Support NeoGAF

[SolidSnakex]

Thought this deserved its own thread. They actually managed to get some new info out of him. It's from TXB

Here's information I gathered from the interview. Everything in quotes is from Kojima. Everything else is in my words.


- "...Snake is on a mission not to go to a certain place, but a battlefield"

- In MGS4, everyone around you may not be your enemy

- "The whole environment changes in real time, so the player controling Snake has the option to make any sort of involvement they woul dlike to in order to progress the game"

- Snake will go into multiple battles (different locations)

- "...But in the near-future war, it's more like a business, so there's lots of money involved, meaning they'll hire mercenaries to fight on behalf of their country."

- Kojima gives his prediction of what war will be like in the future and it seems that's what will be portrayed in MGS4. If you have seen the trailer you have somewhat of an idea of his vision. Reading this reminds me of Mercenaries. Each country fighting each other through the use of mercenaries/bounty hunters.

- Kojima is still working out how many years after MGS2 this game will take place. He said it might be as many as 10 years.

- Snake is aging faster because he is a clone. Apparently that's because the cloning technology was new in the 70s. I guess you can say it wasn't polished.

- The whole thing with sanke injecting something into his neck in the trailer may not be in the game.

- Kojima said " I might have second thoughts about a younger Snake if everyone thinks he looks too old."

- CQC will return in MGS4 "People will have question marks if Snake can do CQC, but if you follow the story, you'll understand why he has it."

- stamina will probably make a return in MGS4; "...still undecided on the food capture system."

- The little Metal Gear with Otacon on it will replace the codec and be used for communication

- will it only be Otacon on it? "That's a secret."

ok, I will right this question out...

Will you ever control it yourself to scout ahead or take pictures?

"Yes. We're tyring to do it at this stage, but if the game comes out and those features are not in the game, please realize that it was because we couldn't do it for a good reason. We had the plan for a remote controlled robot for even MGS2, however, due to the specs of the PS2, we couldn't do it."

- Kojima has thought about having a second player or even using the PSP to control it

- Kojima on the bigger robots in the trailer; "I cannot say what that is or what it will do because of the plot. What I can say is taht the leg part of what you saw is not 100% robot. It's like biotechnology. It's kind of like a cyborg. Think of it as the ninja suit in MGS1. If you shoot the leg, blood comes out. But it's very fast because it's not a robotic thing - it's got muscles. So it can move quite fast.

The upper part is a robot and is AI controlled. It's not very smart. We're gong to let you in on a little secret regarding that machine. If you watch the trailer again, when it comes out you can hear the crying noise of the cicada bug. In Japan, when you hear the cries of cicada, to most japanese people, it automatically makes them think of summer. And then it brings you back to your childhood, because there was so much nature in the past, so many cicada.

The footsteps soudn it makes is acutally a horse. When it approaches you, you have the cicada sound and the sound of a horse approaching you. Also, the cires of the machine are from a cow. So, there's a horse, a cow, and a cicada. All that combined gives you a natural feeling. This is the mental, psychological way to kill an enemy. See, in a battlefield you have a tense feeling. But when this machine approaches you, you have the horse soud, and the cow cry, and the cicada cry, and it makes you forget where you are and think about your childhood. You feel a little peaceful."

And then they strike?

"Yes, then they attack. So it's very psychological"

Can you talk about how Raiden is involved in the story?

"Should Raiden appear? [Laugher]

- Raiden is popular in Japan; there making him a cool character this time. "There's even potential you'll like him more than Snake!"

- "...in MGS4, yes, we will try to make Snake control anything that's possible" That was reffering to vehicles.

 

[TheJollyCorner]

these guys on Team Kojima have Molyneux-style ambition... but the great thing is they can actually pull all this stuff off.

Thanks for posting, SSX.

 

[AgentOtaku]

good quotes, thx!


I personally like the new, older snake (mustache FTMFW!) and hope he doesn't decide to use an younger snake. I think it gives the game an awesome edge

 

[Ryudo]

- Raiden is popular in Japan; there making him a cool character this time. "There's even potential you'll like him more than Snake!"

YES !!!! Kill that stupid Snake Pliskin wannabe off !

 

[capslock]

I think the stuff about a younger snake is just Kojima toying with the interviewers, I highly doubt he's acutally going to do it. I personally think an older snake is cool, god knows we need more diversity with video game protagonists, and it makes sense with the storyline. Maybe I would add a beard on him as well, but that's the only change I would want made.

 

[Error]

- Kojima has thought about having a second player or even using the PSP to control it

Raiden will be given the "Tingle GBA connectivity treatment" :lol

 

[Guy LeDouche]

cross-posting my reply from the general PSM thread. all they're talking about over there is whether X360 will get UT2k7 or not.

Some bits from Hideo Kojima interview (thanks to Zbox)

Hideo Kojima is a gift from the gods.

- The whole thing with snake injecting something into his neck in the trailer may not be in the game.

- Kojima said " I might have second thoughts about a younger Snake if everyone thinks he looks too old."

Please keep it how it is. Snake the older, more fragile warrior is a wonderful perspective to tell what is apparently the final chapter in the Metal Gear series, though that doesn't exclude MG games that take place in the X years between 2 and 4. The story should reach its end with Solid Snake

 

[SolidSnakex]

I'm happy about the fully destructable environments. Hopefully that's one step closer to doing away with not being able to advance passed a section in a game because you don't have a key or because there's a block in the way.

 

[Guy LeDouche]

I'm happy about the fully destructable environments. Hopefully that's one step closer to doing away with not being able to advance passed a section in a game because you don't have a key or because there's a block in the way.

haha, that's my biggest pet peeve - "Sure, I have a Desert Eagle, a Shotgun and a rocket launcher, but I can't get past this wooden door because I haven't found the Frog emblem in the desk of the antagonist and then put it in the statue in the garden."

I understand its a hardware limitation, but damnit next-gen is the time. No excuses.

 

[jett]

Has Kojima actually, literally said "destructible enviornments"? All I hear is that the environments changes, which could mean many things.

 

[JavyOO7]

haha, that's my biggest pet peeve - "Sure, I have a Desert Eagle, a Shotgun and a rocket launcher, but I can't get past this wooden door because I haven't found the Frog emblem in the desk of the antagonist and then put it in the statue in the garden."

I understand its a hardware limitation, but damnit next-gen is the time. No excuses.

I see it more like a suspension of belief, believe it or not. I get so immersed in the game I follow by the game's rules (RE or MGS or etc) strictly, not caring whether I disagree with the game's laws or not. I just go with the flow really.

Besides that, destructible environments and all that sounds great. And old Snake looks awesome, BTW.

 

[SolidSnakex]

Has Kojima actually, literally said "destructible enviornments"? All I hear is that the environments changes, which could mean many things.

He's said they'll be destructable before (you can see signs of it in the trailers) but this is the first time he's said the whole thing will be destructable.

 

[Ryudo]

I love Raiden <3

I think Raiden's better than snake, hopefully snake dies halfway through and raiden takes over

Sorry to offend anyone

 

[SolidSnakex]

Snake isn't dying and Raiden isn't taking over for him...Atleast not in MGS4. The ending to the Snake Eraser movie suggested he went home and cried to Rose after trying to kill Snake all through the video.

 

[HomerSimpson-Man]

I would just take the ability to play MGS4 from Raiden's point of view of the story, that would be pretty damn sweet. Beat it as Snake, beat it again as Raiden from his perspective of the storyline!!

 

[Error]

I think Raiden's better than snake, hopefully snake dies halfway through and raiden takes over

Sorry to offend anyone

I don't think the main problem was that Raiden sucks... the problem (at least with me) with the character are those long drawn out conversations with Rose. I really don't have a problem with Raiden at all and I'm glad he is coming back.

 

[Ryudo]

Snake isn't dying and Raiden isn't taking over for him...Atleast not in MGS4. The ending to the Snake Eraser movie suggested he went home and cried to Rose after trying to kill Snake all through the video.

You did kill snake in MGS2 when Raiden gets the sword right ?

 

[BigBoss]

You did kill snake in MGS2 when Raiden gets the sword right ?

I would never do such a thing.

 

[HomerSimpson-Man]

I hit him with the sword, I think he smacked me for it. I got him with all the nudie mags though, and laughed watching Snake try (and fail) not to look. Snake can't look away from the ladies!!

 

[SolidSnakex]

You did kill snake in MGS2 when Raiden gets the sword right ?

No, but I did make Snake masturbate to girly posters.

 

[cvxfreak]

haha, that's my biggest pet peeve - "Sure, I have a Desert Eagle, a Shotgun and a rocket launcher, but I can't get past this wooden door because I haven't found the Frog emblem in the desk of the antagonist and then put it in the statue in the garden."

I understand its a hardware limitation, but damnit next-gen is the time. No excuses.

Wait, isn't that RE? :lol

 

[AltogetherAndrews]

The footsteps soudn it makes is acutally a horse. When it approaches you, you have the cicada sound and the sound of a horse approaching you. Also, the cires of the machine are from a cow. So, there's a horse, a cow, and a cicada. All that combined gives you a natural feeling. This is the mental, psychological way to kill an enemy. See, in a battlefield you have a tense feeling. But when this machine approaches you, you have the horse soud, and the cow cry, and the cicada cry, and it makes you forget where you are and think about your childhood. You feel a little peaceful.

That doesn't sound right. If you are in a tense situation, a sudden calming influence would cause immediate conflict. It would be a complete clash of emotions, and this would realistically put people on even higher alert. It honestly doesn't seem like they thought this one through. Personally I think they are just trying to add artifical depth to something that was included based on style.

 

[CB3]

Bah he does not even answer the tough questions such as

"Does Snake Make the prruuwuu sound still?"

 

[ronito]

Bah he does not even answer the tough questions such as

"Does Snake Make the prruuwuu sound still?"

Dag nab it! Beaten!!! Prrruuwuu!

 

[ThirstyFly]

Wait, so the new baby Metal Gears moo?

Awesome.

 

[BuG]

stamina will probably make a return in MGS4; "...still undecided on the food capture system."

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=cannibalism

 

[Wax Free Vanilla]

"Yes. We're tyring to do it at this stage, but if the game comes out and those features are not in the game, please realize that it was because we couldn't do it for a good reason. We had the plan for a remote controlled robot for even MGS2, however, due to the specs of the PS2, we couldn't do it."


- Kojima has thought about having a second player or even using the PSP to control it

didn't forsete mention this?

 

[bud]

didn't forsete mention this?

OMG FORSETE AM KOJIMA!!

The whole thing with sanke injecting something into his neck in the trailer may not be in the game.

:\

 

[AssMan]

What about the psychological elements of the game, like scaring the hell out of your enemy. I can't wait for that one.

 

[SolidSnakex]

What about the psychological elements of the game, like scaring the hell out of your enemy. I can't wait for that one.

That usually the type of info he talks about in his blog. I haven't heard him mention that they've brought in the psychologist they're going to use to help them with that.

 

[Raiden]

Man Hideo dont be a pussy, i know he's doing it for the fans, but changing Snake and other shit just because the fans want it...meh.

 

[kaching]

haha, that's my biggest pet peeve - "Sure, I have a Desert Eagle, a Shotgun and a rocket launcher, but I can't get past this wooden door because I haven't found the Frog emblem in the desk of the antagonist and then put it in the statue in the garden."

I understand its a hardware limitation, but damnit next-gen is the time. No excuses.

Actually, I don't think its a hardware limitation, I think its more of a devilishly hard issue from a game balance/challenge perspective. If doors were readily destructible, players could more easily blast through the level and then you get a lot of complaints that game was simply too easy.

That doesn't sound right. If you are in a tense situation, a sudden calming influence would cause immediate conflict.

Not if it works on a more subconscious level. You may not realize you're being lulled immediately, and any delay in acknowledging the effect works to the enemy's benefit.

 

[AltogetherAndrews]

Not if it works on a more subconscious level. You may not realize you're being lulled immediately, and any delay in acknowledging the effect works to the enemy's benefit.

If the volume of those sounds is anything like the trailer, then it sure won't be working on a subconscious level. Think about it. You're in the middle of a war zone, and suddenly you hear a cow. Now do you honestly believe this would make you think about your childhood, and thereby make you more vulnerable to an attack? Doesn't it make more sense to say that it'd probably cause you to be suspicious and therefore even more alert?

 

[AssMan]

Maybe I'm not getting what he's implying, but how would the part about the cicada and the cow be beneficial to the gameplay when fighting enemies? Will Snake be scared or will using the tactic on the enemy scare him/her? What I was talking about the psychological parts of the game is say you're sniping enemies from a roof and then they start to get scared. They're looking around frantically, and backing away slowly. Maybe some of the enemies run away.

 

[Goreomedy]

Maybe I'm not getting what he's implying, but how would the part about the cicada and the cow be beneficial to the gameplay when fighting enemies? Will Snake be scared or will using the tactic on the enemy scare him/her? What I was talking about the psychological parts of the game is say you're sniping enemies from a roof and then they start to get scared. They're looking around frantically, and backing away slowly. Maybe some of the enemies run away.

It's a diversion tactic. If visual or audio cues force a soldier to think of their childhood, right before a surprise attack, they will have slower response time. It's quite brilliant, actually, that they're going this deep into the psychological warfare aspect.

 

[AltogetherAndrews]

It's a diversion tactic. If visual or audio cues force a soldier to think of their childhood, right before a surprise attack, they will have slower response time. It's quite brilliant, actually, that they're going this deep into the psychological warfare aspect.

Except that it's completely unrealistic and backwards psychology. A sound that is unnatural to the situation will have the same effect as a bullhorn. It's not going to have a lulling effect, nor is it going to make them think about their childhood; it's going to make them think "that's weird, I better keep my guard up" or possibly "that's weird, I better go investigate". Seriously, it makes NO sense, and I do not for a second buy that Kojima is dumb enough to believe this himself.

 

[Guy LeDouche]

Kojima always talks crazy in mid-development of a MGS title. I'll wait for more concrete stuff.

 

[Goreomedy]

Except that it's completely unrealistic and backwards psychology. A sound that is unnatural to the situation will have the same effect as a bullhorn. It's not going to make them think about their childhood, it's going to make them think "that's weird, I better keep my guard up" or possibly "that's weird, I better go investigate". Seriously, it makes NO sense, and I do not for a second buy that Kojima is dumb enough to believe this himself.

It's a natural extension of tactics used in history slanted with Kojima's Metal Gear "reality".

Children strapped with bombs. Boobytrapped teddy bears. American National Anthem or popular songs played by vietnamese soldiers before an attack.

These hulking beasts given the sound of harmless, domesticated animals like cows and horses, and seasonal audio cues like locusts, would be distracting and perhaps subconsciously relaxing as Kojima puts it.

Yeah, after the attack happens you'll grow to fear those sounds, but this must be the first time these Metal Gears have been in service.

 

[Duderz]

I really hope they keep Snake as an old man and don't change him back.

A really nice nod to the fans, I thought.

Don't change it, Konami! (And bring out disc 3!)

 

[AltogetherAndrews]

It's a natural extension of tactics used in history slanted with Kojima's Metal Gear "reality".

Children strapped with bombs. Boobytrapped teddy bears. American National Anthem or popular songs played by vietnamese soldiers before an attack.

These hulking beasts given the sound of harmless, domesticated animals like cows and horses, and seasonal audio cues like locusts, would be distracting and perhaps subconsciously relaxing as Kojima puts it.

Yeah, after the attack happens you'll grow to fear those sounds, but this must be the first time these Metal Gears have been in service.

Saying that it's part of the Metal Gear reality is a cop out and does not at all mesh with the other claims in regards to realistic A.I.

A booby trapped bear only works if there is little to no existing suspicion of foul play. This whole lulling idea falls apart the moment it is tied to a battlefield environment. Suddenly hearing a cow in the middle of a warzone may be distracting, but to even suggest that it realistically could have a lulling effect is silly. It's completely out of place, and is therefore immediately suspicious.

I'm still confident that the team wanted something that sounded great (and it does, much like the sound of the dying Striders and Gunships in HL2 sounded awesome and added a certain sense of life to a largely syntethic entity), and the whole idea of this being used as a lulling effect is something Kojima fabricated to add depth to the effect.

 

[Goreomedy]

Saying that it's part of the Metal Gear reality is a cop out and does not at all mesh with the other claims in regards to realistic A.I.

The fact of the matter is that Kojimas reasoning is completely out of line with reality. I still maintain that the team wanted something that sounded great (and it does, much like the sound of the dying Striders and Gunships in HL2 sounded awesome and added a certain sense of life to a largely syntethic entity), and this whole idea of this being used as a lulling effect is something Kojima fabricated to add depth to the effect.

Dropping a skin mag onto the ground so you can knock out a guy when he stops to check the titties: This is the Metal Gear reality. You can have realistic AI and Kojima-crazy game mechanics. That's what makes Metal Gear so much fun.

Kojima didn't say these soldiers would be lulled into a state where they're in a fetal position on the ground sucking their thumbs. All it takes is a split second to remove someone from the battlefield, that's what I took from his comments.

And I can imagine many scenarios in which Snake can use this type of manipulation to progress through the game...

 

[Nervous Hamster]

Yeah, great interview!

You can check the scans from PSM in www.metalgearsolid.org

 

[EmSeta]

I don't mind Snake being old, but he really should drop that 70's porn mustache.

 

[Ryudo]

I really hope they keep Snake as an old man and don't change him back.

A really nice nod to the fans, I thought.

Don't change it, Konami! (And bring out disc 3!)

But this one is just a clone ? so its not the real snake is it ?

 

[SolidSnakex]

It's the real Snake as in Solid Snake. The only Snake that isn't a close is Big Boss, the others are a clone of him.

 

[Ryudo]

It's the real Snake as in Solid Snake. The only Snake that isn't a close is Big Boss, the others are a clone of him.

Big boss = jack right ?

So MGS4 is a fair time after MGS2 ?

 

[Gamedude]

Big boss = jack right ?

So MGS4 is a fair time after MGS2 ?

check the interview, it will be approximately 10 years after MGS2 (plant)

 

[Ryudo]

check the interview, it will be approximately 10 years after MGS2 (plant)

Yeah i got it now thanks. I wouldnt be the first person to get confused by the story would i ?

 

[SolidSnakex]

If it is 10 year, then I wonder what they're going to do with Raiden's kid (assuming it is his). That's why I thought it couldn't be too long after MGS2 if the kid was still that young. Unless its just going to take place over a long period a time and that art is for the start of the game.

 

[Gamedude]

Raiden being 10 years older is going to be awesome, he will not be the rookie he once was in MGS2.