Wednesday, May 27, 2009

The Refusing Countdown


When it comes to teasing at teasers and announcing announcements, nobody does it like Kojima Productions. Who else would be so audacious as to set up a teaser page featuring a countdown clock that counts down to another countdown, which ends in yet another countdown clock?

Let's run through the recent "developments":

  • 10/29/2008 - Hideo Kojima informs Famitsu that he is working on a title to be announced next year.
  • 3/25/2009 - During GDC 2009, Kojima announces that he will officially announce his new game at E3.
  • 3/26/2009 - Kojima gives the keynote address at GDC 2009, ending with a tease at "The Next MGS" with a tiny silhouette of ninja Raiden.
  • 5/12/2009 - Konami sends out a cryptic e-mail to the press. Bearing the subject "T-3 days," it contains only a link to an empty Kojima Productions page.
  • 5/13/2009 - Famitsu runs a two-page ad featuring a cloudy field, the date "2009.5.18" and the same url directing readers to the "KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS NEXT" teaser site. The site goes live later that day with the same picture.
  • 5/18/2009 - Teaser page updates with a countdown to May 21 and a flashing image of either a "5" or an "S."
  • 5/21/2009 - Teaser page updates with flashes of "e," "E" and "3." Countdown resets. Meanwhile, 7-Eleven leaks the news that the next Famitsu PSP+PS3 will feature an exclusive Metal Gear-related reveal.
  • 5/26/2009 - Teaser page updates with flashes of "R", "P" and a new Big Boss face render. Countdown resets yet again. Meanwhile, leaked Famitsu scans likely spoil the next site update. There are shots of another countdown clock with more letters and an image of a one-eyed(?) ninja Raiden.

Many following probably find it all quite obnoxious, but, personally, I'm loving this. Metal Gear is one of those rare games that plays the player. In the case of Sons of Liberty, that game began, not with its November 13, 2001 release, but with the debut of that now infamous E3 2000 trailer. Will this current campaign end as spectacularly?

The current countdown is set to end in four days, right before E3. Whatever this new Metal Gear product ends up being, what's clear is that Kojima is still integrally involved with the series.

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