E3 06: Metal Gear Solid PSP announced

LOS ANGELES--Metal Gear Solid producer Hideo Kojima has announced a brand new Metal Gear Solid game for the PlayStation Portable. In a recording on Kojima's official blog, the veteran game designer confirms that the title is an action game that will take place six years after Metal Gear Solid 3.

While he didn't divulge a release date for the title, Kojima did go into some detail about the gameplay and the story. Players will control a limited number of troops through a single-player game, and winning battles will increase the size of their armies. Kojima wants to make these soldiers as collectible as possible, making comparisons to cards or marbles, and once they die, they do not come back. He also says that if you choose to give up in a battle, you may lose the ability to use some of your troops--how many depends on a wager that you place before the battle.

The game itself will take place in 1970, with Big Boss starring as the game's main character. A renegade unit called Fox has risen up, and Big Boss is tasked to eliminate them, which eventually leads to the formation of Fox Hound. This story will then lead directly into Metal Gear Solid 4. The graphical quality of the game will be comparable to the PlayStation 2, but with a lower polygon count in areas that will not be visible.