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On the day of his memorial at Staples Center, I thought it would fitting to pay tribute to the one and only Michael Jackson. I was fortunate to work with Michael on a videogame called Ready 2 Rumble Boxing: Round 2 for the PS2 and Sega Dreamcast back in 2000.
In October 1999, Midway published Ready 2 Rumble Boxing, a comical, arcade-style boxing game for the launch of the Sega Dreamcast. The game was an instant smash hit that resonated with hardcore fighting gamers and boxing enthusiasts alike featuring characters that had expressive, over-the-top personalities and a unique, hyper-realisitic visual style.
Several weeks after the release of R2R Boxing, the team received a call from a fan who enjoyed the game so much that he wanted to be in it.
That fan was Michael Jackson.
Now, like any rational person, I was excited to hear that a celebrity enjoyed playing a game that I’d worked on, let alone that he wanted to participate in the making of the sequel. But at the same time I was skeptical that the celebrity was the one and only “King of Pop,” and one of the most recognizable and famous celebrites on the planet!
All skepticism were put aside when we visited MJ at Neverland Ranch a few weeks later. That was where I met MJ for the first time. He talked about the fun he had with the first game and how much he wanted to be in the sequel. He refused to be paid for his participation and wanted to follow the process of making him into a boxer/fighter. This wasn’t the first time he was in a videogame of course, but it would be the first time he was transformed into a 3D videogame character. It was possible to now use a more lifelike likeness, motion capture his dance moves, and use his voice.
Michael was a gamer. He collected arcade games and had a building at Neverland Ranch that was a dedicated arcade, all on free play . He had classic 80’s uprights and sitdowns, special editions and customized cabinets, and even the latest ones. I even played his own classic arcade game, Moonwalker! MJ challenged me in Dance Dance Revolution, but I respectfully declined. He also had every known videogame console, most attached to the original in-store kiosk display. We spent hours taking about our favorite videogame experiences.
Osv osv osv osv...
(...) Since then our relationship drifted apart. We hadn’t spoken to each other since 2001. Over the past couple of months I have been trying to reach him to wish him luck on his concert tour and just catch up with our lives. I really wanted to show him the work we did on FaceFighter and felt that he would have genuinely enjoyed playing the game as much as he did with Ready 2 Rumble Boxing games. So it was a real shock to me when he died, especially with the fact that I was trying to make contact recently. I was saddened with his death and have been mourning his passing everyday since the day he died by listening to his music and watching the countless hours of television coverage. Like a lot of fans out there, I too wanted to see him make a triumphant return.
My condolences go out to the Jackson family, his children, his closest friends, and the fans. Michael was an unbelievable talent and a kind hearted good friend that I will personally miss dearly. His legacy will live on through his music, charitable acts, his games, and memories with people like myself who can share personal and unforgettable stories of friendship.
"Em & MJ, from the Midway team photo shoot"
It's not a photoshop and yes he wore the outfit in 2000 when that photo was taken.
Og så er mit spørgsmål bare, er dette foto fake?!?!
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