Metal Gear Solid 4 Thrown In FOR FREE!!

Previously, we brought word that Metal Gear Solid 4 appeared to be hitting the bargain bin — a mere month and a half after the game was released. (A shame, because it is a great game, even if it hasn't sold close to million copies in Japan!) Now it seems the Metal Gear Solid 4 40GB PS3 bundle's price is getting slashed at Akihabara retailer Gamers. (No clue about the gajillion other shops in Japan!) The price has been lowered from ¥49,800 (US$454) to ¥39,800 ($363) for a store sale — meaning that it's going for about what regular 40GB PS3s fetch without the game. That's right, Metal Gear Solid 4 for free. No need to be sad! That's what us shopper people can a good deal.

Hit the jump for the price comparison.

Konami Pulls In $655 Million In Q1 With A Little Help From Snake

Publisher and developer Konami announced today that it raked in about 70.8 billion yen for the quarter ending in June, which translates to some $655 million in U.S. dollars. That was up from the same quarter last year by about 17%, no doubt in part to the return of Solid Snake in Metal Gear Solid 4.

As we reported earlier, Konami revealed it had shipped out close to 4 million copies of the game, accounting for a massive chunk of its game revenue. Konami's total "digital entertainment" business did a cool 44.9 billion yen alone, with its "health and fitness" business ventures doing about 22 billion yen.

Konami is expecting to pull in an estimated $3.1 billion for the year.

Consolidated Results for the First Quarter ended June 30, 2008 [Konami]

Lolita Metal Gear Solid 4 Figurines

Metal Gear Solid 4 may been released earlier this summer, but that doesn't mean the merchandizing is gonna stop! This December, Konami is releasing a set of 7cm "Fugimate" MGS4 figurines. Priced at ¥2,940 (US$27), the set includes Snake, Raiden, Ocelot and Otacon — all as shoeless little girls with giant heads.

MGS4 Figures [Konami Style Thanks, Randy!]

Metal Gear Solid 4's Very Limited Duck Clock

For the Metal Gear Solid fan who wants to wake up in style, Konami has created the "GA-KO Alarm Clock", a full-service recreation of the egg timer made famous in Metal Gear Solid 4. We suppose it could still be used to time your egg frying, but it looks like it feels more appropriate on a nightstand, with its adorable little face and sassy pose.

It's limited to 2000 pieces — and importer NCSX says the GA-KO is currently sold out — but after peeping the extensive gallery at the retailer, which shows off the Metal Gear-esque packaging, you might want to check back. They say they're getting more stock next week. Definitely do want.

GA-KO Alarm Clock [NCSX]

The Power Of Video Game Suggestion - Mmmm, Eggs

Since playing through Metal Gear Solid IV, I've gone through a dozen eggs a week. I never used to eat this many eggs, but there I am, nearly every morning, cracking open fresh ones into a hot frying pan, pausing to watch the egg white turn from translucent to opaque, humming a little song to myself. Hell, I never really ate eggs sunny side up before the damn game came out. I was a scramblin' man. Quick, easy, no fuss. What has this stupid game done to me?

Is this an isolated case, or have you folks ever found yourself eating, drinking, or doing things a certain way after seeing it in a game? I'm not talking purchasing large baskets of Axe deodorant due to an in-game ad here - we've all done that. I'm talking more subtle things here. Going on a fresh fruit kick after a Pac-Man marathon, or getting really into curry after watching the marathon curry cutscene in Xenosaga II? How much power do video games have over our daily habits? If only we had a comments section in which to discuss such things.

Kotaku Readers Like Women With Fake Staches

You picked 'em, here they are, the Stache Contest winners. Apparently readers like pictures of women with phony mustaches or pictures of me tapped on some dude's face. Go figure. The Flower Mustache came in first, Sorshha second and Bashstache third. Remember, we're giving away a Metal Gear Solid 2 Raiden figure, The Metal Gear Solid Collection (given to us by Kojima Productions' producer Ryan Payton) and something from my local convenience store. Hit the jump for the other two.

With character creation tools in our current-gen games comes some serious character creation; most of it character re-creation. To wit, Kotaku reader CB has gone ahead and created both Raiden and Solid Snake, Metal Gear Solid 2 style, to tell a tale of souls and swords eternally retold. Or something. Read this post with Soulcalibur announcer guy voice and it might make more sense.

More pics of the sneaking souls in our gallery below. We await the flood of user creations when the game officially streets in North America this week.

Less Than A Month And a Half, MGS4 In Bargain Bins?

Metal Gear Solid 4 hasn't even been out a month and a half, but according to Japanese sites, it's hitting the Sofmap "wagon sale" bargain bins where it joins the likes of Virtua Fighter 5 and SEGA's PSP brain trainer. The Konami stealth game was originally released for ¥8,800 (US$82), making it one of the pricier PS3 titles. (Expensive third party PS3 titles tend to book for around ¥7,800 or $72.) Here, what seem to be new copies of MGS4 are going for ¥3,980 ($37). We're not sure if this is an isolated Sofmap store or if other shops in the Sofmap chain are picking up on this price slashing or if this is just a Sofmap summer sale thingy. Amazon Japan has new copies going for slightly above ¥7,000, while the Special Edition is going for ¥5,980. Who knows.

What we do know is that the game sold a ton when released, already placing it in the top sellers of 2008. And it got great reviews in Japan. And it is a great game. So don't think of this as a bad thing! Even if Konami is losing money on these remaining copies, Japanese gamers have less of an excuse to pick up the title. Could help the game sell a million copies eventually. So this is all good, really.

Hit the jump for a wider pic.

We Need Your Metal Gear Solid Contest Help! (Again)

Oh man, oh man, this is just horrible. Remember our Metal Gear Solid 'stache contest? Well, it seems that all the votes were eaten by the hamster that powers Kotaku — a first. We weren't able to pull them out, and because of that have no clue whatsoever who won. So! What I'd like to ask (beg?) Kotakuland is for another round of voting. But this time, we'll be giving away three prizes: The Metal Gear Solid 2 figurine, Metal Gear Solid: The Essential Collection and something else. No idea what that third present is, but I have an idea it will be me going to my local convienence store and buying crap for that winner. The Metal Gear Solid: The Essential Collection was personally given to me by Kojima Productions' producer Ryan Payton. So it might still have his fingerprints on it! To vote click here. Please write "I vote for this" under the picture in the gallery you like best. Vote once or else. We cut off the contest tonight at midnight. Once again, apologies to all who entered and voted!

Uniqlo's Metal Gear Solid 4 t-shirts were nice. You never stood a chance of getting one, but hey, they were nice. These new shirts, being sold directly through Konami's store, are still Japanese, but are neither by Uniqlo nor as nice. But for the fashion-conscious MGS4 fan, hey, they'll do. They go on sale August 4, and if you get in quick enough, will cost you around $40. Western men of a more...robust nature should be aware, though, that they're only coming in M & L.

[via Game|Life]

Alistair's Australian. Alistair's also a total Metal Gear fanboy. Alistair was at a wedding the other day, and while there, spotted an uncle he hadn't seen in years. An uncle he thinks looks just like Old Snake. And while we'd normally just smile, nod and remind Alistair that he's just got Metal Gear on the brain right now, we must admit: that's a spot-on likeness.

Real-life Solid Snake discovered [Gameplayer, via Kotaku AU]

Konami has dropped details on the first Metal Gear Online expansion, known as the "Gene Expansion," on its official web site. The expansion adds some of what you'd expect — three new maps, two new playable characters in Meryl Silverburgh and incompetent incontinent Johnny "Akiba" — and a few things you might not. Included in the expansion, which we don't yet see a price for, is the ability to play as customizable female characters, a "Survival" mode and a Reward Shop for spending your in-game points on new gear. Neat!

METAL GEAR ONLINE GENE EXPANSION [Konami - thanks, Tw3nty0ne!]

David Hayter Has "Massive Respect" For Hideo Kojima

David Hayter does not have problems with the Metal Gear Solid franchise or Hideo Kojima. Sure, he might've disagreed with the some choices, but hey, that's natural. Hayter's a creative guy, not some mindless drone, and there are bound to be times when people don't see eye-to-eye. Setting the record straight, Hayter writes over at the IMDB boards:

This is patently ridiculous. I love those games immensely and have nothing but massive respect for Mr. Kojima. I did mention one disagreement I had regarding the climax of the game, a question of character, but this is just par for the course when many people work on the same piece.

From the videos we posted, it certainly seemed like Hayter was joking. And besides, what's wrong about disagreeing? A man's entitled to his opinion, and Kojima is free to make the game however he sees fit. That doesn't mean there's any ill feelings! Hit the jump for the full message:

Comic Explains Why Solid Snake Never Gets Any Fox Tail

You'd think with the raw sexuality that Solid Snake oozes in every episode of Metal Gear that he'd be swatting away the ladies with baseball bat or, at the very least, tranquilizing them and moving their unconscious bodies to less conspicuous locations. It's not like he hasn't come across his share of foxes who could use some post-traumatic stress relief. Sure, there may not be a lot of time for love on the battlefield, but according to the philosopher Pat Benatar, love is a battlefield. Given that, we'd think Snake's romantic adventures would be a natural spin off for the series.

Kotaku reader Michal's comic, however, might help explain why Snake strikes out with the women of Metal Gear Solid in a spin on this theory about Old Snake's shortcomings. I guess, technically, it's NSFW, so proceed with caution.

Does Metal Gear Solid Need A Movie?

They're making a Metal Gear Solid movie. And since David Hayter knows both Hollywood as a big time script writer and Metal Gear Solid as the English language voice of Solid Snake, he's probably a good guy to ask about the movie version — even if he's apparently not writing the movie. And what does David Hayter think?

Does it need a movie? No. Do people want to collect the money that would be made from a movie? Sure. [laughs] I think that any time that a property is as valuable as this one, they're going to do it. It's not a question of if there is a need for a movie, it's a question of how do they insure that the movie is good, and worth watching.

And how would Hayter make Metal Gear Solid a movie worth watching?