Kojima Productions Hiring for new Metal Gear- Next Gen and PC Likely

“Big Boss Wants You!” says the opening text on the Konami Japan website, as Kojima Productions announce their intention to start work on a new Metal Gear game. The text is accompanied by a picture of the aforementioned Big Boss- who is pointing at the reader in a distinctly Uncle Sam-esque manner- calling on developers to visit Kojipro’s booth at this year’s GDC.  Unsurprisingly, the image also confirms that the recently developed Fox Engine will be used to power the game.

Concrete details are scare, but logical speculation can certainly be gleaned from the project’s job requirements page. Two things stand out immediately. First is the use of the phrase “next gen” with regards to senior and graphics engineers. Second is the mention of the new game being, “targeted for high-end consoles and PC.” It wouldn’t make sense for Kojipro to refer to current machines as “next generation” considering they’re now around 5-6 years old, so surely this confirms the game’s place on proper next-generation hardware?

The wording also implies that the game’s place on PC is assured- a surprise considering the platform has never had a Metal Gear game released day-in-date with its console cousins. Could this be an indication of Fox Engine’s flexibility?

Another interesting tidbit is the listing for a “network programmer”. This suggests that the new game may include some kind of multiplayer component. It’s plausible that this could be tied into Konami‘s recent decision to axe Metal Gear Online.

A final point of note is the “classified” envelope sitting ominously at the top of the page. Clicking on it brings up a picture of Big Boss, who is standing next to a dog of some sort. Boss’ furry friend is also depicted on the emblem sitting on his sleeve. The dog motif possibly hints at links to Foxhound- the military unit that Big Boss canonically established during the early 1970′s. Curiously, he also seems to be crushing something in his left hand, but I’ll leave you to figure out the symbolism in that…

So, is it too early to get feverishly excited about the prospect of a new Metal Gear? Should it hit current consoles rather than next-gen? And where could the story logically go after MGS: Peace Walker? Spill your brains into the comments below.