Ask any armchair quarterback what games can save the doomed PS3 and they’re likely to list Hideo Kojima’s Metal Gear Solid 4 in their “short list” of games. Featuring over the top characters, a wide variety of gameplay mechanics, and a diaper wearing monkey who

could ask for anything more?

But the game has been almost synonymous with excitement and despair even though it’s not even close to being out yet. Well, that’s not entirely true.

Read the rest, after the jump!Two months ago, we thought it would be close to out right now. That’s because in early November, Konami announced the game wouldn’t be out until Q1 ‘08. But wait, that’s not the end of the story of delays…

The delay was for Q1 ‘08 in Japan. Due to a discrepancy between the fiscal year as reported by Japanese versus American companies, that actually equates to Q2 ‘08 for us. And barring yet another delay, the game could be as far away as June. If there’s one thing GTA IV has taught me, until you have the finished game in your grubby little paws, it’s still entirely possible it will be delayed again (and by a long time).

There are some conspiracy theorists that say MGS4 is being delayed while they work on a 360 port, eager to nitpick Kojima’s words that “he” was not working on a 360 port, pointing out that it doesn’t mean another team at Konami wasn’t, but Ryan Payton from Kojima Studios said point blank “if you want to play Metal Gear Solid 4, you have to buy a PS3.” Those same conspiracy theorists were quick to point out the 360 could get a subtitled version or an off-shoot version.

Whatever the real reason for the delays, MGS4 is being put on such an enormous hype pedestal that I’m starting to fear that no matter how good it is, it won’t live up to the hype. Personally, I think the game’s being delayed so long because Snake doesn’t wake up until 11:00, his joints don’t loosen up until noon, and he has to pee like every 20 minutes. Apparently old age is a bitch!

Metal Gear Solid 4 getting delayed (again) checks in at number 87 on the Sarcastic Gamer Top 100 Gaming Moments of 2007.

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