Update: More info on MGS4

Kojima Productions:
"Unseen" could be described as the inner aspect. For instance, if one were to talk about realistic graphics in the gaming industry, he or she would be referring to an image that is photograph-like. That, however, is reality from an external perspective and does not necessarily take into account the inner aspect. In the past, buildings in games were similar to those found on movie or stage sets and were merely pictures or photographs of wall-material pasted on the surface of a polygon model. The characters created on infinitesimally thin boards were also devoid of any signs of inner flesh, blood, or heart.

With next-generation hardware, Hideo Kojima intends to undertake the task of creating the inner qualities of these elements. When objects break, the sound generated from the breakage differs according to the weight and hardness of the object, and the content of the objects becomes exposed. When a character sustains an injury, not only would he experience physical change, but his physical agony would inevitably be accompanied by an emotional, sensory, and spiritual change. For instance, when the wind blows, there is a gradual shift in the configuration of the sand. When trees are burned to the ground, new seeds in the scorched earth sprout and bloom into flowers.

The inner aspect is unseen and establishes its presence only through time and the will of the player. This will pave the way toward a revolutionary change that will lead us away from the past concept based on "reality" towards the "natural."

The setting for Metal Gear Solid 4 (MGS4) is a time far beyond where MGS ends and MGS2 picks up.

The player once again takes on the form of Solid Snake and undertakes new missions.

In MGS and MGS2, the player snuck into man-made buildings, and in MGS3 the player tackled the natural landscape of the 1960's. What follows with MGS4 is a whole new concept in which the harshest infiltration missions will need to be performed in completely new situations.

In the first Metal Gear Solid title, Liquid Snake, who has the same genetic makeup as Solid Snake, takes over the advanced weapon system at Shadow Moses, an island located in the northern sea off of Alaska. He demands the release of the body of Big Boss by the US government in exchange for the nuclear weapon system, Metal Gear Rex. Solid Snake is sent on a solo mission to infiltrate the cold, deserted island to confront his brother, the other Snake.

In MGS2, Raiden, a new member of the Foxhound group, is sent on a solo mission to intercept the plans of the terrorist group who have built a fortress at Big Shell, the wastewater purification facility off the coast of New York. In the process of carrying out the mission, the existence of a powerful organization that has worked behind the scenes to aid the prosperous development of the American Republic gradually comes to light.

MGS3, the latest release, goes back to the Cold War era and tells the tale of the original Solid Snake. It vividly depicts the birth of Big Boss.

With the fourth installment of the MGS series, the storyline is once again set in the near future. The next-generation PlayStation 3 platform will be infiltrated by an all-star cast and loaded with shocking new scenerios. The secret behind winning the warfare of the next-gen is not found in any "place" but rather in "Sense."

Click here visit the official MGS4 website.