Konami brand manager Richard Jones reveals that the controversial 4-player co-op Metal Gear Solid spinoff game Metal Gear Survive will not be sold at full price.

Metal Gear Solid fans have been nervous about the future of the franchise since series creator Hideo Kojima left Konami last year. And judging by the overwhelmingly negative reaction to the Metal Gear Survive reveal trailer yesterday, many feel as though their lack of faith in Konami is justified. However, some may be relieved to learn that Metal Gear Survive seems to be a mere experimental side project than a full-fledged sequel, and it won't even be sold at full price when it launches in 2017.

Konami brand manager Richard Jones indicated as much in a recent interview with Eurogamer. Unfortunately, Jones was unable to provide specific pricing information, so it's unclear exactly how much Metal Gear Survive will cost come launch. Depending on the amount of content, one has to imagine that it will probably be close to the starting price of Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, so $39.99 seems like a likely launch price.

At this point, we're not sure why Konami has decided to sell Metal Gear Survive at a discount. One possibility is that it reuses many assets from Metal Gear Solid V, and so the development cost was cheaper than it would have been otherwise. Alternatively, Konami could have decided on the lower price after the Metal Gear Survive gamescom 2016 trailer was met with such a negative response from fans.

Regardless of Konami's reasoning, knowing that Metal Gear Survive isn't meant to be a full-priced title may make fans more open-minded about the game. It may not make them believe that Metal Gear Survive is a good idea necessarily, but it could curb the hatred a bit, and convince some longtime series veterans to at least give the new game a test run.

Of course, the backlash could return once Metal Gear Survive releases if the gameplay isn't solid. Thanks to the incredible efforts from Hideo Kojima and his team at Kojima Productions over the years, fans expect nothing short of the best when it comes to Metal Gear games, and if Survive earns negative reviews, it could make even more people lose faith in the Konami brand.

Konami wants to win back its fans, and while Metal Gear Survive probably won't be the game to do that, selling it at a lower price point could be a step in the right direction. If Konami is serious about wanting to earn back its disgruntled fan base, though, it should probably focus less on risky spinoffs and pachinko machines and more on traditional entries in the beloved franchise.

Metal Gear Survive will launch in 2017 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.

Source: Eurogamer