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David Hayter: Hearing someone else as Snake 'makes me a little ill'
David Hayter, the voice of Snake since 1998's Metal Gear Solid, won't reprise his role in Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain – and that sucks, Hayter writes in an elongated Twitter post."If it were my choice, I would do this role forever," Hayter says. "To hear anyone else's voice coming from Snake's battered throat, makes me a little ill, to be honest. But the truth is – it's not my choice. Any and all casting decisions are the sole purview of Hideo Kojima, and Konami itself. And that's fair."Konami never approached Hayter for the role, Hayter writes. He found out the production team "wouldn't be needing" him in December, when the recording sessions for Phantom Pain began in Los Angeles."No reason, or explanation was given beyond that. And that was it," Hayter says. He was "bummed" by the news. Konami head Hideo Kojima wants Phantom Pain to represent a "new Metal Gear game" and hasn't revealed who the new voice actor will be."To be clear, I love being a part of the world of Metal Gear," Hayter writes. "I admire its technological innovations, the gameplay, the political message of it all. But primarily, I love the fans of these games. Two grown men burst into tears upon meeting me at the Vancouver Fan Expo last year. Now that ... Is a rare and excellent role. You know you're making an impact. And I love doing it."Read Hayter's full description of events here. Yes, it's elongated by Twitter standards, but it's by no means a long read; it's simply concise and quietly sad.
Kojima explains Metal Gear Solid 5's 'Mogren' fakeout, Hayter's absence
Moby Dick Studio Head CEO Joakim Mogren is not CG. "We found a Swedish guy to stand in" for Hideo Kojima in his terror inducing Mogren mask, Kojima told GameTrailers.Kojima explained that the bizarre, counterintuitive campaign for Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain, during which a non-Metal Gear version of the game was shown off by a fake studio at the Spike VGAs, was meant to get fans active on social media. "We wanted to do something to really energize the community." The campaign, which was conceived and planned with Geoff Keighley over two years, was also meant to help Kojima Productions "evaluate the FOX Engine," as it meant every frame of The Phantom Pain's trailer would be examined in detail.Kojima mentioned once again that Ground Zeroes and The Phantom Pain will be released separately. "We can't comment just yet on how these things will be distributed and sold," he said. Ground Zeroes, the prologue, will come first, Kojima said, and will introduce players to the gameplay "on a smaller scale."He also confirmed that voice actor David Hayter was not asked to perform for MGS5. "Yes, I can say it will be a new person. I can't say who." This reflects Kojima's desire to set Metal Gear Solid 5 apart as a "new Metal Gear game."The interview is densely packed with information, including details about the open-world gameplay and the reasoning behind the switch to Roman numerals.
Metal Gear Solid 5's Fox Engine in pictures
Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain was the big news for Joystiq readers to come out of the Kojima Productions panel at GDC, but the studio also had a lot to say about the engine that powers the game, the Fox Engine. The talk involved a lot of technical terms we won't pretend to understand (linear workflow, something about "light probes"), but the pictures speak for themselves.Fox Engine allows for some impressive visuals, fueled by some interesting technology. One key component is the ability to scan real-life objects or take pictures of them to easily create in-game models and textures. Kojima Productions created an in-engine mock-up of its own studio conference room, and the result was eerily similar to the real thing. Using an array of cameras, the studio was able to fully scan a little boy into the Fox Engine with surprising fidelity and drop him right inside the virtual conference room alongside Snake and an enemy soldier.%Gallery-184157%
Seen@GDC: The Phantom Kojima
When Hideo Kojima unveiled the trailer for Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain, he did so while wearing a head bandage like the one worn in the game by the character known as Ishmael. (He took the bandage off later, so we know it was him.) Joakim Mogren, as far as we could see, was not in attendance.
David Hayter says he wasn't asked to voice Metal Gear Solid 5 [update 2: separate games]
One thing you should have noticed in the today's trailer for Metal Gear Solid 5 is the supposed voice work of Kiefer Sutherland. Sutherland is most certainly not David Hayter, previous voice talent for Big Boss and Solid Snake since the series' humble beginnings on PlayStation, who's indicated he won't be reprising a starring role."Well look, at least I had a good run," Hayter tweeted today, likely after seeing the news himself. He also replied "nope" to another Twitter user, who inquired if Hayter was asked to reprise his roles as voice actor. Snake losing his voice is quite a phantom pain in itself, except for the whole Kiefer Sutherland part.Update: To clarify, the supposed voice of Sutherland can be heard from the bandaged man that is guiding Snake in the trailer, not Snake himself. Presumably, another voice actor has replaced Hayter.Update 2: Contrary to what Kojima said during the GDC panel today, Konami has confirmed with Joystiq that Ground Zeroes and Metal Gear Solid V: Phantom Pain are indeed separate games.
'Ground Zeroes' is the prologue portion of Metal Gear Solid 5 [update: separate games]
In typical Kojima fashion, Metal Gear Solid 5 was shown off, separately, as three different things: Ground Zeroes, an open-world game about a rescue mission; The Phantom Pain, about a recovering amputee under attack, and finally, Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain. In a tweet (or, technically, a Twitlonger post) following the panel, Hideo Kojima cleared up the relationship between all these seemingly different properties."'Ground Zeroes' is a prologue of MGSV," Kojima said. "9 years after that event will be 'The Phantom Pain.'" Metal Gear Solid 5 comprises these two parts, much like Metal Gear Solid 2 opened with the Tanker chapter, then moved onto the Plant portion starring Raiden. "The game play demo I presented today is the opening of [The Phantom Pain] which is tutorial that starts from crawling." [Update: Contrary to what Kojima said during the GDC panel today, Konami has confirmed with Joystiq that Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes and Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain are indeed separate games.]Wow, what is this feeling? Is it ... understanding a Metal Gear game?%Gallery-184116%
The Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain trailer [update 2: separate games]
Rather than describe the intricate detail with which Kojima Productions' Fox Engine renders Big Boss dragging himself around on the floor, you can just see for yourself.You'll also hear the surprise Kiefer Sutherland voice work and Garbage soundtrack behind the GDC trailer for Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain.Update: Konami has not yet confirmed if this is Kiefer Sutherland we're hearing in the trailer, or if it's the best Kiefer Sutherland impersonator we've ever heard.Update 2: Contrary to what Kojima said during the GDC panel today, Konami has confirmed with Joystiq that Ground Zeroes and Metal Gear Solid V: Phantom Pain are indeed separate games.%Gallery-184116%
The Phantom Pain is Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain [update 2: separate games]
Update: A press release confirms Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain is coming to PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.Update 2: Contrary to what Kojima said during the GDC panel today, Konami has confirmed with Joystiq that Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes and Metal Gear Solid V: Phantom Pain are indeed separate games.As many suspected, The Phantom Pain is in fact a new Metal Gear game. It is Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain, Kojima Productions head Hideo Kojima revealed during a GDC panel today. Kojima told the audience that Metal Gear Solid 5 is made up of both Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes and The Phantom Pain, and the influences of both could clearly be seen in the trailer.The game stars a Snake who has been in a coma for 9 years. Its opening section will be familiar to anyone who's seen the Phantom Pain trailer, as Snake wakes up in a hospital and must escape an unknown enemy. He's accompanied by a man with a bandaged face and a voice that sounds very much like Kiefer Sutherland. Naturally, it's pretty hard for Snake to stand up after 9 years of lying down, so most of his escape (and the GDC demonstration) is spent crawling on the floor.Hallucinations seem to play a role in the game, as Snake spies a woman with a resemblance to Psycho Mantis mystically floating up an empty elevator shaft. The hallway is then engulfed in flame, and Snake and his new friend are accosted by a huge, intimidating man ... who soon spontaneously combusts and disappears. Whether these scenes are real or merely hallucination isn't quite clear.The hospital section serves as a tutorial, after which the game proper begins. Today's demonstration was running on PC.The Phantom Pain was revealed during the 2012 Spike Video Game Awards, with many immediately speculating that it was related to Metal Gear.
The Phantom Pain speculation round-up: Metal Gear?!
The biggest surprise to come from last night's Spike TV Video Game Awards was undoubtedly the announcement of The Phantom Pain, a seemingly new IP from a completely unknown Swedish development house called Moby Dick Studio. The debut trailer showed a hospital under attack from an ominously obscured figure, and ended on a macro shot of an amputee that bore a striking resemblance to Solid Snake of Metal Gear Solid fame.Wait, Solid Snake? Metal Gear?! But, how could that be possible in a new franchise from a new developer that isn't Konami or Kojima Productions? Hey actually, now that we think about it, why is a brand-new studio getting to premiere a teaser for its first-ever game at an event generally reserved for AAA titles from global publishers?Perhaps there's more to this than meets the eye. Let's take an in-depth, spoiler filled look at what evidence there is so far, and why all signs point to this being a new entry in the Metal Gear mythos.
Kojima: 'leaked' Metal Gear Solid 5 logo is fake
Even after Konami UK debunked the Metal Gear Solid 5 info supposedly leaked out of Comic-Con, there were still weird lingering questions. Those questions have now been decisively answered by someone who would know his own logo: Hideo Kojima."Since I've received inquiries about the MGS5 title screen/the announcement made at ComicCon which I had no idea of, I looked up on the net and found the source," Kojima tweeted. "But please note that title logo is completely FAKE. I apologize to those who were looking forward. Anyway it proved I can still create the buzz," concluded the designer, who has never had any problems creating "buzz." Kojipro senior producer Kenichiro Imaizumi also denied the veracity of the images, saying, "I've been asked about the screen shots of MGS5 on the game sites. These're ALL FAKE."Just because that logo's a fake, of course, doesn't mean the game isn't real: Kojima has already been talking about the features of the sort-of-announced sequel, and has been hiring for the "'next' MGS."
Konami calls Metal Gear Solid 5 Comic-Con screens 'fake rumours,' denies secret reveal
Screens depicting a logo for Metal Gear Solid 5 tie the game to Hideo Kojima's mysterious "Project Ogre;" the screens were allegedly leaked out of this weekend's San Diego Comic-Con, from a behind-closed-doors presentation given by Kojima to developers, showing off the Fox Engine. At least, that'd be a reasonable story to believe – but Konami's saying it's all bunk.After (irresponsibly) tweeting ambiguous notes like, "Fake or real, we love a bit of speculation! #ogre #mgs5," Konami's UK account directly clarified that, "Seriously, just in case the #pinch #salt hashtags weren't enough - the chap who claims to have set up the fake rumours has been in touch," as spotted by Kotaku's Jason Schreier.Project Ogre is Kojima's current in-development game, though few details are known about its theme, or gameplay, or ... well, much of anything regarding it. Kojima has also spoken of a fifth Metal Gear Solid game, though its unclear if development of that game is already underway.Whether or not the game was shown behind closed doors, Kojima was definitely at Comic-Con this past weekend, and he appeared to be showing something secret. Epic Games design director Cliff Bleszinski tweeted, "Just got pulled into a back room at Comic Con by @HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN and showed some crazy new secret stuff. Wow." We're doing pretty much everything we can right here to not make a lurid joke.
Kojima: 'we will see' about Deus Ex-style social interactions in Metal Gear Solid 5
Metal Gear Solid 5 is definitely a thing and is set to use Kojima Productions' new Fox Engine, Hideo Kojima told French games magazine IG, CVG reports. Kojima sneaked in a few gameplay and story details as well:"About Metal Gear Solid 5, I can tell you two things," Kojima said. "There will be much question of infiltration, espionage, and convincing people to give you 'a favor' like in the last Metal Gear Solid."I liked the idea of social interactions in Deus Ex: Human Revolution, but we will see. And if I say more, the female ninja public relations officer, who is behind the door, I will be carved up into pieces."Kojima also cleared up any remaining confusion (not related to grammar) about Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance and its place in the Solid franchise: "Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance never claimed to be a Metal Gear Solid," he said. "This is not a game about our beloved Solid Snake. It is a spinoff that tries something different. We have not yet finished with Solid Snake, despite the fact that I wanted to let him die at the end of Guns of the Patriots."Now that's tough love.
Kojima's 'Project Ogre' will be different, but not anytime soon
There's an unusually high concentration of Metal Gear(?!) buzzing around the industry right now: Metal Gear Solid HD Collection is upscaling its way through living rooms the world over, while Metal Gear Solid Rising's production continues, once again under the watchful eye of series progenitor Hideo Kojima. Metal Gear Solid 5 is even closer to being a thing now, but what about Kojima's other other baby, Project Ogre? "I can't really say too much about that project yet, but it's a very subdued experience," Kojima said during an interview with Official PlayStation Magazine UK. "It's a little bit different to what I've done up until now. On the surface it will look similar, but once you get into it, it will be a different experience." Announcements like this always get our blood pumping. Metal Gear set in medieval times? Zone of the Ogres? Whatever Project Ogre is, we at least know that it's a long way off: "The Ogre project is going to take a lot of time, so I want to produce some other things on the side, like I'm doing with Rising." Oh! Dude. Policenaogres. Think about it, Kojima.
Kojima on MGS5: 'We'll probably have to make it at some point'
Last week, we reported that an Official PlayStation Magazine article revealed concrete plans for Metal Gear Solid 5, with Hideo Kojima at the helm. New quotes have emerged from the magazine that make the news seem a bit less ... solid. Rather than boldly announcing that MGS 5 is happening, Kojima told the magazine that "I think we'll probably have to make it at some point, but what that will be, we have no idea." And rather than taking on the director job right away Kojima is, as ever, trying to free himself from Metal Gear. "As far as my involvement in the project is concerned, [it] probably won't be as much as it was with MGS1 - maybe I can do just one stage!" he said. Kojima told OPM that if he has other Kojima Productions staff make a game from the start, he won't have to step in to preserve his vision. So the announcement no longer specifies a definite Metal Gear Solid 5, and no longer confirms Kojima directing it. We'll just have to go back to assuming both of those things.
Tactical Espionage Announcement: Kojima working on Metal Gear Solid 5
Though this may not be a surprise worthy of even a single exclamation point, it's welcome news to fans of cardboard camouflage, fateful fistfights, and delicious, convenient Calorie Mates. There's going to be a Metal Gear Solid 5. And, despite his constant efforts to extricate himself from the series, Hideo Kojima is going to be in charge of it -- though it's currently unclear whether that will be in a higher-level production capacity or as director. The news comes out of the latest Official PlayStation Magazine UK, which finds a place for Hideo right on the cover. In the issue, Kojima discusses Metal Gear Solid Rising, his plans for this newly announced (but highly expected) sequel, and a new project called "Project Ogre." Whatever it is, we're sure it's not a new Snatcher game.
Kojima: something big planned for 25th Metal Gear anniversary next year
Kojima Productions head honcho Hideo Kojima took to his company's official podcast to address some rumors surrounding his ongoing projects. Rather than elaborating on fans' questions (and potentially spoil Konami's long-term marketing plans), Kojima simply delivered either "Yes" or "No" answers (summed up by Andriasang). First up: He won't be making any big splashes at next month's E3, (that's a "no"), but he did confirm that there are big plans afoot for next year's 25th anniversary of Metal Gear. Before you get too excited, he also shot down the dream of a Metal Gear Solid 4 port to NGP, and offered another "No" when asked if MGS5 would be announced next month. As for the 3DS port of Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater, "yes," it'll arrive by year's end. Finally, he noted that we won't see Metal Gear Solid Rising's multiplayer anytime soon, never mind at Microsoft's E3 presser (where he will not appear). Now we're hoping that Kojima's big surprise for next year is reversing all of this year's "No" answers. [Image source: Mega64 (screencap)]
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?
Ryan Payton leaves Kojima Productions
He's not quite the big name that Hideo Kojima is, but the fact is that if you liked Metal Gear Solid 4, especially how its gameplay had evolved since the last entry in the series, producer Ryan Payton is a big part of the reason. Now, Payton has left the team to spend more time with his family in North America after, he says, receiving some "pretty heavy news concerning my mom."We knew the guy was good at making games, but it turns out he's also got a heart as big as all outdoors. Let's hope he ends up somewhere nice.(P.S.: Metal Gear Solid 5 will be completely inscrutable, with Reagan-era gameplay. Confirmed.)
Kojima may 'have to' return for Metal Gear Solid 5
Having celebrated his 45th birthday on Sunday (happy birthday!), Metal Gear series creator Hideo Kojima has again spoken on the trickiness of leaving the series despite his strong desire to get on with new ventures. Speaking with Kikizo, Kojima likens his on-again, off-again relationship with the series' director's chair to that of famed Japanese anime director Hayao Miyazaki. "It's like when [he] says he is not going to do more [movies], and then always ends up doing [them]. I think I am kind of in a similar situation," said Kojima, adding, "I have ideas other than Metal Gear, and I want to go on to make other new games, but for political, business or technology reasons, there is always a time when I have to return."Don't take that to mean "as director," though. "I would like to pass on the Metal Gear series to younger staff members, and then go on to produce the title, and not be so attached to it," he confided. Given his involvement as co-writer of MGS3 and co-writer / co-director of MGS4, Shuyo Murata – director of Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner – is currently tipped as Kojima's pick to take the reins of MGS5.
Payton: Metal Gear Solid 5 could be a prequel
According to a preview of an interview with 1UP, assistant producer Ryan Payton said in regards to the possibility of Metal Gear Solid 5: "there are some misunderstandings that this is the final Metal Gear game. But it's really the final chapter of the Solid Snake story." He further states that if Snake's story continues past MGS4, "we'll get to the point where the game has absolutely no basis in reality." Payton also hinted at who might be the future star of the next MGS game: there is "still a lot of room for filling in the gaps as far as Big Boss is concerned." 1UP's Philip Kollar interprets all of this as Konami having nowhere to go with the series except for prequels to "continue fleshing out that same epic narrative." Payton also talks about Metal Gear Online; they are "working on a handful of new maps, skills, and rules that we're bug checking at the moment ... It's not going to be too long before people are going to start seeing screenshots of the new stages ... By the time you're tired of the maps that come in the game, it'll probably be around the time we'll be bringing out the new ones." More details will be revealed as the full interview is published on 1UP later today.Update: The full interview has been posted here. In response to rumors in Famitsu about Kojima already thinking about MGS5, Payton confirms that it is true. This also confirms Kojima's involvement, at least to some degree, in the next installment.
