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Metal Gear Solid Rising getting re-done graphics engine
Like a case of bad allergies, Metal Gear Solid 4's graphics left us rubbing our eyes. That said, when it comes to developing the recently unveiled Metal Gear Solid Rising, the latest sequel's eye candy is not nearly sweet enough. According to Kojima Productions assistant producer Sean Eyestone, the team is remaking Rising's engine "from scratch" to make it look better than MGS4. Speaking during a recent Kojima Productions podcast, Eyestone describes the multiplatform project as "a big project like Metal Gear Solid 4," adding that the team "team is serious about making it look as good as possible on every platform." Let's just hope our meager eyes can take it.[Via 1UP]
'!' Metal Gear Solid Rising confirmed for PS3, PC
During Konami's E3 press conference today, Kojima confirmed assumptions that Metal Gear Solid Rising will be multiplatform, now announced for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 and PC. Kojima also shed some light on the mysteries of "lightning bolt action," calling Rising an experiment in building technology first, and then delivering new content based on it. A team of new, "young" staff will produce the project.Additionally, Kojima revealed the significance of the storm teaser from his website. Contrary to your seemingly acute observations, the storm symbolizes the current economic situation, and the entertainment business is the force that will "clear up the storm." Shucks. That was so going to be our next guess!
Kojima details Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
digg_url = 'http://digg.com/playstation/Kojima_details_Metal_Gear_Solid_Peace_Walker'; Tactical Espionage is back and on PSP. Kojima announced Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker at Sony's conference calling it a "true sequel" that's definitely "not a spin-off or side story." Kojima himself will be writing the script and producing the game, so fans can rest easy they're getting an authentic Metal Gear experience.The game is set in the 1970s, 10 years after the events of Metal Gear Solid 3. It will star, yet again, Big Boss and will take place in Costa Rica, divulging the back story of Outer Heaven's creation. It will debut in 2010.
Mega64 cracks the Kojima Code
We thought you guys really nailed it before, but the team from Mega64 has their own take on the mysterious Kojima teaser campaign. The final, final answer involves hammerhead sharks, twisters and Master Chief. Yeah, it's all very technical.Now that the guys of Mega64 have cracked it, can we give the poor Kojima code a break from cracks? Look at the poor thing, it's like a plumbers convention.... Thanks, we'll be here all week. Try the veal.
Kojima's next project: become bigger, global
What exactly does an Executive Corporate Officer Director of Kojima Productions do, you ask? Well, we can tell you what he doesn't do. "I'd love to work on a smaller project," Hideo Kojima mused during a new interview with Develop. "But, thinking about the time I have left to survive, I'd rather spend that time working on bigger projects" -- global projects. Having recently completed a tour of various US game studios -- and taking copious notes, no doubt -- Kojima has returned to his seat atop Kojima Productions pondering a competitive, global expansion of his once modest development company, while attempting to keep his hand in everything. "At its peak, there were 200 people working for me on MGS4," Kojima explained. "The way I look at it is being 200 people versus me." What happens if that number was to balloon to, say, 2,000?While the pains of growing and the pressure to deliver in a "hit industry" might have Kojima daydreaming his escape out from under Konami's arm and into a life not bound to Metal Gear sequels, let's face it, his greatest fear is losing control: "I think that what you might expect from a Metal Gear might only be possible from Kojima Productions." Cue the countdown.
Kojima Theories Solid: Funs of the Patriots
Despite our best efforts, we just can't get you people to take your important assignment, combing through Kojima's teaser ad and site for hidden clues, seriously. You think when Sherlock Holmes stared at a daguerreotype of clouds that almost certainly had no hidden clues in it he just got bored and drew pictures of Duke Nukem? We're here to tell you he did not.So that's it, we're done, we quit. To those of you who took this as seriously as it was intended, we thank you. To the rest? Well, you'll just have to live with the knowledge of what you did, won't you?%Gallery-63387%
Here are your (mostly horrible) Kojima theories
Guys, we're not even sure you're taking this seriously. We gave you the very important job of analyzing this Kojima teaser image with your own drawing and annotations, and we got back silliness. You think this is fun time? You think it's cute to pretend to see Sonic in the clouds? Well, you're wrong.If you'd like to submit a more serious take on the full image, send it our way with your Joystiq username, or heck, tweak a picture of the new teaser site. But remember: This is serious and important.%Gallery-63387%
Kojima wants to make games until he dies
During an appearance at an Apple Store in Ginza, Tokyo, Metal Gear maven Hideo Kojima was questioned by a concerned, rabid fan as to just how long he planned to remain in the industry. Kojima proudly displayed a mock resume, which contained the answer to the aforementioned question: "I'd like to continue being on the scene making games until I die." The MGS fans within us certainly hope his life will be as long as his cutscenes, relatively speaking. He went on to explain that the only thing that could lure him away from the world of game development is, of course, space travel. Oh, aeronautical exploration! Does your temptation know no bounds?
Joystiq live from Hideo Kojima's GDC 2009 keynote
Well, yet another Konami event without any peep of MGS4 on Xbox 360 and, if you follow Kojima's chart of Metal Gear progression, it doesn't sound like it's ever happening. Next up is a new project -- "the next MGS" -- coupling Western development techniques, with an advance in hardware and game design to hopefully create Kojima's apparently-still-unfulfilled goal of bringing us "the ultimate stealth game." Maybe then, Kojima will be able to finally leave the Metal Gear series behind. Head past the break for complete coverage of the Kojima keynote (updated from bottom to top).
Kojima receives new title at Kojima Productions
Hideo Kojima will have the fancy new title of "Executive Corporate Officer Director, Kojima Production" starting April 1. His previous job title was, um, not too different: "Corporate Officer Director, Kojima Production." Shhhh, this is total "!" stuff! We've also received the list of alternative titles Kojima could have received: Grand Executive Poobah of the Codec Slayer of writers who know the power of editing and can tell a story or tell a joke or make a tongue-in-cheek observation about something which can be considered funny Executive la-le-lu-Liason Executive in charge of making us a new Snatcher game already If you reveal this information to anyone, you've got 30 seconds to find a closet ... make sure to stay in there at least a minute.[Via Kotaku]
Kojima to speak at GDC for first time
Hideo Kojima will sneak into the 2009 Game Developers Conference this year and get his keynote on, according to Gamasutra. It'll be the designer's first presentation at the event, with his debut titled "Solid Game Design: Making the 'Impossible' Possible." GDC Event Director Meggan Scavio notes that the group has asked Kojima to keynote almost every year "for as long as [she] can remember." She's curious to see how the "revered and elusive" creator will inspire attendees. The presentation is scheduled for an hour, but given the designer's inability to edit, don't be surprised if it lasts 8 hours, with two 90-minute cutscenes and a couple of codec conversations included.
NPD: MGS4 sells over 1 million in US, Tomb Raider left undiscovered
Now that we've seen the real list for 2008's top-selling games, Gamasutra has taken a look at some of the high-profile titles that didn't make the cut. Thanks to data from the NPD, we now know Metal Gear Solid 4 has passed the one-million threshold in the US with 1.08M in sales -- 775K in June, 301K since then. It's worth noting that the figure doesn't include copies sold in the MGS4 PlayStation 3 bundle. Globally, Old Snake has enlisted over 4 million soldiers. As for LittleBigPlanet and Resistance 2, they sold 611K and 598K stateside in 2008, respectively. Here's the bad news: Tomb Raider: Underworld has managed only 246K across three platforms since launching mid-November -- indeed a disappointment, but also a lowered bar for Naughty Dog's Nathan Drake vs. Lara Croft claim. To its credit, TRU has done better elsewhere, selling 1.5 million worldwide. Meanwhile, Prince of Persia did 483K in December, with at least 213K of those going to the PS3 version. While that puts it on par with Sony's first-party titles last month, it also means the Xbox 360 version saw relatively disappointing sales. Metal Gear Solid 4 and LittleBigPlanet were both "honored" (if you can call it that) in our Best of 2008 awards. See what else made the list.
Hideo Kojima's 15 favorite movies
Love it or hate it, Hideo Kojima loves making his games feel like movies. So what are the movies he draws inspiration from? Tsutaya is currently showcasing Kojima's top 15 films, and here's what they look like: The Guns of Navarone The Great Escape Goldfinger 2001: A Space Odyssey Planet of the Apes (original work) The Deer Hunter Dawn of the Dead Full Metal Jacket Predator Die Hard Heat Black Hawk Down Children of Men Bourne Series 007 Casino Royale This is rather manly list of films and sounds exactly like our Blu-ray collection. Seriously, Kojima -- how are you going to attract female gamers like this? Where's "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days"? "Sleepless in Seattle"? C'mon, Hideo! You gotta broaden your horizons![Via Siliconera]
Hideo Kojima gets MTV Lifetime Achievement Award from Jade Raymond
Hideo Kojima snagged an accolade for himself during MTV's Game Awards. He was given the Lifetime Achievement Award for his Metal Gear Solid series. While such awards are usually given to retirees, Kojima had this to say: "I have to say, even though I received this award, let me state that I will not retire. I will continue to create games as long as I live." We're looking forward to these future titles. Hopefully, we'll see them on the PS3 ... with more bad-asses in them.Watch the video, after the cut.
Quartermann: New Strider in the works, Kojima may be working on FPS
EGM's rumor-mongering editor amalgamation Quartermann has some info on another Capcom franchise that may get an update. Apparently Strider could be the next classic character to get a Bionic Commando upgrade, with the Q-mann saying that it could take on Devil May Cry-style gameplay. The other tidbit is that Metal Gear Solid guru Hideo Kojima may be working on a first-person shooter. Allegedly Kojima has been to FPS studios Infinity Ward (Call of Duty 4) and Guerrilla Games (Killzone 2) for reasons unknown. Maybe he's just trying to learn how to make a proper better multiplayer experience?
Kojima: I have three MGS5 concepts, please don't use them
You know that feeling when you're done with your local community theater troupe, but they just keep luring you back, promising that this year you'll play Henry Higgins, or complain that they simply don't have a believable Magical Mister Mistoffelees in the whole company and they don't know what they'll do without you? That's Hideo Kojima and Metal Gear Solid, and you gotta feel for the poor guy. He so badly wants to be done with the series, he recently told 1UP: "I have three concepts for MGS5 already. What would be ideal for me with MGS5, though, is that we don't do those. If the team picks one of those concepts, I have to get involved again, which I don't want to do."Could someone please come up with an insane enough plot for MGS5 so Kojima can hurry up and make us another Snatcher game? Who's up to the challenge? Is Ted Kaczynski still working?
Kojima tired of questions about MGS4 on Xbox 360
Hideo Kojima wishes that the inquiries about a Metal Gear Solid 4 port for Xbox 360 would cease. The man who the La-li-lu-le-lo answer to tells Eurogamer he longs for the day that he stops being asked the notorious question during every interview and public appearance. Ironically, Eurogamer goes ahead and asks him about the possibility of an Xbox 360 port.Kojima reiterates for the umpteenth time that MGS4 was optimized for the PS3 and a port may not be possible. He expresses, in what we're taking as a moment of frustration and spite, that he feels MGS4 should be on PC just so people stop focusing on consoles and start asking him more questions about the game itself.
Kojima hints at 'a Snake for a new era'
It was only a short time ago when Hideo Kojima and his team unleashed Metal Gear Solid 4 to the world. It's meant to be a farewell to the ten years of entertainment Snake has provided us. "One decade has passed since the release of Metal Gear Solid," Kojima explains to The Cut Scene. "I believe that fans have shared these past 10 years with Snake. The final story of Snake equals closure for these fans. Therefore, the Snake that has existed over the past 10 years could have only existed during this time."Of course, what's next for Kojima? We don't know yet, but if it does involve some tactical espionage action, it will involve a completely different kind of character. "If there ever were to be a new Snake (might have a different name), he will be a Snake for a new era."[Via Joystiq]
David Hayter needs your help to write Metal Gear Solid movie
Don't misinterpret that headline -- David Hayter, who has voiced the role of Solid Snake since ... well, since Solid Snake could speak, doesn't need you to submit your fan fiction to help piece together the plot of the supposedly upcoming Metal Gear Solid movie (though we're sure he would find your homemade Otacon/Sniper Wolf erotic literature wildly fascinating). According to a recent IMDB post from Hayter himself, he needs fans of his work and of Kojima's epic series to email a certain Sony Pictures rep and politely suggest that Hayter be the one to pen the film's script. He's got the credentials to do so, having written screenplays for the first two X-Men movies and the upcoming adaptation of Alan Moore's Watchmen. We can also assume that he's played the game he would be adapting, giving him a significant edge over most screenwriters of ludologically-inspired films.
Europeans get the Metal Gear Solid Database this week
Don't panic, Europe! Konami hasn't forgotten about you, they're just being slow. The Metal Gear Solid Database, which was released in America and Asia last week, will be available on the EU PSN Store this coming Thursday. That's it, you can all breathe a sigh of relief. As you might have noticed if you grabbed the Database early from another account, your PAL save file won't be compatible. So if you're confused by any of the events of MGS4, you'll have all your questions answered later this week.
