Kotaku reports~
Konami has announced that it’s adding Old Snake and BB Corps to its Japanese cell phone wallpaper service Kisekae Changer. One download will run users ¥525 (US$5.16).
The publicity for MGS4 really must one of the longest PR campaigns (if not longest) for a released title. Guess that’s not a bad thing for those who are really into Metal Gear Solid 4, no?
In one of his final interviews as part of Kojima Productions, Payton looks back at MGS4.
from 1up~
Metal Gear Solid 4 has been out for several months now, and a lot has happened in that time. PlayStation 3 sales were bumped up for a while, the game has gone cheap in some Japanese stores, and one of the game’s most outspoken producers, Ryan Payton, has left Kojima Productions. Before Payton left, though, we were able to nab the following afterthoughts interview about his experience working on MGS4 for EGM.
Check out the full interview below the cut for word on how Payton was threatened by some especially hardcore fans, what parts of MGS4 required the most tweaking, and how satisfied he is with the project as a whole. Just be careful if you haven’t taken the time to finish MGS4 yet, because spoilers abound.
Stay tuned for Friday, when we’ll publish a new video interview with Payton from the Penny Arcade Expo. One of his final Kojima Productions interviews and one of his first after leaving the company, close together for your reading and viewing pleasure.
Click below for the entire interview
(source: 1up)
Kotaku reports~
"For the Metal Gear Solid fan who wants to wake up in style, Konami has created the "GA-KO Alarm Clock", a full-service recreation of the egg timer made famous in Metal Gear Solid 4. We suppose it could still be used to time your egg frying, but it looks like it feels more appropriate on a nightstand, with its adorable little face and sassy pose.
It’s limited to 2000 pieces — and importer NCSX says the GA-KO is currently sold out — but after peeping the extensive gallery at the retailer, which shows off the Metal Gear-esque packaging, you might want to check back. They say they’re getting more stock next week. Definitely do want."
Konami has updated the official Metal Gear Solid 4 website with tons of new merchandise offers. Here is a few, to get you drooling.
New MGS4 Designer T-shirts now available!
MGS4 FUGIMATE SWEET SNAKE Editorial supervision by Yoji Shikawa. Now I don’t know the story behind these, but I want one.. >.>
Lastly the METAL GEAR SOLID 4 GUNS OF THE PATRIOTS OFFICIAL GUIDE : THE COMPLETE is released on 8.21.2008
All of these and more can be found on the official Metal Gear Solid 4 website.
(source: MGS4 website)
MLG Blog reports~
"In case you hadn’t heard, MLG was on hand at this year’s Comic-Con, which was held on July 24-27 in San Diego, California. Our very own Nexy, Ben, and Killa KC teamed up with Konami to bring the attendees of the event a Metal Gear Online tournament. The tournament was well received by the Comic-Con community, and provided for a weekend full of intense Metal Gear action. Now that the dust has settled, Ben sat down to chronicle his experiences at Comic-Con 2008 in this blog. Check it out!"
(source: MLG Blog)
Improving graphics and sound will only go so far, says MGS creator
CVG reports~
"The "next level" of gaming is not yet possible on current-gen hardware, says Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima.
Speaking to BBC’s Click program, Kojima said that improving the visuals and audio in games will only go so far in future console generations.
"We will keep on making games for consoles and the graphics and sound quality will get better and better," he said. "But I think no matter how much we improve the quality, there is only so much we can hear or see.
"The next level will be when we start improving the backgrounds, the things you don’t instantly see but enhance the experience. For example, there are leaves in the background and when you water them they grow. Instead of the backgrounds being pre-programmed, they actually respond to what the player does.
"This is not possible right now but maybe in the future it will be, and that is when we will have entered the next era of gaming," he added.
He’s as technology-obsessed as ever then. Not that we’re complaining; MGS4 is a massively impressive game, and a terrific showcase for the PS3.
Kojima is currently rumoured to be working on a new game based on RPG series Snatcher, with No More Heroes mastermind Suda 51."
(source: CVG)
PS3Fanboy reports~
We’re not sure we’d class these new MGS4 camouflages "DLC" as such, but they’re definitely appreciated. Mostly because they’re free, but also because they actually add something interesting and quirky to the game. Two new camouflages for your OctoCamo are now available to grab from the "Extras" section of Metal Gear Solid 4’s main menu. These are named "Laughing Camo" and "Raging Camo" — no doubt "Crying Camo" and "Screaming Camo" will be coming at a later date.
These new camouflages look pretty cool when applied via in-game menu, covering Snake in large Japanese script, but the fun really happens when you approach an enemy whilst wearing them. Depending on which one you have currently donned, you will cause your opponents laughter or rage rating to increase, sometimes causing them to burst out into hysterics or rawr at the sky. The easiest way to see this is grab someone in a CQC hold for a little while and then let them go. We have no idea whether this works on bosses, but we’d love to find out. Consider this your 4th of July homework. Class dismissed.
(source: PS3F)
Kotaku reports~
"During Sony’s mid-term strategy meeting, PlayStation president Kaz Hirai pointed to Metal Gear Solid 4 as an example of the PlayStation 3’s full abilities - noting that it shipped 3 million units worldwide within two weeks of launch, as Famitsu reported yesterday.
Hirai said MGS 4 is "the first title to fully utilize the capacity of dual layer Blu-ray disc…. Metal Gear Solid 4has created a world of gaming entertainment that can only be realized by PS3."
He also said MGS 4 drove console sales. "In the first week of the release of Metal Gear Solid 4, sales of PS3 in the Japanese market grew significantly, [an] eight times increase as compared to the week before, proving that Metal Gear Solid 4is a platform driver for PS3.""
(source: Kotaku)
IGN has put up quiet a few guides now for Metal Gear Solid 4 covering the following:
Be sure to click here for all of their guides for MGS4 and future updates.
(source: IGN)
IGN reports~
Kojima’s latest is selling like hot Metal Gear!
June 26, 2008 - With Metal Gear Solid 4 confirmed at half a million sales in Japan and one million in Europe, the big question is, just how many copies has the game sold overall. While we don’t have sales figures just yet, we do know the game’s shipped number: three million.
Famitsu.com, in its coverage from a Sony investor meeting in Tokyo today, reported that the game has topped this milestone in worldwide shipped units. Speaking at the meeting, Sony Computer Entertainment president Kaz Hirai also noted that the game helped shift hardware.
Games were put a bit on the back burner for this particular briefing though, as Hirai announced a number of non-game initiatives for the PS3 and PSP, including new video and news services.
(source: IGN)
