Metal Gear Solid producer addresses Master Collection issues, explains how Delta will stay true to MGS3 

The current Metal Gear series producer appeared in Konami’s Production Hotline broadcast for the first time yesterday. During the talk about Master Collection Vol. 1 issues and what players can expect from Metal Gear Solid Delta, Noriaki Okamura explains why he hasn’t appeared on camera until now, despite his long involvement in the franchise. 

The Konami broadcast featured Jiro Oishi, in charge of the MGS series’ promotion, and producer Noriaki Okamura. Both revealed that they have worked at Konami for many years; Oishi’s involvement in marketing the MGS games began with Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. Producer Okamura reveals that he started out working on Hideo Kojima’s 1994 game Policenauts. The first MGS title that he (co-)produced was 2006’s Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops on the PSP. 

Asked why he hadn’t appeared on camera up until now, Okamura explained how he has inherited the important MGS IP from the original development team and so “I didn’t feel like I should come forward and say ‘This is my game.’” Citing that it has become common for game creators to appear in promotional efforts nowadays, Okamura explains that he arrived at a point where he wanted the development team to convey their thoughts in their own words. “I have strong memories of the games I’ve worked on, especially the Metal Gear series.” he adds. 

Even though series creator Hideo Kojima left Konami back in 2015, Okamura states that there are still some developers at the company who have been working on the MGS series for a long time. Mentioning how many younger people are not familiar with MGS these days, Okamura explains that “It is our mission to preserve Metal Gear for future generations.” He explains that they released the Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection to give people an easy way to play all the games on one system, given that the titles were originally released on now-obsolete hardware. 

Okamura also addressed the various complaints that the Master Collection received from players; including bugs, upscaling issues and lack of configuration options. Okamura explained that they have fixed numerous problems and are still working on finding solutions for the remaining issues, as shown below. 

Okamura subsequently reflected on the long legacy of Metal Gear and the series’ place in video game history, discussing how the games have advanced with technology. He talked about how from the very first Metal Gear titles in the late 1980s up until 1998’s MGS1, you couldn’t see the characters’ facial expressions. However, from Metal Gear Solid 2 onwards, the series moved ever closer to movie-like realism. He hopes that players will feel this history and the advances in technology with each entry when playing through the Master Collection games in order. “We will continue to update (Master Collection Vol. 1) to make these titles easier to enjoy,” he explains. The latest update adds quality of life and accessibility changes, such as mouse support for MGS3, and lets players change game options from the pause menu in MGS2 and 3. 

Showing footage of the highly detailed jungle environments from the upcoming Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, Okamura reveals that the MGS3 remake won’t change the fundamentals of the story or game design. He goes on to explain that the remake will utilize technological advances in graphics and controls to deliver an experience that both old fans and newcomers can enjoy. 

Regarding the contents and release date for Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2, Okamura asks fans to wait a little longer. Vol. 2’s potential contents have sparked much discussion online, with many wondering if it will include The Twin Snakes, the divisive GameCube remake of Metal Gear Solid 1.  

Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Volume 1 is available on PS4/PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series S|X and PC (Steam).