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Metal Gear to support GPS
There aren't too many high-profile games that use Sony's upcoming GPS peripheral. Off the top of my head, I can only think of two: Hot Shots Golf and Homestar. Well, Konami has added one incredibly huge title to the list of GPS-compatible games: Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops. It shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, considernig how the last Metal Gear game on our system came with another crazy peripheral: the Solid Eye. Konami hasn't revealed how the game will support the device, but what kind of crazy ideas can you think of?[Via IGN]
MGS2 design secrets translated
The obsessed fans over at MetalGearSolid.org have posted an English translation of the design document for Metal Gear Solid 2. The document was previously only available to Japanese fans who purchased a documentary about the making of the game. Among the revelations in the document: MGS2 was originally going to be called "Metal Gear Solid III," for extra confusion and symbolism. Raiden was designed partially as "a character in which women can more easily empathize." A consumer package containing both MGS and MGS2 was considered. The full document also includes insights into the symbolism of the game's confusing story, and some thoughts on the nature of sequels in general. Definitely worth a read for anyone with an interest in this seminal game.[Via Insert Credit]
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]
Crackdown: more than meets the eye
Okay, so, we've seen some Crackdown videos before. We've seen thugs get shot. We've seen them juggled maliciously with a rocket launcher. What we haven't seen is the video above. It seems that all cars of the future are capable of pimping themselves, much to the chagrin of the jobless, future Xzibit. Also, for a supercop, this guy sure runs down a lot of civilians.
Kojima on Wii: Interesting controller, dated graphics
After infamously comparing the Wii to a television, respected and surprisingly non-grumpy game developer, Hideo Kojima, recently revisited the topic of how the next-gen consoles compare to one another. Thankfully, he refrained from using film, cuisine or extreme sports analogies this time. Speaking in a group interview alongside advent child Testuya Nomura and Metal Gear Solid 4's Yoji Shinkawa, Kojima made it clear that he views the technologically advanced PS3 as leading the way to the future. He noted that the high cost of the system would be a necessary evil in order to push the industry to new heights, whereas the Wii could be considered "interesting, but in terms of functions, it's a machine with past concepts." It's fair to assume that he is referring directly to the Wii's less robust graphical abilities, certainly an important factor when it comes to the sort of cinematic presentation Kojima's games have become known for. However, Kojima goes on to suggest how the PS3 might be improved. "The best thing would be a PS3 with controls like the Wii."That sounds grand to us ... but it would probably cost a grand too. Money well spent?
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.]
Forza 2 jacks PGR3 technology
As much as we'd like to envision Microsoft programmers bursting into the UK offices of Bizarre Games, waving oversized pistols around and demanding that employees dump their precious code onto an external hard drive, the word "sharing" is the one used to describe the technology deal between the Project Gotham Racing 3 developer and the Forza Motorsport 2 team. In an Xbox World Australia love letter interview, lead designer Dan Greenawalt explains that the upcoming Xbox 360 racing sim will include an online TV mode, much like the one found in PGR3. "In Forza Motorsport 2, you won't just be watching a bunch of Ferraris racing together. You'll be watching completely customized Ferraris racing in a simulation environment. The personality of the driver emerges in Forza Motorsport TV. Paint schemes and physics mastery add to the excitement and diversity of the 'telecasts'." Exciting news, certainly if you've discovered that watching is the best part of playing a game.All joking aside, it is heartening to see PGR3's solid online implementation finding its way into another flagship franchise. Greenawalt goes on to highlight the game's 60 frames-per-second graphical glory, its more nuanced Drivatar AI system and a photo mode that -- get this -- may allow you to share your virtual snaps with friends. Let's hope Microsoft remembers to share that marvelous technology with the Project Gotham team. Well, maybe not all joking then.[Via Eurogamer]
Metareview - Metal Gear Solid: Digital Graphic Novel
It's not a game. You know that, right? Good.For Metal Gear fanatics, Digital Graphic Novel is a must, containing countless (unlockable) tidbits of data that are used to piece together the Shadow Moses Incident. But if 'Shadow Moses' doesn't ring a bell, then you're better off waiting for Portable Ops to get your Metal Gear fix on PSP -- unless you're a sucker for graphic novels. DailyGame (85/100) - "Whoever thought of creating the Digital Graphic Novel needs a raise." GamePro (80/100) - "MGS: Digital Graphic Novel will probably confuse the heck out of you." GamerFeed (70/100) - "Seeing as how it's $20, MGS:DGN is one of those 'what the hell' purchases."
Raiden unplayable in Metal Gear Solid 4
You probably read that headline with a smile on your face. Even so, Kojima-san has revealed the infamous Raiden will not be a playable character in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. But he is going to be pretty integral to the overall narrative.He also goes into detail about the story. Nanotechnology, military strength, Senior Citizen Snake... it's all there. Older characters will be making an appearance as well. Naomi Hunter, Campbell and even Meryl Silverburgh will be along for the ride. One of the best quotes is from when Kojima stated why he's even bothering with this new game when MGS3 was supposed to be his (and Snake's) last title: "I decided to make MGS4 because so many mysteries still remained, and I couldn't ignore all the people who had requested a new game." So keep the requests coming and he won't be able to refuse! Check out the Show Maybe? publication to see the original.
More revealing poll results from Famitsu
We know how much everyone just loves polls and how indicative they are of the market share, but don't put away your sticks and clubs just yet because we have one more to add to the list. Famitsu polled their readers on a few of their interests, and the results may surprise you (or not).So what games are they most interested in? Here they are:1. The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii, Nintendo)2. Final Fantasy XIII (PS3, Square Enix)3. Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3, Konami)4. Dragon Quest Swords (Wii, Square Enix)5. Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii, Nintendo)6. Super Mario Galaxy (Wii, Nintendo)7. Final Fantasy III (NDS, Square Enix)8. Monster Hunter 3 (PS3, Capcom)9. Resident Evil (Wii, Capcom)10. Halo 3 (Xbox 360)The last one there may have made you raise an eyebrow. Famitsu also asked their readers about their favorite hardware at the moment and what they thought about the price of the PlayStation 3. Follow the link for the rest of the results.
Metareview - Rise of Legends
The double-edged sword of success must have weighed heavily on the minds of Brian Reynolds and his creative team at Big Huge Games. In developing Rise of Legends, they were faced with the challenging, yet unenviable task of following up the game's hit predecessor, Rise of Nations. So what do you do for an encore? First, retain Nations' user-friendly interface, and then overcompensate for some poor audio choices by introducing three oddly original, and exceptionally balanced races. Those looking for a unique twist on traditional RTS civilizations will appreciate Legends' blend of classic fantasy, myth, and technology, as well as the visual quality Big Huge has become known for. 1UP (90/100) gives kudos for balance and diversity among the Vinci, Alin, and Coutl races: "Whereas Rise of Nations had a bunch of historic civilizations with relatively minor distinctions in their units and technology, Rise of Legends throws only three races into the fury, but they're both unique and incredibly well balanced." IGN (82/100) likes a good fight in campaign mode: "The AI is generally very good. The enemy knows how to use its hero units and, though it still suffers from the trickle tactics of most RTS' AI, it can still manage to put together a sizable enough force to make you break a sweat. If the challenge level isn't just right, you can actually adjust the game's difficultly at any point during the campaign." Gamespot (76/100) warns of a potentially difficult transition from standard RTS fare: "Each of the civilizations is so offbeat that there are no reference points, no similarities to RTS conventions that you can latch onto and use to dip a toe into the weirdness. The story in the campaign is decidedly convoluted, as well." [via Metacritic]
MGS4 to be Kojima's last Snake outing (seriously)
So Hideo Kojima has sworn off future involvement with the Metal Gear series... again. But like the Rolling Stones or a comeback tour that won't go away, he's sure to return! Or maybe not. This wouldn't be the first time he's called it his last, but he says he's for real when talking about MGS4."Well, I say this every time but this is going to be my last Metal Gear... so you could say that the hidden theme here is that I want Snake to die so that I can move on." Strong words from a true visionary. Anyone taking bets on how long it'll be before he's back?
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!
Extended 15-minute MGS4 trailer on the hour
We've finally gotten into the show floor and begun to process the sensory assault of sound, images, and booth babes. The shroud is lifting though, and we're finally able to make sense of what we're seeing. One of the highlights thus far: the extended 15-minute trailer of Metal Gear Solid 4. Sure, it was shown off last night at Konami's (very) exclusive press conference, but now they're showing it off on the show floor at their booth, every hour on the hour. The first showing was understandably underpacked, but we expect the future showings to attract legions of fanboys. Kojima's next masterpiece looks incredible, if completely devoid of gameplay footage.[Thanks for the tip to the direct-feed LaughingMan]
Portable Ops: MGS on PSP sans card battles
Since we didn't get into Konami's keynote this afternoon (they had a little tantrum when we didn't remove a post at their request) we're linking to Gamespot's coverage of the latest installment in the seminal Metal Gear Solid series: Portable Ops for the PSP. What makes Portable Ops special? No card battles, that's what!According to Gamespot, Ops is "even more intriguing than [they] would have expected." Errr, okay. Whatever that means. We will say that it features that same MGS action that console gamers have come to love, packaged in a convenient portable factor. Taking place in 1970, six years after the events of Snake Eater, Ops will detail Naked Snake's fall from grace ... we're talking Big Boss people. Plan on getting some portable sneaking on winter '06. Awesome.
Call of Duty 3 announced; leak confirmed [update 1]
Call of Duty 3's just been confirmed, and it looks like we were right on the money with our early leak of the WWII-related game.Back in early March, we printed the following information (and a whole lot more) on the focus of an upcoming sequel: "'CoD 3' ... is being produced by Big Red One dev Treyarch. ... The next Call of Duty World War II-based title will return gamers to the battlefields of Normandy as the Allies take on Nazi Germany to drive them out of France once and for all. This time around, American and British forces are joined by Canadian troops, Polish tanks, and French freedom fighters in a reenactment of the bloody Normandy Breakout campaign spearheaded during the summer of 1944. In the push to Paris, you'll get to choose how you approach each mission, free of menu screens and jarring non-interactive cut-scenes."Here's what IGN quoted from Activision for the announcement yesterday: "Through the eyes of four Allied soldiers, Call of Duty 3 brings players closer to the fury of combat as they fight through the Normandy Breakout, the harrowing offensive that liberated Paris and changed the fate of the world. Developed by Treyarch, Call of Duty 3 is the follow up to the #1 next-generation game and is scheduled for a 2006 release." Fingering the developer and the setting? Not too shabby -- while Joystiq pats itself on the back.Check out the IGN trailer below for a first-person look somewhat reminiscent of the FPS sequence in the Metal Gear Solid 4 trailer from TGS. At the end of the "official E3 teaser" trailer, a number of platforms are listed, with the major manufacturers (including a small "Nintendo Revolution" in text) and publisher/developer combo listed. We suspect that versions for the PC and possibly the current-gen consoles will be covered with ports as well. Now all we have to do is wait for the word on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. (Infinity Ward, we're looking at you!) More info obviously hitting at E3.[Thanks, icemorebutts, jason, & Hiro Protagonist][Update 1: Had to fix a verb. Thanks, Hiro Protagonist, John Q, & Jiiiiihad!]See also: Official E3 teaser trailer for Call of Duty 3 Next Call of Duty leaked: Modern Warfare tackles terrorists Rumor: Call of Duty joining the Revolution Kojima interacts in real-time with MGS4 trailer at TGS
Audio-only peek at the MGS4 E3 trailer
As promised, the Kojima Productions Report podcast has "pirated" the first 90-seconds of the Metal Gear Solid 4 E3 trailer's audio. The bad news: it's all in Japanese. The good news: there's an English translation of the audio (.mp3) at their website!Since we can't see what's happening, let's use our ears to tell us what's going on. Mostly, for non-Japanese speakers, not much. Just don't expect Snake to be cutting any throats in the first 90 seconds. Alright, so the audio isn't really telling us anything besides there are two dudes talking (go figure, in MGS?). Let's move onto the transcript.Alright, those two guys are none other than Snake (Solid we presume) and Campbell (still a Colonel?). Standard MGS dialog ensues but then ... what's that? Who runs the dummy corporation that controls the five largest private military corporations (PMCs, natch) that have become a serious threat to the world and the US military hegemony following the Manhattan incident?!Who else? This is gonna be good![Thanks, David and Mike]
Metal Gear Awesome cartoon is SO awesome
This Flash cartoon hosted at deviantART, titled Metal Gear Awesome, is funny enough to warrant a pants wetting warning. Fans of Kojima's original PlayStation masterpiece will revel in the in-jokes, like Meryl's always popular posterior (pictured), her secret codec number, and all things DARPA chief. This cartoon is very NSFW, not only because of the excess of violence and profanity, but chances are your snorting laughter will arouse the curiosity of your nosy coworkers. Note: We are aware this is almost two years weeks old so, if you've seen it before, watch it again![UPDATE: It wasn't as old as we thought! However, since it doesn't come from the future, some will inevitably complain that it is still, in fact, too OLLLDDDDD/lame/yawn!][Thanks, Ludwig]
