Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH has announced its plans for a public beta program across Europe for its forthcoming Metal Gear Online title for PLAYSTATION®3. Konami will release Metal Gear Online Premiere Beta via the PlayStation Store from April 17th, with online tests running from April 21st through May 6th. An all-new Metal Gear title specifically designed as a multi-player online experience, Metal Gear Online will be released worldwide as part of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots on June 12th.

The beta program will offer players a unique chance to sample the innovative multi-player experience of Metal Gear Online, which emphasizes cooperative team-based play. Those downloading the beta will be invited to explore two maps – “Blood Bath” and “Groznyi Grad” – each of which requires unique strategies in order to achieve victory.

Metal Gear Online will launch as part of Guns of the Patriots in June as a Starter Pack, comprising five unique stages: “Ambush Alley,” where trenches and sandbags litter an arena built for close and medium range combat; “Blood Bath,” a two-tier battle setting; and “Groznyi Grad,” the expansive Shagohod development complex from Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater which features human catapults that propel players to different areas of the environment. Rounding out the five stage set are the dusty, Middle Eastern alleyways found in Guns of the Patriots entitled “Midtown Maelstrom,” and the rooftop settings of “Urban Ultimatum.” Konami is committed to the release of additional Expansion Packs to be released throughout the year.

Up to 16 people can play simultaneously, with game worlds created using Guns of the Patriots’s incredible 3D engine. Retaining the classic stealth combat gameplay of the Metal Gear series, players are dropped in a series of war zones wherein different challenges await. Five game modes await players on stages that span the globe and the history of MGS: Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, Capture and Base and Sneaking missions. Additional information on Metal Gear Online and the beta program can be found at www.konami-mgo.com.


About KONAMI CORPORATION
KONAMI CORPORATION was established in 1973, and became a holding company on March 31, 2006. KONAMI CORPORATION covers the fields of "Digital Entertainment Business", "Health & Fitness Business" and "Gaming & System Business". KONAMI CORPORATION went public on Tokyo Stock Exchange in 1988, the Singapore Stock Exchange in 1997, the London Stock Exchange in 1999, and the New York Stock Exchange in 2002. Home Page URL: www.konami.co.jp. Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH is a wholly-owned subsidiary, responsible for popular franchises like Metal Gear Solid®, Silent Hill® and Pro Evolution Soccer™ amongst other top sellers. For more information concerning Konami Digital Entertainment GmbH and its products, please visit www.konami-europe.com/games.


Further information can be found at www.metalgearsolid.com and www.konami-mgo.com.