With Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots due out June 12 (PS3), developer Kojima Productions has revealed that the long-awaited stealth-action title is finished.

"I can now saw we have finished, Metal Gear Solid 4 is finally completed," series creator Hideo Kojima announced at a press event yesterday. "It was quite a test. Honestly, I feel relieved."

During his presentation, Kojima detailed some of the product placement contained within the game, including a 30GB iPod and Playboy magazines. The iPod can be used to play music found during the game, with Kojima demonstrating the feature by playing a light jazz melody whilst massacring enemy soldiers.

As for Playboy, the well-known nudie publication replaces the generic dirty magazines that have been used to distract enemies in past releases. Kojima noted that flipping through the in-game magazine will help reduce the stress level of protagonist Solid Snake.

Following its press event last night, publisher Konami has unleashed a bonanza of new media, including screenshots of Hellboy: The Science of Evil (PS3, X360, PSP), Lost in Blue (Wii), and New International Track and Field (NDS).

Be sure to check out the full post for all the goods, as there are so many new assets that we couldn't possibly put them all on our front page.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3)
Metal Gear Online (PS3)
Kojima Productions / June 12

Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (NDS)
Konami / Fall 2008

Silent Hill: Homecoming (PS3, X360)
Double Helix / September 2008

... Read more

I have no idea what Solid Snake is doing with an iPod, but here are some new screenshots from Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3) that show off all sorts of product placement.

To be honest, I'm just as confused as you are. Will these items actually be in Kojima Productions' finished game, which is due out June 12? Or are the shots merely some marketing thing? Kojima-created Photoshops?

Either way, we're likely to get more details tomorrow in the wake of publisher Konami's upcoming press event.

Kojima Productions' Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3) may not land until June 12, but don't let that get you down. Here, have a new trailer. It comes straight from publisher Konami!

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The online beta for Kojima Productions' Metal Gear Online (PS3) has been updated with a new map and the Sneaking Mission gametype, allowing players to engage foes as series' protagonist, Solid Snake.

Sneaking Mission divides players among a red team, blue team, and one player as Snake. As the grizzled hero, the objective is to stun or hold up enemy soldiers and steal a set number of dog tags before the match ends.

The new map, entitled Midtown Maelstrom, is crafted in the middle eastern locale where Metal Gear Solid 4's single player campaign takes place and includes a variety of intertwining alleyways and passages. Midtown Maelstrom joins Blood Bath and Groznyj Grad as the third map available to players in the Metal Gear Online beta.

The beta went live last Friday in North America following a short delay. In light of the missed launch, Konami has extended the beta's operation by five days, setting a new closure date of May 11 for the test.

Access to the North American Metal Gear Online beta is available via a download code included in the Metal Gear Saga 2.0 DVD, a bonus disc given to gamers who preorder the upcoming Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3).

Warning: This new trailer for Konami's upcoming PlayStation 3 system-seller Metal Gear Solid 4 is in Japanese. If that wasn't alienating enough, in the absence of David Hayter's gruff voicework, Solid Snake has apparently gone emo.

Just pretend the narrator is saying things like "heart-stopping thrill ride of the summer," and you'll probably be on board.

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Metal Gear Solid 4 is on track to be an action-packed smash hit when it releases on June 12.

Sony Computer Entertainment America and Konami have revealed plans to bring a limited edition gunmetal grey PlayStation 3 to North America.

Dubbed the Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Limited Edition PlayStation 3 Hardware Bundle--a separate offering from the previously-revealed MGS4 PS3 bundle--the exact contents of the package have yet to be revealed. At the very least, it is expected to include a copy of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots and a DualShock 3 controller along with the limited edition console.

The two companies have yet to detail the pricing or availability of the bundle, though a post on the PlayStation.Blog stated it will be a "VERY, VERY Limited Edition bundle."

A PlayStation 3 exclusive developed by Kojima Productions, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots arrives on June 12.

This latest April Fools' Day gag comes as a collaborative effort between Konami and Ubisoft, who unveiled a video showcasing the epic crossover of Ubisoft Montreal's Assassin's Creed (PC, PS3, X360) and Kojima Productions' Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3).

Essentially a clip of Solid Snake lurking about a battlefield wearing the robes of Assassin's Creed lead Altair, the gag reel also unveils new gameplay footage of MGS4 in which Snake battles the Gekko, a bipedal tank.

Metal Gear Solid 4 will hit North American retailers on June 12.

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Publisher Konami has revealed that the beta for Metal Gear Online, the 16-person multiplayer component of Kojima Productions' Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3), will begin on April 21.

As previously announced, players will be able gain access by pre-ordering Metal Gear Solid 4 from major retailers. The pre-order program will begin in April, with consumers receiving a limited edition DVD, entitled Metal Gear Saga 2.0, that contains a download code for the beta.

At present, the beta is expected to run for about two weeks, according to a post by Konami PR director Michael Shelling on official PlayStation blog. He also noted that the participation of "additional promotional partners" could open the test to those who don't pre-order.

A PlayStation 3 exclusive, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots hits retailers worldwide Thursday, June 12. It will contain five Metal Gear Online maps, which Konami has repeatedly described as a "starter pack." For more on both efforts, scope out Nick Breckon's hands-on impression of Metal Gear Solid 4 and Metal Gear Online.

Konami confirmed today that Kojima Productions' upcoming tactical stealth action title Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3) will hit retail shelves in North America on June 12 of this year.

The announcement confirms Konami's previous mention of a late second quarter release window for the anticipated sequel.

The company also revealed that consumers who pre-order the title from participating retailers will receive a limited edition Metal Gear Saga 2.0 DVD, which contains a series retrospective, character bios and a collection of trailers. The DVD will also contain a download code for the Metal Gear Online (PS3) beta test, set to go live in late April.

As previously confirmed, Metal Gear Solid 4 will include a "starter pack" version of Metal Gear Online, featuring five different maps and supporting up to 16 players in online matches.

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.

With Kojima Productions' Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3) delayed out of its 2007 release period last October and given a new Q2 2008 projection, little official word has been released regarding the game's status. Now, on the weekly Kojima Productions Report podcast, assistant producer Ryan Payton revealed that the game is in its "last push"--it is playable from start to finish and is about to enter the bug testing phase.

"Mr. Kojima of all people is really committed to [the date] because he really hates to disappoint people, and I know he is embarrassed by what happened with the 2007 slip into 2008," said Payton. Some features may be added, but "for the majority of the team, this is the end."

Konami has been vague about the Q2 date, which has so far only been officially announced by the company's Japanese arm; Payton stated that Metal Gear Solid 4 will ship worldwide basically simultaneously, with territories likely falling within a few days of one another.

Despite a passing mention of questions about Metal Gear Solid 4 coming to Xbox 360, Payton did not address the issue.

Kojima Productions plans what Payton called an impending "emergence day," referring to the Gears of War marketing line, when the studio will release a deluge of information, including its release date, packaging content, and various game details.

Konami has once again denied the long-circling rumors that Kojima Production's Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots will be released on Xbox 360.

"For the record, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is a PlayStation 3 exclusive and there are no plans to develop an Xbox 360 version of the game," a Konami representative informed The Game Reviews.

The latest round of speculation regarding an eventual Xbox 360 version emerged earlier this week, with little-known fansite XboxFamily claiming it obtained the information directly from an unnamed Konami representative.

Reporter Freeze later claimed that he is so confident in the information that he will shut down the website if Metal Gear Solid 4 does not release on Xbox 360 12-14 months after the PlayStation 3 version arrives.

An Xbox 360 version of Kojima Productions' Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is reportedly in development and will be released 12 to 14 months after the PlayStation 3 edition, according to XboxFamily.

Correspondent Freeze claims he wrestled this information out of an unnamed Konami representative at a distribution meeting and, upon contacting Microsoft, received a lengthy though non-committal response.

Bundled with a "starter pack" of the multiplayer-enabled Metal Gear Online, Metal Gear Solid 4 is slated to released on PlayStation 3 between April 1 and June 30, 2008.

While an Xbox 360 edition of Metal Gear Solid 4 has long been rumored, Konami and Sony have long maintained that the much-anticipated title is a PlayStation 3 exclusive.

That said, Konami has repeatedly hinted at an inevitable Xbox 360 version. Last year, Kojima Productions employee Ryan Payton noted that an Xbox 360 edition would not compromise or limit the PlayStatiion 3 edition.

Konami CEO Kazumi Kitaue later said the company "might have to take some steps" to ensure a profit on the game, with Payton recently commenting that the title needs to sell in excess of one million copies on its first day to justify its high development costs.

Kojima Productions' Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3) and its multiplayer side project Metal Gear Online (PS3) will be bundled together as one release, PlayStation: The Official Magazine has confirmed.

The report indicates that a "starter pack" version of the online game, featuring five different maps, will be bundled alongside MSG4. Though it was previously known that MGS4 would include some version of the online title, publisher Konami had yet to specify any concrete details.

With support for up to 16 players, Metal Gear Online is said to place a heavy emphasis on character customization. Much like Infinity Ward's Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (PC, PS3, X360), players will be able to level up based on their combat experience, as well as assign their characters special abilities. It is believed that extra maps will be sold through Sony's online PlayStation Store.

The PlayStation 3-exclusive MGS4-MGO bundle is currently expected to release in Q2 2008. For more on Metal Gear Online and Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, scope out Nick Breckon's Tokyo Game Show coverage of both titles.

Originally planned for release this fall and more recently delayed into the winter of 2008, Kojima Productions' crazily anticipated (and most likely just plain crazy) PlayStation 3 stealth action sequel Metal Gear Solid 4 is now due in Q2 2008. The news was divulged in a statement made by publisher Konami's Japanese operation.

"Konami has decided to delay the title's release in order to make further improvements to the quality of the game and provide even greater enjoyment for more customers worldwide," reads the brief update. "Konami will continue its efforts to make 'Metal Gear Solid 4 Guns of the Patriots' meet everyone's expectations."

MGS4 has been frequently and persistently rumored to be in the works for Xbox 360 as well as PS3, but today's update unsurprisingly still makes reference only to Sony's platform. Comments made by Konami employees earlier this year were vague, sometimes dancing around the issue and sometimes seemingly leaving the door open for a potential port. So far, the most straightforward word on the matter has come from Sony rather than Konami, with the platform holder stating during E3 that Snake's latest is indeed a PS3 exclusive.

An English version of the Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3) demo that was on display at last week's Tokyo Game Show is currently in development.

"As of tomorrow, we're going to start working on the English demo," Kojima Production's Ryan Payton revealed on the studio's latest podcast. "But whether you'll be able to experience it, that's open for debate, open for speculation. Hopefully I can make an announcement about that soon, but right now, the focus is on making the English version."

Though Payton was reluctant to provide further details, there is a good chance that the demo will end up being downloadable from the PlayStation 3's online PlayStation Store. "Anything I say beyond what I'm going to say is going to incriminate me and people ... Read more

Contrary to official reports from Sony, Kojima Productions' Ryan Payton has gone on the record to state that the rumble in the DualShock 3 is more advanced than its DualShock 2 counterpart.

While discussing the rumble in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (PS3) on the studio's podcast, guest John Ricciardi brought up the game's use of positional rumble--a feature not found in the DualShock 2.

"Is it safe to definitively say that the rumble in the DualShock 3 is better than the rumble in DualShock 2?" Ricciardi asked.

"Absolutely, yeah," responded Payton. "I mean, it feels better."

Payton went on to reveal that Kojima Productions and several other developers, including Capcom's Devil May Cry 4 team, had only received the tools to implement rumble a week before the Tokyo Game Show. The last minute rush to integrate new functionality calls to mind similar reports regarding the unveiling of Sixaxis motion control at Sony's E3 2006 press briefing.

The Tokyo Game Show is in full swing, and the first game I hit was Metal Gear Solid 4. Does it live up to the hype in practice? Read on to find out.

The fluidity of the game is what impresses most. Sneaking around as Snake has never felt this smooth. The triangle button handles the majority of movement actions--a light tap presses you up against a wall, or sends you over the edge of a ledge for a hanging drop. Shifting stances, popping off shots around corners, diving for cover--all are easily accomplished and mastered within minutes.

As you'd expect, a new Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots trailer is now available, showing six minutes of in-engine footage. Everything you'd hope for in a trailer is here: combat, monkeys, and farting.

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