How Does Metal Gear Solid's Codec Actually Work?

Writing on Games August 4, 2025
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In-depth analysis and opinion pieces on games, their designs and their narratives. Business enquiries: [email protected]

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Metal Gear Solid's codec is an iconic element of the series' identity. It's a foundational component of its storytelling and yet a question that rarely gets asked is, well... how does it actually function? What are its rules? How do the games (and novel) explain it? The answer, as it turns out, is rather complicated, going far beyond the physics of futuristic radio communication or the series' obsession with nanomachines, and getting into the differences in storytelling between games and other artforms—"winning the battle, losing the cutscene," the differences in how they handle contrivances, etc. With the release of Metal Gear Solid Delta imminent, in this essay/analysis/thought experiment, let's answer the question—how does Metal Gear Solid's codec work? --- Support the show on Patreon - http://patreon.com/writingongames Podcast - http://anchor.fm/writingongamescast Second Channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1xxfS_HILi09yaELQdmV1A --- 0:00 - Intro plug 0:08 - The question I've been asking myself 1:22 - What are the "rules" of the codec? 4:57 - How different artforms handle contrivances 7:55 - Control is the key word 9:21 - So how does the codec ACTUALLY work?! 10:47 - Outro --- #metalgearsolid #mgs #hideokojima MGS2 translator Agness Kaku on working with Kojima - http://web.archive.org/web/20120125211106/http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/metalgear/agnesskaku3.htm#13 Extra footage used: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3iqVTDXK1Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RhMsboqMMzs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35FzeJoqpkk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nr5AVIUb1rM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zU9ZUmcz_ig https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXaOguzFHTE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVYMKd2Datk

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