Anyone who is interested in the Metal Gear Online beta, isn’t a lucky European, or hasn’t yet been able to secure a download code via pre-order, should be happy to hear Konami is offering a chance to register for a code online. Move fast while you have the chance!

Konami has commenced “Metal Gear Mondays” on the Playstation Blog, a weekly taste of Metal Gear info. This week brings some details on the arrival of the Metal Gear Online beta, plus a small window of opportunity. North American’s can register online for a chance to win a code for the beta, starting this Thursday, April 17th. The beta will be playable from April 21st – May 5th.

Those wanting codes hustle over to http://www.onlineregister.com/konami/mgops/ and give it a shot.

If you don’t make it in right now don’t despair, as Konami is planning to offer more opportunities to enter before the beta ends.

Konami also provides some story details for MGO, a description of what to expect when you login for the first time, and what will be included in the beta–maps, modes and weapon loadouts.

When logging in at first you’ll be tasked with creating a soldier for yourself, but also with signing up for a Konami ID and a Game ID–separate from your PSN details.

Hopefully the reason for this is a good one and won’t hamper communication with friends or the rest of the network. The process of signing up for the other IDs isn’t complicated, but will take a few moments. The upside of this is that you’ll be able to create a player name specific to MGO.

The beta will include the maps Blood Bath and Groznyj Grad, the modes deathmatch, team deathmatch, base mission and capture mission, and quite a number of weapons both familiar and unfamiliar.

Standard loadout will include a trusty cardboard box and a set of binoculars, while you’ll have a choice of primary, secondary and support weapons. Pistols, rifles, automatic weapons, suppressors and grenades are all present and accounted for.

Close Quarters Combat, knife fighting, quickness, alertness, heavy weapon mastery, demolition, and sniper mastery are some skill sets to choose from. Players can choose four to augment their soldier with.

The most notorious inclusion is the catapult, which will allow soldiers to shoot themselves across the battlefield for sneak attacks or quick travel. The revamped MGS controls have taken cues from modern western-developed games, and the catapult seems like a product of similar osmosis.

Its effect will have to be judged in play, but its wackiness doesn’t seem irrelevant to the MGS universe–though I’m not quite sure I like it, just yet.

Source: Playstation Blog

Tags: Konami, metal-gear-online

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10 Comments » KTR on April 15, 2008 3:21 pm Couldn’t you make a European PSN account, and get into the beta like that? Or do the hard way and make a Japanese Konami ID, and get a beta key. Patrick Steen on April 15, 2008 3:46 pm KTR: I’m afraid that won’t work. The beta will be region locked. KTR on April 15, 2008 3:52 pm But you would still be able to play, right? Only issue I see is lag when connecting to an over seas server. Patrick Steen on April 16, 2008 4:35 am You wont be able to play in another regions beta. If you live in NA you’ll have to get into the NA Beta – you won’t be able to get into the Euro one, even though it’s open for Euro’s. KTR on April 16, 2008 7:15 pm Well, I used my Japanese obtained beta key, was able to DL the beta. It seems that the so called region lock is based on the Konami ID (will wait and see on the 21st), which you enter in game. It has nothing to do with the beta key. shamon on April 16, 2008 9:07 pm I downloaded this at 12 in the morning took 1 hour and 10 min .I love the trailer but cant wait until the 21 to play shamon on April 16, 2008 9:10 pm my konami id is bigboss08 my psn id is shamon see you monday shamon on April 17, 2008 4:07 am Konami ID servers got blown to smithereens lol Patrick Steen on April 17, 2008 5:06 am KTR: I knew you’d be able to download it, but I said you wouldn’t be able to play it. MGO!! on April 17, 2008 8:36 pm Yes!! I got accepted right now!! It’s 8:36 pm where I’m from. RSS feed for comments on this post. Comment Now Note: Commenting on Ripten does not currently require registration, however to be eligible for contests on the site, you must be a registered user. Name (required) Mail (will not be published) (required) Website Commenting Rules: No hate speech allowed. If you must argue, please debate intelligently. Comments containing selected keywords or outbound links will be put into moderation to help prevent spam. Ripten reserves the right to delete comments and ban anyone who doesn't follow the rules. Thanks. Notify me of followup comments Tired of the Goomba? Upload your own custom comment avatar.