Konami Digital Entertainment this week hosted a party at the Ritz Carlton hotel in Tokyo in celebration of the Metal Gear video game series’ 20th anniversary. Hosted by series creator and head of Kojima Productions, Hideo Kojima, the party began with a press conference featuring an official announcement of the latest iterations of Metal Gear Online and Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus.

Metal Gear Online

Based on Metal Gear Solid 4’s next-generation graphics engine and new control scheme, Metal Gear Online will launch for the PS3. Making its debut with Metal Gear Online is the SOP system — a gameplay mechanic that encourages players to link together with teammates’ nanomachines to build a matrix of real-time information that includes teammates’ whereabouts, battle condition and the location of the nearest enemy. Players can also infuse a variety of skills to enhance and differentiate their battle strategy. Japanese players will get the first taste of Metal Gear Online when 3,000 people are selected to participate in the game’s closed beta test, scheduled for August.

Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus

In this multiplayer-focused update to last year’s Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops, Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus features new stages, new playable characters (including Raiden and Old Snake) and new gameplay modes. In addition to both Ad-Hoc and infrastructure-based wireless play, the game includes a new single-player mode called Infinity Mission and a new comrade recruitment system. Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus will launch on the PSP.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

In the most anticipated moment of the evening, Hideo Kojima walked attendees through a presentation of Metal Gear Solid 4, showing off 15 minutes of gameplay and highlighting the series’ new approach to tactical stealth action. The 15 minute presentation is available for viewing on the Kojima Productions’ official website and will be available in high-definition through a free download on the PlayStation Store this week.

To wrap up the formal presentation, Metal Gear Solid Mobile for mobile phones and Metal Gear Solid 2: Digital Graphic Novel (working title) for the PSP system were announced for release in Japan.