Under the deal with Sony, Lipovsky and Stein’s newly-launched company, Wonderlab, will develop films for the team to direct, as well as original projects for them to produce. The goal is to “[create] wildly fun, commercial, character-driven, genre-bending films,” which happens to include Hideo Kojima‘s 1998 stealth action classic. Avi and Ari Arad will produce the film.

Lipovsky and Stein have been in demand since Bloodlines cleaned up at the box office, with the duo being snapped up for The Earthling adaptation, the sci-fi thriller Freaks 2, and a new Venom animated movie, among others.

“Zach and Adam are thrilling storytellers, masters of visuals and suspense, and two of the most impressive director/producers working today,” says Sony Pictures’ Motion Picture Group President Sanford Panitch. “With projects across all the company’s film labels, we are so happy to create a home for them, and proud to have them as part of the Sony family.”

“Metal Gear Solid was nothing short of a groundbreaking cinematic masterpiece that forever revolutionized video games. We are thrilled and honored to bring Hideo Kojima’s iconic characters and unforgettable world to life.”

The Metal Gear Solid adaptation has long in the works. Back in 2020, Dune star Oscar Isaac had been pegged to star as the iconic Solid Snake, under the direction of Jordan Vogt-Roberts (Kong: Skull Island). Vogt-Roberts had also written a draft of the script for the adaptation. No word on what’s become of this draft, as well as Issac and Vogt-Roberts’ involvement in the project.

The post Sony Taps ‘Final Destination: Bloodlines’ Duo for ‘Metal Gear Solid’ Adaptation appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

There had been similar whispers of this before, but this time, Andy Robinson at VGC has publishing sources that say Metal Gear Solid 3 is getting a full remake by an external Chinese studio, with remasters/rereleases of previous games on modern hardware in the pipeline ahead of that project, which is apparently in the early stages of development.

Castlevania has been getting plenty of rereleases in recent years, but according to VGC’s sources, there is a brand new reimagining of the series in the works handled mainly in-house, but with support from external sources.

VGC previously reported on two Silent Hill games being in development, and this fresh source is in agreement on that, with a prominent Japanese studio handling one of those games.

Konami is fresh from a disastrous game launch of its F2P eFootball game, so these increasingly reliable reports leave me with mixed feelings about the outcome. The positive thing to note is the willingness to let other developers handle these iconic series for the most part. Hopefully, we can get a relatively untarnished revival of all three.

The post [Report] Remasters, Remakes, and Reboots For ‘Castlevania’, ‘Metal Gear Solid’, and ‘Silent Hill’ Are In Production appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Since everyone loves a “What happened?”, GVMERS has released a recounting of the game’s production and eventual response from fans and critics. Needless to say, if you’re a fan of the Metal Gear Solid series, you probably already know that Survive had next-to-no chance of being the closure that fans wanted.

We did get a happy ending of sorts with Kojima breaking away and creating Death Stranding, but until that Jordan Vogt-Roberts‘ Metal Gear Solid film adaptation with Oscar Isaac as Solid Snake gets off the ground, Survive is unfortunately the last Metal Gear Solid entry that fans have at the moment.

Metal Gear Survive is available on Steam, Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

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Aside from the usual shirts, hoodies and mugs, the shop also includes throw pillows for those looking to spice up their living room, with a number of items on sale as part of the grand opening. There are also a few old-school franchise-branded items for those who remember the arcade days. Best of all, they ship worldwide.

“Konami houses more than 50 years of history with its brands, many that span generations of gaming fans,” said Mike Rajna, Senior Director of Business Development & Licensing, Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. “With the Official Konami Shop launch, we are thrilled to provide those fans direct access to unique merchandise and one-of-a-kind collectibles across our suite of brands.”

To celebrate the occasion, we’ve teamed up with Konami for a contest to win one of their new Castlevania T-shirts (namely, the one below)! All you’ve got to do is fill out the form you’ll find down below, and we’ll add it for the draw later this week.

In the meantime, you can hit up the store here for the items available now, as well as those items that are coming soon!

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Issac has been cast in the leading role of iconic character Solid Snake! It’s interesting to note that just last year, Isaac had expressed serious interest in playing that very role.

Deadline broke the news this afternoon.

Derek Connolly wrote the script, with Avi Arad producing.

The original Hideo Kojima-created video game Metal Gear was released by Konami on July 13, 1987. The game went on to spawn a massive franchise that continues to this day.

In the game (via Wiki), “The player often takes control of a special forces operative (usually Solid Snake or Big Boss), who is assigned the task of finding the titular superweapon, a bipedal walking tank with the ability to launch nuclear weapons.”

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Rather than being remade, MGS and MGS2: Substance are the PC ports, while Metal Gear is the emulated MSX2 version. Still, for those who didn’t experience the originals, this is another chance to experience these classics. Plus, this MGS includes the VR Missions, which was released separately on the PlayStation. It’s a bummer that Twin Snakes version isn’t here, but given the licensing nightmare (Silicon Knights, which no longer exists, did the port), this is the best we’ll be getting outside of a proper remake.

Classic @Konami titles now on GOG! #MetalGear, #MetalGearSolid & Metal Gear Solid 2 redefined the stealth genre – a must-play for any Metal Gear fan.

KONAMI Collector's Series: Castlevania & Contra, with 5 games, is a real treat for retro gamers!

https://t.co/S5lDcZw3Vt pic.twitter.com/mflYc2s2uB

— GOG.COM (@GOGcom) September 25, 2020

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According to YouTube channel RedGamingTech, which admittedly specializes in hardware news but has been known to provide some accurate leaks in the past, they have received word from their sources that Konami is in the process of remaking Metal Gear Solid for the PlayStation 5 and the PC. Not only that, but Metal Gear Solid 2, 3, and 4 are also getting touch-ups in the form of remasters. It’s not clear as to whether they’re coming to PS5 as well, or whether Konami is just giving them PC releases.

To add even more intrigue, as reported by Gematsu, the Taiwan Digital Game Rating Committee has rated the original Metal Gear, Metal Gear Solid and Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance for PC.

Again, this is all speculation, with nothing coming from Konami or Sony regarding this. Furthermore, some of this might also be a reaction to the news of Microsoft scoring the purchase of Bethesda earlier this week, and with people online clamouring for Sony to do something as audacious in response.

We’ll have to see what transpires, but as we’ve seen, the strange do happen once in a while.

The post Rumour: ‘Metal Gear Solid’ to Be Remade (Again); Headed to PC and PS5 appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

This isn’t the first time that the game has seen a delay. Originally announced for a 2019 release, IDW Games stated back in November 2019 that the game was being bumped to Summer 2020 (which obviously isn’t happening now). The reasons for the delay are for quality, according to IDW Games.

“We will not compromise our standards for the quality of game our community deserves. We are steadfastly committed to working with acclaimed designer Emerson Matsuuchi to bring his vision for this title to life on the tabletop no matter how much time it takes.”

Now it might seem like doom and gloom, but fret not. IDW did say that the game is “entering its final round of playtesting”. On top of that, with the game nearing its finality, IDW will be sharing more details about MGS leading up to its release, including gameplay coverage, components, and missions.

As well, for those who backed the project from the start, IDW is promising a set of tutorial and playable missions later this December “to get you up to speed” before the game arrives.

Metal Gear Solid: The Board Game will retail for $125USD.

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Much like what we got from the Resident Evil crew last month, Hayter, Eiding and Randolph reprise their roles as Solid Snake, Colonel Roy Campbell and Otacon for a social distancing and isolation PSA. At the end of it, Snake drops another treat for us: Vogt-Roberts has released some Metal Gear Solid concept art to Twitter to help us cope with these “dark days”.

Of course, we’re still waiting on who will take up the mantle of Solid Snake. But given the situation we’re all in at the moment, we’ve got all the time in the world to wait.

DAY 1 of #MGSQUARANTINE

This gem was done by my friends at Form Language Studio.

It’s the type of image I would’ve dreamed of having as my desktop wallpaper as a kid. I think the towering and insurmountable nature of REX speaks to the dread we’re collectively feeling right now. pic.twitter.com/hxPuU2tomk

— Jordan Vogt-Roberts (@VogtRoberts) May 12, 2020

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BONUS IF YOU MADE IT TO THE END: I’m sorry can’t update you on the MGS film more regularly… but:

-We just turned in a new draft. It’s full Kojima-quirk and full Military surrealism. I won’t say more
-I’m hoping to meet a specific actor very soon 🙂
-Let’s make this movie! pic.twitter.com/0Qj5XGTbkQ

— Jordan Vogt-Roberts (@VogtRoberts) December 3, 2019

Vogt-Roberts went on to also say that he will be meeting with an actor for the film “very soon.” The last we heard about any actors involved in the film, Oscar Isaac had expressed his interest in the film. Whether he’s the one to don the sneaking suit remains to be seen. For now, there’s still no release date for the film.

The post Jordan Vogt-Roberts Completes Draft of ‘Metal Gear Solid’ Script, Meeting With Actor “Very Soon” appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

That could be about to change though. Death Stranding, Kojima’s latest offering, is just days away from release. Despite never playing his other titles, it would be remiss of me not to agree that Death Stranding is one of the most anticipated games of 2019.

With its launch imminent, I’m placed at a familiar gaming crossroads. Do I finally choose to bite the bullet, play Death Stranding, and become the newest member of the Kojima fan club? Or have I boarded the hype train without knowing my final destination?

Death Stranding is peak Hideo Kojima. Or so I’m told. Having never played one of his titles before, I wouldn’t know any different. Sure, I’m aware of the funny or cultural aspects of Kojima’s work. Metal Gear’s iconic cardboard box stealth mechanic – a meme in its own right and almost certainly part of any Solid Snake Halloween costume – is something I know about. The popularity of P.T – Kojima’s defunct first-person horror game – among YouTubers, the discussions it spawned, and its influential legacy on gaming’s horror genre aren’t new to me either. I’m even clued up on the basic plot of Metal Gear Solid thanks to Starbomb’s parodical song on the matter.

Ask me anything else about Kojima’s games, however, and I’ll draw a blank. Rather than it coming from a place of ignorance, my limited understanding of his titles is simply born out of missing on Metal Gear’s early years and failing to catch up. I wasn’t born when 1987’s Metal Gear was released and, upon the 1998 launch of Metal Gear Solid, I was engrossed with other franchises like FIFA and Final Fantasy.

Every subsequent entry in the Metal Gear series has simply made it harder for me to dive in. Of course, there’s an argument that I should’ve gotten my lazy butt into gear, play through them, and marvel at how amazing they are. With the series 10 games deep by now, though, it’s inevitable that I’ll forever miss out on what makes them so compelling.

Death Stranding, then, could be my entry point into the Kojima fandom. There are no previous installments to play beforehand. Its all-star cast is one that I’m already familiar with. And I’m at an age where I’ll have a vague idea of what’s going on and what’s required of me from a gameplay viewpoint. Those elements, coupled with the sheer mystery that surrounded Death Stranding before its marketing was ramped up in recent weeks, piqued my interest and had me entrenched in the “I’ll be buying this” camp.

There are other features present that intrigued me. As a gamer who loves to explore, combing Death Stranding’s world would have been massively appealing. Its different landscapes and biomes would surely hold secrets that intrepid travelers like me would love to discover. 

The game’s overarching theme of reconnection is alluring too. Death Stranding’s themes and meanings will be analyzed for years to come, but its exploration of our humanity’s increasing isolation, despite being more connected than ever before in our history, is what stood out to me. As someone who has dealt with feelings of loneliness and seclusion throughout my life, Death Stranding’s core theme resonates strongly with me.

And, yet, I can’t help but feel that I’ve been drawn into the hype surrounding Death Stranding. Having watched its development over the past few years, it seems humorous, action-packed, surreal, and beautiful. It has a superb cast, intriguing plot, interesting gameplay mechanics, and a soundtrack that – with so many well-known collaborators – should win plenty of awards.

But the key aspect about Death Stranding for me – its mystery – has been somewhat removed. The spoiler-y eight-minute-long launch trailer, reviews that dropped on November 1, and online discussions have all put paid to me heading into Death Stranding with no idea of what’s in store. The game’s appeal came from its mysterious nature and, by showing more footage and talking about it in greater detail, Kojima and co. have dispensed with some of that aura.

Admittedly, I should’ve muted keywords and phrases on social media. I could’ve avoided internet chatter on Reddit. I would’ve avoided all aspects of the game if I hadn’t decided to research this piece before writing it. There will be plenty of in-game moments that haven’t been revealed too, so there’s still an air of mystery about the game. It would’ve been more fun to enter Death Stranding’s baffling world without any revelations and personally experience every moment though, and that causes me to reconsider my stance over it.

In tandem with that, I think my possible desire to buy Death Stranding comes from a place of fearing missing out. There’ll be few games that friends, colleagues, and other people will talk about at length for the foreseeable future. Not being part of those discussions could, ironically, make me feel lonely – something that Death Stranding thematically explores.

Death Stranding has all the hallmarks of games that I’ve loved in the past. Exploration, stunning music, a puzzling story, and an amalgamation of different genres. It’s a game I should enjoy. 

But that’s the point. It’s one I could enjoy, but I fear that the high expectations placed on it mean that I couldn’t enjoy the journey that it might take me on. There’s always the chance that, months down the line, I’ll revisit my stance. The hype will have died down, I’ll be able to play it at my own pace, and I won’t worry about completing it as soon as possible to dissect it. 

For now though, Death Stranding – just like Metal Gear and others before it – likely won’t bring my Kojima gaming drought to an end.

The post [Editorial] I’ve Never Played a Hideo Kojima Game – But Could ‘Death Stranding’ Change That? appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

So Solid Snake famously summarized his approach to shopping. Metal Gear Solid’s soldier of fortune has a credit card as black as his soul after all these years of being really good at killing. However, no amount of money will get Snake the very cool Metal Gear Solid merch on offer exclusively at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con. Unless of course, he and his friend, Otacon, who, after all, has “con” right in his name, show up. That would be something, huh?

2019’s killer art was created by Mondo, the Austin, TX-based art house known for limited edition movie, TV, comics and game-related collectibles. An 18” x 24” poster offers a stylized take on Snake’s final confrontation with Liquid Snake atop Metal Gear Rex. For $50, attendees can grab the crimson poster at Mondo’s booth while supplies last (and they’re only printing 225, so supplies will probably last about as long as Steve Carell in The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Hey-o!)

Take a look:

Additionally, Mondo will be selling vinyl copies of the Metal Gear Solid soundtrack (released on vinyl for the first time), with a striking picture of Gray Fox’s snowy white Apple Store Power Ranger helmet on the cover. 

Here’s a picture that Mondo provided to Mashable:

Mondo’s printing 1000 of those and will be selling them for $30 a pop. But, plebeians like me and you, can grab a slightly-less-cool standard version with our favorite shopper, the Snake himself, on the front sometime later this summer.

It still looks pretty cool and features some of Sniper Wolf’s snarling, notoriously pee-averse, wolves inside the fold:

A wise Snake once said, “A strong man doesn’t need to read the future. He makes his own.” So, be strong. Go get that merch.

Source: Mashable

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But in an interview with IGN for Netflix’s Triple Frontier, the question was just posed as to which video game-turned-film the cast would want to be a part of. Oscar Isaac‘s response? “Metal Gear Solid, that’s the one. I’m throwing my hat in for that one.”

In fact, the ever-reliable Bosslogic on Twitter had done a mock-up of Isaac as Solid Snake back in August of last year.

That’s not the end of the story, however. Vogt-Roberts took to Twitter last night to talk about BossLogic’s Oscar-Isaac-as-Snake image. He even showed old DMs from August 2018 specifically asking BossLogic to Photoshop Isaac as Snake.

Now before everyone jumps the gun and declares Oscar Isaac one of the sons of Big Boss, Vogt-Roberts does state that casting for Snake “hasn’t even started”, and that “The ball’s in Oscar’s court.”

THIS-MUSING-IS-NOT-NEWS-PSA:

To everyone asking how I feel about Oscar Isaac saying he wants to be Solid Snake.

The full process required to cast an icon hasn’t even started, but..

Ask @Bosslogic where the idea for his brilliant mock up came from.

The ball’s in Oscar’s court. pic.twitter.com/DKM1gw0Oc2

— Jordan Vogt-Roberts (@VogtRoberts) March 4, 2019

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Of interest to us, in particular, is that Resident Evil Director’s Cut is one of the chosen twenty, and Twisted Metal, Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee, and  Revelations: Persona also join the roster. No MediEvil, Silent Hill or Castlevania sadly

The full PlayStation Classic lineup is below.

• Battle Arena Toshinden
• Cool Boarders 2
• Destruction Derby
• Final Fantasy VII
• Grand Theft Auto
• Intelligent Qube
• Jumping Flash
• Metal Gear Solid
• Mr Driller
• Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee
• Rayman
• Resident Evil Director’s Cut
• Revelations: Persona
• Ridge Racer Type 4
• Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo
• Syphon Filter
• Tekken 3
• Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six
• Twisted Metal
• Wild Arms

You can see a video of the announcement here.

The PlayStation Classic launches on December 3 for $99.99 and comes with two controllers. You can pre-order it now.

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The PlayStation had been out for a little under four years come September 3rd of 1998; it was on that day that Metal Gear Solid would make its debut in Japan. While there had been previous Metal Gear entries beforehand, Metal Gear Solid would end up becoming one of the most significant titles in gaming history.

Developed by Konami and directed by the prestigious Hideo Kojima, the action-stealth adventure placed gamers in the role of Solid Snake; a special-ops soldier entrusted with a mission to break into a secret facility and rescue hostages, all while stopping a nuclear crisis. What starts out as a typical espionage game, however, quickly changes pace, as Snake finds himself up against supernatural forces and deadly mechs.

Metal Gear Solid received immense applause from critics and fans alike. Since its inception, it has spawned numerous sequels and prequels, with the majority receiving their own outstanding acclaim. From their riveting stories to their unique characters and their exploration of philosophies, the Metal Gear Solid series has become one of gaming’s proudest achievements.

Today marks the 20th anniversary of Metal Gear Solid (with August being the 31st anniversary since the first ever Metal Gear game). To celebrate this entry in the series, I’m going to take a look back at Metal Gear Solid and what makes it such an astounding work in video game history.

The Dawning of The Stealth Genre

While there are plenty of thrilling moments, including gun-toting action, Metal Gear Solid (MGS) puts much of its focus on stealth. Providing gamers with a small radar at the bottom of the screen, they are able to keep track of not only where enemies are walking, but in what direction they are facing in.

Stealth throughout the game is further affected due to the setting. While taking place in a large facility known as Shadow Moses, the outside environment of MGS has lots of snow; walking through said snow leaves footprints, alerting enemies to suspicious movement. These sorts of small details make MGS all the more interesting, providing an extra level of awareness when playing stealthily.

On a similar note, in regard to the game’s stealth, MGS starts players out with a tranquilizer gun. You can go ahead and pick up other weapons, but the tranquilizer gun is significant to MGS. Even though future Metal Gear titles have leaned towards more action-oriented gameplay, the tranquilizer has always been a means of progressing through each entry.

These stealth elements were essential in Kojima’s design; MGS was not only the beginning of a whole new genre in video games, but its influence has echoed throughout the years. The way MGS handled action was unlike any other game before it; the limiting of weapons, the encouragement to quietly take out or dodge foes, were all ideas not common in games; as gamers, we were always expected to kill the enemy. This concept of stealth and taking out the opponent through non-violent means would become an integral part of Kojima’s gaming philosophy.

Even almost two decades later, his final Metal Gear entry (Phantom Pain), offers the chance to quietly go about missions or to kill. It’s such a simple idea that has gone on to influence such video games like Dishonored. The way the player maneuvers and stalks the shadows throughout MGS has also influenced games like Assassin’s Creed,  Splinter Cell, and Deus Ex: Human Revolution.

MGS can be marked as one of the biggest turning points in gaming; it’s a title where one can go back and find innovation and technology coming together to present a more immersive presentation. But even though MGS is successful on a game mechanic level, it also presents a truly exhilarating, cinematic story experience.

A Video Game Of Cinematic Quality

While the game takes place in a fictional 2005, it embodies many Cold War Era tensions; this is due to the heavy dialogue and themes revolving around espionage, politics, and nuclear war. As Snake makes his way through the facility he comes across a wide variety of extravagant characters; many who he finds to have passionate political and personal beliefs.

With a love for film, Kojima came into MGS with the understanding of how important drama is to a story. Rather than give us flat characters that just gun it out, he provides numerous characters with depth; each one brings their own identity, adding more substance to the plot. An example of this is found in the game’s main antagonist, Liquid Snake; even though it isn’t his only motivating factor, he is driven by jealousy towards his brother Solid Snake. Their confrontations are consistently heated, with the former stating his desire to surpass his “genetic history” (referring to their “father” Big Boss).

The Horror in Metal Gear Solid’s History

One major concept that made MGS so different back in the day (compared to other video games), was just how cinematic it was in nature. In one moment you’re playing a game and in the next, you feel like you’re watching a movie. As Kojima has said in interviews, “70% of my body is made of movies.” His passion and knowledge of film can be felt throughout MGS; dynamic camera angles, conflict-driven dialogue, as well as the physical action taking place in the game’s cutscenes, come across as elements you would find on a big theatre screen.

Given that MGS is such a cinematic experience, one place that it greatly shines is that of its boss fights. MGS is home to some of the most unique and innovative boss battles in video game history. Two worth major notice are that of the battles between Sniper Wolf and Psycho Mantis.

When battling Wolf, you find yourself at the end of a long narrow path. A shot blasts towards you, and you know somewhere Wolf is in the distance. What takes place is moment-to-moment tension in holding your breath, looking down the scope of your rifle, and searching for her before she gets you first. It’s a superb sequence that pushes the player into a state of constant awareness, requiring them to have fast reflexes.

The battle with Psycho Mantis is one of the biggest moments in fourth wall breaking techniques via gaming. Upon confronting him you learn of his psychic abilities; but rather than be just any old boss who levitates and uses telekinesis, Mantis takes it one large step further. Depending on past or current save files in your PlayStation memory card, Mantis will actually comment on said saved data. If you’ve been playing Castlevania for example, he’ll say something along the lines of how much of a fan you must be. On top of that, he could also dodge all your attacks by reading your movements via the game controller. It’s only upon research that you learn that by switching your controller to a different port on your console, that you can throw Mantis off.

These innovations were/are mind-blowing; and even with how far technology has come since then, feats like this have been rarely accomplished so well. The cleverness found in these fourth wall breaking moments adds a level of immersion to an already in-depth, fascinating story.  

MGS was one of the first big games to shape itself around the impact of war and violence. At times Kojima’s characters will discuss the politics and economics of war, and specifically, the cost in human lives. MGS, in particular, works itself around these ideas throughout its story, taking more time to center in on the nuclear conflict at hand. But by including such mature concepts, MGS became one of the first major examples in how games were capable of mature stories.

Considering past and present commentary, negative criticism towards video games has stated that games are forms of entertainment that are about and perpetuate violence; MGS flipped this idea on its head, offering more of a conscious statement about violence. Much contemporary gaming journalism has looked at the impact and commentary throughout the Metal Gear series; and specifically, how the games point out the horrors of violence, offering players the chance to avoid violent actions.

Kojima’s efforts helped to bring about the idea that video games could be cinematic experiences; that one could infuse game mechanics into the human need for stories. We’ve seen games today that strive to bring about those cinematic vibes (via interactive button prompts), but what Kojima has pulled off through Metal Gear is on a different level; it’s that intricate balance between immersion and voyeurism, allowing the player to participate and to experience all at once (but with much more interaction). Starting with MGS, he has taken so many traditional elements from different mediums, meshing them together to present a new medium of sorts.

MGS not only stands as an incredible feat in gaming but is a testament to the emotion and immense quality that games are capable of presenting.

A Solid Legacy

Since Metal Gear Solid’s release, the world of gaming has massively changed. We have photorealistic graphics, AR & VR technology, innovative ways to use a game controller, and many more mature stories. All of that, in one way or another, is thanks to Metal Gear Solid.

The game isn’t just responsible for helping to establish a new genre of titles, but more importantly, set the bar for rich stories. Metal Gear Solid paved the way for future video games to pursue intellectual adventures, balancing the line between drama and action. It demonstrated to future developers how you could take creative chances with games; how utilizing story and game mechanics together allow gamers to immerse themselves further into an experience.

In the 20 years since it was released Metal Gear Solid has made a name for itself as one of the greatest video games of all time. In 2018 we have thousands of players who have fond memories of experiencing it; we have loyal fans who stand by Kojima and whatever new project he touches; we have artists looking to do what they can to even create a film out of it.

As time moved forward, the Metal Gear series continuously built upon the foundations established in Metal Gear Solid; its following entries offered other unique means for us to interpret our playing experience, while still providing stories that embodied action, stealth, politics, and emotion. From the moment it was born, Metal Gear Solid was meant to embark on a legacy that would not just alter how we play video games, but how we perceive what a video game is and what they can teach us.

The post Celebrating The 20th Anniversary of ‘Metal Gear Solid’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Set in the 1970s, you must infiltrate and navigate a cult compound in South America to save your nephew. To do so, you must rely on stealth and avoid detection. You will have opportunities to get your hands dirty, but there will be consequences if you do. The story will be told largely through the compound’s PA system, which is operated by cult leaders Isaac and Rebecca Walker, as well as in-game documents.

The game is currently on itch.io, where you can also purchase a limited True Believer Special Edition copy of the game for $29.95. And I do mean limited. Currently, there are just under 800 keys left. What’s inside, you ask? Besides getting access to the Alpha preview build, you get the 28-song soundtrack and a behind-the-scenes video on the making of the game.

You can also follow the game on Steam. The Church in Darkness is due out in full next year.

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Whether it’s glowing-eyed wizards, multi-limbed alien monstrosities, masked serial killers solemnly stalking nubile babysitters, or sunglasses that reveal a new world order of skull-faced aliens and unfettered capitalism, the creations of auteur John Carpenter are some of the most influential sci-fi and horror visions of all time.

The likes of Halloween, Escape From New York, The Thing, They Live and Big Trouble in Little China have also shaped a myriad range of other media, including games on the Atari, PlayStation, and even the world of board games: nightmarish miniatures and all.

In terms of actual game credits, John Carpenter’s first game outing was in 1998’s puzzler Sentinel Returns, for which he composed the soundtrack with Gary McKill. It’s a sinister score titled Earth/Air and consists of swelling synths, ominous ringing, and urgent bass. Not too dissimilar to the soundtrack of The Thing.

Essentially each level sees you attempting to outrun an evil alien sentinel by indiscriminately absorbing trees and boulders, and ascending to a higher plane. Carpenter also directed some cut-scenes in horror game F.E.A.R 3, as well as working on the story.

Notably, one of video game’s foremost leading men, Solid Snake from the Metal Gear Solid Series, is based on John Carpenter’s anti-hero Snake Plissken, played by Kurt Russell in the film Escape from New York. Much like Kurt Russell’s character, Snake sports bouffant hair, an eye patch, and a gruff he-man attitude.

First up on the Carpenter games front, is the 2002 game sequel to the cosmic horror film The Thing, where John Carpenter voiced a cameo role. Computer Artwork’s The Thing landed on PlayStation 2, PC, and Xbox 20 years after the movie. A third person survival shooter, its clunky noughties graphics undermine the horror gravitas of the original. The game also relies on the use of guns, a definite no-no in the slow-burning, disquieting universe of The Thing.

However, The Thing game utilizes some aspects of fear similar to the film: your squad’s feelings affect their performance, and any one of them could be hosting a horrifying alien parasite.

The original film follows an ill-fated group of researchers isolated in Antarctica. They are stalked by a parasitic alien life-form that uncannily imitates other organisms. This rapidly sows distrust among the group, as they realize any one of them could be the eponymous Thing.

Part eye-searing body-horror (there’s gratuitous ripping, splaying and bloodied tentacles), part “trust no-one” paranoia fest, The Thing was released to predominantly negative reviews and poor box office ratings in 1982. Its sinister nihilistic underpinnings, down and dirty atmosphere and nightmarish creature effects were diametrically opposed to the optimistic message of that summer’s other alien blockbuster: E.T.

Considering The Thing was developed during an era of cold-war tensions, wherein the US seemed perpetually at threat of nuclear annihilation, it’s no wonder a film riding on themes of distrust and fatigued counter-culturalism was not well-received. However, like many of Carpenter’s films, it gained a cult following on home video and went on to have a marked influence on everything from Stranger Things to the films of Quentin Tarantino.

The Thing is referenced aplenty in the game world too. Culture vultures playing Resident Evil 4 would have spotted an alien, disguised as a dog, splitting its head open from the sides, not unlike the Thing itself. “What movie is this; Snow all around; a lonely outpost… and a creature attacking the staff,” a character says in one episode of Resident Evil: Revelations.

One of The Thing’s most curious incarnations is paper and pen game Who Goes There. A semi-cooperative game, one side plays the ill-fated research troupe; another the hostile alien life-forms. In addition, recently released survival horror Distrust sees you assuming control of 15 definitely doomed survivors in an Arctic base. Madness and unspeakable horror are of course, inevitable.

Next up is Carpenter classic Big Trouble in Little China, which sees a hard-boiled trucker played by Kurt Russell (a staple of the John Carpenter universe) and his rag-tag gang scouring through a magical labyrinth of sorcery, psychedelia and haunted wizards sporting laser eyes. The film got the game treatment in 1986 by developer Activision, operating under the label Electric Dreams Software. It was released to limited fan-fare on Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum.

You play as the main characters Jack, Wang and Egg Shen, who are in hot pursuit of the villains that have stolen your lovely green-eyed gal. All move in hypnotic synchronicity as one through streets, sewers, and temples biffing and a-boffing through a repetitive onslaught of foes. The enemies are only vaguely indistinguishable from the heroes. The developer opted for the same character model, but inverted, to represent them.

The game also lacks the far-out wackiness of the film, such as main villain Lo Pan’s lair, where exploding men and floating eyeball monsters abound. Effectively a stuttering mess of relentless walking to the left, the Big Trouble in Little China game thankfully ends within about 20 minutes. Much in the vein of games from that time, it can be fiendishly difficult. Surprise arbitrary enemies that are nigh impossible to kill? Check. Lazy animations? Double check. All indicate that the title was a shameless cash-in on a popular B-movie.

Despite this clunky tie-in, Carpenter’s Big Trouble in Little China went on to influence one of the biggest fighting games of all time: the blood-soaked frenzy that is the Mortal Kombat series. One of the original seven playable characters in 1992’s original title, fighter Raiden’s design was based on one of The Three Storms – the deadly servants of the film’s Big Bad Lo Pan. As well as riding and controlling literal lightning, he also sported a conical hat much like Raiden.

Mortal Kombat boss Shang Tsung is also based on the aforementioned Chinese sorcerer Lo Pan, who is cursed with a decrepit form that can only be broken by marriage to a green-eyed girl. Shang Tsung too must devour souls to keep the darkness at bay.

There are some theories that Big Trouble in Little China also influenced the Street Fighter series. A gruesome troll-like beast sighted wandering underneath Little China in the film bears an uncanny resemblance to the game’s playable character Blanka.

As an alternative to the shoddy Atari game, retro ROM hackers Pacnsacdave created a Big Trouble in Little China SNES title. Apparently one of their most requested games, it hacks arcade classic Bad Dudes vs Dragon Ninja. A game that sees you playing two muscled up guys in wife-beater vests, who are tasked with rescuing the president from a pesky ninja kidnapping.

You punch, nunchuck and kick your way through hordes of enemies, including sexy ninja ladies who make a simpering noise when they are knocked over by one of your souped-up ultra manly punches. “I’M BAD!” roars your player character on achieving beat-em-up victory. The baseline mechanics of Bad Dudes vs Dragon Ninja are reskinned in full Big Trouble in Little China glory, complete with chunks of dialogue that the Electric Dreams title overlooked. This game captures the high-octane kung-fu action of the film infinitely better than the officially licensed title, despite being effectively fan-made.

One of Carpenter’s most successful films was slasher title Halloween, which went on to spawn a franchise of innumerable sequels. The original follows homicidal maniac Michael Myers, dubbed the epitome of evil by his ex-psychiatrist. Myer unleashes a killing rampage on a small town and its unfortunate babysitters.

Halloween was adapted into a game by the short-lived Wizard Video Games, a subsidiary of the infamous Wizard Video: consummate purveyors of gore and filth led by B-movie veteran Charles Band. It published the likes of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre and the Driller Killer on VHS.

Wizard Video released an Atari 2600 game of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre, which was billed as “the first violent video game”. Despite involving you playing as Leather Face himself wielding a chainsaw, the gore was undermined by the clunky graphics of the console. Although there’s plenty of bit-blood spraying and flailing victims to hack up with your chainsaw. In a mechanical detail usually missing from this sort of game, the iconic chainsaw requires fuel refills to run.

The company went on to make a Halloween game the next year, where you play a babysitter desperately trying to protect an unlimited horde of hapless kids in the wake of a crazed maniac on a killing spree. Michael Myers strides around wielding a big pointy knife, while kids flail, and the rooms you’re running about in become intermittently pitch black for extra spooks. If you’re lucky, you can pick up a knife to murder Myers.

The deaths are pretty fantastic. With one swift stab of a knife, Myers decapitates the babysitter and kiddies alike. They flail about helplessly while red pixel blots spurt from their bloodied stumps. Despite this level of violence being laughable in a post-Doom and Grand Theft Auto world, the Halloween game was deemed so twisted at the time of its release plenty of retailers just outright refused to sell it.

As such, this led to a strange sub-culture of nerds passing copies of the game among each other in secret, or requesting copies innocuously at local rental stores, complete with handwritten labels on the boxes.

Wizard Games, unfortunately, shut down not long after its Halloween release, and before it was able to create a games version of the brilliantly titled erotic adventure Flesh Gordon, based on a film of the same name.

It may still take some time for a good, solid reboot of any John Carpenter’s films in game-form, but for the time being, the auteur’s influence on gaming worlds fuelled by horror, madness, and isolation remains uncontested.

The post [Retrospective] The Strange Video Game History of John Carpenter appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Erasmus Brosdau, an art director who worked on Crysis, Ryse and Star Citizen, has created the perfect send-up by recreating the opening scene of Metal Gear Solid using Unreal Engine 4, Unreal marketplace assets, and the original audio from the cutscene (tweaked, mind you). And dammit if it isn’t almost spot-on throughout. Brosdau even included the updated Konami logo at the start of the cutscene, complete with the Snatcher jingle!

While it seems highly unlikely that we’ll ever get a remaster of Metal Gear Solid (because, you know, Konami), if you have a Gamecube, you can snag Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes as a (sort of) remaster. Or, if you’re an old-school retro gamer, just pick up and play the original. But really, do you need a reason to play Metal Gear Solid?

The post Fan-made Remake of ‘Metal Gear Solid’ Opening Cutscene Dazzles appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

In celebration of the 31st anniversary, Vogt-Roberts will be sharing early concept art from the project throughout July and into August, and he also updates on the film in a chat with IGN.

“We just turned in the script, and I think it’s one of the best scripts I’ve ever read,” Vogt-Roberts told the outlet, speaking of the script penned by Derek Connolly. “It’s one of the coolest, weirdest, most Kojima things. If I wasn’t involved in it, I would still look at that script and [say], ‘Holy shit.’”

During the same chat, Vogt-Roberts made sure to mention that there’s still no guarantee that the movie will actually be made, but it’s good to hear progress is happening.

Check out some concept art below and follow Vogt-Roberts on Twitter for more!

DAY 1 of #METALGEAR31st

There’s many beautiful+insane+iconic images to come…but I want to start with this piece by Nick Foreman.

The bond we formed via mechs reinforced that we should be loud w/ our love of this franchise as we may find friends & collaborators in the process. pic.twitter.com/5Zj4vRsu5T

— Jordan Vogt-Roberts (@VogtRoberts) July 13, 2018

DAY 2 of #METALGEAR31st

The impeccable @eddiedelrio_art helped me bring the “Gas Mask Samurai” to life in KONG.

Cyborg Ninja & the Gekkos are two of the most iconic Hideo Kojima + Yoji Shinkawa designs. I wanted to see their potential in the same frame. Wish I could say more… pic.twitter.com/8OCkWH1zvY

— Jordan Vogt-Roberts (@VogtRoberts) July 14, 2018

DAY 3 of #METALGEAR31st@BenMauro993 created this for me and I have a good feeling he’s a dude I’ll be working with for the rest of my career.

One aspect of Metal Gear that’s important for me to translate onscreen is the blending of horror imagery with stylized magical realism. pic.twitter.com/HEJCRSCKyK

— Jordan Vogt-Roberts (@VogtRoberts) July 15, 2018

DAY 4 of #METALGEAR31st

Dennis Chan was one of my art assassins on KONG.

MGS is about the “cycle of pain” so we created a diptych to visually represent history repeating.

Can’t wait for you to see my approach to the dense past & present timeline of this world.

Zoom in. Enjoy pic.twitter.com/Ni0U9IICwh

— Jordan Vogt-Roberts (@VogtRoberts) July 16, 2018

The post Director Jordan Vogt-Roberts Updates On ‘Metal Gear’ Movie and Begins Sharing Concept Art appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

Previously set for a 2017 release, we’ve just learned that Metal Gear Survive has been pushed back to early 2018. The reason? Konami needs more time to polish the game.

Meantime, check out the trailer below.

In the new game…

Following the evacuation of Big Boss and Kazuhira Miller from the besieged Mother Base, a wormhole opens in the sky and absorbs the offshore plant as well the remaining Militaires Sans Frontières soldiers. The soldiers are transported to an alternate reality along with the remains of Mother Base, to find the world full of hostile, crystalline zombie-like entities known as “creatures”. Their goal is to find materials and do anything they can to go back to their own world.

Look for it on PlayStation 4, Windows PC and Xbox One.

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Whatever could this mystery game be? She’s already confirmed that it’s not related to Silent Hill, so we’re going to have to get creative with our guesses. I’m going to go with Shadows of the Damned 2, just because. What about you — if this could be any horror game, what would you like it to be?

The post ‘Silent Hill’ Voice Actress Working On New Horror Game appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

“Mr. Kojima had every intention of being with us tonight, but unfortunately he was informed by a lawyer representing Konami just recently that he would not be allowed to travel to tonight’s award ceremony to accept any awards. He’s still under an employment contract and it’s disappointing.”

Kojima isn’t singularly responsible for how great MGS V is, but he did create the series and it would’ve been an entirely different game without him behind it. His acceptance speech shouldn’t have had a 140 character limit.

If you didn’t watch the awards show, there were a handful of memorable moments, both good and bad. The best of them was captured in this video, when Konami’s epic assholery earned them the award they truly deserve: an auditorium filled with booing fans.

Konami’s being a real ass.

That is all.

The post Konami Didn’t Let Kojima Accept His Award Last Night appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

The timing couldn’t be any better, as Telltale announced two additional Walking Dead games earlier this year, including a third season in the main series and a Michonne-centric spin-off.

Xbox One owners can also grab Valiant Hearts while the Xbox 360 gets a dose of stealth action espionage with Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes.

The post Telltale’s ‘The Walking Dead’ is Free On Xbox Live appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

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The post [Podcast] Whatever – April 29th, 2015 – “Late To The Party” appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

That’s right, Lisa’s ghost from the Silent Hills P.T. demo is totally something you can summon as a temporary ally in Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain. See her in action in the video below.

And here’s that nightmarish concept video from TGS.

The post ‘Silent Hills’ Ghost Can Lend a Hand in ‘MGS 5’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

As Hideo Kojima wraps up development on Metal Gear Solid V, many fans are left wondering what his next project will be. He’s mentioned his desire to step down from the Metal Gear series, which he created, more than a few times already, but it looks like this time he may actually go through with it. We know Konami has reached out to Kojima in the past about taking the reins on a future Silent Hill, and today, we just got one step closer to seeing that come to fruition.

During a Twitch Q&A held earlier today, Kojima chatted about Snake’s next adventure, the possibility of creating a mobile game, and yes, even the possibility of his having a hand in the inevitable next Silent Hill

When a fan asked him which Konami franchise he would like to direct or reboot if given the chance, Kojima replied, with a mischievous grin on his face, with two words: “Silent Hill.”

Then Geoff Keighley pushed him further regarding what he’d do with the franchise. That’s when things got interesting.

While Kojima admits there’s a problem in that he’s easily scared of many things — he and I have that in common, but that doesn’t stop me from losing it on our YouTube channel on a near-daily basis — he’s confident that that would only aid him in crafting something that is truly terrifying.

“I have no idea when I’ll be able to do this, but maybe some day in the future,” he added.

I am all for a Kojima-developed Silent Hill game, though I’d recommend he reads this first.

The post Kojima Would Like To Make A ‘Silent Hill’ Game appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

It’s been mentioned before that Kojima could potentially take the reigns on a new Silent Hill game, which could be powered by Kojima’s FOX Engine. The idea of a series reboot from someone with his experience is exciting, even though he’s admitted he isn’t a huge fan of the horror genre.

In a recent interview, Kojima expressed a desire to depart from Metal Gear.

“Ideally I would like to step out from the Metal Gear franchise as a producer and dedicate myself to other games,” Kojima told Game Informer. “So far that has proven to be a bit difficult.” Apparently, his success in creating a franchise that’s been both critically acclaimed and wildly successful for a couple decades now is making it difficult for him to get Konami to let him tackle anything else.

As for what Kojima has in mind for his next project, he “would like to make more games that have that indie game taste or some completely different type of game with a big budget.”

“I’ve been working in the Metal Gear franchise for over 25 years. This world has allowed me to tell a lot of the things that I wanted to say. That said, it has a very specific worldview and a very specific set of game elements. I’ll probably be saying this until I die, but there are still more things I want to tell, more things I want to communicate, and more things I want to experiment with.” he continued.

Look, Konami. Silent Hill needs a reboot. You know it, I know it, Jeremy Blaustein knows it, Dave Cox knows it — everyone knows it. The only question left is who is going to be in charge of bringing this once haunting and mesmerizingly beautiful survival horror series back to its former glory.

I vote for Kojima.

The post Kojima Wants To Take A Break From The ‘Metal Gear’ Franchise; Konami Should Give Him ‘Silent Hill’ appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

If you’re like me and everything about this movie just screams awesome to you, then I suggest reading what Kojima had to say about the film. It’s spoiler free, and he somehow manages to find a way to make me even more excited to see it. July 12th really can’t come soon enough.

Who plans on seeing this when it opens next week?

Have a question? Feel free to ever-so-gently toss Adam an email, or follow him on Twitter and Bloody Disgusting.

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Have a question? Feel free to ever-so-gently toss Adam an email, or follow him on Twitter and Bloody Disgusting.

The post VGA 2012: Internet Quickly Picks Apart ‘The Phantom Pain’ Trailer, Discovers Metal Gear Conspiracy appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.

“Honestly, I’m kind of a scaredy-cat when it comes to horror movies, so I’m not confident I can do it. At the same time, there’s a certain type of horror that only people who are scared of can create, so maybe it’s something I can do.” Says Kojima.

And I totally think he’s right. What would be more genius than creating a horror game based around the ideas of someone who can’t handle scary things? That’s almost as good as seeing naked photos of Ernest Borgnine. The past few Silent Hills have been a meat lovers dream. Filled with horrible creatures and their fajita tits. But the marshmallow memories of Hideo Kojima could be exactly the reboot this series needs. Meow.

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