The end of Metal Gear?

In the Japanese anime publication NewType.com, Ghost in the Shell director Mamoru Oshii recently conducted an interview with Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima. During the interview, Kojima revealed that Metal Gear Solid 2 will be the final chapter in the popular series. The following is the relevant excerpt from the interview:

Oshii: So Metal Gear Solid 2 will conclude the entire series?
Kojima: Yes.
Oshii: This isn't like "end of Chapter 1" type of deal is it?
Kojima: No, we'd like to avoid something like that.

Kojima began the Metal Gear series in 1987 on the MSX, and his most recent work, Metal Gear Solid for the Sony PlayStation, has sold over 5 million copies worldwide. Metal Gear Solid 2 for the PlayStation 2 is scheduled for a release sometime this year in Japan. An Xbox version is also in development. It will be interesting to see whether Kojima maintains his intentions to end the series even if MGS2 becomes as successful, or more so, than the PlayStation game.