"It doesn't have to be me who makes it," he said, noting he may not enough years in his life to get to it. The top-down Solid Snake adventure that started it all was released in 1987 on the MSX and became world-famous on the Nintendo Entertainment System. "I made it a long time ago. It could be somebody young that maybe has more abilities than I do....It would even be good if a foreign production team even did it."

That's all we got from him on the topic. So, we know that Kojima is too busy to re-make the game. We know that he's been willing in the past to let the foreigners at Silicon Knights re-make Metal Gear Solid.

So, Kotaku, which non-Japanese studio would you like to see re-make the original Metal Gear?

Kojima Productions knows how to put together some informative literature, as you might be able to gather from perusing the TGS Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker promo book yourself. It's brief, but big—about 14" by 10" when folded. Plus, it's pretty too look at, with snazzy artwork from Metal Gear maestro Yoji Shinkawa and good design slathered all over the thing.

Take a peek. And be gentle with the quality. The Japanese authorities confiscated my scanner at customs.

Yes, the Metal Gear publisher is once again prefacing actual video game announcements with a warning that it plans to make said announcements, a move that has become a Konami trademark. Konami notes today that it will release "exciting" Metal Gear announcements all week long aimed at fans of the tactical espionage action franchise.

Don't expect all-new game announcements, considering that both Metal Gear Solid: Rising and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker recently had their existence confirmed. Instead, anticipate "game updates and other highly anticipated announcements" from Konami.

We doubt that Konami will embroil us in another Kojima Productions NEXT-style roller coaster ride of speculation and mental manipulation, but expect something of substance this week.

To date, these letters have appeared on the Kojima "Next" site:

"S" (or number "5")
"R"
"P"
"E"
"C"
"@" (or a lowercase "e")
"O" (or number "0")

The following numbers have appeared:

"5" (or "S")
"3"
"6"
"0" (or letter "O")

Raiden means "thunder and lightning" in Japanese — fitting as the teaser site has mostly been thunder and lighting. Oh, rain, there has been rain. (Who knows though if this character is actually Raiden, maybe it's Gray Fox?)

Those hoping for a plethora of details from the Famitsu reveal, tough luck. The title of the article is "Director Kojima Interview With Tons of Blanked Out Words: Talking The Latest MGS."

The interview seems to be mostly that: blanked out words.

See all those white dots? Those are blanked words. The big text on this page shows an exchange between the interview and Kojima. The interview asks, "Is it okay to print everything?" (Which gives substantial insight onto how Famitsu rolls.)

Kojima replied, "If you blank out words, it's okay."

Kojima Productions, in a completely unexpected move, revealed another countdown today, this one an impressive 120 hours in length. Clearly, Hideo Kojima and his merry team of hype engineers enjoys stretching the patience of their fans, offering up a new, noticeably darker, more stormy teaser page full of heavy rain and thunder crashes.

The new version of the teaser offers more than just the numeral "5" to fans, it also flashes with symbols that appear to be "@" or a lowercase "e," "E" and "3." 5@E3? What could it possibly mean?!

Kojima Production "Next" [Konami]

According to a solicitation for the next issue of the Japanese gaming mag's PSP and PlayStation 3 edition, as listed at 7-Eleven's Japanese site, a "new Metal Gear" will be given some pages. Not that surprising, considering the hints that Kojima Productions has dropped throughout its teaser site.

Add to that the "pressure" Hideo Kojima says he feels to create more Metal Gear games and we'd think another tactical espionage action adventure might be in the cards, perhaps to be formally announced at E3, perhaps prior.

Given the magazine's topics of coverage, that "new Metal Gear" is logically going to be released on the PSP and/or PlayStation 3. We'll note that the Xbox 360 focused Famitsu publication does not feature a similar listing for a "new Metal Gear." Just in case you ask.

The Famitsu PSP+PS3 issue is slated to arrive on May 30th in Japan. Given the regular schedule at which details from the mag leak, we'd expect to see what's buried within a few days before.

New Metal Gear Listed at 7-Eleven [IGN]

In the wake of the site being updated with a naught but a single countdown clock, the flashing of the number "5" (or the letters "S"!) and some thunder & lightning (OMG RAIDEN MEANS THUNDER & LIGHTNING IN JAPANESE), the page's source code has been read, compiled, digested, analysed then read again by some the world's keenest Metal Gear fans, hungry for clues on what it all means.

And they've found the following:

- Analysing the page's source code via Flash, it seems that the current countdown on the site is but one of five clocks that will run on the site over the next few weeks. Absolutely absurd, yes, and PR companies, know it's an abhorrent practice, but what's interesting about this is that the fifth one runs out on June 1. Or, the day of Microsoft's E3 press conference (Sony's is a day later, on June 2).

- The site occasionally flashes white when lightning flashes. At the bottom of the screen, you can clearly see the words "APRIL 2007". Does that mean anything to hardcore series fans?

- The site's search keywords are "Hideo Kojima", "MGS", "METAL GEAR", "NEXT", "game", "Konami", "Kojima game", "KJP", "Kojima Production". Interesting that, if they're search engine keywords, none of them say "MGS5".

So, yes, make of that what you will.

What do we make of it? PR people who think countdown clocks are a good idea should be taken out back and kicked in the nads. We're only interested in this one because the thought of a Metal Gear-related announcement (if that's even what this is) at a Microsoft press conference tickles our funny bones.

What does it tell us? About as much as the print ad running in the newest issue of Famitsu, showing only a grassy field under a thick blanket of clouds, with a fence and sparse forest on the right and left, respectively. No reveal date, as shown the print teaser.

The only other real information is provided via the site's meta keywords, which include "Hideo Kojima, MGS, METAL GEAR, NEXT, game, konami, kojima game, KJP, Kojima Production." The site refers to the product as only "Kojima Production NEXT."

Whatever the Metal Gear team's next project is, already pledged to be announced at E3, it's almost guaranteed to have clouds.

Update: Reader Gary noticed the above bitmap squirreled away in the teaser site's Flash movie. The first cloud icon on the far left is the current "loading" image, but it would appear that Kojima Productions has more of those icons planned.

If we were joining in on theorizing what they would mean, if anything, we'd speculate that the lightning storm, sun and exclamation point could hint further at more Metal Gear. Respectively, those could be references to Metal Gear Solid 2 star Raiden, Sunny from Metal Gear Solid 4 and the series' trademark alert icon.

Of course, this may be nothing more than a red herring from Kojima Productions. But the Metal Gear references shouldn't be ignored.

Kojima Production "NEXT" [Konami]

On April 26, Kojima will be giving a lecture at the Ginza Apple Store in Tokyo in a speaker series called "Dream Classroom". The series is aimed at students and has well-known professionals talk about their work, influences and aspirations. Previously, the likes of composer Ryuichi Sakamoto spoke at the Ginza store.

Those attending the lecture will be able to ask Kojima questions, too. Those attending please resist the urge to ask about MGS4 on the Xbox 360! The Kojima lecture begins at 5:00pm.

Dream Classroom [Apple via Gpara]

While the two trademarks—Metal Gear and Tactical Online Action—were filed separately, their descriptions (and titles) complement each other. Both are for goods and services such as "arcade games, namely, amusement game machines, coin-operated video games, electronic game machines" and "on-line video games."

The marks are also protected against "entertainment services" for "providing a website featuring information about video games" and "arranging and conducting video game competitions."

One could come to the conclusion that Metal Gear: Tactical Online Action would be similar to Konami's Metal Gear Online, the multiplayer component of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. In fact, it's not that unreasonable to assume that Metal Gear for arcades would simply be a repackaged Metal Gear Online, customized for an arcade experience. We'd wager that Konami corporate would find that sort of low-investment port rather attractive.

We've reached out to Konami for comment, but haven't heard back. Consider this not much more than speculation on our part, but given Konami's to-the-point trademarking habits, a Metal Gear arcade seems more than likely.

Metal Gear & Tactical Online Action [USPTO]

Series creator Hideo Kojima has announced that the series iPhone debut will soon be getting 8 new levels, which he describes as "crazy", moving on from sandbag shooting to include "touch-fighting" and "battling with robots".

According to Pocket Gamer, these 8 levels will be free to those who already own the game, though whether that means they'll come bundled with future purchases of the main game remains unclear.

No word on when we can see these new levels, as they're still in development.

8 new levels coming to Metal Gear Solid Touch to offer different gameplay [Pocket Gamer]

For you, then, in the absence of help, comes information: the game will be out on Apple's App Store next week, March 18 March 19, and will cost you $10.

'Metal Gear Solid Touch' Releasing on March 18 [G4]

UPDATE - Konami have contacted us to let us know that G4 were off by a day. The game will actually be released on March 19.

But no. Originally, Hayter teamed up with cashed-up producer Avi Arad to pitch an idea for a Metal Gear movie to Sony, but thanks to "Hollywood politics", it never went anywhere. So, project dead, right?

Maybe not. In a recent interview with Collider, Hayter is asked about the possibility of his involvement in a Metal Gear movie, and instead of saying "nope, not doing it" he does the opposite. Plays it very, very coy, doing everything but officially announcing that he's back on the thing.

The full interview is below. Head to around the 3:40 mark to hear him dance around the subject.

Exclusive: David Hayter talks METAL GEAR SOLID and LOST PLANET Movies [Collider]

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Each year the Game Developers Choice Awards single out one member of the gaming industry whose contributions helped shape what video games are today, awarding them the highest honor they can bestow - the Lifetime Achievement Award. This year, Metal Gear series creator Hideo Kojima joins past winners such as Richard Garriott, Sid Meier, Will Wright, and Shigeru Miyamoto as the latest in a long line of rightfully celebrated gaming luminaries.

"For years, Hideo Kojima's contributions to game development have broken new ground and inspired the community to think about creating games in never-before-imagined ways," said Meggan Scavio, event director of the Game Developers Conference. "From giving birth to the stealth action game genre to showing game makers how to interact with their players by breaking the ‘fourth wall,' Kojima's achievements make him an obvious choice..."

Congratulations, Hideo Kojima. They may single you out as the Metal Gear creator, but you'll always be the producer on the Zone of the Enders series to me.

As reported previously, Kojima will also be on hand at the Game Developers Conference to deliver a keynote on creative game design challenges, showing off the creative mind that earned him the award.

The 2009 Game Developers Choice Awards will take place on March 25th in the Esplanade Room in the South Hall of San Francisco's Moscone Center. If Kotaku isn't on hand for the event, something will have gone horribly, horribly wrong.

2009 Game Developers Choice Awards Honor Kojima For Lifetime Achievement [Game Set Watch]

National Console Support is taking pre-orders for the sound drops, all of which feature embedded signature sound files for on-the-go Solid Snake devotion. While some feature quick voice snippets (in Japanese, natch), others are more circumstance appropriate.

Picking up some shrimp tacos? Press the sound drop with the ration pick up sound bite. Want to get someone's attention and spawn floating exclamation points? Hit the alert sound drop. Sadly, we haven't heard one that says "Snake? Snake?! SNAAAAAAAAAKE!!!!!"

All six can be seen in sound sampled action at YouTube so you can see if $29.90 USD worth of keychain purchases is worth the hard-earned cash.

Metal Gear Solid 4 Ration Sound Keychain Set [NCSX]

Here's the note Konami sent out to players late yesterday afternoon:

Konami has a firm policy regarding cheating in Metal Gear Online. It will not be tolerated. In keeping with this position, we have taken action against 113 accounts participating in prohibited behavior.

The role of the gaming community in keeping Metal Gear Online free of this type of activity cannot be overstated. You are the first line of defense. We encourage you to report instances of prohibited behavior and ask that you provide any evidence you may have regarding these events.

Violations can be reported to us at: support@konami.com

All reports will be reviewed; necessary and appropriate actions to address the issue will be taken immediately. Due to privacy concerns, we will not be able to notify you of our findings, nor of the actions taken to resolve the reported violation.

We wish to thank you for your continued support of Metal Gear Online.

Konami, citing privacy, refused to say what "action" it had taken, but I doubt it was pleasant. It sounds like this is a "we heard you loud and clear," type notice.

The tipster who mentioned this to us said the abuses - "glitchers locking themselves into walls and shooting through entire maps, making them unstoppable to reach" - were for months a common gripe among MGO players. Many said they were through with MGO until the issue was resolved, and it looks like that number became large enough to force Konami to act.

Konami Takes Action Against 113 Metal Gear Online Accounts [Game Observer, thanks reader Jim D.]

Voice actors David "Solid Snake" Hayter, Jennifer "Naomi Hunter" Hale, Paul "Colonel Roy Campbell" Eiding, Christopher "Otacon" Randolph, and Quinton "Raiden" Flynn do an off the cuff, fifteen minute session for Sadie's Gaming Infection, one that really must be seen to be believed.

Like most improv, it can be painfully awkward at times, surprisingly hilarious in others. There's lots of "Snake? Snake! SNAAAAAAAKE!!!" and "I love puppies" and even more general weirdness. Watch. Or Listen. Then try to figure it out.

Thanks, RazielPrime1!

Kojima urged fans, via 1UP, that they should hold tight "just a little bit longer" for a public announcement about the mystery Metal Gear project. In the meantime, speculation runs wild. Will it be an Xbox 360 port of Metal Gear Solid 4? An iPhone game? A Nintendo DSi game?

Whatever Kojima's next project is, he indicates that its "still in preparation mode." We're reinforcing the Kotaku Tower bunker to protect against the imminent backlash of whatever Konami and Co. have cooked up.

Kojima Says Wait a Few More Weeks For Big Reveal [1UP]