Metal Gear Solid 5 confirmed

Hideo Kojima, the creator of the Metal Gear Solid franchise has confirmed that Metal Gear Solid 5 is in the works.

In an interview with the Official PlayStation Magazine UK that will hits the stands on November 29, the Metal Gear Solid series creator, Hideo Kojima, has confirmed that work on Metal Gear Solid 5 is underway.

Beyond that tantalizing nugget we’ll have to wait for the release of the print issue for the full story, but the news shouldn’t really surprise anyone. The Metal Gear Solid series has remained one of the most influential, profitable, and strongest franchises of the last two decades, and the recent release of the HD Collection is further proof of the property’s appeal.

In the interview, Kojima also discussed the new Project Ogre, Metal Gear Solid Rising (the first MGS game Kojima neither wrote nor directed), and how Snake was supposed to die but got a reprieve.

While the news of MGS5 isn’t shocking, it is the first time we’ve heard any real solid news about it. Now that we know for sure it is coming, the confirmation raises more questions than answers. Will it be on this generation of consoles or the next? Will it be a PlayStation exclusive? Will the cut scenes exceed 10 hours? If the game is anywhere near completion, it wouldn’t be surprising to see an official announcement at next month’s VGA Awards, or possibly next year’s E3. But if it is set for the next generation of consoles, we may have a long wait in front of us.

In the meantime, if you are craving more MGS action, the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection is available now, and keep an eye out for the MGS4 prequel, Metal Gear Solid Rising, which will debut on PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 sometime in 2012.