The Westernisation of Metal Gear Solid 5

Hideo Kojima's starting from 'zero' in 2009. Find out what that means for Metal Gear Solid 5 inside.

So, legendary Japanese developer Hideo Kojima is starting from "zero" in 2009, and wants Kojima Productions on an equal footing with western studios. From the great man himself: "We're currently reviewing everything - from the team structure to tools and our staff - in order to make Kojima Productions a team that can challenge foreign creators and software houses. So, because of that, 2009 is going to be a very important year for us.

"I've come to understand that the way we've made games up until now won't translate globally, and I've come to think that I need to make Kojima Productions a team that can compete alongside the rest of the world.

"I've thought a lot about how Western games have been winning, looking it from a global perspective, and there are things that I've noticed. So 2009 will be a year of change, a year where we start from zero again.

"With games, you've got to use cutting-edge techniques, and doing so costs money - so I don't think you can make games that just appeal to the Japanese market. So, 2009 will see us continuing to think how to create a team that can take on the world."

Interesting words indeed. The big question is, what does this mean for Metal Gear Solid 5, a game Kojima himself has confirmed he is already thinking about? Is this the beginning of the Westernification of Metal Gear? What does that even mean? We've donned our Octocamo suit and climbed into our cardboard box to bring you what we reckon Kojima's words mean for the Metal Gear Solid franchise and its army of fans.

5. Metal Gear Solid 5 will be released for the Nintendo Wii

That's right Metal Gear fans, we said the Wii. So successful is Nintendo's motion-sensing phenomenon that it simply can't be ignored by any publisher or developer that wishes to not only remain profitable, but survive, especially in times of recession. Now obviously the Metal Gear games as we know and love them won't be an appropriate fit for the graphics-light Wii, so we're not suggesting Kojima will attempt to cram the next-gen version of MGS5 into the family-friendly console. Instead, Kojima will create a separate team within Kojima Productions dedicated to making the most of the Wii Remote's potential. Remember, by then the Wii MotionPlus add-on will be out, which should ensure much more accurate and less frustrating waggling. We expect a game built from the ground up for the Wii, one that is intended to compliment the next-gen version, not copy it, with a separate plot and perhaps a different central character. It'll have mini-games, yes, and poorer graphics, but it'll be a Metal Gear game at heart, and, dare we say it, could actually be really good.