I rather like the cutscenes. At times, they were a little outrageous, perhaps. But, a linear story has more depth and power than a non-linear story. For example, the story in Final Fantasy X is FAR better than the story in Halo 3, and there are many reasons for this.

Xemnas

I am ready for another Snatcher/Policenauts. MAKE THAT SHIT KOJIMA!

Cornerb0y

Screw ZOE 3, he needs to do snatcher with suda. what ever happend to the radio show he was supposed to be doing with him it was jp so i think thats why i havnt heard much on it.

L33Td00d

I remember the summer that I played through Metal Gear Solid and Final Fantasy VII back to back. What a time to be alive...

...but I digress. To me, Hideo had no choice but to keep the cutscenes. Fans of the Metal Gear Solid series were accustomed to the storytelling technique Kojima employed throughout the first three games. He did slightly alter the narrative style, but to flip the whole system on its head might have turned off a sizable number of devoted fans.

For better or worse, he managed to fight the urge and keep the cutscene style the same, and I personally think that the game is better for it. While I will concede that some of the cutscenes might have been a chore for someone who isn't particularly interested in the history of the franchise, it actually made the game much more enjoyable for me. It added to the "epic-appeal" of the game for me, and the voice acting wasn't half bad. Some scenes (like whenever you were on Otacon's plane) are highly interactive, allowing you to navigate the Mk. II to gather bonus items while the characters were chatting. Even then, I was careful not to miss anything that was being said. For me, the storyline was that important.

The Metal Gear can probably afford a brief hiatus for the time being. MGS4 is a meal sure to keep fans satisfied for a while. What Kojima really needs to do is get working on ZOE3. All these interviews you're doing are just wasted time that could be used to craft some hot Jehuty action, Kojima!

jtyson

You know what, It's the strangest thing that Kojima name drops Miyazaki. I was thinking the other day taht it would be incredible if Miyazaki created a game of his own. I mean his imaginative story telling and beautiful animation would lend itself greatly to the gaming medium.

The same time, I also felt Kojima should work on an actual film. Whether it be animated or live action. He obviously has a cinematic gift for story telling and I'd love to see his vision on the big screen for the world to see.

It'd be my dream come true to see Miyazaki make a game, and Kojima a movie.

LittleBigPlaneteer

@LlamaNL: I agree - part of the allure of the silent protagonist was that we got to be that person. I remember having a crush (if that's what you can call it) on Marle b/c of this effect.

phinehas

*turn around... every now and then he feels a little bit lonely...*

*turn around....*

drunkentyger

I myself enjoyed MGS4's cutscenes as is, but it's always nice to see a developer looking for new ways to reveal the story to the player. Also, Kojima turned 45 today, wooo!

DustySword

@EmeraldCockroach: Hayao Miyazaki is to the Japanese as Walt Disney is to Americans, roughly.

He is responsible for some of the most amazing movies ever animated worldwide.

phinehas

Hideo Kojima needs to direct Beatmania again!

djricekcn

@Herabec:
damn right!
@bobtheduck:
this is somewhat true, but in contrast to Chrono Trigger and Zelda, you can actually project yourself into the role of gordon freeman because you never actually see him. (mirror and such). i've seen so many videos of people playing HL2 where they actually react to what people are saying, even though gordon himself doesnt actually say anything

LlamaNL

@EmeraldCockroach: you realy don't know who hayao myazaki is? don't princess mononoke, laputa, howl's moving castle ring any bells?

On topic, if he ever was to do a new MG game, I want it to be Metal Gear Liquid... imagine how badass that'd be... we already have all the story from the side of the good guy, but I'm sure there's also alot to be said from the bad guy

laencythe

It's not that I want Kojima to walk away from MGS. Rather, I'd like to see non-MGS stuff from the man. I'm sure he and Kojima Productions/Konami can come up with some stellar stuff.

Altersparck

Half-Life 2 barely managed to make the whole 'silent protagonist' thing successful, otherwise I think it's an archaic design element that should be forgotten. The *ONLY* time it's really worked for me is in Okami, and that's because you're a wolf/dog (wonderfully animated to physically express its emotions as a real canine would).

Nintendo is such a stick in the mud at times and I never believe their excuse that having silent protagonists in Legend of Zelda and Metroid games makes the player identify with the character more. Everyone and their mom identifies with Mario when they play his games and he's been voiced for over a decade now - though some of us might wish that wasn't the case, considering some of his overused catch-phrases. :P

BelmontHeir

@EmeraldCockroach:

"who teh feck is Hayao Miyazaki ;x"

Ouch, really? He's one of the greatest film makers of all time. His films happen to be animated, but they are all magical. From Spirited Away, to My Neighbor Totoro. Everything the man has done has been brilliant. You should try and watch some of his work.

LittleBigPlaneteer

@Hearts_Are_1: I'm more of a Princess Mononoke guy myself.

Burn1n9m4n

@Herabec: Well, Half Life 2 was kinda about inevitability, manufactured destiny and an inability to stray from the course laid in front of you. While the method of story telling was great for the "One Free Man" (who as an everyman, could be anybody), telling a story about someone that truly is free, has a strong personality and can make her own decisions wouldn't necessarily work as well.

The tricky part is expressing a character while providing the user with control and connection to the experience. Mass Effect (or most of the BioWare RPGs) gives you a sense that the character is your own, but also herds you in the direction of the dramatic ending (and dramatic set pieces along the way).

Tubatic

@bobtheduck:

Yeah I hate silent protagonists, it kills in game conversations for me. Everybody else has this fleshed out audio but you.

MyLittlePwny

@EmeraldCockroach: The man responsible for some of the greatest anime including Spirited Away and my personal favorite Whisper of the Heart

Hearts_Are_1

@Herabec:

Not all games a FPS, and not all games should have a silent protagonist (although the latter is crucial to why Half-life2 is so great).

Red Peter

@bobtheduck: sorry for the triple post. Not only is the silent protagonist thing bad, but giving you free reign while people are talking disconnects me from the story... I ignore 90% of what they're saying because I'm throwing panels at that chick (or cans at the doctor, or whoever's on screen with whatever I can pick up / grab with my gravity gun) Mass effect is much better because it takes away and gives you control at the same time.

bobtheduck

who teh feck is Hayao Miyazaki ;x

His comments were an interesting read and personally I believe if they can give the same depth into storylines where the user takes there own path I think personally I would feel more 'moved' as he put it. The reason now people prefer the 'railed' stroyline is when theres only one outcome the dev's obviously have more time and theres a greater product and a better story.

I would like to see what else he could come up with, I am yet to even play MGS 3 or 4 but throughly enjoyed the 1st and 2nd and with his resources I'm sure he could create a new gem of a title!

EmeraldCockroach

I still for one dont mind the cut scenes at all, especially since it was at that quality. If it were poor quality cut scenes, then definitely i can understand, but when it came to that game. The cut scenes were like movies. Everything was so compelling, so well placed, and so well done.

Anyways, whar's my ZOE3?!?!

oneshot_

@bobtheduck: it being the game, not silent protagonists... They're never a great experience...

bobtheduck

@Herabec: No... It's not... Silent Protagonists are terrible... I mean, it's a great experience, but it's lacking something in its presentation STORYWISE... Same thing goes for Chrono Trigger / Cross and Zelda.

bobtheduck

It's good to see he will move on to other projects. Would love to see his skills used on other projects than just MGS, I mean MGS is good. But I know he can make some other stuff not tied to MGS, and here is to hoping he'll do his best.

RTW

Story telling should be done as in half life 2. It's perfect. Everyone acknowledged that at the time. You can't improve on perfect. (I mean to say that the method is perfect, not necessarily the whole game. Though it comes close.)

Herabec

@FP_slomo788: **actually

FP_slomo788

Can't wait for Big Boss to grace my PS3 as an actual playable character.

FP_slomo788

fix your blockquotes oh god :(

It is interesting to see that Kojima not only recognizes but is interested in pursuing more modern methods of story telling in games. I hope we see the fruit of these desires sometime in the PS3's 10 year lifecycle :V

Kegwen

@Darkest Daze:
Unless we have holodecks or games that will create a story dynamically taking your actions into account, having complete control of the "character" means nothing else than complete chaos.

Garo

yeah gordon freeman has no emotional connection with the player other than that he is the players viewpoint into the game. Silent protagonists don't work from a storytelling standpoint, they are however good from a gameplay/immersion standpoint. MGS4s method of storytelling was good even if long winded at times. Yes there are far too many cutscenes but they work for the story.
MGS4 is unfortunately more than just a game, it is a cinematic experience.
I hope that Kojima has the brains to let someone else handle MGS and make a game that he wants to make.(cough zoe cough)
ps. let payton direct a game too.(but not mgs)

also I wish snake had died in the end of mgs4 it would have made more sense and I would have cried. but he lived and I said wtf.

Devil240Z

It would be so nice if ZOE3 was in production.
Seeing MGS2 and (more-so in) 3 incorporating a dash of multiplayer elements was refreshing. Massive online ZOE battles with such gameplay would feel so great (imagines 5 vs 1000 map missions. awww~).

Storywise. MGS's story was more focused by being linear. one mission, one hero (raiden who?). Being interactive is ok, as long as the writing quality doesn't thin down too much due to the branches.

winner

@robinhood_0: I can appreciate your point on the story being unpredictable but that can still happen where you choose your own destiny as it were and maybe thats even what Kojima is talking about, how can he create a way that multiple endings and direction can stay fresh.

If i watch a film or read a book, great, I'm (hopefully) going to read/see something which is gripping and satisfying but I know i have no power over the outcome.When I'm gaming however I come into some control, I decide where to lead the character in terms of gameplay or strats, why can't I decide the direction of the story? Even if the game were to be split in 2 half way, and then another half way through that, with a choice that you as the gamer makes, you are feel more like an integeral part of the story.

Otherwise sometimes on a railed storyline i feel as helpless as when watching a moive, merely completing the task ahead before the next chunk of story.

EmeraldCockroach

@TheIrishNinja: Exactly. I just think it's lazy.

Thorax

@robinhood_0: If Heavy Rain is anything like Indigo Prophecy, and it is, then you'll only really be able to affect very small aspects of the story. All the big twists and turns won't be under your control. And in Indigo Prophecy, it wasn't like you're walking around and then an option comes up "A: kiss the girl or B: girl turns out to be aZOMBIE!!". You're simply given consequences to your actions, none of which are really any more obvious than real life consequences to real life actions are.

dowingba

@Herabec: If I play another HL game where Gordon Freeman stands around like a mute while people talk at him, I'm going to strangle a pig.

I don't care if it's symbolic and works perfectly for the plot that, while having well written individual scenes, doesn't make a bit of sense as a whole. One word Valve. That's all I ask.

Thorax

Oh yeah and the silent protagonist thing works in some cases but not others.

For example I don't overly mind that Gordon in HL doesn't talk but it would add to the immersion if we could actually see his limbs when climbing ladders and whatnot like in "Mirror's Edge".

It seems that sometimes the "silent protagonist" works when you have a first person view because you are that character, but it doesn't really ever work in Third Person View because you are outside of the character.

The list of immersive games with character that speak in First person mode is way longer that games with characters that don't.

robinhood_0

He can learn how to tell a story better by checking out Call of Duty 4. That should be the gold-standard for noninteractive storytelling...look at what IW did with a simple "nukes & terrorists" premise. Imagine what it would look like in MGS.

Also, you guys realize that Kojima basically slipped us a novel with all that Codec crap?

Gunhaver

@Herabec: ...how is storytelling in HL2 perfect? not trying to be an ass here, but you've a mute protagonist that i cant even see getting attached to, for starters. i wasnt around when everyone agreed on that.

i respect the argument some of you are making about silent heroes being easier to be "you" but mass effect's dialogue tree did that better than any example i can think of, which makes me think "..." is just laziness, character-wise.

id love to see a smaller MGS tale like part 3, personally. he's done with the opus, and we (mostly) all loved it, but the story/ending for 3 was still the strongest of the series for not having been bogged down like 2 and 4, my opinion.

TheIrishNinja

@LlamaNL:

I totally agree with not liking the whole "chose your adventure/ending-player driven" story. Part of what makes listening/watching stories so mesmerizing is that you don't know what's going to happen next or where the characters will go emotionally and that creates great tension and interest from the viewer. As soon as the "choose your adventure" (ie MMOs) happens, things only happen that you think of, or you know what will happen before it actually occurs.

It will be interesting to see how Heavy Rain gets over this hurdle.

robinhood_0

@phinehas:
I've got to agree. I definitely associate better with the other characters when playing the silent protagonist. If I had the character I was playing spouting out how he feels about everything, or one liners, I no longer feel like I'm playing that character and making my own decisions. I feel I'm playing that character from a distance and that I'm making the decisions HE should make.

In the end, both styles are important depending on the game, but I've always been much more entrenched emotionally in a game when my character doesn't speak and lets me make up my own feelings on the people around me.

Darkest Daze

@Xemnas: Halo 3 is no less linear than Final Fantasy X. In fact, it's pretty much more linear. I'm not sure what you're trying to say here... Multiplayer shooter with tacked on story mode has a worse storyline than story-driven single player RPG?! NO!!

Except that Final Fantasy X has a total ass of a storyline.

dowingba

@Cornerb0y: Oh boy, that's asking for a shit-storm, LOL. If people weren't crazy about the number of cutscenes in Metal Gear Solid 4, they sure as hell aren't gonna like a Snatcher or Policenauts sequel...

jtyson

When I said what I said about HL2, I was referring to the way it allows you to remain in control, because it's a game, not a movie, it's not supposed to take control away from the player. Personally, I loved that Gordon doesn't talk, because it's supposed to be you, and it's really easier to feel connected to the other characters when you feel as though it's you going through these things, and not "Gordon Freeman". A game isn't necessarily supposed to be like a movie in it's story telling, if you are in control, why can't you be the protagonist?

And while for half life 2, it works to have the silent protagonists, yes, it is true that others need him (or her) to speak. And I still believe that a talking protagonist could be accomplished while keeping Half life 2's method.

I wrote 4 sentences and everything I didn't say is what nearly everyone has been disagreeing with.

Herabec

@ChunkOFunk:
Yes that what i mean. They just slap a cutscene between game areas. I really dont like it. It feels like you play the game for unlocking cutscenes.
I think it like this. Does chess have a story? Nope, but you get your own story and something to tell about when you play with it. The experience you get by playing it becomes the story itself.
Games should follow it. There is really no need to attach uber complex stories in them.

GimmeCat

@GimmeCat: He compared his work situation with Miyazaki's, nothing else. Don't get yourself worked up over nothing.

everybest

I dunno, I think if video games really want to be considered as something of an art, cliche as it is, they should look hard for ways to seperate themselves from other mediums. I look at things like novels, movies and paintings and think how drastically different they get their points across. As it stands right now, MGS4 is part game, part movie, as are most story-driven games. As it stands, video games are borrowing story-telling mediums to tell their story. I honestly have no idea how to avoid this, to somehow immerse the gamer in a story/idea without using cutscenes, or "Interactive Cutscenes" a la Half-Life. Perhaps something like Portal, where the story isnt presented to you up-front, you have to dig around a little, use the controller in your hand to discover, not be spoon fed the plots as in movies. It'll be interesting to see how this plays out in the future.

ChunkOFunk

@Devil240Z: thanks for spoiling that you son of a b***... seriously is it so difficult to write
***SPOILERS***

thankyou.... really, thankyou.... :<

laencythe

@Devil240Z:

Turning in to a game to a cinematic experience is not something WOUW anymore. With enough tools and good cg every game can be cinematic experience, point is if that cinematic experience worth to watch or not?
Gaming audience is still very immature and gets boner whenever they see flying ninjas or stuff like that in every cinematic cutscene. Cinema is not just that.
When it comes to MGS4 i dont think it makes anything special when it comes to story telling. It's typical action movie setting, just because there are cyborg ninjas in it, it doesn't have good story telling. I wish games have more subtle ways of "story telling". So far they are linear and simple as basic fairy tales(i am not talking about the content of story, its about how they tell it).

Gaming and its audience is still very immature, developers still have to follow "b movie" concept in their stories to reach its audience. So pls dont compare gaming with cinema.
Cinema has wider audience. Gaming shots its own foot by narrowing its target audience all the time.

GimmeCat

Is Kojima the Miyazaki of Video Gaming? =/ Only time can tell.
Kojima does seem honest on his I quit but I still have the option of returning because I can and it feels right.

>_> Interactive Cutscenes... Why not just gameplay with climatic and epic events unfolding that you can't directly effect? -_- No idea what to call those. >_> Cut Scenes shouldn't be phased out completely 'cause they're useful for those OMG WTF HAPPENED moments or emotional stuff, but more interaction would be nice :D. Hideo is learning. Slowly but surely. Fixed Cameras do make you take note to more things than you would normally.

@TheIrishNinja: MGS3 had a nice dosage =P

I h8 ph15h with a passion

How dare he can compare himself with Miyazaki!!!!!!! If he had 000.1% of Miyazaki's directing skills.
No matter how complex stories he writes, Kojima's scenes always look very 3rd rate asian movie.

GimmeCat

^ that mass is a mess lol 10.45 am here and worked all night! -_-

GimmeCat

@WopOut:
i agree with you. I think stories start good but turn in to a mass. IT has some weird acting, very japanese and they have this weird slight pauses between each sentences which is terrible. Its not smooth.

GimmeCat

@Herabec: Cut scenes say Gordon Freeman. You are not Gordon Freeman. You are just a puppet master.

Also, double standard much? That's like saying movies shouldn't have a narrative because novels have that covered. Who needs a story? Books got them.

The downfall of being the character is inter-character relationships. You can't have any because the user can't truly interact meaningfully with any character that isn't already programmed by the dev team.

Having a speaking character in a half-life 2 style would defeat the purpose too if you're trying to keep the whole, "the player is the main character."

Black-Dog-Howls

A happy game creator is known to make better games than when he is under death threats. I'd rather the person who makes the game of his dreams be under happiness rather than fear. Stress of those who make games can make unwanted desired to make the game, because of its stressfullness of both time and hopefullness of its audience. Just once I would like to see kojima take a break so he can come back and make another one as good as our ideal metal gear solid game.

adragonfang18

Am I the only one who thinks Kojima is a hack? Yeah, the games are great, the stories to them are so badly written I facepalm every time Otacon or Snake open their mouths. People mistake bad writing with "being deep" because they simply just don't understand what the author's writing, and whenever people ask me what I mean by that, I tell them to check out any Metal Gear game. More unanswered questions than you can shake a stick at, very little, if any, character development other than characters randomly revealing bits of their history that have no real bearing on any other aspect of the story...he's an awful writer.

WopOut

@LittleBigPlaneteer: O hell yeah!! Who wouldnt love to play 'The adventures of Chihiro' .. point and click adventure game, just like the classics.

osiris83

I wants me a new Snarcher. But I still gotta finish it first, stil playing on my PSP.

shrek187

@Herabec: Hal-life 2 has a good story telling method, no doubt... perfect? No.
If every story was told like HL2 we'd get pretty bored pretty fast. As a matter of fact.. I think Call of Duty 4 took what HL started and really did it better than HL2.
It was shorter, less epic a had fewer story telling moments.. so it might be hard to spot at first.. but you never really stop playing that game. HL2 lets you move around during story parts but you are basically just running around a room waiting for the scripted stuff to end.. COD4 more tightly intertwines it with the game play.

Anyways.. 1st person storytelling has some serious limitations.. like conveying anything from the player character for instance... so it is certainly not perfect.

I don't think I want to always play as a blank mute generic character just to allow me to more easily identify with them.. I have plenty enough empathy that I can deal with a main character that has personality traits that may conflict with my own.

Bastard11

@Gunhaver:

well obviously you haven't played MGS4 since it only had a few codec conversations...people, if you want to criticize a game at least f***ing play it first

dagreatest

@laencythe: yeah.... about as badass as a really easy version of metal gear solid 1 where you're involved in maybe 2 fights.

@WopOut: No, you're not the only one who thinks that, but Kojima is far from a hack. You can say all you want about his stories and characters lacking depth, but the Metal Gear series has some of the most intricate backstories and well-developed characters videogames have ever seen; and really, unless you can produce something better or show how his stories are "so badly written" and characters have "very little, if any, character development then your comments don't stand for much.

Superlocke

Hideo rulz!

Erorrless

Hm.

Whatever Kojima pulls out next, I'm sure, will be worth watching, if not diving into blindly.

I believe he is one of the great minds of this era. With a brain like mine, you can't help but appreciate a brain like his.

sir_carrot

I would just like to say the Metal Gear series is my favorite franchise, but MGS4 has told the story. Kojima should move on to other projects.

On interactive storytelling, I wonder if Kojima has played Deus Ex?

g8or8de

Thinks wishfully: *ZOE3... ZOE3... ZOE3...*

JAcK0R

Thank god, because I love the actual gameplay elements. The next MGS needs, absolutely needs to be more stealth orientated and less cutscenes. MGS4 overdid the cut scenes, and took away the emphasis to be stealthy besides trying to get the big boss badge or completing the one segment where stealth is paramont in the last mission.

ninjikiran

@g8or8de: Darn it, there it is again... I got deus ex as a consolation for getting unreal tournament about 2 weeks late, and I haven't touched it... I keep hearing so many things about it, but... I don't know... I should pick it up, I know...

bobtheduck

@g8or8de:

I was just about to mention Deus Ex myself, which is without a doubt one of the most superb examples of non-linear storytelling, character development and generally one of most complete experiences gaming has to offer. God I love that game.

zanmato

So wait..

..Kojima....by revolutionizing storytelling in games, wishes he hadn't done so in cutscene?

......God, I can only imagine what he can come up now.

plutoknight

Mr Kojima, please do not take out the cutscenes. That is the only reason why I play MGS. I don't consider it so much as a game as an interactive movie. That in and of itself means you already revolutionized the way we play games. Keep making them great.

kylo4

Damnit.

AllOfUsAreLost

Coming soon to my wildest dreams!:
Hideo Kojima's Laputa, Raiden in the sky.

AllOfUsAreLost

Coming soon to my wildest dreams!:
Hideo Kojima's: Laputa, Raiden in the Sky.

AllOfUsAreLost

It's interesting that he mentioned Bioshock. When I was playing MGS4 and groaning over the corny dialog and stoking a glowing rage over the lack of play time, I kept thinking about Bioshock and how well they integrated the story into that game. The tape recordings were brilliant, IMO, because they gave me a ton of back-story without stopping the action. I could go on burning splicers while the recordings developed the characters for me.

I know the MGS fans for some reason just love the story and dialog that Kojima creates, but honestly it's mediocre at best...even for a video game. But even if it were good, the cutscenes were still too long, period. No new franchise would be able to get away with that, not even something by Kojima. MGS4 got a pass because the gaming press is lazy and the fans are completely incapable of thinking critically, but any new game with the same ratio of gameplay to crappy cutscenes would be eviscerated immediately.

Atrahasis

i think MGS is perfect they way it is. to those who say the writings bad, pay more attention, MGS is one of the few games that has some integrity and depth to its story once you get into it.

pandafresh

@kylo4:

i agree keep the mgs formula, if he wants to experiment do it on a new project.

beezley

Pass MGS to the younger guys and get to developing a Zone of the Enders game for PS3 already!

BlazeFenix

@Atrahasis:

I completely disagree, I love the cutscenes in Metal Gear Solid 4 (all the Metal Gear Solid games to tell you the truth). I think a lot of games today lack a good story, I'm not necessarily saying they need to be as intricate as Metal Gear, nor am I saying the cutscenes need to be as long. I do agree with you on Bioshock, it is a very innovative game and the immersive story was wonderful as was the way they incorporated it. But you need to realize these are two totally different games. A third person stealth action game vs. a first person shooter are always going to be different.

Think of it like a rock band, older rock bands can get away with a lot more than a fledgling rock band just on the sheer virtue that they have accumulated fans and already proved themselves. If a legend is up on stage and screws up a song the audience cheers, if a new band does the same they get booed. Metal Gear is a legendary series and it is afforded more freedom than a newer game, and I love every second of those cutscenes!

quickdex

I think Snake's fine just the way he is. I'd hate for him to go silent like some suggestions. Actually that would be a horrible waste of his voice, which is very good. Most series have defined their protagonists already by having them speak or not speak, and changing that later would only compromise the methods of the previous game as well as enrage a lot of dedicated followers.

formina

Wow, I just realized Kojima and I have the same birthday. I'm BIRGing like crazy right now.

@Atrahasis: My comment apparently disappeared, but though I loved Bioshock, I hated the tape recordings. And I love the MGS cutscenes. Different strokes for different folks.

kimsama

@Atrahasis: Agh, we have to agree to disagree on Bioshock -- I loved that game, but I hated that the tape recordings played during the action. I seriously missed like half of what they said because I was getting attacked/attacking people. The whole thing just turned into a hot mess for me and I lost half the story that way (and wasn't interested enough to go back and relisten to all of them).

On the other hand, I loved the MGS4 cutscenes -- they felt like rewards for completing parts of the game. Then again, I've played all the MGS games going back to '98, so I like the format and style of the games as-is and knew what to expect. To each his (or her) own, I guess!

kimsama

@bobtheduck: I totally agree with you. I really think silent characters take away much of the feeling in a story. Also, completly interactive "cutscenes" are bad (for me) because I have difficult paying attention since I'm allways "doing something".

Solidus

@Herabec: Except you aren't really in control in HL during the cut-scenes either. You are limited to moving around in a small space until the cut-scene ends. You might as well just take control from the player.

Narishma

Bioshock lacks a story, what? Probably the best story out there, even better than mgs4, and it was all told in-game through the [b]your[/b] interactions, not through cutscenes which bioshock had very little of.

MysteriousStranger

The day he integrates story directly in the game world itself, will be another revolution in gaming. That and he needs an editor.

The story is far deeper than the average smut of gamers in a particular region seem to appreciate but is also held back by some corny, loquacious dialogue. Snappy, sharp writing combined with proper integration for an MGS story - should it happen - will make you wonder why BioShock is even considered groundbreaking.

Chupakun

I'll be getting MGS4 now that Disgaea 3 is out and I have a legitimate reason to get a PS3. Sorry GTA, DMC, MGS and SoulCalibur, but you weren't enough to sway me without this little gem from a practically no-name company.

Ladi

I´ve been playing this game for about 15hours now and the cutscenes hasn´t been a problem to me, because i usually like to know every little bit of info i can in a game story, specially in the MGS games, where i find delightful the storytelling and the development of characters. For me, the constant complain about the duration of cutscenes is nonsense, it seems that the only people who find them unbearable, are the same people who likes to finish the games as quick as possible just to brag how they finished another game (which is the same reason why too many people didn´t understand the MGS2 storyline)...

I hope the new ones make you play as Big Boss or as Raiden when he rescues Sunny...

Daisuash

Hideo Kojima: the Brett Favre of game developers?

Steve_U

Really, the storyline that Hideo chose for MGS is what makes the cutscenes necessary. A big part of the story was that you can't overcome your destiny, no matter what you do, fate will win. This forced there to only be one storyline, which in turn forces the player to not have any control over the storyline. Whether or not you have a cutscene driven storyline depends on whether you want the player to feel a sense of helplessness that no matter how good they are at a game and what they do not everything is going to turn out the way everyone wants it or if you want to have the player feel like their actions can make a difference, that our lives are driven by our decisions and not by our fate. The storytelling in MGS4 was perfect for what Hideo was trying to convey. However, had he wanted to convey that your decisions can change the world, then a cutscene driven story would not have been the greatest idea.

ceilingFANBOY

Well, the cutscenes should have been edited to hell and back. There was too much time spent with the characters just standing around, "hanging out", not doing anything.

I must admit while I enjoyed some of the cutscenes I was bored to death on most of them.

fenderfuel08

Sorry about my previous comment, it's directed at Atrahasis. For some reason, his post is still at the bottom.

Chupakun

I'm assuming you find that Halo stands for a meaningful allegory of mankind's struggle as it deals with technology and things it does not understand?

BioShoch was fantastic but it makes me laugh at the immaturity of some people. Are stories and storytelling in games that bad that BioShock needs to be considered a pinnacle? What I sense here is some true narrow-mindedness. There are older games that offer tales and storytelling that surpass most of these modern releases.

And for the record, no I'm not too much of a fan of MGS' dialogue but I know where it comes from. It's a translation from a language which lends itself to more nuanced expressions than English can provide. Since I do translation work for my own language and English I understand how and why there are discrepancies and heavy-handedness in the English version. The translation needs an editor that's capable of adapting and changing rather than outright translation. So hate on it if you will, but understand that ignorance and little knowledge are dangerously stupid things.

On the other hand I do admire the themes, metatext and meaning in the MGS games. It's always been about the details and nuances as opposed to something direct. The directness seems to stand as MacGuffins in many cases for MGS.

Chupakun

@Herabec:

Yes half life 2 is perfect *rolls eyes* because a main character that never speaks and characters that get introduced to the end of the plot and everyone acts like they always knew them while your running around trying to figure out wth is going on.. thats perfection.

gamedismantler

He says Metal Gear every single time. Not MGS. Infact I think he's very careful to say Metal Gear specifically. I think it's heading to a spin-off.

Lessthan_tom

wtf is going on with the comments order?

NecronomiconUK

@Atrahasis: Totally agree

NecronomiconUK

@Herabec: I think different strategies work for different games. Cutscenes would be terrible for Half-Life, but a silent-protagonist approach would awful for Metal Gear Solid, or something like Dead Rising or...well, anything that's not a first-person shooter, but even some FPS games need a protagonist that speaks. And sometimes you need a cutscene to advance the story or reward the player. If every game used Half-Life's storytelling devices, then every game would be like Half-Life.

@Atrahasis: Same thing as above. Diff'rent strokes. Although I think a lot of people agree with you on the MGS story, I'm baffled by people that don't like it. Yes, it's very goofy in a lot of places, and yeah, there's some bad writing (translation can be a bitch, let's remember) but overall the Solid games have formed together for one confusing but cohesive story with a lot of emotional punch. As far as MGS4 getting a pass from the press and fans, you have to think...what was everyone expecting? Great gameplay (which I believe it delivered) and a ton of freaking cutscenes wrapping up the crazy story. Every review I read mentioned the long cutscenes, but, I mean... it's kind of like playing a Star Wars game and wondering why there's so many stormtroopers in it. That's just what it is.

NPlace

@Atrahasis: I agree with you 100%. No other game could get away with what MGS4 does with its cutscenes...Uncharted Drakes Fortune's cutscenes unfold its story also but they only last for 2 minutes tops. That's how cutscenes should be done...and Uncharted's storytelling was excellent.

When cutscenes spill into 15 minutes or more something is horribly wrong.

hopefully this appears below your comment because something with the commenting is out of whack

fenderfuel08

I hope Kojima does move on to something else besides Metal Gear. A next gen Snatcher would be awesome(Snatcher was a cyber-punk adventure game that was only released on the Sega CD in the U.S., but on many platforms in Japan.

I thought MGS4 was great btw, flawed, but still great.

topraman517

@FP_slomo788:
Hopefully. I have the same thought.

Archaenon

@jtyson: Well obviously Kojima shouldn't use the exact same gameplay as Snatcher. I certainly wouldn't want that even though I enjoyed the game. That type of practically non-interactive gameplay just wouldn't fly for a game released today. I actually think a combination of Metal Gear stealth game mechanics with Snatcher adventure game mechanics (puzzles and dialog) would make an awesome next gen Snatcher.

I have yet to play Policenauts. I'm waiting for the English fan translation to finish.

[policenauts.net]

topraman517

i believe Hayao Miyazaki would be offended based on what kojima have said. also, it's very wrong for him to compare himself with Miyazaki.

when Miyazaki goes back to writing a new anime or manga, he finishes the story or leaves the story with the ending upto the watcher or reader [open ending]. Miyazaki would never go back to an unfinished [open ending] work or finished work and continue again and again. that is kojima not miyazaki.

you don't see spirited away 1,2..., laputa 1,2,... and so on. with kojima however you'll see mgs 1,2,3....... and i'm more then certain that you'll someohow see a re-living of snake. remember liquid ocelot [arm], well maybe we'll see raiden snake [penis].

newave

Personally, I don't think i will ever get tired of MGS as long as Kojima puts in new game elements in each game, not to say the game mechanics that are set out already are bad :P
Though, I really would like to see cool new innovative games like Boktai from him. I just hope if he does decide to make a new original game, it isn't just some crappy job because he's focusing too much on the MGS series. :<

HikariX

Why are people just arguing over the stories in video games? Is Super Mario Bros. a terrible game just because there is really no story at all? Do the MGS games sell well just because the story fascinates a lot of people? Please people come on stories are just there to justify why you should connect with the game's characters. What really drives the industry has so much to do with our interaction with the game's world, not how we perceive the characters and so forth.

I am a bit embarrassed to say this but when I was five I really wanted my family to call me Mario, based solely on a character that can jump really high and can throw fireballs by eating flowers, I didn't really care much about saving a princess. I really like characters such as Snake and Mario because I can do things through them that I otherwise would never have the possibility to do. Isn't that the heart of why we play games, not cinematic-like storytelling?

There are so many ways to tell a story that it is hard to decide on which way is the best for an interactive medium, but focusing on that really degrades any argument on why games, if ever, should be considered interactive art. Don't we really need new and better ways of interacting with the game's environment and characters not necessarily just better story lines or ways to tell a story? Shouldn't the questions on a developer's mind be more along the focus of, "How can I do something to make the players more interested in interacting with this world I'm creating?" Instead of, "How can I make the players trudge through the game just so that they will connect more to the characters I'm creating(i.e., graphics, story, ...etc.)?"

In the end games that are seen as great vary by a lot in the substance of the stories but nearly all have that gameplay factor that just makes a person think, "Man I really need to play (insert favorite game here) for the xth time", no matter how "dated" the game may be. Because there are just too many new games that I play and feel like I have played this game before. The story telling is important, just less important than the way the game plays.

BTW Half-Life 2 and MGS both venture out pretty far into their own styles so comparing the two really just shows how shallow your opinions are.

But that's just one little bear's opinion.

omegaz314

It's good to see that he realizes the shortcomings of his own storytelling methods when used in videogames. I'd really like him to get moving and make some progress on some newer games with newer ideas. I loved all the style and quality in the ZOE series, so I know there's potential for him to do a lot outside of the MGS universe. Where's that Hideo/Mikami/Suda game, anyway?

Blah8

I thought Boktai was an interesting idea for a game [I don't know about the game itself since I never actually played it :(], so I don't see any reason why he couldn't excel with another series. There's definitely too much story in the cutscenes, making the cutscenes too long. I mean, if you want to do a speed run on MGS4, you have to skip the cutscenes as soon as you see them, but some events are unskippable, especially the credits at 17 minutes!

dawimp523

@Herabec: To be honest, I hate the "cutscenes" in Half Life 2. I always get too antsy and end up jumping on top of stuff, and it ruins the atmosphere for me. But I just. Can't. Help. Myself.

Poo_and_Weeeee

give me more metal gear! redo metal gear 1 and 2, you dont have to come up with a new story and u can use the MGS4 engine do it!

otis123

Kojima-san, you do whatever pleases you. I've yet to be disappointed by your products. I look forward to the next Kojima Productions release.

sascha23

it would be nice to see a new franchise with the same level of detail in story telling. If they could alternate it with a new MG game every other year it would keep them busy and in the green stuff... not to mention making quite a few people very HAPPY!

Awoken is waiting for R2

Why not mention the Shadow of the Colossus cutscenes? You aren't in control of your player but you can always move the camera around. Even in the opening cutscene (like before the title screen) you can move the camera.

dowingba

So now even the creator of the game regrets having too many cut scenes in MGS4???

Ok. There's no more defending it any longer. Kojima fanboys, let it go. Let. It. Go.

DARTH_TIGRIS

@DARTH_TIGRIS: No, you ass... He's regretting not trying new ways to do cutscenes, and frankly, he did try something new with two major scenes... The vamp fight and the microwave tunnel. But he wished he had experimented more, and that's not saying he didn't like the cutscenes...

bobtheduck

Yeah, in ten years in the future he will release a new series; Plastic Gear. It's going to be the exact same games as the ones in Metal Gear but all the words on the covers and cut scenes will have the word 'Metal' replaced with 'Plastic'. I can see it selling well.

Traczyk