One of the biggest surprises of last year's E3 gaming expo in Los Angeles was the announcement that home console series Metal Gear Solid would be coming to Japanese arcades.
Dubbed Metal Gear Arcade, the "tactical online action" game is a networked Metal Gear multi-player title akin to Metal Gear Online, but players use 3D googles.
Since the announcement, a trailer was released, but little else has been heard about the title. A Famitsu article dated the game as being released in arcades during 2009. It is now 2010, and the title has still not been released.
Konami has released a list of titles that it will be showing at the upcoming AOU arcade game expo. While Konami music, mahjong and medal games will all be at the show, Metal Gear Arcade is not listed.
Kojima Productions declined to comment to Kotaku on the status of the game, nor explain why the game is not listed as appearing at AOU next month.
Even though Metal Gear Arcade appears to be an arcade port of console title Metal Gear Online, it could be the addition of 3D that is holding up the title. That is, if it is still in Konami's development cycle. Based on everything Kotaku has heard, we have no reason to believe the title has been shelved.