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The secret's out - Hideo Kojima unveils Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes

The existence of a new Metal Gear Solid game - not to be confused with upcoming spin-off Metal Gear Rising - has been one of the worst kept secrets in gaming over the last few years, with mercurial creator Hideo Kojima constantly hinting at it, without ever coming out and confirming the bloomin' thing.

Well, now he has. Speaking at an event to celebrate the series 25th annivesary - Solid Snake debuted in a game simply called Metal Gear in 1987 for the obscure MSX2 computer - Kojima has confirmed that he's deep into production on Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes.

Formerly known as Project Ogre, this is Kojima's openworld take on the stealth genre he pioneered, and it will use his shiny new Fox Engine to create its vast free-roaming landscapes.

Footage shown at the event blew attendees away by all accounts, showing Snake crawling past searchlights and taking down a guard, before stealing a Jeep, driving away and calling in a helicopter for evacuation. And while fans were still reeling from that, Kojima casually let slip that the Metal Gear movie is moving ahead with former Marvel man Avi Arad producing.

It's an exciting time to be a grizzled future combat veteran with an eye-patch then, but for those who can't wait to find out where and when Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes will be released, direct your attention to Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, the all-action spin-off that sees Kojima teaming up with Bayonette studio Platinum Games for a slick hack-and-slash spin on the Metal Gear saga. That's due for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 next February.