Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker‘s base-building and weapon development systems will return in the upcoming Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes, series creator Hideo Kojima said during a developer session at the Eurogamer Expo today.
“The concept of developing weapons at your base is a very cool idea, and something that could be popular. It’s something we’ve been thinking of,” said Kojima.
You’ll be able to access your base by helicopter in-between traversing the game’s many open worlds. Once you’ve arrived, you can walk around and explore your base on-foot, upgrade it, and more.
Smartphones and other devices will also tie into base management.
“Furthermore, nowadays there are various ways to access the game world – you’re not just playing in your living room on your games console,” Kojima continued. “You may also access through your cell phone and other devices and still access that same game. I think in that respect that motherbase system lends itself very well to that system, and that’s something we’re planning on for Ground Zeroes.”
According to Kojima, you’ll be able to make changes from your smartphone, which will be reflected in the core game.
Touching upon Metal Gear Online, Kojima Productions‘ server-shut PlayStation 3 game, Kojima said that while the game was very popular in Japan, it was not as notorious overseas.
“Of course, I’m the one who came up with the original concept for Metal Gear Online and supervised it, but I left development to my staff, and of course they were Japanese,” he said. “So the systems were very much targeted to Japanese users, which is why it was very popular in Japan.”
He hinted briefly at the possibility of a new Metal Gear Online. Referencing Kojima Productions L.A., his studio’s newly opened U.S. subsidiary, he said he’d like to learn from the lessons of Metal Gear Online on a new project. And his Los Angeles studio would ensure its western appreciation.
“We’re always looking forward to what’s coming next, and I think the next time we make an online game, we’re wanting it to be more popular in North America and Europe.”