank goodness I didn’t wait till after coming back from the weekend to try the game out for free! I would have missed the launch! A few moments later, Kane really did come. I was still in disbelief. All this while I’ve been reading on the internet about all the special C&C events that are held in big cities in the States, or Germany where Kane and the C&C promotional teams go, but I never thought I’d get a chance to be a part of that. Certainly not in Kuala Lumpur, or South Bend, but I guess I was in London now! So why not? Lots of stuff from America premieres in London. I’d been to the premieres of Valentine’s Day and Alice in Wonderland already, so why not computer game premieres too?
I’ll tell you why. For starters, that cybercafé was so small and obscure I’d think they would have chosen a more popular spot to premiere it. And the crowd was really small for the premiere of the game. But then again, if you’ve been following the controversy surrounding C&C4 (another post on that later), you’d realize that such a dismal launch event isn’t really all that surprising. In the end, only about 70% of the computers were occupied.
THE MESSIAH SPEAKS
Enigmatic even off-screen.
So the event started with Kane giving a speech. He’s really sarcastic. Joked about nearly everything. He apologised for not being in C&C5, he told us that he had never won a single multiplayer match, because we guys were really good. I think that's all from his speech I could remember, cause I couldn’t help it. Took out my N82 and started snapping and recording away. I was the only one to do so. Am I the only jakun one here who has never seen Kane before? After his speech he opened the floor to Q&A.
What's your next move now that you're done with C&C?
Several options. My tears apparently can cure lots of diseases even cancer. So I have a stint with Dow Chemicals where they put me in a torture chamber, and torture and punish me so that I'll cry and they collect my tears in a vial that goes to market. And I'm also lined up for a few movie roles!
What is your favorite new feature of C&C4?
Well, I never really liked harvesting. I know. It's what C&C is all about, but I just disliked it immensely. So I'm really happy there is no harvesting in this new game.
What is your favorite C&C game?
Probably Renegade. (Hiss and snickers from the audience) I know, I know, I'm supposed to be Kane but the game I like the most is the one which I'm not in. But you know, I just really liked being able to see the universe from a first person perspective.
How do you get into character?
Well, I take a bunch of cute little puppies, and I put them in a cardboard box, and then I curb stomp the box of puppies. Again and again and again. What do you mean I how do I get into character? I'm Kane! I just stare at anyone and I'm already in character!
Do you have a favorite Kane moment?
I do actually! The second game what's it called? Tiberian..... Sun? And the guy in that game....what's his name......erm....Slavik! That's right Slavik. He's addressing an audience of Nod troops and they're about to execute some traitor. And Slavik is chanting: Kane Lives in Death! Kane Lives in Death! And then suddenly, I appear on the big screen above him, and I say: KANE LIVES! That scene still gives me the goosebumps until now.
And that is all I remember of his Q&A. Remember, I was more focused on snapping pictures and recording him, so my memory might be slightly fuzzy. For the most part, I have only put in what I actually heard, and have not filled in the gaps myself. But there still might be errors, so if you see differing accounts on other websites, just know that they may be right.
PLAYTIME FINALLY. BUT I WASN'T INTERESTED IN THE GAME ANYMORE
At the end of the speech and Q&A, Kane congratulated all of us, because our attendance was supposedly due to the fact that we won some contest. Woohoo I just walked in Kane! And then he said that he would be hanging around the cybercafé the rest of the day and he hoped to get the chance to shake each of our hands and talk to us. Nice!
Then when he finished, I thought everyone would walk up to him to take pictures, but no one did. So I didn’t want to be so jakun. So I obediently sat down at one of the PCs next to the same chap who had told me what this event was about. I asked him to take a picture of me and Kane when Kane came up to us. There was already a pre-signed photo of Kane and a free C&C4 shirt. waiting at the computer. Sweet! But hold on, where's my free game? That's the most important!
Everyone dove into C&C4 immediately, some playing campaign, some the online multiplayer, and some skirmish. I was more interested in getting my free game and getting the photo with Kane though and I kept looking around for him and my game. I mean come on, why do I want to settle for seeing Kane on screen when he's right there in the same room with me in real life!!! Eventually some staff member came and handed out the free game to everyone. Woohoo! Now I didn’t have to spend 50 USD on the game anymore!
wtf...C&C4 is so bloody different and screwed up!
Alright, now where is Kane. Ah ok, he’s walking up to people and talking to them. But not everyone though. More like every other. Crap, gotta make sure I get to talk to him. In the meantime, I started playing the game. OMG this game was terrible. (Game review will come up in the next post!) I felt like complaining about it to Kane, but thought better of it. He might not want to take a picture with me if I bash his game. Though I could definitely tell from his speech that he was no C&C junkie like us fans, and I bet that he hardly ever plays the game. He probably just takes all the money that he gets from us fans who made him famous and spends it on life's luxuries. And he's probably doing all that whilst laughing at us computer game geeks. But what can we do, we love you Kane!
Eventually he came up on the other side of the guy next to me. OH no, I had a feeling he was going to walk away once he was done talking to my neighbor. So at the end, as he was about to depart, I called out: “Kan- ….Joe! (His real name ref: JOSHUA), can I get a picture with you?”
FREE brand new C&C4 game: CHECK.
Photo with the video gaming industry’s most famous actor and villain: CHECK!
INTERVIEW WITH KANE
Then we talked a while. At first he made the standard C&C4 chit chat that he’d been doing with the others. “Playing Nod eh, you should be winning, etc.” But I took our conversation down a different road. I immediately told him. “ Joe, I’m so surprised to see you here! I didn’t even know this was the launch event I just wanted to try out the game. Furthermore I’m not supposed to be in London. I’m actually from In-dee-yeah-nah.
“REALLY? Yeah, I can hear the slight accent!” Alright now it was Kane’s turn to be excited and surprised. And this really got the conversation rolling. It was his turn to ask me what I was doing in London. And then we talked about my schooling in Notre Dame, March Madness, and the best part was him saying: “Notre Dame eh? My ex from 2 years ago went there. SCREW HER.” And then he asked me how UNLV was doing in the March Madness and I didn’t really know. And then at the end, before we ended the chat, as I wanted to thank him for the nice surprise, he proceeded to shake my hand and ask for my name. WOW. Have you ever had a celebrity ask for your name? No. Cause they won’t see you again so why bother. But he asked mine! What an honor. It was then that I knew that I was definitely born to be Nod. And I probably would have been one of those guys who would make it to his inner circle. And then he’d eventually kill me off for knowing too much/becoming a threat to his power. Seriously, can you possibly think of a better way to die than this???? Oohhh…the honor and prestige!!!! I HEART YOU NOD!
And then Kane left to take pictures with another fan. And I sat down at my computer again, fully satisfied to my heart’s and fandom’s content. What a wonderfully surprising turnout of the day! Because I was so happy I still couldn’t concentrate on the game. I just remember clicking aimlessly at things without really caring what my clicking did. I MET KANE! I TOOK A PICTURE WITH HIM! I TALKED TO HIM! HIS EX WENT TO NOTRE DAME! I MET KANE!!!! GAHHH...... =DDDDDDDDDDDDDD!
But the elation didn’t end there.
INTERVIEW WITH EA
A few minutes later, EA UK’s media and promotions team came up behind me, tapped me on the shoulder and asked if I would like to do an interview for them. HELL YEAH! Wow, I was so excited. Am I going to be on the website? Must I only say nice things about C&C4? (Cause the gameplay was crap). When will this appear? Must I make the cut? Are you going to edit it? Then the interview began and he asked me the questions.
What do you think of the new C&C4?
Mind: It’s a piece of shit. I’m so happy you guys are giving me a free copy. I would have gone back to M’sia and bought a pirated one if you didn’t.
Mouth: It’s pretty exciting. Just very different from traditional C&C games. But pretty exciting. And enjoyable.
Do you think that the more you play the more you will get used to the difference and enjoy it more?
Mind: Fuck no. What type of bloody C&C game has no base building, no tiberium harvesting, and you win the match by waiting for victory points to accumulate? This is not C&C at all you dumbnuts! Thank goodness you gave me a free copy! Paying for the game would have been the biggest waste of money! (Retail price is U$50, UK Pound 30)
Mouth: Definitely! It’s just very different and not what people usually expect from traditional C&C games, but the more you play it, the more you will discover it to be exciting. And enjoyable. (Gawd, I am repeating myself to much. Stop asking me about this stupid game!)
Are you a big fan of the C&C franchise?
Mind & Mouth: OH very definitely!
Which is your favourite C&C game?
Mind: Alright, now this question I can shine for your website EA.
Mouth: Wow, that’s a tough one there are so many good ones. I started with Red Alert and then moved on to Tiberian Dawn. So the Red Alert universe has always had a special starting point for me, and Red Alert 2 is my favorite game of all. My 2nd favorite would be C&C3 Tiberium Wars, that was really well done. ( I meant it!) But I didn’t like Red Alert 3 so much. I felt that it tried to be too comical, to emulate the success of Red Alert 2, but the effort was just over done, and in the end, everything felt forced and unnatural, as if they inserted features for comic’s sake only.
Which is your favorite unit?
Mind: Yep, I can do this too.
Mouth: Oh the Kirov airship would probably be my favorite. Actually I have many favorites. I’m a big fan of Nod so I love most of the Nod units. Like the Scorpion Tank, Obelisk of Light, Flame Tank, etc.
Alright Chris, thank you very much, and enjoy your C&C4!
Mind: I’ll try my best, but you guys have screwed up the game too much. And its supposed to be the grand finale of my lord Kane’s story too. Bastards.
Mouth: Yep definitely, can’t wait to get my hands deeper into the game!
“YOU’RE VERY LUCKY TODAY”
After the interview, the chap whom I had sat next to who had been telling me what was going on and snapped the picture of me and Kane asked me, “What was that all about?” I said in a very nonchalant way, “Oh you know…just asking me my thoughts on the game and all.”
With a tinge of jealousy he replied: “Oh. You’re very lucky today.”
My reply: “ I KNOW!”
Chris, you jerk, why did you have to make him feel even worse? I had just walked in unexpectedly but I got the most out of the event. At this point it was already 240pm, and I had to go back and do laundry and pack for my weekend trip with Queen Er and Jit Han to Manchester for the EPL match on Sunday.
So I decided that I would help him get a photo with Kane at the very least before I left. The bloody bugger, I had asked him several times before if he wanted a picture, but he kept on saying he didn’t want one. Only after he saw all the attention I was getting did he feel like he was losing out on a lot. But now that he wanted to get a picture, Kane was nowhere to be found. And I had to go. So I thanked him “for everything”. Which to me was lot as you can probably tell by now. I really do hope the poor chap got a photo with Kane in the end.
As I left and made my way home, I was still in slight disbelief. I thought I was going to get to try out the game for free for like an hour, but I ended up meeting the Messiah Kane and getting my own free copy of the game, as well as an autographed photo. As I reflected on the surprisingly miraculous day and basked in the elation it brought me, I realized that the entire experience could be summed up in that one sentence that poor chap had said to me that continued to resonate in my mind:
“You’re very lucky today.”
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1 comment:
ok so i was messing around with all my friends' blogs and i realized u have a new entry up! u lucky boy. even though i know nothing about video games, but i can tell that u are very very happy, so much that it warrants a blog post!
so eh, u still owe me home cooked dinner. haha.
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