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Kojima on Snatcher: 'If anyone else would like to develop it, I would love it.'
During an interview with PlayStation Blog, Metal Gear mogul and transfarring technorati Hideo Kojima dropped a crucial truth-bomb about the future of Snatcher, his cyberpunk cult-classic. With L.A. Noire's brain-bustingly successful existence as an adventure game, and with Deus Ex: Human Revolution bringing cyberpunk back into the limelight, Kojima was asked whether or not he thinks the world is ready for another Snatcher. "I would love to do something like Snatcher," he said, "but I do not have the time or the means to do so. But if anyone else would like to develop it, I would love it." It's sad to hear that the series' progenitor won't be returning to Neo Kobe City anytime soon, but at least die-hard Snatcher fans (Snatchies, we call ourselves) can look forward to a radio drama based on the game. What do you think? Should Snatcher be handed off to another developer, or left as-is?%Poll-66471%
Kojima finds vintage Metal Gear design documents
Here's proof that there's a method to Hideo Kojima's madness -- even if it looks like more madness. The game designer tweeted some pictures of Metal Gear design documents he happened to find while cleaning his shelves. Above is a hand-drawn level map, featuring tons of notes; he also tweeted Codec conversation scripts, with each katakana character hand-written into a grid to fit in the screen (and memory) space. Kojima also showed off the cover to his design document for "Metal Gear Intruder," which he submitted to Konami in 1986. The proposal was rejected, an occurrence that Kojima probably finds quaintly nostalgic now.
Kojima Productions recruiting more Metal Gear staff
Otacon: Snake! I was looking at Konami's website and saw that Kojima Productions is hiring staff to make the "next generation" of Metal Gear Solid. Snake: Metal Gear! Otacon: Right, Snake, people to work on the next generation of Metal Gear Solid games. Snake: Next-generation special forces?! Otacon: Well, I guess you could call them that. Konami is hiring designers, programmers and artists. Snake: They're building an army! Otacon: They could just need some additional staff to work on Metal Gear Solid: Rising, Snake. You remember, the one starring Raiden. Snake: Raiden! Otacon: ... Snake: Otacon?! Otacon: What is it, Snake? Snake: Tell the story again about the time I drove a ... Metal Gear! Codec: *click*
See how Metal Gear Arcade begins
Metal Gear Arcade, the stereoscopic-3D, head-tracking, online-playable coin-op Metal Gear, will finally arrive in arcades next week -- in Japan. With the game finally shipping out to game centers, Konami released the opening video -- which, since it's an arcade game, classifies as a genuine "attract mode," attempting to get gamers' attention and entice them out of their 100 yen coins. Check it out after the break. Also after the break: some off-screen gameplay footage from DigInfo, taken early this year at a trade show. It should look pretty familiar to Metal Gear Online players, but with all those crazy gimmicks afforded by the arcade release, like the head-tracking and the gun controller.
Cosplayers will compete at Tokyo Game Show's 'Metal Gear Cosplay Camp'
Start looking for a really nice cardboard box! And then ship yourself to Japan in it. Konami is holding a Metal Gear Solid cosplay contest next month, with the winner to be determined at the Tokyo Game Show. Interested Johnny Sasaki lookalikes (and other Metal Gear cosplayers) can submit pictures here (warning: Japanese-language application!) Konami will select a few of the entries to appear at the publisher's TGS booth on September 18. There, they will be evaluated by a panel of guest judges to be announced later -- as well as the TGS attendees in general, who know a thing or two about dressing up. The most difficult thing about Metal Gear cosplay is that if you're too accurate, you'll be too stealthy for the judges to notice.
Metal Gear Solid Rising doesn't cut out pacifist play style
Konami revealed at Gamescom that it will be possible to have a "no kill" game of Metal Gear Solid: Rising, much like you can in previous Metal Gear Solid games (which reward you with high ranks, or, in the case of Metal Gear Solid 3, stealth camo). Of course, those Metal Gear Solid games in which it was possible to do that also had tranquilizer guns. Does Raiden have a tranquilizer ... sword? "When you encounter human resistance you can slice their weapons in half, causing them to run away in fear," IGN explains. "If you accidentally slice off a hand or two, well, that will be forgiven, we are told." So even if you choose to play that way, you still get to slice a lot of things with your sword. That's a relief! The game is also full of mechanical enemies and watermelons, which can all be safely sliced without damaging your no-kill status.
Play Metal Gear Arcade for three days ... in Japan
Surely there are those within the Joystiq Biomass with the ability, locality or sheer resourcefulness to be in Japan from July 30 through August 1 to play test Metal Gear Arcade. This post is for you. Konami is staging location tests of the 3D, head-tracking, coin-operated Metal Gear Online adaptation at two gaming centers for those days only: Adores Shibuya (in, you guessed it, Shibuya) and Round One in Kahoku, Ishikawa Prefecture, about four hours west of Tokyo by train. Those who make the trek (or are lucky enough to live nearby) will not only be rewarded with the opportunity to play the game and a newly implemented Mission Mode, but will receive 2,000 Reward Points that can be used towards unlocks in Metal Gear Online. All that and the chance to say you traveled 8,000-odd miles to play an arcade game. Yeah ... best to keep that accomplishment to yourself.
Decorate your Front Mission Evolved robot with logos from ... Metal Gear?!
During Comic-Con, Square Enix revealed what Hideo Kojima and Yoji Shinkawa were up to when they visited the company last month: Metal Gear-themed decals for use in Front Mission Evolved. You won't exactly be able to make your Wanzer look like a Metal Gear, but you will be able to festoon it with logos from FOXHOUND, Militaires Sans Frontieres, and other in-game factions. Kojima even signed autographs at Square Enix's Comic-Con booth to celebrate the announcement. The surprise (!) brought with it another nice bonus: the stylish Front Mission Evolved trailer after the break.
Review: Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
Remember when Hideo Kojima said that Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker would contain a feature so great that it would make people want to buy a PSP? Well, ol' Hideo got one over on us again, because it isn't just one feature: it's the entire game. Rather than create a Metal Gear experience that somehow works within the confines of the handheld's capabilities, he and the Metal Gear Solid 4 team at Kojima Productions seem to have been inspired by them. The result is a game that is very much a "true" Metal Gear Solid that fits in your pocket, and much more. It's almost as if Kojima, compelled to make just one more game in the series -- wasn't there something about MGS4 being his last? -- looked at the PSP and said, "Let's show them everything we've got." %Gallery-65704%
MGS: Peace Walker's 'Hamaru Gear Solid' ads sure are helpful
Well, they're helpful if you speak Japanese, that is. The latest round of ads for Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker out of Japan centers on the escapades of Tom and Dick, two cartoon dudes who really, really like living everyday life as if they were Solid Snake. The duo demonstrate everything from the "heart massage" technique (reviving a downed teammate) to the game's four player co-op functionality, with plenty of goofy animation to boot. Andriasang noticed the ads over at the "Hamaru Gear Solid" website -- "Hamaru Gear Solid" is the marketing campaign for Peace Walker, based on Hirokazu Hamamura, CEO of Enterbrain (the company that owns and publishes Japanese gaming mag Famitsu), and a pun relating his name to the word "Hamaru" (meaning "to get in"). We've embedded all five for you after the break, should you choose to entertain their sheer madness. [Via Andriasang]
MGS Peace Walker PSP 'Big Boss Bundle' is a GameStop exclusive
A listing on GameStop's website reveals a second Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker hardware bundle for North America. In addition to the previously-announced set containing the "spirited green" PSP, GameStop is also exclusively offering the "Big Boss Bundle," which, for $200, includes the game and the camouflage PSP-3000 found in the Japanese bundle; in addition to a 4GB memory stick and a carrying case (neither of which is included in the standard bundle, which is also $200). Both hardware bundles also include a free digital copy of imminent disaster flick 2012 ... for some reason. So, the Big Boss Bundle is more stuff for the same price. You'd have to really hate camo to opt for the other Peace Walker bundle. Both are scheduled for release on June 8. [Thanks MLC!]
Peace Walking with friends in co-op Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker footage
We quite like Kojima Productions' tactic for promoting Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker: long clips of uninterrupted gameplay footage. In the latest video, a trio of Snakes, along with some soldiers, team up to take on -- a helicopter. Or, if you prefer Metal Gear Solid 3 naming conventions, The Helicopter. One Snake demonstrates how to look tough while wearing pink fatigues -- by CQC-ing and then kidnapping four soldiers in rapid succession. And we witness the splendor of the Ambulance Box. Remember when we thought of Metal Gear games as realistic military simulations? You know, right before Metal Gear Solid came out.
North America getting its own Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker PSP bundle [update]
Okay, so North America's limited edition Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker PSP pack doesn't include an exclusive camo PSP, or a stand thingy, or a snakeskin-like carrying case. But it does include a "Spirited Green" PSP-3000, a color previously unavailable in America. It doesn't include a PSP Go, so we're guessing the "relaunch" hasn't begun yet. Launching alongside the standalone game on May 25 June 8, the pack includes said green PSP, a copy of the game on UMD, a 2GB Memory Stick Pro Duo, and vouchers for both an unidentified movie download (for US residents only) and exclusive in-game items in Peace Walker, for $199.99. [Update: the game, and the bundle, are actually coming out on June 8.]
Pre-order Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, get a free bandana
Still looking for a reason to pick up Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker? Would a totally sweet camouflage bandana push you over the edge? GameStop hopes so: it's offering an exclusive camo bandana, reminiscent of something Snake might adorn his head with, as a pre-order bonus for the game. Wear this, and even if you're not playing on the amazing limited edition system, everyone will know that you're Peace Walking. We have yet to confirm whether or not it grants infinite ammo to the wearer. [Thanks, Aidan!]
Lengthy MGS: Peace Walker gameplay video floats in
Wanna watch 9 minutes of a guy sneaking around, tying people to balloons? What if we told you it was Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker footage? Kojima Productions has uploaded a lengthy gameplay video of the former "Metal Gear Solid 5," in which our hero Big Boss does a bit of recruiting for his cause -- in this case, that means knocking dudes out and floating them back to his base on a balloon. We also get to see the "Sonic Eye" and "Analyzer" tools in action (a radar device and an item used to determine the stats of potential recruits), as well as the ninja-inspired "Stealth Mat," which allows Naked Snake to hide in plain sight while he's holding it up. Check it out after the break!
Metal Gear Arcade's head-tracking 3D glasses exposed!
Metal Gear Arcade, which has been sneaking under the radar since its unveiling last June, is playable at Japan's AOU Expo this week. To mark the occasion, Konami has released a new trailer and two new screenshots of the Metal Gear Online–based arcade cabinet. The trailer is available on the game's website. Konami has also provided a first look at the 3D glasses used to enable the game's "Integral Vision" effect. It's going to be totally worth putting on those goofy glasses, even after some sweaty guy just used them: not only do they create a 3D effect, the glasses also enable head-tracking. Where you look, Snake looks. To further immerse you in the experience, Metal Gear Arcade also has a mic for voice chat and a giant speaker system surrounding your head. !. %Gallery-86026%
Konami's 2009 revenues fall in the absence of legendary soldiers
[Q3 2009 Presentation (PDF)] Konami announced its financial results for its Q3 and the nine-month period ending December 31, 2009. The publisher's net revenues for the period were ¥190.9 billion, down 18.4% from the same period in 2008 -- despite breakout success in Japan with the DS dating sim Love Plus, "strong sales" of Dance Dance Revolution and "game content for overseas consumption, such as Saw." What was missing from 2009 was, of course, the megahit Metal Gear Solid 4. "Due to the absence of major titles, such as last year's Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, however," the publisher said in its financial results release (PDF), "the overall sales fell this quarter as compared to the same period the previous year." Should Konami succeed in releasing Peace Walker, 2010 should look a bit happier. We're still shocked to see one of the biggest game companies ever become this reliant on a single franchise. Source: Consolidated Financial Results for the Nine Months Ended December 31, 2009 [PDF]
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker was mostly Kojima's idea
Most prominent figures in the video game industry usually recoil when they're given all the credit for coming up with the idea for one of their studio's games. The same apparently can't be said for Hideo Kojima -- according to CVG, the mind behind Metal Gear Solid recently explained the origins of some of the concepts in Peace Walker during an interview with Official PlayStation Magazine: "Well it's strange, but not so many ideas come from the other staff," Kojima humbly stated. The idiosyncratic developer also pointed out, "Co-op Ring, Love Box - the names and the ideas come from myself," later adding "I am taking charge of the overall game design." We're pretty excited by this fact. It sounds like more than any other Metal Gear game that came before it, Peace Walker will be a direct window into Kojima's convoluted thinkmeat.
MGS: Peace Walker site says 'Piece Walker' is coming soon
Kojima's at it again, teasing something very odd: Piece Walker. The teaser image above comes from a page linked on the Japanese Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker site, which either confirms something entirely new is "coming soon" or one of Kojima's web people is in desperate need of a Webster's. We're leaning towards the former. And that's pretty much it. There's really only an image to go on right now, but, personally, we're crossing our fingers for some kind of KFC tie-in. Can you imagine every 10 piece meal coming with a neat little cardboard box with a Snake action figurine hiding inside it? Sure, it could be another iPhone game or something, but we think our idea is way better. [Via Siliconera]
Final Fight 3, Metal Gear headline Japanese Virtual Console lineup next month
Metal Gear kept Japanese Wii owners waiting last month, as publisher D4 Enterprises missed the game's announced November release window. The tactical espionage action progenitor has snuck into December's lineup, along with another November refugee, Yie Ar Koutei no Gyakushuu. December will also see the arrival of Final Fight 3 for SNES, which features Guy and Haggar along with two new characters, all doing what they do best: punching people, eating garbage, and destroying lots of barrels. Of course, no Virtual Console schedule is complete without shmups, and December will see two: Ordyne, an adorable side-scroller from Namco, and Zaxxon, a classic Sega shooter with a confusing perspective. See the list after the break. [Via Andriasang]
