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Study scrutinizes shooters for violations of war crime laws

by Griffin McElroy { Nov 24th 2009 at 12:15PM }

Two Swiss humanitarian organizations recently examined 20 shooting-centric video games to determine whether they allowed players to break the wartime guidelines laid out by the Geneva Convention -- rules which prohibit torture, destroying "protected objects" (such as churches or mosques), or, say, shooting a bunch of people who are waiting to catch a plane. The games observed, which include 24: The Game, Call of Duty 4 and 5 (we assume they meant Modern Warfare 2) and Metal Gear Solid, were largely panned for allowing the player to simply ignore the Geneva Convention's statutes.

According to a BBC report on the study, the two groups explained that while players of these titles may never become soldiers, these war crime violations could "influence what people believe war is like and how soldiers conduct themselves in the real world."

In short, you should feel bad about your recent airport murder spree in Modern Warfare 2. Not for the moral implications of killing dozens and dozens of innocent people, mind you -- but because it was against the rules.

European PSN releases for November 19

by Griffin McElroy { Nov 19th 2009 at 10:20AM }

As promised in last week's European PSN update, today has reversed the recent slowdown of additions to the service. There's plenty of stuff to check out in the list after the jump, including the original Metal Gear Solid, Critter Crunch, a new Beatles: Rock Band track pack and LittleBigPlanet for the PSP. Sadly, there's no ridiculously named PSP Minis to make fun of this week. (We miss you, Yummy Yummy Cooking Jam!)

Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list:

(Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)

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Metal Gear Solid (the first) coming to Euro PSN this week

by Alexander Sliwinski { Nov 16th 2009 at 6:15PM }

Snake's first "solid" adventure is finally making its way to Europe's PSN. Eurogamer reports Konami's announcement that the tactical espionage action title will arrive this Thursday, November 19, for £8. We followed up with Sony Europe and a representative confirmed the release.

The PSN version of MGS is the original game released on PlayStation and not the Twin Snakes update released in 2004. For those living the States, the title has been available since this summer. The release of the first Metal Gear Solid on PSN will be followed by MGS: Portable Ops, MGS: Portable: Ops+ and MGS: Digital Graphic Novel. Of course, this is all in preparation for Peace Walker sometime next year.

Metal Gear Rex toy will launch a nuclear assault on your heart

by Richard Mitchell { Nov 13th 2009 at 3:15PM }

Created with the capability to launch a nuclear slug, halfway across the world -- undetected -- Metal Gear Rex is anything but cute. That is, until you shrink it down to toy size, at which point it becomes positively adorable. The killer collectible was initially spotted by a Toyark forum member, who noted it was coming from threeA. The forum dweller further noted that Rex appears to be 15 to 17 inches tall.

We're not sure if the railgun is functional but, if push comes to shove, you could definitely launch some rubber bands off of that thing. Pricing and release information have not yet been revealed.

[Via TomoPop. Thanks, Gusto]

Kojima Productions working on English language Peace Walker demo

by Andrew Yoon { Nov 2nd 2009 at 8:30PM }

The Metal Gear saga is not the easiest thing to follow. However, it's far more difficult to understand when it's not in English. Thankfully, Kojima Productions is going to make the Peace Walker demo a lot more accessible by rectifying that crucial problem. The latest Kojima Productions podcast reveals that an English demo is already in the works. Makes sense, considering the English voice casting is already complete.

"One could also argue that Peace Walker could be the most innovative title in the series yet," Ludwig stated in his TGS hands-on. Perhaps, after playing the upcoming demo, you will be that hypothetical "one" he spoke of.

[Via Siliconera]

New MGS: Peace Walker demo on Japanese PSN this Sunday

by David Hinkle { Oct 28th 2009 at 1:00PM }

Some days you feed on a tree frog ... and some days you get a new Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker demo! Kojima's official blog brings word that a new demo will drop on the Japanese PSN this Sunday, November 1st. It's not quite the same as the one we got our hands on -- this one will be a tweaked version of the demo that was available exclusively in a special section of Konami's booth at the Tokyo Game Show.

Kojima Productions has modified the controls based on player feedback, adding an unlockable third control scheme on top of the original two. The developer also improved the enemy AI and behavior, and changed the CQC system a tad, all in an effort to make the game easier to play.

Kojima explains that this process of releasing demos is a game of "catch ball" with the players and that he's looking for more input after they've tried this second demo. Sharing is caring, after all.

[Via andriasang]

Kojima and Desilets trade praise over Assassin's Creed 2 and Peace Walker

by Ben Gilbert { Oct 22nd 2009 at 7:55PM }

Assassin's Creed 2 head Patrice Désilets and MGS: Peace Walker head Hideo Kojima had a war of compliments in the most recent issue of Famitsu. It seems that the two gentlemen have a bit of a game industry bromance going on, lauding the other's current project in a back and forth translated by 1UP. "I think there are three games that stand out above the rest of the pack in the remainder of this year. One is Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2, one is Uncharted 2, and the third is Assassin's Creed II," said Kojima.

"If I had to give my impression of Peace Walker, I'd have to say that I want to play more," Désilets responded. "It was great fun; I can't wait for the retail version." Kojima expanded a bit on his appreciation for Désilets' "focus on game design" over style, and said that he's currently considering the possibility of them "maybe, kinda" going steady. Okay, we made up that last part.

Kojima has plan for ZOE sequel, but lacks production line

by Ludwig Kietzmann { Oct 19th 2009 at 6:00PM }

"The production lines within Kojima Productions are currently full," Hideo Kojima writes on the Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker blog. The candid comments, translated by Andriasang, spring from the designer's recently expressed desire to return to the Zone of the Enders universe -- someday. Clogged by large, anticipated titles like the aforementioned Peace Walker and Metal Gear Solid: Rising, the Kojima Productions pipeline doesn't have the room to support the fan-requested sequel. But there's plenty of room in the revered designer's head.

"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.

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker English voice cast announced

by Griffin McElroy { Oct 16th 2009 at 2:00PM }

With fingers crossed, we turned to the latest Kojima Productions podcast, hoping beyond hope that the studio had taken our recommendation to refresh the voice of Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker's bearded protagonist. Our nominee for Solid Snake's new pipes? Bobcat Goldthwait. Sure, Mr. Goldthwait would likely take the series in an unexpected direction -- but what unsuspecting player wouldn't be swept up in an exploration of Snake's rarely discussed history as a rabid, nigh-incomprehensible stand-up comic? Now there's a 90-minute cutscene we can get behind.

Alas, Konami's recently announced voice cast for Peace Walker is actually (gasp!) sans-Goldthwait. Of course David Hayter will reprise the role for, like, the hundredth time. The rest of the totally unsurprising list can be found after the jump -- but why not watch this beautiful excerpt of the Peace Walker that could have been instead?

[Via Kotaku]

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Hideo Kojima wants a new Zone of the Enders

by Griffin McElroy { Oct 15th 2009 at 4:30PM }

You guys aren't going to believe who our very own Jem Alexander got to interview recently: Hideo Kojima! That's right, we've got some Joystiq Original Reporting™ in the video above, in which Joystiq's European emissary interviews the Metal Gear Solid creator about his upcoming plans. It's a huge boon for our humble news site, and we thank Jem for his -- wait, what? He doesn't work here anymore? That limey bastard!

We're going to be busy stewing in our anger for a while, so go ahead and watch that interview --make sure you don't miss the 3:45 mark, when Kojima speaks about how a current-gen Zone of the Enders title is "on the top of the list" of his studio's priorities. That news is almost delightful enough to make us forget our brutal betrayal.

MGS: Peace Walker to feature Vocaloid, interactive cutscenes ... and a surprise that'll make you buy a PSP?

by James Ransom-Wiley { Oct 13th 2009 at 8:30PM }

Ever the consummate hype man, Hideo Kojima is fluffing up Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker by teasing an apparent system-selling feature. "I haven't announced this yet, but there's another feature in [Peace Walker] that will surprise people, to the point where they'll want to go out and buy a PSP right now!" Kojima blabbed in the latest issue of Famitsu (as translated by 1UP). Short of some sort of in-game subliminal advertising (hey, these guys like to experiment), we're thinking The Two-Hundred-and-Forty-Nine-Ninety-Nine-Dollar Feature -- or maybe it's just "The Buck-Seventy Feature" -- could get lost in translation. After all, the two Peace Walker features that have been newly revealed seem distinctly Japanese in their appeal.

Also plucked from the pages of Famitsu, is the revelation that Peace Walker will feature Yamaha's Vocaloid software. (Yeah, we'd never heard of it either -- just wikipedia it.) If we understand it correctly, Vocaloid will allow certain weapons in the game to sing and scream. Mm-hmm, sounds incredibly annoying.

Also revealed: Those 2D-illustrated cut scenes? Yep, like this one. Well, they're interactive. "For example, if you zoom in on the scene where you first meet Paz, you can see the uniform she has on under her coat, and then what's under that," art director Yoji Shinkawa explained ... rather creepily. "It's an idea I came up with while thinking about what makes games different from movies or animation. I think it's pretty interactive." Hopefully, not too interactive.

Kojima cryptically gives opinion on Obama's Nobel Prize

by Griffin McElroy { Oct 10th 2009 at 8:30PM }

If you thought the writing on the cutscene-friendly Metal Gear Solid franchise was confusing, the reason for that should be crystal clear when you read the personal blog of the series' creator, Hideo Kojima. The blog's latest update imparted the enigmatic developer's feelings on President Barack Obama's recent, unexpected reception of the Nobel Peace Prize:

"President Obama, who declared 'A World Without Nuclear Weapons' in Prague, has won the Nobel Peace Prize. Has the era at last started shifting? The start of the Peace Walker plan? I hope that comes to be. 'Peace will not walk to you.' 'You must both walk towards one another.' From the gym."

Not only does this entry reveal that Kojima writes like William Shatner speaks, but it also exposes a grim truth of the Metal Gear series -- it's all real. The GW construct. The Philosophers' Legacy. The Patriots. FoxDie. And, of course, somewhere there exists a real-life Metal Gear. Based on this post, we're guessing it's in a gym.

[Via Andriasang]

TGS 2009: Hands-on: Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker (co-op)

by Ludwig Kietzmann { Sep 28th 2009 at 8:57AM }

Sharing a flimsy, cardboard box with another soldier is sure to be an inexhaustible supply of awkward discomfort. Aside from the clear violation of personal space, there are two major concerns for the occupants of Metal Gear Solid's iconic camouflage: (1) Who's driving this thing? And (2) that better be your gun poking me in the back, I swear.

Thankfully, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker has an elegant solution for the former problem. Holding up on the PSP's d-pad will "sync" you with your sneaking partner(s) and, as long as the button remains held down, you'll stay in automatic lockstep with the leader. Remaining a cohesive group is an essential strategy for a silent approach, though splitting up offers its own advantages as well.

Gallery: Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (TGS 2009)

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TGS 2009: Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker's epic 10-minute trailer

by Randy Nelson { Sep 24th 2009 at 10:40PM }

Hideo Kojima wasn't kidding around when he said his crack MGS4 development team was going for an epic, console-quality Metal Gear experience with Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker on PSP. This freshly released TGS 2009 trailer for the game is proof positive that Kojima Productions is putting its all into the release -- it looks absolutely amazing, clearly building on the presentation and gameplay of both MGS4 and MGS3: Snake Eater.

Of course, you don't just have to settle for the trailer. Once it's got you good and pumped up to choke out some fools as Big Boss himself, check our post from yesterday to down-la-li-lu-le-load the TGS demo for play on your very own PSP. How cool is that?

TGS 2009: Take a break from the MGS Peace Walker demo for these screens

by JC Fletcher { Sep 24th 2009 at 9:30AM }

Is one blurry image from Famitsu not enough to sate your desire to look at the new characters in Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker? We hope it isn't, because we have many images of the game, and we'd be sad if nobody wanted to look at them.

Our new gallery includes not only screenshots (featuring many Snakes crouching in front of all kinds of different things), but renders and Yoji Shinkawa character artwork for Snake and the new characters. Check out Snake's armor! There's also some new Ashley Wood artwork (the stuff with the yellow and red highlights) that exemplifies the art style used in the cutscenes. But we're guessing you know that by now.