Kojima Productions’ Assistant Producer Ryan Payton contacted Kotaku today, discussing what journalists can and can’t talk about when reviewing Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.
Here is what Payton said reveiwers cannot discuss:
-Install times
-Length of cutscenes (the ending in particular)
-Number of environments
-Opening "movie"
-Product placement
-(Plus a half dozen story-specific items)
He went on to explain:
The game requires an eight minute install, as well as a number of two to three-minute installs between acts.
As for the cutscenes, reviewers are more than happy to comment on whether they’re too long or short. We simply want reviewers to refrain from describing which scenes are long, thus spoiling some of the experience because players will know what to expect when a scene is unfolding.
I want to make it clear that, from today, reviewers are welcome to discuss the length of the cutscenes and install times, but we ask that they not get too specific about the cinematic times and what happens in later install sequences…
But as for the next three items, we are still asking reviewers to avoid these topics. We want the opening to be a huge surprise for gamers, and knowing how many environments there are in the game, obviously, is a spoiler. These restrictions will remain in place.
Finally, we’ve asked reviewers to not write about some of the product placement because of some contractual agreements we have with third parties.
We will be reviewing MGS4 on the day of release so we can include all of these previously forbidden juicy details. More about MGS4 as soon as it comes.