Rumour: Metal Gear Solid Coming to XBLA

by Patrick Steen on June 9, 2008 at 4:35 pm

Yes, I’m British. I spell “rumour” with two u’s. What U going to do about it? Well hopefully you’ll have no time to do anything, because either you’ll be embedded in Snake’s final mission on the Playstation 3, or engrossed in one of Snake’s first on the Xbox 360.

Yes, with knowledge comes…well, snappy Ripten headings, and this time it could read; “Metal Gear Solid Coming to the Xbox 360.” At least, not in the form you might expect. As we all know MGS4 couldn’t possibly fit on a measley DVD, but Metal Gear Solid 1 might fit into 350mb (though even that’s questionable.)

Indeedy do, MGS may be following its tactical steps onto the Japan PSN Store by infiltrating Xbox Live Arcade. This is not too surprising, since the series has made its way onto non-Playstation consoles a number of times, and Microsoft even published MGS for the PC release.

I expect you’re asking how we know, or who our source is. Lets just say a reliable individual tapped into our codec frequency after spying the game on a certain pre-release network. We shall say no more - nudge nudge, wink wink - except this; there are problems in bringing Kojima’s masterpiece to this new playing field.

Naturally, rumours can turn out to be false, so we’ll bring you more information as it becomes available.

*Update* - Some have responded rather violently to this story, so I must mention a few words of solace. This was posted as rumour, not fact. Nor is the rumour itself any challenge to PlayStation fans. I am not talking of Metal Gear Solid 4 being ported to the Xbox 360, but a 10 year old classic that has found its way onto a number of platforms, with Microsoft themselves publishing the PC conversion.

Of course, it’s hard to understand how MGS1 could fit into 350mb due to the lengthy dialogue, but it wouldn’t be surprising for Microsoft to make an exception.

I originally withheld our evidence due to possible difficulties, but after the response I will spell it out. MGS was spied by our contact on PartnerNet, the developers-only Xbox Live network used to beta-test unreleased downloadable Xbox 360 games.

Moreover, we’ve reported on rumours in the past and have mostly been proved correct. One notable example was our article on MGS4 using a 50GB Blu-ray, which was subsequently sourced around the web and on the infamous Neogaf forums. The news was finally confirmed by Ryan Payton in the following week’s Kojima Productions Report.

Of course rumours may offend you, for which this story is not of interest, but if they do interest you, we’re pretty confident in our sources this time.

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Tags: game, infiltration, metal_gear_solid, metal_gear_solid_1, Microsoft, nudge_nudge_wink_wink, nudge_wink, Playstation, playstation_3, windows_pc, xbox_360, xbox_live, xbox_live_arcade

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Comments »

Cruiz Dwyer
on June 9, 2008 5:40 pm

This is quite interesting. Fit into 150mb? How big was the japan PSN release of the title. it did come on 2 discs, though it is possible.
They should really get it onto the PSN for all regions imho.
ps34life
on June 9, 2008 6:00 pm

lol the creater of mgs said that mgs will and always will be for the ps series and that how its goin 2 stick even the creater of mgs hates xbox that y he never had mgs games on the xbox
Patial1
on June 9, 2008 6:26 pm

hah that’s funny….very funny. won’t happen, even your brittish ass knows it.
Patrick Steen
on June 9, 2008 6:30 pm

Cruiz: I have made a quick edit to that section. XBLA allowance is soon to be updated to 350mb (apparently) but that would still be a stretch for MGS1. I’m sure they’d make an exception and perhaps put it in Xbox classics alongside Halo :D lol

ps3: MGS2 was released on the Xbox.
John Kershaw
on June 9, 2008 6:39 pm

A lot of people forget that MGS1 also came out for the PC, published by Microsoft. It wouldn’t take much of a leap to put it on the 360
Jack
on June 9, 2008 7:41 pm

Doubt it, the original Metal Gear Solid is a 2 disc epic of over 1.3gb.
Cesar
on June 9, 2008 9:45 pm

Isn’t the game limit 150 MB for XBLA?

Metal Gear Solid was around 600 MB per disc if I remember correctly.

Why would it be released under Xbox Classics or whatever that thing is called seeing as it never came out for Xbox. The only Metal Gear game that has been released on Xbox was Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance, but it sold poorly so Xbox (and Xbox 360) users don’t deserve to play any MG games. They’re getting hyped about MGS4 because they finally see how good it is and they see that PS3 has it exclusively so they really want to play it–it’s human nature to covet.
Jones Seabrook
on June 10, 2008 12:22 am

Metal Gear Solid 1 - PC, PS, Gamecube
Metal Gear Solid 2 - PC, Xbox, PS2
Metal Gear Solid 3 - PS2
Metal Gear Solid 4 - PS3

And Konami says future Metal Gear games will be multiplatform releases to make up for skyrocketing budgets and the low PS3 fanbase.

I say this rumor is more probable than the angry fanboys are allowing themselves to accept.
Tom
on June 10, 2008 3:07 am

This is a load of bs. First you say that it’s 150mb, then you change it to 350mb. Then you changed your “inside man” story. You’re just trying to get more hits on the website.
Fredd
on June 10, 2008 3:41 am

lol, I would like to se that happening ;S
Yamagushi
on June 10, 2008 4:15 am

For the ps3fanboy with the smart comments.
1)MGS4 is not made by the people who made 1-3.
2)MGS2 was on the xbox.
3)As for your dumb comments on the creators hating xbox, Id like to see your sources on that cause its a load of crap.
4)They never said MGS is and always will be a PS Exclusive. Hence it having been on xbox1…

To all PS3 Fanboys in general. Enjoy your 1 good game lol.
craig
on June 10, 2008 4:30 am

Hmm, If the first contained a lot of dialogue it was probably uncompressed CD audio. With modern compression techniques, squeezing it into 350mb could be quite possible
DavidGX
on June 10, 2008 4:57 am

SSF2THDR or whatever it’s called is being given an exemption from the XBLA size limit. This one could as well.

Although I’d rather see MGS4: subsistance or some such.
Patrick Steen
on June 10, 2008 5:00 am

Tom: Firstly, I explained why I changed it from 150mb to 350mb - the allowance for XBLA is soon to be updated.

The story hasn’t changed, it was the inside man who spotted it on PartnerNet.

Yamagushi: MGS4 is made by the same people who made 1-3. Kojima certainly likes PlayStation, and even mocks other consoles in MGS4 (ie. “Change Disc”)
Anonymous Insider
on June 10, 2008 5:11 am

That’s odd, see I have access to partnernet myself and I do see games such as soul calibur XBLA, but as for Metal Gear Solid, no traces of it whatsoever. This news is just bullshit.
LC
on June 10, 2008 5:16 am

The “change disc” was perfectly acceptable before blu-ray.
Vorador
on June 10, 2008 5:18 am

Sorry, but it’s NOT in PartnerNet. I can confirm this.
Patrick Steen
on June 10, 2008 5:49 am

O.K. LC - Is that relevant? MGS4 mocks other consoles by saying “Please Change Disc” etc etc. (though this could simply be a joke about MGS1…)

Warning Spoiler: http://my.break.com/Content/view.aspx?ContentID=516244

Vorador and Anonymous Insider: If you are on PartnerNet you’ll know that code words are used.
ps34life
on June 10, 2008 5:57 am

to Yamagushi
lol at least playstaion will and always will own the xboxs ass what does xbox hav halo lol, witch is shit,
Cube
on June 10, 2008 7:36 am

Surely this would be a bad move for Xbox… surely,if they release MGS1 on Xbox live, then people who enjoy the game would want to play MGS4?
TX3
on June 10, 2008 9:48 am

From my understanding…

DVD
Single Layer: 4.7GB
Double Layer: 8.54GB

XBOX Live
Arcade Size Limit: 150MB

Metal Gear Solid
2x CD-ROM: 17.08GB

MB converted to GB
1024MB = 1MB

So lets say this is true most XBOX 360s have a 20GB hard drive and a lot of new buyers will have the Elite that has a 120GB. If Mirosoft ever let this out this would be the 20GB XBOX 360s will only have 2.92GB of space left. This does not make any sense to me unless there is some way of making it a lot smaller. Gran Turismo 5 Prologue (Version 1.00) runs you 2214MB which is about 2.16GB.

With that said I would love to see if the game can be compressed because it’s on the Japanese PlayStation Network.
Discombobulator
on June 10, 2008 9:54 am

Big up to Mr Steen, he fights his corner well. This is a rumour people, no one on Ripten is suggesting this is absolute gospel. However,i bet they call it right more often than we could.
person
on June 10, 2008 10:03 am

to TX3,
there is no way 2 cd-roms hold 17GBs. that is all.thank you.
Dan Landis
on June 10, 2008 10:21 am

TX3,

Your understanding is wrong. A typical CD-ROM holds approximately 700MB — CD-ROM is not the same as DVD-ROM. Two CD-ROMs would hold a mere 1.4GB, not 17! In fact, the original Metal Gear Solid was around 1.31GB, as Jack has already stated in the comments. There even exists a PSP version that clocks in at only 922MB. Metal Gear Solid 3, which was released just a few years ago on DVD-ROM, was still only 2GB.

I find the story to certainly be feasible. Symphony of the Night was a PSOne game of about 556MB, and they somehow condensed that into a less-than-150MB file size for XBLA. Compression technology keeps getting better and better.

While I don’t think it’s possible to fit MGS into the 150MB limit of current XBLA games, that simple fact alone does NOT mean that MGS would be held back from release on the console. Arbitrary file size limits would not keep a good game down. That would just be stupid.
Dan Landis
on June 10, 2008 10:25 am

Cube,

Yes, I agree with you… unless MGS4 DOES come out on the 360. Dun-dun-DUUUUUUUUN!!!
Patrick Steen
on June 10, 2008 10:38 am

Yes, two CD-Rom’s is just over 1GB. The Japan PSN version (for PS3 and PSP) is 922mb as the great Landis has made clear.

There will be a problem is compressing MGS1 - the reason? Dialogue. There’s near 10 hours of dialogue, and even modern compression struggles at getting the MB’s right down while retaining a significant quality.
gonçalo
on June 10, 2008 10:40 am

huh… guys microsoft changed the limits to XBL games a few months ago, now the limit is 350 megabytes
also it is rather easy to fit a PS1 game in to 350 megabyte games since the games at the time did not use compression techniques as advanced as we use now. Specually if we consider the fact that this game will be read from a hardrive making the read spead much greater than that of the PS1, in other words compressing this game should be rather easy
Relwyn
on June 10, 2008 10:41 am

Wow, do I see arguing over a 10 year old game? This is funny. What would it matter if it came to XBLA? We have all played the crap out of it.
I hate fanboys. I’m going to let you guys in on a little secret. Hideo Kojima and Shigeru Miyamoto are not gods. There are better developers out there.
I say let games be enjoyed by the people who want to play them.
whoelse
on June 10, 2008 11:35 am

Sorry but its 1 O, 1 U not 2 U’s. I had to get that our my system. Anyway, i still cant see it happening, sorry.
Patrick Steen
on June 10, 2008 11:41 am

Whoelse: Original spelling is “rumour”, from French origins and still used in Britain. The American spelling is simplified to reflect the common pronunciation. Next stop “knight” being changed to “nite” and “though” being changed to “tho”.

I know you didn’t expect that response :D
whoelse
on June 10, 2008 11:45 am

I do know that i live in Britain. But you said there are 2 U’s when actually there is 1 in the English way and none in the American way.
whoelse
on June 10, 2008 11:46 am

Oh i feel stupid:

rUmoUr. I forgot the first one after the ‘r’. Ok you win.
Patrick Steen
on June 10, 2008 12:12 pm

romor >_<
Discombobulator
on June 10, 2008 1:05 pm

I bet that argument made a change of pace Patrick. That was almost too hard to believe! Your not setting up easy victories are you?!
LC
on June 10, 2008 1:05 pm

mgs is stupid, kojima is a hypocrite since he released multi-disc games before and tell me what takes longer, a couple of disc changes or a 30 minute install?
TX3
on June 10, 2008 1:10 pm

Correction…

CD-ROM
700MB

XBOX Live
Arcad Size Limit: 350MB

Even with that said it’s still too much 1400MB (1.37GB) one disc alone is already too much. This just shows you how much Sony thinks ahead especially with space. What’s really interesting Microsoft is rumoured to be into digital distribution. Choices for cheaper hardware will cost them in the end.

Hint: Blu-ray Discs
LC
on June 10, 2008 1:19 pm

too bad they lacked the foresight that slow blu-ray read speeds would force yet another expensive upgrade or lame inconvenience of installing games since ps3 can’t handle all the blu-
TX3
on June 10, 2008 1:21 pm

To: LC

Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune has no loading times and uses the full first layer (25GB).
LC
on June 10, 2008 1:26 pm

and zero compression, it not the only ps3 game who’s blu-ray disc has been filled with junk data, in this case I think all discerning gamers can agree every byte of uncharted is junk.
madpuppy
on June 10, 2008 1:29 pm

LC does have a valid opinion, what is all this bashing about disc swapping, installs with blu-ray for most games and demos is ungodly long. the PS3 and the 360 have strengths and weaknesses
making fun of one system shortcomings without acknowledging the others is childish and pertinent.
QReaper
on June 10, 2008 1:31 pm

@PS34life: Sorry to burst your bubble moron, but MGS2 was on XBox.
TX3
on June 10, 2008 1:36 pm

To: LC

So you’re stating games like Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Devil May Cry 4, Burnout Paradise, Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Vegas 2 all are uncompressed on the PlayStation 3?
LC
on June 10, 2008 1:41 pm

no, I think you did. I have a question for you TX3, ever danced the donkey on a pale moon night?
Patrick Steen
on June 10, 2008 1:45 pm

LC: Stop acting. Your knowledge of Blu-ray read speeds is sorely lacking. Also, there’s no need to attack game’s themselves just because you disagree with an individuals opinion about them.

You can read plenty about Uncharted’s use of Blu-ray in our interview with Naughty Dog’s Richard Diamant:

“Patrick: Are you sick of people asking [...] how much space the game takes up on a Blu-ray?

Richard: I guess I don’t really mind when they ask.

[...] However, I don’t really understand why it matters how much space we take up. The Blu-ray gives us the ability to do almost anything we want. It’s an amazing piece of technology. I think we should all just be thankful we are no longer limited.

Patrick: With that in mind, could you fit Uncharted on a DVD if the cutscenes were rendered in-engine, instead of being stored as HD movies?

Richard: Honestly, I ‘m not really sure. I think we have so much data in terms of textures, models, and animation that it probably would go over. I guess it is possible though.

The thing is, we never really thought about it since we didn’t have to think about it. We never held anything back, which we might have had to do if we were limited to a DVD. I never really calculated the space the game takes up without the movies or extras, so to answer this question would really just be too hard.

Again though, does it really matter? That’s the good thing about the PS3. We don’t have to worry about storage anymore. I think this question is trying to satisfy all the people who want to know if it is possible to make Uncharted on the 360.

That question will have to remain unknown since it will never happen :) Now if it did need to happen, is it so bad to go back to the days of “Enter Disk 2″! Actually it might be. I guess the PS3 is better…hmm….”

http://www.ripten.com/2008/01/21/richard-diamant-interview-part-2-art-style-water-and-the-advantages-of-blu-ray/

Uncharted still uses compression, as does MGS4. What Blu-ray affords is freedom in data storage - the advantages of this can only be answered by developers themselves. How much time and money do you want to spend on compression and cutting from your game?

As TX3 says - Uncharted has no loading, and no install, and no “junk data” (there is little evidence of this being used in PS3 games, with the supposed exception being Oblivion, which was then disproved by the developer) as was expressed in an interview over at PSU.com:

“Christophe Balestra, Co-President of Naughty Dog: We fill the disc at 91 percent and it’s optimized, meaning we don’t duplicate any data.” http://www.psu.com/PSU-talks-Uncharted-with-Naughty-Dog-Co-Vice-President-Feature–a1851-p0.php

Moreover, if “junk data” could result in no loading without the need for an install, then more developers should use Blu-ray for this cause. Don’t you think?

As for this comment: “in this case I think all discerning gamers can agree every byte of uncharted is junk.” Why not strengthen your case by being reasonable and lucid?
TX3
on June 10, 2008 1:48 pm

To: LC

LC
on June 10, 2008 1:26 pm

“and zero compression…”

No and you’re most likely not going to see me comment anymore. So all I’m saying is if a game that is 25GB doesn’t need installs than a multiplatform game can. All they need to do is put a little more blood and sweat or make it lead platform.
LC
on June 10, 2008 1:50 pm

“Again though, does it really matter? That’s the good thing about the PS3. We don’t have to worry about storage anymore.”

Tell that to those with 20 and 40 gig ps3’s out of room because of forced installs Patty mc Paterson.
TX3
on June 10, 2008 1:53 pm

To: Patrick Steen

Do you really think Sony made Blu-ray discs so developers can copy the game’s data in multiple locations?

The PlayStation 3 is a streaming system even though all consoles can. The PlayStation 3 was made to stream like PCs (Personal Computers). This is why the architecture is so different from the XBOX 360’s.
Patrick Steen
on June 10, 2008 1:55 pm

LC: As if I need to respond, but Richard’s “we” is clearly referring to developers and Blu-ray, not PS3 owners and HDD’s.

I’ve already made clear my feelings on installs ( http://www.ripten.com/2008/05/30/haze-hands-on-single-player-co-op/ ), with a preference for Sony to reduce their allowance way below 5gb per game. Installs are used because they can aid a game’s engine, but it is not the only solution, as Naughty Dog has proved.
LC
on June 10, 2008 1:59 pm

I so glad you made your feelings clear, I feel better about you clearing the air myself pat.
Discombobulator
on June 10, 2008 2:30 pm

LC, did you get dumped by a chick in favour of a playstation? Or is it more likly you were dumped by a playstation in favour of a chick? Seriously dude, what happened to make you so negative? I hope you do enjoy your gaming, although i don’t think i have ever seen you express that. One of TX3 comments suggests that he won’t be returning on the comments section and i suspect that is a direct result of your bile masquerading as a comment. See a shink man, take a few minutes to sort yourself out. You deserve it.
Ausbo
on June 10, 2008 2:50 pm

wow just reading the comments tells me there is a hell of alot of ps3 nerds and fanboys. This is a rumor that probably isn’t true. Calm down you xbox haters seriously, you are embarassing the video game community
Aquanox
on June 10, 2008 3:56 pm

I usually take these rumours with a grain o salt. This one is particulary difficult to believe not because we’re talking about a game that has been ported to numerous consoles but for the mere fact that - for anyone with a bit of common sense - Metal Gear Solid 1 on XboxLA could mean nothing else than an introduction to the series for Xbox 360 owners in an effort to hype up a future port of Metal Gear Solid 4. Otherwise, it would be some kind of bitter joke to the Xbox fanbase.

By the way, the game (MGS4) doesn’t need to fit in one DVD. If PS3 owners can bear an 1-3 minute installation after each chapter, Xbox 360 owners can live with disc swapping instead. It’d be even less annoying in my opinion.
KillerMcDead
on June 10, 2008 9:09 pm

I owned a PS2 and an Xbox, and I enjoyed both equally. I currently own a 360 and have seen no reason to own a PS3. It just doesn’t have the game library to justify the purchase of the console. Lets be honest, in terms of exclusives, all I can think of are:
1. Warhawk
2. Ratchet and Clank
3. I’ll put Resistance on here because I’m sure fanboys will lynch me if I dont, but its laughable that its on here.
4. Drakes/Heavenly Sword. I put them together because neither is long enough to be considered a full game IMO (8 hours or less)
5. MGS4

I have considered purchasing a PS3 for MGS4, but even if i did I think I’d play through it then the PS3 would start collecting dust. Ausbo is right though, I’m almost scared owning one will turn me into a drooling PS3 fanboy retard desperately trying to justify mommy’s waste of a christmas present.
Rasz
on June 14, 2008 2:03 pm

@ps34life

Not to sound rude, but your just WRONG. since Playstation Launch, The MGS series has been ported out of the brand’s systems. Metal gear solid 1 was originally out for Playstation1, years after remade for Nintendo Gamecube as MGS: The Twin Snakes. Metal Gear solid 2 was originally planned for Playstation2, but not too much later from the lauch of the game, it was once again ported to other systems: PC and Xbox to be more precise, in the form of a new ‘edition’ with added content (also release on PS2)

On a different note… The original MGS for PSX came in TWO CDs, and there were not many FMV’s, because almost all scenes were made out of the game’s graphic engine. And furthermore, I believe the voice acting was exclusive on each region, meaning that French voiced MGS had just that language inside the discs, as the English voiced game had only the english dubbing.

XBLA Games usually got enhanced graphics, new interface, and more options… HOW the hell are they going to fit all that content in 350MB? I call this rumoUr (:P) false. And I wish it was true, because I’m a “megahuge” (oooooh yes, I said that) fan of MGS :S
Rasz
on June 14, 2008 2:05 pm

sweet jeebus, i’m sorry for the double post, I just re-read my comment and noticed the *EPIC FAIL* in my grammar and spelling. I’m really sorry U_U
Chad Lakkis
on June 23, 2008 8:02 pm

Actually fartnog, our site spans both the US and the UK, each of which spell the word differently.

Patrick just so happens to reside in the UK.

Chad-
Dan Landis
on June 23, 2008 11:51 pm

I think he knows that, Chad. I’m pretty sure he was just trying to support America.
Patrick Steen
on June 24, 2008 4:55 am

Go Team America! And the correct spelling is “rumour” - American English just happens to spell it incorrectly. ;)
madpuppy
on June 24, 2008 5:30 am

I am disappointed in you P. Steen, If you just said that “rumor” was a variant of the British “rumour” and that both were right depending on what country you received your education. that would have been enough. but, you had to follow in the footsteps of the obviously 13yr old poster and be insulting.

now if he said something like the opposite of width was “heidth”
then he would have deserved a royal @$$ kicking. :P
Patrick Steen
on June 24, 2008 5:39 am

lol lighten up Lad. You don’t know how many times I’m told my spelling is wrong by Americans, when America has been deconstructing the English language for a very long time.
madpuppy
on June 24, 2008 6:00 am

A language is a living thing, it changes over the years, a language that doesn’t change is generally considered “dead” seeing British English isn’t a dead Language it must have changed even in the time you have been alive. unless you speak exactly like Geoffrey Chaucer did when he was around, I guess that you are bastardizing the English language as well.
Patrick Steen
on June 24, 2008 6:36 am

Naturally, language evolves over time, but it’s always nice to see the history of a word’s creation in its spelling.

And there is a difference between language naturally evolving (with the introduction of new words, or combining existing words through daily conversing) and the conscious decision by a collection of people to change a words spelling to either make it simpler to spell (ie. rumour to rumor, plough to plow) or to change a word’s spelling so as to not offend (ie. titbit to tidbit).

Of course they’re all variants mad, I was only jesting.
madpuppy
on June 24, 2008 7:14 am

ahh, I’m just effin’ with you. :P
Brady
on June 18, 2009 10:47 am

I very strongly agree, I am partial to ps3 but I do see from a marketing stand point where that is an intelligent decision. And 360 Owners do deserve some mode to play this game even if it is hard to deliver it should be done it is a great story and regardless of how its told it should be done so.

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