Konami Scuppers Talk of Xbox 360 MGS4

The only place you're going to find Snake's next-gen adventure is on the PS3 - or so it seems.

The PlayStation 3 is a big deal right now not because of the games on shelves but rather the promise of those to come. One of the biggest lures is Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, which Konami has reaffirmed will not be going anywhere else.

Rumours sprang up earlier this month that perhaps Metal Gear Solid 4 would be coming to Xbox 360 too - a first, since no console Metal Gear Solid game has ever debuted on a non-Sony system.

Konami put paid to that jabber. A representative told CVG this week that, "Konami has no plans to bring Metal Gear Solid 4 to the Xbox 360 at this time," and said the game was currently exclusive to the PlayStation 3.

Cynics will pounce on the language of the statement, fingering the "at this time" as support for their doubts. They have good reason.

The dawning of the next console age has brought with it a downturn in the number of platform exclusives. A Newsweek article recently put the blame on PlayStation boss Ken Kutaragi, who had reportedly been tardy in negotiating exclusives with publishers. Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed, for instance, could well have been Sony's own had it pounced earlier.

The size of the audience will be a deciding factor. The PlayStation 3 is so far off to a slow start, mostly because Sony has been hampered by parts shortages. The company has since claimed that all production issues have been resolved.

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo