Metal Gear Solid 3 Ships
Voodoo Extreme has the word that Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater has launched today. From the article: "Players will assume the role of Snake, a US-sent agent, embarking on a dangerous solo mission to uncover and destroy a newly created weapon of mass destruction." Relatedly, GameDaily states that Metal Gear Solid 4 is a go. From the article: "During a financial report Motoyuki Yoshioka, head of Konami JPN, confirmed that there will be a Metal Gear Solid 4. Rumored since last week, this news casts the 'Final Episode of the Metal Gear Solid Trilogy', Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, in a new light."
console market > pc gaming market
ps2 market > xbox market
therefore:
mgs3 market > halo 2 market > half life 2 market
keep in mind that the shashdot crowd might be a little (obviously) biased in this respect.
your average joe gamer with a ps2 in his living room and no computer (or maybe a basic desktop pc without a graphics card to brag about) couldn't care less about half-life 2. the only blockbuster game that really stands a chance of overshadowing mgs3's release is gta:sa.
Konami is banking too much on Metal Gear sequels. They need to cut the sequel numbers street fighter style, and start calling the game Turbo, Alpha, EX.
Anyways, Halo 2 is just another UT2004. It's way over rated.
I was reading an article the 16'th about MGS4 and it mentioned this was coming out today. I was all Huh? This is probably the worst release in any franchises history.
Next to no advertisements about it, coming out a week after Halo2 and the DAY of Half Life 2; a game which while not in the same genre pretty much counter balances MGS to a T*. Someone droped the ball here.
* Think: Story make sense = GOOD.
X
Let us not forget the unmittigated disater that was the MGS2 story line. While the gameplay was good the plot was written by 666 old godzilla, soap opera and tales fron the crypt writers, stoned out on glue, buzzed up on caffine and living in a small mental asylum, with 333 monkey secretaries working on rusty typewriters.
Hopefully the same mistake has not been made during the production of MGS3.
May the Maths Be with you!