Metal Gear Online Expansion Surprisingly A Huge Technical Disaster

Kotaku's Michael McWhertor writes: "Before Kojima Productions and Konami get Hideo Kojima that editor he so desperately needs, perhaps the company should hire someone who knows how to launch an online multiplayer game. The Metal Gear Online "Gene Expansion" was released yesterday and promptly melted Konami's servers, resulting in the closure of the game's MGO Shop and Reward Shop and difficulty logging in to the service. Some MGO players have reported paying for the new expansion and getting nothing in return.

Konami's solution to some of these issues was to restrict random IP ranges from accessing the shops, in an effort to lighten the load.

The company has also cancelled all Metal Gear Online "Survival" battles planned for this weekend, promising to have a new hamster wheel installed to power the servers as soon as is technically possible."

[Megaton]

If there's one thing I hate about MGS4, it's how badly Konami runs MGO. The game itself is really fun, but everything from the sign up to the DLC is a user-hostile pain in the ass. A pain in the ass that they don't even seem to have the bandwidth to support, mind you. They should have run it through the PSN like every other game, and this could have all been avoided.

[dragunrising]

But I dislike the Konami run online system. There is no reason the game couldn't have run on PSN. This is speculation, but Konami might have requested complete access to online access in return for complete MGS4 exclusivity. Anyone else think this is plausible? Regardless, MGS is one of the Sony franchises that should stay exclusive.

[PirateThom]

My guess is that they don't want to run it through PSN so they can get the full profit for the downloads (which, in Konami's defence, I do believe are fairly priced), but it's created so many problems for the end user. The alternative log-in isn't that big a deal, or even the store, until you realise that Konami keep underestimating demand and never have the server capacity in place to deal with it.

The game runs fine, but the sign up and purchasing is a pain.

[MazzingerZ]

Yes, I think that was part of the deal, SONY don't pay for exclusives but in return they gave Konami full control of their DLC.

Anyway, I think Konami would get more bucks via PSN anyway, many people don't have Credit Card so they are not getting this, if next month SONY rolls out PSN cards, those fellas won't be able to buy that DLC (and any future expansion packs) anyway due to for that a CC is a must.

Smart move from SONY, stupid of Konami...I love MGO, really enjoy it, MGS4 is awesome...but for some reason I don't feel comfortable giving my CC number to some site in Japan that crashes all the time...it could also be easily hacked, who knows...

and the worse is that SONY wouldn't take responsability for any stolen CC info as they do only if that takes place in the PSN.

[Tarasque]

Is this suprising to anyone? They have never done anything like this before. I am sure if the multiplayer was nothing but cutscene's it would run just fine, considering they spend more time on that than anything. Good thing i don't like this game or i would be upset.

[Dir_en_grey]

Konami had "Mahjong Fight Club" on Launch with the Japanese PS3 and Konami charged for online play themselves (I guess to not take away from their arcade business)
They set up their own ID's and stuff so they can charge whatever without having to bother Sony and it's been like that ever since.
They always underestamate how many people are playing MGO but maybe that's a good thing, it gives other future PS3 games an example of setting up the servers right I guess?

[CallOfWar22]

M$ controls the online portion for all the games for XBL. It is run through quality control which sadly there hardware isn't. Which is the reason why many developers feel there is no freedom on XBL. Though those are some disadvantages for developers there are a lot of advantages for gamers. Sony lets Konami and many others control their online and they end up being disasters. First it was GTA 4 crashing online for the PS3 version only. A lot of people couldn't play for a couple of days. Then it was the MGO beta. Then it is the expansion. M$ demands control over the online so gamers dont have to deal with these problems. Learn a thing or two sony. Oh I forgot you guys dont like copying. Thats just wrong. You guys invented trophies all on your own, it was launched with the PS1 back in the 90s but never made it to the final process.

[pwnsause]

I agree with you %100

[TheColbertinator]

I also agreed with Xiphos.Konami did a terrible job.They should have left it to sony.

[juuken]

That really sucks. I thought they would have gotten this together already.

[1stKnighT]

What a mess. Just another reason why Xbox Live is years better than PSN. Microsoft gives you the tools you need for the online to work well. Their is a high standard needed for Xbox Live and all multiplayer games reach it with help from Microsoft. You never hear any game have problems on Live like this. Remember Warhawk? It took them a whole month to get the problems fixed. Oh well, you get what you pay for.

[PirateThom]

Do you even read the stories?

This has nothing to do with PSN, since the game doesn't run through PSN - which is the problem.

[1stKnighT]

Exactly my point. Xbox Live has a high standard of online that HAS to be reached by every game. Nice and simple. While the ps3's online is just a mess. MGO is a perfect example.

[Black_Jack]

i read the first line of your post and realised you don't have a clue what you are talking about.

the game runs through servers not supplied by psn, which was konami's decision, what we're saying is that if the game ran through psn it would probably be a damn sight better, why you are bringing xbox live into the equation is beyond me

[MazzingerZ]

"help from Microsoft"? ohhh the good samarithan MSFT...I thought you were paying for the service...they serve you not help you. but yeah it sucks this situation with Konami, but that's the only case the DLC for the rest of the 99.99% of the games worrks just the same as in XBL

...nom wait, even better, because SONY makes bundles of old DLC when new is out and sell it for a fair price.

...and also, if I buy something and I need funds in my wallet, the PS Store charges to my CC either an amount really close to what I need to buy the DLC or in many case the exact amount...nothing like in XBL where if you need 150 MS points you are forced to buy 500MS.

No thanks, PSN works just fine and is for free. in-game XMB fixed the issue messaging while in-game. thank god SW can be patched unlike HW. SONY introduces features as updates all the time and MSFT uses E3 to show how they "fixed" a broken dashboard.

I had a X360 before and I can't back to it...it just feels...outdated...

[thor]

1stknight, let's say a game on xbox DIDN'T use live, and instead used konami's own system and servers, and it sucked. That wouldn't be a minus point for live, because it wouldn't run through live. Every other PS3 game that's online uses PSN, and I've no idea why they've not used PSN for MGO, it's ridiculous. If it worked smoothly then I wouldn't have too many issues, but IMO they should have done the game through PSN and used their servers to make dedicated servers for the game. Would have been much better.

[PirateThom]

You're not paying attention...

Metal Gear Online DOESN'T use PlayStation Network.
Konami run the entire game (log-ins, store, online play) throuh their own servers, it exists as a separate entity outside of PSN.

[1stKnighT]

Multiplayer games for the 360 HAS TO reach the high standards of Xbox Live. Games HAVE TO GO THRU XBOX LIVE. That is why you never hear about problems on mulitplayer games. It has to pass the seal of approval from Xbox Live. The ps3 doesn't have such strict rules. That is why you get disasters like MGO or Warhawk.

[PirateThom]

Yeah, because at the end of last year, when I got a 360, XBox Live didn't go down for almost a whole month and Battlefield: Bad Company had no issues on Live.

I'm sure there's more, just because you're paying, doesn't mean it "works", it has the same bugs as any online service.

[GametimeUK]

PSN as a service has proved more stable than XBL a service that must be payed for... XBL was down for soooo long round about christmas... and yeah you could argue with XBL you pay and get more... Its true pay £40 a year for more lag lmao

[hella whip]

I'm pretty sure Final fantasy XI doesn't use xbox live because you can play that online without a gold subscription.

[Kyur4ThePain]

MGS4 is not available on the Xbox 360.
Bringing in XBL has no relevance whatsoever.

That's almost as dumb as me saying the graphics for Uncharted on the 360 are bad.

[Rageanitus]

READ before replying.... or at least understand before blasting/flaming with generic fanboy comments.

Yes Xbox games that are multiplayer have to run under the live network.

But sony has offered the ability for developers to run outside of the PSN.... Its not like the psn is broken its Konamis fault since they decided to take responsiblity.

But in the end psn is free live is not... Further more for a paid membership like live I would expect LESS lag... but that is not the case

[DJ]

You guys ever wonder if some people on N4G are just psychotic? I mean, look how obsessed 1stKnight is...

[socomnick]

Of course this is sonys fault. Had mgo been on xbox live Ms would have not allowed them to run their own servers. MS would have made joining games and playing so much easier and streamlined.

[1stKnighT]

"Yes Xbox games that are multiplayer have to run under the live network.

But sony has offered the ability for developers to run outside of the PSN.... Its not like the psn is broken its Konamis fault since they decided to take responsiblity."

And that is where the problem lies. Since mutliplayer games have to run under the live network, you get problem free mutliplayer with zero fuss. The ps3 on the other hand gives you the choice of running outside of PSN which can offer nothing but problems. MGO is the perfect example.

Case closed......winner!

[Rageanitus]

but what you dont get is xbox live is NOT perfect and you pay for it..

Its really sad how you think the xbox and all the features are all so godly.

Its more sad that you think you have objective thinking but your very one sided.... case and point this argument is a perfect example.

With your philosophy i guess Anarchy is the the clear path to run governments with no flexiblity to run things and think outside the box..

Sony's service is at its early stages and its not the greatest but it is no doubt catching up, but this is good for Developers of mmorpgs.

A developer can very well put their network outside of PSN so they can make more money... hence it is more attractive to make this sortuv game on the ps3 vs xbox.

If live was so awesome why havent most developers jumped on the live band wagon in the pc realm? The answer is too rigid requirements and standards.

[IdleLeeSiuLung]

I don't know why everyone is giving 1stKnighT a hard time. It is clear that with MS, you have to have a certain standard for online gaming. Sony has no minimum standard it appears, and MGO is the result. No service is perfect, but by placing certain requirements you minimize issues like MGO's complicated id system and meltdown of servers (repeatedly).

I'm not saying MS is perfect, but it is clear that MS has the upper hand here. I like the ability to have dedicated servers on PSN, but a lack of quality standards MIGHT just make PSN SEEM like a second rate service to Xbox Live.

All you PS fanboys, go a head and disagree!!!

[BISHOP-BRASIL]

Calm down people, 1stKnight is actually right, all this mess on MGO is indirectly fault on Sony, they should have obligated Konami to use PSN since it's such a huge game and no some Mahjong game where Konami's greed can go like that.

But you are wrong saying the same for Warhawk, which is way stable, and nothing can guarantee stability on Live, it actually depend much more in your connection since it's P2P, so MS don't actually guarantee mess free online, but for sure, they make it something that work if you can stand behind your end.

Sometimes you can't just give others the freedom to have options or you could hurt yourself, Sony should have been that wise about PSN, because now Konami will not pay the price of bad publicity for this alone.

[YogiBear]

at 1stKnight.

Warhawk down for a month? You mean one game? Not like LIVE when the whole MSoft service went down for the month of December? Word of advice to you Knight. Don't throw rocks at houses when your own is made of glass.

[qwertyuiopasdfghjkl]

Haha!

MGO2 is nothing BUT problems. I am proud to say I'm an MGS4 fan... but MGO2 is another story...

[Omega4]

Thats what happens when you dont have a unified system, Sony should take a look at MS and XBL that might learn something

[MazzingerZ]

Peeer-to-Peer you mean?

[Black_Jack]

maybe sony should have made it mandatory to use psn, but it was still KONAMI'S decision to use their own servers and that was for profit reasons aswell as other business reasons we may not know about. so what does psn have to learn from live in this situation? please explain..

[Omega4]

@ 4.1 its better than devleoper servers

@4.2 they can learn to make a system where devs actually want to use it for their games, if that means charging a small subscription fee so be it at least it makes the game playable

[NintendoWTF]

50 dollars a year for laggy P2P networking?

Are you joking?

No PS3 owner would put up with a garbage online system like Microsoft's pay for laggy P2P gaming.

[NegativeCreepWA]

Just so you guys know MGO is p2p.

[Silellak]

I'm a fan of the 360, and of XBL, but there was no need to make this comment. This has little-or-nothing to do with PSN and more to do with Konami's inability to properly manage their online game.

Stop trying to start a fight by making this something it isn't.

[Black_Jack]

silellak is right, it was a poor decision on konamis behalf it has nothing to do with sony or psn or xbox live for pete sake

as well as that the actual game play of MGO is PEER TO PEER everything else to do with registration, updates and purchasing dlc is konami ran, so anybody claiming that MGO is unplayable (Omega4) is clearly talking sh!t. the gamepay in mgo is peer to peer same as xbox live.

this article which i'm sure half of the people here havn't even read is about all other online aspects except game play. please dont turn this into live vs psn because its not.

[NintendoWTF]

Poor Kotaku, they really are bitter over MGS4 never coming to their 360s.

[enjoi187]

umm i have a ps3 and a 360.....and i get lag on the ps3 10 times more than the 360.....get your facts straight when you can afford the $50 DOLLARS A YEAR!!!!!omg 50 dollars omg the world is broke..omg 50 dollars......omg...omg.....get a job jesus crist poor sobs.......cant afford ...or dont like it then dont cry about how broke you are.

[andron]

But xbox owners always complain that the PS3 is expensive. Makes sense...

[nos4speed]

heres betting you dont own both consoles as if you did that would mean your not a fanboy as from your comment you clearly are. Even if you do your obviously mistaken, the PS3 multiplat games will lag just as much as xbox games if not less for the same reasons however at least we can go back to games such as warhawk 32player and resistance 40 player to experience lag free dedicates servers. And if by some miracle xbox live did work 100% of the time you have a console that will not so that would make it pretty pointless anyway. Buts that off subject anyway when this story is how KONAMI messed up its servers, how is that sony or the PS3's fault?

[YogiBear]

Maybe $50 isn't a lot of money to you since you are so busy working. I hope you are working because you sure as hell can't type a complete sentence. But $50 might be too much for someone other than yourself. Comments like yours are another reason I'm glad I didn't buy a 360 because I know i'll hear people like you in my headset and that would suck.

[nomad117]

Thx N4G Mods sry I called 1stKnight ignorant when he clearly is best MODS ever.

[DaTruth]

The other day A guy calls me a moron, I make a comeback and they delete mine and leave up his. They need guidelines on what we can call each other... But what he said was I8n0ran%, He clearly didn't know what he was talking about.

[kewlkat007]

this is where I like XBL's unified system.

I been saying it forever, All devs not created EQUAL, so don't expect Multi-player games on PSN to all run smoothly.

some devs are not used to this sh^t. Maybe they will get better but I can't imagine small devs and sh^t.

XBL takes the cake for unified Online multi-player support.

[DJ]

Into their online network. It's what they're known for, and no one likes it.

[VMAN_01]

First Knight Warhawk has no problems online. NO LAG AT ALL, have fun with 50$ a year P2P online gaming.

[MaN_uTd]

If games like COD4 and MGO would use SONY's servers the Multiplayer would run more smoothly, just look at resistance or warhawk this games uses sony's own servers and COD4 uses activition's, but if a Developer wants to run on the PSN servers they have to pay for it.

For years now developers for Multiplayer PC gaming like Epic uses there own servers.

But on XBL it's different an online game HAVE to run on Microsoft servers.

So in the End of the day its your own choice and I have a hardcore Xbox fan who admitted than COD4 is more stable on the PSN than XBL,For the last time What you pay for Goes to M$ and you get NOTHING.

[moujahed]

Yet im sure they will make up for it... I somehow started out with 500 reward points, now I have 520..how i dunno.

Atleast you can play as Meryl, and Akiba during the Training mode... just gotta select them as character.

FYI : Merly = BAD ASS B!TCH !!!!

[YodaPop]

just another reason the ps3 console offers up the best best entertainment experience for the family dollar...kudos to you mr ps3 man

[BLUR111]

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

[karan7]

yo i payed n after all of it it sayed error but i was still charge on my credit card but nuttin in return?

[DJ]

Just use PSN and you'll be fine.

[n00bzRtehgey]

No surprise there.

Leave the online gaming to the Americans, Fony. You guys stick to what you do best: cross-gender tranny boys with massive penis envy swords.

[Sniperwithacause]

Well if they would just suck it up and stop being so greedy and at least put the expansion pack on the Playstation Store They wouldn't have that problem. They don't want to share any of the profit with anyone so they are doing it all by them self. I really think that it is turning ppl away from the greatest game ever.

[zonetrooper5]

Are people still beliving that Sony never pays for exclusive games?

I mean, why else would MGS4 still be on the PS3, all them references to Apple computers, Ipod etc can be change quite easily then you can put it on mutiple discs. So in the end its Sony's moneyhats keeping this game exclusive, I never play MGO anyways I did love the main MGS4 single player though, bloody awesome.

[DJ]

They do it, but not as often as they did back in the PS2 or PS1 days; the costs are just way too much. For MGS4, they not only had to pay up but also guarantee a certain sales quota for Konami not to force a 360 version.

Huge advertising campaign + MGS4 bundle. It's no coincidence, and it was definitely a wise move.

[The Lazy One]

Early PS1 was the only time sony really paid for exclusives. After they took the lead developers were lining up to develop on sony consoles. That's why they don't pay now.

[ApocalypseShadow]

and the mods are nowhere to be found.

he believes he is right about microsoft having this standard for all games and they give devs the tools to make a better online experience.

but isn't it amazing how he forgets how EA took over their own service on XBL for their games and it was a joke with laggy play and other issues?

so you know he's trolling without factual information.EA servers aren't running through XBL.but where's his excuse on that?

he should be banned to the open zone for awhile.
http://www.xbox360achieveme...
http://www.sportsgamer.com/...

or just type in*** problems with EA online servers on xbox live***

and you will find gamers having issues with sports,bad company and other games from this great service 1stknight talks about.

but what do i know?i don't even have a 360.but i do know the TRUTH.

apocalypse.......

[Infernus]

Bad Company had issues with the demo on the 360 ONLY, was perfectly fine on the PS3.

Burnout Paradise's latest update, codenamed Cagney was released on the PS3 a while ago, before the 360 gets it.

XBL is slowly losing out to PSN, okay so XBL has lots of features but PSN has dedicated server support resulting in lagless performance. XBL isn't the be all and end all of online gaming, Sony have a brilliant service now and it's constantly getting better.

[The Lazy One]

A lot of games have lag issues when their in beta (that's part of the reason it's a beta). I was playing bad company literally 30 seconds ago and it was pretty lag free. Been that way almost all night barring a pretty unforeseen and incredible mortar strike attack.

[Bladestar]

no wonder Konami wanted to make this game PS3 exclusive... they didn't have a choice... Only sony allows this kind of $h!t in their network... I guess Sony didn't have a choice but allowing konami to do wherever they want (starting from konami logins) makes PSN looks bad... Sony shouldn't allow this kind of inconsistent Zoo on their network.. They shouldn't allow konami to do wherever they want... this is the result of the anarchy that PSN is.

[LiquifiedArt]

A company that is "NEW" to the online environment. its a shame but like everyone else, there will be growing pains, espesically when you are "STUBBORN" and want Control over everything. The Konami ID is worthless and it just shows Greed in the company.

Bad decision Konami.

[Nick2728]

We can hope that they have learned their because, after this debacle and public embarrassment, I would be very disappointed if they didn't do so.

[darkdoom3000]

MGO= Awesomeness
Konami= Horse Sh!t

comon, open the reward shop, I want some green clothes to camoflarge in V.V

[IcarusOne]

LOL

[CyberSentinel]

"Jump B36y0nd".

[Infernus]

To be honest, to release a game on the PS3 then bypass the already present PSN sign-in system by making users create a KONAMI ID is ridiculous.

Konami need to sort out their online service. First we had Pro Evo 2008 last year with major online issues on both 360 and PS3, now we have MGO issues.

MGO itself is brilliant, but the way Konami runs it's online service leaves a LOT to be desired.

[denied]

RULES

[Shankle]

The 'a' in this thread's title should not be a capital.