Today, I finished up my Borderlands playthrough and decided to keep chugging away at Assassin's Creed 2.  That's a great game which I definitely need to spend more time playing.  The only problem is that, today, I did a horrible horrible thing.  I reached Venice and had Leonardo get set up in his new workshop.  However, at the end of the little walk-about that they go through Venice, I wasn't paying attention and they prompted me to press a button to hug the dude.  I turned away for only about a second, and turned back to see the button prompt still there.  
I hit it, I guess just a half/second too late, and was greeted with Leo dropping his arms to his side and just the saddest face ever as he sullenly turned around and went inside.  I asked my brother, who had played that section a few days ago what happened, and he reinforced my greatest fears.  I had missed hugging Leonardo. 
I guess this is how you can tell that you're really connecting with a video game's world and characters, when you genuinely feel bad about missing a somewhat meaningless (from a gameplay standpoint) quick time event.  Sorry, Leo.  You know I love you, bro.     
 
UPDATE 11/15/2010: 
This very blog was referenced in a LiveScience.com article concerning Assassin's Creed and its recreation of Renaissance Italy.  I personally think that's pretty cool, so I figgered I'd update this thing with that link.  After all, this was (miraculously) my most popular blog here. 
That link for you, duders/dudettes! 
 
Thanks to all that posted and read. 
-i-Rix

Today, I finished up my Borderlands playthrough and decided to keep chugging away at Assassin's Creed 2.  That's a great game which I definitely need to spend more time playing.  The only problem is that, today, I did a horrible horrible thing.  I reached Venice and had Leonardo get set up in his new workshop.  However, at the end of the little walk-about that they go through Venice, I wasn't paying attention and they prompted me to press a button to hug the dude.  I turned away for only about a second, and turned back to see the button prompt still there.  
I hit it, I guess just a half/second too late, and was greeted with Leo dropping his arms to his side and just the saddest face ever as he sullenly turned around and went inside.  I asked my brother, who had played that section a few days ago what happened, and he reinforced my greatest fears.  I had missed hugging Leonardo. 
I guess this is how you can tell that you're really connecting with a video game's world and characters, when you genuinely feel bad about missing a somewhat meaningless (from a gameplay standpoint) quick time event.  Sorry, Leo.  You know I love you, bro.     
 
UPDATE 11/15/2010: 
This very blog was referenced in a LiveScience.com article concerning Assassin's Creed and its recreation of Renaissance Italy.  I personally think that's pretty cool, so I figgered I'd update this thing with that link.  After all, this was (miraculously) my most popular blog here. 
That link for you, duders/dudettes! 
 
Thanks to all that posted and read. 
-i-Rix

Man, when I play this, I can't miss this opportunity. Leonardo da Vinci is too awesome to not share man hugs with.

The same thing happened to me. I set the controller down for a second to do something and the prompt appeared. I almost restarted the game because of this.

That is awesome. I was wondering what the point of all of those button presses were. Poor Leo!

I hugged him. It was brilliant man. I wanted to fucking cry. I love that man.

I totally missed the hug yesterday too.  Those quick time events are so infrequent, you have to be on your guard at all times!
 
I suppose it's better that they haven't based an achievement on it like the last game though.

I didn't miss that hug, and I was very glad of it :P

I hugged him. He's awesome, and probably my favorite character in AC2.
 
I'm glad he's an actual character and not just some Deus Ex Machina cameo thing ("We need some kind of <thing> to beat him!" "Leonardo here, I just so happened to invent <thing>!" *leaves*).
 
I totally missed the QTE things when you visit whats-her-faces place in the beginning though, I looked away for a bit and when I looked back it went on with the cutscene. Never even knew there were QTEs for it until I payed attention on my second playthrough.

One genius is another man's weapon.

I was eating something when that QTE came up and missed it. Such a bummer. Leonardo is so awesome in that game.

I played that part after i beat RE5 so i was ready for any QTE. Leo was awesome he should have won GB best NPC.

hah, i was watching my girlfriend play and she missed that hug and i felt a little sad for leo.

haha same thing happened to me.......that face i just had to restart the mission.

I missed the hug too and I felt really bad seeing his face.  I thought about restarting the mission, but then I wondered if it'd actually open up into a dating Leo scenario and I didn't want to give the dude the wrong impression so I let it stand.
 
What's really cool is the game gave most people a true emotional response at that moment.  That's what all those airheaded designers have been talking about for years, and they're finally succeeding.

I gave him my hug, lol. He's an awesome character!

" According to some historians Leo was an alledged homosexual. With that in mind, some primordial heterosexuals might be appalled and refrain from giving him a 'friendly' hug. "

I missed it to, but I still beat the game.  It's nothing big.

Yeah, I left him hanging too. God, I felt like a jerk.

After seeing what he does to Ezio when he's about to get it on with Rosa[on Ezio's birthday, nonetheless], I refuse to hug  that man. 
Man, even Ezio was pissed off at Leo for cock-blocking him.

I've spent the entire game with my eyes fixed on the button indicators in the top corner waiting for one to flash "Hug Leonardo DaVinci" (as I do most games) ...so when it came, I was more than ready.

Wow, I misread the title as Leonardo DiCaprio LOL. 

You people should replay the game! 
 
I hugged him, and it was great. I was thinking, what would happen if I don't hit this button? But I just couldn't do it, I hit the button the second it came up! I love that dude!

I missed it too. In fact, I missed most of them. I always forget about them and daze off during cut scenes. I owe you one Leo =[

I missed it and I felt terrible.

" Wow, I misread the title as Leonardo DiCaprio LOL.  "

I didn't miss it, the only thing that was needed was more Leonardo moments of just talking with him, I mean once you are done with the Codex you never see him again :(

I missed the hug as well... =(

Yeah, I missed that one yesterday. I'm around where you are. I had a feeling he wanted to hug me.

I missed it too...set my controller down to take a drink and I saw it.  I was like "NOOOOOO!!" and scrambled to press the button.  Heartbreaking.  I never miss out on bromance.  NEVER. :(

this is the top google result for "hug leonardo da vinci", I knew my favourite site would have the suppport group for me.

"this is the top google result for "hug leonardo da vinci", I knew my favourite site would have the suppport group for me. "

"  and was greeted with Leo dropping his arms to his side and just the saddest face ever as he sullenly turned around and went inside.                                           "

Wow, didn't know it bothered so many other people. I missed a few other prompts, but missing this one just made me sad. 
 
I really liked what they did with the QTE's in AC2 though, it didn't seem like you would die or something or have to retry if you didn't hit them, but hitting them made something more awesome happen.

Bumping, because the exact same thing happened to me yesterday.  It freakin' pissed me off.  I pressed the damn "B" button!  Maybe I did it a millisecond late or something, but I managed to miss it.  I was even thinking about resetting my 360 so I could do that part over, but I remembered that the game is Auto-Save driven, so it wouldn't work...

"Bumping, because the exact same thing happened to me yesterday.  It freakin' pissed me off.  I pressed the damn "B" button!  Maybe I did it a millisecond late or something, but I managed to miss it.  I was even thinking about resetting my 360 so I could do that part over, but I remembered that the game is Auto-Save driven, so it wouldn't work..."

" Man, when I play this, I can't miss this opportunity. Leonardo da Vinci is too awesome to not share man hugs with. "

I missed it too. Damn!

Bumping dis mess due to recent developments. 
And hey, we're on the eve of AC: Brotherhood so... why not?