1UP: Tell us about the multiplayer elements of MPO.
Noriaki Okamura: Basically, concept-wise, the idea was to bring the Subsistence online experience to the PSP. We have both ad-hoc and infrastructure modes.
1UP: Will one mode support more players than the other?
NO: As for the number of players, we don't know at the moment; we're still working on that.
1UP: We've heard that depending on the Wi-Fi point you use to play online, the game will offer different characters to play as. How does this work?
NO: In order to recruit specific allies, you have to go to specific Wi-Fi spots in order to gain access them.
1UP: Is this a way to get people to visit sponsored access points?NO: Well, not necessarily in that sense, but just to get people to visit different places to unlock different characters.
1UP: By visiting these places, does it unlock anything permanent in your save file, like something that says "Foxhound team unlocked" to let you use those characters at any time?
NO: The point is that if the character you're using dies, you'll never be able to use them again.
1UP: Really? So if you really suck, and all the characters you use end up dying, at all the access points, you won't be able to play online any more?
NO: Oh, what I meant to say is that if you go back to visit that access point again, you'll then be able to use that character again.
1UP: So it's only if you die during that session.
NO: Yeah, it's not a permanent death. That's why we have this "white flag" system, an idea of Mr. Kojima's. These characters are very valuable, since you'd have to go all the way back to the access point to get the character back if he dies. That's why there's a white flag system, so if you think you're going to die, you raise the white flag, then you'll be saved. So if you're playing versus mode, two versus two, if you're about to die you have to make a decision. Do you leave your partner alone and raise the white flag, or do you continue to fight and die?
1UP: Now, in Japan this might be pretty easy, especially in Tokyo where everything is so close together, but in America, Internet cafes aren't quite as prolific — maybe a Starbucks or McDonald's might have one — and that's in the best-case scenario, in cities like New York City, San Francisco or Chicago. But most of the country is very spread out. Most people are on the Internet at home. It seems like a hard sell to get kids to get up and drive all over the place to access different wireless points. How do you plan to accommodate these players?
NO: First of all, that's one option you have to access these characters. Using the Infrastructure mode, you can always recruit characters from the other side; that's another way to do it. And we're also figuring out ways to get allies besides using Wi-Fi hotspots. So we want our fans to travel a lot to get the characters. [Laughs]
1UP: In terms of the general play mechanics, I noticed MPO has first-person shooting elements. That's always a tricky thing to get right on the PSP. How do you plan to implement this in MPO?
NO: Well, we tried to configure the buttons on the PSP as best we can… we simplified the Subsistence configuration, so you use the Square button to shoot… and you'll be able to move the first-person camera view using the shoulder buttons… with the analog, you'll be able to rotate the view, but if you want, you can use it to maneuver as well.
1UP: Since the storyline takes place after Snake Eater, but before the original Metal Gear, how comfortable is Kojima with the story?NO: Well, he had his say on the basic elements of the story, and Metal Gear has a very long history and it's all laid out. According to this strict guideline we fit our story and made our plot.
1UP: So that part of the plot actually existed, and you're building the game around it?
NO: That's right.
1UP: Are there any new game mechanics that haven't existed in previous Metal Gear games that you're bringing into MPO?
NO: Good question! [Laughs] The concept is not shooting each other but hiding from each other. And we have some new features to support that "hiding" feature. We have a sonar gauge now — you'll be able to see where the sound is coming from, and also see how much sound you're making. So if there's someone approaching, you'll hear/see it on the sonar. And if you hear gunshots, you'll see it immediately on the sonar.
1UP: Is there an aural equivalent of a Flash Bang grenade — something that creates such a powerful sound that it knocks out everyone's sonar, essentially making everyone "blind?"
NO: [Laughs] I think so, or you can deceive your enemies by throwing a stone in a different direction. We see Metal Gear as a stealth game, so we're trying to put this new feature in there to make it more exciting. You use the X button squat down and with the Triangle button you'll be able to press up against the wall — because when you're indoors you'll create natural sound even when doing nothing, so if you press Triangle, you'll stabilize yourself and cease to make sound.
James Mielke
(y digo yo, tan difícil es poner una opción para activarlos/desactivarlos?)
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