Konami recently announced that they will be releasing an update titled “Scene Expansion” for Metal Gear Online. Inside will be a new map and an old face.

The new map is called “Icebound Inferno” and oddly resembles the Shadow Moses level from MGS4, and the old face is none other than Old Snake. Enjoy.

Source: Game Watch

The recent additions of Team Sneaking and Headshot Only modes to Metal Gear Online is just the beginning, since the first of the expected expansion packs is only a few days away. Let’s talk about what’s included, how it indicates some promising MGO evolution and why maybe the price (if it can’t be free) isn’t as bad as it could be.

Originally, Metal Gear Online was possibly going to be a separate game. Thankfully, Kojima Productions wisely gave everyone who purchased MGS4 a good taste of the basics that MGO had to offer in the form of the starter pack—touting coming expansions packs that would add lots more content for those wanting it.

Information on the first of these expansion packs, entitled GENE, has been posted by Konami. As they previously discussed, they look to be hitting all categories with this expansion by adding new characters, maps, a play mode, new customizability and an extra character slot.

Maps

Coppertown Conflict/City of Sorrow: Brown Town? YES! While I can’t be sure, this map almost surely looks like the reappearance of Brown Town from MGO: Subsistence, one of my favorite maps from that game. Hopefully it will find its own personality in the new MGO, as Midtown Maelstrom does hark back to its design with a wide-open street on one edge and more intimate alleyways on the other. I think there’s absolutely room for both.

Tomb of Tubes/Underground Waterway: Reminiscent of the underground Groznyj Grad sewers Snake escapes through in Snake Eater, Tomb of Tubes appears a darker, more intimate indoor affair.

Virtuous Vista/South American Power Station: Adapted from Snake’s latest adventure (MGS4), specifically the South American jungle of Act II. I get a Svyatogornyj East vibe from this one, though likely larger, which would be fantastic.

Characters

One of the things I missed most about MGO: Subsistence was the unique characters leading each squad and the fun, variety and tactics this brought to the game.

I had hoped unique characters might return and it looks like Kojima Productions had the same thing in mind.

Meryl Silverburgh: Meryl’s skills revolve around her role as a team leader.

Enemies she attacks and enemies that attack her will be displayed through SOP (perhaps something akin to Monomania and Narc at level 3).

Allies near her will regain Psyche faster, though as far as I know there’s no way to regain Psyche in MGO so perhaps she will enable this within certain proximity.

She can wake teammates quicker than usual and excels at handgun use (probably Handgun+ at level 3).

Whether or not she’ll be able to use the Desert Eagle, as she carries in MGS4, by default or by choice I’m curious to see.

Johnny (Akiba): Like Meryl, Johnny’s abilities seem tied to his in-game MGS4 persona. He’s an expert at traps.

He can see all traps in a stage and can disarm them in a special way, by pressing triangle, to turn them into items.

While he may be equipped with some special weapons or skills at using traps too, he may be less easily used given that I don’t see many trap users out there in MGO. It’s a shame because I not only had some great fun, but also success, when playing around with the likes of C4 and sleep gas mines. Most hosts sadly turn off many of the weapons.

It’s also possible that Johnny is meant as a weaker character, in-line with at least his early-game persona in MGS4 and his appearance as Johnny Sasaki in all the other MGS games. This would make him similar to Sokolov in Subsistence, who was controlled by the worst scoring player on his squad and who only had a weaker version of the optical camo to aid him.

Konami has added a note that these characters are not freely selectable, meaning that they should function similarly to the “leader” characters in Subsistence. Konami claims they’ll be assigned randomly, which would be a change, as previously the special characters were controlled by the best or worst scoring player on a given squad. To give more people a chance to play as these guys, randomizing it sounds like a good idea.

A similar change was made when deciding who becomes the next Snake in sneaking mode. No longer does the soldier who killed Snake take over his role, alleviating at least some competition within teams.

Customizability

The expansion adds the ability to create female soldiers, and with it adds a new character slot so that you can create and save a second character without having to purchase the atrocious extra character slot add-on for $7.99USD (includes 3 character slots.) You only really need one character I suppose, but still…

The total number of characters you can buy slots for now is apparently eight, if you want to waste money.

New items for your character will also be available in the Reward Shop for purchase with Reward Points.

Survival Mode and Reward Shop

I’m really curious about Survival Mode, but details are scarce. Presumably it revolves around staying alive and will probably be another fairly unique mode, very welcome in MGO. Reward Points can be earned in Survival that can be spent on items in the Reward Shop to further customize your characters. These items can be used in modes other than Survival as well.

Could Survival be a single player or perhaps cooperative experience as opposed to team vs. team? It’s an interesting possibility. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Release Date

You won’t have to wait long though as the Metal Gear Online GENE Expansion will be available for download on July 17, 2008. It will be available through the MGO shop, which probably elicits a groan throughout the world, as Konami has insisted on using their own proprietary online system for their games as opposed to the PlayStation Store.

Not easy to use through the PS3 itself, the MGO Shop is simply a barebones webpage. While only the overpriced character slot and codec pack add-on have been available up until now, the expansion should be its first real test. If possible, try accessing the store via PC and making your purchase that way. I admit though that I do not even know exactly how that works and you may still be required to access the shop to at least start the download on your PS3.

Price

Priced at 9.99EUR for Europe, there has been no revelation yet for North Americans even days ahead of release. That figure is likely to translate directly to $9.99USD, or so I’d hope. If that will be the price, then all I can think is that it could be worse. With three extra character slot running $7.99USD on the MGO Shop, I worried how much an expansion might run if it included stuff that was actually worth getting.

$10 is certainly more reasonable than $15 or $20, but it’s probably the highest price I would consider acceptable. Given the price I paid for MGS4 already and the reliance on Konami’s servers to enjoy MGO, it still gives me pause for thought. Map packs tend to run around $5. There’s more here and it’s interesting content, but Survival mode is still a mystery and with more expansions on the way, the cost of the “full” experience could get pricey.

While I’m not privy to all the intricacies of the industry’s business model, look at what Criterion is doing with Burnout Paradise. There’s a precedent for this stuff to be free, and MGS4 is a full retail game. Clearly a huge amount of work went into it, but are they nickel and diming us with the online portion?

It’s impossible to say, since we don’t know what else the future will bring. I don’t know how many hosts out there will be using the expansion, but Konami is raising the danger that the already niche MGO userbase will be splintered. Of course prices could come down or expansions could be bundled, but the price already seems to be adding up.

Maybe it’s not fair to expect this kind of stuff for free, but as a big Metal Gear Online fan this is giving me pause for thought. And that’s something Konami should be concerned about.

Other companies are releasing impressive add-on content for free, so take notice Konami. It’s in your interest to keep the community strong.

Sources: Konami, Strategy Informer

A new Metal Gear Online mode has made its way onto the game’s servers. Taking inspiration from the existing “Sneaking Mode”, which sees Snake use Octocamo to collect Dog-Tags from warring teams, this mode is a battle of two teams with different gear.

The mode consists of a Sneaking Team and a “Normal” Team going head to head. Like Snake, the Sneaking Team is stealth-equipped (thus virtually invisible) and to win must either eliminate all enemies or return KEROTAN or GA-KO to their goal. The defending team must defeat the sneaking team or keep KEROTAN or GA-KO safe to win.

The defenders needn’t be overwhelmed, since if they spot one of the sneakers the whole sneaking team will be visible for 5 seconds. Moreover, the sneakers will only be able to equip non-lethal weapons, as opposed to the defenders who can use all weapons.

Sneaking Mode was really the only MGO mode to set the game apart from other online games and shout “original”, so we hope this new Team Sneaking mode will be as fruitful.

You can now also select “Headshots Only” for every game mode except Team Sneaking. However, take note, you’ll die if you kill somebody by any other method.

The long awaited beta for Metal Gear Online is finally upon us, but for some unfortunate people the codes supplied to access the beta are invalid.

Some people in America who pre-ordered MGS4 to get in the MGO beta have found the expected 12 digit download code to have the last few digits missing, presumed hiding under a cardboard box.

Upon entering the shorter code, the helpless player is treated to an error message and not much help. A quick scout around the forums and blogs swarming with angry Metal Gear fans found one possible solution, sending an email to Konami support.

The response PS3Blog.net got gave a few more instructions:

Dear Sir or Madam,

Thank you for contacting Konami Support. If your code is appearing with only 9 or 11 digits, then this is incorrect.

Please copy your code exactly as it appears on your voucher in your reply to this email. We’re very sorry for this inconvenience and we will do our best to rectify the situation in time for the Beta start.

Regards,

Konami Customer Support

So, to get a working code, send an email to kdeussupport@konami.com giving the 9 digit number.

No solid figures on the quantity of incorrect codes have emerged yet, but from the frequency of complaints showing up around the net, it looks to be a rather substantial number.

When you do actually get your code and can download the Beta, you might be unable to download a patch for the game, nor will you be able to set up your Konami ID/Game ID since their servers are being battered.  Hopefully Konami will get this all sorted in time for April 21st when the Beta begins.

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

Well here’s some great news for the often forgotten Europeans.  Although North American’s must pre-order Metal Gear Solid 4 to access the Metal Gear Online Beta, Europeans will be able to download the Beta for free, and with no need for a code. Follow the jump for more information.

In reporting new information on the Playstation Store relaunch and its included content, there was a nugget of information that would be easily overlooked if it wasn’t spelled out.  Sony Europe confirmed that the Metal Gear Online Beta would be available on April 17th, but we presumed this would only be for thos who pre-ordered. 

We then realised that, as of yet, there were no reports of Beta Codes in Europe. Konami thus made things all the clearer today, saying that the “Metal Gear Online Premiere Beta will be available as a free download on the Playstation Store from April 17th until May 6th.”  The Beta itself will begin on April 21st (plenty of time to get hold of this presumably very popular download) and end on May 6th.

The beta phase features two maps, four gameplay modes, the SOP System that encourages up to 16 players to team up and share information, and deep skill-customization. Also equipped with auto-matching and training modes, the game offers players a sneak peak of this totally new approach to console-based competitive gaming.

Bring on the Metal Gear Online Beta for all Europeans (and hopefully others in the Pal region, including Australia) and those North Americans who were clever enough to pre-order.  Take that Chad!