Konami is trying to Rip us off with 'Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zero'

Before I begin ranting, I’d like the record to show that I actually completely love the MGS 2 and 3 prequel/demo sections. However, for me, Konami’s approach to Ground Zero as a promotional piece is too much a glorified demo for a full retailer pricing.

Much like most of you reading this, the demos of Metal Gear Solid and the Sons of Liberty packages hold a special place in my heart. I grabbed the MGS2 demo through Zone of the Enders; and the Tanker section, which was the demo of the title, showed off the mechanics, the stealth system and the Easter Eggs that have become a staple in the Metal Gear franchise.

Ok, I was pretty young at the time of the original title, so I didn’t digest the story as well as I might have now, but I do remember loving the game and completing the ‘mission’ was fulfilling and probably contributed to why I’m still a gamer today.

I must have played that section of the game nearly 20 times before ever picking up the full game and therefore I’ve spent more time with those tasters than with half of the game I’ve ever played. I loved working out different routes through the rooms, hiding in lockers and picking up all the items I could before the demo finished.

Yes, the time spent in these demos justified my investment in Zone of the Enders – as I hated the game itself but I cannot see how Hideo Kojima and the team can justify paying £40 for any demo, no matter how length or great the content may be.

The difference for me is that demos cannot exist on their own. The Halo 3 and Sons of Liberty’s samples in Crackdown and Zone of the Enders were incentives for gamers to invest in new franchises. These key demos had their own reasons to be included, they gave a new game the chance to impact consumers and if you didn’t enjoy the titles, but wanted the demos, then you had something else to spend time with. You categorically shouldn’t remove the new franchise and just sling the demo our to consumers at the full price – because it still just boils down to a demo.

It’s almost one of the well-known “Unwritten Rules” – you shouldn’t sleep with your buddy’s girlfriend and you should sell something that’s a taster for the full price. A baker doesn’t charge you full price to sample the crackers and chutneys it has on the top of its counter so why should Konami get away with, what some are saying is, daylight robbery.

Ground Zeroes would not look out of place as a free listing on the PSN or Xbox Marketplace. It is the opening chapter for Metal Gear Solid V, for all intents and purposes, the equivalent of taking the MGS2 demo and labelling it “Metal Gear Solid 2: Chapter One”.

The worst thing I can think of is that I know, and I doubt many people could argue with me here, that some consumers will pay the full price because they think it is a whole new game – especially if they don’t troll through the Internet like you and I.

Recently the designer for Ground Zeroes argued that the length of the title is irrelevant, with indie titles such as Dear Esther and Journey offering similarly short experiences. However, and he seemed to miss these points completely, neither of those titles demanded a full retail cost and they also offered the full game in its complete form. Had Ground Zeroes asked for maybe half of what its recommended retail price then I wouldn’t be so pissed, but the nerve to ask gamers to double dip is morally ambiguous at best.

The worst thing is that Konami knows this, and the exploitation of their fanbase to their attachment with this franchise is what annoys me most. They know gamers will pay full-price for a new Metal Gear Solid, but many will feel ripped off if they knew what they were getting.

The title isn’t being advertised as a small sample of MGSV, at least not to the average consumer, and we are not the average consumer. You are informed, and passionate amount games, which is how you stumbled upon this site anyway and so you know the truth of what is on offer. The majority of people who will purchase this title will no doubt see if as the ‘next-gen’ Metal Gear and buy it with the incorrect understanding.

The inclusion of 'Metal Gear Solid V' on the box art of Ground Zeroes only adds to the notion that Konami is misleading fans. Many people won’t acknowledge that Ground Zeroes is a stop-gap cash-in, but instead think it a full release, in the same way vain that Guns of the Patriots, Sons of Liberty and Peace Walker were.

I hope gamers vote with their wallets on this one, because this could set a dangerous precedent going forward. If this sells well, which at the moment it looks like it will, then we could see other titles do the same which would mean we’re all in trouble.