Metal Gear Solid 4 to be Bundled with 80 GB Playstation 3

During Destination Playstation, a conference held between game companies and retailers, Sony officially announced a new bundle that will include the Dual Shock 3, 80 GB Playstation 3 and Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. With this new bundle, Sony has effectively killed three birds with one stone.

Let's start with the Dual Shock 3. Sony originally stated that they weren't able to incorporate both the Sixaxis tilt and rumble inside one controller. In reality, they were facing a lawsuit against Immersion over the patent for inclusion of rumble in the Dual Shock. Microsoft was also sued for the same reasons but they were able to resolve the issue before the launch of the Xbox 360.

So, far the better part of its first year, the Playstation 3 was the only next-generation console without rumble. Sony was in a dangerous situation considering that the Playstation 3 was missing a vital feature and it was the most expensive console out.

Sony finally settled with Immersion and announced Dual Shock 3 with Sixaxis and rumble support in September. The Dual Shock 3 will now be packed in with the new bundle. Individual units will be available in April for MSRP $54.99.

Despite selling briskly since it debuted in July, the 80 GB Playstation 3 was heavily rumored to be discontinued like the 20 GB and 60 GB units before. The rumors began to manifest when reports from retailers stated that the 80 GB bundle with Motorstorm was no longer being sold.

Prospective Playstation 3 owners were nervous because the 80 GB was the only unit left that can play Playstation 2 games (although it didn't play them as well as the 20 GB and 60GB ones). The 40 GB has no backward compatibility with Playstation 2 games whatsoever.

The fears came to an end with the new announcement. Although, the Motorstorm pack was discontinued as reported, it was replaced with Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. The 80 GB Playstation 3 is alive and kicking.

Finally, we have Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots. It was a long journey but the end is finally in sight. Touted as the ultimate killer ap for the Playstation 3 when it was announced 2005, the game was often rumored to be appearing on the Xbox 360 as well. The rumors were squashed with numerous denials piling up one after another, however.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots may be the end of the series but it might be the start of an era for the Playstation 3, which has been struggling against the competition in 2007. Seeing this, Sony has decided to pack Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots along with the Dual Shock 3 in the new 80 GB bundle. The game will launch on June 12th. Gamers who preorder the game will be able to participate in an online beta of the game starting in late April.

The Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots Playstation 3 Bundle will also be available on June 12th with a MSRP of $499.99 (the same as the Motorstorm bundle). For prospective Playstation 3 buyers, there is no better way to get into the console than with the new bundle.