14 DAY TRIAL // The official Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence website greets fans with a rather melancholic message that lets them know of the end of Metal Gear Solid Online. Konami is pulling the plug on April 3, the last day when fans can enjoy a good online challenge being April 2. Konami's exact words are:
"The last day of online service for Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence in North America will be April 2nd. Konami sincerely thanks all of the Subsistence online community for their dedication to the game and support of the Metal Gear Solid series. The Metal Gear online tradition of stealth, action and team play continues on the PSP system with Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops with all-new characters, levels and modes of play - don't miss this incredible evolution of Metal Gear Online."
Subsistence was released in Japan on December 22, 2005 and later in North America on March 14, 2006, in Europe on October 6, 2006 and in Australia on October 13, 2006. Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence continues the Metal Gear Solid series tradition of follow-up enhanced, international version releases. While previous releases, such as Metal Gear Solid: Integral and Metal Gear Solid 2: Substance included skill challenge missions and/or side story missions, Subsistence lacks the extra single-player missions and includes two older Metal Gear games, a brand-new competitive online mode, and a significantly-changed camera in the main portion of the game.
Sad stuff, but it shouldn't be too surprising as this happens quite often especially with sports games that play online. Heck, they sometimes get the middle finger shown after just one year. But remember, "the saga continues" on the PSP, through Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops.