The power supply could almost be sold separately.

The power supply unit is one of the parts packed in PS3 that cost high and Kutaragi jokes that it can be sold separately with a price tag  

GM: Will the gameplay look as good as the trailer? It's real-time, right?
 
Hideo Kojima: Yes, it is real-time, made with nearly final PS3 tools. My staff put a lot of time into, but you still see a little glitching going on. Hopefully, we should be able to fix all of that. We're only now learning how to best use the PS3, so we should be able to greatly enhance the visuals of the final product.
 
 
EGM: Snake's not lookin' too good these days. Will his physical health deteriorate during the course of the game?
 
HK:Yes, Snake's health becomes a concern and, as he is injured on the battlefield, you'll see things like cuts and burns remaining on his skin. This game takes place in the heat of battle, so we want players to be constantly reminded of the danger of war.
 
That makes it seem like that stuff on his face at the end is a burn than skin disease as some have speculated.
 
 
EGM: The Gekkou seems weirdly animalistic, with their graceful leaps and oil arterial sprays. What's going on?
 
HK: Well, you might actually see those robots pissing in another scene. [Laughs] We've tried to place a meaning behind the Gekkou, much like we have with the Metal Gear. The head is for sensing, with a powerful eye and central A.I., but the legs are animalistic, muscular. So it actually reveals what we're thinking behind this--it's machine controlling flesh, and symbolically, machines controlling man.
 
 
EGM: We see innocent people being killed in this trailer...will that be an aspect of the final gameplay?
 
HK: Yes, although we haven't quite decided the extent to [which we] involve civilians in the fighting. Some of them might join the fight in order to protect their families! In the past Metal Gear games you were viewing the battlefield from a slight distance, but now you're in it.
 
 
EGM: Last year's slogan for MGS4 was "there's nowhere to hide," but now it seems Snake can blend in anywhere...
 
HK: Hmm, that's true...but it only works as long as you're not moving. In the past we had face paint and clothes changing, and we're going to leave that in the game as well. With that stuff, though, you have to change as the mission progresses, but it isn't seamless. With this Octo-Camo switched on, you're constantly shifting to whatever you're up against. But you have to be careful, because if you have it on when you go hide next to a toilet, you'll look like a toilet. It's really uncool. Originally, we also had it so Snake's face changed as well, but this look so totally uncool that we had to leave it out.
 
 
EGM: Will we be surprised by how other characters have changed?
 
HK: Yes, exactly. We're going to have a real all-star lineup of characters. I can't give you a full rundown yet, but there are characters from MGS1, MGS2, and MGS3 here. I really want to get all the characters that everyone loved and hated into MGS4.
 
 
EGM: MGS4 seems like a bleak game--is this a reflection of current events?
 
HK: Yes, it does relate to all the strife across the globe. It's all over the game. Even the music--it won't be traditional MGS music. That haunting vocal in the trailer is the game's main theme. We're changing the graphical style, too. We wanted to make it clearer, more distinct, with a greater division between light and dark.

One year after announcing MGS4 exclusively for the PS3, series creator Hideo Kojima arrived at E3 with a stunning 15-minute trailer (get it at www.metalgearsolid.com) showcasing several characters, deadly new enemies, and lush enviroments. What's most impressive, however, is how he does all that without revealing anything about how the game actually plays. Luckily, Mr. Kojima couldn't hide from our questions... - Shane Bettenhausen  
 
 
 
EGM: Will the gameplay look as good as the trailer? It's real-time, right?
 
Hideo Kojima: Yes, it is real-time, made with nearly final PS3 tools. My staff put a lot of time into, but you still see a little glitching going on. Hopefully, we should be able to fix all of that. We're only now learning how to best use the PS3, so we should be able to greatly enhance the visuals of the final product.
 
EGM: How is Sony's new motion-sensing controller affecting your plans?
 
HK:: Well, we only recently found out about the new controller, so we were taken by surprise, and are now brainstorming ideas about how to utilize this brilliant mechanism.
 
EGM: Snake's not lookin' too good these days. Will his physical health deteriorate during the course of the game?
 
HK:Yes, Snake's health becomes a concern and, as he is injured on the battlefield, you'll see things like cuts and burns remaining on his skin. This game takes place in the heat of battle, so we want players to be constantly reminded of the danger of war.  

EGM: Are the Gekkou robots that Snake fights actually miniature Metal Gears?
 
HK: Hm...the essence of a Metal Gear is different. The Gekkou may use some of the same technology you've seen in past Metal Gears, like bipedal legs and weaponry, however it isn't a weapon with the lethality of a Metal Gear. It's more of a jeep or a tank.  

EGM: The Gekkou seems weirdly animalistic, with their graceful leaps and oil arterial sprays. What's going on?
 
HK: Well, you might actually see those robots pissing in another scene. [Laughs] We've tried to place a meaning behind the Gekkou, much like we have with the Metal Gear. The head is for sensing, with a powerful eye and central A.I., but the legs are animalistic, muscular. So it actually reveals what we're thinking behind this--it's machine controlling flesh, and symbolically, machines controlling man.
 
EGM: Then we also have soldiers armed with nanomachines, like Snake.
 
HK: Yes, and that all returns to the business of war. And it is a business-based war, where one day A and B will be fighting each other, but then the next day, you'll have a new contract and you'll have to switch sides.  

EGM: We see innocent people being killed in this trailer...will that be an aspect of the final gameplay?
 
HK: Yes, although we haven't quite decided the extent to [which we] involve civilians in the fighting. Some of them might join the fight in order to protect their families! In the past Metal Gear games you were viewing the battlefield from a slight distance, but now you're in it.  

EGM: What's the story behind Snake's new Octo-Camouflage?
 
HK: When people think of an animal that camouflages itself, everyone thinks of chameleons, but there are many other species that are much better at it! And the octopus is one of them: When it's on top of a coral reef, it changes both its color and texture in order to blend in better. I had to show this to my staff to educate them about just how cool octopi really are.
 
EGM: Last year's slogan for MGS4 was "there's nowhere to hide," but now it seems Snake can blend in anywhere...
 
HK: Hmm, that's true...but it only works as long as you're not moving. In the past we had face paint and clothes changing, and we're going to leave that in the game as well. With that stuff, though, you have to change as the mission progresses, but it isn't seamless. With this Octo-Camo switched on, you're constantly shifting to whatever you're up against. But you have to be careful, because if you have it on when you go hide next to a toilet, you'll look like a toilet. It's really uncool. Originally, we also had it so Snake's face changed as well, but this look so totally uncool that we had to leave it out.
 
EGM: In this trailer, reviled MGS2 star Raiden shows up and kicks serious ass. Did you want to shock all his detractors?
 
HK: Well yes, that was my plan all along. The main theme of MGS4 is "Sense." What we've done to Raiden as a character, and how you react to him...that's all a part of it. We're going to experiment with many things, many viewpoints, and really try to challenge players' expectations and beliefs.
 
EGM: Will we be surprised by how other characters have changed?
 
HK: Yes, exactly. We're going to have a real all-star lineup of characters. I can't give you a full rundown yet, but there are characters from MGS1, MGS2, and MGS3 here. I really want to get all the characters that everyone loved and hated into MGS4.  
 
EGM: MGS4 seems like a bleak game--is this a reflection of current events?
 
HK: Yes, it does relate to all the strife across the globe. It's all over the game. Even the music--it won't be traditional MGS music. That haunting vocal in the trailer is the game's main them. We're changing the graphical style, too. We wanted to make it clearer, more distinct, with a greater division between light and dark.
 
EGM: Can you bring your team from the upcoming Metal Gear Portable Ops (PSP) into the online mode for MGS4?
 
HK: We're thinking about that, definitely. But maybe MPO and MGS4 won't quite match up in terms o timing. We'd like to incluide the ability to move your team between the two, though. It's funny, the MGO and MPO acronyms are kind of a joke; we take it from the term NPO, because Kojima Productions isn't really like a business persuant entity--it's more like a non-profit organization. [Laughs]
 
EGM: What excited you the most at E3?
 
HK: Nintendo Wii.