Fans of the Metal Gear Solid franchise have been eagerly awaiting Snake’s swan song in the form of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots since 2005. Originally slated for a November 2007 release, the PS3 exclusive was delayed until Q1 2008. Now, it looks like we are going to have to wait a little while longer. According to Konami, the game will still be released in Japan in the first part of 2008, but the rest of the world will have to waiting until Q2 – which means sometime between April and June.

A spokesperson for Konami has stated that: “Konami has decided to delay the title’s release in order to make further improvements to the quality of the game and provide even greater enjoyment for more customers worldwide.” They also stated that they will be working continuously on MGS4, so that it will “meet everyone’s expectations.

While I can find no fault with Hideo Kojima wanting to make sure that his baby is perfect, I – like many who have been itching to play MGS4 – am disappointed that I will not be able to get my hands on it sooner. However, in the grand scheme of things, there are many titles out there to keep us occupied until it is finally ready for its devoted followers. Metal Gear Solid fans would rather wait for a great sequel than be force fed a mediocre game any day – all that would do is make us angry and do an injustice to our hero Snake.

Thanks: GamesIndustry.biz

Ah, SomethingAwful.com. It’s one of those sites that’s great to pass the time and relieve a bit of boredom, particularly with their Photoshop Phriday and Comedy Goldmine features. Last week though, they decided to post a list of “spoilers” (read: fake spoilers) for the Metal Gear Solid 4. Of course they contain hilarious revelations like how the whole twisted plot has just been a series of nightmares and the monkey seen in the trailers is actually the final boss. My personal fave:

“If you shoot an enemy soldier on his birthday, his ghost will follow you around for the remainder of the game, lamenting all of the poor life decisions that eventually led to you shooting him on his birthday. Ghosts can only be destroyed with the ghost gun, which is invisible.”

Oh, the hilarity.

Via Something Awful

Out of the Tokyo Game Show comes a brand spanking new trailer for the upcoming Metal Gear Solid 4. And in the general fashion of MGS trailers, it makes almost no sense, but it’s awesome.

The video introduces us to a number of new characters, including Liquid’s private army, the “FROGS.” Yeah, it’s a lame name, but they look to be pretty much a full squad of Ninjas (plus it looks like Raiden may be one of them !?). We also meet a mysterious military scientist who watches over a little girl and Drebin, a “weapons launderer.” There’s also apparently a new enemy in the form of “Big Mama,” who bears more than a passing resemblance to The Boss from MGS3. And is it just me, or does that guy with the mohawk look a lot like Fatman, the bomb specialist from MGS2? I won’t spoil the shocking ending to the trailer, but suffice it to say it starts to tie up a loose end from MGS2.

Dammit, Kojima, why you gotta force me to buy a PS3? And if the rumors are true, I may even have to get one before the year is out.

Coming out of the Leipzig Gaming Convention is a brand new trailer for Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. This new video finally gives an in-depth look at some of the new Metal Gears in the game; and man do they look freaky. There’s one that resembles a wolf (complete with howl), and then three other types that look like robotic women with strange devices attached to the back of their heads: wings, tentacles, and six extra arms. You then get to watch these guys take out an entire squad of heavily-armed soldiers in yet another spectacular cut-scene from this game. Pair crazy videos like this with some of the gameplay footage we’ve been treated to, and this game has become my reason to get a PS3 before its early 2008 release date.

MGS 4: Guns of the Patriots Gameplay Trailer
Last night, Hideo Kojima gave a 15-minute gameplay demonstration for Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. As you can see, a lot has changed from previous games in the series. Almost every move shown off has never been in a Metal Gear Solid game before. As many people requested, the camera can now move more freely by using the right analog stick, and there’s a new over-the-shoulder view for quick aiming (similar to Splinter Cell and Resident Evil 4, respectively). This time around, instead of switching between different camo suits, Snake’s suit can be activated to mimic the textures around him. Snake can also (finally) take enemies’ weapons and even frisk them for additional supplies. And after all the talk from Snake about being “on the battlefield,” he’s being thrown into the middle of an actual war zone, where he can influence the outcome of the battles.

I said it after E3, and I’ll say it again: Hideo Kojima just sold me a PS3.

MGS 4: Guns of the Patriots E3 2007 Trailer

Earlier in the day, we covered Metal Gear Solid 4’s presence during Sony’s press conference at E3 2007. Well now we actually have the brand new trailer that director Hideo Kojima unveiled at that show. As you can see, it’s nothing short of amazing. Kojima also promised that he would reveal some actual gameplay footage next week, so keep your eyes open for that.