metal gear fans WANT giant cutcenes!!

mast3r_blast3r

Sessler made very valid points

In fact, this request by Konami has probably magnified a hundred-fold the number of people that actually know about the length of cut scenes.

Not a huge G4 viewer, but this clip was spot on

Snuffbox

Very well said, Mr. Sessler.

NoFunShogun

@Hatchetforce: It's a very important issue that would affect review scores. I know people who will not buy the game because they heard it has a lot of 90 minute cutscenes. If that's truly the case, it should affect the review. If it doesn't have a lot of them, that also should affect the review. A review is supposed to tell me what's good and what's bad about a game so I can decide if I want to buy it or not, and if the publisher forces all reviewers to sign contracts stating they will not discuss potential bad points that people should know about, that's a very bad thing for gaming.

This issue definitely makes me not trust any early review of MGS4 - note that the cutscene length and install time are only two of many restrictions they had - who knows what else we aren't allowed to know?

Dreamwriter

I don't understand why the press has made such a big deal about this, when they themselves admit the 2 fussed about NDA restrictions wouldn't stop a consumer buying the game anyway.

Also, I guess you can see if either way - but I think it shows a real lack of professional integrity within their industry. All I can see from this are the journalists making a fuss to get some extra hits or exposure. An NDA is there for a reason, and nothing stops the journalists and reviewers bitching about it after the NDA expires. I think EGM made the right move to do a full review after the release.

suntorytime

Metal Gear Solid. 90 minute cutscene. And people are surprised?

BeefieCheesie

Don't care much for Adam Sessler, or G4 or his show.

TBH any gamer can do his job.

Sailorcancer

@Hatchetforce: Well to be fair no one bashed the cut scenes themselves (except Eurogamer who said the big one was "boring. But the reviewer also confessed that he couldn't keep up with the story so that would explain that he found it "boring."). The problem is Konami covering it like a small penis, which it is probably not especially for fans like us. We'll be too captivated and trying to understand what's going on to be bothered.

Personally I think the "90 minutes" sound too round to be real. It's probably not that bad. Just like the "downright unplayable" moments of the PS3 Orange Box.

slomo788

Anyone notice it says Metal Gear Solid 2 - Sons of Liberty - PS3 in the video?

Amazon_Chris

Get off Sessler's back! He's a good guy. He has to work with Morgan Webb every day. It's no wonder he seems a little crazy sometimes.

kingofrain

maybe it`s konami AMERICA that is worried about the cutscene length.

I`m sure KCEJ are happy with them, otherwise they wouldn`t be there in the first place.

lets face it, the average teen middle american gamer has the attention span of an amnesiac goldfish, of course KCEA will try and play it down, it harms sales to joe sixpack.

sadly in the world of massapeal videogames every company expects to sell everything to anyone, not just fans of the genre, its kind of like a music distributor trying to sell britney LP`s to fans of slayer by telling the press not to tell the reader that her music isn`t thrash.

Its MGS, it`s infamous for overblown exposition, and rather selfindulgent, sometimes bizarre plot convolution.. I mean where`s the surprise?

Personally I welcome whatever kojima has planned for my entertainment, be it gameplay or a cutscene, because I actually like being drawn into a game world, and have an attention span longer than joe sixpack.

gique

Never really liked Sessler. I always thought he was too whiney when I used to watch G4, and I guess he really hasn't changed.

If you care about this whole MGS4 "controversy" thing then you are a tool. Listenting to reviewers for a game that everyone knows for a fact will be awesome and actually caring what they can and can't say about the game just shows that you are nothing more than a massive tool. TOOOOOOL!!!!

JimmysBrother

I wanna get there and Smack him.

Grimmjow Jeagerjaques

@akashhhhh:

No, but that heroin addict Morgan Webb was holding his cue cards wearing a thong...backwards.

Hatchetforce

Please tell me I am not the only one that spent the entire video watching what I believe to be the new Bourne game on the right TV the entire time.

Neon

Well mr sessler there was no enlightenment. I will say that if the clowns at EGM think it is so imortant to be able to mention the length of a cutscene then henceforth (hear ye hear ye varlot and all that) henceforth every single review needs to carry a cutscene chart that shows how long the cutscenes are in every game.

Now some will say, it is only important when the cutscenes reach a certain length. Who determines the proper length? Let's see. White beard? No. Robe and throne in the clouds? No. Penchant for haphazard destruction including dropping a roof on some peasants as they grovel through a hymn? No. Everyone gets equal treatment across the board.

In reality I say let these people cry. If they don't like the rules then no soup for you. When they do the work to build a game instead of waiting on someone else to work so they can go into attack mode then they can dictate the rules.

Hatchetforce

Too many margaritas before the interview.

neoraul20

Late to the party Sessler? This could have been upsetting the first 100 times we heard it. Now it's just annoying (not for the same reasons). There is still some important technical stuff that is uncovered about this game: MGO? Can I play my music with my iPod (sorry I don't trust the dutch as a principle... J/K)? But really!

slomo788

Wait, I thought they could talk about that stuff after a certain date?

jeffram

OK so he's right 100% hopefully Konami will change their decision sometime here soon.

TheNocturnalSun

Totally agree with him.

@akashhhhh: Sessler is definitely ADHD.

NighTrekr

@archibaldleech: Indeed we are not. And I laugh at all the people in here making fun of him. As if for young people alone, let alone the gaming community, we have enough people to speak properly about the issues we take interest in without older adults saying we're all idiots with no intelligence.

And as far as the game goes, Sessler is right. Konami has no justification to tell a journalist what to write when the information they want to talk about does not ruin the complexity of the game at all.

Batousi

Remember, kids, drinking during work hours is frowned upon.

I think someone's been watching Kotaku's GTA4 DUI video, and thought: "I can do that!"

Gaff

We are not worthy of the presences of THE SESS.

archibaldleech

@Raziel Dune: PS i agree anyone who complains about a cut scene OBVIOUSLY never played a Metal Gear Solid Game before. As a fan of Metal Gear Series i say these lengths don't bother me and Konami should shut up and stop making a mess of things and reviewers should stop complaining as well and making things WORSE.

Raziel Dune

Go Sessler. Speakin' the truth yet again.

HaydenTenno

Sadly, the only thing this reminds me of is the fact that magazines and television shows are irrelevant now because they move far too slowly. Didn't we all digest and get over this several days ago? Is he going to bring up the whole racist RE5 trailer next? Maybe some GTA4 launch controversy?

Come on, Sessler!

Are you saying I can respond to stories and controversies BEFORE THEY HAPPEN?

wild homes

He makes great some points specially because if you are buying the game it's really not a big deal whether the game has an install or 90 minutes of cut scenes.

canchegundam

Good points, but Sessler himself is kinda... annoying..

Krytha

I love Metal Gear Solid cutscenes, and I dont mind 90 minute cutscenes, as long as you can pause in between them without skipping..

Oldschool60

Is Adam Sessler on some sort of stimulant drug?

akashhhhh

He's correct on all points. It's really embarrassing that he even has to break it down for people like this.

Korey

Gotta agree. Konami made these issues probably about 10x's bigger then they would have been. It's the same as when you try to censor any form of media. Everyone wants to know why it was censored, and what about this was so bad that we're not allowed to know about it. Kind of like if you title something as "banned" instead of "never released", it'll get so much more traffic, because it seems like it's so bad, we aren't supposed to know about it.

Darkest Daze

about these clips, I really wish they would show more game clips or something, I don't really like looking at Sessler, notthat he is ugly, but because it is a lot less interesting.

ban_hammer

i dont care about the length of the cutscenes cause im sure ill enjoy every part of the game

treatop

yes Valid Points but...alas i never liked Sessler i feel if the games not a FPS Shooter he doesn't like it at least from what i noticed watching G4 back when....IT WAS GOOD.

Raziel Dune

See, I agree entirely with Sessler's points, but I don't trust the internets and the internetnauts who read this shit. So many wankers read 90 minute cutscenes then spout out slandar like it's their job. Or it ignites fanboys into claiming this and that without basis. Why is Sessler always on his game btw?

KrsJin

@gique:

Ha ha, it isn't personal I just won't sit back and watch some of these journalists get cutoff from their leeching habits, be served a smackdown and then cry about it.

Hatchetforce

@bobtheduck: Maybe someone looked at the contract and it said "Do not mention the 90 minute cut scene," then he decided not to sign it. He now knows and is not limited...

Probably not the way it went down, though. Most likely it was just leaked because of the unusual request.

CatPope

@jtyson: "Also, while Konami did ask that certain things not be mentioned in the reviews of MGS4, they didn't ask that reviewers forget that they exist and not enter them into consideration when scoring/grading the game."

Very good point. Eurogamer did it, IGN did it. One praised it, the other one called it boring. Accordingly, the scores were 9.9/10 and 8/10. Everybody else gave 10/10. It's a petty matter and again, fans who have an idea what's going on will be amazed and others will be annoyed. Even without the top notch graphics that I'm expecting from 4, MGS2 and MGS3's cut scenes still are some of the most vibrant video elements I've ever seen in any media (watching **SPOILER** Otacon crying over EE right now).

slomo788

It sucks that the reviewers couldn't mention any of those things, but I don't see it as unfair that they impose these limitations before a game is released. If you are contemplating the purchase but are unsure due to install size or length of cut scenes then just wait for a review after release, or just a day or two after release and I'm sure hundreds of ppl will post this info in forums.
For me the whole thing is a non issue, reviewers from big corps get the game early to play and are having a whinge, if you don't like the NDA post a big ass fuck you and zero score for them, or review it after release and write whatever you want.

sendmail

@Dreamwriter:

The first guy to review the game actually talked about the length of the cutscenes and stated he didn't remember any 90 minute ones. He also said his first play through was 29 hours and a handful of minutes. He went straigth through no mucking around.

Sessler acted as if game and cutscenes total = 20 hours. Misleading? Yes. Intentional? Doubtful. Irresponsible? Yes. He needs to be aware that when you get on a soap box and preach about accountability someone is bound to hold you to the same standards...

As far as cutscenes affecting the experience, I would ask by what standards. Seeing as almost all of these these sites have no standards on reviews they are hardly one to throw stones. It should require a page minimum to break down grading criteria and explain the site or magazine's standards. If they want to act like they are the holy grail of gaming knowledge and provide and objective review then they should be able to clearly display their objective criteria.

These wounded pricks act as if not being able to discuss cutscene length and installs is such a slight to their angelic journalistic integrity and would deprive the deserving public of the objective and irrefutable truth. They should try to exercise a little equality once in a frigging while and have some standards instead of handing out decrees of fault or favor like like some girl that decides to blow you based on whether she is chewing gum at the time.

Otherwise, they might as well have some military strategy sim fan writing an opinion GTAIV or a COD4 and FPS fanatic blog about SSB because that is what they are doing when they have some guy who is a Super Mario nut reviewing MGS4.

Hatchetforce

@halo00to14: And of course such a game would get near perfect reviews, right? The problem here is the hyper coverage this gets, as installs (a GOOD thing, which IMPROVES gameplay) become very common and the cutscene is probably top notch (Kojima already told us that all would be unveiled this time), at least for fans like me. But like Sessler said, it's all Konami's fault. If they didn't hide these things, everyone would overlook the (expected, honestly) installs and either praise or complain about the cutscene, causing MGS4 to lose 2 points in Metacritics max. So let's stop pretending it's a big deal because Konami gave us ground to. Haters will always hate and fans will always love.

slomo788

@bobtheduck: I don't get G4 or visit their site at all so I don't really have anything to compare it too haha

henhowc

@jtyson:

Dude, you're my hero. That was an epic post.

Sparx

@bobtheduck:

This is the part that confuses me the most. "We have an NDA that we can't talk about how long the cutscenes are, but man are they long!"

1+1=4?

eqhara

@henhowc: I think he was being timed... Also, I think this was the real sessler. He's not himself or voicing his own opinions on Xplay, but when he does spots like these, I think he is being himself and voicing his real opinions...

bobtheduck

Of course Konami isn't confident about MGS4... They've given a fair amount of control to Kojima and his team that they didn't really want to give to him... They're worried about it being an exclusive, worried about it not being mainstream enough, worried because they've fired and rehired Kojima a billion times because they've always disagreed but he's always made them money...

As for the NDA, if it really existed, why were people STILL able to

1. Say there were 90 minute cutscenes and
2. Say that, no, that was an exaggeration...

There were a number of people clearly discussing what they supposedly signed an agreement that they wouldn't discuss...

bobtheduck

Is Sessler usually such a spaz?

henhowc

@halo00to14:

The music industry is just as bad, and the movie industry is far from spotless, there@s plenty of hack reviewers that get favours for doing reviews that are soundbite fodder for posters... oh and let`s not forget the HiFi magazines... if there`s advertising involved, there`s backhanders.

gique

@Sailorcancer: And given the opportunity, I could replace Chef Ramsay.

@Hatchetforce: It's like saying "You can review Assassin's Creed, but don't mention the control scheme." It's a largely hit-or-miss affair and it's only worth mentioning because konami didn't want it mentioned. No need to take it personally.

rdj

It's fantastic that everybody with negative comments in this thread is discussing Adam Sessler and his physical appearance, his attitudes, and completely focus on the presentation and not the content behind them.

Wait, did I say fantastic? I meant disgusting.

baberg

@Phyltre:

course it`s not the first time, corruption between publisher and journalist has been going on since the 8 bit days.

gique

@Hatchetforce: i really think you are completely missing the point of the whole issue at hand. the game industry is the only entertainment industry that supplies income to it's reviewers. the main media of the video game industry gets the vast majority of money from the game companies that it reviews, via adverts. they also rely on the publishers to give them an early copy of the game.

for films, critics can catch the films at festivals and public screenings. as for the payment, it'll be like ebert getting money from Disney to review movies.

in a way, it's a round about payola and in the wake of Gerstmann, everyone who cares about these things are watching everything very closely. i completely agree with NDA in regards to characters and story, but other aspects should be discuss that the reviewer feels is important. it'll be the same as a film critic can say the cinematography is great but not talking about the story. if the reviewer feels that the install time is extremely long and s/he feels that it's important, they should be able to disclose that. same with cutscenes. yes, length of cutscenes and amount is completely subject, but so are reviews. how would you like it if you read an online review about a game that makes no mention of game length, due to NDA, only to find out you get 30min intro cutscene, 5mins of gameplay and then 90min ending?

halo00to14

Before the release of MGS4, I have decided to start playing through the previous releases. I played The Twin Snakes rather than my PS version of the game. And after beating it today, I quickly found myself looking online for some way to pause the codec conversations or the cut scenes.

Phone rings, someone needs my help, answer the door. I must have missed at least half of about 5 different cut scenes in the game due to the inability to pause. Of course if it IS there and for some reason FAQ's didn't have it, I would just feel like an ass.

Nevertheless, some of the cut scenes were somewhat lengthy but I honestly didn't find myself bothered by them.

In actuality, I think the length of a cut scene, at least for me, doesn't matter much. When it actually DOES matter is due to the quality of the cut scene. In the case of Metal Gear Solid, the length of the scenes had no effect on me, as I was enjoying what I was watching *save for some of the changes that were made between the original and the twin snakes*.

Then in another example there was Eternal Sonata, which had cut scenes that were bland, predictable, boring, hollow, pointlessly dramatic and retarded. In this case, I found myself slouched over in my chair half asleep by the end of the cut scenes, yet still knowing every detail about the cut scene because it was told in the first minute or two - then beat like a dead horse for an additional 20 minutes, all while being the above notations. This is an example of a cut scene I hate. I can't stand cut scenes like this.

So install, I have no problem with that. I download things for my PS3, but I am far from filling the HDD up, and I have not begun to delete anything from it.

Cut scenes, I have no problem with so long as they are interesting. Most of the time the Metal Gear Solid Cut Scenes are interesting, and occasionally involve some kind of user manipulation. The ability to pause the game in these scenes makes it all the better, as I can truly enjoy it at leisure and still be able to function in life during long, story driven and important cut scenes.

Dennen

Was Konami right in their actions? Probably not. Can we understand why they did it? I can at least. When WEBSITES LIKE KOTAKU bash nonstop on hard drive installs, turning positive things like an artistic decision to control how players experience their games, and creating a stronger sense of coherency in game into something twisted and evil because they're "stealing" our choices, it's no surprise that they took pre-emptive measures to protect a game that has tens of millions of dollars in their largest franchise riding on it.

kenkankendo

I could not understand a word that guy was saying.

atomo

Ha, the people whining about reviewers wanting to mention cutscene length are also increased tenfold by this NDA deal.

Circle of Lief.

Mikaze

Ever since G4 signed that distribution deal with Microsoft to distribute their shows on XBOX Live, I've had a hard time taking them serious on matters like this. Serious conflict of interest in my eyes. Hard to talk bad about someone helping you pay the bills.

And cutscene length only matters if it seriously takes away from the gaming experience. HDD install time/size should NEVER be a reason to knock a game.

klashawnd

I'm a little shocked that some of you think Konami (or anyone, for that matter) should be able to pull things like this. It's reasonable to keep obvious spoilers out of media coverage, of course. But it's blatantly abusive to attempt to influence review contents favorably for your game using non-disclosure agreements. It's dishonest and displays a lack of respect for your audience. Makes me question if this is the first time such a thing has happened.

Phyltre

I gotta agree with Sessler here (and by extension, EGM and Gamespot). Konami has really bungled a lot of aspects to MGS 4 that aren't necessarily related directly to the actual game play (at least, I hope not). For instance, the whole Konami ID fiasco, the online Beta delay, the Gun Metal Gray PS3 online fuck-ups, and now this NDA thing.

I'm an MGS fan, but if gaming journalism is to evolve, then the publishers need to know that they can't browbeat and/or bribe game journalists.

jerimas

"...he makes many valid points!"

Well, he does make points, but they're validity is debatable.

While I'll concede that it's unusual for Konami to request information regarding non-gameplay or plot related elements to be omitted from reviews, I don't think it's anything worth getting you knickers in a twist about (despite what that annoying Sessler would have you believe).

Firstly, Konami hadn't hidden the fact that the opening cinematic was lengthy at any point. Many of us were largely aware of it's rumored length thanks to the internets. Secondly, the list of items that Konami asked reviewers not to mention did not only include the installation and cutscene length; there were many other items included. From the IGN UK review of Metal Gear Solid 4:

"In return for letting us play Metal Gear Solid 4 before its release, Konami issued us with a list of things that we're not allowed to discuss. This list of prohibited topics is pretty long, and even extends as far as several facts that the company itself has already made public."

Again, I don't necessarily understand why Konami asked for certain things to be omitted from the reviews, but I don't think that the reason was to hide anything from gamers.

Also, while Konami did ask that certain things not be mentioned in the reviews of MGS4, they didn't ask that reviewers forget that they exist and not enter them into consideration when scoring/grading the game. This is why Electronic Gaming Monthly really, REALLY annoyed me with their juvenile "rebellion" against Konami's requests. They could have easily reviewed the game and given a completely fair score based on everything (including the cutscene length and HDD installatiion), but for some odd reason they felt that their integrity was being compromised by not being able to specifically mention it, so they passed on the review last month (which really does all of us gamers a huge favor, thanks guys). I don't suppose that they considered that, by now, anybody that cares to know about MGS4 is fully aware of the cutscene length and installation.

I've read two entirely comprehensive, informative and complete reviews of MGS4 and didn't feel like I was missing a thing. In fact, I had to stop reading one of the reviews because it was getting a little spoiler-happy. My point is, if you think that the HDD installation or cutscene length really affects the overall experience of the game, by all means LET IT BE REFLECTED IN THE SCORE OF YOUR REVIEW. If these items do not affect the experience of the game (and judging by the reviews on Metacritic, they don't), then for the Pete's sake get off of your high horse and stop making a such a stink about nothing.

Sorry Sessler, but it's simply not as big a deal as you're desperately trying to make it sound. Oh, and you're not Jim Carey, so stop with the awkward limb-flailing please.

jtyson

@Hatchetforce: Wow. You should work in PR.

Brian Ashcraft

Back in 2002 when I started watching Extended Play on TechTV, I thought Sessler was a genius. 6 years later, I think he's sometimes the only one I can really agree with. Well said Adam, well said.

AuraHACK

I think a large part of the problem is that gaming journalism has just grown too fast. It's still a very immature field, yet those silly review scores they produce tilt a lot of money around. While I think he makes some valid points, he mainly leans towards wishful thinking. The reality is as long as reviewers are being granted exclusive copies of the game before their street date that creates revenue for them, and publicity for the game itself - there will always be a certain degree of shadiness around the whole situation. It might not be as big as this Konami ordeal, but it'll exist; in fact with bigger game budgets and the expansion of the gaming industry, it's going to get worse before it gets better. Obviously a lot of people will disagree, but for me personally, GTA4 was the wake-up call that gaming journalism still hasn't evolved from when I read GamePro/EGM as a little kid.

eqhara

@adgeman:

play something else then, or skip them.. noone is holding a gun to your head.

gique

As someone who doesn't devote hours each night to gaming I really don't want to play a game where I could have to sit through a 90 minute cut-scene. This is pretty much the most amount of time I normally get nowadays. If I wanted to watch a cheesy film then I would dig out Crank not play MGS4. Kojima makes fascinating gameplay but I think when it comes to his directorial aspirations it doesn't cut it.

adgeman

It's not right. For all the people who have already decided, and there seems to already be quite a few who have, that MGS4 is going to be awesome no matter what, it's all well and good but what of those who HAVEN'T?

All of you who seem to be defending Konami seem to be saying that "Well just wait for reviews that come after the release" or "Let them cry, if you don't like the rules, tough shit" aren't taking into account that there are some of us who read reviews intently from multiple sources before investing that amount of money into a game. Money that could otherwise be spent on something else. So for people like us, it's only fair to expect a certain amount of clarity when it comes to things like this. And not just that, what about those that don't have to time to discern which reviews came before or after release? Pushing an NDA that says you can't talk about plot specific bits in the game or gameplay surprises is one thing but pushing an NDA about something that could change a person's opinion of a game from "buy now" to "put off for later" is another altogether.

In all honesty, MGS4 is probably going to be awesome with a splash of sex appeal regardless of the install (which isn't really a problem) and the longer-than-usual cutscenes, but Konami doing this (if indeed they did) puts a taint of dodgy on everything.

Fishballs

No matter how much I may agree with a certain point of view, I wish everyone would stop dragging "you, the public, your trust, your pure white soul" into the debate and using us as the argument-to-end-them-all.
It's like parents justifying everything to their children with "It's for your own good". Except I'm not a kid anymore, so let me decide what's important to me.
If you're going to convince, you'll need to be more specific - in the present case, by revealing the exact conditions of the NDA. How am I supposed to build an informed opinion on the matter otherwise?

Antiterra

Generally I'm not a fan of Adam Sessler. While we share many similar things (like our first names) I often find him annoying. But one thing I CAN say about him is he is very intelligent and has some exceptional points. NDA's are important, sure, but they can be used to some sinister means. I think he's spot on with his assessment of the situation. No one should complain about Non Disclosure Agreements, but to ask for persons to not inform about particular information or you don't get the cake is ridiculous. If a review doesn't inform then it's not useful. You cannot have an unbaised review if you've asked for aspects to be omitted that do not undermine the integrity of the work.
I certainly will would have wanted to know how much memory to cleanse from my system and perhaps plan a nice little meal prior to playing. And sure, we can all say, "we'd have found out sooner or later" but let's not be idiots. OF COURSE we would have, but with that logic why ever have a review?
-Adam

ApocalypseVII

I think its more like a case of itty bitty game reporters acting like divas and acting like they are bigger than the games themselves.

Maybe Konami does have a valid reason for its conditions. From Kojima's IGN interview from yesterday, even those weird MGS ads are somehow linked to the game. So who knows. Why can't they just be patient and take the game for what it is instead of throwing hissy fits.

hchaudh1

Sessler is a smart guy and his opinions are well-founded, however I have to disagree.

The advent of the internet has in many ways ruined the video-game experience. The obvious thing would be plot/gameplay spoilers that ruin a person's experience with the game. The less obvious is the fact that in the olden days, people had to risk more. Buying a game was a bit of a gamble or perhaps a risky investment.

Whether or not the investment paid off is another thing. I think it's wise for Konami to do a little damage control for their product in regard to the cutscenes. It's pretty much universally acknowledged that the Metal Gear Solid games have been highly intuitive and inventive with gameplay and nearly mastered the art of videogame storytelling. That being said, a lot of people didn't like MGS2 or didn't play it because of what people were saying about the story and/or cutscenes. And while I will defend and praise Sons of Liberty's story to the bitter end, I realize it needed more gameplay to supplement that.

So I think Konami is trying to control the cutscene issue in light of all the gameplay corrections that they've made. They don't want people to talk about this before hand and ruin the positive hype. They want people to get their hands on with the game, dig deep with the gameplay, and become engrossed in the story.

MGS4 will have a lot of cutscenes for obvious reasons more akin to MGS2, but they don't want to be judged because of it. Hopefully it'll be a little more direct for more casual audiences, but still have a ton of content to tell a compelling MGS story and tie up any lose ends.

Smart move, me thinks.

bennifer3000

Bitch Bitch Bitch.

The reviewers should just wait until after the launch to publish their opinions. The readers who care should wait it out as well.

The rest of us will play and finish the game right around the time THEY FEEL GOOD AND ROSEY THAT THEY DID THE RIGHT THING AND REPORTED A FULL AND ACCURATE REVIEW FOR PEOPLE IN DEVELOPING NATIONS WHO WILL FIND THIS INFO USEFUL IN THE COMING DECADES.

peacefulpony

ok, I was with him up until the ending where he was like "so you know we're not in collusion with other game companies", "...it compromises your trust in us in our ability to be fair journalists". BULL-SHIT. I can't recall the last time anything on G4 has ever been fair.

But anyway, we should all know by now that MGS first and foremost is about the story while gameplay takes a backseat. If you can't understand this fact and complain up and down about it, don't by the game! Its that simple. Its true, the length of a cut scene shouldn't be a big deal but how do we know someone wouldn't take that cut-scene and break it down piece by piece. Who knows how many spoilers could be in it? Its a precautionary measure and yet suddenly one of the greatest games made to date is being worried over by the company.

Sparx

@jtyson: This might just be me, but I don't like to read a review that is distilled down to numbers, be it movies, books, or games. I like to read a review, understand what is in the game/movie/book, then decide whether or not to buy it.

CatPope

I love me some MGS, I just don't think some of these issues that people are complaining about is that big if a deal. Anyone who has played MGS knows how complex the storyline can be, but games are interactive story telling devices. I rather the story be told how it was meant to be, then be half cocked and shot into my face.

dashyt2dafulliz

@notoriousEIC: Trying to keep the install time and cutscene lengths/quantities a secret has probably made these issues sound worse than they are.

But let's face it, even if Konami had kept those concerns to themselves the internet would have still done its part to blow those issues way out of proportion. The number of vindictive fanboys out there is mind boggling...and according to them my 60GB PlayStation 3 was violating the laws of physics when it ran my copy of GTA 4 error free.

I think what game publishers like Konami are rapidly realizing is that the internet has given a voice to tens of thousands of people who don't necessarily deserve one...and that a few of them work as gaming journalists.

I think Konami was simply trying to prevent yet another molehill from being transformed into a mountain by the online peanut gallery.

Nightshift Nurse: Mile High Colonic

The "video game media" is a joke. It's all marketing propaganda. Can we please just dispose of any false sense of ethics that may remain and make the entire operation a pay-for-play model? With this many people not realizing why this is a bad precedent, I believe a majority of folks wouldn't really notice the change, anyhow.

MuppetChrist

As a journalist, I understand why being asked to leave out certain information can make a writer uncomfortable and I applaud EGM for taking the stand they have. At the same time, I think Konami is within their rights to at least ask that certain details be left out; they just don't have a right to expect them to be left out. If they're going to submit the game for review they should be willing to take the good with the bad. Otherwise, they can just keep it to themselves until it's released.

Finally, I had the same reaction Sessler did when I heard about this issue. Anytime I hear that someone doesn't want something discussed, I'm immediately suspicious, and my first impression was that Konami must not have much faith in their product. At least, not much faith that the game would appeal to a broader audience. They probably should have just kept their concerns to themselves. Trying to keep the install time and cutscene lengths/quantities a secret has probably made these issues sound worse than they are.

notoriousEIC

@adgeman: Yeah, that is how I feel too. I want to play the game, not watch it. There are a lot of games that I will not buy because of this fact.

No knock against Metal Gear, it's just not for me... which is exactly what a review is supposed to make clear.

CatPope

@Fishballs: @adgeman:
If this were after the release then yes, it would suck, but the game hasn't been released so just take what you can get and if still unsure then unfortunately you will have to wait.

It sucks that reviewers are giving half arsed reviews, they are choosing to do so, they can choose not to, but they don't, because they want to honor the NDA and make sure to release another NDA half arsed review of another big game before release if the opportunity arises.

sendmail

Sessler is awesome. That is all.

Nexus6

@adgeman: Actually 90 min cut scene would be awesome granted you don`t have to play through them but if i had a ps3 i would defiantly enjoy them

slyzxx786

Somehow I bet that if Halo had a story worth paying attention to and had cutscenes of 90 minutes in legth I'm sure the game would get praised as pushing boundaries.

Sparx

@ gique:

Summed my plans up completely; I'll play something else which is a shame as I would like to play MGS 4 as I've enjoyed the preview gameplay experiences of the series.

And I was under the belief that it was impossible to skip the cut-scenes on first play-through. Is this wrong?

adgeman

Jesus doesn`t sessler take time to breathe sheesh ? .About it i understand the fact that spoilers may really spoil the game so sorry i have to agree with konami i did not watch anything from gta 4 when it almost came out NOTHING just the vids made by them and i had allot of fun.

slyzxx786

Oh dear, here's my minuscule pitching onto the ball of wax.

NDAs concerning install processes or aspects of presentation are silly. I hadn't heard of one until this Konami gaffe. And yes, Sessler is right that it makes Konami appear insecure about its own product; or at worst case deceiving impulse buyers who would otherwise read the reviewer summary and drop 60 bucks on a game they didn't really want.

In my opinion, people dropping that much money on a game without knowing what it's about or the particular features/drawbacks probably have disposable income and/or don't have the intelligence to make informed decisions anyway. There was a pretty staggering figure concerning customer satisfaction returns versus actual broken products just recently; Hollywood banks on the minute long trailer to sell terrible movies all the time, it's nothing new.

But in the end, I dislike Sessler. His voice, the way he presents himself, and many of the opinions I've seen him support on G4.. really just made me avoid G4. And I feel this video is a giant slap across the face with the iron gauntlet of DUH. Did anyone have to make a show segment or Vlog about this? Okay, strange NDA, but everyone who has a PS3 knows of possible installs for games; and anyone familiar with metal gear knows about the 'time to set your controller down' cutscenes.

OFW, BFD. GTFOI.

Clockw0rk

I like adam so much but, I realy do not like x-play any more.

bigsamboni

...Why are members of the press bringing this issue up now? Why not bring it up you know, when they had to sign the NDAs? Or better yet, why not just not sign the NDAs? If it's really that odious an issue, doesn't that at least send a clear message? Yes, it means your outlet will probably take a hit for not having the day 0 review...but it takes more balls than simply whining about voluntarily signing an NDA. I understand that members of the press are upset that they "had" to sign this agreement to get advance coverage, but there is no real "right" to get coverage of the game. Covering games is mutually beneficial to both the publsher/dev and the news outlets.

verrius

@Sparx:

Im of the opinon that Halo does have a very good story...

Domobran

I completely agree with Adam. I'm one of the biggest Metal Gear fanboys I know, and am definitely a loyalist with Kojima Productions and Konami to a lesser extent, there was no justification for including the install size and cutscene length in the NDA. It's totally valid to prevent leaking of spoilers... but I feel that Konami abused their use of NDAs by including these two details.

For the record, I expected the install, to increase performance. I did not expect 90-minute cutscenes, but that's good news to me. I've always admired the way the MGS games are able to tell a story on par with cinema.

Highlander Wolf

There's a couple issues at work at once here, so let's take it apart, shall we?

1) Konami acting as the gatekeeper to a desired product.

2) Reviewers being contractually required, as a way of being able to review the game, not talk about what Konami believes to be an unsavory element of the game.

3) The role of the enthusiast press in gaining early access to a product that their readership/fanboys/target audience (depending on how pessimistic you are) want, but with the caveat that they can't speak entirely freely.

and

4) Our nebulous rights as consumers and readers.

Phew.

1) Fair enough. It's their product, and they have the right to dictate the way in which they are going to release it for consumption by critics. This does not mean it's good for everyone else.

2) This gets tricky. You want to be able to cover the big happenings in the industry, if you're a critic, but if the price to get into the tent is not being able to talk about portions of the game that will affect the experience of players, then that's a pretty steep price, which has advantages and disadvantages which Mr. Hsu has explained more adeptly than I.

3) There's other questions here about what the purpose of the media outlet is, but it comes down to, in my mind, is do you play ball and why? How much is editorial integrity and control worth to you? Also, can you fool your readers, or annoy them enough to cause traffic to your website? (Case in point: Ann Coulter.)

4) I don't know. We have the right to read multiple sources. We have an expectation of an honest, but not unbiased criticism and review of a game from some gaming news/criticism websites. (1UP and Zero Punctuation leap to mind.)

It's an important distinction. Take the Halo series and Mr. Hsu's much publicized love for it. I think Mr. Hsu is being honest when he speaks about the game, but not being unbiased. He likes the series, and, therefore, will be more positive about it than I would. Not because he's taking Microsoft's or Bungie's money, but because he's a fan, so he might be more forgiving of the flaws than other players, by virtue of being human.

Simply because we read a website and presume it to be honest does not mean it has to be so. For example, I put my faith in Penny Arcade, Level Up, and Zero Punctuation if I want an honest discussion of a game. I expect they're being on the level with me.

I don't have the right to an unbiased review. I don't own the digital printing press, I just read it, which means that I can build up reasonable expectations as I read it. For example, it is reasonable to expect that there will be at least two or three vulgarities in any given week of Penny-Arcade comics, that Tycho will be verbose in the news posts explaining the comic and that Gabe is significantly less so and likes Pokemon.

tl;dr? (Yeah, I know...)

In conclusion, if it's going to affect me as a player (and is not heavily plot related) then I'm going to want to know about it in a review which I expect to be honest and on the level, so signing an NDA beforehand saying "In the review of the game (no matter how otherwise uninfluenced by money or gifts or whathaveyou) I'm not going to write about something that affects, significantly, the player's enjoyment of the game" is detrimental to me, and shifts the balance from honesty to glorified press release, and that's one that is detrimental in the short term to the reader/player, and in long term to the outlet that publishes it.

So I'm against those kind of NDAs that prohibit critics from speaking completely openly about their opinions of the game.

pastepunkjames

Snake? Snake?! SNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAKEE!!!

okrangerbob

Adam is a Tool. Like I give a shit what he has to say. G4 has been a piece of shit show for the last 5 years.

Dalorien

Sessler is God. No, really, he seems like a very smart and interesting fella.

insane_cobra

@Sparx:

Oh yeah, the vast Kotaku/internet conspiracy against Sony and Metal Gear Solid is resurrected!

I was wondering how long until the completely non-sequitur Halo argument would be brought up.

Snuffbox

I agree with Adam statements in this video to the fullest.

N15PCA

This whole thing is so blown out of proportion... it's a shame. It just proves what the common people think of the game industry in general and the gaming press just contributes to it. If it stays this way games will never be approved as an artform.

Garo

At least he doesn't sound like he's reading from a teleprompter this time around.

Johnny_Under

I don't really think this got us anywhere. Besides stating the glaring obvious (arousing suspicion), I can't see any other reason why he bothered with this, other than to hear himself talk.

fecalchaos

man, sessler is so much fun to watch/listen to. he's like a clone of quentin tarantino.

xbulletholes

wthat's wrong with fast loading and long cutscenes? i think it's awesome

moritasan

He's right, but I'm not hear to diss on MGS4. No one should be. This is Konami telling reviewers. As a fan of games I don't care. Konami is stupid, but this has no affect on the game.

Cartman86

Konami needs all of you to look up in the sky right now, real quick.

**flashes humongous neuralizer**

itduzzinmatta

@Nightshift Nurse: Mile High Colonic:
Your point is valid, but things sound a bit more serious when they come from the company that made the game as opposed to people ranting on the Internet.

notoriousEIC

GameSpot's Kevin Vanord also blogged about this: [www.gamespot.com]

Mara

almost forgot about the length of cutscenes. i was too focused on that snipet of solid snake smoking. what a great role model 8D

genbeef

I think its unfair to say its unprecedented, in the sense that a) there have always been installs on PS3's, some to a drastic extent (DMC). and b) um.. 90 minute cutscenes definitely have a precedent in the gaming industry...

Sure you can say there's a lack of confidence, or minor worries about these issues, but if famitsu can give its seventh 40/40 and there are no blatant negative reviews; there's no reason to say that those aspects are things to be frowned upon. Just because you can't write about a game about such issues, does not mean that you can't score a
game about such issues.

I still support 1up's decision, but I just think that these are blown out of proportion by not only Konami, but by the writers and guys like Sess.

karyu

@jsin007:
And is that role to pass along corporate-approved press releases? No thanks.

notoriousEIC

What the hell. Is he on crack?

Suzaku

Some good (albeit obvious) points, but did Sessler really just say something about being among the fair journalists and something about compromising their ability to be fair journalists? What's G4's partnership with Microsoft then? Surely, there's no compromise there. No pressure at all. Thought doesn't even cross their minds.

jsf49

I welcome the long cut scenes and install. I find that game journalism is getting out of hand. No your role and shut your mouth is what a great man once said.

jsin007

No, what's a shame is people are running around screaming "It doesn't matter if the cutscenes are long!" and somehow pretending that people just don't get it. It's an attempt to 'lead' commentary on a game a certain way and sway opinion, and regardless of whether or not they're trust-worthy in the first place it's not right.

Furthermore, so wait, discussing troubles inside the gaming industry, or perceived ones, is preventing the medium from progressing as a form...? Hmm, that's an interesting tack, to be sure.

Evdor

@Evdor:
I can't remember anyone having a problem with Xenosagas long cutscenes. Remember Part II it had a damn DVD with all cutscenes of Part I! Yet nobody was bitching about it.

Metacritix: [www.metacritic.com]

Xenosaga Episode III: Also Sprach Zarathustra (2006) 81
Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht (2003) 83
Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Bose (2005) 73

Garo

I've kinda always thought Sessler was the worst thing to happen to anything since anything.

EmTeeZ

Well, my opinion is that it's probably blown out of proportion and will turn out to not be a big deal when all is said and done. The game is out really soon, so we'll soon know exactly how long the cutscenes are or aren't, non-NDA based reviews will be released, etc..

Konami did overstep their bounds, I think, and probably made the problem worse than it would have been had they just kept quiet, as this draws attention to the issues and casts doubt on them.

That said, most reviewers DID agree, nevertheless. A few (if that many) outspoken reviewers refused and are waiting for the street date to review it. I don't think it will affect most people who planned on buying the game. Especially MGS fans, who likely already expected, or were even looking forward to, long cutscenes.

Suzaku

I like Sessler.
That saying, I think its wonderful that a "special needs" person such as himself is able to hold a job down.

MegaWatts

EmTeeZ: "I've kinda always thought Sessler was the worst thing to happen to anything since anything."

Nah, not compared to this extremely unfunny fellow here:

To me, Martin Sargent is like the kid you knew in school who tried way too hard to be funny all the time just because he got a laugh one time. Which doesn't make him a bad dude or anything, just extremely irritating when he's trying to land a joke 100% of the time.

PlasmaMachine

I dont care what happens, as long as mgs4 is a great game and worth the money and everyone has fun playing it, nothing else really matters, right? Im pretty sure the cutscene length and install size wont stop most people from buying it, everyone seems too hyped for it to care about small things like this. I personally think the game will do great, after all, it IS Metal Gear...

Gillian-Seed

Ha! Look at that smirk. He's got to be right.

ThaiGrocer

Question, did the people that have already reviewed the game watch the cutsenes? Seriously, what do you guys think?

I'm just curious as to if someone who was on a deadline, and eager to get a review out for their company, skipped the cutscenes and didn't sit through the many, many hours it would take to watch them all. ::scratches chin::

Shandy706

Geez, what's with all of the Sessler hate? He's a good guy.

KM91

@wild homes: Uh he did mention the whole re 5 racism controversy already. He actually clarified why it would be upsetting to people. For those who on the internets who find race an imagery an uncomfortable issue to talk about.

Kounji

I can't stand listening to this man speak.

Captain_Collide

It amazes me how many people missed the point. It's not the issue of the cut-scenes or the install times at all. The problem the gaming journalists are having is that Konami is telling them what they can and cannot say to review their game (and get the exposure and PR for a debug copy of their game).

This is like your neighbor telling you that you can't smoke in your own house party. Regardless of whether you smoke or not, it is your choice to smoke in your house, even if you abhor smoking. They don't have to come and eat your food if they don't want to be exposed to the smoke, just as Konami won't get the advertising and exposure if they don't want the press to talk about their game.

peacefuloutrage

In regards to the Sessler hate: Way to bring smart, funny comments to the table. Kotaku could not survive if it weren't for jackasses that can't muster up higher level thought than "fuck adam." Bravo.

To me, this apparently is an issue. I don't own a PS3, thus this doesn't have any bearing on me, however, I've a friend who does and was talking/complaining about this very issue earlier in the week. He has no issue with cutscenes. Hell, you can hardly pick up a game without them, but everyone has their own breaking point in regards to length. I definitely recall impatiently drumming my fingers on my desk at a couple of the Lost Odyssey cutscenes. Not to even bring up Xenosaga.

Asper

@peacefuloutrage:
They could wait for the official release, couldn't they?

Garo

ummm... is he shitfaced?? drunk?

stargateheaven

What the hell did he smoke before doing this and where can I get some?

JustJake

@slomo788
Downloads are only a good thing in the face of a bad thing, also known as the PS3's inability to read discs at speeds that are reasonable for playing games. These installs are good for PS3 games, but only because of the failures of the hardware and compared to systems that don't need installs to run games, over-publication of installs is a bad (though minor) thing for the PS3 as a whole.

robbo_the_hood

If anything these comments just make the die-hard MG fans look even worse. Adam wasn't knocking the game at all, just stating the obvious about the NDAs and why it sucked from a reviewer standpoint. As someone else stated early in the comments, its sad that he had to break it down as far as he did to get his point across. But I guess he knew the audience he was reaching to and by some of these comments, it wasn't enough.

Since yet again, the second someone rational has something to say that's not completely glowing or positive about Kanomi/MGS4, the flood of 'Well Adam/G4 sucks anyway' and 'What is he on' comments start. How ironic would it be if the game got a great review on x-play? I'd love to see Brian post that video and see the comments then. Would probably be the same contrast of this:
[kotaku.com] and this: [kotaku.com]

I agree the install is a non issue. But I, for one, would like to know the ratio of time I'm actually playing the game compared to me watching the game before I buy. That's why I held off pre-ordering. I know I'll eventually get MGS4, but there are so many other titles out that can keep me entertained while all this drama is sorted out.

TKWarrior

@Hatchetforce: If the cutscenes are long enough, or common enough, that a reviewer feels the need to comment on them - that is when they are long enough, or common enough, that they should be commented upon.

Mister Adequate

@Neon: I won't lie, I did too.

Zwei Voltage

I think there's a needless amount of bile over MGS4. I understand that Konami made a pathetic PR decision, but to now attack those very points comes across as rather unprofessional. It's almost like he's treating the game as part of this media debacle than as an actual game.

What's sad is that people will actually think this is a form of "integrity". Very poor showing from all parties involved: Konami, G4, Kotaku, fans and heck, even me.

MGS isn't a game for the mainstream shooter junkie crowd. It's got a huge list of quirks that, as time has passed, have been geared more towards fans. The review should reflect the reasoning. MGS4 doesn't have f*cking 90 minute cutscene as some sort of FLAW! It's part and parcel of the unique design; made for the fans, used to show of Kojima's insightful yet heavy-handed creative prowess and an example of blurring the line between games and film. Then on the other hand, it's the kind of thing that will polarise many since there are those who believe games and film should be kept separate*. Similarly a length of this sort can be considered a huge self-indulgence and your patience may, and probably will, be tested.

Installation: massive pain in the ass and no way around it. It's not something that would actually affect my decision to play a game but it's more of a warning that you may be annoyed. It should be going out as a message to developers to sort it out.

* Thing is, there are thousands of games that aren't film/game melanges. If it bothers you, play them instead. It's always good to have variety. Same reasoning goes to the douches that complain about Shadow of the Colossus for not having minions of eevol. CHANGE is good. Embrace it.

Chupakun

@Raziel Dune: G4 was good once? PFFT!

TechTV was always better.

Alaron

@gique:

Oh there's no doubt that all of those aren't dirty in one way or another, but the thing is, not all of them are homogeneous. We know that Ebert, Siegel and Shalt aren't going to like the same movies for the same reason or hate the same movies for the same reason. Hell, we even have The Onion AV Club which gives excellent reviews on nearly everything that they touch.

For the HiFi community, those tards need to just finish the Kool Aid...

@slomo788: I most certainly hope not. The kind of game I describe seems more like an Absurdist or Dadaist piece of work than anything else.

halo00to14

@Mister Adequate: But not in the context that a lot are writing about them in, especially considering the game in question. Also not meant to be as exaggerated as Konami and other sources have stated about some of the aforementioned comments.

TheAbsoluteJay

Im sorry but half of you guys dont get the point in the slightest. Its not about whether long cutscenes are good or bad, its about reviewers being told they arent allowed to even mention them.

Imagine trying to comment on this post, but Kotaku said that you weren't allowed to mention NDA's, install size or cut-scene length. You couldnt get your point across fairly. Thats how these journalists feel, and they are completely right. Konami has really handled this poorly.

And also who knows what else was on the NDA that the reviewers werent allowed to mention that didnt have any spoilerish connotations. No one wants their game spoiled, and I dont think there are very many reviewers who would want to spoil a good experience for other people.

Greendomo

I disagree with everyone who pretty much agrees with Adam. Konami didn't make it 10x worse. Journalists making a big deal out of it made it 10x worse. The way I see it, nothing is sacred to a journalist, especially on the internet. To be edgy and to get read, you say edgy things that people want to read. Controversy is what gets you closer to the front page, so to speak.

Spoilers here, clips there, if you pay attention to the hype/cutting edge journalism around movies/video games today, you don't have to watch or play them, the media will tell you everything you know if you let them, and that's before they're even out.

As far as speaking specifically about MGS4, I want to be blown away by this game. I have tried to remove myself quite a bit from everything about it, which is probably why I respect Konami's decisions and condemn the media.

Hype kills things, you all have realize that. I understand that I can not read certain articles, change the channel, etc. But I also think you can't blame Konami for trying to keep these 'journalists' from trying to be the most provocative review of MGS4, blowing everything out of proportion in the process.

The difference comes when my friend, who loves MGS4 and is also the most impatient person and who can reach epic fanboy proportions, goes on the internet. He reads it all. Rumors, reviews, etc. And then he starts to tell me, and I ask him to stop. Then he does. He doesn't continue to barrage me with it or make a huge deal out of it.

The point I'm trying to make here is that crying and bitching about Konami telling you to not talk about certain things, and then letting the world know that Konami contractually demanded you not talk about them, then talking about those things anyways makes you, as journalists, look like assholes. To me, anyways. Or if you're going to say it, don't be idiots about it. 'Konami told us not to talk about it, OMGZORz!!!tehy must be teh scaredz n ashamded!!!!' Relax, Sessler. Switch to decaf. I like Adam Sessler most times, but this time, I think he is way off base.

The install should be talked about similar to specs for a PC game and the long cutscenes should be more than expected from a MGS game. The big deal here is the fact everyone made kind of a big deal about it, including Konami.

Hopefully Konami was also trying to prove my point that no matter what a journalist says about not printing something, they're going to do it anyways, most times because you said not to. Some journalists would call that their right and obligation, I call it disrespectful to the guys keeping you in business (And before you throw a fit, readers, if nobody makes games anymore, there is going to be nothing to write about them, so they are, in fact, keeping them in business).

And for the most part, I'm not going to change my mind about this, so arguments will fall on deaf ears. It's not that I'm ignorant, it's just I've had this argument with people over and over and it's all the same 'job as a journalist' stuff which I morally don't agree with.

TheAbsoluteJay

He can make as many valid points as he wants, I just don't understand a word of what he is saying.

I can't think of a good name...

Speak on it Sess!

Rondogg

Self-promotion is the mating call of the MUTE button.

The Great Aussie Evil

i think this is all just a publicity stunt.

bubuli

Nothing against Adam, but I've always wondered how he got his own show. Not only does he talk a mile a minute, he mumbles while doing it.

KagaSakai

I think he makes some valid points, but that doesn't change my opinion of him... I hate his show. I see no point in watching x-play when they are willing to review JRPGs when they obviously do not like them. its like the fact that the game is a JRPG already automatically removes a point or two from the score.

thebluick

What happened to the video? What's the source, doesn't seem to wanna load here for me...

Starsmore

The better PS3 stuff gets. And the further they have to reach out to get stuff. Like the fact that the cut scene loads are sooooo important over the game "by the way people their at intervals, like 10 hour ones." The more and more it opens the door to how obvious everyone true intentions looks. Spamers want a reason to spam. Hos need to do their thing, or Bill will slap them with a bi^& slap. People who own a shit monopoly 60 boxs. Want a reason to keep it collecting dust in 2012. And everyone pretends to be happy. So thus when PS3 games have a flower in the wrong place in 2012, they will still complain.

Mike83

NDAs regarding plot and spoilers = valid and good and understandable

NDAs regarding technical issues (manditory installs) and design decisions that might not appeal to everyone = bullshit

Sessler is spot on.

Gray665

i think u guys are forgettin is all konami wanted to do is create hype

sexyj

Sessler wasn't "late to the party" with this topic.

It was reported on X-Play the day MTV spoke about it on their blog, and he then followed it to its conclusion every day since then.

If you've been Tivoing X-Play every day, and follow all the blogs, and sites like NeoGAF, you will find X-Play is always current, and on top of that, they usually have access to the people involved in actual video feed interviews on the exact same day.

X-Play is more relevant today than it ever has been. The fact that it's a daily show and has enough content is incredible.

I don't work for G4 or anything, I've just been a big fan of Sessler since he's been on the air. His views have never been too slanted like other shows (Judgment Day anyone?) and the reviews I've seen have been pretty spot on. With the exception of giving GTA4 a 5 out of 5, I haven't seen anything else I totally disagree with.

Pips

This guy is such an asshat, but I gotta admit hes funny. Loved his "hey, what give, what give?" impression, sounded like a Mafia don.

Jagzthebest

ADAM! Stop looking at the ceiling! Camera straight ahead! Focus! *snapsnap*

Ethyn

Bob Dole = Adam Sessler

Hellion86

@Gray665: ditto. There was no point to include the installs and cutscenes in the NDA.

zerokoolpsx

I like Sessler, but this is pretty much off-base. I think the only valid points he makes are that Konami's NDA raises questions, and when he seems to say that it's not that odious.
BUT: I think it's still much ado about nothing. So what if it raises questions about Konami's game? That's their problem. Why do the "journalists" care that IGN UK was limited in its disclosures during the review? Do the questions raised as a result overshadow the 9.9 score the game received? Give me a break.
This is only a problem for game reviewers who want to get a review up as soon as they can (i.e. before the game is released) to increase traffic to their site and, in turn, ad revenue. So you, the game reviewer, don't like Konami's NDA? Then don't review the game until it's on the shelf! After that point post your review in which you can say whatever you want! For crying out loud, some companies don't even send reviewable copies until the very last minute (or after). Sometimes reviewers have to go out and purchase the game off the shelf! Either way, such tactics ensure that reviews won't be posted until the game is on store shelves. Does this mean the company doesn't have faith in the quality of its game? Maybe. But my response is, so what? All of this information is going to come out in short order after the release anyway. It's not like if there is a 2,000 minute install no one will ever find out until they've already purchased the game.
If I, as a consumer, want to find out as much information about a game before it comes out, then I wait until the reviews are in, whenever that is. I don't need to see a full, total-disclosure review before I can even buy the game. If I don't buy it because of this stupid NDA I'm obviously not that anxious to purchase the game anyway. If I pre-ordered it, some initial "questions" raised by a fishy NDA certainly aren't going to influence my decision.
Overall? My point is that the gaming press is making faaar too big a deal about this. I'm certainly not suggesting that this unusual NDA is not worthy of being reported on, but talk about making a mountain out of a molehill.

mdelcomyn

When he says "Up in arms" and he puts his arms up it made me lol :D

Viper

Yep, my thoughts exactly.
From a non-fanboy point of view.

Bokusatsu_Tenshi

well the ps3 fanboys came out in droves for this article!!!!!!!!!!

freespeech