14 DAY TRIAL // Hideo Kojima, the legendary creator of the Metal Gear Solid franchise, says that he is more interested in the social features and horizontal expansion introduced by the PlayStation 4 than in its increased computing power.
The developer tells IGN that “up to this point it’s always been very much of a vertical evolution – of course, you expect things like visual fidelity, audio, frame rate. New features such as 3D capability, etc, etc. These things are a given. They come with the new hardware.”
He adds, “what I’m really more interested in is other ways of expanding into the next generation – a more horizontal expansion, where you’re going to be doing things online, more of a social aspect.”
During the New York reveal event for the PlayStation 4, Sony talked a lot about the new social capabilities of the console, which will allow gamers to easily connect to their friends and then enjoy content with them.
The new controller even includes a special Share button designed to allow gamers to instantly show their favorite content to their circle of PlayStation friends.
Kojima Productions has just ended its work on Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, which was created by Platinum Games and focuses on the character of Raiden and on action-driven gameplay.
The core team, led by Hideo Kojima himself, is working on a title called Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes, which will be stealth-focused and part of the main continuity of the game universe.
Ground Zeroes will be an open world experience and Kojima has suggested that at least one major mechanic would be added to the franchise.
His interest in social elements might mean that Metal Gear fans will get a title that allows them to group with others and communicate while planning and executing missions.
Ground Zeroes currently has no official launch date and it’s not clear whether the game will arrive on the PS4.