Part of the appeal of the PlayStation Vita, Sony's hot new handheld set for release at the end of this month, is its many new features some of which gamers have seen before some of which they haven't. Sure, the front touch screen, gyroscope, and accelerometer are all common features included with mobile phones, and even the Nintendo 3DS, but where the Vita really stands out is its OLED screen and rear touch pad.

While many developers haven't taken to the rear touch pad quite as feverishly as they have the idea of recreating their home console games with only minor tweaks, some are finding clever new ways to incorporate this unusual tech. One such developer is Hideo Kojima, the man responsible for the Metal Gear series.

Over on Kojima's Twitter, he briefly teased a new feature for Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, one part of the Metal Gear Solid HD Collection coming to Vita, that makes almost perfect use of the rear touch pad, but also could be somewhat controversial. In the game, players will be able to swipe the rear touch pad to simulate slitting an enemy's throat with a knife.

Though Kojima didn't demonstrate the clever feature, only detailed it in 140 characters, the visual is certainly easy to see. Unfortunately, that visual might stir up some issues with those who think of video games as "murder simulators."

"New controls of PSvita. Major Zero's line. You can slice enemy's throat with knife if you flick the touch pad behind."

The feature is obviously a cosmetic flourish, and is meant to highlight the many different uses of the Vita, but the way in which the action can be recreated is extremely visceral. Kojima isn't one to shy away from controversy, but with the advent of motion and touch controls features like this are bound to happen.

Based on just this one little action alone, I'm ready to see what other applications of touch Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater features -- and just think what a dedicated Vita Metal Gear Solid would look like.

Do you think that this rear touch pad throat slitting is a clever use of the Vita's features or a gimmick that will cause more trouble than it's worth? What other Vita features would you like to see in a Metal Gear Solid game?

Source: Hideo Kojima