[Uchiha Sasuke]

IGN: The Xbox version will come out in November. Will the PlayStation 2 and the PC versions come out this year, or next year? When will they come out?

Kojima: The dates for the PS2 and PC versions have not been announced. So it could be this year or next year, we don't know. Sorry.

IGN: How do you like working on Xbox hardware?

Kojima: We developed Sons of Liberty for the PlayStation 2. So to fit that hardware, and converting it to another system, for the Xbox, it's very difficult. And so when you test the game and use the Xbox controller, it's very huge...It's enormous compared to the PlayStation 2 controller.

IGN: So what does Mr. Kojima think of the Xbox controller?

Kojima: It's really big, but I guess it's really a matter of what you're used to...

IGN: I see. Are there any interesting differences working on the two systems? For instance, are there any strengths working on the Xbox version, versus working on the PlayStation 2 version?

Kojima: If we created a game from scratch for the Xbox, then it would be very easy. But we created Sons of Liberty in a weird way. It works great on the PlayStation 2. But trying to make it look identical on the Xbox is quite difficult.

When we did Sons of Liberty on PlayStation 2, we created a great picture, and then we added a bunch of filters of rain or mist or you know, whatever, to create the air, like for instance, on the tanker. We created a lot of noise onto something that was very beautiful. Doing that on the Xbox doesn't really work that well.

IGN: OK, but the other part of my question was, does Mr. Kojima see some really great possibilities for making future games on the Xbox? I realize that this is a rather difficult transition to make going from the PS2 to the Xbox, but I'm interested in whether Mr. Kojima sees any fantastic possibilities making great games on the Xbox?

Kojima: Ahhh, the Xbox, the graphics are probably a little better, but the systems are pretty much the same, the Xbox and the PS2. They're not that different. If I spent a lot of time creating a game specific for the Xbox, I could come up with something great. But I feel that they are basically the same, you know, memory wise, etc.

IGN: Are there plans or are there any details that Mr. Kojima would like to reveal about future Metal Gear games?

Kojima: In the future you will probably see orthodox games like Metal Gear 3, 4, 5. They will be coming. But as for a non-orthodox Metal Gear game, we are doing research for a Metal Gear Online. It's not in production. We're just doing research. So, hopefully, if we can do it, we'd like to do it.

We don't know how it's going to come out, but there are three directions that Metal Gear could take. You've got the Sons of Liberty style game, where it's story based. You have got the VR Missions, that are non-story based. Like mission-clearing levels, things like that, and then you've got an online Metal Gear game. These are the three directions we can pursue with Metal Gear Solid.

IGN: So, I just have one last question. How many playable characters are there in the game?

Kojima: Maybe seven, in the sense that you have the Tanker chapter of Snake, the Tuxedo Snake, you've got him dressed in his gear from Metal Gear Solid 1; then you've got Raiden. You've got Raiden dressed as a ninja, and Raiden dressed in all sorts of variations.

IGN: OK, so there are playable characters each with different outfits. So, are there any more?

Kojima: Ahhh... (Smiles) that's a secret.

IGN: Thank you very much for your time.