How dedicated is the vocal cast of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots? So dedicated that they believe they are the characters to which they breathe sound and life into. Is it some form of hypnotic gene therapy which brings out such wondrous talent? Maybe ... it's the work of the Patriots? *Cue dramatic music* Whatever the reason be, they now meet up regularly to (jokingly) discern between what really is game and reality.
Dr. Sadie, records one such session documenting how far our beloved actors have had one too many serums in the neck. Paul Eiding (aka Colonel Campbell) is on a junkie binge for some Scissors 61. While Christopher Randolph (aka Otacon) reveals he's been turning his cat "Mark" into Mark II ... by strapping a camera to its back. David Hayter (Old Snake), Jennifer Hale (Naomi), and Quinton Flynn (Raiden) are all there with their buddies with some hilarious consequences. See it all after the break. Thanks go out to Dr. Sadie for totally breaking doctor-patient confidentiality!
Only two PS3-exclusive titles went home with awards this past Sunday from Spike TV's annual Video Game Awards. Media Molecule won the honor of "Studio of the Year" for their work on LittleBigPlanet, which, unsurprisingly also netted them "Best PS3 Game." The embedded video above comes from the PS.Blog where Jeff Rubenstein caught up with the glowing-faced recipients moments after the show had ended.
As for that other PS3-exclusive title, Metal Gear Solid 4 -- the tactical espionage title which debuted back in June -- won "Best Graphics" and "Best Original Score." While we definitely believe both wins are well-deserved, we could've seen MGS4 as Game of the Year material, but that's just us. It's also interesting to note, and a bit ironic we should say, that MGS4 won Best Original Score amongst a recent debacle regarding just how original that score really is -- well, its main theme, rather. With all footnotes aside, congratulations to both winners!
Hideo Kojima snagged an accolade for himself during MTV's Game Awards. He was given the Lifetime Achievement Award for his Metal Gear Solid series. While such awards are usually given to retirees, Kojima had this to say: "I have to say, even though I received this award, let me state that I will not retire. I will continue to create games as long as I live." We're looking forward to these future titles. Hopefully, we'll see them on the PS3 ... with more bad-asses in them.
It's not surprising to see Sony placing PS3 advertisements in a place like Shibuya Station for the company has been making the Tokyo metro station tours for a long time now. Shibuya, a high traffic destination with ties to trendy youth culture, seems to be a plausible locale for such advertisements. IGN's Anoop Gantayat, who took the recent photos of the ads, has translated the slogans and posted them on a personal blog.
Here's a breakdown of what each one says. The all-caps words represent the over-sized characters in each poster. Clockwise from the top left:
PS3 Console: "Everyone awakens here."
MGS4: "Finish the MISSION to completion."
LBP: "IMAGINATION that's learned from play."
Blue Shirt Guy: N/A
Lady Hugging PS3: N/A
Girl with Blu-ray Disc: "Beauty like a DREAM."
Guy with Controller: "The PRIDE of exceeding super realism."
It's an interesting campaign to get people to buy PS3s. There was also a PS poster with Final Fantasy XIII's "Lightning" on it. The slogan on that ad reads: "The COURAGE to seek truth." Check that one out after the break.
The numbers are in. While Metal Gear Solid 4 has shipped three million copies around the world in the first two weeks, it's already gone off to sell over four million copies worldwide. 4.33 million copies have been sold from June up to September -- that's four months after launch. Hmm, the fourth game sells four million in four months? We sense a Patriots conspiracy here.
With conspiracy theories aside, MGS4 alone accounts for 38 percent of all Konami games sold between April and September 2008. This ties in with previous reports where Konami predicted an 88 percent increase in profit.
A while back, Sony asked it's fans to create some MGS-inspired vids. The focus of these videos: Snake's Octocamo suit, which lets him blend into the environment. Check out this video by Aaron C., our favorite of the winning entries. The style of humor on display is very Kojima -- we're surprised we didn't see something like this in the game! To see the other winner, click here.
Metal Gear Solid 4 was by far the biggest third-party title exclusive on the PS3 this year. It's the end of the line for the Solid Snake tetralogy, and it's a milestone that every hardcore Metal Gear fans should already have in their collection. However, more cash-savvy fans know Kojima Productions likes to re-release MGS games, possibly leaving some to wait out the usual extra year or so for a souped up version.
If you find yourself in the latter category and haven't tried the game out yet but want to, the demo that's available on the Japanese PS Store should give a taste of Snake's last adventure. The 1.4GB download can only be grabbed off the Japanese PS Store (so far, since the other regions have not updated yet); so make sure you've got an appropriate account.
Konami is forecasting some rosy numbers for the first six months of the fiscal year. They are forecasting an 88% rise in profits to ¥11.8 billion ($119.6 million), up from ¥6.3 billion ($63.7 million) during the same time last year. Konami attributes this largely to the adventures of a prematurely aged geriatric in Metal Gear Solid 4, which has shipped over three million copies worldwide as of August. Konami also expects revenue to increase by 9.8 percent to ¥146.9 billion ($1.49 billion). Now who says a PS3 exclusive can't prove to be extremely profitable for a third-party developer?
Remember that Metal Gear Solid 4 Limited Edition 40GB PS3 Bundle? Sure, we all wanted it, but peons like us just didn't have $599.99 to folk over for this baby. Fortunately for us, Amazon has them for pre-order now for $449.99 with free shipping for release on November 4th. Still a bit steep, but definitely more reasonable considering it only includes a 40GB PS3 with no backwards compatibility, unlike the more popular 80GB MGS4 bundle. Details on the contents of this 40GB PS3 package, after the jump. You can pre-order the bundle here.
Posted Oct 21st 2008 1:00PM by Andrew Yoon Filed under: News
Morpheon Mods has crafted an incredible MGS4-themed PS3 system that's not only completely blinged out, it's signed by Hideo Kojima himself. The quantity and scope of the modications applied are mind-boggling. "The entire PS3 and controller is a combination of Carbon Fiber and Midnight Black done in our own digital camouflage technique ... The final product is a uniform finish that reflects like a mirror."
"It has been specially fitted with 15 white micro LEDs that back light not only the marquee but also the etching so the artwork is viewable in complete darkness." Best of all? You can actually buy this thing off eBay. Not only will you be getting the system, you'll also be getting an incredible grab-bag of rare MGS merchandise, such as a custom embroidered Otacon patch -- of which only 12 have been made in the world.
Finally, 15% of the sale's proceeds will go to Penny Arcade's charity, Child's Play. If you decide to make a bid, good luck. This really does seem like the most amazing piece of MGS fandom money will ever be able to buy. Go see the listing to find even more pics of this incredible creation.
We recommend you read this entire interview with Hideo Kojima at 1UP -- it's filled with great revelations about MGS4 and Hideo's thoughts on the future (including MGS5).
One thing did pop up in our readthrough: Hideo Kojima is unhappy with the number of people currently playing Metal Gear Online, the multiplayer portion of MGS4. Undoubtedly, the cumbersome Konami ID registration process, which requires players to write down multiple IDs and passwords simply to get into the game, became a significant barrier of entry.
"Honestly, officially, I can't say anything on Konami ID and Game ID. It's a company policy. But frankly speaking, the idea wasn't a very good one. The fact is that Konami's direction was that we create a Game ID and Konami ID for the online components, and now we're seeing that it's not working so well, and we have to think about how to turn it around. It was a concept of an online Konami group thinking, so there's not much I could do at the time."
The NPD, in collaboration with Gamasutra, disclosed the top 5 bestsellers for each platform today, including the PS3. Without further ado, let's take a look at what they are:
Grand Theft Auto IV
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
Madden NFL 09
Gran Turismo 5: Prologue
Note that specific sales numbers were not provided and the final tally does not include any collector's editions, games sold via digital distribution or games bundled with a system.
No one is really surprised that GTA IV, MGS4 and Madden 09 made it to the top of the charts. However, Gamasutra remarks on the tremendous momentum Call of Duty 4 has had so far in 2008, especially considering the game was released early November of 2007. They were also surprised to see Gran Turismo 5: Prologue beating out Devil May Cry 4; they even speculate that if the sales on the PS Store for Gran Turismo 5: Prologue were counted, it might have even trumped the sales of the PS3 version of Madden 09. Did any of these games surprise you guys? Is there a game you would have liked to see on the chart? Fire away in the comments below.
Always one to sniff out new trademarks, Siliconera points us in the direction of "Metal Gear Solid Existence." It's a name Konami filed in the Japanese Trademark database. We can't say for sure what this title will be used for -- is this some sort of new game altogether or is it the name of an MGS4 re-release a la Substance and Subsistence? It certainly seems to fit the shoe of the latter category.
However, all we have to go with right now is a name; there's not enough facts and evidence to say for sure. It might not ever be used. So for now, we're filing this under 'rumors.' Perhaps with Tokyo Game Show just around the bend, we might hear of something official soon.
Posted Sep 17th 2008 1:45AM by Andrew Yoon Filed under: News
SOFTIMAGE crafted XSI, software used in creating the stunning models found in Metal Gear Solid 4. Their site now offers a comprehensive (but somewhat technical) look at the process of creating Metal Gear Solid 4, using their software. For those of you that appreciate behind-the-scenes production of video game design, this is a must-read. It is lengthy, though -- so grab a cup of your favorite beverage before you begin.
Ryan Payton has already left Kojima's stable, but that won't stop him from talking more about Metal Gear Solid 4. Speaking to 1UP, Payton reminisces on the development of MGS4, going back to the challenges of tying up all the loose ends and making things stick. "The stories of MGS2 and MGS3 were truly written without any backup measures if the series continued, leaving dozens of confusing and unexplained plot elements in the wake," stated Payton. After sorting through all that, he also took the liberty of "setting the record straight" by imposing a few corrective changes. For example, removing Mei-Ling's Chinese accent because she is in fact American born.
It's tiny idiosyncrasies like that, that have landed Payton in a boiling cauldron amongst so called rabid fans. The very same fans whose reactions were a tad much: "I got dozens of hateful messages from fans including a 2,000 word short story depicting my execution." It's sad to see how one man's work at doing the right thing is reflected so negatively by a blind mass. In the end, Payton's choices were right on the money, and after reading his full thoughts, we couldn't agree with the man more.
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