Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. today announced that historic images and video clips from METAL GEAR SOLID and METAL GEAR SOLID 2: SONS OF LIBERTY will be on display in the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s new exhibition, "The Art of Video Games," which opens March 16. Art from the critically-acclaimed METAL GEAR SOLID 4: GUNS OF THE PATRIOTS will also be a part of the exhibition.
The originator of the stealth-action genre, the METAL GEAR franchise has been around for 25 years since its debut in 1987 in Japan and subsequently in North America. Through the vision of acclaimed game designer and director Hideo Kojima, the award-winning series has been critically beloved and consistently recognized for its original game design combined with a story full of plot twists and intricate human drama.
For the first METAL GEAR SOLID, Mr. Kojima created a digital masterpiece by joining cinematic, fully-voiced cut scenes with groundbreaking 3D gameplay to create an all-new kind of genre often referred to as Tactical Espionage Action, adding the element of stealth to action shooters. METAL GEAR SOLID 2: SONS OF LIBERTY continues to explore the original story and expand upon the genre from the original title. Snake returns along with Foxhound’s new recruit, Raiden, to stop a deadly high-tech weapon from falling into the hands of a highly elite resistance group called Dead Cell. Familiar faces like Revolver Ocelot make an appearance as the player struggles to stop a terrifying new war machine known as Metal Gear Ray. This time around, enemies are more aware and agile, so players must use the skills of stealth, weaponry and counter-terrorism to their fullest in order to fight off the powers competing for destruction and domination.
METAL GEAR SOLID 4: GUNS OF THE PATRIOTS marked the final installment in the legendary saga of Solid Snake. Armed with new equipment and abilities, Snake had to shift the tides of war into his favor, using the chaos of the battlefield to infiltrate deep into enemy territory. In his globetrotting final mission, Snake must sneak deep into enemy locations in the Middle East, South America and other corners of the earth to foil Liquid Ocelot’s plans for global insurrection.
"The METAL GEAR SOLID franchise has enjoyed an amazing 25 year history of award winning content and die-hard fans," said Tomoyuki Tsuboi, President of Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. "It’s an honor to share new artwork from our classic METAL GEAR SOLID games at such a ground-breaking exhibition like ‘The Art of Video Games’."
As part of the public events surrounding the opening of "The Art of Video Games" at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, Hideo Kojima will participate in a discussion about the artistry and creativity of game design with the exhibition’s curator, Chris Melissinos.