Metal Gear Solid 5 Could Be a Prequel [1UP]

We'll be putting Master Chief's exploits to Crecente's latest hip hop single (as soon as he cuts it, hides it in his brush collection and some very committed Kotaku reader leaks it to Bittorrent).

Halo 2 Cutscene Library [HBO via Xbox360Fanboy]

Great science fiction arcs often occur in trilogies. It seems like it's sort of the way of it. Maybe it's a convenient number. But it allows you to have different pacing in parts of the story.

We're asked if we're going to do Bring Down the Sky for PC, and it's a consideration. We're looking in to exactly what we want to do; maybe we'll do something different, because the PC offers some different potentials.

So how did the critics like Lost Odyssey? Hit the jump for our Frankenreview to find out—an edition so good you may never need to read another review again.

GamesRadar
It's also very, very pretty, with gorgeous cutscenes and in-game models, as well as rich environments and diverse level designs...The opening of the game is literally two hours of cutscenes mixed with a few instances of you making Kaim walk across a pretty environment.
IGN
Combat in Lost Odyssey is about as traditional as you will find in a modern-day game. It is completely turn-based with a menu system that seems taken straight from 1998. Everything you would expect is included. You can attack, use an item, cast magic, or activate a skill. Weapons in Lost Odyssey are pretty boring as none hold any special properties whatsoever — they are merely an Attack rating and nothing else. And the magic is the same thing you've experienced for the past 20 years.
Worth Playing
Lost Odyssey's combat...is excruciatingly, unbelievably, agonizingly slow. A random battle can take somewhere around five to 10 seconds just to get through the opening animation of the battle. This is compounded by Lost Odyssey's rather lengthy loading times, which occur quite often and last for what feels like an eternity. Between the loading times, the pointless camera panning and the incredibly time-consuming animations, combat slows to a crawl.
X-Play
It's just a shame that the developer, Mistwalker, couldn't get beyond their own limitations. Much like SquareSoft before them, it's clear that they'd rather be making a movie. At heart, Lost Odyssey and the most recent Final Fantasy are interactive movies with character stat-building. Many things in the game are done purely for visual style and to passively push the plot.
Kotaku
Because you see, Lost Odyssey isn't really a game. OK, it is, and it's a pretty decent one, but bear with me. The Gooch said as much himself, when he offered that the game was about emotion, not innovation. It's about the story, the world, the experience. And I'm man enough to admit that, as the tears flowed down the character's Unreal Engine 3-animated faces upon [a] moment of death, that emotion had me hooked. It sounds like if you're a fan of classic Sakaguchi, you'll like Lost Odyssey.

Metal Gear Solid: Essential Collection [GameStop]
[Thanks, A_Zombie]

Halo Wars" is being developed from the bottom up for the Xbox 360 and its control scheme to ensure that we deliver a groundbreaking console RTS experience. Given that, we have no plans to develop "Halo Wars" for Windows Vista at this time.

Do The Flux [bioware] Thanks masterkeyes2!

Yes, the shirt may be the geekiest piece of apparel I've ever ordered, and no offense to the makers of the game or t-shirt, but I really wish that it were done without the Bioware or Mass Effect logos for a tad more subtlety/street cred. Still, fans who love the game as much as I do may enjoy this splurge purchase that only runs about $20 shipped.

N7 shirt [bioware]

If you frequented the official Shadowrun forums, they are planning a new place where people can meet in an off-Microsoft type property. Honestly, given that most games have digressed to a chaotic free-for-all (with a fair share of team killing to boot), and troll katana has become absurdly unbalanced, it pains me to say that you might be better off just saying bye for good.

Announcement: Forums Closing Soon [via n4g]

a. Make my head explode
or
b. Make my head explode AND cause a chain reaction leading to the destruction of the galaxy, then Universe and then space/time continuum

For whatever reason, both my head and the Universe are still intact. Maybe because this week Yahtzee has upgraded his metaphors to bacon filled sandwiches as opposed to the...less enticing prospects of weeks gone by.

Zero Punctuation [theescapist]

They talk about, "Characters" alot, do we have to be a specific character and then get to choose our party members? Or do we get to choose who our main character is?

- You design your first character. Then you meet preset NPCs with tweakable stats along the way.

What do the tech abilities, eg Electronics and Decryption actually do, and are they really that useful.

- They have dual functions, granting you attacks and access to lockers with powerups and stuff. Yeah, they're good. Think knocking down shields, unlocking the ability to take over robots, etc.

If you've completed it, how long is it REALLY? I've heard about 6 hours for the main story and a total of 25 or so if all the sidequests are done.

- I'm at 13 logged hours (but with a few major death streaks, I've probably put in far more. I haven't finished it and I don't see an end in sight. But then again, I've been doing side quests, too.

...about how much does the game make you shoot things?

- A lot.

How is the combat really?

- When you walk into a smaller area with a few enemies, the game excels. You can shoot in real time, pause and cast your teammate abilities, etc. But when you are in a large room with lots of enemies, it can get chaotic...maybe even overwhelming for the mechanics. And freezing the action to cast, zooming with a weapon, assigning NPCs to get out of the way of the freakin' guns already and healing can become a juggling act. There are moments when the combat seems brilliant, but quite a few when I'm left unfulfilled.

Do the on-screen controls/options get annoying during fight sequences? Does it in any way slow down the pacing of the game?

- Sometimes, as it slows down the pace a ton. Battles easily quadruple in length when you are controlling three characters worth of spells/special abilities.

What's the ratio of actual gameplay to dicking around with the cutscenes/dialogue tree part of the game?

- In Mass Effect, the dialog is so good (be it the writing, the interface or the voice acting) that talking really doesn't feel like a chore as it does in other RPGs. I don't know a ratio only because travel is included too, but maybe 1/3 talking 1/3 fighting 1/3 exploring...just off the top of my head.

I would like you to address if it has similarities to the mechanics of deus ex. I enjoyed the skills system, the multiple ways of going through areas, and the consequences for what I do or do not do.

- Wow, it's been a while so the skill tree isn't so clear in my head...but no, it's not like Deus Ex which offers 4 different ways to infiltrate a building through different skill sets.

I know it is a combination of the two, but what would you say Mass Effect is more similar to, KOTOR or Gears of War?

- KOTOR.

Why is the loading and framerate shitty at times and fine others?

- In terms of frame rates, the game is clearly pushing the limits of the platform. Though, without starting a flame war, I will say that I'd be interested to see the title on a bigger disc and some content loaded to the hard drive. The DVD is spinning nonstop.

Are there any early-game decisions that you look back on and wish you did differently?

- Picking a class with ranged weapons would have been a good idea. Also, in Mass Effect you can pick your character's background story and starting "lot in life," for the lack of a better term. It's information that returns frequently in dialog sequences, and offers a fun aspect of replayability.

Would a core model work or does it require an HDD?

- All I saw on the box is the requirement for 4MB of saving space, and I've heard nothing different. As I said earlier, I kinda wish it made more use of the hard drive...screw you, Arcade owners (sorry).

Is mass effect worth getting a 360 for?

- Seriously, this was asked like 5 times. Has nothing in the 360's library looked interesting at all, and then Mass Effect was announced, and you were like, "OK, maybe I'll buy the console and load up the one game...and then I'll box it back up and put it in my closet for eternity"?

On the whole, is it more FPS than RPG?

- (It's technically a third person shooter). But it's a mix. I actually think combat plays a lot like Bioware's Balder's Gate with a different perspective and some real time shooting. Make sense?

How's the female lead's voice acting?

- It's fantastic. All the voice acting is absolute top notch.

They talked a lot about the fact that you can visit all the planets in the galaxy. How true is this? Are 9 out of 10 of the planets only scanable and useless?

- You can't visit nearly every planet, but there are quests just for scanning the ones you cannot visit, so that takes a bit of the sting away.

Is there a specific way to play this game or can you approach it Oblivion style (where you essentially have multiple threads going at once) without ruining or even breaking the narrative flow?

- Yeah, it's very similar to Oblivion with well-planned side quests, but with space travel, ME certainly feels more mission-centric (which isn't a bad thing).

I'm a big fan of the more old-school Star Trek, where they were more about allegory than action. As a fan, I think Star Trek would make a great platform for allegorical gaming — games that force you to interact with relevant, controversial issues...So, would you say that Mass Effect is the kind of game that uses sci-fi as a platform for allegorical commentary?

- Yeah, any time you put 5 different species of aliens in a room you're gonna explore a lot of the same themes.

OK, that was about all of them. I'm beat. As for my general impressions of the game, it's the most I've been pulled in to an RPG in a long time. From what I've played, it looks like Bioware has managed to create one of the most cinematic games of all time without forcing the player to watch some long CG movie—allowing players to identify with the protagonist in a very refreshing and fulfilling way, even in the midst of trademark/cliché RPG elements.

The tin case is actually quite nice, with sharp, clean artwork. And we've decided that the 36-page Galactic Codex: Essentials is a must-read (translation: foreplay) before we start gaming later, but its bullet pointed format makes it less intimidating than a straight geek novel or something. The only thing that will seem out of place is the Battlestar Galactica ad, which probably makes no sense at all to those who haven't heard about the SCI FI promotional partnerships. But we can always use an extra shot of Number 6.

So who's ready for a space opera?

...more in-depth information about the game, exclusive interviews and exciting behind-the scenes footage.

Mass Effect on SCI FI [scifi]

Hello David Hayter! I have to say that you are one of the greatest voice actors ever, and you do a great job as snake. I was wondering, are you going to voice Snake in Super smash bros. brawl?

To which Hayter eagerly replied:

Archduke Chocula,

I am indeed voicing Snake in "Smash Bros." I've recorded it already, and I believe that fans of both games are going to be extremely happy. It's very cool. That's all I can say.

DH

And before you ask, yes, I have confirmed that this YouTube page belongs to Mr. Hayter as it is linked from the video section of his official website. And if you haven't yet seen the MGS tribute video, you can check it out here.

Snake's Page On Smash Bros. Dojo!! [Smash Bros. Dojo!!]

The truth is a cold, kittenless void, isn't it?

We're excited to finally pick up AOEIII if Ensemble is adding some more diversity into the mix. It's tough to get into RTS without our inherent, racist tendencies driving our obsession.

Still, there are a handful of options we'd still like to see implemented in a currently nonexistent, future patch:

1. Even if I set my options to only find one map, I often cannot play that map. Why, after no suitable game is found with my preference, can't I have the option to begin my own?

2. Server connection losses can be common when server players quit. How about a clear notification when you are server, with the option to be like, "Hey, I'm just playing this one round and I don't want to screw 16 people so don't make me server this time, ok?"

3. DLC DLC DLC DLC DLC

4. UPDATE: Splitting parties. Yeah. What's up with that?

I've been digging Shadowrun. And while there aren't 1,000 levels, the only downside I've seen to the design is that character models are limited, sometimes confusing identity of attackers by repeating skins (and cutting my bloodlust as I mow over endless streams of pitiful katana elves.

In summary: New patch works. Pick up the game. Lose to me often.

Portable Ops+ apparently needs the original game, to some extent, in order to run on the PSP. That's why it will be sold in two SKUs—one version with just Ops+ and the other with the original Ops bundled with Ops+. We're guessing the expansion is really just a UMD containing an enhanced version of Portable Ops, only unlockable if a save file from the original Ops is found on your memory card. Because until the fabled (now extinct) PSP2 with built-in storage is released, the idea of a true "expansion" seems a bit contrived. You know, like those Xbox Live "downloads."Kojima [via eurogamer]

Zombies! The walking dead. We love 'em and were so happy to hear Metal Gear Solid Hideo Kojima does too. Though, he loves them in a slightly different way. He tells Edge Magazine about an online game concept of his:

The zombie idea I have is a bit different...Imagine a large town where half the inhabitants are zombies. Users would subscribe, get inside the town and get bitten. At that stage they become undead and can't control their character - all they can do is modify the camera angles... They'd see their character attacking humans and have to pay just to watch!

The only way they could end it is by opening another account, hunting themselves down and killing themselves. Of course, the problem is that your second character can get bitten as well.

And this apparently isn't just Kojima talking out of his ass. Saying if the timing was right, he will "take some time to prepare [a zombie title]. Very seriously." Is there ever a "bad time" for a zombie game? Brian Ashcraft

Kojima Talks Undead [Games Radar via QJ.Net]

A brilliant flash ASCII Art send-up of MGS has popped up online. It's called Metal Giko Solid and is so worth checking out. It seems to load kinda slow at the beginning, so be patient.

Oh, and for those not familiar with ASCII Art, this should bring you up to speed. Brian Ashcraft

Watch Here [pya!]

"We're working with the Metal Gear guys," Landau told GameSpot following his D.I.C.E. Summit keynote in Las Vegas. "It's a very cinematic game, it really lends itself to movie-telling. But the question is, 'How do you translate Snake's experience into a full arc that conforms to what audiences expect on the large screen?'"

He also spoke to GameStop about a possible EverQuest movie from a very prolific, very unnamed director, though I doubt anything any Hollywood big shot could create could ever top the masterpiece that is Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God.

Sony Pictures making Metal Gear movie [GameSpot]

When not trying to bleed Kojima dry for big Metal Gear Solid 4 scoops and getting responses like "Excellent question. [laughs] And I can't answer it. [more laughs]," GamePro does get a couple nuggets. For example:

If I say too much, Mr. Kutaragi might get really upset. I think that the PS3 is difficult to work with, but so was the PS2... I do have strong interest in creating something for the Xbox 360. In the US and Europe, it is selling, and I think it will sell a lot this year as well. I'm a fan of Gears of War as well, it's very interesting.

Frankly speaking, I want to create something on the PC. It's a multi-platform [format]. I've been regularly studying work on the PC anyways, and I want to provide something as a world-wide platform because of the consequences with timing on the PlayStation platforms, MGS4 is actually for the PS3 only so far.

...But our staff, especially the younger ones, don't so much like to work on the PC. If it was PC, we don't have to go into some crappy things with the first parties (Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo).

No wonder he's interested in PC gaming. It's a developer's market. And from what I've heard, Kojima isn't the only big-time game creator who's keen on shifting focus from consoles to computers. But, are gamers? Brian Ashcraft

Kojima Chit Chats [GamePro, Thanks Nick!]

Plus, we've got a bar graph for those too lazy/stupid to read...in which case, maybe it doesn't really help to mention we have the bar graph. So hit the jump to read up on Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops for the PSP.

Gamespot
"You can deploy squads of your comrades to go online and fight against other squads, and depending on your squad's statistics and how you've arranged and outfitted your four characters, they'll fare better or worse...These types of extras give the game some of that unmistakable Metal Gear Solid personality."Gamespy
"The depth and tactical range of each recruitable character is where the game shines. Tactical RPG fans and strategy gamers will enjoy customizing the hell out of each mission to get the best possible outcome. MGS fans will simply like organizing the fundamentals..."IGN
"...there are still some visual issues that crop up every now and then...it's not enough to cripple the game...this is what Metal Gear Solid fans, and indeed PSP fans have been waiting for: a title that demonstrates what the technology of the PSP can actually do, with a solid action title to boot.

Deeko
"...modes add up to what could be considered the next-generation of Monster Rancher games: actively involving the real world and breaking the fourth-wall of gaming in ways that completely change the way we interact with games...Kudos to you, Kojima. Kudos."Rocky Mountain News
"...in the long-run this latest iteration of Konami's most beloved franchise is still in many ways a victim of the PSP's limited buttons...If it weren't for the hampered control system, I'd say this game could be the best of the year for the Playstation Portable." Don't listen to this guy. He is an absolute loon. Trust me.

So the game is beautiful, features real world integration and is part of the MGS canon? Still, the best part is that after forking over $60 for Xbox 360 games, Portable Ops looks cheap. Mark Wilson

Gamespot
Gamespy
IGN
Deeko
Rocky Mountain News

A PSP game to get excited about? Believe. Kojima Productions Producer Ryan Payton sits down to chat about Metal gear Solid: Portable Ops. Says Payton:

Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops (MPO) has no relation to the Acid series. One of the first steps in developing MPO was to place the existing MGS3: Subsistence engine on PSP — so what you're getting here is a brand new game built off of the Subsistence infrastructure. Everything that you'd come to expect in a MGS title sneaking, first-person view, CQC, using enemies as shields... it's all present. This was quite a chore to implement and playtest into the game, but I think MGS fans will appreciate having all of Snake's moves available in a new game on PSP.

And thrilled not to have to muck around with the cards or goofy 3D present in AC!D. The game, which drops next week, sounds like a solid title. Literally. Brian Ashcraft

Payton's New Game [IGN, Thanks Keu!]

In a recent issue of The Official PlayStation Magazine UK, famed game creator Hideo Kojima talked about his upcoming Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. Tidbits—The game won't take place in only the Middle East, but also South America and Eastern Europe. It is Yojimbo-like in its play, making it possible to choose and switch sides. MGS4 turns the FPS genre on its ear, undermining what we've come to expect from a shooter. Kojima explains further just how this installment is different:

To use a funny analogy—in the past, the MGS series was like a bank robber trying to rob a bank at night; so there are guards, cameras etc. And when you get spotted you're instantly known as the robber. But in this game, you're going into the bank at midday. You might just be a customer going in to make a deposit, but you still have to sneak in to accomplish your mission. So you're trying to deceive. You're on camera, so if you do weird things you'll be spotted as the robber, but if you don't you won't.

What's more, those giant robotic cyborgs (Called GEKKOs) aren't necessarily only after Snake. In some situations, they're the enemy, and in others, they are cohorts. The game is "finally out of the research stage" and looking at a late 2007 (probably early 2008) PS3 release. But, what about the SIXAXIS controls?

We can't say how we'll use the motion-sensing functionality specifically but we'll use it for sure. The controls in MGS3 got a little complex, so you'll have a little more direct control in MGS4. That said, I miss the rumble, and even now I hope it will come back.

So do we Hideo, so do we. Brian Ashcraft

Kojima Talks MGS [VGB]

Therefore, Konamistyle is going to release two separate editions of their PlayStation Portable Metal Gear Solid game, Portable Ops, each with their own sexy themed PSP cases and special bonus trinkets.

The above pack includes: Metal Gear Solid Portable Ops UMD, camo PSP, three special pins, and special PSP carrying case with matching strap.

Any regular Ichiro can pick one of these up starting December 21 for 29,190 yen (about $250 USD). The super premium, mail order only version however...

This badboy will set you back a bit more, 39,690 yen (or $340 USD), but includes a genuine snakeskin PSP case ("The Skin of a Warrior") and strap ("The Tail of a Killer") and even fancier packaging.

Of course, losers who hate being special can still buy the regular game for 4980 yen, but who in their right mind would do such a thing? Michael McWhertor

In Metal Gear, the key is stealth—sneaking where your enemy least expects you. And if I was looking for Solid Snake, the last place I would search would be a bulletin board in the Russian city of Saratov, which is exactly why he's there. Kotakuite IIia points out that the ads says:

Solid Snake, super-agent. Saved the world several times. Smokes, but seldom.

Hats off to IIia for finding today's gaming non sequitur! Brian Ashcraft

The last presentation I attended today from Microsoft was for XBox Live Arcade with the general manager of the Xbox Casual Games Group, Greg Canessa. He was quick to point out the success they've experienced over the past year, with 10 million downloads, 30 games down, and a promise of 50 by years end — which means that the regular 1 release on Wednesday schedule will probably get more crowded in coming weeks.

Next up is Totem Ball, which comes out next week, and will be the first XBL Arcade title to support the just-launched Live Vision camera as far as play goes (Japan release of the camera is set for November 2). Canessa performed a demonstration of the game, which is very Eye-Toy-like, with your hand gestures performing all movement in the game. The camera will be used in retail games as well (a poker game from Konami, and Rainbow Six, both for face mapping in the game), but XBL Arcade is seen as a strategic and important avenue for the device, with many more camera-specific games planned.

They were also touting the strong relationship they've developped with Japanese developers for retro coin-up releases, with Konami (Contra, Super Contra, Track and Field), and SNK (Fatal Fury Special, which may be Asia-only), and especially Namco (Dig-Dug, Ms. Pac-Man), also promoting the recently announced Pac-Man world-wide championships, promising a special twist that has yet to be announced. As far as the whole idea of region-specific releases (like the just-announced Asia-only Yie Ar Kung Fu), they would be receptive, depending on demand, to offer some sort of "import" channel, which could include releases that haven't been localized.

For those still waiting on Lumines, prepare to be disappointed as release is now said to be "in a couple of months," but definitely before the holidays.

Being a rather avid boardgamer, I really wanted to bring up the announcements earlier this year of bringing some European-style boardgames to XBL Arcade (currently in development are Settlers of Catan, Carcassonne, and Alhambra, which are all set for release early in 2007). Seems like the whole team is very passionate about boardgaming — with weekly game nights a ritual — and they would love to see even more come to the platform, depending on demand. So a plea to you all from this passionate gamer: try these out, as I want/need to see more! Jean Snow

Forza 2 was on display for the first time at TGS, and what they had to show was looking very worthy of following up its hugely successful predecessor. Planning for the sequel started even before the launch of the original, and the game is now looking to make it out in the first quarter of 2007, after a delay that was deemed necessary in order to release a game that they'd be happy with.

As with the first one, the goal is to offer the most complete racing experience possible, offering up some 300 cars, and introducing for this version the Lamborghini and some BMW production cars. They were really pushing the fact that each car will offer high levels of customization, especially when it comes to the outside of the vehicles, which you should be able to mod to your hearts content with multiple levels of skins.

Detail levels are also upped, so no more textures for parts like headlights, which really becomes noticeable when you see the amount of damage that can be done to the cars. Not only is damage apparent — and crunchy — parts that come off the cars will stay on the track until the end of the race, and will act as obstacles for other cars on the track.

The game won't have a cockpit view — it was deemed too difficult to include all those car interiors — so don't expect any PGR3 in-cockpit views. The game will support the Xbox 360 steering wheel, with force feedback and rumble support giving off different feels depending on the road surface, or even the set of tires equipped on the car.

As far as XBL support, multi-player races will include up to 12 cars, with a photo mode that will let you share pics (in jpeg format) of favorite racing moments. An additional community-based online mode will be announced in about a month. Do expect to be able to download new cars, tracks, but no word (or decisions) yet on pricing. Jean Snow

I also attended a demo for Viva Pinata, which I must say was a joy to watch with its colorful and imaginative graphics, and a promise of deeper gameplay (at least more than what we've seen until now). The game is definitely very open-ended, with final goals often up to the player, whether it be just concentrating on one pinata, or trying to collect all 60 species (plus surprise mixed breeds), and trying to keep it/them happy.

As you start the game, the world is a disaster, and you are introduced to game aspects by one of the 20 different humans — all wearing masks so as not to scare the pinatas — each one representing the functions of the game. Every change you make affects the ecosystem of the game, and how you make those decisions will affect whether you're able to attract more pinatas, who roam the world in black and white (signifying they aren't happy). Another fun aspect is procreation, which gets done by way of mini-games that get harder, depending on the species (or mixed-species). Yeah, this is a kid-friendly game, so don't expect any down-and-dirty action — although the mating dances that show up as cut scenes did get rather kinky.

The game promises 30-40 hours of play, which, again, will depend on what you want to do, and how far you'll want to dig — the developers promise lots of hidden content, and stuff you'll only find out by experimenting. Even though the game is firmly G rated, they are hoping that the depth on offer will attract older players, as was seen with Animal Crossing (exhibit A: my wife, who I lost for weeks on end to the DS version).

Another touch they're hoping will keep gamers addicted is the trading system. You'll be able to send off pinatas to other gamers on your friends list, and that includes any accessories you've added — the game will sport a customizable system, which should eventually include extra downloaded accessories from the XBL Marketplace, with pricing still undecided. They are also considering expanding on the game through other kinds of downloadable content, as in being able to visit other players' gardens. The whole thing is seen as a franchise, and the idea would be to see the concept appear in a variety of different game genres.

As far as how the game will tie in to to the recently launched tv series, apart from the fact that the opening sequences for the both the game and the show will be the same once the game launches, they promise that the show will offer up hints on aspects of the game that may take some time to discover. For example, in a recent episode, one of the main characters starts eating some items that turns him into some sort of altered aspect of himself, which is something you'll be able to reproduce in the game. Jean Snow

So what's been happening with Gears of War since E3. I had a chance to sit in on a demonstration with technical artist and level designer Alan Willard — the man you need to thank for the beautifully gruesome gore splats that will rejoice blood lusters the world over — and what I saw was just a confirmation of everything that's been said up until now: this is probably the nicest looking 360 game yet, and I want it now.

The demo went through the opening level, as the storyline is introduced — all in game-engine, but of pre-rendered quality. Then it's into the action, where the cover system is where it's all at. The cool thing is that all dives and jumping for cover is done with just the A button. And use that button you will, as running straight into enemies is pretty much guaranteed death. There is no life system — it's done Call of Duty style with indications when you start taking extreme damage.

One cool feature is the active reload, which sort of turns reloading into something you can try and master, which will give you an advantage in the game. If you press at the right time, you can get a faster reload time, and hit it just right, your bullets gets stronger (for damage). The targeting system for thrown items — read: grenades — is also quite slick and nice, indicating exactly where it will fall in an arc of collapsible squares. And the blood. Oh yeah, the blood. You'll be getting tons of it, splattering on the screen as if trying to leak out of the TV screen.

As far as any downloadable content, they aren't ready to make any announcements, but they do realize the importance of XBL, and so it's just a matter of time before something does get decided on. The game was not playable on the floor, with a Microsoft exec indicating it would be playable at X06. Why no play at TGS now if it will be playable in a few days at the other show? Seems like dealing with Japan standards was the problem, in terms of blood and gore, which they didn't really have time to deal with.

The game's shipping time remains as scheduled on November 12. For all you Japanese gamers hoping to play the game on launch, the US version will not be region-free, so cross your fingers for a quick Asian release. Jean Snow

Do you think you have mad Metal Gear Solid skills? Now's your time. Konami and iGames have teamed up to host an online tournament for the stealth action game.

The Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence tourney runs from July 29 and September 17 and will take place both online and in iGames centers.

Gamers will be able to register for the official Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence tournament on the iGames web site, www.igames.org or at iGames centers nationwide. The tournament will consist of a series of solo and team games in which contestants can participate from home or from iGames centers nationwide. Tournament matches will be held regularly each weekend, and players can participate in as many matches as they wish. Each player will be rated using the ELO ranking system that judges their overall skill level rather than just wins and losses. The players and teams with the top rating each day will win Metal Gear memorabilia such as shirts, games and accessories, while the players and teams with the best rating over the course of the entire competition will earn entry into a final elimination stage. The team and solo game winners from this stage will become Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence champions and will win prizes such as HDTVs, special in-game awards and rare Metal Gear memorabilia.

Brian Crecente

Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima and Square-Enix's Tetsuya Nomura are firm in their belief that the PS3 is the way of the future, but wail just as loudly as we do about the price and rumble shenanigans:

Describing the loss of rumble functionality as "unfortunate", Kojima also questioned why, if its removal was down to incompatibility with motion-sensing as Sony has claimed, the company hadn't simply allowed players to switch between the two.

Nomura's criticism focused on the price. "Right now, as a game machine, it's too expensive," he said. "If the hard disk and Blu-Ray spread, in line with that, the situation for the PS3 will change in one to two years," he added, before arguing that "when the games are there", the machine's profile will change "naturally".

Kojima also commented that "The best thing would be a PS3 with controls like the Wii." With a $200 price point, and a unicorn in each box. Eliza Gauger

Playstation 3 is best bet for the future [GamesIndustry]

Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima mixed with the pelebs and swung by the Microsoft booth for some Gears of War action. The spankin' CliffyB title was shown behind closed doors for journos and apparently big famous game designers interested in working on 360 titles. Hint: In the picture, Kojima isn't the fat guy, but the dude in the white jacket. —Brian Ashcraft

More Here [Neo-GAF]

Here's a clip of the MGS theme from the "Video Games Live" concert in which an orchestra plays the Metal Gear Solid theme, a dude in costume patrols the stage and Hideo Kojima speaks English.

Thanks, Eric

Video Games Live At School [Kotaku]