Every Monday from now until the launch of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, the Official PLAYSTATION Blog will be updated with new pertinent information concerning the upcoming release of the game.  The first update was yesterday, and talks about pre-ordering the game to get into the Metal Gear Online Beta, setting up your Konami ID, and character customization for Metal Gear Online.  I'll be updating this post every Monday, with whatever new information is received on Metal Gear Mondays.

Link:   PLAYSTATION Blog

Monday: April 14, 2007:

Using the Beta Key, downloading the client:

If you have attained a MGO Beta UPVC, then Thursday, April 17th, this week, the download of the MGO Beta client will be available to you through the PlayStation Store on your PS3 (but please bear in mind, gameplay does not start until April 21st , and then will run until May 5th) - again, please do not try to redeem your UPVC before April 17th, you will just get an error message. You need to carefully follow the instructions provided on the MGO Beta UPVC insert in order to get at the download of the MGO Beta client through the PlayStation Store on your PS3. It is also important to note that your UPVC for the MGO Beta is good for only one PS3/PSN/PlayStation Store account, so you should absolutely NOT share your UPVC with anyone (unless you plan to forfeit your MGO Beta to whoever you give the UPVC to). There will not be any additional issue/reissue, replacement, etc of these codes - so again, we stress, please DO NOT share your UPVC for the MGO Beta with anyone!

Making your Konami ID (Necessary):

What is a Konami ID you ask? It is Konami’s service that has actually been around for a while in Japan, which basically allows for a unified account and access across various Konami products and services. Konami ID will be used for the first time in MGO for the US, and using the Konami ID allows for some of the really unique features we plan to offer the community with MGO. Once you hit the Konami ID sign up menu option, you should notice something subtle, but really cool: MGO launches the PS3 web browser from in-game and takes you to the Konami ID registration page. You can also simply visit http://id.konami.net from your favorite Web browser right now and sign up as well, to get a head start!

Character Creation:

Similar to some popular MMOGs, MGO features a deep character creation component. Each user of the Beta will get one “character slot” to create a character with. This includes a wide variety of personalization options, as well as customizable and upgradeable skills. Players can select up to 4 skills to specialize in, to match their play style and increase their effectiveness. Close Quarter Combat (CQC), knife fighting, quickness, alertness, heavy weaponry mastery, demolition, and sniper mastery are just some of the skills you can specialize in.

MGS2 Backstory, and Sons of the Patriots explained:

A few years after the events of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, the MGS4 story begins. In this short period of time, the world has changed drastically. PMCs [Private Military Companies] have taken the place of state armies as the world’s primary war engines - PMCs are private companies that specialize in warfare. The Big Shell Incident of MGS2 has prompted the U.S. Government to require all PMC soldiers be injected with nanomachines. These nanomachines regulate data, performance, and even emotions. Every soldier and weapon is controlled, regulated, and kept in check. This system, known as Sons of the Patriots (SOP), even makes it physically impossible for soldiers to turn their guns on their clients. In essence, it places the battlefield under corporate management. As a result, the fires of war continue to spread, and the PMCs inexorably increase their power and influence in world affairs.

The SOP System allows you to visually share information among your squad by linking your internal nanomachines. Information like your teammates’ positions, status, and even who they’re engaging with will all be provided to you in real-time. It also works through walls, letting you identify individuals by their digital silhouette. Gain the upper hand by scanning your enemy team’s link and share their information with your comrades. In MGO, intercommunication and adaptive teamwork decide the outcome!

Beta details; Match-types, items, and other important information:

• Metal Gear Online (MGO), the multiplayer experience that combines the rich Metal Gear Solid universe with online combat, is available exclusively on the PLAYSTATION 3 system!
• MGO carries over the backdrop and control system of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (MGS4) to original online maps and game modes, with future downloadable content (planned to be released after the launch of MGS4) adding additional maps, characters, and other features.
• Among the new components this time around are battles featuring up to 16 players, and the Sons of the Patriots (SOP) system, allowing for enhanced squad communication. Close cooperation is essential to survival on the battlefield!

Match Types:

Deathmatch - Kill or be killed, the winner is the person who gets the most kills
Team Deathmatch - You and your team must get more kills than the other team to win
Base Mission - You must control certain territories across the map to win
Capture Mission - Capture the flag, capture your teammates flag.

Items:

Standard Issue -  CBOX, PINO, S.Plug.S
In-map - ENVG, DRUM

Weapons:

Primary, main weapons at base - vz83, P90, MP5, AK, M4, M17, SVD, MOSIN, M14EBR, DSR1, M870, Shield, RPG, SOP DESTAB.
Secondary (sub weapon) - GSR, Mk.2 Pistol, Operator (supressor), G18C, D.E.
Support (others) - Gernade, WP Gernade, Stun Gernade, Chaff Gernade, Smoke Gernade, Enemy Locator, Claymore, Sleep Claymore, C4, Magazine.

And... 

Catapault!

This image should explain it all, but you basically launch your character across the maps. I can’t tell you the sheer joy this brings to both the launched and those watching, you simply have to experience it for yourselves. Suffice to say, it allows for some very unusual strategies! Take a close look at the contextual action button at the bottom of the screen, w00t!

The multiplayer maps (two):

Blood Bath:

Groznyj Grad

Nice find

I'm so flipping excited to play this game.

It looks like Metal Gear online will be full of win.

http://vgchartz.com/forum/thread.php?id=23806

Thread already made DMeisterJ.

Dang.

Well, mine got stickied, I guess if a mod decides to close this one they can, but this one has a much more clean and slicker look than Makingmusic's (no offense MM).  

;_;

Awesome, I am so pumped about the Beta.

I like this catapult ;)

I m not sure MGO will be a so amazing game ...
wait and see

(but I have plenty of hope on MGS4 itself ^^)

It's Monday Again!

But no "Metal Gear Monday" post from the Official PlayStation Blog as yet, so I'll just use this post to update everone on the goings on of the MGO Beta.

The Metal Gear Online Beat was supposed to start today, but due to the immense pressure put on Konami's servers (id.konami.net) it was pushed back to a date that hadn't been specified earlier this morning.  Later in the day, Konami's official website posted that the Beta would be coming out on April 25, instead of April 21, but would last until May 11, instead of May 5.  So instead of the beta being two weeks, it's two weeks and two days, Thanks Konami!

Link: http://www.konami.jp/mgo/us/

We would like to thank all players for their keen interest in taking part in the beta test.
However, we regret to inform you that due to extraordinary levels of traffic from all around the globe, we have been unable to run the service to the level we expected.
As a temporary measure, we will be deferring the European public beta test and start it once we stabilize our server.
We would like to apologize for all inconveniences as well as confusion caused.

We would like to add that due to the above reasons, we will be making the following changes to the schedule:
1) Start date: Planned for 04/25/2008 24:00(PDT). While the start is planned for the weekend, it may change due to unforseen circumstances.
3) Beta Test closure: This will now be on 05/11/2008 at 24:00(PDT) rather than 05/05/2008 at 24:00(PDT)

IMPORTANT: Please note that your voucher code will only be valid up until 05/05/2008, so please make sure to register them by then.

Link: http://blog.us.playstation.com/2008/04/18/mgs4-mgo-beta-questions-answered/

Q: Can we play this game locally once it is downloaded or is it only played through online?

A:  You must sign in to play Metal Gear Online. There is no local play option.

Q: Any of the Konami folks will be playing in the BETA as well?

A:  We sure will!!! We may try to arrange some matches with you all or something like that… Stay tuned!

Q:  Upon downloading the Beta on the 17th, what can the player do? Would I be able to tool around the character creation settings and all that before I play? I’d like to do that beforehand.

A:  Thanks! You can set up a Konami ID/Game ID through the MGO client/PS3, or can do so right now at http://id.konami.net, otherwise character creation and of course gameplay will not be available until the 21st.

Q: When will you take pre-orders for the Gunmetal Grey MGS4 PS3 Bundle? Where would you be able to do so? Konami America?

A: We really appreciate your excitement about the gun-metal grey “Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots” Limited Edition PLAYSTATION 3 Hardware Bundle. We will be revealing more information about this very soon, please stay tuned!

Q: Is there any mic support in the beta or in the starter pack coming with MGS4?

A:  Absolutely! Mics are supported by MGO!

To start, we have been getting reports that some of you are receiving partial digit UPVC’s Metal Gear Online Beta on the “Metal Gear Saga Vol. 2″ DVD inserts. We are aware of this issue and are working hard to remedy. If you’ve been affected by this issue, please contact us at http://www.konami-data.com/support/. Please be sure to include your partial code, and any other pertinent details (like a return email address, etc). We thank you for your patience.

Second, as some of you may have noticed, the download of the MGO Beta client is now available. Carefully following the instructions you received with your UPVC, you can go grab it. Once it’s downloaded and installed, and you hit the main menu, you’ll notice to proceed you need to sign in your PSN account. Once you’ve done that, you’ll see that there is an update that must be downloaded and installed. From there, the next menu is where you can sign up for your Konami ID/Game ID, which are required to play Metal Gear Online. You can also sign up for a Konami ID/Game ID at http://id.konami.net at any time using a web browser on a PC as well. Once you have signed up for your Konami ID/Game ID, and input it into MGO on your PS3, you can select the option to save the login and password and just login directly in the future without having to input it again.

Following that, until gameplay begins on the [25th], you will just receive an error if you try to sign in to play MGO right now.

As mentioned in the previous posts about Metal Gear Online and Konami ID, the Konami ID/Game ID will be used to offer community and other features with Metal Gear Online, similar to some other popular multiplayer online game web communities, except in this case the web community is directly integrated into the game client which allows for some special functionality. As you use Metal Gear Online, you will see how the PS3 web browser is seamlessly integrated into the experience, and then of course, you can go and access the community when you are away from your PS3 as well, using a web browser on a PC. We’ll reveal more about the community features of MGO at a later date.

That's all folks... for now.