"Microsoft has confirmed the addition of Ryan Payton, formerly of Kojima Productions to Microsoft Game Studios," said Phil Spencer, in a prepared statement sent to Kotaku. "Payton joins a group of industry heavy hitters to recently arrive at Microsoft Game Studios, including Corrine Yu from Gearbox and Kenneth Scott of id Software, as well as David Wu from Pseudo Interactive and Frank O’Connor, a Bungie veteran. Microsoft Game Studios is thrilled to have such talented people working to develop new and exciting projects within the Halo universe and supporting existing projects from studios like Bungie and Ensemble."

While the official statement doesn't go into details about Payton's job, we've been told he will be the creative director for the upcoming Peter Jackson Halo game.

New Halo Helmed by MGS 4 Producer [Kotaku]

Our very reliable sources tell us that Payton has been hired by Microsoft to be the creative director on the upcoming, and still not dead, Peter Jackson Halo game.

The news, very reliable news, comes weeks after we broke the news that Gearbox Director of Technology Corrinne Yu had been hired by Microsoft Game Studios to be Principle Engine Architect for Microsoft's Halo Franchise Team.

Rumor had it at the time that Yu and her husband, Kenneth Scott were both joining Microsoft Game Studios. Scott is an art director at id Software.

Payton, assistant producer on Metal Gear Solid 4, has been credited with spearheading a more Western approach to controls for Metal Gear Solid 4, making the game far more approachable and much tighter than the previous installment. He also helped warm the MGS4 team up to more Western developed games like Gears of War as well.

We heard back from Microsoft and they hit us up with "Microsoft does not comment on rumors or speculation.” Which in Microsoft speak is almost tantamount to a confirmation.

[Pic]

1UP: "Nowhere to hide" was one of the promises in MGS4's first teaser trailer, suggesting dynamic, destructible environments...which weren't really present in the final game. What happened to them? Will we ever see a Metal Gear like that?

RP: It's fun to go back and look at that trailer, since it was made so early in the production of the game. I think it's safe to say that we didn't even know exactly what MGS4 was going to be when we made that.

Yeah, that early bill of sale doesn't look like the final product. Payton's right though, it is fun to go back and look at that trailer. The expectations it created and the hype it built, not so fun.

Metal Gear Solid 4 Afterthoughts With Ryan Payton [1up] [Pic]

Payton's move back from Japan to the U.S. couldn't come at a better time for a game developer, as the focus on game development seems to be shifting from former dev powerhouse Japan to the U.S. Japan may still be the center of the gaming universe when it comes to cold hard cash, but when it comes to development it no longer seems to be, Payton said.

"The Japanese public seems to be disinterested in next-gen and high definition gaming," he said, pointing to the 360 and its apparent uphill battle in Japan as proof of that. "There is a stigma still attached to western technology there."

"There have been a lot of good mainstream games built for the Japanese Xbox 360," he said. "But they only sold a small number of copies. I think that kind of drained a lot of expectations."

And yet the DS, with it's relatively dated technology, continues to sell well in Japan.

"It's not about the tech in Japan, it's about the games, it's about nostalgia."

While Japanese gamers still seem interested in the sorts of games coming out of Japan, the same isn't as true for the rest of the world's gamers, Payton said.

"It's apparent, everyone knows it in Japan," he said. "The developers here feel the pressure. They're starting to develop more with the West in mind and the tech is in the west now. I'm surprised at how many titles have been produced on the Unreal 3 Engine."

Team Ninja was one of the few development teams in Japan who seemed to get that, Payton said, so it's ironic that they disbanded after their latest Ninja Gaiden. He sees Square-Enix's move to snatch up Tecmo and its assets as heartening, perhaps a sign that Square-Enix is hoping to return to their golden age.

As for Payton, his future is still up in the air. He wants to stay in the industry and has been receiving lots of interest, but he still hasn't decided exactly where he wants to land. Though it sounds like he'd prefer to work on an original IP rather than an established one.

"When I'm traveling I'm always thinking about ideas," he said. "They all come from an original IP or original universe. Their are existing franchises that haven't been beaten to death and are still open that I wouldn't mind working on too."

"I'll go wherever we can make a big massive game."

Why did you leave Konami and Kojima Productions?

Back when I joined Kojima Productions in 2005, I hit the ground running and didn't stop until we shipped Metal Gear Solid 4. Then, for the first time in three years, I wasn't working on any games and I had a three month vacation ahead of me. I went back home to my family's place in Washington state and literally three weeks after MGS4 launched we were hit with some pretty heavy news concerning my mom. I don't think I need to go into details, but all of this has reminded me about how important family is. So this past month I decided to leave Kojima Productions and look to continue my career working closer to my family in North America.

It's not easy leaving my other family (the MGS team), but with everybody taking time off and not having any other big projects to shift focus to, it feels like this is how it's supposed to be. It's fate.

What did you gain from the Kojima Productions experience? How did you change?

Working on MGS: Portable Ops and MGS4 has been a life changing experience. I feel so lucky to have worked with such a talented and passionate team.

As a person, I've developed a very critical eye when it comes to game development, which was no doubt inspired by my colleages. On the not-so-bright side, I've also developed that fabled Japanese work ethic. Now hearing about friends' twelve-hour work days sound like a piece of cake to me.

Any memories that standout?

Our midnight launch of MGS4 in Hollywood was something I'll never forget. There was more than 500 people lined up outside to buy the game and get our autographs. Talking to all of these passionate MGS fans really put it all into persepctive — something you can lose when you're stuck in a Tokyo office building working on the game for three years.

Is there something that you wish you could've done at Kojima Productions, but didn't?

I'm pretty satisifed with all I've accomplished at KP. I set my goals and hit almost every one. The dream has always been to get an original game concept green lit, but that'll have to wait until I find a new home. The good news is that I've got plenty of exciting ideas that I've been keeping close to my chest.

It'll be hard not being involved in MGS5, but I've got the utmost confidence that Hideo Kojima, Ken Imaizumi, and our amazing team will put together another blockbuster game. I'll be cheering from the sidelines.

What's next?

Word travels fast, so I've been getting a lot of great offers lately. But the plan is to take it easy, spend time with my family, and carefully decide where I land next.

This is a big loss for Kojima and his team. And a big gain for whomever hires him! Funny, that.

[Pic]

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

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.

think there’s been some misconceptions that this is the last Metal Gear. This is really just the last chapter of the saga of the Solid Snake story... [Solid Snake] was a burden [for Kojima] because of all those loose ends. So when you play Metal Gear Solid 4 and when you get to the end, I think you’re going to feel that ‘wow, this is a nice closure.’ All of the weird stuff that’s gone on in the past, it’s all coming to an end. All those weird questions — everything is answered... I think he is kind of nervous about it,” he said. “You can’t continue from this step. You can’t start next chapter. We really do close up the story.

So no more Solid Snake, but more Metal Gear? Let's hope Konami doesn't drive this franchise into the ground like other developers have with their IPs.
Metal Gear to Continue [Multiplayer]

Kojima: For us, we're not still not satisfied with the quality we can do. You know, there's not capacity space.

Interviewer: Wait, wait a sec. Saying there's not enough capacity, are you talking about Blu-ray?

Kojima: That's correct. There's not enough space at all. (laughs) ...There's not enough space. We always talked about where to cut and what to compress.

No English subtitles on MGS4 JP.

Unfortunately because of disc space, we don't have the space to include other languages, other voice over files for the respective versions. So the Japanese version's not gonna have English VO, and the North American and European versions won't have Japanese VO.

I wish I could send a message out to the whole world, 'cause I hear about this all the time. It was a story from Reuters, so it was literally sent to every news source around the globe. Yeah, that's how I was quote. If you notice, in the news story, I have lots of quotes in there with quotation marks, but that part of the story isn't in quotation marks.

I gotta be honest, I took twenty different interviews that day at E For All, and I remember talking to a lot of people. I remember talking to Kemp Powers at Reuters who wrote that story. And he was very interested in hearing about the console war, about Sony versus Microsoft, and what are we doing, are we going to go over to Microsoft, how much will they pay us. You know, all this weird stuff.

Number one, that million dollar figure is incorrect. I don't even know how many figures we'd need to sell to be profitable. More importantly, that's not something you really talk about in an interview. It's nothing I'd ever say. It could've been something like, 'You guys need to sell at least a million copies to be profitable, right?' 'Well, yeah, that sounds about right.' Worldwide, obviously, right? I don't think that's too controversial, but it blew up... I've been trying to contact Kemp Powers over at Reuters to see, I don't know if he recorded it on tape, but I'd love to hear it. So we can set the record straight..

According to the magazine, MGO will support 16 players in Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, King of the Hill and Team Sneak. Curiously, though, the official mag writes that it's "expecting five maps in the Starter Pack that will provide the basic setup to get your MGS multiplayer fix moving."

Wait, Starter Pack? That doesn't clear it up at all. Do Kojima Productions simply have plans for downloadable content or is the MGO included in MGS4 simply a teaser product?

We're contacting Konami and Kojima Productions reps to learn more.

Confirmed: MGS4 and Metal Gear Online Join Together! [VGBlogger]

We also chat briefly about the current Blackwater controversy, Super Smash Bros. Brawl and the Metal Gear Solid 20th Anniversary Collection boxed set's status. Hit the jump for the full interview.

McWhertor: What do you think of E For All so far?

Payton: I wish I could see more of it. I been holed up in the MGS4 booth. It would be nice to play some Smash Bros. and some Super Mario Galaxy. I'm curious to see what happens on Saturday and Sunday.

Yeah, it's pretty light right now.

It's still the weekday. It's a consumer show, so we hope that more people show up on Saturday and Sunday. It's easy to look around and see that it's not crowded like Tokyo Game Show or previous E3s. With that said, there's a lot of press coming out of Nintendo, Konami, THQ and EA. If they feel satisfied with it and consumers keep talking about it, I don't see any reason why E For All won't be back until next year.

Well you've had pretty good lines for Metal Gear Solid 4 so far.

When we opened up the doors, there were a hundred people waiting. It was like that yesterday and today. We will not have an empty seat for the whole show. It's been wall to wall.

Are you getting any feedback from people who have played the game?

I've been trying to watch people play, but I've been doing a lot of interviews and presentations. TGS was a good experience for me because I made about five pages of notes. I was watching people like you play the game and watching other press play it, listening to what complaints they had or whenever they smiled to a make note about what was successful and what wasn't. But at E For All, I'm hoping to get a little more time to watch people play because there is a little more time to make some tweaks to make the gameplay a little more accessible to Western gamers. So far, response has been awesome. They've been saying "this doesn't feel like a Metal Gear game" but in a good way.

What did you notice as time went on? Can you talk about any of those recent tweaks?

It's mostly minute stuff. For example, the over the shoulder aiming system, I think it's a little bit too sensitive right now. With the PS3 controller, the left analog stick, if you just barely press it, it moves a little bit too fast for my tastes. And for a lot of people's tastes. I've noticed if you try to do a precision shot, it still moves around a little too much. So we're tweaking that, a lot of the stuff that's really kind of under the hood.

As far as other things are concerned, game balance and kind of educating the gamer that it's still a stealth game. It's an issue that I've noticed we had at TGS and here at E For All that, because we give you so many cool guns, because we give the over the shoulder aim, and because the game actually feels good with rumble and everything, people are killing PMC soldiers left and right. We want to make sure that people understand that there's a balance. Some sections are going to require traditional stealth game play and that you can't just go in guns blazing. It's still Metal Gear. There were some players who would just shoot every PMC they saw, without realizing that you can have alliances with groups like the Werewolves.

Yeah, how does that work? Will the four Beasts be in control of the individual PMC groups?

No, not really, although they do have similar names, like the Werewolves and Crying Wolf, and there's one that's called [Eight Arms of the Octopus in French], but they aren't under their direct control. They be played against each other, but you'll see how it plays in the game.

Speaking of PMCs, I was wondering if the Kojima Productions team has been paying attention to the current situation with private military contractor Blackwater and the surrounding controversy.

Sure, we've been following it pretty closely, but we've been following the PMC business for a long time now. The team at Kojima Productions is filled with military otaku, so we're well aware of the history of PMCs and the Blackwater situation in particular.

It feels like a bit of good and bad timing for you, as it will probably receive some attention from mainstream media but it could be spun the wrong way. Has this worried the team or does it feel like a boon to the game's focus?

We're not particularly worried about it. Mr. Kojima and the team have been working on the game for over three years now, so it's not something new for us. It was part of the vision from the very beginning so any attention it gets from current events isn't something that concerns us.

I suppose you could say that any publicity is good publicity. At least you're going to be lightening up the heavy themes with monkeys in diapers addicted to soda.

Yeah, having a shaved monkey should divert attention away from something like that.

When we posted that Justify Your Game, a lot of people were like, "Who's Ryan Payton?" So, just to clear that up, what is it that you're doing on a regular basis. I know that you're bringing some Western tastes to Kojima Productions, but what does that involve for you?

Everyday I'm doing something different as a producer. It's funny, it's been a running joke in my family because everybody's been asking me what it is exactly that I do. They'll ask me "Are you designing the game?" No, I'm not. "Oh. So did you write the story?" No, I didn't. But I am in charge of the English script, the voice over direction and involved with the motion capture as well. I'm in charge of the international version of the game, not just as far as the master submissions are concerned, but gameplay as well. We're going to have different game balance, different controls, different difficulty levels, different gaming styles for the international versions. It will be a different game from the Japanese version. That's a lot of tweaking, going through the game and making suggestions, changing the gameplay based on what American gamers demand from their games. Japanese gamers, they haven't gotten to that point yet. Their experience with 3D games is usually with fixed cameras like Onimusha, Resident Evil games, Siren. We have huge expectations coming out of America, but for the Japanese they want to keep it more simple. We decided just recently that I'm going to be in charge of making sure the game lives up to those expectations, trying to exceed those expectations coming out of the West.

I'm in charge of the movie, which we're working on with Logan, which is one of the top design companies in the world. They invented the whole iPod silhouette ad campaign. Not just print, but the TV ads and the billboards. They design all those and they're a really hot design company. They're designing and producing our opening movie which is something that's never been attempted before in games. It's going to be the talk of the town when the game comes out.

What are they doing with it that's going to be so dramatic?

It's not just something you sit there and watch, hit the start button and then play the game. There's actually no gameplay involved. It's somewhere in the middle of those two. It's something that nobody has ever attempted before in games. It's a different take on video games.

This is something that my boss, Kenichiro Imaizumi, the head producer on the title, something that he's really talented at, combining two different forces that you would think wouldn't make sense. It's Metal Gear, a military game, combined with Logan, which is really great with cutting edge pop culture advertising. Melding those two together, we've created something that's really cool. They've also designed our logo which is a pretty big departure from our previous logo which have all been just Helvetica, so this is something that's really encouraging for us. Next week we'll be doing production work on it in Hollywood. It's a massive project. I can't give out number figures, but I know of some games that have as big a budget as we have on just this opening movie.

That's not going to win too many friends. Well, speaking of Western gamers, you had the Metal Gear 20th Anniversary collection in Japan and when I talked to Anthony Crouts at Comic Con about it, he said it was a possibility. The end of the year is creeping up and there hasn't been anything announced. Is that going to happen? Are you guys going to bring it stateside?

Yeah, we're working on it pretty much every day, trying to make it happen. There are a lot of issues. American gamers and European gamers are always very vocal, wondering "Why don't we get this?" The truth of the matter is, people like me, like at Konami US and Konami Europe actually want to make it happen. But there are a lot of issues that the average gamer doesn't know about.

It's easy to launch something in Japan. There are only a number of retailers that are going to carry a product and they're more liberal with their shelf space. They allow different size packaging, whereas in the United States, if it's not a DVD-sized package, they're not going to carry it. There are issues, for example, in Quebec where it seems, like now, you might not only have to have your manual, but your entire game in French if you want to release it in Canada. So there are a lot of issues that we have to face, and with that said, we also have to ship Metal Gear Solid 4! So, is the boxed set coming out this year? It's tough to say. At some point next year, I want to have a boxed set on store shelves to give people a chance to play Metal Gear Solid and Metal Gear Solid 2 before they jump into MGS4.

I know you said that a lot of the work that was going into four was that you were trying to make the game more approachable to someone who had never played a Metal Gear game before and it would be nice to have that back catalog for people if they fell in love with the series at this point.

Yeah. Ideally, it would be great to have it out before MGS4, but let's say it's sixty or seventy dollars, which is a lot to have people put down to get familiar with the story. One of the things we're doing with MGS4 is that we're putting in a digital encyclopedia that people can access from the main menu, so they can cross reference different characters and find out what happened in previous games. In that sense, we're backing ourselves up in MGS4 itself. We also have flashback sequences in the game that refer to Metal Gear Rex, Shadow Moses, the Big Shell and what happens in Portable Ops, where players can push the X button and you're going to presented with a flashback sequence that will play back what happened in previous games to re-familiarize people with what happened previously.

I think we're covering our bases, but it would be nice to have that boxed set out before then.

Speaking of Shadow Moses, we just got our first look at it in Super Smash Bros. Brawl in Shadow Moses Island. Have you played Smash Bros. yet?

No! I haven't.

You haven't played Smash Bros. yet?! You guys don't have an early copy in the office?

No, it's all over at Sakurai's office.

So you're not involved at all?

No, for various reasons, this is something that's between Mr. Sakurai and Mr. Kojima. There was a decision made early on that we weren't going to involve our team with the production, because Mr. Sakurai's got a very capable team, we feel very confident about letting them handle it. We don't have to involve ourselves in giving them direction, because not only does he know Metal Gear, he has a very talented team in Tokyo. It would be nice to play Smash Bros., but I've got enough things to worry about.

It's just that the Snake dialogue was just absolutely hilarious. I didn't know if you were writing that dialogue.

It's really funny. Yeah, I had a chance to look at it, to offer suggestions before we recorded it and I also made sure that Chris Zimmerman, who's our voice over director for all of our Metal Gear titles, it was my only request that she directs the dialogue sequences for Smash Bros. because if she's involved, I know it's gonna be good.

Well, I should let you go. I've gotta go talk to IGA and you've got some Smash Bros. to play. Thanks for talking to us.

No worries. It's always fun to talk to you guys.

"We're working on it pretty much every day to make it happen," he said at the E For All Expo "but there are a lot of issues that the average gamer doesn't know about." So, who's to blame for the lack of box set love? Retailers? Maybe. Canada? Only partially. If you're going to blame anyone, blame your fellow tightwad gamers, who make convincing the Powers That Be difficult with their garage sale attitude toward video games.

Still, Payton has hope. "At some point next year, I want to have a box set on store shelves to give people a chance to play MGS1 and MGS2 before they jump into MGS4." But don't count on the box set coming out before the PlayStation 3 sequel and don't expect it to look like its Japanese counterpart. Payton talked briefly of his design document for the Western version of the package, one that's slightly different from the home turf release.

More details on the progress of Metal Gear Solid 4 and additional details on the Metal Gear Solid Collection coming in our full interview with the Kojima Productions producer.

Obviously, we have about 99% Japanese men and women in our team, and sometimes it feels like 99 against one — since there are two control schemes. The whole process has been about re-looking at the game, and deciding what needs to stay, what needs to be revised. So, really there were no "sacred cows" as far as the control scheme was concerned.

One thing that I did was put an Xbox 360 in an area of the studio where there's a lot of foot traffic, and I also have a PS3 there, and I'll bring in western-developed games. I'll be playing them, or I'll just have it on and running through the intro, to be repeating on the title menu. People will pick it up and play it, and so now we have a lot of Gears fans, and people are playing BioShock. So people are checking out games that they wouldn't normally check out, and they're getting ideas and inspiration as far as, "OK, this is how things can work for us; this is what we like."

This sounds like a very, very healthy way to approach game making.
Payton Interview [Gamasutra]

TGS 2007 could be the last trailer for MGS4. The pressure is really on to finish work on the game, and we have decided not to be sidetracked by any more promotional work.

Absolutely, yeah. It feels better...

We want to make the best game possible that can be enjoyed by the most people possible. For us, its obviously a bigger challenge to ship simultaneously on both consoles, because they are not the same. But it's also worth while if that means more people can play the game, so I think that's ulimately our objective. To just get it out there to as many people as possible.

It's basically kind of a good thing, because if people don't start asking these questions it means we fall off from their list of their interest. So I think it's good they talk about us.

Yes, obviously. However, just like Jade here, I play the role of producer as well meaning I have to play politics and be aware of trends. Purely as a games creator, I would not like to think about those things and just concentrate on what I do best: Make games.

Session 054 [i-revo]

On Ryan Payton's Kojima Productions podcast, he dishes on how Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima played the upcoming Super Smash Bros. Brawl at creator Masahiro Sakurai's Tokyo studio. According to Payton, Kojima said that:

The game already feels very complete, it's already a lot of fun and that you guys (Sakurai's studio) could put it out now, and it would sell millions of copies.

Kojima was playing as Snake, Sakurai was playing as Mario. Yet, Kojima humorously admitted that he wasn't able to punch of kick the character he's grown up with, Mario — Out of respect. Click over to listen to the rest and hear about MPO Europe extras and about Kojima and Ken Imaizumi (above) playing Guitar Hero. Brian Ashcraft

Payton Report [i-revo]

Here's the second part of the Kojima Productions podcast I appeared on with Ryan Payton. We talk about Kojima's favorite games, Japanese gaming tournaments, those MGS 4 appearing on the Xbox 360 rumors and game journalism. After listening to it, I can safely say that all the parts in which I'm not talking are fascinating. Brian Ashcraft

Hear It Here [Ryan's i-revo Blog]

The Kojima Productions podcast I appeared on with Ryan Payton has gone live. It's part one of two, so you can hear me drone on and on and on this week and next week! We talk about Osaka, blogging and, of course, THE IDOLM@STER. Brian Ashcraft

Listen Here [Ryan's i-Revo Blog]

Yesterday morning, I arrived in Tokyo a little earlier than scheduled to appear on the Kojima Productions podcast with Ryan Payton. As I've mentioned a gazillion times before, I was in town for an article I'm doing for a design magazine. I headed over to Mori Tower in Roppongi Hills to the Kojima Productions office. I hadn't been there in a while, and security is still ass-tight. Here's the last time I visited Mori Tower.

I've known Ryan for a few years now. We worked on a Wired Mag piece together eons and eons ago — Before he was working for KP. Anyway, it's was good seeing him again, hanging out for a bit and appearing on his podcast. Not sure when it will air, but will let y'all know when it does.

Didn't have much time to snoop around the office because I was on a tight schedule, so I was pretty much in and out. There weren't playable copies of Metal Gear Solid 4 just lying around, but I took a picture of the hallway leading into the room where they are making it. SO EXCITING. Brian Ashcraft

Former game journo and current Kojima productions dude Ryan Payton has a new-ish blog up. It's in English and Japanese, and it will hopefully provide a peak into KP, upcoming titles and Japan stuff. Blogs Payton:

So as I kick off this blog, I should probably consider why you would be accessing it in the first place. You want to know more about our studio and the games we create, right? Well, aside from the occasional rant about music, life in Roppongi, or the Seattle Seahawks, this blog will be a good source for commentary on my life at the studio.

Here's a view of my morning 'triology': Coffee, email, iPod.

And there ya go! Brian Ashcraft

RYAN's BLOG [i-revo]

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!]