Kojima says it would have been better if his team had released both Metal Gear games at the same time

The most massive Metal Gear game to date, and well.....it's going to take quite some time to finish. The Phantom Pain and Ground Zeroes are part of the same storyline, with GZ being the prologue, but bringing out both titles together, it's just not happening. Hideo Kojima recently sat down with Famitsu in an interview talking about the need to split them up into two games. The Phantom Pain is 200 times bigger, and aside from that, the PS4 will have to become more adapted with the gaming audience before bringing it out is even practical. That brought the need for bringing out the smaller and more "ready" Ground Zeroes title.

"It would've actually been better to release it all at once, but by the way things are going, it appears likely that Phantom Pain will be coming out around the time the PlayStation 4 becomes more spread out. That means we would've had to make people wait a while longer."

 "Prior to the announcement of Metal Gear Solid V, last year, we showed a Fox Engine implementation video. Then, we also showed the Fox Engine in a presentation video at GDC 2013. Since we revealed information on a regular basis, there were many who believed that Metal Gear Solid V was already complete, and there were many voices from fans saying 'we want to play it soon."

"However, The Phantom Pain has enormous volume, so it will require much more time. So, together with the marketing staff, we consulted 'what ifs' and such, and came to the decision of allowing fans to at least play the prologue, ahead of time. We want to offer it for as cheap as possible, so at first we thought about making it as a download only; however, after thinking about people around the world, and how some places don't have the best connectivity, we're preparing a physical version."

Kojima went on to suggest that those who have save game data from Ground Zeroes will be able to make use of it with The Phantom Pain. Sounds like a carry over for some extra content. Seeing as how The Phantom Pain will be an enormous open world setting, you likely shouldn't expect it to see the light of day until sometime in 2015. This is why Ground Zeroes is being released this coming Spring time. You have to give the players something to chew on until then right? Right.

Via Siliconera
Original Famitsu

More check ups with Ground Zeroes as you can listen to your favorite tunes while Solid Snake carries his walkman everywhere he goes

Ahh......., the good old days of cassette tapes and record players. Combine that with a Ford Mustang and a pretty woman and you're good to go. Solid Snake can take advantage of that option minus the car and woman, as he will have the ability to carry a Walkman tape player with him everywhere he goes. This also includes on the helicopter. What does it mean for you, the player?, why it means you can listen to any song you want where ever you want, as much as you want. Imagine listening to the theme song to a James Bond movie as Snake sneaks into the enemy base. Of course the setting doesn't actually have to fit the song. You could listen to Beethoven while you drive around in your Jeep. It's all based on your preferences.

Hideo Kojima tweeted some photos and statements about the check ups he was doing with Ground Zeroes, which show a bit more information on how the options screen is set up. Let's take a good look.

“Snake in GZ always carries “Walkman”. You can listen to any song you like with it during the mission or even on the helicopter. I think 007 ‘s theme of Bond (arranged by MOBY) & “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” theme fit well when sneaking in. I unexpectedly cried over Adel’s “Skyfall” when rescuing.”

Track

Play All
Jame's Bond Theme (Moby's Re-version)
SkyFall [From SkyFall]
Theme
Thunderball
You Know My Name

“Checking & adjusting English version today."

Hideo Kojima continued the check ups with the English version of Ground Zeroes, followed by what appears to be a snake sitting on his desk. Looks a bit tasty!

Both versions (Xbox and Playstation) of Ground Zeroes were checked, judging by the controllers in the photos above, and the anticipation just keeps getting bigger as we draw ever so closer to the launch time of next Spring. Might I suggest you start gathering some of your favorite songs so you can be ready when you sneak up on that unsuspecting enemy soldier?

So where does Ground Zeroes and The Phantom Pain fit into the Metal Gear timeline for Solid Snake?

When you create the egg, then create the chicken, what happens in between? That's a tough scenario that Hideo Kojima is having to face with his latest brainchild Ground Zeroes and The Phantom Pain. Having taken place a few years after Peace Walker, but before Guns of the Patriots, just after the Vietnam war ended one can understand how it can be hard to fill in the blanks for a game that takes place "in between Metal Gear stories". Kojima made a few statements in recent interviews about explaining how evolving the Ground Zeroes and Phantom Pain has been for him and his team.

"When you try to write something that was supposed to be in the middle there will be some inconsistencies when you go into very small details. "The most important part is writing something that is fun, something that is impressive, something that is better than it was before. So sometimes in the interest of doing this, of having a better experience, we sacrifice some consistencies in the story."

Also, in case you've been out of the loop for a while, both PS4 and Xbox One versions will be getting exclusive content for Ground Zeroes. Classic Solid Snake from the first Metal Gear Solid for PS1 will be a playable character, a low polygon style with a low polygon playing area. Kind of takes you back to a golden year doesn't it?

The Xbox One version exclusive content will be there, but it's not known right now as to what that will be. More classic content?, who is to say. As far as a release date for Phantom Pain, Kojima wants to wait until the PS4 has taken a much better foothold in the gaming community before releasing it. Not to mention the time needed to finish developing a game that is 200 times the size of Ground Zeroes. That should explain why GZ is being released so much earlier, since the prologue is necessary to get fans into the act of learning the mechanics and storyline for TPP. Fans also want a taste right now of the new Metal Gear game, so it only makes sense.

Ground Zeroes will be releasing in Spring time next year on the Xbox One, PS4, PS3, and Xbox 360 respectively. Next generation consoles will see a higher resolution than current ones, according to Kojima. Can't wait to get a taste of that Solid Snake action in a few months myself.

When the Playstation 4 is adapted on a wide basis, then The Phantom Pain will make its release date

Famitsu seems to get more answers recently from Hideo Kojima than most other publications. The most anticipated answer everyone is seeking is when the heck is The Phantom Pain going to be released? Kojima did give an answer to that almighty question........well, sort of. Here is the bulk of his answer to what he told Famitsu recently. When asked why he wanted to separate Ground Zeroes and Phantom Pain into two different releases at two different times, Kojima responded that releasing Ground Zeroes before Phantom Pain will give players a chance to get used to how the new Metal Gear game plays. Since TPP is 200 times bigger than GZ, it will also give his team a chance to fine tune it. Releasing the prologue first will also hold them with something to do until TPP can get completed.

So when will The Phantom Pain be released?, here is a rather loose time frame, and no where near as specific as you might have hoped.

"It looks like we'll be able to release The Phantom Pain around the time that the PlayStation 4 becomes widely adapted."

Widely adapted. That should take quite a while, since brand new systems take a good deal of time to get integrated into the market, at least on a world wide bases. Where does that leave TPP? Likely somewhere in the vicinity of 2015 it seems. Even though both titles were made to run on Xbox 360 and PS3 hardware, their PS4 and Xbox One counterparts, which by the way will be a higher resolution version, will take the slow train to the homes of a large number of people.

Group shot of Hideo Kojima along with other staff members from the Los Angeles and Tokyo divisons

Always enjoying tweets like this one from Hideo Kojima. It gives you and I a better insight into the inner sanctum of Konami and what the crew and setting looks like. Here you can see in the first picture which is of Kojima in the front row, followed by a combination of staff from the Los Angeles division of Konami that just opened up a short while back to do work on Metal Gear games, along with others from the Tokyo department. The second is taken within Yoji's booth, one of Kojima's big helping hands in the Metal Gear Solid art department, among other things. Yoji's handy work extends back years with MG, and earlier this year had an art contest to see who can draw the best!

The third is another meeting setting. Kojima moves around a lot, and is constantly taking pictures of his travels, where he goes, what he is currently doing, and even sometimes what he's eating? Talk about dedication to Tweeting! You can follow Kojima to keep up with his events and what is currently going on with the latest Metal Gear game. Ground Zeroes is the current topic as usual, but it won't be long until The Phantom Pain, which is the big daddy to GZ is the main topic. You can follow his English account, or his Japanese account depending on your needs.

Now that the PS4 and Xbox One are out in stores, what games are you looking forward to getting?

So many choices, and a lot less time. That's what kind of world you live in if you're a die hard gamer. Sure you have your MMORPG fans, Steam fans, and those who only stick to console gaming. Now that the two most anticipated gaming systems have graced our living rooms, it's all about the games right? With Ground Zeroes looming in the horizon, there are so many other titles people are looking to seeing land on their new consoles. A new Suikoden 6 game would be nice for those folks, while Silent Hill fans are waiting on a new one of theirs to hit the scene, hopefully backed by the Fox Engine.

Me personally, my needs are pretty straightforward, Lords of Shadow 2, Ground Zeroes, followed by The Phantom Pain. I certainly hope Konami sees fit to start production on new Suikoden game in 2014. Will that happen?, one can only hope as it's been far too long since the series has basically died without a serious second notice from the powers that be upstairs. Now that the PS3 and Xbox One are officially out, (at least in North America) what new titles are you looking forward to seeing land on your local store shelf? I'd like to hear some of your feedback below in the comment section.

Remote play might be a possibility on the PSVita, in which Konami is running tests on Ground Zeroes and The Phantom Pain

If you're trying to make one of the most anticipated games ever created, then you're going to want to squeeze out as much options as you possibly can. The same holds true for Ground Zeroes and The Phantom Pain, as Hideo Kojima has confirmed that his team is *running tests* to see if the PSVita is a viable platform to run remote play. Much like the Wii-U, the PSVita has a number of games that support remote play, such as Diablo 3 which Blizzard stated that Reaper of Souls will have PSVita remote support.

In a recent interview with Playstation Blog, Hideo Kojima confirmed a few things for GZ and TPP.

"We’re still trying to put together how much we can fit into the next game. We’re running tests, and Remote Play is impressive and I like it. So we’re running tests and still working on the game."

In the interview, Kojima was asked the question of why he chose to release Ground Zeroes separate from The Phantom Pain. He answered by stating that TPP is a very massive scale game, and development is taking a lot longer. Also adding that playing Ground Zeroes now will give the players an opportunity to be introduced to not only how the story line is unfolding, but also how the game itself plays and feels. He also added that an eagerly awaiting fan base for Metal Gear games wants to get in on the action now, so releasing GZ long before TPP will give them a good taste and keep them occupied until The Phantom Pain finishes development. Good call.

When also asked about taking advantage of the PS4's Duel Shock 4 capabilities, Kojima stated that he does want to make good use of it, but not to the point of having too different of an experience compared to the PS3 version.

"We are trying to take advantage of as many things as we can, but we also want to focus on keeping the experience as close as possible on both platforms, between PS3 and PS4." More than that, I would recommend that people who are looking forward to the next generation having a tablet next to them, taking advantage of those capabilities. I think there are things that people will enjoy there."

By the way, if  you haven't done so yet, check out the updated 12 minute narrated English video below for the special mission in GZ below. It will help explain a few of those things you might have been pondering about for a while now. 

You can look forward to some elite Solid Snake action with Ground Zeroes this coming spring. Spring what? Just spring, as no exact date for GZ has been given yet, but it will be launched for PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.

Interview with Kojima

Limited Edition bundles of MGS5 Ground Zeroes in Japan detailed with some listed prices for Kai Metallic and Revoltech Solid Snake figures

All one can do is look at these marvelous bundles sets of Ground Zeroes and just wish you lived in Japan. As stated in the last post, there are various sets for GZ that you will be able to purchase upon release. Some will have the Solid Snake figure from Peace Walker and Revoltech Snake, which is the premium bundle. At a cost of 8,480 yen ($85), the figures will come with assault rifle, knife, iDroid, scope, etc.

Another bundled set comes with Play arts Kai Metallic Snake with similar accessories, running at a cost of 13,270 yen ($134). This is the most pricey one of all sets.

Oh, and let's not forget that really cool watch that would look great on your wrist! It's not the digital watch from The Phantom Pain, but it is still a bit of a treat to see. Check below, and for more about these bundled sets, be sure to visit the official page for Konami Japan. Amazon Japan currently has the bundled sets listed supposedly. These sets will be for Xbox 360, PS3, PS4, but NOT Xbox One it seems.

You might have thought David Hayter was back, but it looks like the Deja Vu mission's Solid Snake might still be Kiefer Sutherland

Now that the new video trailer is out showing classic Solid Snake in Ground Zeroes from the first Metal Gear game back on PS1 in the 1990s, the longtime and die hard fans of David Hayter as the voice of Snake are wondering if THAT would be Hayters voice, even if it is along side Sutherland as the main character. Well, I hate to burst your bubble, but according to a source that is close to Hayter is saying that he was never approached to do not only the role of the main Snake, but even the role of the classic Snake. When asked about it, David Hayter didn't seem like it was a joke, but a serious matter and that he just wasn't playing around with this whole thing.

I'm just going to draw the line right here. I know there are those of you out there who just can't accept that Hayter is gone, and likely gone for good. But it seems the long time beloved voice of Snake has truly been replaced with Kiefer Sutherland, and that goes for the classic voice of Snake too. Now that's just me throwing a couple of cents in there. I might be wrong, but I don't think that I am.

Now on to your thoughts. Do you think this is all just a joke, or some sort of lead up to Hayter actually playing at least some role in MGS5? I'd like to hear your feedback below.

New english version of the "special mission" daytime video is out for Ground Zeroes, and is narrated to explain things

A new 12 minute English video is out for Ground Zeroes, and explains things in narration for those who still need some help understanding what is going on. Understandably so. For those who are new to the series, or need some extra help, then thanks to a recent interview with Hideo Kojima, a few more things are explained by him to cover your needs. He explains that you can think of GZ as a Hollywood movie where you have 15-20 minutes of footage, and then after the title screen, the main story part starts.

"Ground Zeroes, as far as game play goes, will have the player get used to all these different elements, these different actions that we will have within this open world," Kojima said. "So people can get used to it... as far as Ground Zeroes goes, there's one big mission that leads into the events of the main game, so you can see it somewhat as the tanker mission."

Since Ground Zeroes acts as a prologue to The Phantom Pain, he is using a comparison of the Metal Gear Solid 2 tanker mission that serves as a lead-in to the games plant mission part. Something similar to the way MGS5 is split up into two sections.

"This main mission in Ground Zeroes is what ties strongly to the main part of Phantom Pain. Within that big mission of Ground Zeroes you have several side elements, collecting specific items, doing something within a certain amount of time. In the side-ops you will find several elements scattered, and when you put them together, it will put together a story within the player's mind of what is the next part of the game."

That should she some more light on how GZ plays into The Phantom Pain, and the English narration side mission video below should explain things a bit more. This is the same video you may have watched before, except this time there is some tag along help to go with it to make it more understandable.

Source Kotaku

Kojima explains why Metal Gear Solid 5 is split up into two parts, and that he wanted to release Ground Zeroes after Peace Walker

The surprises just keep coming, and that's fine by you and I. We need all the explanations we can get. After being a bit confused with the timeline for Metal Gear Solid 5, a breather was needed. In a recent interview with Kotaku, Hideo Kojima mentions that he originally wanted to release Ground Zeroes right after Peace Walker, either on PSP or the PS3. Here are some of what he said thanks to a translator.

"Honestly, I really wanted to release Ground Zeroes right after Peace Walker. Whether on PSP or PS3. But then we had development issues, some delays with Metal Gear Rising as well. And then we learned about next generation coming, so it ended up being the way it is now."

Ground Zeroes is expected to be out this coming spring for a small $30, leaving The Phantom Pain to come out what seems like the distant future in a galaxy far, far, away. Sure, the fans are upset about not being able to play the entire game and only the prologue GZ for now, but Kojima assured the Metal Gear fans that he only wanted to do that to not spite the fans, but to accommodate them so they could have something to play now.

"Of course it would be ideal to release Ground Zeroes and the main part of the game all together," Kojima said. "But at the same time given that this week we have the next generation of game consoles coming out, a lot of the fans wanted to play something sooner. And given that the main game is a rather big game and still in development, it will take a little bit more time to get it out. We decided to listen to the fans and put at least the prologue out there so people will get the experience."

Given that in mind, the fans will have to make due for a prologue until the much much bigger Phantom Pain, which by the way according to Kojima will be 200 times bigger than Ground Zeroes will be launched to the world for worshipping.

Source Kotaku

Don't forget at 11pm EST time Spike TV kicks off the video footage for the new Metal Gear Solid game

As I write this, we have just about an hour in my time zone before Spike TV kicks off the footage for the new Metal Gear Solid game Ground Zeroes. As stated in a previous post, Hideo Kojima was in New York recently and was demonstrating some new info on his latest brainchild. In the process he also mentioned that the Playstation version of GZ would have exclusive content. This isn't the first time the Xbox has missed the boat, as Guns of the Patriots didn't even get a version at all, due to the limited disc capacity.

11PM ET/ 11PM PT standard cable and 11pm ET/8pm PT for DirecTV customers on Spike TV.

Will Konami reveal the special content for PS3 and PS4, you'll know as soon as the video trailer is posted online. Check back soon.

A side shot of that monitor showing some info on the PS4 version of Ground Zeroes

What does that say? Is that solid proof of info on Ground Zeroes? Why yes it is. A moment frozen in time, and time is something that this photo confirms for you. So here is everything your eyes are telling you you're seeing right now.

METAL GEAR SOLID V: GROUND ZEROES

Prologue to METAL GEAR SOLID V: THE PHANTOM PAIN

TAKES PLACE IN 1975, AFTER PEACE WALKER, AND NINE YEARS
BEFORE THE PHANTOM PAIN

MULTIPLE MISSONS WITH CENTRAL STORY MODE AND SIDE-OPS MISSIONS

EXCLUSIVE CONTENT FOR PLAYSTATION PLATFORM

SPRING 2014

So there it is, some solid confirmation that the Playstation version of Ground Zeroes will be getting content that the Xbox versions will not. Do you think that is a good idea? I'd like to hear your feedback in the comment section below if you like.

Spike TV all access show tomorrow and what they might reveal for Ground Zeroes

In my previous post, I talked about how there could be extra content for the PS3 and PS4 versions of Ground Zeroes. Konami just tweeted a reminder that Spike TV's all access show airs tomorrow. For cable subscribers at11PM ET / 11PM PT for cable, and 11PM ET / 8PM for DirectTV users. I'm thinking, or rather hoping they will reveal whether or not the rumor about Sony getting extra side missions or other type of content. In a press event last week, Hideo Kojima was showing some more footage for Ground Zeroes while he was in New York.

Spike TV's all access page is here.

Konami ‏@Konami 1h

Make sure to catch the SpikeTV's #PS4 All Access show tomorrow, at 11PM ET/ 11PM PT standard cable and 11pm ET/8pm PT for DirecTV customers.

Retweeted by 小島秀夫

 

 

No Xbox allowed, as there just might be exclusive content for only the PS3 and PS4 versions of Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes

It's probably clear by now that Japan isn't exactly a huge fan of Microsoft. I can't say that I blame them, as the Xbox to them has done nothing but drive a needless wedge in the gaming market. Remember when it was just Sega, Nintendo, and NEC? Or how Sega, Sony, and Nintendo? Anyway, to demonstrate the love for the Playstation format, Hideo Kojima has tweeted a picture of what appears to be a Ground Zeroes demo station from a press event that took place in New York last week.

From what I'm seeing floating around the internet, this *might* mean that the PS3 and PS4 systems will have exclusive side missions or related content. Looks like I'll landing myself a Playstation 4 soon. In the meantime, you can check out the image below, and follow Hideo Kojima on Twitter if you aren't already.

小島秀夫Verified account ‏@Kojima_Hideo

取材、続行中。 pic.twitter.com/f31SArAyP9

Which came first, the Metal Gear chicken or the Metal Gear egg?, and this might take a while

It's a sequel, no wait, prequel. No, actually it takes place in between one Metal Gear game, and follows up as a game that takes place a few years before a storyline that took place in another story that happened a few years ago. Did you get any of that? I didn't think so, and even Hideo Kojima is having a challenge making heads or tales of his next brainchild, The Phantom Pain. Ground Zeroes is a story that happens after Metal Gear Solid 3, but before Metal Gear Solid 4. I believe someone on Kotaku pointed out the timeline a bit like this.

MGS3>MGS:PO >MGS:PW >MGSV >MG >MG2>MGS>MGS2>MGS4

Let's see what that looks like. Snake Eater, Portable Ops, Peace Walker, Metal Gear Solid 5, Metal Gear 1, Solid Snake (MSX), Metal Gear Solid (PS1), Sons of Liberty, and finally Guns of the Patriots. Did I miss anything? Feel free to shed some more light if you like in the comment section below.

Kojima in an interview with Kotaku made a few statements about how there might be a few inconsistencies with MGSV.

"The first thing is, I shouldn't have talked about clones."

"I'm pretty sure that the guys at Star Wars had the same issues. When you try to write something that was supposed to be in the middle there will be some inconsistencies when you go into very small details."

"The most important part is writing something that is fun, something that is impressive, something that is better than it was before, so sometimes in the interest of doing this, of having a better experience, we sacrifice some consistencies in the story. I hope the fans and players understand this, but I need to write the best we can, even if there are some small discrepancies."

Aside from trying to figure this all out, Spring of 2014 Ground Zeroes will grace our living rooms at the cost of a pleasant $30. How well it is received and how well the Xbox One and Playstation 4 sells will be the main deciding factor on when The Phantom Pain will be launched, according to Konami. I think we both need some aspirin by now. Solid Snake is about to trip over himself. See?

Kotaku interview

Here is what will determine how soon Metal Gear Solid: The Phantom Pain is released

With all of the available footage of Ground Zeroes hovering over our heads, one can't help but wonder when Metal Gear Solid: The Phantom Pain will be released. Well, that depends on a couple of issues. The first one is based on Ground Zeroes itself and how well it will be accepted and sell upon its release. Metal Gear has taken a big change in not only the way it looks, but how it plays.

Yes the same stealth based action is still there, but there have been a few new elements added in the process. Bullet time, enemy tagging, (which can be turned off, but not advisable) and a few other odds and ends. Since no one can guarantee the actions of the fans of past MG games, Konami is waiting to see how things play out for GZ.

Number two on the list, is based on the PS4 and Xbox One. In just five days time, The Playstation 4 launches, while the Xbox One will follow on November 22nd. Even though expected sales are supposed to reach about 5 million by the end of this coming March, Konami is waiting to see the results of said sales as it will also impact the release time for The Phantom Pain. So what is the final verdict? 2014 or 2015. Vague?, yes. and the anticipation is a bit hard to handle. Ground Zeroes and next generation console sales are the key right now. Good luck to Kojima's latest handywork.

Original report Explosion

Digital downloads for Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes will be ten bucks cheaper on current generation consoles

As we start to see the beginning of the Xbox 360 and PS3 fade ever so slowly away, there is still a breath of life left in them yet. Next spring Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes will make its way to both next generation, and current generation systems. There is one slight difference between the two however. Besides the Xbox One and PS4 having higher resolutions than their other counterparts, the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions will be ten bucks cheaper. $30 for the next gen digital downloads, and $20 for current gen downloads. Recently Hideo Kojima also made a few comments about Ground Zeroes I'd like to share with you.

“The advanced capabilities of the FOX Engine are allowing me to express the story of Metal Gear Solid in a new way. There will be a significant difference in what Metal Gear Solid: The Phantom Pain brings to the series, so we want to ease players into the new open world environment and its potential, allowing them to fully benefit from all that the new game offers. As such, Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes has been designed to introduce key elements, while setting up the events of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.”

Ground Zeroes has been looked upon as being something of a diagram for gamers, sort of preparing them for "The Phantom Pain". Even if it is, it certainly looks like an incredible one. Konami has yet to give a specific or even general time frame as to when The Phantom Pain will land in our living rooms. Kojima is expecting it to be 300 times the size of Ground Zeroes though. Who knows, with a game that size, maybe gaming has gotten to the point where some games do need a prologue game to prepare them for a much bigger one. Although the concept is a bit odd. If you missed the post I did with the new images released for GZ, check them out if you like here.

 

New Metal Gear game screen shots show off some more of those photo realistic eye candy scenes

The more I see of Ground Zeroes, the more I want to jump in the middle of this new Metal Gear game. So more is what you get, as some new screen shots have been released which show some more of those photo realistic eye candy scenes that we just can't get enough of. You have four to chew on, and they show some of the places Solid Snake will be hiding out in to keep from seeing those classic ! signs appearing above the heads of his enemies.

For those of you who might be new to this sort of thing, and are wondering just how in the wide world of sports did they manage to make visuals like this. Especially considering that both Ground Zeroes and The Phantom Pain will be available for the Xbox 360 and PS3 game systems. Not just next generation consoles. The Fox Engine is the key, a photo realistic graphical engine which can actually take real life settings, and render them almost perfectly identical for a game environment. The shots your looking at below are as if they were taken directly from military base. From the latest images below, I submit that we haven't seen the full potential yet, and I for one am glad of that.

A few new details for Metal Gear Solid 5 have become known, which involve some interesting concepts in the game

Here are some interesting tidbits of information for you. Some new details for Metal Gear Solid V have surfaced, and they do explain at least to some degree about a few elements you might not have known about when you witnessed that E3 video you saw last summer. Apparently you will be able to bring along a "buddy" with you on some of the missions. Does this mean a co-op mode? Perhaps, or perhaps not. The only solid thing known right now about it is that the concept art for it was said to be somewhat "cute". (Could they be talking about the sniper Quiet character?)

Whether this is referring to the rather erotic sniper Quiet character is not a bad guess at this point, but the concept art evidently hasn't been seen by full on public eyes just yet. Next up on the table, is the fact that the Afghanistan map seems to base on the area of Jordon, while the African boy soldier you see in the E3 trailer is named "Julius", who is from Ghana.

Solid Snake's face is apparently based on four different people? Details are still up in the air about that one, but Dr. Emmerich seems to be based on a French model's face. Hideo Kojima did say a while back that he is hiring people from all over the world to play the role of different characters. We do know that Stefanie Joosten is playing the role of sniper character "Quiet". The mute and yet sexy and erotic character that sparked a bit of controversy among Metal Gear fans.

So what about that whole "time of day" issue, and the Seiko Metal Gear watch you saw in the trailer? This is said to be the where the players change the time of day, while Snake smokes a cigar. Yeah, I know what your thinking, that isn't exactly a lucid explanation, but as it stands right now, that's the information floating about out there.

How about some input from you? Point out some elements in MGS5 and tell me what you think they mean in the comment section below. This is the first time Metal Gear Solid has gone open world, and the puzzle pieces are in somewhat short supply. Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain is set to release after Ground Zeroes on Xbox One, PS3, PS4, and Xbox 360 consoles.