PSP World

Konami Celebrates Metal Gear's 20th Anniversary with Metal Gear Solid 4 Showing

Legendary Video Game Creator Hideo Kojima Conducts Real-Time
Presentation of Metal Gear Solid 4 and Discusses New Projects at Event

Konami recently hosted an exclusive party at the newly opened Ritz Carlton hotel in Tokyo in celebration of the Metal Gear video game series’ 20th anniversary.

Hosted by series creator and head of Kojima Productions, Hideo Kojima, the party began with a formal press conference, featuring an official announcement of the latest iterations of Metal Gear Online and Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus.

Metal Gear Online
Based on Metal Gear Solid 4’s next-generation graphics engine and new control scheme, Metal Gear Online will mark a ground breaking direction for the series and online multiplayer gaming when it launches for the PLAYSTATION3 computer entertainment system. Making its debut with Metal Gear Online’s next generation debut is the SOP system – a cornerstone gameplay mechanic that encourages players to link together with teammates’ nanomachines to build a matrix of real-time information that includes teammates’ whereabouts, battle condition, and location of nearest enemy.

Furthering Kojima Productions’ dedication to developing a “strategic multiplayer experience,” players can also infuse a variety of skills to enhance and differentiate their battle strategy. Featuring playable characters and expansive environments from Metal Gear Solid 4, Metal Gear Online represents the studio’s total commitment to creating a deep and fully functional Metal Gear multiplayer experience.

Japanese players will get the first taste of Metal Gear Online when 3,000 people are selected to participate in the game’s closed beta test, scheduled for August 2007.

Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus
In this multiplayer-focused update to last year’s award winning Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus takes the series in an exciting new direction with new stages, new playable characters including Raiden and Old Snake, and new gameplay modes.

Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus aims to be the definitive portable multiplayer experience. In addition to both Ad-Hoc and infrastructure-based wireless play, the game also includes a brand new single player mode – Infinity Mission. This endless collection of single player content, coupled with a new comrade recruitment system, offers players even more ways to assemble an unstoppable team to take to the online arena and battle real opponents.

Combining new and retro MGS characters, environments, and unique gameplay modes, Kojima Productions aims to deepen the Metal Gear online experience when Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus launches on the PSP (PlayStationPortable) system.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
In the most anticipated moment of the evening, Hideo Kojima walked attendees through a presentation of Metal Gear Solid 4, showing off 15 minutes of gameplay and highlighting the series’ new approach to tactical stealth action. The 15 minute presentation is now available for viewing on the Kojima Productions’ official website and will be available in high-definition through a free download on the PlayStationStore, scheduled for release later this week.

To wrap up the formal presentation, Metal Gear Solid Mobile for mobile phones and Metal Gear Solid 2: Digital Graphic Novel (working title) for the PSP system were announced for release in Japan.

For the latest information on the Metal Gear 20th Anniversary Party and for Kojima Productions’ upcoming showings at Games Convention 2007 and Tokyo Game Show 2007, please visit: http://www.konami.jp/kojima_pro/event2007/index.html.