Konami to Sony: Shape Up, or Snake Moves On

While Sony hopes that a price cut will spur sales of its PlayStation 3 console, Konami CEO Kazumi Kitaue is far from optimistic. The executive in charge of the popular Metal Gear Solid series cited poor sales due to high prices, hinting that it may mean a multi-platform release for Solid Snake's next appearance. "I wonder if Sony can win back user support by the price cut of just $100," Kitaue said this week to Reuters. "I don't expect a substantial impact... With $500, you can buy a personal computer." Sony plans to cut the price of its 60GB PlayStation 3 model to $499 this August. The various models of competitor Microsoft's Xbox 360 console run from $299 to $479. While the difference in price may be diminishing, Microsoft has used the advantage of lower cost to gain a significant lead in system sales over the past year and a half. Facing a question of exclusivity for Konami's upcoming Metal Gear Solid 4--currently set for release on PlayStation 3 only--its answer may be one of simple economics. Kitaue's comments regarding his company's flagship franchise were ominous: "Since Metal Gear Solid was born for the PlayStation, we would like to keep it a PlayStation game. But we might have to take some steps." Kojima Productions Report host Ryan Payton recently issued vague comments in regards to a possible delay of Metal Gear Solid 4, leading some to believe that an Xbox 360 version is forthcoming. "I can tell you honestly at this point, we have not changed the game in any form with the idea of that we've got to do this on 360," remarked Payton.