I Left my Heart on LV-426

Aliens: Colonial Marines is the sequel to Aliens that we always wanted but never got. You are a Colonial Marine sent to LV-426 to find out what happened to Ellen Ripley. If you’ve seen Aliens, you know that things with Ripley didn’t turn out so well, and you, with no idea what to expect, will find yourself entering hell, somewhere far, far away from planet Earth.

I tried out the Campaign Mode for a while, and spied all of the many details that one would expect from an Aliens video game, from the fonts on the HUD to the chattering of the pulse rifle to the ghostly chirp of the motion tracker. The motion tracker is actually a very important part of Colonial Marines — press L1 and you can see the direction in which the xenomorphs can be found. You have to be careful, though: When holding the Motion Tracker you cannot use your weapon. This creates a delicious sense of tension, since when you have three xenos mere feet away from you, the few seconds it takes to draw your weapon will seem like an eternity.

I was only able to play one sequence where I secured an area, placed movement sensors all around the scene, and met up with “artificial person” Bishop (played by Lance Henriksen, thankfully) Then, the xenos arrived. They came in waves and spew acid when shot. You will quickly realize that acid and enclosed spaces make for a dangerous combo, so you’ll want to keep moving while you shoot.

While playing you’ll uncover plenty of references from the movie, from audio logs and dog tags from fallen soldiers (I found Vazquez’s) to weapons such as Ripley’s Rifle, complete with the duct-taped flamethrower add-on. You’ll find more weapons, including pistols and shotguns, from other important characters, and as you advance you gain experience that you can trade for weapon upgrades and customize the weapons according to your taste.

Fight as a Team, Die as a Team

When I tried the multiplayer mode in Aliens: Colonial Marines, I wasn’t sure what to expect. There are two factions, the Marines and the Xenos. The Marines are not complicated and their play style should feel familiar to FPS fans. Your boots will be on solid ground, you’ll choose from various weapons and upgrades, then shoot anything that moves.

The xenos are more interesting and are very different from anything you may be accustomed to. There are three different types: Soldiers, Spitters, and Lurkers, each with their own completely different characteristics. The xenos can see through objects and climb walls, but at the same time their defenses are weak. The Soldiers are excellent at hand-to-hand combat, and you can knock off the head of a marine with one solid whack. The Spitters use acid to attack from a distance (tip: do this from a roof), and the Lurkers can powerfully jump towards their enemies and attack without mercy.

It is not easy to be a xeno. You will die a lot, but with a little practice you’ll see that it’s fun and strategically interesting as well. You will literally hunt down your marine foes, hiding and then taking advantage of your opportunity to attack. It pays to move only when necessary, given the marines’ use of motion trackers.

The Escape mode may have been my favorite hands-on experience. This is a team game in which marine players have only one life and very little time for reviving each other. Xenos, of course, can resurrect an infinite number of times and need only eliminate the marines while their prey attempt to conquer a variety of objectives, such as advancing or defending a point.

Aliens: Colonial Marines lands February 12th on PS3, bringing a breath of fresh air to the Aliens universe. Have any questions about my time with the game? Let me know in the comments!

By now, we’re all familiar with the long, twisted story of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. First announced in 2009 as “Metal Gear Solid: Rising,” its production was ultimately handed over to Platinum Games, the studio behind legendary action epics such as Bayonetta and Vanquish.

Recently we attended the Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance Boot Camp, where members of the press were able to go hands-on with a nearly complete version of the final game. I won’t talk much about the story, but it’s worth noting that a several years have passed since MGS4, the Patriots no longer exist, cyborg technology is within reach of all who can pay for it, and Raiden belongs to a corporation protecting a very “important” someone in Africa.

In the first scene, we meet two of the game’s bosses. They are not people with a sad past or who are attached to a feeling: They are simply very powerful cyborgs looking out for their own interests, no matter what they have to do in order to get what they want.

“Zan-Datsu”

Raiden means thunder and lightning, and that’s exactly what he is in this game. The action is frenetic. Raiden can use Blade Mode to cut literally everything, scenery and enemies alike. By cutting certain parts of their bodies, you can expose your enemies’ fuel cells in order to rip them out and recover your energy, a crucial gameplay strategy in that if you cut well, you will be rewarded.

Just as we saw in MGS4, Raiden is a killing machine. With just two attacks, normal and strong, you can execute spectacular combinations. Raiden is also exceedingly agile and quick, and is able to jump over obstacles in Ninja Run with a press of the R1 button. One tip: R1 also deflects your enemies’ bullets, something you will need to do frequently during your extremity-cutting adventure.

The Best Defense is a Good Offense

Parrying is also extremely important: Using the Square button and the left analog stick at the instant an attacking enemy flashes red, you’ll be able to launch an immediate counterattack. This gets interesting when you begin to encounter enemies who can parry your attacks, leading you to stop their attacks with another parry and so on, in what becomes a mortal dance in which you can lose far more than just a finger.

The first scenario is used to train you in all of the aforementioned skills. And what better way to test them than facing a Metal Gear Ray? Well, actually, there’s two of them. Seeing how Raiden cuts these powerful enemies like a hot knife through butter provides a clear example of what’s waiting for us and of how powerful Raiden has become.

A Trip Around the World

In the second scenario, Raiden travels to Abkhazia. Here we encounter more powerful enemies such as MGS4’s Gekkos, which require fast reflexes and precise parrying to defeat. As you advance, you will face an LQ-84i, a robotic wolf who later becomes a partner.

From there we go to Guadalajara, Mexico. Raiden arrives dressed as a mariachi and promptly hides in the sewers with LQ-84i. And it’s no wonder, because the enemies here are bigger and more aggressive than we’ve seen yet. This sequence of the game opens up a new stealth approach for Raiden, complete with the iconic cardboard box (he must have it on loan from Old Snake). Make no mistake: Revengeance is squarely an action game. But it’s always good to have options, especially when you’re facing the horrors lurking in Mexico’s sewers.

Occasionally, you’ll stumble across computers that you can activate to unlock new VR missions. The VR missions in Revengeance have various levels of difficulty and goals, and you’ll unlock various rewards for completing them — though I won’t spoil the surprises for you.

In the end, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is shaping up to be a refreshing blast of pure action gaming. I particularly liked its emphasis on technique with the parrying system, which is a blast in the midst of tough combat.

PlayStation.Blog: Revengeance enables you to slice anything in the environment using Blade Mode. Was it technically challenging to create a game where players could cut anything? How did you fine tune the mechanic to make it work for the game?

Platinum Games: First of all, from a technical standpoint there were difficulties but that wasn´t the hardest part. The hardest thing was that once we introduced the mechanic to cut anything, it is very hard to maintain a good game balance. That´s what we struggled with the most.

The game’s concept is being able to cut anything at will, so being able to combine that with the gameplay and maintain a good balance, and have the player cut things in a way that felt natural and flow with the gameplay was a challenge both technically and mechanically.

PSB: Let’s talk about gameplay progression. Does Raiden unlock new abilities and skills during missions?

PG: In Revengeance there´s a customization system where you can customize your character, which opens a lot of possibilities to gameplay. So the answer is no, you don´t have all the moves from the beginning of the game.

PSB: In the new trailer we saw a glimpse at some of the game’s boss encounters. Are they designed based on concepts we’ve seen in the other Metal Gear games? Or did you take a different approach for Revengeance?

PG: One thing that makes a boss unique this time is his or her weapons. We’ll use one boss as an example — Mistral, who has a very unique weapon that can be used as a staff or a whip. So you need to figure out the right strategy to fight against these weapons.

And from a Metal Gear series standpoint, the other bosses usually had a theme: Dead Cell, or Cobra Unit, for example. This time the theme is superhuman cyborg enemies, and is how these enemies clash with Raiden — both on the physical aspect, and ideologically.

PSB: In an old trailer for Revengeance, we see Raiden using a staff similar to the one Mistral is using. Does this mean players will gain special weapons from defeating bosses?

PG: Yes, that’s a very good observation! That means when you destroy the bosses, there are certain weapons you will be able to use.

PSB: What´s the role of LQ-84i in the game? Can we use it as another character or as a support item, like the Mark II in MGS4?

PG: The LQ-84i first appears as an enemy, you have to fight it. After that point, if you defeat it, one of your comrades remodels and reprograms it to serve as an ally. You won’t be able to directly control it, but LQ-84i will be a support character through the game.

PSB: We saw in the demo that the Codec seems to be more dynamic in Rising. What prompted that decision?

PG: First of all, what you are playing now is the beginning of the game, so there are a lot of tutorials. We don’t want to give you the impression that you will be overloaded by all these Codec conversations during the rest of the game. They will come in from time to time, but they won’t slow the action and they will flow naturally.

PSB: At what time during the development process did you decide to switch from a story between MGS2 and MGS4 to a story set after MGS4? Why does this timeline work best for the game?

PG: The original story was set between MGS2 and MGS4, but when Kojima Productions decided to partner with Platinum Games, Mr. [Kenji] Saito said that we don’t want to focus on the past. He wanted us to lean forward, to focus on something in the future.

And we took that feedback from Mr. Saito. If we focused on the time between MGS2 and MGS4, we would be limiting the story. If we pushed it to the future, it would open up new possibilities. But to be honest, Mr. Saito didn’t want to change the story — he still would have liked to have it in that era.

PSB: At the end of the trailer, we saw Raiden entering a sewer in what appeared to be a Mexican city. Will Mexico factor into the game?

PG: Within the game, Raiden travels around the world to battle in different areas. And yes, one of them is Mexico.

One of the worst ways to realize you’re getting old is when something you hold dear reaches a certain age. That being said, Metal Gear celebrates its 25th anniversary this month.

The Metal Gear series, although not originally created for PlayStation consoles, began to reach its current level of popularity in 1998 when Metal Gear Solid was released on the original PlayStation.

We met with Hideo Kojima to talk about his thoughts on the series’ landmark games, and to discuss what’s in store for the future’s franchise.

Metal Gear — 1987 (MSX2)

Hideo Kojima: This is the year I began working in the video game industry, as a game designer and planner. I was very young — among the first generation in the industry in Japan. I had already built up a certain reputation when I started as an employee, but the first game on which I worked for half a year was cancelled. We didn’t know when we were going to finish it, and one day my superiors called me to inform me they we cancelling it.

I thought about leaving the company and looking for other work, but they offered me the chance to develop a combat game for the MSX. The result of this offer was the first Metal Gear. It was launched exactly 25 years ago. It is well known that the MSX had many technical limitations, and I didn’t want to make war games. So I decided to create something similar to The Great Escape — something involving an escape — and in the end I made an espionage game.

Metal Gear received good reviews, and as the planner I had to create some drawings for the game. I didn’t have many tools, so I had to go to the programmers and tell them exactly what I had in mind and what I wanted them to do.

Back then, programmers made the final decisions, rather than the planners, which bothered me a lot. I wanted to have the final say on the games I was creating, so I asked for a script system to be made so I could input sounds and animations whenever I liked. This is how Snatcher was born.

Metal Gear Solid — 1998 (PlayStation)

Hideo Kojima: I was making games like Policenauts, and I heard rumors about a console on which polygons could be created in real time. This really grabbed my attention, since one of the major attractions of games is the sensation of action, and I was intrigued to see what I could achieve with those polygons. Metal Gear is a hide-and-seek game, and the thought of doing this while adding a camera that could change position really excited me. So I stopped making script-based games and went back to asking for favors from programmers for this 3D world.

I was a designer for Metal Gear Solid, but I was not a producer, so I had no say in the budget, release date, or promotion of the game. I remember when they told me what the release date would be and I had no say in the matter… these are bitter memories for me.

At Kojima Productions I’m a director, producer, and designer of video games; I have control over the budget, and more say in what to do or what not to do, especially regarding hiring. In fact, the people who worked on the first Metal Gear Solid are still the core of Kojima Productions.

Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty — 2001 (PlayStation 2)

Hideo Kojima: Metal Gear Solid sold well throughout the world; it was a great success. When I heard about the hardware for the PlayStation 2, I wanted to try something new. Up to that point, all cutscenes had focused more on details like facial expressions, but I wanted to pay more attention to the surroundings, to see how much I could change them in real time. Current games like Call of Duty have followed this trend of making your surroundings more realistic.

Since Metal Gear Solid sold very well, I had a bigger budget for MGS2, so I was able to work with people like Harry Gregson-Williams, with whom I had wanted to work for some time, but had always been told the funds weren’t available. We were under a lot of pressure, but at the same time I enjoyed the creative freedom I had in making the game.

We were also able to promote the game in parallel to its production. I remember at E3 2000 we received a standing ovation, which I really enjoyed. Looking back, I have fond memories of the development of Metal Gear Solid 2.

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater — 2004 (PlayStation 2)

Hideo Kojima: While MGS2 sold well, many fans of Snake were upset that Raiden was the main protagonist; we received a lot of complaints about that. There were also comments about the story unfolding too quickly; it created quite a stir. With this in mind, we created Snake Eater.

At the time, I was not just a designer but also a manager, in charge of the studio. We were therefore able to develop several projects at once, such as Boktai, Zone of the Enders, and The Twin Snakes. I thought it would be very hard for me to develop Snake Eater as the lead creator, so I tried to delegate responsibilities to younger employees in the studio. In the end it couldn’t be done, but it was my first attempt in doing it.

After MGS3 was finished, in order to make it clear that the next Metal Gear would not be directed by me, while on tour in Europe we announced that the next director would be Alan Smith, an alias.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots — 2008 (PlayStation 3)

Hideo Kojima: The PlayStation 3 was quite a complex system; games had to be developed in three levels. By the end of the Metal Gear Solid 4 project we had nearly 200 people working on it, with three directors (although often they were directors in name only, and I ended up doing a lot). This is why the game was delayed.

We made MGS4 according to a very Japanese method. At the time, the trend was for open-world games, but we decided to pay no attention to this and take another path. I already felt the need to create something similar to what we are doing with the Fox Engine.

In order to develop the Fox Engine, I had to understand how things worked elsewhere, so for a year and a half I visited studios around the world, and since we are Japanese people we were able to see the way others worked and recognize that in many respects their methods were better than ours.

Since the Fox Engine was going to take a lot of time to create, at the same time we began working on Peace Walker.

Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker — 2010 (PlayStation Portable)

Hideo Kojima: We did not only develop Peace Walker for the PSP because it was a popular console in Japan, but also because we had the concept of Transfarring in mind, so as a test we developed it on the PSP. Transfarring is now up and running, but it was something we had planned since the very beginning.

I think Peace Walker was a success. We were able to accomplish much of what I wanted, for example the whole social aspect which we had not achieved on the PS3. With simpler hardware, we were able to focus on doing things we had been wanting to try.

Fox Engine

Hideo Kojima: The Fox Engine is nearly finished, but the only way to be sure it works is to create a game at the same time and improve the engine with our tools as we go along. Originally we were going to do this for Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, but a lot happened along the way and instead it is being made with the engine they have at Platinum Games.

Production studios in Japan are nearly extinct, a fact that we have recognized for nearly 10 years, and although the Fox Engine is not finished we are ready to show what it can do… on August 30th in Japan to be more specific.

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance takes place nine years after the fall of the Patriots in MGS4. We played a demo at E3 2012 and tested Blade Mode, which you probably saw in the game’s trailer. Blade Mode is very simple: you activate it using L2, which triggers slow-mo and a zoomed-in camera view while Raiden gets into slashing position. You control the sword with the right analog stick: Everything in the path of the sword will be severed, whether it’s a structure, the body of an unfortunate combatant, a vehicle…even a girl’s dress (ooh-la-la!)

But Blade Mode is even more satisfying when you can work it into a combo by lifting an enemy from the floor and turning him into human sushi. The MGRR controls work to perfection; the game runs at 60 frames per second. Raiden is very fast, and the combo system is simple but visually spectacular, especially when you take hold of the sword with your feet and you slice everything around you to pieces — yes, just like that trailer from MGS4!

At E3, Platinum Games Executive Director and Producer Atsushi Inaba confirmed to us that MGRR will feature many references to the Metal Gear universe. One example: We were tasked with obtaining a code from an enemy, and this was found hidden in a box. The Gekkos from MGS4 also make an appearance, but you have to apply a counter before being able to attack them: press Triangle just before being hit and you’ll be slicing and dicing in no time.

The main advantage that I see in MGRR is that it feels like a completely fresh product. It is a great action game from a series that has millions of followers, and it may also attract a new audience which eventually could become interested in the adventures of the two Snakes.

There is still a long time to wait before MGRR goes on sale (recently confirmed to be early 2013) and we have many questions. Will we learn more about Raiden’s cyborg transformation? Will we see more characters from the Metal Gear universe? What happened to Sunny, the daughter of Olga? We’ll have to wait until 2013 to find out.

A few weeks ago, we traveled to Sao Paulo, Brazil to meet with our fellow PlayStation bloggers in Brazil and to attend the debut of Pro Evolution Soccer 2013. This was the first time we had an opportunity to play the game, and some members of the development team were there to answer our questions. A few games later, here’s what we learned:

This year, the PES team has lots of new people onboard who are sure to inject new life into this soccer simulation game, which already has millions of fans around the world.

In addition to all-new AI that I noticed after just a few games, PES 13 has implemented many new features in direct response to fan feedback, including better control that gives you more freedom, such as manual passing and full manual shooting, giving you more control over your actions. It is a bit difficult to use at first, but highly rewarding once you master it. In the short time I used this feature, I obviously couldn’t master it, and so I had to resort to traditional shooting..

Other improvements include more natural dribbling and defensive moves, especially when lines are arranged depending on your play. There are also goalkeepers with all-new animations who are more effective and have the ability to manually pass the ball for more precise counterattacks.

Now for what I liked best… the Player ID.

The Player ID is the digital representation of some of the top players in the world of soccer. This means that players like Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi, Ribéry, and Neymar can run, shoot, and dribble the ball just like they do in real life, reflecting the individuality and authenticity of the stars they are. PES 13 will have approximately 40-60 players using a Player ID, including forwards, the defensive line, and goalkeepers. Ranging from famous players to promising younger players, we were shown a video highlighting how the actions of various players were reproduced identically in the game. I must say, it looked fantastic in action.

The Player ID is a major feature for PES. After all, people go to soccer games to see the stars of the team, and it really makes a difference when you have a star on your team in PES 13.

PES 13 is still a game that requires decisions, from what to do with the ball when it reaches your feet to making a pass, running and facing your opponent, shooting at the goal, or simply freezing. If you do nothing, you lose possession of the ball. Fortunately, you can learn to make the best decision after a short time of playing, and become an expert in the sport, even if you never were before.

We spoke with Senior Producer Naoya Hatsum and Marketing Producer Manorito Hosoda to learn more about PES 13.

PlayStation.Blog: You mentioned that you are not working on a PS Vita version this year, but are you at least planning some kind of PS Vita connectivity? For example, you could play on your PS3 and use your PS Vita for making changes or something in gameplay without pausing the game?

PES Team: We are thinking about adding connectivity on tablets and mobile communication tools, but not PS Vita at this time.

PSB: We know that the Americas are a huge market for you right now: Mexico, Argentina, Brazil and so on. Are you working to get any new licenses from this region? The US licenses for example? You know, soccer is growing in the US…

PES Team: We wish we could say something related to licenses, but we can’t… at least not until E3! Of course we do understand that licensed teams are very important for Latin America market, for countries like Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, as well as the US major clubs.

There’s no simple way to express how Latin America is important to PES. It is a very important market and we’re focus on it in different ways. What we can say at this moment is: Latin America is one of the most important market this year, and that’s why we have been here [in Brazil] in February and we are back here now. You know, it’s a pretty long flight from Japan!

[laughs]

And that’s something we indicated in the last few years. For example, we included the Copa Santander Libertadores about two years ago. That was an example of how important Latin America market is for the PES series.

PSB: You said there is going to be among 40 to 60 players replicated in PES 2013 using Player ID. Are you planning to include more players via DLC in the future?

PES Team: At this moment we don’t have any plans for additional players through DLC. However, if there’s a very huge demand from users or community asking for it, we may have to think of it. And if we do something like that, we don’t know if people would pay for it. Would you?

PSB: Well, that’s a very good question. [laughs] But yes, I think I’d pay for it. Talking about community, you mention that user feedback is very important this year. So how are you collecting and implementing that feedback into PES 2013?

PES Team: Yes, community feedback is very important to us. Of course, listening to the opinions from fans is one thing, and that is going to satisfy users. But we also are creators, and there are features we want to offer that cannot be obtained through feedback from the users, because they are looking to the current product, and we are looking into the future. So, in a sense, we would like to surprise the players. That’s something we also want to do. There should be a good balance between what we want to do and user feedback.

And we highly value user feedback because, depending on what they want, the actual gameplay may vary greatly. For example, Brazilian players can see football as something different from people in other parts of the world. So we would like to know these nuances, if there are any, by collecting all this feedback from users, because our game is intended for a worldwide audience, and we have to think about all these elements.

PSB: Playing soccer is about decisions, I think. For example, if you’re playing in real life, when you receive the ball, you have maybe a split of a second to think what to do – you may pass, you may shoot to the goal, maybe you can faint… How do you translate that into a videogame? I mean, PES is like super hardcore, it’s a game with a very difficult learning curve, but when you understand it, it’s so fluid, it’s so fast. How do you transfer the complex elements of soccer to the controls?

PES Team: As you mentioned, it is quite hard to translate that split-second movement from the real game, because a soccer videogame requires a controller. What we aim is to do is make players feel as if they are in the real field when playing with a controller. That’s always our ultimate goal. And we try to reach that goal by continuously adjusting the AI and tweaking other elements of the game and the gameplay itself. It’s something very hard to express with simple words.

PSB: Any chance we’ll be seeing 11 players online this year?

PES Team: We can probably talk about that next year. [laughs]

PSB: You said in the presentation that Shingo “Seabass”Takatsuka-San is busy with another project, but at the same time he is still part of the team. So, how is he involved with PES 2013?

PES Team: We cannot detail what Seabass is doing at the moment. The only thing we can say is that he is working in a new project. As for PES 2013, he actually supervises the production of the game and is deeply involved with the main improvements we’re making this year.

PSB: You mention a lot of new improvements like Full Manual Passing, and Pro-Active AI, but is there any improvement made on player customization? Because that’s a feature a lot of people love. They like creating players and playing with their own custom team. Are there any improvements in this area?

PES Team: Well, there are no major improvements or changes for the Edit features this year.

PSB: Up until now, all your DLC for PES has been free, for example new sneakers, new balls, player customization itens… With the market constantly changing, have you ever thought about offering paid DLC in the form of a huge DLC pack with new modes or seasons or tons of new features?

PES Team: As for this year, there will be no paid DLC, there is no plan for it. However looking at the situation, of course, we got the feedback from you that you would be pretty much happy to pay for additional Player ID, for example. So we may think of introducing something as paid DLC in the future.

PSB: PES is evolving every year, but talking about the future, where do you see PES maybe in three or five years? Do you want to be more social, do you want to see better graphics, improve AI or something entirely different?

PES Team: We believe people’s life style has been changing drastically, because of things like the new mobile gadgets and tablets, and cloud storage is also one factor… The game user itself has been changing because of the development of the mobile devices, so what we are trying to do is cater to all possible potential users. That’s what we want to do in the future. So not just reach console gamers, but also any potential user, including those using these new kind of devices.

But what exactly is PixelJunk 4am? A game? An instrument? To answer this question, we turned to Rowan Parker, who explained it from the floor of a launch party held during the 2012 Game Developers Conference where DJ Baiyon “played” for the lucky attendees.

PixelJunk 4am is easy to understand once you have the PlayStation Move motion controller in your hands and the visualizer appears. It varies with each “presentation,” but you can change it at any time by pressing the Select button. What’s important is for the music to “live” in the air, so to speak.

With PS Move, you grab hold of the sound from four different instruments (represented by the four control buttons) and unleash them onto the screen, creating a different sound depending on your movement. You can create layers of audio and then manipulate them as you wish. You can also invent new sounds using the controller and distort the effects by moving the PS Move closer to or farther away from the visualizer.

In the final version of the game, you’ll be able to share your presentations on the PlayStation Network, even with users who do not have the game — all you’ll need is the free viewer application, which enables you to tune into presentations as they are happening or listen to recordings from your favorite artists.

PixelJunk 4am for the PS3 will be available this spring exclusively on the PlayStation Network.

These days, Hideo Kojima is a busy man. The Metal Gear mastermind recently revealed that the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection is heading to the PS3 this November. The HD Collection includes revamped versions of Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater and Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker, complete with dual-analog-stick controls, 1080p graphics, smoother frame rates, a redesigned user interface, rumble support and much more.

We caught up with Kojima last week at an appearance in Mexico City and he was eager to speak with PlayStation.Blog readers. Enjoy the Q&A, and leave your favorite Metal Gear moments in the comments!

PlayStation.Blog: Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker was designed for PSP — a portable device. What changes did Kojima Productions make to the upcoming PS3 version so it could be enjoyed on a high-definition home console?

Hideo Kojima, Director, Kojima Productions: The PSP obviously has fewer buttons than the PS3 controller, and it had some limitations when it comes to control. Using the DualShock 3, movement of many things improved…as did, of course, [the addition of] rumble support.

On the PSP, it was also hard to tell some textures apart. Now, rendered in HD, they are much easier to see. The in-game text is also easier to read.

PSB: Your process of “transfarring” will allow PSP players to take their Peace Walker save files from one console to another, and we will also see similar cross-play support with the PS Vita and Metal Gear Solid HD Collection. Is this the future of gaming, and would you like to explore beyond what already has been announced?

Kojima: Peace Walker is the first step. It is a PSP game in HD that lets one go back and forth between one PSP and a PSP. The next step is to take PS2-quality games, such as Metal Gear Solid 2 and Metal Gear Solid 3, to HD and then to take them to Vita transfarring.

My next step is games that will come out for the PS3 from now on, so I can take advantage of this technology with the Vita with content that is exactly the same. I hope that cloud service is available now, and it would be ideal for me if transfarring were to serve as a bridge between the two services.

PSB: Just before E3, a glimpse of what will be its new graphic engine (FOX Engine) was shown. What would you say are their greatest visual benefits? Is there anything that stands out in this technology that you can tell us about?

Kojima: For now, FOX Engine has high performance in developing games on multiple platforms; I think that is the most prominent feature. At this point, it is not an engine that has anything particularly prominent when compared to what’s on the market. From now on, we hope to add features and functions that stand out from other engines.

PSB: Okay, PS Vita has already been revealed. Are you interested in the console? What are the features that draw your attention most to a portable device?

Kojima: As for the multitouch pad on the back of the console, I do not want to force users to use it. The PS Vita has cutting-edge technology and it’s the best there is – especially with integration with the PS3 – and I am very pleased I can offer it to users.

PSB: With the commercial success of L.A. Noire, and the return of cyberpunk with Deus Ex: Human Revolution, do you believe that there is a market for a new Snatcher game?

Kojima: L.A. Noire is a game that I really like, but unfortunately I have not played it. I think it is coming out in Japan today, so when I return, I intend to play it. This idea of ​​an open world in 3D is very good, and I would love to do something like Snatcher, but I do not have the time or the means to do so. But if anyone else would like to develop it, I would love it.

NOTE: A few hours after this interview, Hideo Kojima, in collaboration with Suda 51 and Akira Yamaoka, announced a radio drama called “Sdatcher” based on Snatcher.

PSB: What qualities do you think a game designer needs to be hired in today’s industry?

Kojima: Right now, it’s very similar to movies: You need a lot of money. So rather than doing what you want, doing what you like, you must have a clear idea of marketing and sales. That’s what’s happening to us with FOX Engine; you do not need be an expert in programming to develop a game, but if you have a question, you still need an expert on-hand to provide an answer.

As for expression, that has reached a high level. Video games are trying to reach the peak of entertainment, so game makers should be clear that things like emotion and sound are among the many things that have to be involved.

PSB: How has your perspective from your business point of view and as a game developer changed, now that you are Vice President of Konami Digital?

Kojima: I would like to not change. My priority continues to be to create and produce my own games. Now that I can do this well, I can generate more time to help in other company products, especially in creative ways.

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During E3 2011, I entered a gloomy room and found myself before Gearbox Software CEO Randy Pitchford. He was there to show off Aliens: Colonial Marines, the upcoming first-person shooter that’s scheduled to hit the PS3 in 2012. When you hear a developer talk about his game with the passion Pitchford demonstrated, you know the studio is on the right track. Gearbox Software is packed with fans of the Aliens films; seeing the game in action, it shows.

The demo starts with the crash of the U.S.S. Sulaco, the high-tech marine vessel from the second film. You wake up to find yourself in a nightmare, surrounded by xenomorphs with no idea about what is happening. But you’re not alone — you’ll have a group of highly trained marines at your side wielding state-of-the-art military technology, from the iconic pulse rifle and flamethrower to the pulverizing smart gun.

During his presentation, Pitchford assured us that this is the real sequel to Aliens and everything indicates that this is so, from the Marines’ tools (including motion trackers) to the automatic turrets that we saw on the special edition of Aliens; they are all here. The game also featured a cooperative mode for four players and your friends will be able to drop in and drop out of gameplay as they please.

Without a doubt, the most striking element I saw in Aliens: Colonial Marines was the setting and atmosphere. Gearbox is busy perfecting the combination of loneliness, abandonment, and claustrophobia that have become hallmarks of the series. The xenomorphs are more horrific that ever — they’re quick, merciless, and attack in groups that will not give you a moment’s rest. We also saw a new alien who looks like a Queen but is faster, uses its head like a shield, and can charge its enemies. Of course, you have to run away to face it afterwards in a battle that involves a exosuit cargo-loader. You can imagine the rest.

We are a long way off from 2012, but from what we have seen, Gearbox is on the right track. Aliens purist can rest easy, while those passionate about first-person shooters can look forward to a promising co-op experience.