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Xbox also getting exclusive Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes content
Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes will have exclusive content on both Xbox and PlayStation platforms, after Microsoft revealed Snake to be no more than a wanton two-timer. Just last week, Sony spilled that the licentious operative will feature in PlayStation-exclusive content, namely a Solid Snake skin and retro-enhanced Deja Vu mission,. Then during Spike TV's Xbox One launch show, we learned Snake is cavorting with Microsoft on "Xbox exclusive content," whatever filthy, filthy secret that may be. Alright, let's stop the two-timing analogy there - it's not surprising to see both companies grab an exclusive piece of the Ground Zeroes pie, which Konami is serving up on PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and PS3 in spring 2014 as a standalone prequel to MGS 5: The Phantom Pain. As for what the Xbox-only content is, filthy as it may be, we'll have to wait and see.
Watch Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes TGS demo in English
Following the Deja-Vu announcement, here's another bit of deja-vu: the Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes day gameplay demo from the Tokyo Game Show, but with English voices. Ground Zeroes is the separate prequel to MGS5: Phantom Pain, and it's due spring 2014 on PS4, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and PS3.
Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes gets classic Snake skin, mission on PlayStation
During the PlayStation All Access event tonight on Spike, it was revealed that Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes will feature an exclusive classic Solid Snake skin on PlayStation. In addition to the skin, Hideo Kojima also revealed a PlayStation-exclusive mission called "Deja Vu" in the teaser trailer above. Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes launches in the spring of 2014 for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3 and PS4.
Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes ends wait in spring 2014 [update]
Konami will release Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes as a standalone prologue to MGS5: Phantom Pain next spring, and both games are confirmed to be coming to Xbox One, PS4, PS3, and Xbox 360. Konami UK tells us the packaged current-gen versions will be sold at £30, while downloadable versions are priced £20 on current-gen systems, and £30 on Xbox One and PS4; it's unclear if there'll packaged next-gen versions as well. While it's yet to be confirmed, we'd say that would translate into prices below $60 in North America. It's also unknown when Phantom Pain itself will be released. The relationship between Ground Zeroes and Phantom Pain has been as complicated as a Metal Gear Solid plot, but today's news brings some definite clarity to proceedings. Ground Zeroes was revealed first, then Phantom Pain cropped up after being teased as a game by fake outfit Moby Dick Studio. Once Phantom Pain was revealed to be a Metal Gear entry, it was then thought it and Ground Zeroes were part of the same game. Konami then stepped in to clarify they were two different games, and that brings us to today's resolution. In the words of series creator Hideo Kojima, then: "The advanced capabilities of the FOX Engine have allowed me to tell the new story in a new way. There will be a significant difference in what Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain brings to the series, so we want to ease players into the new open world environment and its potential. As such, Metal Gear Solid 5: Ground Zeroes has been designed to introduce key elements, allowing them to fully benefit from all that the new game will offer." Update: Konami revealed the US prices for Ground Zeroes: $20 downloadable and $30 packaged on current-gen, and $30 downloadable on next-gen. Again, going by Konami's wording it seems the game will be downloadable-only on PS4 and Xbox One.
Julien Merceron joins Konami to oversee Fox Engine
Konami is betting big on Fox Engine, Kojima Productions' development suite powering the upcoming Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain. Julien Merceron has just been brought on to oversee Fox Engine as Konami's new worldwide technology director. "He will be a key member of our talented development community and be integral to ensuring that future titles will push the limits of what can be technically achieved, while ensuring they retain Konami's famed gameplay," Konami's European president, Shinji Hirano, told GamesIndustry International in a statement. "We welcome him and his talents to the team." Merceron spent the last seven years under the Square Enix umbrella, where he served as CTO at IO Interactive, Eidos and Crystal Dynamics before ascending to the position of global technology director for Square Enix proper. Prior to joining Square Enix, Merceron also served a stint at Ubisoft as worldwide technical director throughout the late '90s.
14 minutes of MGS: Ground Zeroes gameplay, opening in English
Konami released a 14 minute gameplay video of the Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes opening, as shown by Hideo Kojima at the Tokyo Game Show - look to the 2:00 mark for a wonderful note of that. The gameplay vid follows on from the very first footage we saw back of Ground Zeroes, which is now understood to be a distinct prologue part of Metal Gear Solid 5, although details are unclear. We first saw that opening sequence in Japanese back in September 2012. One year on, we've now got it in English, complete with added full-on Sutherland. Check it out below the break.
Metal Gear Solid 5 almost ditched iconic punctuation(!)
The iconic "!" of the Metal Gear Solid series was almost dropped from the upcoming Metal Gear Solid 5, series creator Hideo Kojima revealed in an interview with Weekly Famitsu. Kojima considered dropping the trope to help make the game more realistic, figuring that it could be replaced thanks to modern graphics capabilities. "Considering the console specs, it would have been possible to substitute with facial expressions and gestures," Kojima said. Staff working on the game warned Kojima that removing the "!" would cause an "uproar," and Kojima opted to keep it in. In the same interview, Kojima also expressed a desire to embrace another series staple: "I want to include the cardboard box." The more things change, the more they stay the same. Unless you're Snake's voice.
Konami unveils LA studio, 'instrumental' to Metal Gear Solid games
Konami opened a new, Los Angeles-based branch of Kojima Productions today, expanding the sphere of mad scientist/game developer Hideo Kojima's influence to the shores of North America. The new studio, appropriately named Kojima Productions Los Angeles, will be "instrumental" to the development of a variety of games, but mostly the Metal Gear Solid series. "Los Angeles is ground zero for the best studios, facilities and world-class talent, we are leaning on these local resources to build an incredible team to create gaming experiences that are just as compelling as any film or television show," Kojima said. Kojima Productions LA will also be in charge of Metal Gear Solid 5's online multiplayer. Kojima recently told Joystiq during a MGS5 preview that he wants the Japan-based branch and LA-based branch to "kind of compete, but kinda co-operate and work together to form the true form of Kojima Productions." Kojima declined to say if said "true form" will be a giant robot dinosaur.
Metal Gear Solid: The Legacy Collection trailer bundles Snakes in a game
See if you can spot the various Snakes in this trailer for Metal Gear Solid: The Legacy Collection, which comes out in North America on July 9. We see Solid Snake, Naked Snake, Old Snake, Liquid Snake, Gaseous Snake, So Solid Snake, and Shake 'n Snake in there, and that's just for starters.
Kojima seeking studio to remake Metal Gear Solid... again [Update]
Update: Kojima has tweeted that "a rumor about remaking MGS1+2" is "not true," and that his statement "has been modified in the thread or something." Kojima further elaborated that he'd want to remake MGS1 and 2 in Fox Engine if possible, but that Kojima Productions is too busy with Metal Gear Solid 5 and "other prioritized titles." "I wouldn't mind if talented creator from outside studio making this happen," Kojima said, though that is different from saying that he is actively seeking a studio to fill that role. Original: Metal Gear series director Hideo Kojima is currently seeking a studio to remake Metal Gear Solid using the Fox Engine, Gamereactor UK reports. Kojima noted his interest during a recent roundtable interview, after a fan requested remakes for the first two Metal Gear Solid games. The Twin Snakes, a 2004 remake of the original Metal Gear Solid, was developed by Silicon Knights during the studio's brief stint as a second-party Nintendo developer, and remains a GameCube exclusive. Series compilations like Metal Gear Solid: The Essential Collection and the upcoming Metal Gear Solid: The Legacy Collection feature the original PSone version of Metal Gear Solid. While Metal Gear Solid 2 and Metal Gear Solid 3 were remade for 2011's release of Metal Gear Solid HD Collection, the original game in the series continues to elude an HD makeover. Kojima noted that some of Metal Gear Solid's mechanics would require updating for a potential remake, but gave no further details. Kojima previously expressed doubts that Metal Gear Solid could be updated for modern audiences, explaining that "It was a game made for a certain era -- not just the story, but the controls and everything about it reflect that era in which the game was made." Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD developer Just Add Water expressed interest in producing a Metal Gear Solid remake in a Twitter reply to Kojima earlier today.
Kojima confirms Metal Gear Solid 5 for PlayStation 4
Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain is in development for the PlayStation 4, series director Hideo Kojima confirmed in response to fan questions on Twitter. Kojima assures that Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of The Phantom Pain are still in the works. Metal Gear Solid 5 was announced for the Xbox One during Microsoft's E3 press briefing yesterday.%Gallery-191281%
Metal Gear Solid: The Legacy Collection priced, dated for July in Americas
Originally scheduled for June, Metal Gear Solid: The Legacy Collection will arrive via cardboard boxes to North and South America on July 9, publisher Konami announced this afternoon. The PlayStation 3 exclusive bundle includes Metal Gear Solids (or Metal Gears Solid?) 1-4, Peace Walker and VR Missions. The package is priced at $49.99. The bundle also includes two Ashley Wood "digital graphic novels" and the 100-page art book featuring the series' marketing art over the past 25 years. The Legacy Collection was previously dated July 11 for Japan, and it appears to include the same items now announced for the Americas.
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance confirmed for PC
Series creator Hideo Kojima announced Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is coming to the PC. Speaking on his HideRadio podcast, Kojima revealed the upcoming port. The news was then confirmed by Platinum Games creative producer Jean Pierre Kellams. We'll have further details as we learn them.
Konami pre-E3 show gives the scoop on MGS5, Castlevania on June 6
Konami's third annual pre-E3 show is penciled in for June 6 at 1 p.m. ET, streaming live online via Konami's events site, on Gamespot and via the Xbox Live Gamespot app. For the second year in a row, Konami will show off a new trailer for Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, which was announced during last year's pre-E3 briefing. Konami also plans to show off some behind-the-scenes footage of the next Pro Evolution Soccer game, and will have "new announcements" from Kojima Productions. Kojima recently made a splash with the Joakim Mogren marketing campaign for Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain. Surely nothing will be able to compete with that.
Zone of the Enders PS3 patch incoming, 'Enders Project' on hold
Hideo Kojima recently put the brakes on the Zone of Enders sequel and revealed a patch is in process for the Zone of Enders HD Collection. The Zone of the Enders HD Collection ran into a bit of drama when it was discovered there were some negative technical disparities between the original games on PS2 and their Xbox 360 and PS3 updates. Siliconera did the translation work of a recent podcast, where Kojima stated the team is reworking the game and will release a patch for the PlayStation 3 version. There's no mention of an Xbox 360 patch. No release window for the patch was mentioned. Kojima also mentioned that "Enders Project," a sequel in the franchise, has had the entire team taken off of it. He is currently re-evaluating what to do with the series.
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.
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.
Freddie Wong mashes up Metal Gear Rising and American Psycho
There's an idea of parody, a kind of abstraction at play here, but we can't see it. Maybe there is no real parody, only a joke, something illusory? Maybe you can even sense our humors are probably comparable? Oh, no? Okay then.
