We had started to work on Metal Gear Solid 4 four years ago after finishing Metal Gear Solid 3. At that time, we really didn't know what the PS3 was going to be like. So the first two years was all about experimenting, developing and trail and error. In the last two years, we've known what the PS3 is capable of, the specifications of it and how we can use utlitilize it. We finished the plot and built the game. The PS3 is a monster machine. That is why it's taken so much time to create MGS4... Since we were developing only for the Sony format, of course Sony has given up lots of advantages before the official release of the hardware. So we had many meetings with them to discuss the specifications, and we analyzed this black box quite a lot before it was released, and we experimented with it. And we gave Sony a lot of feedback, like "Can we do this?" or "Can we do that?"

See? The two are totally linked. Hit the link below for the full interview clip, where Kojima says how he thinks the game controller, keyboard and mouse and the Wii-mote-type controller will all be around for a long time. And what does the future hold? Better backgrounds, says Kojima.

Hideo Kojima's future of gaming [BBC Thanks, Mel!]

I'm a huge fan of Kojima... The kind of scenes they do in MGS4 are phenomenal. I think it has the best sound and real-time [cut scenes] I've seen in the industry and since they're the best at what they do, players love it... It's the hallmark of the series - the camera angles and dramatic scenes and it's really taking film-making to this new digital level...

And it's a damn shame that passive entertainment is on the way out. Bleszinski also better clarifies what it seems he was trying to say about the Gears 2 team using MGS as the model of what they're not doing: "In the kind of games we do, the cut scenes are around three to four minutes on average. It just says what needs to be said and moves on to letting you actually play the game." There's certainly room for both types of games. Dude hugs for everyone!

CliffyB loves MGS4: Best cut scenes in the industry [CVG]

This is patently ridiculous. I love those games immensely and have nothing but massive respect for Mr. Kojima. I did mention one disagreement I had regarding the climax of the game, a question of character, but this is just par for the course when many people work on the same piece.

From the videos we posted, it certainly seemed like Hayter was joking. And besides, what's wrong about disagreeing? A man's entitled to his opinion, and Kojima is free to make the game however he sees fit. That doesn't mean there's any ill feelings! Hit the jump for the full message:

Everyone,

Apparently, the people at 1up dot com have taken some of the things I jokingly said at the Anime Expo 08 panel and made it sound like I had problems with the Metal Gear series and Mr. Kojima's work.

This is patently ridiculous. I love those games immensely and have nothing but massive respect for Mr. Kojima. I did mention one disagreement I had regarding the climax of the game, a question of character, but this is just par for the course when many people work on the same piece.

Anyway, I'm sure I don't have to remind any of you out there, but please don't take half the stuff you read on-line seriously.

Thanks,

David Hayter

See, this is why I don't do public appearances... (From DH) [IMDB Thanks, Jim!]

Honestly, we asked the motion capture actors to do the motion capture nude, but of course, we couldn't use this in the actual game.

レポート：トークショウ [Gpara via My game news flash]

Saw this a few days ago at my local Sams Club in Douglasville Ga.
I picked it up to verify it is for the Wii. The release is, I think, is a week or two away.
Sorry for the poor quality. I was in a huge rush.

Domestically, the one-day peak time is 11pm with 12,000 players playing online simultaneously. Worldwide, we've seen about 100,000 connect [to MGO].

Famitsu confirmed the standalone version of Metal Gear Online, which goes on sale for ¥1,800 (US$17) on July 17th.

横浜で"MGS4 ワールドツアー in Japan" [Famitsu]

Now what on Earth would he need that for? Kojima Productions has produced all of about zero titles for the 360; he's flatly said MGS4 isn't meant for that platform, and MGS4 openly disparages (spoiler, kinda) the HD-DVD format in a codec call.

Maybe he was just using it for "research." That's the excuse I give when the credit card company asks me to validate certain, uh, Interwebs purchases.

Jonny says the above frame came from the segment "Hideo Kojima's Gene" in the bonus features disc, for those who have it and want to watch. The large size version, without graffiti, is after the jump, if you want to get down and sleuth this and argue the details of the frame.

Kojima Makes Fun of Xbox 360's DVD Format in MGS4 [Scrawl]

June 28th, Saturday
•Yodobashi Camera Shinjuku 10:00AM - 11:00AM
•Sofmap Omiya 2:30PM - 3:30PM
•Yodobashi Camera Yokohama 5:30PM - 7:00

June 29th, Sunday
•Nagoya Station Bic Camera 10:30AM - NOON
•Osaka Yamada Denki Labi1 4:00PM - 5:30PM

Seems like signatures are mostly being limited to game packaging (Premium Pack is okay!), so that means no Kojima signed cigarette boxes. Bummer.

GUNS OF THE PATRIOTS　ワールドツアー　in JAPAN [IT Media] [Pic]

The New York Times tackles MGS 4 in brief — discussing both the story ('What does it mean?') and people's reactions to the game, including a couple of choice quotes from our very own Leigh Alexander. Several other game writers weigh in on MGS 4's story and execution:

Even as gamers ponder what this symbolism means (an allegory of war in the era of Blackwater Worldwide and stateless enemy combatants?), they are also debating whether the story of Metal Gear Solid 4 is a satisfying one, and if its storytelling techniques are used effectively.

“You get so caught up in just figuring out, Does this story need to be here?” said Stephen Totilo, an MTV News reporter who covers video games. “That’s not a question you wind up asking yourself when you’re reading a novel. Of course the story needs to be there! Otherwise you don’t have a novel.”

Players like Shawn Elliott, the senior executive editor of the gaming Web site 1up.com, have criticized the game for its preachiness, and for its reliance on lengthy cinematic interludes that can run 30 minutes or longer.

“It can basically become a movie for long stretches,” Mr. Elliott said. “It’s not necessarily a game catching up with movies, but a game kind of cheating and using a language that isn’t native to its own medium.”

Leigh is even described as an "unrepentant fan." Since the article is mostly taken up with quotes from people who know what they're talking about, it's not as eye rollingly bad as many NYT gaming-related articles can be ...

The Shootout Over Hidden Meanings in a Video Game [NYT]

I'm really fond of the Brainy Gamer, mostly because Michael Abbott's posts almost always live up to the title of the blog; this week, he tackled the question of 'genius' and auteurs, amongst a lot of MGS 4 talk (especially in reference to Citizen Kane). Abbott looks at the parallels between D.W. Griffith (director of Birth of a Nation and Intolerance, among a lot of others) and Kojima Hideo of Metal Gear fame. Leaving aside the question of whether Kojima 'is' a genius (at the very least, he is an auteur), Abbott draws parallels between the two, especially in terms of a 'blind spot':

His theater training may have impaired him in some ways, but Griffith always hired interesting, talented people. Lillian Gish almost single-handedly rescues several of Griffith's films from the ham-fisted performances of most of the other actors.

Similarly, Kojima's reliance on cutscenes can be tiresome, but he is a fine and gifted filmmaker. One can easily track his maturation from the original MGS. Unlike other so-called cinematic games like Mass Effect, the filmmaking in MGS4 is visually creative, high-caliber stuff. As with Lillian Gish, it's almost enough to make you forget the blind spots.

So how to account for it? Arrogance? Stubbornness? Or is it really just a blind spot? A certain inability to see the strangling grip of an old mode on a new one. An infatuation with the pretty girl who won't love you back. If the very thing that limits the artist is also the artist's primary mechanism for delivering content - as it is for both Griffith and Kojima - that blind spot is a very pernicious thing.

No one's perfect, of course — but Abbott's musings are thought provoking, especially considering the overabundance of film/game discussions.

The genius blind spot [The Brainy Gamer]

One of the team responsible for creating the limited edition dropped us a line to let us know that Gamestation accidentally put it up for order before the big announcement, so this would be an excellent time to order one before the rush. At £99.99 it makes an excellent gift for any member of the American gaming press sitting at their computer desk drooling over a watch.

Metal Gear Solid 4 Exclusive Watch [Gamestation Preorder Page - Thanks Dan!]

【MGS4】ビューティ＆ビースト部隊がエロ過ぎる、とにかくエロ過ぎる [Hatimaki]

The events of 38-year-old Hideo Kojima's life prepared him to design the amazing video game Metal Gear Solid 2. As a child growing up in Kobe, Japan he played outdoor games like thief-and-detective, peeking around corners in much the same way as Solid Snake, the hero of MGS2, does today. In middle school he wrote five 600-page science-fiction novels. When one of his friends brought a camera to school, Kojima took up filmmaking, using his camera. Then he charged neighborhood kids 50 yen each to see his own movies. By the time he reached college, he had worked for Nintendo to develop video games using film techniques and became famous as a video game designer.

Wait, wait. So little Kojima stole some other kid's camera to make movies and then charged other children 50 yen to see his movies? That explains a lot!

Hit the jump for the Korean text.

MGS2 Test [Ruliweb Thanks, Torokun!]

Kojima explains his brand of antiwar sentiment, which is more or less circumspect about the reasons and results of war rather than outright pacifism. He also pines for a future where smaller, art-house productions are comparatively viable, among a world of titles that are increasingly developed for blockbuster effect, like Grand Theft Auto IV and MGS4.

Kojima said that action, sex and gambling are the genres "immediately understood all over the world," and expands on that in a thought-provoking way.

"We use action and that is why our games become bigger and bigger - Hollywood big. It is however possible to make smaller, more personal games if you, for example, limit the target region, the gender or the age of the audience. MGS is a Hollywood blockbuster, like GTA. But maybe it is time for something like independent movies, with a smaller target audience, like movies for an arthouse movie theater.

And he gives a great one-liner when asked to explain MGS4 to a non-gamer. "It's a game of hide-and-seek."

Spiegel Online Interview: Hideo Kojima talks about pacifism, movies and GTA [Gaming in Germany, thanks for the translation maxax]

“War has changed.”

That’s one of the main themes of Metal Gear Solid 4, and from the beginning, it forms a major thread that runs through Hideo Kojima’s hallmark marriage of gameplay and narrative.

Even if one were to skip the game’s introductory cinema, it’s evident something has changed from the first moment of gameplay. The silent tranquilizer gun, a fixture of the Metal Gear Solid series, has historically been the key weapon in a game that prefers the player be stealthy rather than confrontational, pragmatic rather than murderous. As the symbolic lynchpin in that approach, it’s usually one of the earliest pieces of equipment the player obtains.

At the beginning of MGS 4, though, as soon as gameplay begins, your first look at your weapons inventory reveals that instead of the seminal, suppressed tranquilizer gun, you start off with a real one.

Though the game takes place across several different locations, it opens in the Middle East, where local rebels are at war with the soldiers of a private military company (PMC). Instead of Snake’s customary subtle insertion into the outliers of a guarded facility, you’re in the thick of war when the game begins. Stealth is much, much harder now, and cutting through enemy soldier lines against the desert backdrop or carrying an assault rifle amid tanks and grenades evokes moments of feeling just as if you’re playing a typical war title.

War has changed for the MGS universe - and the experience of approaching the series has changed for the player.

Within the game, though, the reason for the evolution in war is explained largely in two parts: First is the privatization of war, waged by corporate platoons-for-hire rather than national armies, and second is the proliferation of nanomachine technology.

The nanomachines prevent soldiers from experiencing fear or feeling much pain, and a digital ID system prohibits them from using unapproved weapons or taking inappropriate actions on the battlefield. The overall effect renders these PMCs little more than remote-control humans, without allegiances, loyalty or personal reasons to fight, and their wars are just business.

This new value set for war stands in direct contrast with the one with which we became acquainted in the original Metal Gear Solid, whose theme could be summed up in a single question: “What are you fighting for?”

In fact, the entire MGS 4 continuously recalls the narrative structure, cinematic arrangement and other key elements from the first game, emphasizing the contrast. The series’ past themes of the necessity of war, battlefield values and personal ideals are put to the test along with the gameplay’s core tenet of intelligent non-confrontation.

MGS 4’s antagonist is overtly once again Snake’s twin, Liquid. But the larger conflict is with this corruption of core ideals - the game presents a world where Snake’s core values, and by extension, the franchise’s, no longer mean anything.

Perhaps that’s the reason behind the decision to prematurely age Snake so severely – that state of affairs actually required some reaching outside of previously-known information to explain. But his advanced age emphasizes his status as a relic in this digitized battlefield, creating player empathy for his loss of relevance and highlighting his heroism when he continues to stand and fight against such overwhelming odds.

Snake, of course, directly contradicts the labeling of himself as “hero” – several times throughout the game, when he’s asked why he still goes into battle, he responds simply that he “still has things left to do.” Simple as that.

The question is, could Metal Gear Solid 4 be a larger metaphor for Kojima’s career and the evolution of the game industry, where high-powered, mindless-slaughter FPS titles set in explosive warzones now dominate, and both creativity and individual vision are minimized against the high-risk “arms race” of the video game console war?

In MGS 4, war has become a financially-driven corporate industry, and the “war economy,” in which PMCs wage war for profit, is another key theme. The game world is bereft of all value except the financial – and even that fluctuates regularly depending on the tide of the war. It looks a lot like a depressing interpretation of the game industry, come to think of it.

MGS 4 was also promoted with the tagline “No Place To Hide,” frequently punned as “No Place For Hideo.” It’s entirely possible that MGS 4’s themes are an expression of Kojima’s own sentiment that the industry has lost its values, glutted itself on war titles, relegated personal strength and creativity to near-extinction, and become entirely focused on money – leaving “no place for Hideo” after all.

Kojima has actually mentioned numerous times that he’s finished with the franchise, often before making a new Metal Gear game – just as, at the end of every game, Snake attempts to retire from war.

Snake is always drawn back in when he’s needed, though, notably led by people who tend to manipulate and lie to him. Even when he’s aware of this, though, Snake, a mercenary who follows orders because of his own values and not because of allegiance to a larger organization, fulfills his objectives for the sake of finishing things.

Maybe Kojima felt he “still had things to do,” just like the rapidly-declining Snake. MGS 4 wraps up all of the loose ends in the series’ plot; whatever Snake has left to do, he’ll finish it at last. And maybe this time Kojima is truly finished, too.

The real madness took place inside, of course. Hit the jump for full details.

Kojima's signing took place on the bottom floor of the three-story megastore, and throngs of people had already started lining up long before the event had begun to kick off. When I arrived, the energy was unbelievable, with crowds periodically chanting Kojima's name or "Metal Gear! Metal Gear!"

I chatted up some fans in line, and when one person told me he'd just bought a PS3 specifically for this game, some six or seven other people immediately chimed in that they had, too. Everyone there identified themselves as a diehard franchise fan who couldn't wait to meet the creator.

After a bit of waiting, an announcement let the crowd know that Kojima himself was about to appear. People went nuts, and began chanting his name in chorus anew, raising their fists in the air:

When Kojima descended the escalator, a flurry of cameras, flashbulbs and cheers erupted. In this blurry little pic I took, Kojima is waving to everyone as he comes down. Sorry for the poor quality, but I actually think my hands were shaking - the high energy and anticipation were very contagious!

Here, Kojima has taken his place at the table with Ms. Kikuchi. Forgive my finger in the frame. There was a big rush of people trying to get photos and I had to snap quickly!

As a game journalist, I of course have to maintain a fair and balanced objectivity when writing about games. But on a personal level, I am a mammoth fan of the Metal Gear Solid series and always have been. So when I got the chance to shake Kojima's hand, I must confess I babbled like a nut, and I think I said, "Thank you I love Snake please bring him back thank you I love Metal Gear thank you!"

I've seen a few midnight launches here in New York City, but never have I seen anything game related of this scale and spectacle. There had to have been a few hundred people there, everyone buzzing with excitement. Very cool!

Hey, You Put A PSP [PSP Fanboy]

UPDATE - Seems it's most likely the latter. A Konami spokesperson has told Mainichi that "Because of the number of people expected to gather at these locations, we are taking safety into account".

The whole thing kicks off June 14 at the PlayStation Store in the Metreon at 4 P.M. Kojima and crew are whisked away at 6 P.M. We suggest getting in line early. As in fifteen minutes ago.

One last thing. Do NOT touch Kojima. And under no circumstances are you allowed to mock Ryan Payton's choice in hats.

Any game must "radically simplify complex systems," and MGS4's gun-launderer character, and fluctuating price of unlockable weapons and equipment does just that as a representation of a mercenary economy. And that, N'Gai reasons, makes a statement about the inherent amorality of war fought for profit just as much as cutscene dialogue, no matter how well written, where gamers are most conditioned to look for what was on the game creator's mind.

That's not to say MGS4 now goes into a pantheon of great allegorical commentaries on war and greed. It's a video game, so whatever message comes out is necessarily refracted through your experience of playing it. And it is a hell of a lot of fun. But N'Gai's point is that the "war economy" with which you, as Snake, must do business make it thought provoking, in addition to being an entertaining game at the top of its genre.

I Need a Hero, for Hire [Level Up]

• New York: On Thursday, Hideo Kojima will be signing autographs for the first 300 (cue Internet memes) through the door at the debut of UNIQLO's limited edition Metal Gear Solid 4 shirts. He will also be joined by Yumi Kikuchi, who portrays Raging Raven in the game. The site is UNIQLO USA's Global Flagship Store, 546 Broadway in Manhattan, 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursday June 12. Autographs are first-come, first-served. If you miss the signature, of course you can buy one of the T-shirts, which is the whole point of the event.

Microsoft Looking for Playtesters [Pinataisland.info]

Believe it or not, I've been so busy working on a special surprise for MGS4 buyers (that not even those who have leaked copies of the game can spoil! Haha!), that I haven't had time to catch up on most of the pre-launch excitement.

A special surprise? I love surprises! What ever could it be? It's something that people with leaked copies of the game can't spoil, meaning probably DLC of some sort to kick things off? A special outfit? A new weapon? A cutscene only available through download?

Or is this one of those special surprises like Michael Scott from The Office would come up with? There's no way that folks with leaked copies could ruin ice cream sandwiches.

I suppose that in the interest of more accurate speculation we should stick to the DLC idea. You guys throw out your ideas while I rush to my local grocer's freezer.

I'm surprised nobody has stepped forward to debunk this rumor. There are no 90 minute cutscenes in MGS4. The ending is long, but 90 minutes is a gross exaggeration.

And here I thought gamers liked long endings!

So there ya go, no 90 minute cutscenes and a lengthy ending says Kojima Productions.

Whilst I was waiting, I readied my Metal Gear Solid collection to get signed.

I went up on the platform where it was my turn to get my sleeve signed. I get my collection out, only to be told by some random HMV employee who was supervising the signing that I'm only allowed to get the sleeve signed. I didn't know how to take it. So I just took out my sleeve, got it signed and shook Hideo Kojima, Yoji Shinkawa and Yumi Kikuchi (Raging Raven) hands. Which kind of made it better.

I wanted to take a quick picture of me with Hideo Kojima, so I shook Hideo's hand whilst my brother who came with me took a picture. For some reason, the man supervising the singing on the platform tried to stop my brother taking the picture, saying that no pictures allowed. But luckily my brother managed to take the picture before he could stop him.So now I couldn't take a picture of my brother and Hideo, which could be the first and last time they meet.

Very disappointing. I traveled such a long way, carried a very heavy bag of MGS games for nothing? It could be the last time I meet the man, and I've already gone through a long process of waiting, might as well sign all the games and let me at least take a decent picture.

Signatures after the jump.

Kojima In London [MATTYBLOG]

Yes, it wraps up all the stories of the past MGS games. I'm not a genius like George Lucas, I didn't have this story planned out. I always tried to finish the story in each game. But by some miracle in MGS4 I was able to resolve the mysteries left behind in past games and resolve the side stories from past games.

Lucas, a genius? We're guessing Kojima smartly chose to sit the Star Wars prequels out. But now that the franchise is all tied up, does that mean no more Metal Gear Solid? Ditto for heck no! As we've previously posted, Kojima is already started the MGS5 gestation. He clarifies his role in any upcoming MGS projects:

MGS will always be around. I feel a responsibility to continue this series as long as users demand it. But it doesn't mean I'm going to sit in completely. I'll probably take a different role in the next game. Maybe I'll sit in as producer and let the young staff take control of the new series. I really want to go on to new things.

That's good to hear. Don't want to pigeonhole yourself.

Metal Gear Creator Cool [Reuters]

Five New MGS4 Ads [Dtoid]

While I suppose it would be much more appealing to have them signing copies of the game on launch day, it is nice to see Kojima and Shinkawa taking the time out of what is sure to be an extremely busy early June schedule to show the UK some MGS lovin'.

MGS4 has '90 minute' cut-scenes [CVG]

UPDATE - CVG say it has 90-minute cutscenes. GamePro beg to differ, saying that "sounds like an exaggeration", though in saying that they fail to provide a "corrected" figure.

I gotta start thinking about MGS5... Even though, well, Snake's story ends in MGS4.

...About MGS5, that would be something that Kojima Productions would have to make, I think.

Sounds like Kojima's at least considering doing Metal Gear Solid 5. If MGS4 is a hit, it'll be hard for him not to do it. And hey, if he actually does make MGS5, then he can think about making MGS6 after that!

Famitsu scan below.

Kojima Is Thinking About MGS5 [My News Flash Blog]

[Metal Gear] is something that Kojima-san has worked on for a long time... That’s his decision and I completely respect him for doing that. Maybe the franchise as a whole will continue. And that’s maybe something that Kojima is thinking about, right? Snake might be at an end, but it could continue in other ways. I don’t know exactly what he’s thinking, but let’s see what he does.

Okay, if you say so. Let's!
Koji Igarashi Isn't Tired [MTV] [Pic]

Metal Gear Retrospective — Part Two [Gametrailers. Here's Part One if you missed that.]

Unfortunately, overseas game production companies, which are well-funded and extremely skilled, have surpassed us by a couple of steps...It was once said that Japan molded the world's video game [industry], but that's becoming a thing of the past. Sad as it may be, it's the truth.

Metal Gear Solid 4 golden [GameSpot]

I would like to say that Zone of the Enders is quite near the priority list… [after MGS4] it might be good to change to outer space or robots or things like that for a change.

Really, who doesn't like giant robots fighting? ZOE 3 anyone?
ZOE on To Do List [GameFunk]

Now, I know how some of you are about spoilers, so I am posting this after the jump. You do not have to look. You can move along right now and forget that this post even exists. Completely up to you. Me? I'm not looking, but I'd be remiss in my duties if I didn't at least draw your attention to it.

Enjoy the extremely difficult choice.

Okay, but you asked for it.

A buzzer just sounded! Literally. The lights have gone down and I'm in the dark. Good thing I have an illuminated MacBook Pro, amirite. There's an ad for Sony phones and now Uniqlo. Just like before a movie. There's a funny no smoking ad with MGS theme exclamation points. Hahaha, now there are a bunch of phoney MGS themed ads like for guns and stuff. Great stuff.

Watching the MGS4 opening on a huge movie screen in full Dolby Digital sound. Beautiful stuff. It starts with Old Snake wearing a hooded outfit in the back of a truck. The sound is truly amazing. The credits role as it goes from gameplay to unable. Great mix of game play and cut scenes.

If you are thinking of purchasing MGS4, you really ought to play it in a movie theater.
Man, we just watched a killer in-game shootout and credits are STILL GOING.
Fumiaki Tanaka, Konami honcho, has taken the stage, talking about how the game is going on sale in the age of casual games. He's saying how the game will make its release date.
"MGS4 has great graphics, gameplay and music," says Tanaka. "Everything." He's talking about the power of the PS3. How they want to make more great games. Now he's talking about the special Metal Gear Solid 4 PS3 console.

The game will go on sale as scheduled and there will be big advertising campaigns and tie-ups.
Tanaka just introduced Kojima.

Kojima has taken the stage, saying that the game is finished. "It was a difficult game to make," he says. "It took a long time to finish." Since the game was the last in the series, the staff had to deal with that challenge. The PS3 hardware and HD game also presented challenges. Also the worldwide release.

"I thought about giving up," says Kojima. "But I had to finish it for the fans."

"Now, there is a casual boom," he says.

He's talking about taking risks, how it's important to take risks. How risks are important for the future of gaming.

"I'm not thinking of a Renaissance," he says, "but I'd like a return to gaming." Kojima has left the stage.

Watching the first PS3 MGS4 television ad. It shows scenes from the game. And a kid wrapped on in it, ignoring the phone.

Kaz Hirai has taken the stage, congratulating Konami and Kojima on finishing the game.

Hirai says he ended up playing the game for 2 hours and he didn't even know that much time had passed. "It's one of those games that you can get wrapped up in," says Hirai.

"Konami and Sony are taking this worldwide," says Hirai. "We are backing up MGS4's advertising."

Hirai mentions the special Metal Gear PLAYSTATION 3.

Hirai encourages folks to try out the game and the PS3, congratulates Konami again.

Now there's a photo opp. I take a pic. I shall post it later!

Later is NOW, have a look:

Oh! The English trailer, complete with MOVIE TRAILER GUY VOICE. Hey, this is pretty neat.

It's like a mega blockbuster movie trailer, complete with MOVIE VOICE GUY saying "This Summer"...

Now, Kojima is going to play through the game. For forty minutes. On a giant movie screen. Think about that.

Spoiler, spoiler, spoiler, spoiler, Regain energy drink. In-game. Kojima stops the demo, drinks a bottle of it, says it gives you energy. Spoiler, spoiler, spoiler, in-game iPod, spoiler, spoiler, listening to the original retro Metal Gear song, playing with it, changing it to JPop, playing the game with Jpop, spoiler, spoiler, , spoiler, spoiler, monkey in diaper, spoiler, spoiler, spoiler...

The game looks really nice on a movie screen.

Spoiler, "purchasable" customizable weapons (don't know if this is DLC or unlockable or what), spoiler, spoiler, spoiler, customizable Octocamo, spoiler, spoiler, spoiler,

Spoiler, spoiler, spoiler, in-game store where you can buy awesome guns, spoiler, spoiler, spoiler...

And the 40 minute demo is over. I cannot recommend playing this game in a movie theater enough.

Now, producer Kenichiro Imaizumi has taken the stage. Today's surprise is...

An ad for Regain energy drink. With Snake. Old Snake drinks the energy drink and becomes young. It goes on sale in Japan starting June 10th.

There's also a MGS4 duck alarm clock going on sale at the end of July.
Also, an official MSG4 Sony cell phone. MGS4 Salaryman cell phone game.

The MGS4 branding continues! There's also an in-game MGS4 branded MOTORCYCLE from motorcycle maker Triumph, the folks who made the bike Tom Cruise rode in Mission Impossible.

Remember that Assassin's Solid trailer? You can dress up as Altair in game. Watching a video letter from Jade Raymond. She's saying congrats, etc.
There will be MGS3 shirts from UNIQLO with designs by Logan Media, Power Grapfix and one more.

In Game, swimsuit model Akina Minami appears. Akina takes the stage, and talks with Kojima. Akina is a big Metal Gear fan, and Kojima says she's really good at Metal Gear. "I love Metal Gear so much," says Akina, "And I was thrilled to be in the game."

Now they're talking about Metal Gear fans around the world.
There's a map of the world and they're talking about launches around the world.

Last message from Kojima, "We've put the last 21 years of know how and experience and sense into this game. That's how we made it." He telling us that the game drops next month and thanks us for coming! A short film goes up with all the game's characters. There's a behind the scences clip that shows the team working on the game, arguing, talking about the project, finishing the game, having a office party and shooting a champagne cork into the ceiling,

The screen goes black and the voice actor who does Ocelot comes and saying the event is over, but something's in place for the launches in NYC, Akihabara and LA. And then asks something like, what about the sequel.
And that's it! Stick in a fork in us, we are done.

Hollywood has great respect for Mr. Kojima. They want to meet with him. Kojima will be acting as a producer, but we don't know how involved he'll be as a producer. Often Hollywood adaptations have the original game creator involved at the beginning, but somewhere along the line they fall out of view. This is why it's very important for us to carefully pick the studio for this project.

Kojima is a great cineaste, and Konami does seem serious about bringing his vision to the screen. Regarding to potential directors, Saito says, "Paul Thomas Anderson is interested."

On the internet, there's stuff saying "Hideo Kojima" isn't satisfied with the PS3. I'd like to talk about that today. I just got back from Paris and did 15 interviews and everyone asked me about it, did I say that. The meaning of what I said has totally been changed, made totally different. Today, I'd like to talk about that. Why did it turn into that? When I'm doing an interview, I answer in Japanese, and I can't control how the writer will interpret that into English... What I say is then translated in English, and the writer then changes that into their own words and writes that. So, right there, the meaning of what I say changes a lot.

Hit the jump for more.

I am Japanese, so I try to be modest. I'm an especially modest person. I dont wish to brag about it to say "I am the amazing Metal Gear guy" or to say "This is the best one", just like how Americans brag stuff like this... That's why i interview in Japanese, and Mr. Sai (translator) translates my side of the inteviews very well in English. Westerners do not have a tradition of modesty. And so, the statements are translated correctly, but the original meaning is totally different. And those statements are on a totally different website and the meaning totally changes. Regarding my recent comment about my disappointment with MGS4, the comments derived from the article "MGS4, Inside The Biggest PS3 Game" to the post "Hideo Disappointed with MGS4." It's become totally different. This was in English, and here's where it gets strange. Japanese readers then translated that in Japanese and put it on their websites, writing things like "Oh, the PS3 is dead." Then that spread through the internet and now people are writing things like "Hideo Kojima Is Making MGS4 on the PS3." This is no good... It's funny how others think "Did Hideo really say that?" then ask me, and my answer is obviously "No" but then... I guess I am responsible for all of the articles...

Now I'm going to say what I really wanted to say, and this is what I told those 15 reporters:

Let's say this developer is making hardware, in this case a game, and that hardware is at the level of a car. And when looking at the specs, the developer claims the car is able to fly. Now there is no stopping when you say, "This is a car that can fly." When you claim that it can fly, the speculation grows from "oh so it can FLY?!!!" And the developer would set his goals higher. The specualtion is that if the car flies, then it should reach a MACH speed...but it doesnt stop there...it'd go beyond the specualtion of then "it should go into space!" with all the excitement around, and the developer would go deeply into making the car going into space... however, he'll come up to the public and say the car reaches the MACH speed, but it fails to go into the space. But he shouldn't give up, because for a car to even reach a mach speed and go into air is revolutionary. I wished to convey my thoughts like that, but I guess it didn't work very well.

Recently I've been thinking about not giving interviews. That's not my job. My job is making games... The next time I interview in America, I will just say "MGS4 is the best, the end." It's not cool for a Japanese to speak so blatantly, and I don't want to say that. But if I don't, things like this [above] can happen... If you look at MGS4, I think you'll understand... MGS4 isn't exactly my property, so I don't have a total control over it and sometimes I get confused with it. Some may be disappointed the way I say things, but I do release the game with confidence. In fact that what I have been doing, not just this PS3 game, but my previous PS2 titles. I always reached for the higher goal and I try to go for it... Things like this often happen with Japanese newspapers. Where they take only the choice quotes. They don't change what you say, but the meaning's different, and the meaning changes. I'm always careful while giving interviews. Even in my company, im learning a lot about media training, but I wanted to do more than just that and here i am with the interview, but if things like above keep happening, I won't do anymore interviews. I don't get paid for these interviews at all. [jokingly] I won't do them anymore! I've decided! I'll stop doing my podcast! Like that.

It's not like we were looking at some shit Babelfish translation of a Famitsu interview. It was from EDGE magazine, and you can read the original quotes and see the original magazine page here. Also, keep in mind, EDGE's comment that Kojima was "being modest" OR Fahey's original comments:

Personally I think the man is being a bit hard on himself, but that's what great minds do.

So there was certainly progress made, but not enough progress...or more specifically, not enough power for progress. Apparently the team overestimated what the PlayStation 3 was capable of.

Now Kojima is a well-known perfectionist, but it is a bit disturbing to see him voice his dissatisfaction with what is supposed to be the masterpiece of the franchise.

If you stick your foot in it and screw up, it's always easier to shift the blame, pull the You-Don't-Understand-Us-Japanese card or gloss over important details like, you know, reading. This wasn't a cultural misunderstanding or blowing things out of proportion, this was a PR disaster. Granted, maybe Kojima, after all these years, really isn't that savvy about dealing with the Western press. Maybe, he expects people to understand that he only uses double talk and metaphors — because those are much easier for everyone to grasp. When in Rome, don't do as the Romans do!

This really begs the question: We understand why Kojima might be humble about his own game (fair enough!), but why be "humble" or make excuses for the PLAYSTATION 3? Last we checked, Kojima doesn't work for Sony.
Kojima Addresses The Issue [Konami via PlayStation Boards Thanks, Re-I!]

Click through the gallery below. Some of the changes are also circled in red so you can easily see them.

[PS3] 発売延期した『メタルギアソリッド４』はこんなにクオリティがUP！ [My Game News Flash]