In order to create Metal Gear, aside from finding qualified actors, directors, and other roles, one of the more important tasks was to find real war experts.
Such people weren't too hard to find; they could simply hire military equipment consultants.
These individuals would provide more professional tactical guidance, as long as the game was engaging enough, then the focus could shift to enhancing the tactical authenticity.
For example, the standard cardboard box hiding technique used by Snake in the game would be impossible in real life. But that's the charm of games—they come with some unique elements and don't need to be 100% realistic.
If a game truly replicated reality 100%, it wouldn't be that fun.
Imagine in GTA, where making a mistake could have the police NPCs chase you for miles. Players would likely end up frustrated.
This game was developed over the course of about a year and officially released in the second half of 2006.
Before its release, the game had undergone many playtests, and Metal Gear was featured as one of Gamestar Electronic Entertainment's key projects at several exhibitions. Resources were also heavily invested in it.
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The players' reactions were great because the game had a huge advantage in its gameplay during the demo. Most of the highlights had been shown during the playtests, showcasing Gamestar Electronic Entertainment's culmination of years of technological progress.
When players saw the full game demo, they were truly impressed. Of course, it was Gamestar Electronic Entertainment—only they could create such a uniquely adventurous game.
On the day of the release, the line of players waiting to purchase was exceptional.
Digital games were becoming increasingly popular, but most players still preferred the tactile feeling of owning physical copies. Even though digital versions of games were often cheaper, players still preferred physical copies.
Moreover, once they finished playing, the physical copy could be resold, allowing them to enjoy the game at a relatively low price, which made players very happy.
On the European continent, Carson was the first player in his small town to get Metal Gear.
Once a troublemaker, Carson had become much more obedient.
People were now speculating about what had made someone like Carson change his character.
The real reason for Carson's change was something only he knew—video games.
Back then, he caused trouble simply to pass the time.
In Europe, there wasn't much to do, especially for a young man like him. He felt that causing trouble was the only way to prove his existence and also a way to alleviate his boredom.
But now, things were different. Now, he had video games—an interesting new thing.
He became addicted to them, enjoying the happiness video games brought him. It was much more enjoyable than fighting.
After all, punching people couldn't save princesses or make you a hero, but in games, you could be anyone you wanted.
At first, he was introduced to a soccer game by a bartender at the "Spin Spin Spin" bar.
Soon, he got his own gaming console. However, after buying it just to play a soccer game, he felt it wasn't enough, so he decided to buy more video games to enjoy the different sensory experiences they offered.
Not long after, the GSX console was released, and he was among the first to buy it, even faster than another gamer, the son of the "Spin Spin Spin" bar owner.
However, Carson was very generous and always willing to share his fun. So, his gaming console was often left at the bar for others to play, with the condition that if it was damaged, they had to pay for it. Also, absolutely no one was allowed to mess with his favorite game saves. If anyone did, there would be consequences.
Today, the Metal Gear cartridge arrived at the town, and Carson immediately got his hands on it, then rushed to the "Spin Spin Spin" bar like the wind.
When he entered the bar, he saw his old friends all gathered around the TV, engrossed in a game.
These friends had also once been a group of people with no ambition, always getting into fights.
Though they hadn't changed their personalities as dramatically as Carson—still interested in fighting—they were now distracted by video games, which had undeniably reduced a lot of their chances for crime.
"Hey Carson, you're early today!"
Someone noticed Carson entering the bar and immediately greeted him enthusiastically.
"Carson, come over here! Let's have a drink. It's on me!"
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Now, Carson had become quite well-liked at the bar.
His willingness to freely share his gaming console was a great way to build friendships.
Carson briefly greeted everyone, then walked straight to the gaming console where his friends were playing.
He took out the Metal Gear cartridge and said, "I've borrowed the console, and I brought a new game."
"A new game? What's it about?"
The guys had just been playing the soccer game, and it was really satisfying to beat their disliked teams in a game, but Carson's mention of a new game clearly intrigued them more.
"It's Metal Gear, a really great game. Have you guys seen the trailer for it?"
They all shook their heads. They weren't really into games that much and mostly just played to have fun. They didn't care too much about game trailers.
If there was a game to play, they would play it, but if there wasn't, they'd just go out and fight. They didn't have Carson's obsession with games.
"Trust me, you'll definitely be interested in this game."
Carson shoved aside two guys who were fixated on the soccer game and inserted the new cartridge into the GSX console.
A brand-new screen appeared—showing a man wearing an eye patch and sporting thick stubble.
He wore super cool tactical gear, making it obvious that he was a tactical operative.
A fierce-looking scar on his face made the character appear even more serious and intense.
Even though they were a bunch of grown men, they couldn't help but be attracted to the masculine features of Snake.
This was the image of a real man with a big beard, they all thought to themselves.
In the game's interface, the main character, Snake, was surrounded by nothing but the ruins of a battlefield, indicating that this was a one-sided war that the main character was crushing.