Metal Gear Solid 4 Slated for Late Q2 2008 Release; Preorder Guarantees MGS Online Beta Key

Kojima Productions' anticipated PS3 tactical sequel Metal Gear Solid 4 is set for a late Q2 release this year.

The news comes from Sony's Destination PlayStation conference held earlier today. Kotaku is reporting a target release date of June 12, 2008 for the title.

A beta for the online component of the game, Metal Gear Solid Online, will begin in April. Those who preorder Metal Gear Solid 4 will receive access to the test.

Sony also announced a new PlayStation 3 bundle themed around the game. The $499 package includes a copy of Metal Gear Solid 4, one of the new DualShock 3 rumble-supported controllers, and an 80GB PlayStation 3 console.

The bundled console will feature some backwards compatibility, the hardware being similar to that found in the 80GB Motorstorm bundle, according to a comment made by SCEA's Al De Leon on the PlayStation blog.