Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker

Did You Know?

• A novelization of Peace Walker was published in Japan in March 2014, authored by Kenji Yano under the pen name Hitori Nojima.
• Blues of Peace and Kazuhira, a Peace Walker-themed audio drama album, was released in Japan on September 22, 2010.

Synopsis

The story begins on November 4, 1974. Big Boss runs his own mercenary unit in Colombia after leaving the United States following the death of The Boss during Operation Snake Eater ten years prior. A paramilitary group called the Peace Sentinels, equipped with a startling quantity of quality weapons, has been deployed in Costa Rica. The Costa Rican government cannot act against them because the country's constitution forbids an official military. The Sentinels' presence threatens the balance of power between East and West. The returning protagonist is Big Boss, also known as Snake, who leads a mercenary group called Militaires Sans Frontières (MSF). He is assisted by MSF deputy chief Kazuhira Miller. The main antagonists are CIA Central America station chief Hot Coldman and Paz's instructor Ramón Gálvez Mena. Dr. Strangelove is a British AI expert hired by Coldman to work on the Peace Walker Project. The game includes flashback scenes from MGS3, particularly the final battle between Snake and The Boss, plus an audiotape left by EVA after Operation Snake Eater. Audiotape briefing files unlocked after completing the game provide new information about The Boss' activities.

Marketing

In Japan, Suntory launched eight special cans of Mountain Dew and Pepsi Nex on March 27, 2010, each decorated with characters from Peace Walker. These drinks function as health items in the game, and entering a code from a real can gives Snake a Mountain Dew shirt. Uniqlo also ran a similar promotion. However, these branded products only appeared in the Japanese version; in North America and Europe, the items have generic names and the MSF logo. Players can use various Sony Walkman models to listen to the game’s music, and Sony released a limited-edition NWZ-W252CAMO Walkman with game codes, six exclusive tracks, and a camouflage skin. On April 1, 2010, Konami posted a short promotional video featuring Assassin’s Creed II creative director Patrice Desilets. This April Fools’ joke shows Snake performing Altaïr’s leap of faith into a hay pile and sneaking up on enemies. The game includes a Love Box that works like this Easter egg, capturing enemies but wearing out with use. Konami and Ubisoft had done a similar gag for Metal Gear Solid 4 in 2008. On April 7, 2010, Konami and Square Enix revealed a line of Play Arts Kai action figures, including Snake in Sneaking Suit and Jungle Fatigues, plus the boss machines Chrysalis, Pupa, Basilisk, and Cocoon. Parts from the Peace Sentinels mechs and special logos can be transferred to Front Mission Evolved for use in Wanzers. Kaiyodo’s Revoltech line added a Sneaking Suit Snake figure in 2012.

Release

In Japan, two bundles for Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker were sold. The pricier option, available only through the Konami Style Store on March 18, 2010, included the game, a camouflaged PSP-3000, a leather pouch and wrist strap, a cloth, dog tags, numbered collectible stands, and a booklet. It cost ¥36,980 (about US$404), and only 1,974 copies were produced. The other Japanese bundle offered the same camouflaged PSP-3000, a pouch, a wrist strap, a camouflaged cleaning cloth, and the Peace Walker UMD for ¥26,980 (US$295). For North and South America, Sony released a GameStop-exclusive Big Boss Pack on June 8, 2010, for US$199. This pack contained a camouflaged PSP-3000, the UMD game, a voucher to download a movie from the PlayStation Network, a code for special in-game items, and a 4GB Memory Stick PRO Duo. The exclusive in-game content included a FOX Unit camouflage and a Stealth Gun. After the game’s launch, players could download extra content through the Network option in the extras menu. This included uniforms and t-shirt designs, new music for the Walkman, additional AI boss voices, extra Vocaloid songs, and, for Japanese versions, more magazine covers and two comic magazines. A NetVocaloid service let players create their own Vocaloid files to use as voices for Metal Gear ZEKE, in Co-Ops communications, for song lyrics, and more. Following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, the official servers were temporarily taken offline to save power but later came back. The NetVocaloid service ended on February 28, 2012, and all other downloadable content was removed on September 30, 2013. The PSP version’s DLC has since been kept alive through third-party websites.