GamesCom & MW2 inspiration

[UPDATED] Infinity Ward has stated they're inspired by pretty much everything, from Hollywood movies to the train station in Frankfurt.

Ramain » was kind enough to share this little piece he found on who Cpt. 'Soap' MacTavish might be inspired on in Modern Warfare 2. It looks pretty obvious that 'Soap' is inspired on the actor Johnny Messner » from the movie Tears of the Sun » (2003) with Bruce Willis. 

And even in detail up to his neck, not the same tattoo but it's pretty obvious. 

[UPDATE] @dalezeroeight (Dale08 on our forums) asked Robert Bowling if Soap was based on Johnny Messner on which Robert replied the following.

No. Soap was an inspiration from quite a few characters combined. Including his old mentor Captain Price from Call of Duty 4.

Oh come on Robert, they could basically be twins! Though he can't confirm everything we throw at him, Robert probably had not seen these shots before he answered.  

GamesCom 2009

GamesCom is much like the E3 in the US, this is the place to be if you're into games and everything surrounding it. Europe's premier trade show will host a spectacular line up, but more importantly, it will be the host of Modern Warfare 2, and quite possibly its multiplayer content.

Modern Warfare 2 is set to make a splash at GamesCom 2009, as confirmed by Robert Bowling, the Community Manager for Infinity Ward, in a status update on Facebook and Twitter "Finalized plans for my trip to Germany in two weeks for GamesCom in Cologne. Since we had our daughter Coraline, travel is so bitter-sweet." As of E3, only 2 videos have been released, the unboxing of the special editions, and the multiplayer footage showcasing customizable kill streaks and the AC-130 Gunship kill streak. Will GamesCom be the place where they finally reveal more info on Spec Ops or multiplayer videos? We'll just have to wait and see.

GamesCom 2009 (formerly the Leipzig Games Convention) is located in Cologne, Germany, and will run from Wednesday August 19th to Sunday August 23

~Signal