To say that Konami has had a rough couple of weeks would be to put it mildly. Ever since their much-publicized separation from Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima, the publisher has struggled to keep public interest up.

Nevertheless, with Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain not that far off, Konami still has to act as if nothing has happened. Kojima can distance himself from the project, and even skip awards shows, but Konami has a game to promote.

Part of that promotion apparently involves something called Metal Gear Solid: The 1984 Collection, which the Konami Twitter teased earlier today. The tease itself drew plenty of raised eyebrows from fans, and not just because it’s a clothing line.

Yes, Metal Gear Solid: The 1984 Collection is not some sort HD re-release or remaster of past Metal Gear games, but is instead a line of clothing themed around the ‘80s. For those that might not be familiar, Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain catches up with Big Boss during that pivotal time period.

However, despite those connections, it’s unclear if the 1984 Collection will feature clothing from the time period or themed around Metal Gear characters during that era. We’re more inclined to go with the latter, but Konami has yet to say anything official. They wanted to keep things a mystery at first.

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Unfortunately, Konami didn’t step in to confirm The 1984 Collection was a clothing line quick enough. Fans were excited by the initial tease and then immediately let down upon learning it was just clothes. Just take a look at the Twitter responses to Konami's tweet to see what gamers are saying.

Under different circumstances, the clothing reveal may have gone over much better with fans, but not now. Konami’s separation from Kojima not only soured players’ opinion of the publisher, but it also turned them against the company. Add to that the recent cancellation of Silent Hills and one would be hard pressed to find someone who thinks highly of Konami at the moment.

Even so, anticipation is still high enough for Metal Gear Solid 5 and the fandom is strong enough that The 1984 Collection could be successful. We would be interested in a replica Big Boss bandana for the right price.

Do you think Konami’s standing among fans has changed? Are you interested in Metal Gear Solid: The 1984 Collection?

Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain releases September 1, 2015 for PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.

Source: Konami