Kojima divulges new MGS4 details

The granddaddy of Metal Gear talks up the savvy new gameplay features in Snake's PS3 adventure. If there's one PS3 game worth getting excited about at the moment, it's the graphically spectacular fourth entry in the Metal Gear Solid franchise, and in another recent interview with PSM2 mag, series mastermind Hideo Kojima revealed some more tasty new gameplay details.

In the interview the MGS father details Snake's new camouflage suit the "Octo Cam." As seen in the excellent E3 trailer Snake's suit will change form and colour depending on his surroundings. As revealed by Kojima, this will happen automatically when Snake is immobile, and apparently the its fancy graphical effect is only possible on the PlayStation 3.

Also revealed in the interview is the extent of MGS4's interactive environments, most of which will apparently be destructible.

[Retard]

Does make me wonder what parts makes it hard (or impossible?) to run on Xbox360, wish he would tell us.

[Bill Nye]

Nothing. It would run on 360 just fine. Previously Kojima has said MGS is a PlayStation franchise, and that's why it's on PS3. But I think he means that the camo suit would not be possibly on current-gen hardware.

[Shadow Flare]

"As revealed by Kojima, this will happen automatically when Snake is immobile, and apparently its fancy graphical effect is only possible on the PlayStation 3"

[Bill Nye]

Ok. If you can't get past the fanboy in you and think a small effect like real-time camouflage can't be done on any hardware besides the PS3, good for you. I'll stay with objectivity.

[zypher]

he's simply stating what Kojima said. whats unobjective about that? seems to me that you aren't being objective, as to assume Kojima meant one thing when he said something almost entirely different.

[Bill Nye]

I'm being objective by not being affected by the name "PlayStation 3." I'm being objective by thinking about the statement logically.

1) Kojima hasn't developed for the 360, thus he can't necessarily say that it wouldn't work on it. Perhaps if he later ported it to 360 he'd find out.

2) Kojima HAS worked with PS2, which acts as a good indication of what frame of reference he's in.

It's just like all the first party developers for Sony saying how much is possible with PS3. They only say PS3 because that's all they're working with, not because 360 isn't equally or nearly as capable.

[zypher]

then objectively speaking how can you say that the 360 is able to handle MGS4? using your logic even if Kojima said the 360 could handle MGS4 he wouldn't know for sure, because he has never actually worked as a developer for the 360, as you just said. you can't accept one comment as valid but then disavow the other comment under the argument of objectivity

[Bill Nye]

Well, Kojima has said it would be possible to develop MGS4 on 360, but you're right in saying that comment would not be based on any experience on his part, just from specifications and in terms of developing a new game. Anyway, my argument was that in his statement about the camo only being possible on PS3 he's talking about PS2 and other current-gen platforms for reasons I've already stated.

But my comment from my first reply regarding it being possible on 360 stems from the conclusion that Kojima is referring to only current-gen. So, my comment about 360 being able to do it is entirely my own based on my own observation of specifications and games for 360. Do you honestly believe that ONLY the PS3 can create such an effect? Or are you just nitpicking about 'objectivity'?

[zypher]

well, if you wanna look at it that way, i guess i was nitpicking. either way i was just stating facts. as i saw it, i just didn't think it was fair to accept one pro-360 comment from Kojima, but then objectively deny the pro-PS3 (thus anti-360) comment using the logic that he has no experience with the 360. as it stands, even though i find your logic not necessarily objective in this instance, i still see where you're coming from. to set the record straight: yes, i do believe that the 360 is capable of rendering MGS4 with nearly all the special fx (including camouflage, which if i'm not mistaking the original XBox was able to do to some extent) as the PS3. however, i STILL believe that should Kojima port MGS4 to the 360 it won't have the same graphical flare as its PS3 brethren; it'll be akin to, say, the difference between RE4 on the PS2 as opposed to the Gamecube; a negligible difference, but an apparent difference nevertheless.

while we're on the subject of graphics, personally, i wouldn't even quantify MGS4 as the cream-of-the-crop in PS3 graphics. that honor i would bestow upon Heavy Rain, though marginally.

[neeharb]

YOU see now i told you Ps3 is trying to get invisible itself !!!! what a bunch of loosers!!
if you cant live up to the hype then dont create it !!!

[jedicurt]

a great man once said, "rambling without coordinated thought and direction is the first sign of incompetence". Thank you for proving that neeharb

[ssj04]

Did you two even read the article? he is just talking about the games and both of you here bashing the interview? The fawk is wrong with you two? It's just an interview about the game dude get a grip.

[ssj04]

Sorry Jedicurt, I didn't really red your comment. My comment was direct at Needharb.... Sorry for the confusion.

[Moostache]

Now I am not the world's biggest fan of MGS games (just think the plots are too crazy to be fun and I have never recovered from the idea of sneaking past someone while wearing a cardboard box too take it all that seriously - (maybe to my greater loss, but it is what it is...)but I think it is very likely Sony took offense to Hideo's earlier interview stating that MGS4 could easily have been on XB360 and "convincing" him that he should temper those public statements.

Maybe, maybe not. But I think it is funny he would have such a drastic change of heart as to say that something is now "only possible on PS3" when a few weeks ago it was something different altogether. I am relatively sure that the PS3 has not suddenly become more powerful in the intervening 3 weeks and the 360 surely hasn't become less powerful since it is already out.

Methinks this smells of dammage control. Surely Sony was none-too-please with its ace developer making flattering statements about programming opossibilities on a rival machine when they are tryign to market the PS3 as the clearly more powerful machine...

[REDMOND BOYZZ]

Methinks I'll agree, and i thought you're the one needed changing.lol

[OutLaw]

I don't think Sony has that type of pull to tell a company like Konami what to do. Hey, We all know what konami could do with a game like this. But I wouldn't say that this game would never go over to the 360. Sony has alot to prove with the PS3. Not just make the system great, but convince us why we should own the system besides the blu ray technology.

PS cute baby.

[zypher]

i remember the comment, but i don't remember him saying "easily." i'll be the first PS fan to say that i think MGS4 is possible on the 360, but WITH a marginal decrease in graphical flare, such as Kojima inferred with his current comment. besides, some developers (such as Carmmack) who actually prefer the 360 over the PS3 due to ease of development have went on record as saying that the PS3 is over-all more powerful than the 360, and that the differences will become apparent in the near-to-distant future.

[OutLaw]

I could argue with you about every spec of both systems. But it will be pointless. The psp is more stronger than the DS but right now the edge goes to the DS. The dreamcast was just as strong (and in my opinion stronger) than the PS2. But people preferred the PS2. So power of the system doesn't always translate to game companies making games for it. It's us the consumers who make that choice and also makes a difference for what succeeds and what doesn't.

[zypher]

oh, i agree, which is why i don't have a PSP anymore. games matter more than graphics. my post was in response to the 360 being capable of handling MGS4, which, as i said, i think it can, just with a decrease in graphical quality. but you're right, its the games that matter. this is what separates true gamers from fanboys. fanboys like to compare meaninglessly, while gamers just get what they like, irregardless of who makes it. with me, i just like the games that the PS/PS2 (and probably) the PS3 has to offer. its merely a matter of preference. all that XBox has is Halo (and a bunch of other fps'). i'm not knocking the validity of fps' being a good genre, i'm just saying that it isn't completely my cup of tea. i just see more diversity and variety in PS/PS2's quality as opposed to XBox/360.

as far as Dreamcast i have to disagree with you. while Dreamcast was a great system (trust me i know, as i was one of the first to buy one at my local--then--Babbages), i seriously doubt it would've been able to handle the graphics of such games as Gran Turismo 3, MGS2, God of War, Resident Evil 4 (for all the hitting the PS2's version took from the Gamecube), Bouncer (gameplay sucked, but the graphics were top notch for their time), Final Fantasy X and a slew of other PS2 games.

[Marriot VP]

come on, you think MGS4 can be on a 360 just with less graphics. That defeats kojima's whole statement, the exact same game can be produced on a 360. 2007 will be the first year for ps3 games, come on now. The MGS4 trailers are a cutscene, it's not exactly what you'll see in gameplay. And those cutscenes can be played off of anything really, even a average computer. It's a movie, you'll never see cinematics like that in the game in third person. You'll see it in the cutscenes, and undeniably cutscenes always look quite better than the actual gameplay.

[Truth]

Hideo's remark that MGS4 could be done on the 360 was made months ago. And he didn't say it could be done easily, he said it was possible however with hits to the physics and AI.

[zypher]

well, the replays in Gran Turismo 3/4 and the in-game cut-scenes in MGS2/3 look just the same as those respective games actual gameplay. in-game cut-scenes and actual gameplay are both the same things, just from two different perspectives. as someone pointed out before, Kojima has never actually worked with the 360 hardware, so he doesn't know for sure how it would be able to handle MGS4 (for all we know, though i HIGHLY doubt it, the 360 may be able to make MGS4 look better than on the PS3). instead of making this a debate, why not just get MGS4 when it comes out, regardless of whatever system it is on. as much as it may be the only game i get for the system, i know for certain i'll be one of the first in line for Halo 3

[Marriot VP]

well yah I know what you mean. I agree it's a great game and we'll have to wait for some definate footage. I never give any trailer good props, it's the gameplay that I'm interested in. Like GOW or Mass Effect.

[Schmitty07]

Fisrt off, I just want to say how much I agree with zypher.

Already having a 360, I wasn't planning on getting a PS3. But lately I have been getting pulled in by MGS4. I will probably just wait to see the price of the PS3 go down, and see how MGS4 turns out.

I was pleased with MG Acid on the PSP, but that was the only Metal Gear game I played. (Recently got rid of PSP for the lack of games). What is the gameplay of MGS series? It it the same card-based, turn style?

Edit: Paul Cerula---love the Nittany Lion icon you have! I have season tickets to all the home games. WE ARE.......

[Marriot VP]

...PENN STATE (i'm a sophomore there)

Zypher I know, it's nice not to have to rebuttal air headed comments anymore. Just frickin wait, I can.

[Schmitty07]

That's where I'm going for college. Right now I'm 15, and both my parents went there. I already know my way around the campus and downtown.

[Cyclonus]

Kojima prolly meant "only possible on (sic)next-gen systems", but since its just for PS3, he just mentioned the console the games comin out for.

[Bill Gates]

I can't beleive this, This is probably the first time where 95% of the comments were actual conversation amongst gamers and not amongst bickering fanboys/girls. This is great. There should be more of this stuff. I enjoyed reading all of the comments, with the exception of #2 and #8
I knew eventually we would all see the light and realise we're all just gamers.
keep it up gamers.

One last thing.
If you notice almost all of the news posts for the xbox360 page have almost no comments. But yet the PS3 page, almost all of the posts are ridled with comments from xbox fanboys. I wonder why that is. PS3 is always in the back of their little minds.

[Lucas Kane]

well it is nice to see some positive comments and the average discussions among the gamers( atleast no fanbois/gals). for me, i'm just waiting for this game. played all the metal gear games( right from metal gear and metal gear 2 solid snake!!). loved the MG acid. now it is MGS4!!

[clayton]

The 360 could do it just fine, the only thing the ps3 can trump the 360 on is maybe more characters on screen during battle and more pieces from explosions. But, no one can say, because no one has seen cell in action except for the insiders in the gaming business. Besides, the 360's gpu is more advanced and theoretically better. You know the gpu in the PS3 is touted as a little faster than a NVidia 7800gtx chipset, which has alot of trouble displaying Oblivion with anti-aliasing, I don't know yet how the PS3 will perform.

[Wotbot]

I agree with you #29. The graphics in Mass effect are equal if not better than MGS4. So I can see no reason for the 360 not to have the game.

[Anerythristic26]

What a foolish comment he made. What about Snakes suit changing color and shape can't be done on the 360 ? It stinks of damage control over his past comments. I am pretty impartial but this is a LIE - sorry had to say it.

[Wotbot]

If I am not mistaken, no one has a final Dev kits yet.

So what is the game footage we have all seen, running on?

It is obvious that the current PS3 Dev kits don't compete with 360 final Dev kits.

So this is another reason why I cannot see MGS4 being ported to the 360 with out any detail loss.

[Anerythristic26]

I think alot of people have tunnel vision when it comes to MGS4. It really is the same issue as other gamers are having with Gears of War. MG4 is the best looking game shown for the PS3 so far. Honestly alot of the screens going around are CGI ( every time I see an extreme close up ou a strange unplayable camera angle I call CGI ) The in game screens I have seen while beautiful can easily be done on a 360. When I see something that can't be done on a 360 I will call it. This game is on par graphically with GOW and a few other 360 titles. It really does look like a natural next generation step from a game such as Res Evil 4 , I think we will see many games with that amount of detail on both systems.

[THE TRUTH]

It is obvious that the current PS3 Dev kits don't compete with 360 final Dev kits.

How do you know this? What do you know about 360 dev kits? and more importantly what do you know about ps3 dev kits?

I think the game could run on a 360 at lesser state but thats just my opinion...

Nothing on a 360 dev kit looked this good, matter of fact nothing on the 360 now looks this good. MGS seriers is one to be reckon with top notch graphics, story and gameplay what more could you ask for?

Personally I am hyped about this game and the news keeps getting better as the weeks go by. Progess in a potentially Generation Defining game WOW

[Wotbot]

Sorry I meant to say

"So this is another reason why I can see MGS4 being ported to the 360 with out any detail loss".

[Wotbot]

The dev kits for the PS3 at this stage are far from finished if the reports are true. Which means they are sh#t when compared to the 360 final dev kits.

And the Cell chip only has a little more power (20%) when used at its peak than the 360's cpu. Go to hardware site to find this info.

And some of the games that were shown at e3 were at a poor stat with frame rates and so on. Some of these games have been in development for the same amount of time as 2nd gen 360 titles. And this must point at crap dev kits.

[user9422077]

he the man

[lnfinite]

Pure