Metal Gear Solid 4 confirmed worldwide for June 12

The Guns of the Patriots are locked and loaded. Konami today officially confirmed the widely rumored June 12 North American release date for Metal Gear Solid 4, the series' belated debut on the PlayStation 3. Earlier this week, Sony announced that the game would arrive late in the second quarter, and would be available as part of a PS3 hardware bundle with the system and the new Dual Shock 3 rumble-equipped controller.

Konami first revealed the news at the retailer-only Destination PlayStation event in Scottsdale, Arizona, along with details of the game's preorder incentive program. Gamers who put money down for the game before release will receive a preorder package with access to the Metal Gear Online beta test when it goes live in late April, as well as a bonus DVD titled Metal Gear Saga 2.0. The DVD includes a prologue that recaps the series' intricate and winding story, a 20th anniversary retrospective, character bios, and trailers for Guns of the Patriots.

Gamers who pass on the preorder pack will have to wait until the retail release of Metal Gear Solid 4 to get in on the online action, given that the Metal Gear Online Starter Pack launches with the game on June 12. For more on Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, check out GameSpot's extensive coverage of the game.

UPDATE: Konami has officially confirmed what it has long promised; June 12 will not only see the game hit shelves in North America, but also the rest of the world. This will come as a relief to European gamers in particular, who have had to wait six months to a year after the US release of recent MGS games to get their hands (officially, at least) on Solid Snake.