"I already have a game plan and method for sales in my head," Kojima says before concluding, "I cannot make a promise about time. However, I can promise a sequel." While far from seeing the green light, a new Zone of the Enders would seek to obtain a level of success the previous game missed out on, just as it missed a more profitable release window. "At that time, if I hadn't made a mistake with the release date, Anubis [as ZOE 2 is known in Japan] might have ended up a major Kojima Productions title to follow MGS, still seeing development as a series." How frustrating -- if only that considerable retconning power could be put to use outside of the Metal Gear mythology.
