metalgearsolid4
Latest
Core Metal Gear Solid 4 cast announced: Hayter's a player again
As if hearing the collective cries of those tossing and turning in their beds, gripped by the nightmare of having the English Metal Gear Solid 4 cast be comprised of Pauly Shore, Gilbert Gottfried and Macy Gray, comes Konami and their announcement of the game's core voice cast. David Hayter, whose vocal chords can effortlessly grind cinder blocks to dust, unsurprisingly reprises his role of Solid Snake, lending some world weariness to the protagonist as he strangles inept soldiers, babbles into his codec and asks why nobody is telling him the damn truth. (You can sample the man's voice for yourself in the latest Kojima Productions Report podcast.)Returning as Roy Campbell is Paul Eiding, who will once again regale you with tales of "the famous purple stuffed worm in flap-jaw space with the tuning fork," as well as mention his unusual and unexpected desire for scissors. Rounding out the core cast is Christopher Randalph playing Hal "Otacon" Emmerich and Quinton Flynn portraying the widely reviled, androgynous nudist-turned-ninja, Raiden. With Metal Gear Solid 4's over-the-top plot still a closely guarded secret, no other English character voices have been announced. Cam Clarke ("Liquid?") seems a sure bet, as do most of the great actors from the previous games. After all, there's no indication that Hideo Kojima's PS3 game ("so far") will be anything less than an "expertly crafted and customized" experience.(See? Our clever choice of video still leaves us in the clear in case it's a disappointment.)[Via press release]
After DMC4, MS Germany wants MGS and FF
Boris Schneider-Johne, Product Manager of Microsoft Germany, is pleased that Devil May Cry 4 is headed to the Xbox 360. On his personal blog he posted a very simple message. Titled, "One down, two to go," it reads: Devil May Cry Final Fantasy Metal Gear Solid As IGN reports, many sites quickly speculated that Schneider-Johne was implying that Microsoft had plans to acquire the remaining franchises in the list. Schneider-Johne clarified in an update to his post that the list merely represents a personal wish list and doesn't reflect Microsoft as a whole. Personal wish list or not, there have certainly been rumblings that these major franchises could go multiplatform. Considering the rising cost of development, the success of the 360, and the rocky start of the PS3, it's not too far-fetched to think other series might make the jump as well.Anyone have any other PS3 exclusives they'd like to see on Xbox 360?
Marketing group gauges interest in MGS4 on 360
Evil Avatar reports on a recent marketing survey that's curious about your interest in Metal Gear Solid 4 on Xbox 360. The emailed questionnaire asked: "Would you like to see Metal Gear Solid 4 on Xbox 360?"; and "Would you buy an Xbox 360 just to play Metal Gear Solid 4?"While unnamed, Evil Avatar claims the "reputable" marketing group serves the interests of Microsoft (among other companies). Microsoft is a client of Penn, Schoen and Berland Associates, Inc., which created the survey, but it's unclear if the questions, which were accompanied by non-MGS4 questions, were commissioned by Microsoft or first posed by Konami -- or if the responses will have any affect on Konami's current stance. Whatever the case, someone out there is still "polling" for a multi-platform release...The survey also included this somewhat relevant question: "On a scale of 0-100, with zero being not at all satisfied and 100 being very satisfied, how would you rate Konami's output on Xbox 360 to date?" Um, really? Geez, can we go with a negative number? 'Cause not only did Bomberman: Act Zero and Rumble Roses XX fail to satisfy, they offended us. (At least we have all those Xbox Live Arcade ports...) So to answer the initial question, "yes" -- to whomever is listening -- Metal Gear Solid 4 is not only a game we'd "like to see" on Xbox 360, it's absolutely necessary (in order for us to be satisfied with Konami's 360 output).Update: identified marketing group that conducted the survey; clarified why MGS4 is "absolutely necessary."
Survey: Would you like MGS4 on 360?
Bloggers love rumors. It's a scientific fact. Rumors provide us with a nourishment that neither videogames nor meaningful relationships can provide, especially rumors about Metal Gear Solid 4 on the Xbox 360. This one comes to us from Evil Avatar. It seems there is a survey circulating that asks some very pointed questions about MGS4. A few questions from the survey: "Would you like to see Metal Gear Solid 4 on Xbox 360?" "Would you buy an Xbox 360 just to play Metal Gear Solid 4?" "On a scale of 0-100, with zero being not at all satisfied and 100 being very satisfied, how would you rate Konami's output on Xbox 360 to date?"The survey reportedly comes from a reputable marketing company, one that compiles political exit polls and even has Microsoft as one of its major clients. Of course, the question is who made the survey? Is it Konami testing the waters for a possible port of MGS4, or did Microsoft organize the survey to plead their case to Konami? It's tough to say, but it's worth noting that this particular rumor seems to consistently resurface. How would you rate Konami's 360 output so far? Would Metal Gear Solid 4 change your mind?
Metal Gear Solid 4 Snake figure
Konami gives us a peek at Japanese toymaker Medicom's Metal Gear Solid 4 Snake figure. Standing at 12-inches tall, the figure is imbued with Medicom's RAH 301 technology, making Snake posable in a variety of realistic body stances. Art director Yoji Shinkawa oversaw production of the figure, which is scheduled to ship in November. Just in time for the game's release, eh?Source - click on "Metal Gear series" tab, then "Goods Page" under MGS4.[Thanks, Aaron]%Gallery-1474%
MGS4 creator wants to develop on 360
In a recent interview with GamePro, Metal Gear Solid creator, Hideo Kojima, intimated that he wants to develop for the Xbox 360. When asked about the possibility of developing for the Xbox 360, Kojima states that he is interested in the idea, and notes that the 360 is selling very well in areas outside of Japan (in other words, 360=Money). Kojima also says that he's a fan of Gears of War (wonder what his Gamertag is ... BigBoss69 maybe?). Adding fuel to the undying rumor-fire that is Metal Gear Sold 4 on the 360, Kojima uses interesting wording regarding the game, "MGS4 is only for the PS3 so far."Did you see that? "So far." In PR terms, that leaves many windows open for Metal Gear Solid 4 to appear on other platforms. Granted, it's not an assurance that it will happen, but as hungry fanboys, we'll take what we can get.[Via Joystiq]
Kojima hopes to develop for everything, ever
In a recent Gamepro interview, Hideo Kojima makes it clear that his aspirations involve more than just the Playstation 3. The Metal Gear designer notes that he eventually wants to develop for the Wii, the Xbox 360 (he's a fan of Gears of War, you know) and the "world-wide platform" that is the PC. "I want to do it. But our staff, especially the younger ones, don't so much like to work on the PC. If it was PC, we don't have to go into some crappy things with the first parties."Going by Kojima's earlier steak dinner and movie analogies, we suppose he can now be interpreted as a rabid film critic wandering about town, randomly bursting into houses and demanding delicious steaks. Of course, PC gaming needs to fit in there somewhere -- is it like leveling up your own livestock, shortly before slaughtering it and eating it alone?Read the interview and make your own conclusions. Watch out for Kojima stating that "MGS4 is actually for the PS3 only so far."[Thanks to everyone who sent this in.]
Rumor: Konami cancels PS3 Gradius, several others [update 1]
If the latest issue of Japan's Famitsu magazine is to be believed, Konami has quietly cancelled several of their upcoming PS3 and Wii projects. IGN reports that an updated release list for the company has been shortened by no less than six games, one of which was a Playstation 3 version of side-scrolling shooter, Gradius. Of course, since mere absence doesn't confirm outright cancellation, it would be best to treat this as a rumor for now. One potential explanation is that Konami has now made enough progress on some of these titles (if they were even in development to begin with) to warrant less ambiguous descriptors. If "New Action Game" turned into Castlevania: Polka of Purgatory, the publisher would likely choose a grander announcement than simply having it pop up on a standard release list.The removed titles are as follows: Gradius Series (PS3) Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball (PS3) New Action Game (PS3) New Role Playing Game (PS3) New Action Adventure Game 2 (Wii) Role Playing Game (Wii) Games still appearing on the release list include two sports titles, a music game and an "action adventure" for the Wii. Pro Baseball Spirits, Winning Eleven and Metal Gear Solid 4 are also still slated for the PS3.[Update: This rumor is bogus.]
360 Metal Gear Solid 4 solidly denied
The rumor that Metal Gear Solid 4: Sons of the Patriots would appear on the Xbox 360 has now been officially denied by Konami. A Konami rep told CVG, "Konami has no plans to bring Metal Gear Solid 4 to the Xbox 360 at this time," and further stated that the game remains "exclusive to Playstation 3." For now, at least, it looks like the rumor is debunked. Still, it wouldn't surprise us to see the game eventually. Also, the editor of the website that broke the story (Noooz) was very confident with his source. As he stated to our Joystiq mother ship, "I rarely run with anything unless I'm 100% confident. I rarely break news stories as you can see." As we stated before, he is a member of the game industry, giving this rumor more traction than most. With so many 360s around the world already -- many in places that Sony hasn't launched -- it will become increasingly hard for publishers not to make games for it. The game industry is all about numbers and MS is creating customers in regions that have never even had console launches before. Publishers can't ignore that, especially in the age of skyrocketing development costs. Will MGS4 hit the 360? We're betting yes, but not until it has at least a few months to move some Playstation 3 units. [Via Evil Avatar]
Crazy rumor of the day: MGS4 on 360
We've had our share of wacky (half true) rumors recently, and today's rumor is a dandy. Titled as an "exclusive" news story, a blog by the name of NOOOZ is claiming that MGS4 is coming to Xbox 360 according to "a dev source close to the team who cannot be named by pain of death." The game would arrive on 360 a few months after the PS3 release. The rumor obviously smells fishy, but a look at the blog's "About us" page gives it some validity, as the site's owner is revealed to be a former Sony producer himself (he's a consultant to publishers and developers now). The reason for the move also makes sense: publishers -- Konami included -- are worried that there just won't be enough Playstations on the market by the time their game ships. Without a large install base -- something the 360 already has -- a game just can't make much money. Sure this is a juicy rumor -- Kojima has even confirmed that it's technically possible -- but right now that's all it is. There are a couple of things that stand in the way of this being true. One, Konami would have to have been developing these titles side-by-side from the beginning. Given their wildly different architectures, we imagine porting PS3 games to 360 is no easy task. Second, this has bee trumpeted as a PS3 exclusive from day one, so much so that the first trailer is basically an ad for the PS3. Still, developers are out there to make money, and this rumor is perfectly plausible if Konami feels that the PS3 won't have the numbers in time. For now, take it with a cubic foot of salt.[Thanks, Mat Parker]
MGS Portable Ops: the testing ground for MGS4
Kojima fans were shocked to find that Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops not only successfully emulates the console MGS experience on the handheld, but brings new things to the table. The folks of High Dynamic Range Lying detail how MGS:PO may actually be testing new ideas for MGS4, heading to the PS3. The new recruitment system, where Snake must capture enemies and convert them into allies might be a crucial aspect of the next-gen sequel:"In MGS4, there's no telling if Solid Snake himself will try to form his own fighting force. Otacon is heard in the E3 trailer, saying that Snake cannot do it alone, adding that he never had a chance. Could this be the catalyst that forces Snake to create a team capable of taking down the patriots, and stopping Liquid Ocelot? With MGS4 still in development for another year, the story of an old Snake single handedly silencing an entire army of mechs and soldiers seeming ridiculous, and little to none of the new allegiance system revealed, it seems more than likely that MPO may be more than a Snake Eater sequel."Sounds reasonable to me. For those of you that remember the original trailers for the game, there's "no place to hide" for Snake. With his body aging, and massive armored mechs walking around everywhere, Snake's going to need a lot of help.[Via digg]
Portable Ops crucial to Metal Gear Solid 4 story
Everything's connected. At least, according to Kevin Bacon JJ Abrams Hideo Kojima. And, in order to fully understand the events of the amazing-looking Metal Gear Solid 4 on the PS3, you'll have to buy yourself a PSP. The two upcoming PSP-exclusive Metal Gear titles (Digital Comic 2, Portable Ops) will establish the story for the next-gen sequel. "We'd like you to definitely play it [the PSP games]," Kojima was quoted saying. "If you change the Ops story, you have to change 4. If you change 4, it also becomes necessary to change Ops. Until Ops is finished, 4's story can't be finalized." We'll all get a taste of the Guns of the Patriots' storyline when Portable Ops hits the system in December.[Via IGN]
Yeah... this is the last Metal Gear Solid game...
It's sad, but series creator Hideo Kojima seems adamant about this being the last MGS title before he retires from the series (but that means there's another Metal Gear series, right?! No? Ah, well...). Here's a couple of things to expect from the game, aside from sheer awesomeness: The Octacamo -- Snake's new sneaking suit that allows him to blend into any surrounding so long as he remains motionless. You know, some people don't even need a camo suit to remain "unseen". Oh, sorry, was that too emo? Anyway, even pressing against a wall riddled with bullet holes, Snake will also appear to have such holes. Neato. Your enemies and allies will be determined by how you play the game, it has been noted. Liquid Ocelot is, of course, your ultimate villain, but normal soldiers are give or take. Factions within the soldiers' ranks may prove a useful tool to exploit... You can scare enemies (a la Batman in Batman Begins, maybe) to the point they actually submit to your will and, yes, pee their pants like they mean it. So many characters making an appearance! Will they all get enough screen time? Will their individual stories reach a satisfying conclusion? Let's hope so. Essentially, this game is going to be fun. It just is. Even though this blogger's record with the Metal Gear franchise has been rough (oddly enough, after purchasing the game, they're barely touched until exactly one year later, when they're completed in a mad rush of "ohmigosh I gots to plays this games it's so cool"... yeah, it makes no sense, but it's practically tradition), it's still a very, uh, solid looking game and we can't wait to get our hands on it!
New MGS4 trailer is up for your pleasure
What can we say? Every time a new video of Metal Gear Solid 4 pops up, our mouths get all watery with anticipation for this game. This latest trailer captured from the show floor at Leipzig is no different.Check out the video for yourself and prepare to dissect every detail. Even though it's only three minutes this time, it's a delicious three minutes. What's funny, though, is that you can hear some Sonic ring collecting in the background.
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops previewed
The first canonical Metal Gear Solid portable game was unveiled at E3 earlier this year. The idea of a real non-Acid non-graphic novel Metal Gear has made it one of the most-wanted games for the system, even without too much information to work with. The unofficial Metal Gear Solid site has a new preview, with a few new screenshots. The game takes place six years after Snake Eater, and has Big Boss arrested after FOX Unit begins a revolt in South America. With the help of his comrades in the FOXHOUND Unit, it will be their responsibility to stop the bad guys from using their "ultimate weapon." This game will be a crucial part of the Metal Gear series' storyline, as it'll explain how Big Boss went from good guy to bad guy in Metal Gear. With cutscenes in the same style of the Digital Graphic Novel, Portable Ops seems like it'll be an interesting ride, to say the least.Portable Ops will feature a more distant camera so that players have a better view of their surroundings. Interestingly, it won't be a one-man sneaking mission anymore: you'll recruit and command other soldiers to help you take on your missions. Not only will you have generic soldiers at your disposal, but you'll also get more familiar faces, like Ocelot to join you. But be careful, in Fire Emblem style, if a character dies, they're dead for the rest of the game. There's also multiplayer, in which you can trade your partners ala Pokemon. According to the unofficial site, new trailers for Metal Gear Solid 4 and Portable Ops will be shown at Leipzig Games Convention, so expect more info very soon.[Via 1UP Boards]
Famitsu's most wanted and most ignored
Respected Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu recently published the results of a poll to find the games most wanted by the public. Look at the top five. Aside from the #1 spot, Sony dominates. 9 Nintendo titles, 11 Sony titles and 1 Microsoft title. What's an XBox, Japanese gamers wonder. An interesting aside is that many of the Sony games are in fact for the PS2 and still generate as much if not more desire than the next-gen Wii and 360. Combined.So what, you ask? So that. It's just a list of what's anticipated in Japan. Take it for what it's worth, but the fact of the matter is, in Japan at least, Sony is still jumping out of everyone's mouth. Final Fantasy XIII, Resident Evil 5, Metal Gear Solid 4, Dawn of Mana, Final Fantasy XIII Versus... sure, sequels, but anticipated ones. If they weren't desired, sequels wouldn't necessarily be made. Basically, hooray Sony! At least there are some hot PS2 titles on the way, along with the buzzworthy PS3 titles.
Kojima creates more PS3 analogies
A recent panel interview was held at IGN between Metal Gear guru Hideo Kojima, MGS4 art director Yoji Shinkawa and Square-Enix's own Tetsuya Nomura (pictured right) regarding their take on the PS3. Having likened it to many things before, Kojima had a lot to say about Sony's new box o' tricks, saying "If you think about the future of the industry and game creators, I get the feeling that the winner had better be the movie theater -- or, the PS3. No one will say that the price is cheap." He adds later on that his optimal choice of gadgetry would have been "a PS3 with controls like the Wii."How about Nomura's take? Final Fantasy games were a huge selling point on the PSX and the PS2, not to mention other fantastic Square-Enix RPG's, so his opinion will carry a lot of weight in the Japanese RPGamer crowd. He felt that "as a game machine, it's too expensive." But he softened this typical argument with "Thinking two to three years from now, the PS3 will be the most appropriate."The three also joked about another Zone of Enders title. Maybe they weren't joking -- those were some pretty good games. Either way, it seems the big names at Konami and Square-Enix are voicing their support of the PS3. Whether it hits big right at launch or creeps its way to the summit of the mountain in a few years, they seem to feel the PS3 is going to be it.[Edit: added a reference for the picture, clarifying that it is Tetsuya Nomura -- Should have made that more clear.]
Calling all Metal Gear fanboys: Kojima Productions wants you!
If you're interested in developing the online gameplay of Metal Gear Solid 4 or Metal Gear: Portable Ops, and not getting paid isn't a concern*, now's your chance -- join the 'improvemgsonline' club at 1up.com. You'll be able to vote in polls and post your gameplay ideas, which theoretically, could be chosen by Kojima Productions. There's already a plethora of suggestions blossoming on the forum, so you best get those 'gears' in motion!*Technically, you could receive exclusive Metal Gear Solid wallpapers.
Metal Gear Solid movie confirmed definitively
Metal Gear Solid creator, Hideo Kojima, has already ruled out Uwe Boll ("it's impossible") as a directorial candidate of a possible cinematic adaptation of the celebrated series, without confirming that such a project was even under way ... until now, that is. Gamespot reports that the Kojima Productions spoof of the E3 Show Daily, dubbed "Show Maybe," teases, "In a late-breaking surprise announcement, director Hideo Kojima revealed that his most famous creation -- Metal Gear Solid -- is getting the live-action treatment."On the back page Kojima writes, "I have received many offers to adapt Metal Gear Solid. It has taken a long time, but we have finally settled on an arrangement ... False facts aside, a movie project is underway. I have finalized a Class-A contract with a party in Hollywood." Now that the cat's out of the bag, expect periodic updates leading up to the 2007 release of Metal Gear Solid 4. Who's directing? Whose starring? For once, fans can't complain about lengthy cut scenes!
Super Smash Bros. Brawl video
Featuring more farting, fireballs, pink balls, elite soldiers, mythological boys, portly plumbers and space bounty hunters than you can shake a motion-sensing stick at, this video footage of Super Smash Bros. Brawl demands to be watched immediately. It's strange that Nintendo didn't blow the audience away with this during their initial press conference, but trite old sayings tell us that getting it now is much better than not getting it at all. Thank goodness for those.[Via Nintendo Gal]
