Metal Gear Solid

In an interview with Electronic Gaming Monthly, Hideo Kojima explained he would like to work on other projects than just the Metal Gear series. But he also think the Metal Gear franchise offers plenty of benefits.

“The Fox Engine, for example, took a lot of time and money, we were only able to develop it because it was intended for the next Metal Gear. In the next game, I’m introducing concepts intended for entirely new intellectual properties using the Metal Gear brand.”

He also spoke a little bit about a game that influenced him.

“Grand Theft Auto III came out the same year as Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, and it seemed the thought processes behind the two games were completely different. It was beyond game design; the area a player could explore was so vast that not even the game designer could predict all possible outcomes. That title definitely opened my eyes.”

Concerning other projects he would like to work on, Kojima said the following.

“I’ll admit that I hope my future endeavors are thought of as ‘works by Hideo Kojima’ rather than ‘from the creator of Metal Gear. I haven’t really shown the world what else I might be capable of yet. This may sound pretentious, but I don’t like being thought of as ‘the Metal Gear guy.’ There’s a lot more I can do.”

The entire interview can be found in EGM issue 258, which will be available in stores and on the internet next month.

Source: EGM

The previous build of Metal Gear Rising was at a playable stage and even had a few boss battles before Platinum Games took over. This was revealed by Yuji Korekado and Keiji Saito in an interview with Official PlayStation Magazine UK.

Korekado explained that the script for the game, as well as the boss concepts were already finished.

“The design was finished with those levels, and the levels were at the point where we could play it through in a white box – but we couldn’t come up with a core concept to tie it all together. In the end, we couldn’t finish the game.”

He also thinks those bosses were some of the best in the series, but when Saito took over they had to be taken out, because they didn’t fit the design of the new build. Keiji Saito explained that the bosses were more like traditional Metal Gear bosses, and therefor did not fit very well in a action title.

“The bosses in Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance are very unique characters, and are game design-driven. As an action game, we believe that the bosses should resemble the dynamics of the design, and although they’re very unique, we believe that these characters very much fit into the Metal Gear world. And we hope you guys feel the same when you see them.”

Not everything from the first build of the game was scrapped though. Some of the characters were taken over to the new build, one example being Boris. There was flexibility on Platinum Games’ side as well, as Saito makes clear.

“We did, of course, look at it and refer to it, and there are some characters we reused from the original concept. Ultimately, the most important concept that we needed to stay within is the Metal Gear world.”

Konami has announced details on a new item: the soundtrack for Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, called Metal Gear Rising Revengeance Vocal Tracks.

The CD will contain 29 music tracks. The package also includes a colored booklet. It will release in Japan on February 20, 2013 for a price of 2.940 yen (approximately 35 dollars or 30 euros). It also comes with the Premium Package fro the game, which will release in Japan on February 21 for PlayStation 3. It’s available for order at different Japanese online stores, one of them being Konami Style Japan.

Source: Kojima Productions Japan

Speculating about Metal Gear Solid Ground Zeroes is difficult, since we don’t know exactly when the game will take place on the Metal Gear timeline. The part where Snake infiltrates the Cuban prison camp must be a short while after Peace Walker, but for all we know the game could cover different time periods. The safest thing to assume right now is that it takes place somewhere between Peace Walker and Metal Gear 1, in other words, between 1974 and 1995. Most likely the late 70s and early 80s. That means there are a lot of possibilities for events that could be covered in this game. Here are five of the most exciting options.

• Big Boss’s further decline

At the end of Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, Big Boss formally declares war against Zero. Ten years after having received the title of ‘Big Boss’, he finally accepts the alias, but it has gotten a different meaning for him. He distances himself from The Boss, and severs his ties with the past, determined to keep fighting until he meets his inevitable end. Outer Heaven is born.

His new philosophy could be reflected in Ground Zeroes with a darker Big Boss. The trailer already implies that the Big Boss of this new era isn’t squeamish about silencing people in order to protect his ideal. He’s moving into an area of questionable morality, and this is an intriguing prospect.

• The break between Big Boss and Miller

Seeing how Big Boss’ former right hand Kazuhira Miller is on the opposite side of Bis Boss during the events of Metal Gear, at some point he and Big Boss must have ended their partnership and become enemies.

 What exactly happened between Peace Walker and Metal Gear? Did Big Boss’s action go to far for Miller, causing him to leave? Or did Big Boss kick him out of the organization? Seeing this unfold would be very interesting.

• An appearance of Ocelot

Ocelot did not really appear in Peace Walker, in fact, he was completely absent. We know he was one of the founding members of the Patriots, and we also know that he, like EVA, chose the side of Big Boss when Zero and him drifted apart. So it is not unlikely to think the gunslinging interrogator would have been in contact with Big Boss at certain points on the timeline.

It’s also exciting to think what he would look like, since the difference in appearance between Metal Gear Solid 3‘s Ocelot and the Metal Gear Solid 1 counterpart is quite big. With his unpredictable behavior, Ocelot has always been a favorite character in the series, so the prospect of seeing him return is definitely appealing.

• Big Boss rescues Naomi Hunter and Gray Fox in Rhodesia

The backstory of Gray Fox and Naomi is already known, but here’s a short recap anyway: During the Rhodesian civil war Gray Fox murdered Naomi’s parents, and, out of guilt, adopted her as his little sister. They drifted around for a while, until they were saved by Big Boss, and eventually brought to America. It’s exciting to think how these dramatic events could be translated to a cutscene, or even a whole mission.

There are already rumors that one of the locations of Ground Zeroes is going to be Africa, and the time frame adds up as well. These are important parts of the Metal Gear story as a whole, so seeing them as a full fleshed segment of the game would be great.

• Something about Les Enfants Terribles

During the events of Peace Walker, ‘Les Enfants Terribles’ – the clones of Big Boss – were still around 2 years old. Assuming Ground Zeroes won’t take place long after its predecessor, the future Snakes will still only be children. Nonetheless, seeing or hearing from them in some way would be pretty fascinating.

As this was the final straw that caused the break between Zero and Big Boss, it could at least be mentioned in some way, possibly in a flashback or conversation.

These five options are, of course, only a selection of events that could be part of Metal Gear Solid Ground Zeroes’ story. But they do offer the drama and intrigue that make them suited for compelling cutscenes. In the end, no one knows exactly Kojima’s unpredictable brain has planned for this new installment, and that makes it all the more exciting.

In an interview with Official Xbox Magazine, Kojima Productions creative director Yuji Korekado admitted that initially he didn’t want to hand over the Metal Gear Rising project he’d been working on to Platinum Games. He explained that people had put a lot of effort in it, and ‘they were in a dark hole’.

“When Platinum visited the studio to get an update on the game, I was asked to present the current status to them, it was a very complex emotion: I wanted to keep developing the game internally, but Kojima wanted to move it forward. It was frustrating but I had to move forward with it.

Fortunately for me, I was able to participate in the development even after it went to Platinum. After I realised it was going to go forward, I cut off all my sour feelings and just got on with the work. When I saw the first Revengeance trailer, I realised it was something that Kojima Productions couldn’t have done – and that was something I felt great about.”

He also explains that he still feels this new title is a Metal Gear game, because it’s all about options and how the player wants to tackle a situation, which can be done in different ways.

Players can pass their own judgement on the game when it hits store shelves next year, February 19 in the US and February 21 in Europe and Japan.

Source: OXM, MGS.be

Some pictures have been posted online of the box that holds the MGS3 Naked Snake (Sneaking Suit version) that was announced a while back. A box might not seem very interesting, but this package has a special gimmick: it has been made with a special thermal sensitive effect, which makes the front on two sides change color upon touching it.

Not only that, but the box is also autographed by Hideo Kojima and Yoji Shinkawa, making it a real collector’s item.

Tsubuyaki Jiroo and Kojima’s secretary Ayako also posted a photo of the figure on their Twitter.

The 30 cm figure is available at Konami Style Japan for a price of 17.000 yen (about 200 dollars). First buyers will also receive a set of two MGS3 illustration cards in B5 size.

Source: Hot Toys, Konami Style, Tsubuyaki Jiroo’s Twitter, Ayako’s Twitter

Both Metal Gear Solid HD Edition and Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker HD Edition will enter the Japanese PlayStation 3 budget line ‘PlayStation 3 the Best’.

Peace Walker will be available at 3,480 yen for the retail version and 2,980 yen for the download version. Metal Gear Solid HD Edition will cost 3,990 yen for the retail version and 3,490 yen for the download version.

The expected release date is February 7, 2013.

Source: Kojima Productions Japan

Good news for European Metal Gear fans! Konami UK has confirmed through Twitter that the Gray Fox skin for Metal Gear Rising will be included in all European versions. That means the normal one, as well as the limited editions.

http://twitter.com/KonamiUK/status/271280591226408960

@oldmario No! That’s what we’ve been told by the bosses anyway!

— Konami UK (@KonamiUK) november 21, 2012

@bsf_solid_snake Yes, that’s what we’ve been told by the powers that be!

— Konami UK (@KonamiUK) november 21, 2012

Metal Gear Rising Revengeance will release in Europe on February 21 next year.

If you pre-order Metal Gear Rising Revengeance at GameStop, you will receive an exclusive pre-order bonus in the form of a downloadable Gray Fox skin. This code will allow you to play through the game as the famous ninja from Metal Gear Solid.

Bonus!

Pre-Order Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance and receive the “Cyborg Ninja skin”!

Assume the identity of legendary Cyborg Ninja from the original METAL GEAR SOLID exclusive to GameStop. Players will be able visually enhance themselves as one of the most iconic characters from the MGS universe, all while leaving a path of destruction!

You can receive the code both for online orders as well as when you pick up the game at the store:

Online Customers: A code with instructions will be emailed within 2 business days after your order ships.
Store Customers: A code with instructions will be printed on your receipt at the time of pick-up.

Source: GameStop, AGB

Kojima Productions staff member Yuji Korekado posted some photo on his Twitter of the plasma lamp that comes with the limited edition of Metal Gear Rising in the United States. On the two pictures you can see what the lamp looks like when it’s switched on.

Korekado noted that this is a prototype, but it’s likely the final product will be identical.

The lamp will be included in the American limited edition, launching February next year for a price of $149,99. Amazon.com offers a pre-order bonus for both versions of the game, the Inferno Armor, which increasing Raiden’s missile carrying capabilities.

Source: Yuji Korekado’s Twitter, Examiner