That is my recollection as well. Also I remember Psycho Mantis would make some comments about the content of your memory card before the fight.
Another favorite of mine is The End in MGS3: Snake Eater, he is a sniper hiding in the woods and it takes like an hour of game time to beat him down. I seem to recall if you save during the fight and change the date forward a few years on your PS3, when you reload he has died of old age waiting for you to come back.
Same for me, though I did splurge a bit ($150 I think) to get the game on a USB key shaped like one of the starships in the game. I will never get that USB key…
If they ever get done I will consider spending more time with it, I don’t really care for early access into an unfinished game.
I should have asked for a refund when we had the chance…