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David Hayter Begged Konami To Change MGS4 Ending

kotaku.com — David Hayter isn't just some voice guy. He's a voice guy who's also a Hollywood screenwriter and has penned some big movies like X-Men. While Hayter did offer praise for Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima he also pointed out creative run-ins he's had with the game designer.

Who dugg this? Made popular Jul 8, 2008

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  • chocobomog, on 07/07/2008, -8/+75First of all, the MGS4 ending (which was over an hour long, more if you include everything leading up to the cinematic, climatic final battle) was absolutely amazing and great closure to the 20 year series.
    Second of all, David Hayter's problem was with a single 2 minute scene in the ending where Snake does something out-of-the-norm for his character but in Hideo's view "humanizes" him which goes with the series theme of "what do soldiers do with no war?".

    It's a little misleading saying Hayter wants to change the ending when in fact we wants to change a single part of the ending. The ending was fantastic.

  • inactive, on 07/08/2008, -2/+33It takes balls to walk up to Kojima and tell him you don't like something about Metal gear.
  • insanekoz, on 07/08/2008, -9/+23*SPOILERS*

    I agree with Hayter. The post-credits segment seemed completely out of place. Snake should've have died, and it should have ended there. Big Boss really alive? It seemed like Kojima couldn't resist but indulge himself. Usually, that ends up being a good thing, but this was too much, and killed the tone at the end of the game.

    IMHO, at least.
  • slvrbullet87, on 07/08/2008, -0/+12Nobody ever dies in metal gear solid, snake will be back
  • snds, on 07/08/2008, -0/+11Actually Hayter has gone on record in interviews on numerous occassions stating he's played each of the ones he's been in. And as it has been said, Hayter is not just a voice actor hes a screenwriter and develops characters in scripts for a living. And he's the only one with exception to Kojima that knows Snake the best and would understand how best to finish the characters storyline.

    That doesn't go to say Kojima shouldn't end up with the final say, obviously it's his baby, but like any creative process, critique, feedback and compromise are normal things to contend with. I'm happy to hear that Hayter put his voice forward considering his background. And if any changes were made on his behalf I think the ending was better for it.
  • sarchosis, on 07/07/2008, -0/+10Conflicts are part of the creative process.
  • lpmiller, on 07/08/2008, -0/+8when you saw "The End" he wanted to add a "?" to it. 'Cause that's how he rolls.
  • staticneuron, on 07/08/2008, -0/+8Failing consoles? before MGS released Sony shipped 15 mill PS3's worldwide. MS shipped 19 mill 360's. 15 mill in 1.5 years versus 19 mill in 3 years and you want to call the PS3 a failing console?


    Makes sense.
  • lordtyros, on 07/08/2008, -0/+8NANOMACHINES
  • Number23, on 07/08/2008, -1/+8Couldn't agree more, Snake should have gone out guns blazing.
  • pe5t1lence, on 07/08/2008, -1/+8I didn't mind that Big Boss was alive, but he was only alive for about a week before he dies again! SO what was the point? Seriously, he knew Snake was reinfected with FOXDie programmed just for him (I thought the Patriots thought Solidus's body was Big Boss, so why would they have infected Snake with the new virus- But I digress) WHY The F did he seek Snake out? Wouldn't a Phone Call have worked? Hell, even an email?
  • nericus, on 07/08/2008, -4/+11The ending was an hour long? Holy crap. Who needs a Metal Gear Solid: The Movie?
  • rlbond86, on 07/08/2008, -0/+7JESUS ***** CHRIST this needs the SPOILER tag! Not everyone has played the game yet!
  • Shugii, on 07/08/2008, -0/+6And how did he lose both arms? Wasn't it just the one? I can understand it probably got crushed but how did he end up having both arms again, which probably ended up being robotic replacements but like... what the hell is happening!?
  • Temo1, on 07/08/2008, -0/+6You mean the title "Hayter Begged Konami to change MSG4 Ending" was too vague for you? You could have just not clicked? What did you think they'd talk about?
  • decyx, on 07/08/2008, -0/+5Contrary to your baseless assumption, Hayter is actually a fairly accomplished screenwriter and also a major fan of the Metal Gear Solid series.
  • staticneuron, on 07/08/2008, -1/+6After four games and Me playing them at least for over 100 hours combined....... I really preferred the 1 our long ending that wrapped up the past 9 or so years of me playing MGS.
  • WiretapStudios, on 07/08/2008, -0/+5Thanks for capitalizing the spelling mistake for us.
  • insanekoz, on 07/08/2008, -0/+5Yeah, really, what did you expect?
  • whahaa, on 07/08/2008, -0/+5i wish i had a ps3 on which to play this game.
  • Temo1, on 07/08/2008, -0/+5But so many other "lesser" characters died without much trouble in previous scene (the president and Olga in MGS2, Vamp in MGS4 begging for release, for instance), so to an extent I don't think we want to believe that Snake wouldn't be able to kill himself. After all, before he met Big Boss he thought that Foxdie was going to mutate and kill everyone- so he had all the incentive to die saving lives. But he hesitated.
  • royalwcheese, on 07/08/2008, -0/+5This guy wrote the screenplays for Watchmen and X2, so I think he is more than just some voice actor. If anything, he is a better writer than Hideo.
  • TheGreatBelow, on 07/08/2008, -0/+4The ending to MGS4 was epic. As someone said above, that was Kojima's way of humanizing Snake, which isn't a cliche at all since this game had nanomachines and ***** where your emotions are controlled.

    When Big Boss showed up at the graveyard I nearly cried.
  • bnl771, on 07/08/2008, -1/+5Why? Because his games are so popular its player cease to have the right to their own opinion?
  • pe5t1lence, on 07/08/2008, -0/+4Agreed, that was so awkward!
  • mlschop, on 07/08/2008, -0/+3I don't really agree with Hayter. I liked the fact that Snake couldn't do it. I didn't really like the Big Boss ending though. Seems like a way to give the whole story closure without having to build a game around it. Like they made the game, and then said "Oh crap - we have to give closure around A, B, C, and D. Let's make Big Boss be alive and have him explain everything." Kinda lame IMO.

    Would have been awesome if Snake said he couldn't do it...and asked Otacon, Meryl, or Campbell to euthanize him. THAT would have been awesome!
  • brukaoru, on 07/08/2008, -0/+3I don't really see where Hayter says he wanted Snake to die, Hayter states he had a problem with the fact that Kojima had Snake flinching when he was about to pull the trigger and kill himself. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't see how having a problem with Snake's hesitation is wanting him to actually go through with it, perhaps I missed something Hayter said?

    Either way, I just wouldn't want Snake to die, personally. I was crying enough thinking he had already. But I am a sap. ;_;
  • smacksaw, on 07/08/2008, -4/+7Don't be a Hayter.

    Snake should have killed himself by giving himself accelerated lung cancer from smoking combined with the pollution from all of the smoking explosions. That's my M Night Shama-rama-lama-ding-dong ending.
  • Shippwreck87, on 07/08/2008, -0/+2*SPOILER*

    Honestly, I found the ending to be fantastic and I really enjoyed it overall. The only thing I would have changed about it would be that Big Boss shoots the gun out of Snake's hand or fires a bullet to stop him from pulling the trigger himself, rather than Snake not being able to go through with his own suicide. It almost seems silly if you think about it, Snake spent the majority of the game knowing full well he was going to die soon from either old age or FOXDIE which is why there should have been no hesitation. I mean he was basically told that in a matter of like three months that he was going to become a biological weapon, so what was stopping him from pulling the trigger? Oh and on a side note, when the hell did Raiden lose his second arm? Was it crushed by Outer Haven when he tried to stop it, or did I miss something else? Also, why was EVA so damn emotional on the dock when she saw the pyx of "Big Boss" get burned when she knew full well that it was actually Solidus. I mean Big Boss said himself that EVA and Ocelot reconstructed his body from parts from Liquid and Solidus, am I wrong?
  • sanosuke001, on 07/08/2008, -0/+2It wasn't that he COULDN'T, it's that Big Boss stopped him (remember the gun in his hand?) I was under the distinct impression that Big Boss shot the gun out of the way just as Snake pulled the trigger.
  • bone625, on 07/08/2008, -1/+3When I first heard the gunshot, I was worried for a sec because it seemed like Snake had almost NO closure and didn't round out his character enough at the end of the game. However, when I saw he didn't do it, I was relieved - for a second. I thought FOR SURE he would die at the very end, and even though they alluded to his death in the coming days, I think the ending would have been absolutely perfect if they would have shown it or absolutely confirmed it. That little bit of uncertainty didn't ruin it for me, it's still a great ending, it just felt like it could have been perfect with a little change.
  • konsole1981, on 07/08/2008, -0/+2le sigh --- how does one argue with the voice of god?
  • DangerMouse9, on 07/08/2008, -2/+4Einhorn is a man.
    The Villagers sacrifice the policeman.
    Verbal is Keyser Soze.
    Soylent Green is made of people.
    Vader is Luke's Father.
    It was the Earth All along.
    Kristin shot JR.
    Snape Kills Dumbledore.
    The Kid's therapist is a ghost.
    Tyler Durden isn't real.
    299 of the spartans die.
    Neo is the one.
    Rosebud is the name of the sled.
    The protagonists are the others.
    Norman Bates' mother is part of his split personality.
    The village is part of a modern nature reserve.
    His friends are all part of his Beautiful Mind.
    Donnie dies.
    Dil is a man.
    David's mother is a paladin.
  • freakgd, on 07/08/2008, -0/+2You guys are *****, hayter talking about the trailer not the ***** ending. Plus the ending was really cliche, and predictable. Actually wack. Still a good game though, but personally the worse Metal Gear Solid game out of the bunch.
  • Kmap, on 07/08/2008, -0/+2Seriously go ***** yourself!
  • Shugii, on 07/08/2008, -0/+2Blasphemy!!
  • staticneuron, on 07/08/2008, -0/+2Big boss was only there to end the main branch of the patriots and tell snake to live. The patriots (computer ai) expected snake to come into contact with big boss. Since Solidus was a perfect clone it wouldn't have mattered if they were aiming for the clone or the real one.
  • doubledmateo, on 07/08/2008, -0/+1I was confused as to why the AIs with all their knowledge didn't catch onto the fact that the remains that they believed were Big boss had the wrong eye missing. Seems like they would have caught that. Perhaps the game explained this and I didn't catch it, but I noticed in the cinematic where Big Mama shows off the remains that the wrong eye was missing.
  • WiretapStudios, on 07/08/2008, -0/+1Quit whining.
  • zaini014, on 07/08/2008, -0/+1Big Fan!
  • totaljerkface, on 07/09/2008, -1/+2i didn't prefer characters repeating and reiterating things they'd said over and over again, each time in an equally difficult to follow phrasing. many of the extremely long cinematics could have been halved in length while being twice as clear with some different dialog

    i've always thought this though, and yet i kept buying and playing the games.
  • jleack, on 08/11/2009, -0/+1I think the near suicide was necessary. Either way, I still think MGS4 is the best game ever made.
  • t4m5t3r, on 07/08/2008, -0/+1he's also the GUYVER!! lol (second one)
  • Steeple, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1ooh, technically flawless, yet devoid of heart or content- are you a screenwriter?
  • ElCheLikesAudi, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1I am a fan-boy and movie fan. Is this the most epic story, no but it up there with the big boys. I really mean that, this game really good and deserve credit.
  • ElCheLikesAudi, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1I saw X2 and it wasn't good I bet he is a good screenwriter but don't use X2.
  • pe5t1lence, on 07/09/2008, -0/+1Yeah, even I noticed the eye in the cut scene on the boat, and I never notice things like that.
  • Tito151, on 07/08/2008, -0/+1Seriously ... The article title needs a spoiler tag on that. I thought it was going to be something about his debate with Hideo not go over what seemed like the prime plot point. I suppose Kotaku should/could have put a similar tag in too.
  • Temo1, on 07/08/2008, -0/+1Accelerated lung cancer? It's not enough to just get lung cancer from smoking, now it has to be a really fast cancer?
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