Metal Gear Solid 'Ground Zeros': Game and Movie Announced as the Franchise Goes Open World (SPOILER, VIDEO)

At the PAX gaming convention in Seattle, WA, Kojima Production's Hideo Kojima showed off the latest installment of the Metal Gear franchise entitled Ground Zeroes, and announced the much awaited film adaptation of the franchise.

Ground Zeroes will be released on current-gen consoles and act as a prologue to Metal Gear Solid 5. The game will use the Fox Engine, an impressive cross-platform game engine that Kojima Productions will use for the foreseeable future.

The game's demo, which was first unveiled at Konami's Metal Gear 25^th Anniversary event last Thursday, showcases a mysterious burn victim character as the primary antagonist. (Spoiler Alert) Some speculate that he is "The Fury" from Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, a villain that was set on fire by Big Boss.

Snake once again returns to the franchise at the game's lead character. However, Snake is the code name for both Big Boss and Solid Snake, so the identity of the protagonist is still a mystery. Ground Zeroes will sport an open world framework, a new addition to the franchise. The demo shows off Snake's ability to drive vehicles and call in helicopter evacuations, hinting that the game's scope has vastly outgrown the linear framework of its predecessors. Yet, Metal Gear is sure to retain the cinematic flair if Kojima has anything to say about it.

The Metal Gear Solid film, which was also announced at the Anniversary event, will be backed by Columbia pictures and producer Avi Arad. Arad has previously produced the X-Men films, Iron Man, and The Amazing Spiderman.

"For many years I fought to bring comics to theaters- and video games are the comics today," said Arad.

Reflecting this initiative, Arad is also on board for the film adaptations of games such as Uncharted: Drake's Fortune and Mass Effect.

For those who may be concerned with the quality of the movie, he reassures that "we will take our time and tell the story with all the nuances, ideology, cautionary tales needed."

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