San Diego Comic Con UDF Exclusive
MGS2: Bande Dessinée Packaging
MGS2:DGN Release Date Announced Soon?
Collection Update #14
Tuesday June 24th, 2008 by Walleye
New Addition: Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.
Added to: Game.
San Diego Comic Con UDF Exclusive
Monday June 2nd, 2008 by Walleye
More variants of the 20th Metal Gear Anniversary Medicom Ultra Detail Figures are on the horizon. A stealth variant of MGS2 Snake was shown at the New York Toy Fair earlier in the year, it is unknown when (or indeed, if) it will be made commercially available (unless it already has and I just plain missed it). Next came a Stealth Variant of Raiden, exclusive to the New York Comic Convention. Following that, an Olive Drab variant of the Old Snake UDF was released with the European Limited Edition of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.
Now it looks like we're in for another variant. Starting from July 24th, visitors to the San Diego Comic Convention will be able to get their hands on an exclusive Stealth Variant of Naked Snake from Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. If you want to get this figure, but are unable to get to the convention, there's no need to worry. It's more than likely that some people will pick up the figure so they can sell it on eBay. As well as this, BigBadToyStore.com are taking pre-orders for the SDCC exclusive figure.
The Naked Snake variant is limited to 1400 pieces.
MGS2: Bande Dessinée Packaging
Monday June 16th, 2008 by Walleye
Images of the packaging for the Metal Gear Solid 2: Digital Graphic Novel DVD Release in Japan have been posted up on Ashley Wood’s blog. The DVD comes with 2 discs, one disc is for the first Metal Gear Solid: Digital Graphic Novel, the 2nd is for the Metal Gear Solid 2: Digital Graphic Novel. Both discs feature full voice acting.
Link: Ashley Wood BAMBABLOG.
Metal Gear Solid 4 - Out Now!
Thursday June 12th, 2008 by Walleye
It's here! June 12th has arrived and Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is now officially available to buy. Its been a long time coming since the game made its debut at E3 in 2006, but now fans can get their hands on the final instalment in Solid Snake's Saga.
Lucky fans have already had the game for several days. Stores in Australia and Kuwait, as well as some sellers on eBay, broke the street date for the game.
Due to extreme budget limitations at the moment, it seems I am the only Metal Gear fan not currently playing MGS4, things should be looking up in the next few days though and I should be able to join in the fun.
To the rest of you, enjoy your MGS4 experience!
MGS2:DGN Release Date Announced Soon?
Tuesday June 10th, 2008 by Walleye
Showing up recently on Konamistyle Japan was a DVD for Metal Gear Solid 2: Digital Graphic Novel. It looks like DGN2 is getting a DVD release now instead of being released on PSP, despite earlier adverts stating the contrary.
Reader, and good friend of mine, NULL0 recently emailed Ashley Wood to find out what was going on with Digital Graphic Novel 2. Ash replied with the following:
"Re the digi graphic novel, there is a Japanese DVD release this week that has a voice acted version of Metal Gear Solid and Sons Of Liberty digital graphic novels on it.. Very cool, I might say too. An English version will be announced soon".
Be on the look out for an announcement regarding the release for the English Version in the next few weeks. It may even come as soon as the MGS4 Launch Party at midnight on June 11th.
New PAL Limited Edition Pics
Tuesday June 3rd, 2008 by Walleye
New images have been released of the European Limited Edition version of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. As has already been confirmed, the package contains:
- Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.
- The Making of Metal Gear Solid 4 – Special Blu-Ray Disc.
- Metal Gear Solid 4 Original Soundtrack (Single Disc Version).
- Limited Edition Medicom Old Snake Ultra Detail Figure ("Olive Drab" Version).
Initially, low-res images appeared showing the packaging for the Limited Edition. An interesting point to notice is that from the early pics, it looked like the Old Snake figure was made entirely out of clear green plastic, much like the stealth variant MGS1 figures released in 1998. From the small pics, it was also clear that the package was called the "European Extreme Edition."
The newer, higher resolution photos show the figure in more detail. They also show the entire contents of the package and they show that it is now simply called the "Limited Edition." In my opinion, European Extreme Edition was a much nicer name.
The game case is the regular European version of the game, which comes with Metal Gear Online. The Blu-Ray case is the same as that of Metal Gear Saga Vol.2, except it hasn’t been inverted. The Old Snake figure is painted in an Olive Drab colour, similar to the Olive Drab Camouflage from Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (hence the name), but it is only painted where the suit would change in the game. The idea of this is to create a limited edition figure that looks like the Octocamo is being put to use to blend in with an Olive Drab coloured backdrop. So, it’s not just an Olive Drab vest, as I had previously speculated.
Below are all the photos of the Limited Edition pack, starting with the older, low resolution ones. I found these images on the forums at Metal Gear Solid: The Unofficial Site.
Link: EU Limited Edition Pics @ MGS:TUS.
Metal Gear Solid 4 World Tour - London [Update]
Monday June 2nd, 2008 by Walleye
The Metal Gear Solid 4 World Tour kicked off today in style at HMV on Oxford Street, London. Huge crowds turned out to be in with a chance of claiming one of only 300 allocated HMV Exclusive MGS4 sleeves to get signed by none other than series creator - Hideo Kojima, lead artist - Yoji Shinkawa and "the beauty of Asia" - Yumi Kikuchi.
For me, the day started at 5:45AM, leaving the house by 6:30AM and catching a 7:00AM train to Oxford Circus in time for 8:00AM. Approaching the store, I noticed that no one had turned up. There was just one guy, pacing around checking to see if he was at the right store. I joined him in trying to find out which store we were at, when we were told the crowds were gathering down an alley to the back of the building. Hundreds of people lined up early, all of them after the same thing.
The store opened at 9:00AM with people at the front of the queue being released into the store in small groups. Time passing as we all slowly edged our way to the front. People emerging from the store with small bags containing the much sought after sleeves. Finally, I made it to the front of the queue. I was given a small form with which to fill in some basic details to place my pre-order. Taking the form into the store, I paid my £5 deposit and was rewarded with my very own sleeve. My ticket to meet Kojima and co.
With the hard work done, I left the store with a couple of other fans. We had all mutually agreed to stick together for the day, as we had already been talking to each other for the best part of 2 hours. We wandered down the road in search of hot beverages, stopping at a café offering drinks for £1 each.
Leaving the café with our drinks, we headed back toward HMV when we decided to have a look around in GAME. I felt like trying my luck, so I placed another pre-order for MGS4 and claimed a 3rd Metal Gear Saga Vol.2 DVD and Limited Edition Metal Gear Solid 4 GAME Gift card, the last one in the store. This meant that my compadré was unable to get his own copy and not seeing the point in having 3 pre-order packs, I gave mine to him.
Heading back into HMV, I took note of 2 Japanese guys standing outside the store wearing Metal Gear Solid 4 Shirts that I have never seen before, armed with a large video camera and a tripod. Figuring that they must be from Konami, we approached them and had a conversation. This was later returned while in the queue to get into the store again for signing session, when the 2 Konami reps approached us to conduct an interview with us on camera. We were asked questions like "When did you first get into Metal Gear?" and "Have you seen the trailers for MGS4, if so what are your impressions?"
Another long wait lay ahead of us, slowly edging back toward the same door we had entered just a few hours before. Only this time, MGS4 banners had been set up around the stage. Barriers had been set up around the store to keep those with sleeves contained in an easy to manage area where we waited for Kojima to arrive.
After a while, the screen at the back of the stage changed to the PS3 XMB, and the crowd all cheered thinking we were in for a play demonstration of MGS4. As it turned out, the XMB was only used to select a picture of the MGS4 logo to put on the screen instead.
Enter Kojima, and a cheer from the crowd followed by chants of "KO-JI-MA!" After a brief welcoming period, the signing began. It was best part of an hour before I got my chance to get my sleeve signed. Approaching the stage with my sleeve and promo MGS4 case, I was told by the bouncer "one item only," so I handed him my sleeve and he passed it to signee #1 – Yoji Shinkawa.
I shook hands with Mr. Shinkawa and with my camera at the ready, new batteries freshly installed and fully charged, I set about taking pictures. Yoji, noticing that I was pointing my camera at him, picked up my now signed sleeve, and posed with it. As soon as I had focused the camera to get a sharp image, it mysteriously turned itself off. Attempts to turn it back on where in vain and I was urged to proceed by the bouncer. Yoji handed my sleeve to signee #2 – Hideo Kojima.
Mr. Kojima extended his hand and I was only too happy to shake it. Adding a nice "hello", he set about adding his name to my sleeve. After he had signed it, he looked up, pointed and let out what can only be described as an "impressed" noise. I could only think that he was pointing at my MGS4 case, so I turned it around and showed it to him. He shook his head and pointed again. He was pointing at my MGS1 T-Shirt that I was wearing. He then shook my hand again, and passed my sleeve to signee #3 – Yumi Kikuchi.
Yumi greeted me and signed my sleeve. Scooping it up to hand it back to me, she shook my hand. Thanking her for signing the sleeve, I took it from her, and proceeded to catch up to the guys I had spent the rest of the day with.
Crouching down to change the batteries in my camera to my second set of spares, the mystery problem was now fixed. With my mission complete, I said farewell to my new friends and started the journey home, safe in the knowledge that I had met 2 of my heroes, shook their hands and got their autographs.
**Please note that I would have taken, uploaded and posted many more and much better pictures. My camera was playing up all day, and it’s very hard to get a decent shot of anything through a massive crowd of people. I myself was expecting to make a lot more out of the day in terms of photos, so I can only apologise for what little I can provide.**
Update: MGS:TUS forum member Griffo, who I met at the signing, has upload a compilation of his best footage from the event, (originally) set to "Love Will Tear Us Apart" by Joy Division. The video starts with a few photos of Griffo's sleeve, and then some footage of my Promo MGS4 Case. You can also see (albeit briefly) my MGS1 t-shirt that I was wearing on the day.
Collection Update #13
Monday June 2nd, 2008 by Walleye
New Addition: Signed Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Slipcase
Added to: Misc.