PS3 Fanboy

It seems that David Hayter really wants to pen the script to the Metal Gear Solid movie. He has been recently trying to get fans of the series behind his banner by asking them to email Sony and make it happen. Now, over at Anime Expo in Los Angeles, Hayter chats things up with 1Up, taking time to talk more about his vision for Solid Snake's cinema debut and even divulging about a bit of frustration with Hideo Kojima's over-the-top direction.

"Kojima and I have different styles," said Hayter. "But I've certainly learned things from him, especially about ambiguity and telling a story without giving all the answers." While he can appreciate Kojima's work, there are quite a lot of areas where Hayter just couldn't agree with what was going on with Snake. In particular, he refers to Snake's suicide tease in previous MGS4 trailers: "I didn't buy it at all." He believes that Snake, with all his years, shouldn't have to hesitate. "If he knows it's time, then it's time."

Another folly in his eyes was a fan favorite scene from MGS1. "It's a delicate thing to discuss love blooming on the battlefield with Otacon," he said. Another one was the alternate ending with Otacon: "It felt like it was written to be romantic. It was just humiliating." So what does Dave have in mind for MGS: The Movie? He'll obviously avoid doing any of the above nitpickings. With that in mind, it would be interesting to see where he would go with the film.

The most hardcore MGS4 players are going to go for the Big Boss achievement trophy emblem, which requires masterful play with no deaths, no alerts, no kills, no recovery items, no stealth suit and no special items. To get the emblem, the entire game must be completed in 5 hours, but Tyndis from YouTube has managed to do it in less than three hours.

Obviously, because the entire game can be seen in these videos, it should be obviously that this is one giant spoiler. If you haven't beaten the game yet, come back to watch it later. But for those that want to see Metal Gear greatness, enjoy.

[Via Joystiq]

UNIQLO isn't the only place to pick up Metal Gear Solid 4 tees. Hot Topic has not just one, but two, t-shirts for your perusal. The first (pictured, right) proudly displays the dissolving Snake used in the game's various promotions. The image is supposed to represent Snake at the end of his journey ... going back to the DNA that created him. Powerful stuff.

The second features Shinkawa's art of Old Snake's old mug. Both shirts are available for $19 each (unless you need a super-extra large size. Then you pay more!).

[Thanks, Daniel C.!]

According to a preview of an interview with 1UP, assistant producer Ryan Payton said in regards to the possibility of Metal Gear Solid 5: "there are some misunderstandings that this is the final Metal Gear game. But it's really the final chapter of the Solid Snake story." He further states that if Snake's story continues past MGS4, "we'll get to the point where the game has absolutely no basis in reality." Payton also hinted at who might be the future star of the next MGS game: there is "still a lot of room for filling in the gaps as far as Big Boss is concerned." 1UP's Philip Kollar interprets all of this as Konami having nowhere to go with the series except for prequels to "continue fleshing out that same epic narrative."

Payton also talks about Metal Gear Online; they are "working on a handful of new maps, skills, and rules that we're bug checking at the moment ... It's not going to be too long before people are going to start seeing screenshots of the new stages ... By the time you're tired of the maps that come in the game, it'll probably be around the time we'll be bringing out the new ones."

More details will be revealed as the full interview is published on 1UP later today.

Update: The full interview has been posted here. In response to rumors in Famitsu about Kojima already thinking about MGS5, Payton confirms that it is true. This also confirms Kojima's involvement, at least to some degree, in the next installment.

Sony just loves 'em colors over in Japan, huh? For these limited edition 40GB MGS4 bundles, not only do the PS3s come in different colors, the tops of the boxes comes in different corresponding colors; the Ceramic White model comes with a light blue top, the Satin Silver model comes with a black top, while the Clear Black model comes with a red top. There are also limited quantities of MGS4 tote bags to be given away at participating retailers with the purchase of these bundles... all of this in Japan, of course.

What we don't understand is, why doesn't the black PS3 go into the black box? Wouldn't that make sense? Wouldn't it also make sense to them to bring these to the US or Europe? Would it be in good fashion sense to use that bag? Would ... okay, we'll shut up now.

Torgo prepared this special episode of the PS Nation podcast early. Why? Because it features the complete 40 minute interview with Media Molecule's Mark Healey. But that's not all! There's not just one ... but two discussions on Metal Gear Solid 4. The latter (featured at the end of the episode) is for those of you that finished the game. Yep, a spoiler-rific discussion about the game. Geek out.

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The PlayStation 3 has outsold the Nintendo Wii worldwide for the third time ever for the week of June 7th to June 14th, according to VGChartz. This is the seventh time the PS3 was able to outsell the Wii in the US while in Japan this was the third time. This victory is likely due to the release of Metal Gear Solid 4, an incredible deal on the Metal Gear Solid 4 bundle, and the Walmart deal that included a $100 gift card with the purchase of any PS3. Those of you who were very lucky were able to combine the aforementioned deals. Naysayers like to attribute the Wii shortage in the US for the PS3's triumph, but this time around the numbers are worldwide.

Is the third time the charm? Will this usher in an era of PS3 dominance? What do you guys think?

[Thanks, Trevor!]

No surprise here -- the behemoth that is Metal Gear Solid 4 has obliterated the competition in the Japanese charts. It managed to sell over 12 times the amount of the runner-up, Mario Kart Wii. But wait, there's more! MGS4 alone outsold every other game on the chart combined by more than 2 to 1. An impressive feat, no doubt. Last week's winner, Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit on the PS3, dropped down to 7th place with 18,000 copies sold. With two (!) PS3 games in the top 10 and two PSP games as well, Sony must be rather pleased by their sales in Japan.

1. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3) - 465,000
2. Mario Kart Wii (Wii) - 38,000
3. Wii Fit (Wii) - 37,000
4. Powerful Pro Portable Baseball 3 (PSP) - 27,000
5. Monster Hunter Portable 2nd G (PSP) - 26,000
6. Hisshou Pachinko Kouryaku (DS) - 22,000
7. Dragon Ball Z Burst Limit (PS3) - 18,000
8. DS Calligraphy Training (DS) - 17,000
9. DS Misa Yamamura Suspense (DS) - 17,000
10. Furai No Syren 3 (Wii) - 14,000

Spoiler alert! We couldn't resist sharing this video with you once we saw it. While this video doesn't spoil any elements of the game's story, it does reveal many bonus items that you may acquire throughout the game. These items and weapons are rather extraordinary, but if you don't want to ruin the surprise of knowing what they are, please don't watch this video.

For the rest of you, enjoy.

[Via Three Speech]

Couldn't make it to New York City for the launch of MGS4 and other Kojima signings? Well, you may have missed the festivities; however, you still have a chance to win a Kojima-signed copy from us! Yes, we're giving away our copy to one lucky reader. To enter, all you have to do is leave us a comment and tell us your favorite Metal Gear moment (non-MGS4 please!). Comments must be left before 5PM EST on Monday, June 23rd. Only one entry per person.

One winner will be selected in a random drawing. Grand Prize Winner will receive a copy of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (signed by Hideo Kojima and Yumi Kikuchi) for the PS3. MSRP: $60. Click here for complete Official Rules. Eligibility is restricted to the legal residents of the 50 United States (including DC) and Canada (excluding Quebec). You must be 18 years or older to enter.

For another chance to win an autograph copy, visit Joystiq.

It shouldn't come as a surprise that Metal Gear Solid 4 is a system-seller. The PS3 exclusive has managed to beat sales records in Japan, becoming the best-selling PS3 game in the territory. (The previous record was held by Minna no Golf 5.) MGS4 sold 476,334 copies in four days. That's slightly less than the Japanese launch of Metal Gear Solid 3, but more than the launches of MGS and MGS2. Considering PS3's smaller install base, this is a fantastic achievement.

Hardware sales have jumped to over 77k in the region, an impressive feat when one considers the sluggish sales of PS3 in the region (averaging under 10k per week). This is certainly a time of celebration for Konami and Sony, and should alleviate fears that a PS3 exclusive can't be incredibly successful. However, only time will tell how long MGS4 will be a system seller.

[Via Joystiq]

Watch your head. You may get hit by one of the many 10s Metal Gear Solid 4 has earned from the critics. Here are a selection of reviews for Kojima's latest. We're not half-way done with the year, and already there's two incredible GOTY contenders on PS3.

• 1UP (A-) - "It is, in short, precisely what the grand finale of a legendary franchise should be: grand, final, and thoroughly steeped in its own lore."
• Game Informer (100/100) - "With the series' last breath, Hideo Kojima's defining opus does more than just surpass the previous Metal Gear titles – it creates a landmark gaming experience that continually astounds with its variety, depth, and intelligence. Metal Gear Solid 4 is a masterpiece."
• GameDaily (80/100) - "This is one of the most important games in history and you'll dig its cool boss battles, at times witty dialogue and unrivaled sneaking mechanics. Just be sure to keep a magazine handy when those cut scenes get ridiculous."
• GamePro (100/100) - "This is video game storytelling at its absolute best, and represents a new high watermark for the craft, easily surpassing the superb BioShock and the subversive Grand Theft Auto IV."
• IGN (100/100) - "Is it possible to give a game an 11? If so, this would be the game that would merit that score. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is a title that exceeds all of the hype that was attached to the title."

Excuse us, while we go back to playing the game.

While Konami has attempted a global launch of Metal Gear Solid 4 today, players in Spain will be unable to play the game due to a "transport strike." It's unclear when the game will be made available for sale in the territory, as it depends solely on the end of the strike.

[Photo Credit]