Konami admits that the long-term direction of the Metal Gear series is still undecided after Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, and acknowledges that Metal Gear Solid 4 remains extremely difficult to re-release or remake due to its complex PS3 architecture.

Big Boss’s return in Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater has pushed the franchise back into the spotlight, but the road ahead is far less straightforward than many fans expected. Konami understands that this remake has reopened a door to both new and veteran players, yet the company also admits that defining a long-term strategy is a significant challenge. Some titles will not receive remakes for a long time, simply because the work required would be immense.

Players have been dreaming about new Metal Gear Solid remakes for years, and Konami is fully aware that several installments would require far more than updated graphics. In an interview with Japanese outlet Real Sound, series producer Noriaki Okamura stated that the company is still debating what the next project should be. A few months ago, Konami even sent out a survey asking fans which Metal Gear entry they most wanted to see remade.

According to Okamura, although Metal Gear Solid Delta allowed the franchise to reach a new audience, nothing is finalized regarding future projects. The producer says the team is open to both additional remakes and entirely new productions. He emphasized that they do not intend to apply the “Delta” formula to every game, because each installment has its own story, visual approach, and gameplay identity, all of which require tailored design decisions.

“Right now, we’re still discussing what the next step should be. Metal Gear has given us the chance to reach new players, and I would like to keep that momentum going. That said, the actual content of our next project is undecided. It could be another remake, or something completely new. We don’t want to apply the same methodology we used for MGS Delta to every game. We want to determine what approach fits each title best.” – Okamura explained, via VGC.

The producer also described the difficulties Konami faced while reviving the series. “Many original staff members had already left, and the team had been restructured, so we had to hire new developers before we could even begin creating Metal Gear Solid Delta. As a team, we believe we managed to preserve the appeal of the previous titles while achieving a level of quality that today’s players can enjoy.”

What About Metal Gear Solid 4?

Okamura was directly asked about the future of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, and acknowledged that the PlayStation 3’s notoriously complex hardware makes the game extremely difficult to re-release or port, even for potential inclusion in the upcoming Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 2. “The hardware of that era required very unusual programming techniques to extract the best possible 3D performance, and as a result, the MGS4 codebase is quite unconventional.” – he said.

Okamura concluded with a clear statement: “Bringing it out today seems like it would be a real challenge.” Despite these challenges, it is hard to imagine that Metal Gear Solid 4 would be left out of the Master Collection Vol. 2, whose contents have already leaked and are still in development. Konami appears determined to avoid the mistakes of the first collection and deliver significantly higher quality.

While Konami continues to debate the next steps, one thing is obvious: Metal Gear is alive again. To create new games, remakes, and ports, the team had to restructure and bring in new developers. Okamura has expressed interest in a Metal Gear Solid 1 remake as well, acknowledging that many elements would need modern redesigns to meet today’s gameplay standards. Konami realizes that many younger players have never experienced Metal Gear, and is committed to reintroducing the franchise to a new generation.

Source: 3djuegos