Metal Gear Solid 4 to launch on 12 June
The game the PS3 was made for, apparently
It's official: Konami has announced that the fourth instalment in its extremely successful Metal Gear Solid series, Guns of the Patriots, will be released across Europe on 12 June.
Konami will whet appetites with a public beta version of Metal Gear Online before the release of MGS4, details of which will be released soon.
Delayed from last year, this latest adventure with former Foxhound black ops agent Solid Snake takes place in 2014, five years after the "Manhattan Incident" - the events depicted in the Plant chapter from Metal Gear Solid 2.
Guns of the Patriots is set in a world where the restriction of military intervention on foreign soil has been eased, fueling the need for private military companies (PMCs) to fight proxy wars for business purposes.
So plenty of guns, tech, shooting and big robots, then.
The name's Snake, Solid Snake. That's Mr. Snake to you.
Earlier this week Sony spoke of a MGS4 PS3 bundle to coincide with the US launch, including an 80GB console, MGS4 and a DualShock 3 wireless controller, all for $499. The bundle will only be available in the US.
No mention has been made as to whether the game will utilise the rumble function of the DualShock controller - something the previous games did, making that one of their trademark attractions to PlayStation gamers. But since Sony's bundling the controller in the US, it's likely that it will be utilised fully in the game.
The game will be released on a Blu-Ray disc containing both the game and Kojima Productions' Metal Gear Online, a dedicated online title that uses locations and gameplay elements from Guns of the Patriots.
COMMENTS
Wahoo!!
Though thumbs-down on Sony making this US-only. Now I'll have to pay $100 more for my round-trip to the US border to get my PS3!!!
Anyway, THIS is what I've been waiting for: a *cheaper* PS3, rumble feature, AND MGS4... which will have the Halo3 equivalent effect on the PS3; though I'd prefer to call it the "FF7 effect" because Halo3 is "just another FPS, but nice looking."
I just hope this release actually tilts the scale over to the PS3. Ok, maybe it won't overtake the Wii, but at least the xbox 360 it should... :)
Damn those lucky Euros...
I'm amused by Adam's complaint, because before this pack was announced I heard many USAians complaining about how unfair it was that Europe was getting such a beautiful looking GT5 Prologue pack - and the same has been true of other Europe-only pack-in deals in the past. I guess the grass is always greener on the other side...
All a moot point for anyone who already owns the system. With any luck you'll only be buying any given system in a bundle once, so it's hardly something to complain too vociferously about. Just buy the game separately, or in one of the inevitable retailer-based bundles. Sure, you won't have a pretty cardboard box to stick in your loft and forget about, but you'll get over it.
Anyone who says "I won't buy it if they don't bundle it with the game I want" really isn't the target audience, and frankly is just looking for excuses *not* to buy, and preferably to bash the manufacturer while they're at it.
@David S
"Possibly they don't care as much as you do? Just a thought."
Perhaps they should? They are reporters... reporting on the subject... just a thought...
Demo Clip
I downloaded a clip from Playstation Store (free) showing Hideo Kojima playing the game. Not sure how to get it outside of PS3 land but anyone interested in MGS should definitely take a look.
Re: importing
You don't _have_ to think about importing, AC. You're quite welcome to sit there without a PS3, safe in the knowledge that SCEE are missing their sale to you.
I, on the other hand, would rather sit there with an imported PS3 actually watching some movies, even if it means I'm no longer interested buying a UK model in the event of SCEE doing a better job eventually. Right now, however, there are easily enough people who are willing to pay over the odds that your money won't be missed.
