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Metal Gear Solid 2 And 3 Temporarily Removed From Digital Stores
Konami has announced that Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater will be removed from digital storefronts today while Konami renews the licences for the "historical archive footage" they contain. Although the removals are only temporary, Konami's statement does not specify when the games will be available again in the affected stores. "We sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding as we work to reintroduce these products to the marketplace," the publisher said.
The changes affect various digital re-releases of the two games, which were released in 2001 and 2004 respectively. Both games have been remastered for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation Vita, and Nvidia Shield TV, as well as the Nintendo 3DS version of MGS3 and the GOG re-release of MGS2. The HD Collection for the games is also being removed from the PlayStation Now streaming services.
Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3 both use real-world footage in lengthy cutscenes to weave their stories together with 20th-century historical events, though Konami hasn't said which historical footage is the issue. It's reassuring that Konami is renewing licences for the footage rather than attempting to remove it because it plays such an important role in establishing the atmosphere of both games.
Other games that have faced similar licencing issues haven't fared as well. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was pulled from digital stores on PC in 2012 due to music licencing issues, and when it was re-released, the soundtrack was said to be missing ten songs. The 2010 re-release of Crazy Taxi on PS3 and Xbox 360, which lacked the original's music and real-world brands, was a similar storey.
