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[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

Metal Gear Solid 2" would proceed at a smooth pace up until its launch in November of 2001. At that time, I was also engaged in promotional-related activities for the game. The depiction of game's themes and its numerous similarities with the real-world events on September 11 rendered it unfit for release at the time. After consulting with lawyers, the end result was that the game required revisions in 300 spots. It goes without saying that we were crisis mode and it was threatening the release and sale of the game.

I was called in to speak with the board of directors and after explaining the story details everyone's facial expression had a look of “This is not good." Since the plan for the game was to have a worldwide release the idea of shelving the project altogether would have a tremendous impact in terms of business.

I thought to myself, "The game shouldn't be released at this period in time. I have no other choice but to take responsibility and resign from the company." | then reached out to Kagemasa Kōzuki the founder of Konami through email. He responded with, “I have made up my mind. The game should be released. What are your thoughts?" I was moved by the words and I too made up my mind. I also had discussions with Ken Kutaragi the then president of Sony Computer Entertain- ment (SCEI). Mr. Kutaragi heard my explanation and offered his advice stating, “This is not a matter you should be ashamed of. You should go ahead and release the game." If I didn't have the support of these two individuals, I can't predict how the events would've transpired otherwise. The places in the game that necessitated revisions were corrected and the game's release was postponed by a few weeks. In the end, the game would go on to receive worldwide critical acclaim with impunity.

 

[ManaByte]

They had to edit out the cutscenes of Arsenal Gear smashing into New York.

 

[ANDS]

Oh please. MGS2 was in no danger of being shelved, just like few media properties were shelved indefinitely because of 9/11. 24, one of the greatest schlocky TV shows in history, and pretty much a great bellwether for content at the time, also had this dilemma and they sidestepped it pretty easily.

Kojima offering to fall on his sword because his game has terrorists in it (that is literally the only possible "connection" to 9/11 that I can see; a connection that most media at the time had as well) is complete Kojima bullshit.

 

[CGNoire]

I love Kojima but Im calling BS. He was known to be quite overdramatic back then and the guy loves manipulating the press to control his public perception.
Sounds like a classic Kojima move. He is clearly operating at a high level but he is also kind of a major jerk.

 

[SCB3]

Oh please. MGS2 was in no danger of being shelved, just like few media properties were shelved indefinitely because of 9/11. 24, one of the greatest schlocky TV shows in history, and pretty much a great bellwether for content at the time, also had this dilemma and they sidestepped it pretty easily.

Kojima offering to fall on his sword because his game has terrorists in it (that is literally the only possible "connection" to 9/11 that I can see; a connection that most media at the time had as well) is complete Kojima bullshit.

Tbf 24 Started like months later and was already shot and not set in New York (Is Season 1 LA, I forget), MGS2 had New York and more specifically the Twin Towers in the game

 

[winjer]

Several games and movies change a couple of scenes, because of 9/11.
But I doubt MGS would have to be cancelled because of it.

 

[Kerotan]

They had to edit out the cutscenes of Arsenal Gear smashing into New York.

A real shame. It always felt wrong the way you head for the coast and next thing you're jumping off the Arsenal landing on liberty hall.

Also hilarious to think during the end credits the crowd were just casually walking through NY like nothing happened. After 9/11 we know what the real public reaction would be.

I wonder was anything else cut?

 

[ANDS]

Tbf 24 Started like months later and was already shot and not set in New York (Is Season 1 LA, I forget), MGS2 had New York and more specifically the Twin Towers in the game

24 was delayed and one of the marquee moments from that first episode is a plane being brought down. ANY media with tropey "Allah Akbar!" terrorists was edited in some way because, whoops, shit became too real. The idea that MGS2 was in any danger long term is laughable; absolutely remove the old towers and do some light editing to not come on the wrong side of advertisement, but cancelling the game and the lead creative resigning. . .please.

. . .like MAYBE this conversation happened with as much earnestness as HK is saying it had. Personally, I think this is a case of the guy putting a bit too much mustard on a memory of his, which isn't shocking coming from a man utterly lacking in subtlety.

 

[RagnarokIV]

This is old news. But he's talking utter bollocks. I love all his games but he's known for talking a fair bit of shit.

 

[RagnarokIV]

A real shame. It always felt wrong the way you head for the coast and next thing you're jumping off the Arsenal landing on liberty hall.

The first time I played the game at release, that part really confused me. It was like the video game version of a late-production movie reshoot. Then Snake and Raiden are fully sneaking suit geared up in the middle of a crowd and nobody cares.

 

[GHound]

There have certainly been people who were made to take the fall for less in Japanese entertainment.

 

[Camreezie]

Kojima should shut up and focus on the output more. Hes a developer/game director at the end of the day hes not in advertising

 

[DryvBy]

X

 

[Kerotan]

The first time I played the game at release, that part really confused me. It was like the video game version of a late-production movie reshoot. Then Snake and Raiden are fully sneaking suit geared up in the middle of a crowd and nobody cares.

They probably had the crowd panicking a lot more but had to change it to avoid 9/11 comparisons. Just shows you how good the game is because the only lackluster part production wise was a forced change.

If they ever remake the game they should put it back into the non American release.

 

[Bond007]

This game had so much pre release hype especially after that awesome ass trailer they released.
No way this would be cancelled- shelved for a while, possible. Cancelled, nah

 

[YCoCg]

They had to edit out the cutscenes of Arsenal Gear smashing into New York.

Still to this day that cutscene gives blue balls due to how awkwardly it's cut, you literally see Arsenal Gear out of control and charging past the Verezona Bridge and heading towards Manhattan, the music is blasting with violins and drums as it's getting faster, THEN, fade to white, fade back into a partially destroyed lower Manhattan with Arsenal Gear parked in the middle of the mess.

 

[GamesDontSuck]

Have to say it's bs too.

Like ok, maybe like 24 hours after 9/11 there would have been talk about is there more attacks? Will we get backlash for releasing this? Should we just hold off a couple of months? etc. Of course random discussions would have been had. They were never going to not release the game. It was the most hyped up ps2 game at the time. Way more than gta3. You don't just scrap everything.

Mgs2 was realised 8 weeks and 6 days after 9/11. No such thing as day one patches back then and production of the dvd and shipping takes time. So realistically they had what, 4 weeks at best to edit stuff out? And that also involved QA signing off. Every time you touch the code you run the risk of more bugs.

So all this talk about making a big choice blah blah. It is my personal opinion they made their choice to edit like 48 hours after 9/11 then the team went to work on those changes. They didn't have the time to waste.

 

[kvltus lvlzvs]

They should have kept the crash scene.

 

[justiceiro]

"with impunity", lmao, never change Kojima.

 

[Esppiral]

Still to this day that cutscene gives blue balls due to how awkwardly it's cut, you literally see Arsenal Gear out of control and charging past the Verezona Bridge and heading towards Manhattan, the music is blasting with violins and drums as it's getting faster, THEN, fade to white, fade back into a partially destroyed lower Manhattan with Arsenal Gear parked in the middle of the mess.

They should restore that secuence in the remaster

 

[Kilau]

They probably had the crowd panicking a lot more but had to change it to avoid 9/11 comparisons. Just shows you how good the game is because the only lackluster part production wise was a forced change.

If they ever remake the game they should put it back into the non American release.

New York has been destroyed in media many times over since then, I think we can handle it.

 

[baphomet]

9/11 almost saved us from decades of overwrought Kojima bullshit.

Never forget

 

[Senua]

 

[The Stig]

The whole thing stank.

But our noses had been out in the cold too long.

 

[Bry0]

GTA3 had a lot of similar changes.

 

[DownLikeBCPowder]

GTA3 had a lot of similar changes.

Yep, clipping Dodo wings and perhaps more.

I don't think they should have edited out the two towers in MGS2 or anything else should have been altered. It was ridiculous then and now.

 

[YCoCg]

I don't think they should have edited out the two towers in MGS2 or anything else should have been altered. It was ridiculous then and now.

I mean for this one MGS2 is set the future at this point, the events of Big Shell take place in 2009 and they wanted to portray New York accurately (even though the MGS universe seems to have some dated tech, like the Sony-Ericsson phones or the old iPod in MGS4, etc), so if the Twin Towers had just been destroyed in 2001, then universe wise they're not going to be there in 2009.

 

[TGO]

This isn't new information, everyone was well aware of this when the game released.
The Document of Metal Gear Solid 2 & the Japanese Making Of Sons of Liberty featured the Twin Towers.

 

[YCoCg]

The Document of Metal Gear Solid 2 ... featured the Twin Towers.

It did? Let me quickly check that.

Oh yeah, it does...

 

[Scotty W]

I love Kojima but Im calling BS. He was known to be quite overdramatic back then and the guy loves manipulating the press to control his public perception.
Sounds like a classic Kojima move. He is clearly operating at a high level but he is also kind of a major jerk.

One strange feature of Japan is that apologies are often wanted even when there is no fault. It is seen as a sign of sincerity.

 

[ChorizoPicozo]

 

[TheInfamousKira]

Oh please. MGS2 was in no danger of being shelved, just like few media properties were shelved indefinitely because of 9/11. 24, one of the greatest schlocky TV shows in history, and pretty much a great bellwether for content at the time, also had this dilemma and they sidestepped it pretty easily.

Kojima offering to fall on his sword because his game has terrorists in it (that is literally the only possible "connection" to 9/11 that I can see; a connection that most media at the time had as well) is complete Kojima bullshit.

Is this a copy pasta? I'm totally claiming it.

 

[Kamina]

9/11 was a major tragic event, but the amount of censorship and unreleased media it caused around the world is bullshit.
Hell, in Germany the even started to censor anime. I remember that in Naruto they suddenly cut out things like swords and Kunai.

 

[A.Romero]

Oh please. MGS2 was in no danger of being shelved, just like few media properties were shelved indefinitely because of 9/11. 24, one of the greatest schlocky TV shows in history, and pretty much a great bellwether for content at the time, also had this dilemma and they sidestepped it pretty easily.

Kojima offering to fall on his sword because his game has terrorists in it (that is literally the only possible "connection" to 9/11 that I can see; a connection that most media at the time had as well) is complete Kojima bullshit.

They edited the connections. Most notably the destruction on NYC by Arsenal Gear. Maybe even the two towers specifically.

Kind of hard to see from the outside and with the experience we have now but at the time it was a pretty shocking event that had consequences that honestly wouldn't make sense otherwise like "freedom fries".

 

[Thick Thighs Save Lives]

Welp, you made me burn through my free GPT4 promp for today

 

[RaduN]

So many of you have absolutely no clue how big and impactful the 9/11 event was at the time.
It totally changed so many things literally over night, everywhere in the world.

I can easily see the doubts around releasing a strongly political story about terrorism, even without TT footage, around that time.
Would love to know about all those hundreds of modifications to the game though.

 

[Barakov]

 

[Morrie’s wig shop]

This isn’t new info, in fact at the time everyone who was following game development back then knew because it was all over the internet and game magazines with articles.

I highly doubt that it was ever in danger of being canceled, delayed to edit shit out.

9/11was huge it changed the entire planet and the way we live our lives.
Did you know you were once able to walk someone right up to the gate of the plane at airports.

Speaking of delays, did you know 9/11 also delayed the launch of the Xbox and GameCube.