Support NeoGAF

[Draugoth]

Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes was at one point intended to be the first episode of a larger episodic series, creator Hideo Kojima has revealed.

Speaking on Twitter to mark the game’s ninth anniversary, Kojima explained that Ground Zeroes was intended to be a prologue for Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, but that it was also an “experiment” that could have potentially led to an episodic series.

Ground Zeroes was originally planned as a prologue to Metal Gear Solid V,” Kojima wrote, saying the game was “an important introduction to root Snake’s vengeance in the main story, and the theme of MGSV is retribution.

Since PS4 was launched at the end of 2013, the game was pre-released with the PS4, Fox Engine and open world to introduce the new Metal Gear Solid and also to provide feedback to the main game in mind. The development of a full game takes 4-5 years [and] times change during production,” he explained. “So I thought of offering an episodic format, like a streamed drama, where one episode is produced and distributed. Ground Zeroes was meant to be an experiment. The Japanese version of Kojima’s Twitter thread goes into more detail, stating that the plan was to “produce one episode and distribute it [then] distribute episodes 2 and 3 while getting feedback

“However,” he concluded, “many people seemed to expect Ground Zeroes to be a ‘full game’ after its release, and they did not understand it. I have a feeling it was too early.”

 

[Badlucktroll]

I don’t think Konami wanted to go with this

 

[L*][*N*K]

God I hated Episodic games, thank god that trend died

 

[Nautilus]

 

[Big Baller]

This guy is unbelievable

 

[KuraiShidosha]

Copying the old Valve'aroo.

 

[Punished Miku]

Rumor is the 2nd episode was actually going to be a line of clothing. However, people didn't understand it.

 

[SCB3]

Yea I can see this in PP as well with the only 2 locations there (Africa and South America), I think originally he wanted to do MGSV as separate episodes that were full of stuff ala Hitman but Konami wanted a single MGSV thus how rushed it ended up being

 

[adamsapple]

I thought this was known.

You were also going to revisit camp omega at some point in Phantom Pain to rescue more political prisoners. I remember reading about it years ago.

 

[Umbasaborne]

If i was konami, i would have fired him too. You cant spend that much time and money making a game. Eventually you have to deliver, and it seemed like kojima just kept increasing the scope. Ill just say it, he managed the project poorly

 

[AJUMP23]

I just wish we would have gotten the third area in MGS5. But Ground Zeroes was a lot of fun.

 

[EverydayBeast]

Throwing out the mgs4 remaster idea, I don’t care about “episodes” in video games sounds like crap.

 

[TerribleAtThisGame]

I would've taken anything with that gameplay. I don't even give a fuck that MGSV was unfinished, that game was addictive and fun as all hell to me.

 

[RaduN]

I think this was common knowledge since well before the game was released.
Never was a big fan of this concept myself.

 

[Interfectum]

God I hated Episodic games, thank god that trend died

MGS5 could have been amazing if they cancelled the open world and made it episodic similar to Hitman. Imagine 10-11 "Ground Zeroes" scenarios where you could tackle the objective in a ton of different ways. Instead we got a bland open world.

 

[Koppelthorn]

Calling it now, the final episode 3 (MGS5) will be revealed when DS2 releases, Venom Snake will be revealed to be Chico and Ocelot is actually D-Dog disguised as Miller, and Quiet has really been Shinji Hirano the whole time

 

[REDRZA MWS]

This guy is unbelievable

So are his games

 

[YeulEmeralda]

Copying the old Valve'aroo.

I trust Kojima to actually release games unlike Valve. We know he can count to three at least.

 

[Puscifer]

I don’t think Konami wanted to go with this

My buddy (who knows a guy, etc) was working for Square Enix in Japan on FF15 PC Edition at the time was telling me how this was true (full plans were to make "chapters" in an MGS universe) and I didn't believe him, but apparently Kojima was so influential (or so he thought) the reason they put him in a "broom closet" ( in hindsight it sounds more like he was isolated out of the project) was to stop it from exploding in scope and to actually get it done than to run him out of the studio. He took his creative freedom too far and didn't want to listen to anyone is what it comes down too, and likely that period was when he started talking to Sony.

Still loved MGS 5 but I really truly thought he was bullshitting me with this but I guess not.

 

[TheInfamousKira]

Konami have really shot themselves in the foot this time. I don't know how much you guys know about episodic releases (I'm an expert) but having one more than episode is a a key part of it. If your mother fucked more than one man, you won't close this thread about new non newtonian fluids and three outdated mechanics that will kill the new Resident Evil 4 Remake and all of its players. HASANNNNNNNN

 

[Gp1]

Given that Ground zeroes was the minimum viable product with the only intention of selling Phantom pain and the engine, I would gladly pay for a "episode 3" / decent closure for Phantom Pain.

 

[Grizzled Ghost]

Rumor is the 2nd episode was actually going to be a line of clothing. However, people didn't understand it.

lol. I had forgotten all about the in-game sunglasses advertisements in MGSV.

 

[hussar16]

i think if konami had told us that the games were episodes people would have ben fine with it ,and gave us the releases for each one. i honestly would have preffered if metal gear solid 5 was episodic ,would hav ebeen better as ground zerso is more focusedinstead of their non response

 

[EN250]

It wouldn't work because budget and Konami won't allow it, also episodic as Telltales games? going by the amount of stuff the game has it'd have to release episodes every 10-12 months and at what price, $30-$40 per episode?

Only thing I know is, good that never happened, and at the same time, GZ was so good, it has a really dark side compared to other MGS games, that's why makes PP kind of disappointing, loved the game, but not much the story

 

[Badlucktroll]

If Kojima had stayed with Konami, after Silent Hills released, we would have gotten Metal Gear Solid 6, which i think would have been like death stranding, with big boss going around trying to connect areas to build outer haven

 

[Business]

I’d totally sign up for this. Shorter, more focused Ground Zeroes style episodes set in different world locations would have been more enjoyable than a massive game like Phantom Pain, specially if you strip it from all the stupid mother base management.

 

[Arcane0ne]

Yeah GZ is better than MGS V TP.

 

[PnCIa]

“However,” he concluded, “many people seemed to expect Ground Zeroes to be a ‘full game’ after its release, and they did not understand it. I have a feeling it was too early.”

In plain english: I am just too much of a visionary. The world is not ready for my greatness.

 

[RAIDEN1]

That's why for me MGS4 remains the last great entry......never knew MGS 5 would end up being Metal Gear barren....

 

[SlimeGooGoo]

.

 

[Gojiira]

This was spoken about before GZ released, its not really new info that MGS5 was envisioned as episodic, its literally built into the structure of MGS5 proper still. But yeah wouldn’t have worked nor would it have made the worst MGS game any better

 

[jonnyp]

God I hated Episodic games, thank god that trend died

Indeed.

 

[justonething]

"I was planning to ruin MGS more than it has already been ruined!"

 

[Fabieter]

Copying the old Valve'aroo.

I mean according to Google the first episodic game was in 1979. :

 

[Arachnid]

This honestly would have been better than MGSV. I hate episodic stuff, but the structured super open levels would have been better than the open worlds we got.

 

[Dev1lXYZ]

MGSV rolls credits just about every time you finish a mission.

Pretty much as episodic as it gets beyond having a opening every time.

 

[YeulEmeralda]

Episodic has been replaced by early access.

 

[Soodanim]

Despite its length, Ground Zeroes was the better MGS game. I wish we had gotten more than that, and I would have been happy with multiple iterations of GZ.

TPP, for all of its strengths, was not the final MGS game it could or perhaps should have been.

 

[Draxon Gamer]

God I hated Episodic games, thank god that trend died

final Fantasy vii?