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Kojima Believes Player Freedom Is The Future Of MGS

Ben-Dutka 18 Comments

Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes will provide the gamer with more choice and freedom than ever before, which is precisely what franchise creator Hideo Kojima is trying to do.

In speaking at a British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) event, the master spoke about the future of the esteemed franchise. And when asked about the "ultimate version" of Metal Gear , Kojima responded by saying that if you give the player the power to decide how to approach a mission, that results in more drama. He said he wants the player to "do things in a way that feels natural to them." Essentially, he's not necessarily talking about open-world; he's talking more specifically about freedom.

"Up until this point, if you had a hundred people and you made them play a game, they’d all basically arrive at the same time, take the same route, use the same equipment to get the job done. But what I want to do from this point on is give people the freedom, so if you have a hundred people and you give them this mission then they’ll all come back with a hundred different stories.

They may arrive at a different time, use a different route to get into the base, use different weapons and equipment. So rather than having one great, dramatic story you have a hundred. That’s really what I want to accomplish. So it’s not necessarily that I’m aiming for open world, that’s not the [be all and] end all, what I want to do is give people the freedom to create their own stories and create something that’s very personal to them. That’s what I want to accomplish."

Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes is one of Kojima's new projects, and was recently revealed to a highly appreciate crowd of fans. Do you like this new direction in Kojima's vision?

Related Game(s): Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes

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PSXE Poll Update: Ground Zeroes An Instant Hit With Fans

Ben-Dutka 11 Comments

Very much un like Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII , the new project from Hideo Kojima and Konami has earned plenty of positive responses from gamers everywhere.

We wanted to know what you guys thought of Metal Gear Solid Ground Zeroes , based on the information we have and that pretty unbelievable 10-minute presentation. It's not a big shock to see that the vast majority say it looks great, and they'll be keeping their eyes on it as time goes on. Most went the whole way and said they'd be picking up the hotly anticipated title the instant it hits store shelves. Well, when it comes to guys like Kojima, there's a very slim chance that the final product will be disappointing. We might have to wait a while for it but the end result is unquestionably awesome. At least, so far.

This week, as rumors shift back to Grand Theft Auto V (there's a chance of seeing the full unveiling around Christmas), we want to know if you think this extended development cycle is a bad sign. The last GTA launched back in April of 2008 and many are wondering if Rockstar is working on both current- and next-gen versions of the game. Maybe that's taking extra time…but are you at all concerned?

Related Game(s): Metal Gear Solid Ground Zeroes

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Kojima: The Lighting Makes Snake Look Old In Ground Zeroes

Ben-Dutka 18 Comments

"I'm not old! The lighting is just terrible around here."

That's what Snake would be saying right now, apparently. After Metal Gear Ground Zeroes was announced, it seemed obvious that the main character was a little on the aged side, due to his gray hair and beard after removing his goggles.

But in truth, that was just a trick of the eye. On his English Twitter feed , Hideo Kojima confirmed that Snake's hair wasn't gray at all; it was just a "rim-lighting" issue.

"Saw many tweet about Snake in grey hair after taking off the goggle. This is due to the rim-lighting."

He also posted up a picture of Snake with darker-looking hair, and we can sort of see what he means by the lighting. Still, we're going to need an explanation as to both the age of the protagonist and the time of the setting. Can it be a direct sequel to Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots ? Or are we looking at a prequel? Either way, though, the game looks downright fantastic so we're not too concerned about hair right now.

Related Game(s): Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes

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What If Kojima Is Saving Project Ogre For The PS4’s Launch?

Ben-Dutka 25 Comments

Okay, so we're all aware of Metal Gear Solid Ground Zeroes now, which Hideo Kojima confirmed was not Project Ogre , the master's other project that remains a mystery.

So could Project Ogre or perhaps Metal Gear Solid 5 end up being a launch title for the PlayStation 4? The new machine will need all the software it can get at launch, and let's not forget something important: Sony delayed the US launch of the Vita so they could ensure there would be plenty of available games. And the Vita's release saw the most number of launch games in PlayStation history.

In short, it seems obvious that Sony has learned that new hardware requires appealing software right out of the gate. Plus, we know Kojima, the quintessential perfectionist, requires a fair amount of time to complete his projects. Therefore, it's only logical to assume that at least one of his unannounced titles is being prepped for the next generation of hardware. Put it all together, and it's not out of the realm of possibility to see something like MGS5 when the PS4 hits store shelves, or maybe it'll be that Project Ogre thing…whatever it is.

That will make the PS4 more interesting in the eyes of consumers, now wouldn't it? Hell yeah.

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Don’t Get Confused: Ground Zeroes Is NOT Project Ogre

Ben-Dutka 15 Comments

When Metal Gear Ground Zeroes was announced , it was inevitable: Many would assume this was the secret "Project Ogre" Hideo Kojima and his team have been working on.

After all, it uses the Fox Engine and it's in a more "open world," which is in line with the Project Ogre descriptions. However, Hideo Kojima wants to make it abundantly clear that Ground Zeroes and the currently unannounced mystery title are not one in the same.

In a frustrated Tweet , the MGS guru said:

"While I am happy to know people liked 'MGS Ground Zeroes,' I'm sick & tired of people keep asking me like 'is that project Ogre?' here in Seattle everyday. Project Ogre is what the project that Ogre appears. Ogre does not appear in 'MGS Ground Zeroes' trailer."

That obviously makes it sound like "Ogre" is a person, a character of some kind. And furthermore, this means Kojima and Co. are working on two potentially revolutionary open-world-style games, which should make the fans all the more anticipatory. And in all this, where's Metal Gear Solid 5 ? So… three games in the works? That's ambitious.

Related Game(s): Metal Gear Solid Ground Zeroes

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PSXE Poll Update: Sorry Square Enix, The Fans Are Running

Ben-Dutka 28 Comments

Last week, just prior to Square Enix officially announcing Lighting Returns: Final Fantasy XIII , we wanted to know if you guys would be interested in purchasing a sequel to FFXIII-2.

Well, it isn't called Final Fantasy XIII-3 but it's the sequel we all expected to arrive. And yeah, it's true that the majority of votes probably came in before the late Friday announcement. …but based on what we're seeing from the fan comments since then, we don't think the results would change very much: Bottom line, Square Enix appears to have lost the majority of fans who have supported them throughout the years. Most readers simply said, "No, I don't recognize Final Fantasy anymore." Depressing but accurate.

Okay, let's compare that to the other huge game announced, which was Kojima's Metal Gear Solid Ground Zeroes . It could be downright amazing and everyone is just drooling over that debut video. So what do you think about that one?

Related Game(s): Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII

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