Ryan Payton, former assistant producer on Metal Gear Solid 4, has signed on with Microsoft Game Studios to work on future Halo games, Microsoft Game Studios said today, confirming the rumour Kotaku broke last month.
“Microsoft has confirmed the addition of Ryan Payton, formerly of Kojima Productions to Microsoft Game Studios,” said Phil Spencer, in a prepared statement sent to Kotaku. “Payton joins a group of industry heavy hitters to recently arrive at Microsoft Game Studios, including Corrine Yu from Gearbox and Kenneth Scott of id Software, as well as David Wu from Pseudo Interactive and Frank O’Connor, a Bungie veteran. Microsoft Game Studios is thrilled to have such talented people working to develop new and exciting projects within the Halo universe and supporting existing projects from studios like Bungie and Ensemble.”
While the official statement doesn’t go into details about Payton’s job, we’ve been told he will be the creative director for the upcoming Peter Jackson Halo game.
New Halo Helmed by MGS 4 Producer [Kotaku]
Ryan Payton, self-described game hobo, fresh off working on Metal Gear Solid 4 and a cross-country move from Japan back to Seattle, took some time to sit down with me this weekend to talk development, Japan and life.
Ryan Payton (hats, in tow) has left Kojima Productions. The Assistant Producer spearheaded a more Western approach to controls for Metal Gear Solid 4, making the game far more approachable and much tighter than the previous installment. He also helped warm the MGS4 team up to more Western developed games like Gears of War as well. Why did he leave and what’s next? His answers after the jump.
COULD! I say COULD! Not will. So relax. You cool? Then we cool. While chatting with the 1UP crew, Kojima Production’s Ryan Payton has said “There are some misunderstandings that this is the final Metal Gear game. But it’s really the final chapter of the Solid Snake story. That’s all”. Care to elaborate? Well, right before that, he said there’s “still a lot of room for filling in the gaps as far as Big Boss is concerned”. Make of that what you will. My favourite part of the interview, though, doesn’t even concern Metal Gear. After he’s asked whether Japanese devs should start adopting Western control methods in order to improve their games, Payton says: “If other Japanese publishers want to improve their controls, I wouldn’t say they need to adopt western ideas, but rather that they simply need to improve them”. Too true.
Solid Snake’s English voice actor David Hayter, Drebin’s voice Khary Payton, Liquid Ocelot’s Patric Zimmerman, MGS4 producer Ken Imaizumi, assistant producer Ryan Payton and Ryan Payton’s hat were all on hand at the midnight launch signing. Thanks Kotaku reader helsinkivalo for the vid!
Late last month, magazine PSW stated that upcoming Metal Gear Solid 4 has 90 minute cutscenes — which, the magazine pointed out, could be skipped. Website GamePro fired back, confirming that the game does have “occasionally lengthy” cutscenes and calling the 90 minute cutscenes “a pretty big exaggeration.” Magazine EDGE offered this in its review: “The cutscenes here are sure to invoke that thousand-yard stare, two in particular coming perilously close to the 90-minute mark.” But what’s the official word from Kojima Productions? Metal Gear Solid 4 Assistant Producer Ryan Payton tells Kotaku that the 90 minute cutscene claim is a “gross exaggeration.” Hit the jump for his full statement and POSSIBLE SPOILER.
Just like we thought! And once again confirming what we had hear before!! There will be more Metal Gear Solid — though, not necessarily more SPOILER. According to Kojima Productions’ Ryan Payton, who says (possible SPOILER):
Sure, we know Metal Gear Solid 4 is a big game and all. We didn’t know it was gianormous. Literally! Last week, Kojima Productions producer Ryan Payton said there wasn’t enough space for an English language track on the Japanese version of MGS4 and vice-versa. Just listen to this exchange between Hideo Kojima and Famitsu: Kojima: For us, we’re not still not satisfied with the quality we can do. You know, there’s not capacity space.
Interviewer: Wait, wait a sec. Saying there’s not enough capacity, are you talking about Blu-ray?
Kojima: That’s correct. There’s not enough space at all. (laughs) …There’s not enough space. We always talked about where to cut and what to compress. Hideo Kojima, gaming’s Icarus, flying too close to the sun. Blu-ray is Too Small [Hatimaki Thanks, Beau!]
Earlier, we brought word that the US and European Metal Gear Solid 4 versions will not feature a Japanese voice track due to a lack of apparent disc space. Well, what about the Japanese version? Will it feature English language subtitles? Surely, Kojima Productions could squeeze subtitles on — that way, those English speakers who really wanted the Japanese voices would get them. Kojima Pro’s Ryan Payton tells us: No English subtitles on MGS4 JP.
Short, to the point and unfortunate. Ya can’t have everything, kids! Sorry.
