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'Metal Gear,' 'The Witcher 3' lead game developers' nominees
You probably have a short list of favorite video games from 2015, but what do you think game creators would pick if given the chance? You don't have to wonder: the Game Developers Choice Awards has delivered its nominees, and there are a few clear front-runners this time around. For one thing, third-person action is definitely in vogue: Metal Gear Solid V and The Witcher 3 were both nominated for four awards each, including game of the year. A few other well-known games also received multiple nods, including Bloodborne, Fallout 4 and Splatoon.
Konami reportedly closes the LA studio behind 'Metal Gear Online'
In case it wasn't already evident that Konami is scaling back its video game efforts, the company just dropped a big hint. Both Eurogamer and numerous developers understand that Konami has closed the Los Angeles studio responsible for Metal Gear Online, cutting "over 20 jobs" at the same time. Reportedly, the company had already shifted MGO development to Japan shortly before Metal Gear Solid V arrived in September -- the LA crew was mostly left to provide support and dream up ideas for games that would never be made.
Video games are pretty lazy in their portrayal of PTSD
It's reported that one in three troops returning home from war are being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress symptoms. If you look at video games, those numbers are probably exponentially higher considering the events characters endure while saving the (virtual) world. But games aren't exactly known for being particularly subtle, and that's what the latest episode of Low Batteries from Eurogamer is all about. The clip examines Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Spec Ops: The Line, Deus Ex: Human Revolution and a few others. The findings? Sadly, games use PTSD as short-hand to fill in character backstory or motivations and sometimes are pretty lazy about it.
Konami says Hideo Kojima hasn't left, he's just on vacation
Please stop toying with our emotions like this, Konami. Yesterday, The New Yorker reported that Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima officially parted ways with Konami on October 9th, following a farewell party at his in-house studio, Kojima Productions. Today, Konami denied Kojima's departure to Japanese site Tokyo Sports, as translated by Kotaku. "Currently, Kojima is listed as a company employee," a Konami spokesperson said, according to the translation. Apparently, the spokesperson said that Kojima and the team that developed Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain are all taking a long vacation. And that reported farewell party? "We're not sure what kind of thing this was," Konami's spokesperson said.
'Metal Gear' creator Hideo Kojima leaves Konami after 29 years
Hideo Kojima, creator of the wildly successful Metal Gear franchise, has officially left Konami, the studio that defined his career -- though it could be argued that, over 29 years, Kojima instead defined Konami. Confirmation of his departure comes via The New Yorker, which notes that Kojima's final day was October 9th. Kojima's resignation also means that he's no longer with Kojima Productions, the Konami-owned studio that he started in 2005. It's been long-rumored that Kojima would leave Konami after the launch of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. Earlier this year, Konami canceled Silent Hills, a hotly anticipated project from Kojima and horror director Guillermo del Toro, and in July, Kojima's name quietly disappeared from the Metal Gear Solid V box art. We've reached out to Konami for comment on today's report.
Playdate: Giving away Snake's watch with 'Metal Gear Online'
Metal Gear Online hasn't even been active a week and yet and it's dealing with some pretty serious issues. First there's the whole real-money for in-game insurance thing, and as Eurogamer reports, there's a load of balancing and server issues too. But, who needs a game when you could have bitchin' watch modeled after the one Big Boss/Venom Snake/Who Even Knows wears in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain? While you're enjoying today's broadcast you have the distinct chance to win just that: a Seiko watch that's subtle enough to not trigger any alarms, but those in the know will give a hearty smile if they spot it. Winner: Congratulations to Alex B. of Glendale, CA!
TwitchCon made me a Twitch convert
I'm going to admit this right up front: I wasn't looking forward to covering the first-ever TwitchCon. Sure, I co-host our weekly Playdate broadcasts and absolutely adore talking with our community of regulars who show up three times per week to watch us play games, but outside of that, I didn't spend time on Twitch. My worry for TwitchCon was that I'd be trapped inside Moscone West in San Francisco with thousands of screaming "personalities" -- like the guy I'd watched (for approximately 45 seconds, max) shout and swear his way through Choice Chamber, for an entire weekend. That all changed after attending a number of panels and talking with some of the biggest broadcasters on the service. This first show was one of the best events I've been to for work, period. And I recently found myself doing something I never thought: watching Twitch for fun.
Konami calls it quits on AAA console games, reports say
Konami is shutting down much of its AAA console-game development for the foreseeable future, according to a report on French site Gameblog (as translated by Eurogamer). The only two franchises on Konami's AAA plate are Metal Gear Online and Pro Evolution Soccer 2016. Otherwise, there are no plans to develop additional Metal Gear, Silent Hill, Castlevania or other AAA games at Konami, the site says. An additional report on Gameblog claims that Konami Worldwide Technical Director and head of the studio's Fox Engine, Julien Merceron, has left the company. We've reached out to Konami for clarification. These reports play into recent rumblings of unrest at Konami and a shift toward mobile-game development, following a series of odd events at the studio.
Playdate: We're getting weird with 'Metal Gear Solid V'
I have no idea what's going on with Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain's story. That has a lot to do with my only experience with the series resting squarely on playing half of Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance on Xbox and nothing else. I never had an original PlayStation (Playdate regulars know that I have a history of owning the wrong console) so I didn't fawn over Metal Gear Solid and traipsing around the game's Alaskan military base the way everyone else in the late '90s did. Hell, if it weren't for our Twitch regular Chris "lXDUKEXl" Duquette's suggestion the other week, Sean Buckley and myself wouldn't even be broadcasting ousted auteur Hideo Kojima's latest for two hours today starting at 6 pm ET / 3 pm PT.
'Metal Gear Solid V' was supposed to have a third chapter
Many will tell you that Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain comes across as rushed at times. While there's a lot to do, it's light on story -- a sharp contrast with earlier Metal Gear games, which are notorious for their epic-length cutscenes. However, there's now evidence suggesting that the original plan was for a much larger, more substantial game. Players on the Facepunch forums have discovered files in the PC version of MGSV which show that the title was supposed to have not only more prominent characters (such as The Boss), but an entire third chapter. It's not clear exactly how much is missing, but the released game's abrupt end hints that the third section was going to bring the story to a proper conclusion.
Sony's 'Metal Gear Solid V' devices flaunt your stealth action fandom
Are you a Metal Gear Solid fan? So much so that you bought an MGS edition PS4, and have no trouble making sense of the series' frequently intricate plots? You'll want to hit up your favorite Japanese exporter, then. Sony has unveiled a legion of limited edition Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain devices, all of which come with game-themed cases, engravings, sounds and wallpaper. Some are more extravagant than others, though. The Xperia J1 Compact phone, Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact and Xperia Z4 Tablet we can understand, but there are also Phantom Pain versions of the Walkman A16 and audiophile-oriented Walkman ZX2. Yes, you too can demonstrate your fondness for stealth action by buying a soon-to-be-obsolete MP3 player -- something tells us that these models won't be wildly popular.
'Metal Gear' creator's name deleted from 'Phantom Pain' box
Hideo Kojima revolutionized the stealth video game genre in 1987 with the release of the original Metal Gear, published by Konami. Under Kojima's leadership, the Metal Gear franchise exploded in popularity, and it gained fame as a complex, quirky and endlessly innovative series. However, recent reports suggest that Kojima and Konami will sever ties after the release of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain in September. A new series of Phantom Pain box-art images add fuel to this claim: Konami's initial mock-ups included a credit to Kojima, but new official images show the words "A Hideo Kojima Game" have been removed from the top of the box. Plus, the logo for Kojima's studio, Kojima Productions (a subsidiary of Konami), is no longer on the front of the box.
'Metal Gear Online' evolves its stealthy multiplayer in 'The Phantom Pain'
At the same two-day preview event where we got to spend hours at the helm of Hideo Kojima's next (and possibly last) Metal Gear Solid game, publisher Konami confirmed a handful of details about its online component. Metal Gear Online in The Phantom Pain will feature online player-vs.-player competitive modes for teams of up to 16 players on PC, Xbox One and PS4 and a max of 12 players on the previous-generation consoles.
'Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain' is a tale of revenge
In Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, a human bomb sank the dreams and private military corporation of Big Boss, the central figure in Konami's stealth franchise. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain continues where we saw the Boss last: hospitalized and disfigured by the bomb blast. The soldier has lost an arm in the chaos and his body has been invaded by over 100 foreign bodies -- a mixture of human teeth and shrapnel -- but the incident seems to have damaged something far more critical: his psyche.
JXE Streams: 'Metal Gear?!' We're playing the 1987 original
Can love bloom on the battlefield? Metal Gear elicits more questions like these -- from both players and its characters -- than it ever answers. In the wake of Konami's recent public relations meltdown and Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain's impending release at the end of summer, Hideo Kojima's bizarre war drama is looming large our world. Next week, Engadget will bring you some early impressions of The Phantom Pain. Today at 3:30PM ET/12:30PM PT, though, we're going to the very beginning to stream the original Metal Gear.
'Metal Gear Solid' creator Kojima rumored to be leaving Konami
The creator behind the Metal Gear Solid game series, Hideo Kojima, may not be sticking around Konami for much longer... depending on who you ask. GameSpot sources claim that there has been a "fallout" between Kojima's studio and Konami that will have both the famed developer and his senior staff leaving after their contracts end in December, or a few months after Metal Gear Solid V ships. Supposedly, there have been "power struggles" that led to Konami reducing Kojima Productions staff to contractors, limiting their corporate contact options and giving them fewer chances to promote MGSV.
'Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain' sneaks out in September
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, the latest in Hideo Kojima's nearly 30-year-old series of melodramatic espionage games, finally has a release date. The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of will arrive on September 1st for $60, and on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 for $50. PC players have to wait just a bit longer to experience the next generation of hiding from armed soldiers in cardboard boxes. Metal Gear Solid V will be available on Windows via Steam for $60 on September 15th.
Compare two generations of gaming across four platforms with Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes
Like so many games launching at the end of 2013 and throughout 2014, Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes straddles both last generation (Xbox 360/PlayStation 3) and the current one we've just entered (Xbox One/PlayStation 4). Given Metal Gear's history of gorgeous visuals, the question asked itself: what will Ground Zeroes look like on aging game consoles compared to the new shiny ones? It turns out that Kojima Productions, the studio behind Ground Zeroes, has exactly the answer we were looking for in the form of a brand new comparison video. If anything, we're most shocked by how great it still looks on the older consoles! Of course, for those of you still fighting the console wars, there's the (negligible) difference between Xbox One and PlayStation 4 to analyze. Head below to take a look for yourself.
Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain coming to Xbox One, not an exclusive
Microsoft's just kicked off their E3 press conference by giving the spotlight to Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, and Major Nelson announced it's coming to the Xbox One as an exclusive. This freshest installment of the tactical-stealth shooter promises an open world, realistic passage of time, drivable vehicles, "deeper stealth action" and dynamic close quarters combat. There's not much in the way of other details just yet, but we're sure more news will creep out during the course of E3. Update: Microsoft's Major Nelson has issued an update via Twitter letting us know that Metal Gear Solid V is not an Xbox One exclusive. We're betting Sony is feeling better. Yeesh! Update: Metal Gear mastermind Hideo Kojima just confirmed on Twitter that The Phantom Pain is in development for the PlayStation 4, and that Xbox 360 and PS3 versions are still on the way. Follow all of our E3 2013 coverage at our event hub.
