Summary
To this day,Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walkerstands as one of the most influential titles of its time. For one, it showed just what can be possible on a handheld device, offering a complex experience on the go. On the other hand, it was an important entry in theMetal Gear Solidfranchise, with its mechanics and story paving the way forMetal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.
As it turns out,according to Hideo Kojima himself, Peace Walker was originally intended to be Metal Gear Solid V. However, the forces of marketing were too strong, and it was simply released as Peace Walker, without any numbering.
Information about Peace Walker’s roots comes by way ofKojima’s own Twitter account, where the video game auteur revealed some unknown information about the portable classic.
Marketing Wins Above All
Taking to Twitter, Kojima wrote that he “strongly felt the need for a proprietary engine” following the release ofMGS 4. While it was being developed, he apparently proposed Peace Walker to be titled “MGS 5: Peace Walker.”
However, according to Kojima, “it faced strong opposition from overseas marketing, so we dropped the numbered title.”
Not only that, but Kojima also revealed that they lowered the target age range to “discover younger fans and build a multi-generational following.” That target age range was middle and high school students, exactly the kind of group that would have a PSP to begin with.
Indeed,Peace Walker launched with an ESRB rating of T for Teen, with rating qualifications not toodissimilar from other T-rated games. For reference,Metal Gear Solid 3 and 4 all launched with M ratings, owing to intense violence, blood, language and suggestive themes.
It’s probably safe to assume that if Peace Walker were to release today, it would likely be titled 5: Peace Walker due to handheld gaming being viewed more seriously. Either way, few things are as fascinating as Kojima detailing his illustrious career.
