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[Heucuva]

[MarkHawk]

I wrote this at work today and Have yet to add the pictures and edit it before I post it but here is a rough draf for you guys. Long but it is an account of my time and then the fun we had there.

__________________________________________________________


Title: Buzz words

Nov 4th 2004
2:50 pm EST

As I peered over the platform to see my train pulling into Ronkonkoma train station which would be our major form of transportation for our journey to Lowes theater in New York. I (aka MarkHawk) was traveling up with my friends John (aka Pvt. Caboose [Not to be confused with RvsB]) and Sean (aka Pvt. Gordon) where we were planning to meet Evilburger (from www.evilburger.net) around 4:30pm (EST). Other then overcast and a slight drizzle there had really been no problems. But then again I like that sort of weather.

The train ride there was surprisingly nice. A new train with all the bells and whistles one could ask for. Between the three of us we grabbed six seats. One for our asses and another for our legs. Sean slept a good amount of the way there while John and I talked about the Halo 2 Magazines we had brought and made fun of the voice that announced what city you were in. We both agreed it sounded a lot (if not the same) like the voice that was in Jurassic Park that gave information in the SUV's. This followed up with some nice jokes about a Dilophosaurus outside the window of the train but we must of heard him wrong because all we saw was some lady named Doris… who looked a lot like a dinosaur.

The train arrived with no visible problems at all and from there we proceeded to a McDonalds in Penn. Station to meet with the legendary EvilBurger. It was around this time one of my friends unleashed his evil plan and made a phone call. While I was on the phone trying to figure out if Evilburger was having trouble finding us Sean was busy trying to delay time. As we stood and waited I was looking around for Evilburger when I ran into someone I knew, someone I had a one and a million chances to meet here, someone I had gone to school with, and that my friend Sean had liked… oh that basturd. He invited a girl!

Time went by and Evilburger finally met up with us. After some pictures, hellos, and some well-followed hugs it was time to start heading to the combat simulation. Skipping the story on how we got there and took the subways rather then walking and lost the girl, we ended up there in the rain as numbers 19-22 in line. We got there a little before six (and hour later then my goal) and all was going well I guessed. As we waited in line we talked to various people in the line and each other for some time. What struck me while waiting though was there was nothing in I could see through the window that related to what I thought this event would be. I was expecting a whole theater for us maybe with loads of screens and loads of special goodies and venues and such here to give away free trial of amazing things … or at least a free jar of Aunt Margaret's honey.

By 7:45 I had got in and looked around and saw nothing that indicated this whole theater was for us. I was drenched and existed about getting my DVD and hearing more audio to the story. At this time Alice/real life Dana came out and told us we sucked and laughed at our wet dripping geeky bodies. Then we were let in with no problem for my group. As luck would have it I got everyone invited to this event and printed out everything for them and made there e-mail accounts to come with me but … I had forgotten myself. I never printed out my confirmation letter. But like I said we got in with no problem.

We were handed our lanyards and sent upstairs to wait on another line. This was not really a problem because this line was much dryer and had a great view of the snack bar, which we took full advantage of. This is the point though where the slim organization that was there was collapsed. We were asked to move up some more around a corner at8:00pm (EST). Then instead of being in a line we were asked to make the line wider. This threw everything off and we went from being a 3-4 person wide line to a 12 person wide line with all groups struggling to keep there place or get ahead. Even passing out the DVD was an issue. People were grabbing more then 1 since all you had to do was lift a hand and push forward but hell everyone got one in our line so I was happy and got the most important thing to me.

At 8:15 ish we started to play games, sign, and make jokes to pass the time. I would repeat some to you but this is long enough. Im not going to tell you that for an hour we named things we'd take on a picnic from A-Z, or that we sung Britney spears "hit me baby one more time" or say I pretend to be an announcer for Halo 2 giving away spoiler information like "In Halo 2 the covenant reach earth and get into a disagreement with humans and fight over the one ring to rule them all!"… why would I waste my time telling you all that useless information.

This is the point where the event starts and my view my night will differ from yours.

We were handed out tickets that would determine the order we played. This became the order we would enter the theater and where we would sit. My friends got tickets that we not after or before mine and we were spread out a little when it came time to take our seats. But everyone I was with was really cool and we started to pass around game tags and websites ( www.HawkETX.com or www.EvilBurger.net) and again more jokes … like me yelling "OhOhoHohOH Take It!" and the crowd growing silent until someone would tap my shoulder and tell me I wasn't funny.

A spokes man who Later I would assume was named CJ (more info about his position later) started to thanks us all for coming this far and tell us a little information on what I love bees was, started as, and who was responsible for making you run to a million pay phones. Then he told us we would get a chance to play halo 2 in groups of 2 (1vs.1) on the 4 screens in the front row and 2 luckly people would be allowed to play on X-Box Live at the top row screen and this would be projected onto the movie screen. This where things became hectic but New York got something no other city would get and was the best thing in my opinion.
After the lights dimmed and the last audio clips were played the X-box in the back was turned on and we got to see the footage that plays when you leave Halo 2 on without doing anything for awhile. Its basically a commercial in the game and you saw the same thing in Halo one when you left Halo 1 at the main menu for awhile. (And I mean identical to the same music in the background) This was amazing. The crowd was 100% focused in on this. Seeing new footage from single player, coop. And mult. Player. It lasted tops 2 mins and the crowd cheered when it was all over. I on the other hand cried.

I was asked to fill in a seat in the front row and play 1vs1 (which I found odd since there were 4 x-boxes side by side that should have been linked) with someone just like the person next to me was. I hesitated because I still wanted to vs. my friends or play in the big screen I told him (at this point they needed to update the x-box live software in x-box and started to laugh) but he looked at me and said I don't think I could get you up there. So I looked at my friends (who I had gotten there and never knew anything about bees) and shrugged off to play Halo 2. Said to myself maybe I'll get to play twice. The person I versed really didn't know how to play to well. It turned out to be a score of 25-1 and The 1 kill he got was because around 24 kills I asked him if he wanted to try the sword and I let him get one kill. After it was over I exchanged game tags because he was a nice guy and I ran to the first empty row behind the x-box for the big screen TV and waited for my friends there. Then I noticed they were sitting in front of me and I went to ask them " how did you guys do" then it hit me…

My friends who I had gotten there were going to go and play x-box live on the big screen that literally were next to me when I was asked to help out. Angry and pissed I made the best of a bad situation. I started talking to an employee who was in charge of making sure only people sent up here could play. This man, who I never got his name, would end up being one of the best people I met and talked through out the night. I was telling him how I got here, my troubles and such and he said if I stuck around the rotation would change and he'd see what he could do about getting me a seat on the big screen.

My friends John who earlier had told me he was nervous about playing in front of 100 or so people was cheered on as he Humped the first dead body that night on LIVE. I don't recall anyone doing this before him but for John, having hundreds of people cheer you on because you humped some dead guys body from San Francisco was a big accomplishment. His teammate though called San Francisco a bunch of fags, which got the same response with mixed reviews. I'm not sure if we got his game tag but his name was Hozay (spelling?) according to John. Cool guy.

Then my other friend was playing and not doing so well in the game of CTF and not doing so well. I noticed a man sitting behind the screen next to me telling people advice, tricks, and things that people would to see. Such as getting a rocket launcher and killing as many people as possible with it. Which for some reason never happened. I started talking to him about the game and about himself. I finally took out my notebook and PDA and started asking questions I had prepared in case I was able to interview (with my camera that I was not allowed to bring) someone from Bungie or 4orty 2wo entertainment. His name was Ryan Hylland and his job title was Test Lead. I'll have a complete interview with him along with audio commentary maybe up on my site later this week. (www.HawkETX.com) This guy was one of the people though that made my night. He is also the person who told me about CJ one of the in game cinematographer I wouldn't get a chance to talk to this night. He gave me his business card and with his name on it (one of the reasons it's spelt right) and a nice little Bungie logo. Once again very cool.

By eleven o'clock though the place started to die down. I mean we went from 100 people to maybe a little over 40. A lot of what I read in complained had to do with organization and not being able to play. But on plenty of occasions there were TV's at the bottom that were empty and no one was playing on. The people that stayed seemed to have a good time watching everyone else. My major complaint was the amount of people who didn't know anything about I love bees. I knew my friends didn't know much about it but I had hoped to talk more with people about what they thought and try and understand things a little better. That and the lack of free food. Lack being None.

Around 11:40 I sat down in the row to play on LIVE since most people had left. It was almost 12:00 and the event was starting to shut down but I was second to next in line to play and really wanted to. A man who (I think might have been CJ) said how the group next to me would be the last game of the night before it got shut down. The group on my left got up and left but I stayed seated. Hoping for a chance to play. Then I noticed the employee I had to talk to at the beginning of the night was talking to another employee and kept pointing to me. I figured it has something to do with me not moving but I stayed seated. Finally the other man came up to me and said "were going to be trying to clear everyone out of here so we can pack up. So we are going to have to turn off the big screen. Do you mind just playing on the TV?" I was amazed I was being asked and I said I have no problem with that. He said " Ok thanks man" I said " couldn't ask for me". The other guy I had talked to earlier was looking my was and I said thanks to him and moved into the Hot seat.

I was able to play but Had no sound and I had a guest account which sucked. My partner and I could not here a thing even in terms of people talking to us. My controls were inverted also and I took time to switch those around real fast and got killed a few times for it. Once I got things up and running though the score ended with me in second. Not bad for no sound and not playing the first 2 mins.

Then Alice came and told us to go home. So I went down to leave and saw Ryan and the man who had helped me and someone else and I thanks for every thing, thanks for having me, and to enjoy there weekend. From there we left the event as a beekeeper rushed past me yelling puppet-master trying to solve the mystery. I followed him for a minute and then remembered we had a train to catch. We left with some final pictures said goodbye to Evilburger (who really left at 11:00 but didn't tell you guys) and made are way back to Penn. station.

The event itself was cool. I liked playing games in a movie theater and wish I had more events like this back on long island but there wouldn't be enough business I guess. I saw about 3 girls total at this event, none of which I knew, and a lot of people I had talked to online I got to meet. The event was pretty unorganized and that fact that the screens were only 1vs1 on the bottom screen instead of maybe 4 on 4 was disappointing but I managed 4 days till 12:01 am On Nov 9th to try again with some new friends.

[Digitally l33t]

[MarkHawk]

[rose]

too bad

[MarkHawk]

If there were any I missed them saddly. I did talk with many people who worked with bungie but there was a Huge lack of people who even knew what ilovebees.com was at New York.

(I also got my pictures fromt he event which I will post later. Nothing to interesting.)

[weephun]

ABC news is looking for any avid Halo fans in New York to interview and film today for their story tonight. If you match this description PM me so I can get you in contact with them.

[Heucuva]

[weephun]

[thunderclap8]

wow that's pretty cool. i'll be in class, can anyone tape it and post it online?
edit: I just realized this is probably local nyc news, so i couldn't see it anyway.

[darkmoonz]

if it's World News Tonight with Peter Jennings, wouldn't that mean it's part of the national ABC news coverage, not just local?

i don't know, me being in florida and everything, but yeah, if someone wants to stick it up here, you know, for the children, i'd be a happier person... (:

[weephun]

Well, that was a dissapointment. Nothing from us and mostly the report was just about $ in video games. yuck.

[hmrpita]

[rose]

disappointed