People have different tastes in games. Personally, the gameplay in MGS pisses me off because it feels as if it's stuck in 1997. I didn't mind overhead views with sloppy controls in MGS1... It was the best the industry had to offer. The problem with Kojima is that he got so stuck on himself that he wouldn't admit that games like Splinter Cell and Silent Hill had perfected the console third person action genre and overhead views were becoming outdated. Obviously, I'm not the only one who believes this so it's not just "talking shit for no reason". Look at the sales numbers, the MGS series has been in steady decline. I think this is because of the advancements in gameplay throughout the genre and because there are better offerings out there. The story may be great but interest will still dwindle unless there is gameplay to back it up.

Don't get me wrong, I'm hoping this all changes for MGS4 and that the player is given more license to control every aspect of the character. If so, I'll jump on that bandwagon in a heartbeat but I'm not holding my breath waiting for it to happen. Kojima strikes me as the type of guy (through interviews, presentations, comments, etc) who takes himself a little too seriously and would never admit that he might be wrong about something.

There are many who agree with you. Kojima makes his games like movies, so you spend a lot of time watching cut scenes. I hate that, myself. It's boring as well, and the gameplay itself, while open ended, just isn't enough. I loved Metal Gear and ended up getting an old playstation with MGS and some other games for like $80 when I was younger, but I never managed to play through it because I became bored.

Of course, I was young then and I thought Metal Gear was a serious game. When I started seeing all of the jokes, that pushed me away. Some people love the type of humor and Metal Gear not taking anything seriously. I personally don't think it's all that entertaining and is really more of a distraction from the game than anything.

The MGS series is popular with a set of the core gamers in the US, but it isn't nearly as huge as you'd believe just reading Internet posts about it.  People act like it's the second coming.  

@endimion,

- about stoping production like Dreamcats,

I dont believe too that Microsoft or sony will stop Xbox360/PS3 production.
But I believe PS3 will finish in a better position than Xbox360.

- about E3

E32007 is different from the past E3.
Because E3 come later in the year, at E32007, professionnal already know all the news BEFORE E3 and same for gamers that are used of internet.
At E3, the only things for the professional were the different DEMO that they were allowed to play. For this, Sony/Microsoft/Nintendo did a similar job.
But what about the gamers ? the guys like u and me that checked E3 conference ?
As Microsoft just have repeated the samething, it was not interesting.
But:
Sony pushed the MGS4 exclusivity/underligned the timed exclusivity of UT3/kept focusing on LBP/revealed demo of Killzone2 + 60gb price drop + PSP news
Nintendo revealed the new WiiZapper+Wiifit/Wiiboard.
The impression for Microsoft was really bad in the gaming community because there was no news, no annoucement (price cut ? no ...), no news game.
The target was the gamers and sony made a good job.

- about Liepzig/TGS

OK, Microsoft will be able to focus on news game, u are right.
But it is the same for Sony and Nintendo. Everybody will show sample for end 2007 and 2008.
And I believe that sony will make a stronger impression with his firts party exclusive than Microsoft with his PC adapted game.
Same for TGS.

- about Xmas sales

Price drop for Microsoft + bundle ? wow amazing.
But there will be the same for Nintendo and Sony.
Right now, Xbox360 is cheaper than PS3 but is outselled.
Yes, Xbox360 market share is decreasing.
Even more, since Sony drop his console price BEFORE Microsoft, they have taken initiative.

Well, I can't speak for any other 360 owner, but for myself, I've always been a fan of the MGS series, it was the first game I owned on PS1 and the reason I bought a PS2. Since I already own a 360, the PS3 does not offer much value to me, since there hasn't been a game yet that I really wanted that isn't available on the 360, so if MGS4 comes to the 360, I can play it for $60 instead of $560. So you see, it has nothing to do with wanting Sony to fail or anything, it's just that my wallet wants it to come to the console that I already own.

PS. There was some information released a few months ago that showed that many 360 owners didn't own an original xbox, which would also explain why a lot of 360 owners would want the MGS series to come to the 360, since it's most likely they owned a PS2. I think this also throws a wrench in the whole theory that Halo 3 won't sell many consoles because people who want it already bought a console.

@libellule
they didn't take any initiative....... they just reduced the price gap compare to the other actors of the market..... and it's mostly to get rid of the 60go version, not really a price cut at the end..... why MS do one before just because they don't need too.... they did one now probably by anticipation for the falcon chip and will probably do another one when the falcon is on the market....

"But what about the gamers ? the guys like u and me that checked E3 conference ?"
well that's exactly there that I don't agree with you, as the E3 (one more time in that format) is not for gamers and anyway a minority of people are following seriously E3... so they don't really care about the gaming community for their press conference.. people might bitch about it during the show and couple weeks after but when christmas come most of them won't even remember E3....

"professionnal already know all the news BEFORE E3 and same for gamers that are used of internet."

true and not true, they might know about the games but still are there to see what's going on in the market right now how high is the hipe on the coming games..... they are like consumers they do react to advertising on their level too and right now it's all about christmas 2007 not the next fiscal year....


"Sony pushed the MGS4 exclusivity/underligned the timed exclusivity of UT3/kept focusing on LBP/revealed demo of Killzone2 + 60gb price drop"

MGS4 was an amazing trailer but still just a trailer, which I can't care less about if I was a professional and even me as a gamer.

the exclu of the game is a reality but don't be certain of it as if MS wants it they'll put the dolla dolla behind to convince Konamy and Kojima won't be able to do sh**....

I'm glad UT is not comming this year on XB. it i is a good thing for them as they have already enough game coming out already and t would be frontal crash with other games... and i'm pretty sure it's an agreement on both side from MS and epic to not release it this year to make more money and sustain the christmas sales in the 1st quarter with dark sector pushed too....

LBP I don't know much about it, but of what I have seen it is a good game but won't be a system seller in my opinion

Killzone 2 I loved the demo live but after having watched it almost a 20 times, i don't really think it is that great... but the game is far from finished so not really time to judge it anyway....

price cut one more time it is a temporary one as the stoped the production.... it explains also partly the jump in sale.... a lot of people are not sure about a second price drop on the other version for christmas and they fear it being sold out soon...


"The impression for Microsoft was really bad in the gaming community because there was no news, no annoucement (price cut ? no ...), no news game."

ok but it's not really relevant for MS.... and Sony on the other hand just made me think that I should wait next year to buy a PS3..... where MS was focusing on already known games ofcourse but all of them for this year and all of them amazing even the multi plat one.... waht sony totaly avoided....MS got people to see COD4, assassin creed, mass effect, rock band, halo 3 etc.... in action... so at the end even as a gamer I prefer to see games I know already about in action than a serie of trailer with some gameplay at the end of games for 2008... especialy if I'm thinking Xmas 2007



"about Liepzig/TGS

OK, Microsoft will be able to focus on news game, u are right.
But it is the same for Sony and Nintendo. Everybody will show sample for end 2007 and 2008.
And I believe that sony will make a stronger impression with his firts party exclusive than Microsoft with his PC adapted game.
Same for TGS."


there I totally disagree with you.... I don't think Sony is going to be stronger for the reason that they already talked a lot about their 2008 games and their first party won't be enough in adition... where MS has everything to uncover as much third party than first party... because that's exactly my point you just know about the PC adapted game, they have first party games already in progress we don't know about, and i'm pretty sure they have an impressive collection of third party to come.... they are investing more money for that than Sony right now.... and I'm pretty sure they are especially waiting for the TGS to make a point... where better than on Sony's soil it would be to do it ???



"- about Xmas sales

Price drop for Microsoft + bundle ? wow amazing.
But there will be the same for Nintendo and Sony.
Right now, Xbox360 is cheaper than PS3 but is outselled.
Yes, Xbox360 market share is decreasing.
Even more, since Sony drop his console price BEFORE Microsoft, they have taken initiative."

hum if the set of chip comes out early, they can make a bigger price drop than sony, I don't think nintendo is planning any price drop because they don't need one..... especially if the core for XB is not produced anymore.... and I wouldn't be so sure that Sony is financially able to lose more money on the console than they already do so a second price drop is not certain for this year.... especially if they don't want to piss of the stock holders before march 2008....

for the outsold part I still believe it's temporary just because of the price drop of a product which won't be produced anymore nothing more.... and saying XB market share is decreasing is a bit early to say after just what 3 weeks.... and no again it was not really an initiative but a necessity to get rid of product not produced anymore.... MS is actually about to do a real price cut apparently.. and certainly about to release a new chip format....

so at the end i'm still more convince by the strength of MS strategy.... but that discussion will make way more sens when both of us will have seen the LGC and TGS... then we will be able to really make an accurate judgment.... but I don't think Sony's old tricks will be as efficient as they were.... with MS in the game.... without saying that MS is buying more and more studios.... they want a monopole and they won't stop until they do... i'm not certain of the conviction of Sony on that market I think they had a great money making machine with PS1 and PS2.... but if PS3 fails or don't do that great i'm not certain they are going to push it for the next generation... simply because they can invest money on other more money making market than a new generation of console uncertain of matching with micrsoft and nintendo.... because even if MS decrease, MS and nintendo combine will still make sony behind which might make them reconsider the interest of that market for the whole corporation and stock holders

as usuall wait and see is the best answer anyway....

sinon j'assume que tu es francophone t'as quel age tu viens d'ou ??? moi 24 je viens de strasbourg en france mais je vis aux US et j'ai pas dormi de la nuit donc t'excuseras l'anglais horrible lol :)