Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty...
When Hideo Kojima traveled to Europe in March 1999 for the European release of Metal Gear
Solid , a game magazine journalist asked him the question "What are you working on next?"
Hideo Kojima answered, "I will create what consumers desire for the console thatconsumers desire."
And May 2000. The answer to the question -- "Metal Gear Solid 2 Sons of Liberty for
PlayStation2 -- has unveiled itself at E3 in Los Angeles.
The development of MGS2 was started under the theme "Transcend consoles from PSone to PS2,
transcend centuries from the 20th to the 21st, and transcending (surpassing) its prequel
MGS1." In the process was shown the trailer at E3 that shocked visitors with its quality
surpassing that of the prequel, as stated in the development theme. At E3 it was elected
"Best of Show" along with two other awards in the E3 awards. The hype among the visitors
spread throughout the world instantaneously via Internet, magazines, television, and the
Tokyo Game Show held in the following fall.
At E3 2001 a playable version of the demo was exhibited along with a new trailer. It was
even better received than the previous year, as seen in the receiving of awards such as
"The Game Critics Award Best of E3 2001: Best Console Game. This was proof that people's
expectatons were getting greater and greater.
However, right after this E3 Hideo Kojima disappeared from all publicity, leaving the
following message -- "MGS2 SUBMERGES.".
The transition from PSone to PS2 resulted in the astonishingly improved means of
expression. However, Hideo Kojima's aim was not simply to increate the number of
polygons of models and stages. His aim ws to create a space in which the player can
indulge himself/herself freely at real time -- "a space that you are able to touch"
-- a space that you can feel the temperature, humidity, smells, and even the air.
Not only can games of the Metal Gear series be enjoyable as pure action games, but also
must they convey a professionally-woven storyline with a strong theme. The theme of the
previous MGS was "the escape from the restraints (DNA)". Hideo Kojima speaks of the theme
of MGS2 as follows:
"How do things that are not part of our genetic information get passed on? Does this
change in any way in a highly-digitized world? The conceptual theme of MGS2 is about
"passing on the soul (memories) and way of life to future generations".
Life connects the chain of its species to the future generations. What plays that role
is not simply genes.
Only with "2" can Metal Gear Solid "come to an end."
