That’s according to a release from Japanese artist network pixiv—pretty much the overseas equivalent of deviantArt—which has tapped Kojima, Evangelion character designer and manga creator Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, and Twilight manga artist Ryuji Gotsubo to judge a Twilight: New Moon fan art contest.

Kojima, who I’d wager aligns himself with Team Jacob, is reportedly a “huge fan” of Twilight, according to the Anime News Network’s translation of the release. He’ll contribute his expert opinion as well as a signed copy of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, apparently, to the list of grand prizes.

If you’ve got some Edward Cullen fan art lying around—perhaps in the Yoji Shinkawa style—you might want to get a Japanese speaking friend to register with pixiv and submit it on your behalf. Otherwise, expect this contest to be an “only in Japan” kinda thing.

The more cynical of you may see this as an attempt to broaden the exposure of things like Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker to a very passionate fan base. But I’m betting you’re way, way off. Way off.

Eva, Metal Gear Creators Judge Twilight Art Contest [Anime News Network via GameSetWatch]

“The reverberation has been bigger than imagined,” the game designer writes. How big? Apparently KP staffers who worked on Z.O.E. have been stopping him on the elevator, in the office, in restaurants and in Tokyo Midtown, saying “Is it true?”, “When do we start making Z.O.E.?” and “Please let me join the team!” One guy even has a Anubis (Z.O.E.) print out tacked up on his cubicle!

“No, no, a little longer,” Kojima writes. “I want you to wait.”

アヌビスのその後｜コナミ小島プロダクション公式ウェブログ [コジブロ]

In an interview with Famitsu, Kojima told Assassin’s Creed II developer Pierre and Pierre’s beard:

Really, I don’t think much about whether a platform’s portable or for the home. In other words, it’s not important to me. With the PS3, you’ve got a whole range of middle- and high-school kids who can’t play your game because their parents don’t let them play video games at home. Those kids can whine at their parents all day about how the game’s anti-war and anti-nukes, but they’ll just respond ‘Well, you’re still killing people with guns, aren’t you?’ and brush it off. I wanted to go the extra mile for gamers in that sort of situation. That was one of the reasons I chose the PSP.

Kojima isn’t doing it for me or you, he’s doing it for the kids. And the kids are alright. Elsewhere in the Famitsu piece, Kojima tells Pierre what games stand out in late 2009 (Modern Warfare 2, Uncharted 2 and Assassin’s Creed II) as well as talking about Assassin’s Creed II improvements. Pierre gives his impressions of Peace Walker. Sadly, Pierre’s beard does not.

Metal Gear, Assassin’s Creed Creators Interview Each Other [1up]

Anubis was slated for release during holiday 2002, but was pushed back to February due to the packed December release calendar, just as many games scheduled for this holiday have been pushed back to early 2010.

“Everything was due to an error by me, the producer,” wrote Kojima in his blog (translated by Andria Sang). “At that time, if I hadn’t made a mistake with the release date, Anubis might have ended up a major Kojima Productions title to follow MGS, still seeing development as a series.”

Interest in the Z.O.E. has not dimmed, and Kojima writes that he would like to make a sequel. “Also, we feel that if we do it, we’d like to make Anubis succeed this time,” Kojima continues. “I already have a game plan and method for sales in my head.”

Kojima, however, does not know if the Zone of the Enders sequel will get the green light as the production hopper at Kojima Productions is currently full.

“I cannot make a promise about time,” writes Kojima. “However, I can promise a sequel.” Someday!

ANUBISでの苦い想い出｜コナミ小島プロダクション公式ウェブログ [コジブロ via andriasang via Destructoid]

Kojima tells PlayStation.Blog.Europe:

A lot of [people] love Zone of the Enders, and we love the title as well, especially at Kojima Productions and we always want to create one for the next gens as well.

Of course, Kojuma Productions has a long list of things we want to bring out, and of course Zone of the Enders is one on the top of the list.

However, we have to manage staffing and work around projects therefore it’s not going to be out too soon, but we are really considering it.

He also says that he wants to create an original title and he could produce Z.O.E.

Oh, and Kojima-san doesn’t have to make Metal Gear Solid anymore. Kojima-san doesn’t have to make Metal Gear Solid anymore. Kojima-san doesn’t have to make Metal Gear Solid anymore. Kojima-san doesn’t have to…

Kojima on Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker [PlayStation.Blog.Europe via VG247]

Just as Kojima explained to Kotaku at this year’s Tokyo Game Show, he going to great lengths for Peace Walker, giving it the attention and effort the title deserves.

The game’s script is as thick as Metal Gear Solid 4’s. But there’s something else Kojima has in store. What? He wouldn’t say.

“I’m putting everything I want to do on a portable console into this game,” Kojima told Famitsu. “I haven’t announced this yet, but there’s another feature in here that will surprise people, to the point where they’ll want to go out and buy a PSP right now!”

Kojima also discussed other Peace Walker features like interactive 2D cutscenes. “For example,” art director Yoji Shinkawa says, “if you zoom in on the scene where you first meet Paz, you can see the uniform she has on under her coat, and then what’s under that.” Besides this, voice interactivity appears to be planned with the inclusion of Vocaloid software.

Wonder what this surprise is… Oh, and Kojima-san doesn’t have to make Metal Gear anymore. Well, starting after Peace Walker, that is.

Kojima Discusses Cutscenes, Metal Gear’s Future [1UP]

Here’s what the eminent games designer had to say:

President Obama, who declared ‘A World Without Nuclear Weapons’ in Prague, has won the Nobel Peace Prize. Has the era at last started shifting? The start of the Peace Walker plan? I hope that comes to be.

‘Peace will not walk to you’

‘You must both walk towards one another.’

Pretty bold plug of one’s game, I’d say.

ノーベル平和賞 [Kojima Productions via Go Nintendo]

The demo went live on the game’s official page at 6.00pm Japan Time (8.00pm AEDST). This demo is the same demo that was playable at this year’s Tokyo Game Show. You can read Kotaku’s impressions right here. Or not.

Peace Walker Official Site [Konami]

Here’s why. The game designer has been pumping iron.

But Kojima blogs that because of the Tokyo Game Show, he wasn’t able to hit the gym that much. He gained 2 kilograms and lost muscle mass.

Still, check out those guns! Hideo Kojima will mess you up, yo. Baaaaaaaaaad.

二週間ぶり｜コナミ小島プロダクション公式ウェブログ [コジブロ]