Metal Gear Solid 4 will only have local voice tracks
by Jem Alexander 
{ Feb 29th 2008 at 6:00PM }
Wait a second, running out of space on a Blu-Ray disc? Well, we knew this would happen at some point but this is definitely earlier than we expected. Our only worry about this is regarding the European release - will it only have English vocals? If so, then non-English speakers might have to settle for subtitles of their mother tongue. Fans of the Japanese language will either have to survive with English or risk importing from Japan and hoping there'll be English subtitles.
[Via Joystiq]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Eggy @ Feb 29th 2008 6:06PM
They'll just add another layer in the future, giving devs more space to work with.
aaron_k7 @ Feb 29th 2008 6:06PM
I'll cry myself to sleep tonight.
Dehshizknight @ Feb 29th 2008 6:08PM
Ok, this should shut the 360 fans up about not needing Blu-ray. I don't see how this game would possibly run on the 360....
Popfrogs @ Feb 29th 2008 6:15PM
Sure it could. It'd just have to be a 5 DVD set. LOADING... hahaha
Dehshizknight @ Feb 29th 2008 8:01PM
Lol, PopFrogs, you the man! You always manage to crack me up with your comments.
But seriously, who wants multiple disks on a next-gen system?
DrunkRaba @ Feb 29th 2008 8:43PM
hehe, 360 owners?
Tiptup300 @ Mar 1st 2008 3:59AM
I'm actually appauled by this announcement. Its more of a "Look guys, I have sloppy programming skills!" Since you have so much space you automatically will just fill that space whether or not you can compress since theres so much. Which is why I have a 30gig harddrive (I know, tiny) and its about 70% space used. My friend has a 500gig harddrive (I know, medium) and its about 70% space used. I have a bigger music collection. I don't have many videos, he doesn't really download any.
Jove @ Mar 1st 2008 9:34AM
@ Tiptup300
?????? what the hell are you talking about¿¿¿¿¿¿
Tiptup300 @ Mar 1st 2008 3:21PM
They aren't compressing the audio because they have so much space. Either that or they genuinely have a years worth of dialogue. Which still shouldn't take 30 gigs PERIOD.
matjet @ Mar 2nd 2008 11:40AM
taking 0.19 MB per second of audio based on itunes comparisons.
(mgs4 uses a greater number of audio channells than your standard mp3(dolby 5.1 or dolby7.1, i can't remember from the interview), but this is probably more than canceled out by the higher compression rates they are using.)
assuming there is 30 hours of straight audio in mgs4.
(mgs4 is likelly a much longer game than a mere 30 hours plus there are usually many different audio tracks playing at once.)
30h*0.19MB/s = 21.17GB of data.
this is obviously more than what the actual game data will consume.
however i point out that the rest of the game is what takes up most of the space. Kojima has complained before about the lack of space on the blu-ray discs.
Neil @ Feb 29th 2008 6:27PM
How is this even news worthy? David Hayter and crew do such a great job with the English voice overs that I can't imagining anyone wanting to mess around with the Japaneses voice tracks.
I guess to try and make Xbox fanboys lose any hope they had of MGS going to the 360?
PS3FanxD @ Feb 29th 2008 6:34PM
It is news cause they stated that they used up all the space in Blu-Ray, and for people hoping for Japanese voice acting. I'm usually picky about that, but I have to say they do a good job with the English voice acting. I doubt anyone, or a large group anyway, was hoping for it. If anything, they can always release it as a patch later on, if people demands it.
JKPierce @ Feb 29th 2008 6:44PM
Still calling bull on the space being maxed out. Seems suspect.
Really don't have any desire for the feature, despite.
wtangofoxtrot @ Feb 29th 2008 6:53PM
well u never know, they may have had to duplicate files across the disk to compensate for the slow disk read speeds the blu-ray drive in the ps3 has. i recall they did that in oblivion and some other games. that plus ps3 games dont use compression for some reason, i recall heavenly sword, a 6 hour game had around 10gb of sound data :s
motorer @ Feb 29th 2008 7:21PM
why? do you have any idea how much space 24-bit, 48khz (44k?) stereo audio takes up?
you just automatically assume they're lying?
motorer @ Feb 29th 2008 7:19PM
why? do you have any idea how much space 24-bit, 48khz (44k?) stereo audio takes up?
you just automatically assume they're lying?
JKPierce @ Feb 29th 2008 7:30PM
It's not that I assume anything, that just makes an ass of you and me.
It's that it's unprecedented; unless they've got War and Peace in audiobook form, it's difficult to know what to think. Particularly given that Grand Theft Auto 4's main and side storylines recently being marked at about 100 hours.
With Resistance, they at least gave approximations as to what they had and how much they had of it on the disc. Hopefully it's more a matter of compression (or lack thereof).
JKPierce @ Feb 29th 2008 7:33PM
This system is a joy to work with... Every other comment gets eaten with a 'confirm your email,' though I have and the email is never sent. Wee.
It's not that I'm assuming anything, that just makes an ass of you and me.
It's that it's unprecedented; unless they've got War and Peace in audiobook form, it's difficult to know what to think. Particularly when Rockstar recently commented on Grand Theft Auto 4's main and side missions coming under just 100 hours.
With Resistance, Insomniac at least told us roughly what was there and how much of it they had. Hopefully it's just a matter of compression (or lack thereof).
Dehshizknight @ Feb 29th 2008 8:03PM
The size of MGS games are a force to be reckoned with. Also, the graphics and audio-quality of MGS is completely above and beyond Grand Theft Auto and Resistance.
Vincent @ Mar 1st 2008 9:21AM
I'm actually with you on this one. This sounds like PR bs lol
JKPierce @ Feb 29th 2008 8:41PM
Yeah, but we're on the next generation format.
It's more or less common knowledge that Metal Gear Solid 3 was truncated, at least partially, because of the physical limitations. But we're well beyond DVD9 technology now.
If we've already run into a wall at a single-layered Blu-ray disc, the production costs will only rise more if they feel an additional layer is justified. Sixty dollars for a brand new game is a damned steal, nowadays, especially with titles such as MGS4. This precedence, if it is genuinely necessary, has me the slightest bit worried.
Though it may just be a case of 'we did cause we could.'
Eggy @ Mar 1st 2008 7:16AM
MGS games are alittle bit more dialogue heavy than GTA games. Besides GTA is designed with the DL DVD in mind so that it could run on the Xbox 360, MGS however did not have constraints like that.
Jason @ Feb 29th 2008 6:53PM
is it a single layer or double layer disc?
Dehshizknight @ Feb 29th 2008 8:09PM
Single (25 GB). I'm assuming that they'll start using dual-layered disks when the prices for them go down.
Saffie @ Feb 29th 2008 7:16PM
IMO: The English voice over is WAY better than the Japanese voice over anyway...
heckteck @ Feb 29th 2008 8:16PM
i agree after playing through every single mgs game wouldn't you be already used to the english voice actors........i mean when ever i see a clip with the japanese voice actors from the imported japanese mgs i would be like thats not snakes voice lol.......i mean really the english voice actors are not that bad.......thats why i sometimes like the english dubs for anime i don't have to read subtitles and sometimes it's actually funnier than the japanese version E.G. Goldenboy i watched each episode with both japanese and english voices and the english humor outshines the japanese humor by far
kentuckyfried @ Feb 29th 2008 8:09PM
Most of the time, the Japanese voice-acting in anime as well as games trumps the English counterpart.
I was hoping the advent of blu-ray would enable us to hear and experience the different voice tracks as an option (since they have to make them anyhow, it's no additional difficulty except maybe menu navigation). Too bad it won't make it for this game.
Kabapu @ Feb 29th 2008 8:37PM
I'm okay with there not being any Japanese audio in *this* game. The English actors in the MGS series have always been really good.
However, that being said, if this sets a precedent, I will be extremely pissed. I'm sick of listening to the shoddy voice-work done on most Japanese RPGs due to the fact that the localization teams are stuck using whatever English voice-actor union it is that has the anime industry by the balls. I'm sick of hearing the same voices playing the same roles in everything.
Square-Enix, Namco, Sega .... I'm watching you!
JKPierce @ Feb 29th 2008 8:44PM
To be fair, Square-Enix's work has been phenomenal lately.
Kabapu @ Feb 29th 2008 9:26PM
FFXII wasn't bad I suppose. But Kingdom Hearts II ... ugh. But that was not only a problem of bad voice-acting, but bad writing overall.
Ah! But look at Last Remnant. From what I can tell, it *only* has English dialogue (much like DMC4) and they're using that same damned union I'm talking about. It's a bad road they're taking.
Either way, I demand FFXIII be released with a dual-audio track. I know that in no way has any sway one way or the other, but I demand it nonetheless!
The Aggie CEO @ Feb 29th 2008 8:50PM
so ummmmmm yea........
they gotta be using the single layer disc......
and I recall people saying that there is no reason for all that space.......
recon @ Feb 29th 2008 9:18PM
Given other MGS titles, a lot of the disk space is used most likely from a lot of info (story) as movie sequences. Think of all the other MGS titles, It was movie galore. Like the end of snake eater, that was a long ass sequence. Dont get it wrong tho, i'm not complaining. Im just saying thats where the disk space has gone in my opinion. Also given the fact that it will be of high resolutions. Hmmmm, just thinkin', how long will the inital pre-load to PS3 harddrive goin to be?
Kabapu @ Feb 29th 2008 9:31PM
Agreed. I remember playing MGS2 and 3 and just sitting around calling everyone on the Communicator constantly for hours at a time. They'd always have like ten things to say for every item you held or place you were located or enemies you encountered or things you did. There's soooo much in these games it's ridiculous.
Vincent @ Mar 1st 2008 12:45PM
I just hope they don't pull a Crapcom with some ungodly install to play the game.
English voices aren't bad at all, at least I can understand what they are saying. Japanese oftentimes sound too dramatic imo.
MetalKingSlime @ Mar 1st 2008 1:28AM
that's cool. mgs games always had excellent voice acting. although i love japanese voice acting with anime, etc. its just not needed i guess.
Vesku @ Mar 1st 2008 3:42AM
As long as the localization of this game doesn't include the risk that I'd end up with a Spanish-dubbed version of MGS4, I can live with it.
Kind of ironic though. The last game in the series that had region-specific copies manufactured was the original Metal Gear Solid for PSX. I distinctly remember seeing a completely Italian version of that game, complete with Italian voiceovers, subtitles and no way to undo the changes. If this game has that problem... Full circle indeed.
On the bright side, or rather not at all, I've never regretted more for not owning a 5.1. home theatre.
Jove @ Mar 1st 2008 9:51AM
where you from that you think theres a risk of getting a spanish version of the game
finelicker @ Mar 1st 2008 3:42AM
I smell BS. A sound vocal track in a game is not THAT big. even in uncompressed format. The game would have to have something like over 200hrs of dialogue.
I don't think so.
Adam @ Mar 1st 2008 12:44PM
Movie data always ends up being more than game data.The reason it fills the disc so much "if it really did" Is becuase if you think of a bluray flick being about close to 25gb of data alone then adding about 9gb of game data and raw audio and such uncompressed is alot of data.That being said tho i doubt its that much and then you need to ask yourself.
If theres that much movie data over game data are you playing a cdi game?I think its a little crazy to have more movie data then game.Thats the reason i never got into the mgs series i am not patient i just wanna play.Then again that may be the reason i own a 360.
All in all i remember when they said they couldnt put a game like gta3 on a dreamcast disc becuase it wouldt fit on a cdr.Then i look a what they did with true crim nyc on gamecube.If you think about the gamecube disc it was 1.5gb and the gamecube damanded a bit more graphically than the dreamcast did.I think they could have dropped a gta3 on drwamcast using high compression.
With todays technology anythings possible they fit games like gta4 with over 100 hours of gameplay on dvd9 and then oblivion as well on dvd9 with room left.
I think its justa load of bullshit and the games gonna be 80% movie 20% gameplay.
For me like i said thatss crazy couple that with a boring to me as it is stealth shooter and its just an annoying task.
JKPierce @ Mar 1st 2008 12:55PM
I remember a time when people knew what they were talking about.
You are not one of them.
Rowdehaj @ Mar 2nd 2008 6:28AM
You must remember, Oblivion had like 7 voice actors in all.
Phizzy @ Mar 2nd 2008 3:05PM
A real-time cut-scene and a pre-rendered movie of the same length do not match each other in size.
Jove @ Mar 1st 2008 9:46AM
when you know other metal gear solid games and you know the twists, plots and all the funny surprises the game has, makes you wonder how long will this one be... cant wait!!!
eddyk @ Mar 1st 2008 10:13AM
Well Mess Effect have deep and verbose dialogues and each contry here in Europe has it own IN GAME DIALOGUE AUDIO TRANSLATIONS (german, french, spanish, ...), How did the guys from Mass Effect manage to do so and SONY is not even capable for a blockbuster like MGS4 ???
Rowdehaj @ Mar 2nd 2008 11:40AM
You honestly, *honestly* cannot draw this comparison when the game isn't even out yet.
NACHO @ Mar 1st 2008 1:06PM
I wouldn't say it's IMPOSSIBLE to port to the 360:
http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/3464/mgs4qz0.jpg
Mike918 @ Mar 1st 2008 5:28PM
I think that image is like more old than my Grandma...but it still funny
adam @ Mar 1st 2008 5:43PM
@JKPIERECE
So your saying that movie data is less than game data?
Lets look at this.
Take a dvd rip it into vob files
you will clearly see the movie data fills a dvd.Take a ps2 game rip it you will clearly see theres plenty of room left on the disc.
I dont know what im talking about?
someone get this kid a fucking cookie.Along with a lesson in common sense please.
Rowdehaj @ Mar 2nd 2008 6:31AM
I'd actually like to give you a phrasebook, thesaurus, and a smack around the face to make clear that you're not a game designer and don't know these things for certain. :D
Enjoyeth thy gifts.
NACHO @ Mar 2nd 2008 1:13AM
C'mon Mike. A joke like that NEVER gets old (unlike ur Grandma oooooooo (sry))