KONAMI TAPS TOP HOLLYWOOD TALENT FOR METAL GEAR SOLID®3: SNAKE EATER™
Renowned Entertainment Industry Professionals Help Create One of the Year’s Most Highly Anticipated Video Games
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. - October 26, 2004 Konami Digital Entertainment - America, a division of Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc., today announced that Metal Gear Solid®3: Snake EaterTM, will further blur the lines between video games and movies by showcasing work from some of Hollywood's leading professionals. David Hayter, a renowned voice-over actor and screenplay writer, famed musical composer Harry Gregson-Williams and the innovative director/producer, Kyle Cooper, have collaborated with Hideo Kojima in creating the next installment in the award-winning tactical espionage action series.
Hayter will once again reprise his legendary role as Snake, the main character in the Metal Gear Solid series. In addition to lending his voice for characters on numerous projects, he is also known as a successful screenwriter, penning such box office successes as "X-Men," " X-Men 2" and "The Scorpion King."
"Snake is one of the most dynamic characters in video game history," says David Hayter. "I've always enjoyed developing characters and creatively exploring their personalities in my screenplays. Working with Kojima to bring this ultra-cool character to life has been a truly rewarding professional experience and certainly one of the top roles I've ever done."
MGS3 will also feature an original soundtrack composed by Harry Gregson-Williams. He is responsible for creating the musical scores for numerous Hollywood blockbusters such as "Shrek," "Shrek 2," and "Enemy of the State." His other recent credits include "Team America: World Police," "Man on Fire," and the upcoming "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason." Gregson-Williams was first approached to work on Metal Gear Solid®2: Sons of LibertyTM after Kojima saw "The Replacement Killers" and heard the musical score. The two have paired once more to create the music for MGS3, bringing an unparalleled depth to the game that will resonate with gamers everywhere.
"Instead of focusing on the time period in which the game takes place, I have created a soundtrack that is respectful of the pre-existing MGS taste," says Harry Gregson-Williams. "The music enhances each of the various layers of the game and augments the overall storyline. It has been a pleasure working with Hideo Kojima as he truly understands the importance music plays in setting the tone for any story."
Also working closely with Kojima is Kyle Cooper, the renowned director/producer who has designed the lead-ins to 150 features that have consistently stunned and entertained audiences. He is best known for creating such memorable intro sequences for movies including "Seven," "Spider-Man" and "Mission Impossible." For MGS3, Kojima and Cooper have collaborated on creating the first-ever interactive opening title sequence for a videogame, giving players unprecedented control of their gaming experience. The dynamic opening, an ode to the popular spy movies of the 1960's, sets the stage for the highly engaging stealth action that follows.
"Working with Kojima on MGS3 has given me the rare opportunity to push the boundaries of the lead-ins I traditionally create for television and movies, resulting in a new style of visual storytelling that cannot be re-created on the silver screen," says Kyle Cooper. "Unlike those for feature films or TV shows, the intro sequence to MGS3 is fully interactive and allows players to be part of the experience, not just a spectator."
Fascinated by the silver screen at an early age, Hideo Kojima has striven to make every game in the MGS series on par with an epic Hollywood blockbuster. MGS3 continues this trend as the most engaging cinematic action adventure experience of the series. Boasting riveting and intriguing storylines told through compelling gameplay and incredibly realistic cut scenes, MGS3 will capture the attention and imagination of gamers worldwide. Mr. Kojima was recently awarded the prestigious Legend Award by G4TV, the nationwide 24 hour video game TV network, for his accomplishments in game development and use of cinematic action within his games.
Due out on November 17th, 2004 exclusively for the PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater will thrust players into the cold war era, a time period rife with political turmoil. Stepping into the role of Snake, players will embark on a dangerous solo mission that will carry them through swampy jungles, arid deserts and other daunting environments on a quest to save the world from nuclear annihilation.
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is rated "M" for mature by the ESRB.
About the Metal Gear Series of games and franchise information
The Metal Gear® franchise is in its 17th year, with the first Metal Gear® release debuting in Japan in 1987. The series centered on the adventures of secret agent Solid Snake and was consistently recognized for its new and original game design combined with a story full of plot twists and intricate human drama. In 1998, Konami introduced Metal Gear Solid® for the Sony PlayStation® game console, which was instantly noted for its stunning graphics, original narrative style and superlative gameplay. Metal Gear Solid® earned widespread critical acclaim and defined a benchmark of quality in the action genre. Building on the precedent set by the top-selling original title, Metal Gear Solid®2: Sons of LibertyTM was released in 2001 for the Sony PlayStation®2 with overwhelming praise from gamers and industry pundits worldwide, selling over 2 million units in the U.S. and over 5 million units worldwide. In 2002, Konami released, Metal Gear Solid®2: SubstanceTM, the expanded edition of Metal Gear Solid®2: Sons of LibertyTM, for the XboxTM video game system from Microsoft, PlayStation®2 and PC DVD-ROM with much fan fare. In 2003, the amazing storyline and world of Metal Gear Solid® combined with the graphics and gameplay of Metal Gear Solid®2 to create Metal Gear Solid® The Twin SnakesTM for Nintendo GameCubeTM. In 2004, Hideo Kojima takes the tactical espionage action genre that the Metal Gear® series defined to a completely new direction in Metal Gear Solid®3: Snake EaterTM for the PlayStation®2.
METAL GEAR®, Metal Gear Solid®, SONS OF LIBERTYTM, SUBSTANCETM, THE TWIN SNAKESTM and SNAKE EATERTM are either registered trademarks or trademarks of KONAMI COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT JAPAN, INC. ®1987 2004 KONAMI COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT JAPAN. KONAMI® is a registered trademark of KONAMI CORPORATION. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. "PlayStation" and the "PS" Family logo are registered trademarks of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. Nintendo GameCube is a trademark of Nintendo. (C) 2001 Nintendo. Microsoft and Xbox are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries and are used under license from Microsoft.