Metal Gear: Kojima keen on The Boss as lead MGS character, Rising sequel

Metal Gear's future could go in a number of different directions, with franchise creator Hideo Kojima showing enthusiasm for a couple of potential projects.

Speaking at a PAX Prime 2012 panel (during which more information on Ground Zeroes was revealed), Kojima said he's interested in a game starring The Boss.

"We've talked previously about a game featuring The Boss as a main character. This is something I'd really love to make," he said.

The Boss first appeared in Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater and was also an important part of the plot of Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker. She was the mentor of Big Boss, who later went on to become the antagonist of Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2, as well as the "father" of Solid Snake and his clone brothers.

The developer said that if he did make a game about the Boss, it would be a core entry in the Metal Gear Solid series, not a spin-off or side project.

This isn't the first time Kojima has floated the idea; the Boss was part of an elite pre-Cold War unit called Cobra, encountered as bosses through Snake Eater, and he's expressed interest in exploring this back story more fully.

Meanwhile, Kojima is open to the franchise expanding beyond the Solid series under his personal guidance, sounding keen on a sequel to the upcoming Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance.

"If it works out well, I really would like to work with Platinum games on a sequel," he said.

Asked to explain the game's title, Kojima said the "Rising" part, which was attached to the project even when it was part of the Solid series, is about the character of Raiden, a somewhat unpopular protagonist up until now.

"As far as Revengeance is concerned this is kind of an internal thing, but at one point Rising kind of fall apart and we had to start all over from scratch. So it was kind of our goal to make it something like 'try again' get vengeance, get our revenge on the old project," Kojima added.

Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is due in February 2013, on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Thanks, Eurogamer.