Interview: Hideo Kojima.(Interview)

Konami recently fired its first volley into the next-gen console conflict with a stunning trailer for Metal Gear Solid 4, the upcoming PlayStation 3 installment of the revered stealth-action franchise. Never one to shy away from daring surprises, series mastermind Hideo Kojima shocked fans with a grizzled, gray-haired Solid Snake, chaotic urban warfare against multiple Metal Gear robots, and unbelievably detailed visuals. Instantly, the PS3 had its must-buy game. Since MGS4 isn't expected until the end of 2006 at the earliest, concrete facts about the story line and gameplay remain scarce, but we were able to squeeze a little info out of Snake's notoriously secretive creator....

EGM: Fans were a bit surprised by Snake's new mustache....

Hideo Kojima: Of course, the team researched many different beards and mustaches, and we eventually decided on this Lee Van Cleef-inspired look. And the power of the PS3 allows us to represent the facial hair with such amazing detail, along with his facial features, like wrinkles. It's very easy to create a simple texture, like the skin of a young, beautiful lady, so we decided to use the machine's power to create something far more complex...an old guy.

EGM: We …