[Vic Viper]

Question: You mentioned that the game will feature downloadable camouflage outfits. Are there any further thoughts on any additional online features for the game?

Hideo Kojima: As for this game, the downloadable outfits are pretty much all that will be geared towards online capability.

Question: It looked like the camouflage index has replaced the radar, is this is case?

HK: There are several types of radars in the game. When you start off the game you will have a radar, but throughout the course of playing you’ll basically switch between the radar and the stealth index. It’s your choice to use either one.

Question: You mentioned that Snake loses stamina while he’s in stalking mode. Could you talk more about the stamina system and how it works?

HK: That will be something that we reveal at E3. Basically when you walk around the mountains and need to climb, you’ll lose stamina which you’ll need to recover by feeding yourself. One thing that you can do is take off your shirt and wear no outfit, but you’re more likely to lose stamina doing that.

Question: AT E3 you said that Snake parachutes into the jungle environment and loses all his items, and it appears that you seem to start off the game with very little. When Snake goes about playing the game, where does he get these outfits and does he change them in real time?

HK: I don’t know if I should be talking about this, my guys back home will probably kill me. But, you lose your backpack in the beginning and try to find it first and that’s how it begins. And initially, you don’t have many camo patterns to use, so throughout the course of the game you’ll be acquiring them. And, you can switch through them at any time.


Question: At TGS you weren’t ready to address how Snake could be in the 1960’s. Could we get anymore information on that?

HK: I’m sure your imagination is correct, but I’m sure we’ll be able to talk about it more at E3. One thing I can say for sure is that he hasn’t hopped onto a time machine and traveled back in time.


Question: Will the downloadable camo outfits submitted by fans be judged on their overall effectiveness in the game? Or will that not matter?

HK: I think we’ll be accepting three kinds of outfits. One of them is effectiveness in the game, the second will be the funny ones. Third will be the “cool” looking ones, regardless of whether or not they’re effective. What we want is very interesting ideas. One idea we had that we dropped from the game was the “bloody” camo, which was an outfit with fake blood and sword wounds. When you wore it made you look like a corpse and would fool enemies into leaving you alone.

Question: In the first two games, if you were spotted you could always run away and hide. But here, the environments seem so big. If you’re spotted, what can you do?

HK: It really depends on where you are, that’s all I can say now.

Question: What were some of the key design challenges you faced when implementing the camouflage feature?

HK: It’s not a technical challenge. The thing was when you try to be true to the whole mechanism of camouflage, you end up not being able to see the enemy at all or able to see yourself on the screen. It’s very hard to play when you can’t see yourself, but we don’t want to place a little cursor over your head. So, we’re still trying to tweak the whole system so that you can see yourself but the camo also still works.

Question: Are there elements in the environment where you have to worry about the signs of your passage, such as footprints or the shrubbery showing that you’ve been there?

HK: If you’re walking on solid spots, there will be no footprints. But if you’re walking in damp areas like mud, there will be footprints so you’ll need to be careful. As for the grass, it does split when you walk through it but it will go back. What you need to be careful about is the sound of walking through it. And grass spots are the easiest spots to hide yourself, but you can find snakes in there so you’ll need to be careful.

Question: Can you talk about any plans for a pre-release playable demo for the game, or if there are plans for that?

HK: I really don’t know, but there probably will be a time for us to do that.

Question: Intro’s are getting more and more sophisticated. Kyle Cooper did the intro in MGS. Can you tell us anything about the game’s introductory sequences?

HK: First of all yes, we’re working with Mr. Cooper again. Again, if I start talking about this my guys will kill me again. But I’ll mention it anyways. When I worked with him last time, the original plan was for him to come up with something that was not non-interactive, something where you could actually move and place things while you were watching the intro. That’s something that we are working on for this one. If you choose not to push any buttons and do anything the introduction will be a piece of art. But if you do want to play around with it, you can use the PS2 controller and press buttons to actually change stuff on the screen during the introduction.

Question: How much of a random element is there to the camo index? Say you’re in a situation at 55 percent is it possible that one time an enemy will pass by and see you, while another time they may just pass you by?

HK: That number is just where you are, what you’re wearing, and what posture you in. I guess then that it’s not a random thing. But if an enemy is close by he’ll see you. Let’s say my camo index is 55 percent. A guy right here (points to an attendee) is one enemy and the camera back in the back of the room is another enemy. I’ll probably see Snake when I’m the close enemy, but not as the far away one. But, if my index is at 100 percent, both enemies will not see him.

Question: Could you explain the fire patterns for outfits?

HK: There will be scenes in the game where there will be fire in the background or where you can actually light and start your own fires. So, if you wear the fire outfit, you can blend into the fire background. And, there will be a snow pattern for snowy areas in the game. Basically, camouflage is the key part of the stealth gameplay, but it’s also a fashion thing, too. If you want to be a macho guy and not wear anything, you can do that and play the game your way.

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