The online mode for Metal Gear Solid: Phantom Pain had finally gone live, and the announcement instantly ignited the enthusiasm of players around the world. Forums exploded with discussions, livestreams flooded every major platform, and countless fans rushed online the moment the servers opened.
But it was not only the players paying attention. Game developers and publishers across the industry were also watching closely, eager to see exactly what kind of online experience Metal Gear Solid: Phantom Pain could deliver. Among them was Ansoft Games.
Inside the company's operations department, Hirobumi sat firmly in his office chair, eyes locked on the monitor as he waited for the online update to finish downloading. Although he was not part of the development team, several of Ansoft's upcoming flagship titles would eventually pass through his department for operation and promotion. Because of that, he paid extremely close attention to every potential competitor in the market.
Even though he personally believed it was difficult for a heavily story-driven game like Metal Gear Solid: Phantom Pain to create a truly engaging online mode, he still refused to underestimate it. After all, game analysis was never based purely on instinct. Data, trends, and player behavior mattered far more than personal assumptions.
A famous saying had always remained firmly in his mind: "Strategically, we should despise our enemies. Tactically, we must take them seriously."
He firmly believed in those words. So while players around the world excitedly logged in to experience the new online mode, the gaming industry itself carefully observed every detail behind the scenes.
At the same time, inside PixelPioneers Games, John was accepting an exclusive interview from Starry Sky Game. As one of the largest gaming media outlets in the country, they had built a reputation for professionalism and fairness. Their reviews were respected throughout the industry, and their scoring standards were famously strict. In fact, they almost never awarded perfect scores unless a game was considered genuinely groundbreaking. Because of that, receiving high praise from them carried enormous weight.
"President John, President Luna, this is already our second interview together," Duncan said warmly as he greeted the two of them. Now promoted to editor-in-chief, he appeared much more composed than before.
John looked at him for a moment, clearly trying to remember where they had previously met. After thinking for two or three seconds, he still could not recall anything. Second meeting? No impression whatsoever.
Still, social courtesy was an instinctive skill in business circles. Just like wandering swordsmen in martial arts stories greeting each other with "I've long admired your reputation," regardless of whether they had met before, John simply smiled politely.
"That's right," he replied naturally. "Our second meeting."
Perhaps noticing the slightly awkward expression on John's face, Duncan laughed lightly and smoothly shifted the conversation elsewhere. As they walked through the company's exhibition hall, his attention was quickly drawn toward the massive Metal Gear display area. The statues were incredibly detailed.
BIGBOSS, Venom Snake, Quiet, Miller, Ocelot, Skull Face, and even Paz stood prominently beneath the lights. Yet among all of them, the figure that truly caught Zhang Tan's attention was a newly displayed sculpture.
THEBOSS. The character had only appeared briefly in Red Alert, yet the statue carried an overwhelming presence.
Unlike Quiet, whose revealing design intentionally catered to player appeal, THEBOSS possessed none of the conventional traits associated with "beautiful female characters." Her physique was powerful and intimidating. The muscles in her arms alone looked strong enough to knock out a professional athlete with a single punch. She looked less like a glamorous heroine and more like a battle-hardened veteran forged by war itself.
And because THEBOSS clearly seemed to hold major importance within the Metal Gear universe, her design naturally surprised many people.
"President John," Duncan asked curiously, "the character designs in Metal Gear Solid: Phantom Pain seem quite different from mainstream player preferences. Was that intentional?"
Generally speaking, even games with serious war settings still tended to beautify their characters for commercial appeal. Many studios preferred attractive anime-inspired designs or stylish young protagonists influenced by Japanese and Korean aesthetics. Whether people liked it or not, that style dominated a huge portion of the market.
Meanwhile, Metal Gear embraced a far more realistic approach. BIGBOSS and THEBOSS looked like genuine soldiers shaped by brutal battlefields rather than idealized fantasy characters. If another domestic studio had developed the game, characters like THEBOSS might have ended up redesigned into elegant "cool beauty" archetypes instead of the imposing military figure PixelPioneers created.
Hearing the question, John smiled.
"Is that the first official interview question?" he asked jokingly.
Duncan froze briefly before nodding. "Of course."
As the group continued walking through the display area alongside the cameraman and recording staff, John answered calmly.
"There actually weren't that many complicated considerations behind it," he said. "The most important thing was simply whether the characters fit the game itself, its story, atmosphere, and worldbuilding."
That answer was completely genuine. Whenever John decided to recreate a game from his memories, he always carefully considered every aspect of development. Gameplay systems, narrative direction, artistic style, character design, everything had to serve the experience as a whole.
Why should a character look a certain way? Should the design prioritize immersion and storytelling? Or should it exist purely to satisfy market preferences? John always had clear answers to those questions.
The characters in Metal Gear Solid: Phantom Pain were designed with extreme care. Miller, BIGBOSS, and THEBOSS all carried the rugged charm of hardened veterans. Yet beneath their battle scars and stern appearances, players could still sense traces of the handsome and ambitious young people they once were decades earlier.
It was similar to Leon from Resident Evil, a character whose appeal came not only from appearance, but from experience, personality, and emotional depth.
Of course, compromises for the market still existed. Quiet's revealing outfit, for example, had extensive in-universe explanations attached to it, but everyone understood the real reason behind the design choice. It was ultimately a commercial compromise intended to appeal to players.
John never believed such compromises were wrong. In fact, many players loved them. Some even wanted the game to push further in that direction. Naturally, there were limits. Going too far would simply turn excitement into awkward embarrassment for male players.
Then Duncan raised another question that countless fans online had been discussing. "President John, regarding the story of Metal Gear Solid: Phantom Pain… can you reveal who the true final antagonist is? Is it Colonel Zero, who has never officially appeared? Is it Eli, who escaped the base with the psychic child? Or could it eventually become Miller and BIGBOSS themselves?"
This was one of the hottest discussions among the player community. Everyone wanted answers.
Yet after hearing John's response, Duncan found himself completely stunned.