Though we don't possess the thorough comprehension of the Japanese language required to understand what's happening in the video posted above, we know that we like what we see. If you've got some time to kill, check out the ten minute co-op demonstration of Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker at the top of this post. It shows of a few of the game's neat multiplayer tactics, including an invisibility gun and the increasingly iconic "four-legged tank maneuver." Judging by those two alone, it certainly looks like Peace Walker's capacity for hijinks is going to be near-limitless.
#clips
Did you enjoy your glimpse of single player sneaking in the Peace Walker clip we posted on Monday? Well two can play at that game! See how two people can be sneakier than one in this latest clip. More »
Konami's pushed back the release of Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker to June 8, a recent press release states. Back in January, the Japanese release was also delayed, so we've been waiting for the other combat boot to drop and it's finally happened. Yup, we're crying under our cardboard box, too. Of course, in addition to the game itself, the newly-announced PSP bundle will be released on the same day.
What we want to know is, if the Japanese delay is a crime, what's the North American delay? A case of first degree joy-icide?
#psp
The best way to sell a PSP in North America these days may be to anchor it to a game like Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, as Sony is doing with the latest PSP "entertainment pack." More »
Okay, so North America's limited edition Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker PSP pack doesn't include an exclusive camo PSP, or a stand thingy, or a snakeskin-like carrying case. But it does include a "Spirited Green" PSP-3000, a color previously unavailable in America. It doesn't include a PSP Go, so we're guessing the "relaunch" hasn't begun yet.
Launching alongside the standalone game on May 25, the pack includes said green PSP, a copy of the game on UMD, a 2GB Memory Stick Pro Duo, and vouchers for both an unidentified movie download (for US residents only) and exclusive in-game items in Peace Walker, for $199.99.
Still looking for a reason to pick up Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker? Would a totally sweet camouflage bandana push you over the edge? GameStop hopes so: it's offering an exclusive camo bandana, reminiscent of something Snake might adorn his head with, as a pre-order bonus for the game. Wear this, and even if you're not playing on the amazing limited edition system, everyone will know that you're Peace Walking.
We have yet to confirm whether or not it grants infinite ammo to the wearer.
Wanna watch 9 minutes of a guy sneaking around, tying people to balloons? What if we told you it was Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker footage? Kojima Productions has uploaded a lengthy gameplay video of the former "Metal Gear Solid 5," in which our hero Big Boss does a bit of recruiting for his cause -- in this case, that means knocking dudes out and floating them back to his base on a balloon.
We also get to see the "Sonic Eye" and "Analyzer" tools in action (a radar device and an item used to determine the stats of potential recruits), as well as the ninja-inspired "Stealth Mat," which allows Naked Snake to hide in plain sight while he's holding it up. Check it out after the break!
Metal Gear series creator Hideo Kojima's recently-opened Twitter account has likely been a roller coaster of emotions for those among you who can read Japanese. Unfortunately for us, not speaking the developer's native language almost caused us to nearly miss out on all of his 140-character thoughts, not to mention a few recent Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker infobombs. Kojima said about the upcoming game (as translated by Andriasang) that "It's difficult to show the interest and freshness of PW [Peace Walker] through video. [James] Cameron's Avatar was a huge hit because of the 3D video. That can't be communicated through text and a trailer. It's something you won't understand unless you experience it for yourself in the theater."
Kojima further posits that Peace Walker is a "horizontal expansion" for the studio (read: gameplay) rather than a vertical one (read: graphics), all the while reiterating that the PSP isn't the "main platform" for the series going forward. He also says that the roast beef sandwich he had for lunch yesterday was positively delightful. (Okay, okay, we made up that last part.) He does, however, show some Duran Duran love. (And no, we're not kidding about that part.)
[Famitsu]
Here's your daily dose of Japan envy, as Famitsu reveals a set of pretty sweet pre-order bonuses for Kojima's upcoming PSP game, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. The first item is a jigsaw puzzle appropriately called "Love & Piece," while the other pun-tastic item is the plastic "Peace Water" bottle -- an aluminum water bottle/comically large key chain that kinda looks like a grenade. Some days you go through the rain and some days you want to drink from an appropriately-themed liquid transportation device, right?
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker is set to debut in Japan on April 29, while US gamers will be forced to wait until May 25.
Listen, Kojima knows that he disappointed a lot of people by delaying the release of Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker in Japan, and believe us, he feels bad about it. In fact, we'd argue that he's probably being just a bit too hard on himself. Writing on the Kojima Productions blog (as translated by Andriasang) Kojima wrote, "I always preach to the staff, 'You must not have a delay after a release date has been announced. There is no greater crime as a game developer.'"
We appreciate the sentiment, but we think Mr. Kojima might have temporarily forgotten some other heinous crimes: box puzzles; not having "Continue" as the first menu option; letting the game timer run while it's paused; horse armor; limited installs; ruining the A.I. director; and being on Facebook.
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker is slowing its gait just a bit. Originally slated for release in Japan on March 18, the game is now expected on April 29, as displayed on its official site. In a statement announcing the delay, Konami said the extra development time was needed to ensure customer satisfaction. At least fans can now play Piece Walker while they wait.
Whatever the issue is with the development, it appears not be affectimg the localization process, as the release dates for the rest of the world (May 25 for North America, May 27 for most of Europe, and May 28 for the UK) have yet to change.
[Via Kotaku]
Konami has revealed the solution to the puzzle that is "Piece Walker," and it's ... more puzzles. The "Piece Walker" teased last month on the Kojima Productions page is an "online jigsaw puzzle battle" game. Of course, being Kojima Productions, there's still more counting down to be done even after the reveal of the game. It'll be available tomorrow at 3PM "Japan Time" (1AM EST).
The "online battle" part makes it sound like it'll be a competitive multiplayer ... jigsaw puzzle game, and we're sure you'll get some kind of bonus for successful play, like wallpapers or something. At the very least, it's a way to stare at Snake's steely visage before Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker's March release.
[Thanks, Matthew Floratos!]
Most prominent figures in the video game industry usually recoil when they're given all the credit for coming up with the idea for one of their studio's games. The same apparently can't be said for Hideo Kojima -- according to CVG, the mind behind Metal Gear Solid recently explained the origins of some of the concepts in Peace Walker during an interview with Official PlayStation Magazine: "Well it's strange, but not so many ideas come from the other staff," Kojima humbly stated.
The idiosyncratic developer also pointed out, "Co-op Ring, Love Box - the names and the ideas come from myself," later adding "I am taking charge of the overall game design." We're pretty excited by this fact. It sounds like more than any other Metal Gear game that came before it, Peace Walker will be a direct window into Kojima's convoluted thinkmeat.
Click image to sneak into our gallery
We hope you didn't have anything planned for the next hour or so, because we've got quite the mission and you're the only person who can get the job done. See, Konami deployed a bounty of new screens (63 in all) for Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker and we can't possibly get through them all.
There are some multiplayer screens, art of various characters and equipment shots, and even a few screens of Peace Walker's progressive recruitment system we've dubbed "the smart balloon." As if we weren't frightened enough by stranger danger, now we have to know that the military has had auto-piloting balloons that can whisk us off to "re-education" centers at will since the 70's. It's just a video game, right, guys? Right?
The excitement over those two Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker PSP bundles was tempered somewhat by the fact that they were revealed in one tiny, blurry magazine scan. Now that Konami has released images of both camo PSP sets, nothing is stopping us from our blissful retail fantasies. Can't you just imagine buying one?
Like the Portable Ops packs before them, these are two different bundles. The ¥26,980 (~$295) "Premium Package" includes a PSP-3000, Peace Walker, a camouflage cleaning cloth (so you can remove fingerprints from the screen incognito), a carrying case, and a wrist strap. The ¥36,980 (~$400) "Konamistyle Package" (pictured above), only available from Konami's website, includes the same PSP and cleaning cloth, a leather case and strap, a neat-looking, numbered PSP stand, numbered dog tags, and a booklet.
[Via GAME Watch]
Konami is looking to release a pair of new Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker bundles in Japan. There will be two options: an expensive bundle featuring a custom PSP-3000 emblazoned with skulls, a copy of the game, a carrying case and a cleaning cloth -- all together costing 26,980 yen ($296). Then there's an even more expensive bundle that features everything in the first bundle, but also tosses in a custom strap, an original PSP stand, some dog tags, and a few other unrevealed items. The latter package (only 1,974 of which are being produced) will be available exclusively through the KonamiStyle website for 36,980 yen ($405). You'll be able to grab either (or both, if you're Richie Rich), when the game releases on March 18.
There hasn't been mention of any kind of custom bundle for the U.S., but considering past bundles, we'd say it's a safe bet to go ahead and assume one is coming our way. Commence Operation Finger Cross ... now!
Source - 1UP
Source - Image of cheaper bundle at Kotaku
Despite the similar game setting, the theme song to Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker is not just the theme to MGS3 with the words "Snake Eater" replaced with "Peace Walker." Maybe then if we listen to the newly-announced soundtrack enough, we'll stop hearing "I'm still in a dream, peace walkerrrrrrrr" in our heads every time we see a reference to the upcoming PSP spinoff game.
The Peace Walker soundtrack disc will be released on Konami Japan's Konamistyle site on March 17, one day before the game releases, for ¥2,940 (roughly $30). For ¥4,515, you can buy the soundtrack and receive the "Heaven's Divide" single, the actual vocal theme, on a separate disc. While "Heaven's Divide" is featured on the soundtrack disc, the single includes "Koi no Yokushiryoku," Paz Ortega Andrade's theme, as well. Plus it's another thing with the Metal Gear Solid logo on it, which is bound to excite a certain segment of the audience.
[Via Nobuooo, GameSetWatch]
Kojima's at it again, teasing something very odd: Piece Walker. The teaser image above comes from a page linked on the Japanese Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker site, which either confirms something entirely new is "coming soon" or one of Kojima's web people is in desperate need of a Webster's. We're leaning towards the former.
And that's pretty much it. There's really only an image to go on right now, but, personally, we're crossing our fingers for some kind of KFC tie-in. Can you imagine every 10 piece meal coming with a neat little cardboard box with a Snake action figurine hiding inside it? Sure, it could be another iPhone game or something, but we think our idea is way better.
[Via Siliconera]
Here it is! If you can't access the PlayStation Store on your PSP, you can download the English language demo of Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker right here. Make sure you have the latest firmware update on your PSP and at least 103MB of free space on your system. Connect your PSP via USB, extract the ZIP file and copy the NPUH90066 folder to your PSP's Memory Stick, under PSP/GAME.
Download from BigDownload