ALERT! “Metal Gear Mondays” Begin NOW on the PlayStation.Blog with Metal Gear Online Beta Details!

Welcome to the kick-off of “Metal Gear Mondays” on PlayStation.Blog! Here we’ll be bringing weekly articles about Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots and Metal Gear Online packed with news and content including surprise announcements, guest authors, and much more!

This week we’ll go into a lot of detail on Metal Gear Online and the upcoming MGO Beta. You must attain a free pre-order bonus gift “Metal Gear Saga Vol. 2” DVD with MGO Beta Unique Product Voucher Code (UPVC) insert to participate in the MGO Beta as explained in our post last week.

If you have attained a MGO Beta UPVC, then Thursday, April 17th, this week, the download of the MGO Beta client will be available to you through the PlayStation Store on your PS3 (but please bear in mind, gameplay does not start until April 21st , and then will run until May 5th) – again, please do not try to redeem your UPVC before April 17th, you will just get an error message. You need to carefully follow the instructions provided on the MGO Beta UPVC insert in order to get at the download of the MGO Beta client through the PlayStation Store on your PS3. It is also important to note that your UPVC for the MGO Beta is good for only one PS3/PSN/PlayStation Store account, so you should absolutely NOT share your UPVC with anyone (unless you plan to forfeit your MGO Beta to whoever you give the UPVC to). There will not be any additional issue/reissue, replacement, etc of these codes – so again, we stress, please DO NOT share your UPVC for the MGO Beta with anyone!

Once you’ve got the MGO Beta client downloaded and installed, it’s time to load it up. Upon launching and going past the main menu, you’ll see that you need to sign up for a Konami ID. What is a Konami ID you ask? It is Konami’s service that has actually been around for a while in Japan, which basically allows for a unified account and access across various Konami products and services. Konami ID will be used for the first time in MGO for the US, and using the Konami ID allows for some of the really unique features we plan to offer the community with MGO. Once you hit the Konami ID sign up menu option, you should notice something subtle, but really cool: MGO launches the PS3 web browser from in-game and takes you to the Konami ID registration page. You can also simply visit http://id.konami.net from your favorite Web browser right now and sign up as well, to get a head start!

After the simple registration process, you will attain your Konami ID as well as GAME ID for MGO (the GAME ID is your MGO specific ID, basically). From there, it’s on to character creation …

Similar to some popular MMOGs, MGO features a deep character creation component. Each user of the Beta will get one “character slot” to create a character with. This includes a wide variety of personalization options, as well as customizable and upgradeable skills. Players can select up to 4 skills to specialize in, to match their play style and increase their effectiveness. Close Quarter Combat (CQC), knife fighting, quickness, alertness, heavy weaponry mastery, demolition, and sniper mastery are just some of the skills you can specialize in.

Once you have set up your character, it’s on to the action. Use the lobbies to find the match you’re looking for, from what is available in the Beta. Not all content and features are going to be available in the Beta.

Here are the some of the basics of MGO:

• Metal Gear Online (MGO), the multiplayer experience that combines the rich Metal Gear Solid universe with online combat, is available exclusively on the PLAYSTATION 3 system!
• MGO carries over the backdrop and control system of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (MGS4) to original online maps and game modes, with future downloadable content (planned to be released after the launch of MGS4) adding additional maps, characters, and other features.
• Among the new components this time around are battles featuring up to 16 players, and the Sons of the Patriots (SOP) system, allowing for enhanced squad communication. Close cooperation is essential to survival on the battlefield!

A little more information on the new SOP System and the MGO theme:

A few years after the events of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, the MGS4 story begins. In this short period of time, the world has changed drastically. PMCs [Private Military Companies] have taken the place of state armies as the world’s primary war engines – PMCs are private companies that specialize in warfare. The Big Shell Incident of MGS2 has prompted the U.S. Government to require all PMC soldiers be injected with nanomachines. These nanomachines regulate data, performance, and even emotions. Every soldier and weapon is controlled, regulated, and kept in check. This system, known as Sons of the Patriots (SOP), even makes it physically impossible for soldiers to turn their guns on their clients. In essence, it places the battlefield under corporate management. As a result, the fires of war continue to spread, and the PMCs inexorably increase their power and influence in world affairs.

The SOP System allows you to visually share information among your squad by linking your internal nanomachines. Information like your teammates’ positions, status, and even who they’re engaging with will all be provided to you in real-time. It also works through walls, letting you identify individuals by their digital silhouette. Gain the upper hand by scanning your enemy team’s link and share their information with your comrades. In MGO, intercommunication and adaptive teamwork decide the outcome!

With this in mind, it’s on to the action! The MGO Beta will contain …

Two maps:

Blood Bath

A kill house consisting of both surface and underground areas.

Groznyj Grad

The now abandoned weapons factory that housed the Shagohod in Metal Gear Solid 3. Contains open areas offering unobstructed views as well as indoor and rooftop locations.

Rules (aka gameplay modes)

Death Match
Kill or be killed in this race to get the most kills!

Team Death Match
Death Match takes a strategic turn, as you enlist your team to get the most kills!

Base Mission
Various points around the map will need to be secured to achieve victory!

Capture Mission
Capture the opponents “flag” and return it to your base for points!

Items

Standard issue, with character:

• CBOX
• BINO
• S.PLUG.S

In the map:

• ENVG
• DRUM

Weapons

Primary, main weapons at base:

• vz83
• P90( +Suppressor)
• MP5, AK (+Grenade Launcher)
• M4 (Suppressor, Scope, Datsight, Grenade Launcher, Grip)
• M17 (Datsight, Scope, Grip)
• SVD
• MOSIN
• M14EBR
• DSR1
• M870
• SHIELD
• RPG
• SOP DESTAB

Secondary (Sub Weapon):

• GSR
• Mk.2 PISTOL
• OPERATOR (Suppressor)
• G18C
• D.E.

Support (Others):

• GRENADE
• WP GRENADE
• STUN GRENADE
• CHAFF GRENADE
• SMOKE GRENADE
• ENEMY LOCATOR
• CLAYMORE
• SLEEP CLAYMORE
• C4
• MAGAZINE

And, very importantly, CATAPULT!!!

This image should explain it all, but you basically launch your character across the maps. I can’t tell you the sheer joy this brings to both the launched and those watching, you simply have to experience it for yourselves. Suffice to say, it allows for some very unusual strategies! Take a close look at the contextual action button at the bottom of the screen, w00t!

This info is subject to change, as things may be added or removed from the MGO Beta. There will also be some content surprises as the MGO Beta progresses, so please keep an eye out here on the PS Blog and at Konami.com, and keep playing!

We end this week’s edition of Metal Gear Mondays with another surprise: we are going to giveaway MGO Beta UPVC’s RIGHT NOW at this link!

Simply fill out the registration fields, submit, meet the qualifications for entry, and you may receive a UPVC and download instructions for the MGO Beta (subject to Konami’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, of course, see the promotion page at the link for details)! We are releasing MGO Beta UPVC batches in EXTREMELY limited quantities, so don’t wait, hurry and register now!

That’s right, even if you miss out on the free pre-order bonus gift “Metal Gear Saga Vol. 2” DVD with MGO Beta UPVC, this is your chance to get in the MGO Beta RIGHT HERE! Hit the link for all the information!

If you’re not one of the lucky few who qualify right now, don’t despair! By registering you may still get in the MGO Beta, and we’ll also be posting more opportunities to enter at Konami.com all week (don’t worry, if you’ve already entered, you can enter again when the opportunity arises)! There will also be a lot of promotions going on with some other of your favorite gaming sites, so stay tuned to http://www.konami.com and PlayStation.blog!!!

Also, please don’t forget to check out the latest KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS REPORT from Ryan Payton at Kojima Productions in Japan!

We hope you enjoyed this edition of Metal Gear Mondays on the blog! We’ll be watching the comments, so please let us know your thoughts, and specifically what you’d like to hear (we’ll do our best to address your burning questions, but please bear in mind, we’re really busy working on MGS4 among a lot of other great Konami games, so please understand we will not be able to get to everyone’s questions)! See you next week!