Metal Gear Solid Collectibles

[R_R_X]

You're right on all your points but... I've got compulsions I can't get over. An unlicensed figure could look pitch perfect, and I still wouldn't be satisfied unless I've got the official stamp on it. It's peak consooooomerism, the very thing I criticize half the time, but I just can't help myself. The majority of my collection is fueled by an irrational sense of completionism instead of real desire to own a piece. It's just ticking names off a list (one that changes every other day at that) instead of a genuine attachment to a character. I know how it sounds.

Ha I kind of understand, I used to collect lines of whole figures that I didn't care about just for the sake of completion, after I went many years without collecting anything I basically lost that mentality and now I'll get a figure if I really want it and if it's from something I love, I have lots of stuff just in storage collecting dust and it's truly a waste, I'd rather display a few pieces that mean something to me that have a crowded shelf filled with characters I don't care about.

 

[Victοr]

Ha I kind of understand, I used to collect lines of whole figures that I didn't care about just for the sake of completion, after I went many years without collecting anything I basically lost that mentality

I've gone through that with many other lines, and I know that when I look back, it's with regret on the money wasted on useless plastic. I look around sometimes, and figures that I paid triple for on the secondary market now mean nothing, let alone all the filler to "complete the team" ones. I actually had stopped collecting entirely for about 5 years or so. I got back in since the Endgame Tony was my last chance to get an Iron Man so I went for it. I was a pretty big Ironfan but kept waiting for "the right one" (meaning the MCU suit closer to one of my favourites from the comics) until there were no more. That prompted me to get back in the game, and here I am with 7 POs and the year's not even started yet...

and now I'll get a figure if I really want it and if it's from something I love, I have lots of stuff just in storage collecting dust and it's truly a waste,

My problem always was that I liked a lot of things, but never knew if I "loved" anything. Pop Culture is fleeting, it comes and goes. So my tastes depend on the day. Then completionism comes in and wrecks me.

I'd rather display a few pieces that mean something to me that have a crowded shelf filled with characters I don't care about.

That's the mentality I started with back in the day, and in regards to 1/6th I've kept at it, but with the increasing number of releases I find it hard to keep true to it. Videogames don't get much coverage, but the comicfan in me is having trouble keeping up with the MCU, especially as the X-Men & FF are coming. The logical side of me says "okay, just get Cyclops, Jean, Xavier, Magneto, one or two villains and you're set", but then I start to wander to variant suits ("well, you can't have Jean and not have her Phoenix form too"), sub-groups ("gee, it'd be cool to have my old fan-made X-Team on my shelf") and so on. You know how it goes. In theory I know that a display is always better when there's less figures and each one of them stands out, but it's hard to restrain yourself... Eh, maybe when I see them "in the flesh" with the new HT price increases I'll be unable to just click the PO button and keep myself in check.

If we focused it just on MGS, and assumed by some miracle we got figures, their price would come around 300 each for me, taxes and everything included. My imediate wants would be Solid & Big Boss' major looks (1, 2, 4 for Solid, PW, Venom & 4 for Big Boss), Raiden's outfits (2, 4, Rising-not counting the HT there), Solidus, Liquid and one or two Ocelots, with Meryl, Boss, Grey Fox and Otacon as maybes. That's near 5K territory and about 17 figures. That's from just one line. Now add all the groups from big IPs like Marvel, DC & Star Wars, Videogames like Mass Effect, one-offs from classic movies and vidya, and the number rises to 200 and doesn't go back down. Obviously one could be sated having just 1-5 figures per franchise, his favourites acting as representations of it. But the first exception ("Oh, I love that so much, this time only I'll get the whole group") gives way to another and another and you've gone down the rabbit hole.

All that said, MGS is basically a dead franchise at this point, so it's all moot. If anything, our only real, concrete chance at any merch is the movie actually getting made.

 

[Solidus]

Unfortunately, it's in the nature of this hobby to encourage compeltionist behavior. Personally, I would've gotten a lot more figures if I weren't living in a small NYC apartment. But, keeping a realistic approach to collecting and livability is paramount, so I've always tried to make necessary sacrifices and limit what I was able to purchase. Most of my figures are in boxes, but I frequently switch them out just to have a chance to display everything.

That said, I've been practically retired from 1/6 collecting, as the last figure I ever bought was the Hot Toys John Wick in 2019 . I've also had a few of the ThreeA Berserk figures on waitlist, but they just never converted - which in retrospect is a good thing, because my shelves are currently filled with grotesquely huge Absolute Edition books. The only exception I plan to make right now is for Lim's releases, because there's been such a void of good MGS figures, that were never fulfilled by the lackluster customs I was involved with years ago.

 

[Victοr]

Unfortunately, it's in the nature of this hobby to encourage compeltionist behavior. Personally, I would've gotten a lot more figures if I weren't living in a small NYC apartment. But, keeping a realistic approach to collecting and livability is paramount, so I've always tried to make necessary sacrifices and limit what I was able to purchase. Most of my figures are in boxes, but I frequently switch them out just to have a chance to display everything.

That said, I've been practically retired from 1/6 collecting, as the last figure I ever bought was the Hot Toys John Wick in 2019 . I've also had a few of the ThreeA Berserk figures on waitlist, but they just never converted - which in retrospect is a good thing, because my shelves are currently filled with grotesquely huge Absolute Edition books. The only exception I plan to make right now is for Lim's releases, because there's been such a void of good MGS figures, that were never fulfilled by the lackluster customs I was involved with years ago.

I hear you. Sadly, I operate on the assumption that one day I'll have all the space in the world, and with all my wants being in the far future, it's easy for me to get lost in my lists and daydreams. But real life pulls me back down so I'm far more realistic in what I ultimately buy. Lots of figures I was "surely in" for I ended up passing. And you know what, after a few days you don't even feel as if you're missing out. Either way, I'm not in this forever, I want to get my definite locks and get out. Then maybe get into the statue game for one or two characters. I'd love those expensive busts for someone like Doom or Vader, but that's waaaaaaaayyyyy off the line for me.

I'm trying to complete my comics collection too. After Miura died the Berserk books skyrocketed to bonkers prices, but they're back to normal now. I'm up to Vol. 3 there. With someone like Doctor Strange I'm at 3 Omnis out of 5, I've completed the Morrison Batman run, have half the Lee/Kirby FF ones, some other randoms and so on. The DC Absolutes are killing me though. I'm getting there, but it's a long way from being done. I try to buy only specific titles, characters and runs, I don't want to end up like those guys with rooms full of random Omnis that take over an entire room. I have a pretty big bookcase designated for all my hardcover Omnis, and they go there. Nothing beyond that space.

 

[ialtaf]

Wow, just read the last few pages of this thread and it was intense! I could relate a bit (even though I'm not a completionist) because I'm beginning to run out of storage and display room. Hopefully you all can continue to enjoy this wonderful hobby and not let it dominate you negatively.

With that said, @R_R_X , could we please have a small, minor, short, tiny, miniscule, microscopic, nanoscopic (I've run out of synonyms at this point) sneak peak at the MGS stuff you've been working on?

It'll help cheer us all up!

 

[Solidus]

In light of current events, I think this series just became relevant again. For the first time in my life, I'm starting to understand how my parents' generation felt with the Cold War tension and fear (I'm guessing it's like that for you guys as well). At least Russia doesn't possess a Metal Gear... that's one thing to be thankful about, I guess .

Btw, have any of you played any of the games recently? I'm currently doing a second playthough of MGS 2 on the PS Vita. My preferred way is on the PS2, but it's surprisingly good on the Vita.

 

[Victοr]

In light of current events, I think this series just became relevant again. For the first time in my life, I'm starting to understand how my parents' generation felt with the Cold War tension and fear (I'm guessing it's like that for you guys as well). At least Russia doesn't possess a Metal Gear... that's one thing to be thankful about, I guess .

When you live in a geographically volatile place, you eventually become numb to such situations. Best you can do is keep going with your daily life. If something happens, nobody like me is getting out. There's no way you can plan for anything. So I keep buying my dollies, doing the work, getting by. It's best not to think about it. Not that I think anything will happen now. It'll blow over. But it's not going to be the end of this whole affair.

Btw, have any of you played any of the games recently? I'm currently doing a second playthough of MGS 2 on the PS Vita. My preferred way is on the PS2, but it's surprisingly good on the Vita.

I'm on V ATM. Will play 4 next and finish the saga, so to speak. Doing a chronological run of sorts. But I don't have much free time, and I'm at that stage where vidya tires me, so I'm hoping to finish them by the end of the year.

 

[Solidus]

When you live in a geographically volatile place, you eventually become numb to such situations. Best you can do is keep going with your daily life. If something happens, nobody like me is getting out. There's no way you can plan for anything. So I keep buying my dollies, doing the work, getting by. It's best not to think about it. Not that I think anything will happen now. It'll blow over. But it's not going to be the end of this whole affair.

I'm on V ATM. Will play 4 next and finish the saga, so to speak. Doing a chronological run of sorts. But I don't have much free time, and I'm at that stage where vidya tires me, so I'm hoping to finish them by the end of the year.

Yeah, I think that's a healthy mindset to have right now. Not much you can do except hope for the best. That said, there was a dire article from Politico yesterday, about how entire world has been ill-prepared to handle the current crisis (link: ‘Yes, He Would’: Fiona Hill on Putin and Nukes).

As for "V", are you playing it for the first time, or replaying it? It's the only game in the saga that I haven't revisited, because there was just too much repetition, and very little payoff in terms of a coherent story to make a replay worthwhile. In contrast, I always find myself revisiting MGS 2 whenever there's an existential crisis in the world. It's also fairly short and plays like a novel of sorts.

 

[Victοr]

Yeah, I think that's a healthy mindset to have right now. Not much you can do except hope for the best. That said, there was a dire article from Politico yesterday, about how entire world has been ill-prepared to handle the current crisis (link: ‘Yes, He Would’: Fiona Hill on Putin and Nukes).

It's a weird time, that's for certain. I've just been living with the possibility of war since forever, so it's hard to really realise it until it's right there knocking at your door. And by then you're done already. For the average person like me, preparing won't do you much good, so, you know, "Que Sera, Sera".

As for "V", are you playing it for the first time, or replaying it? It's the only game in the saga that I haven't revisited, because there was just too much repetition, and very little payoff in terms of a coherent story to make a replay worthwhile. In contrast, I always find myself revisiting MGS 2 whenever there's an existential crisis in the world. It's also fairly short and plays like a novel of sorts.

First time. I was already out of videogames by the time it launched, and the entire debacle and spoilers didn't help matters. It's just a chore for me, I have to be honest. I barely have the time to play, and it's not that enjoyable at that. I was expecting it to at least be fun, but it reminds me of all the problems with ill-thought "open world" games. GTA worked because it was fun to shoot the ****. Spider-Man & Batman work because it's fun to be them. Trying to turn a stealth game into that just doesn't work. But I have to finish it. I'm not even trying for any scores or whatever, I just brute force my way, get my Bs and just keep going. I've had everything spoiled so not even the "phantom pain" meme means anything. I just want to be done with it.

I'd still buy some dollies though. I liked the designs a whole lot.

 

[Solidus]

It's a weird time, that's for certain. I've just been living with the possibility of war since forever, so it's hard to really realise it until it's right there knocking at your door. And by then you're done already. For the average person like me, preparing won't do you much good, so, you know, "Que Sera, Sera".

First time. I was already out of videogames by the time it launched, and the entire debacle and spoilers didn't help matters. It's just a chore for me, I have to be honest. I barely have the time to play, and it's not that enjoyable at that. I was expecting it to at least be fun, but it reminds me of all the problems with ill-thought "open world" games. GTA worked because it was fun to shoot the ****. Spider-Man & Batman work because it's fun to be them. Trying to turn a stealth game into that just doesn't work. But I have to finish it. I'm not even trying for any scores or whatever, I just brute force my way, get my Bs and just keep going. I've had everything spoiled so not even the "phantom pain" meme means anything. I just want to be done with it.

I'd still buy some dollies though. I liked the designs a whole lot.

Ugh, that sounds torturous. There's no reason for you to be spending so much time with V, unless you're going after the trophies or achievements. Otherwise, the game is an immense waste of time. You never actually finish "V", as the entire game is just series of short, repetitive missions that will eventually stop loading after a certain point. And some missions will still continue to load after the "revelation" about Venom Snake.

Adding to the futility of the entire experience, around 70% of the story is told through optional in-game cassette tapes in a very disjointed fashion. It's a format that worked well for Peace Walker on the PSP, because it mimicked listening to audio books while you were on the go with a handheld. But, it boggles the mind as to why cassette tapes were substituted for in-game cinematic in MGS V's full-fledged console release.

I'd say, if you really want a good, short MGS experience and time is of the essence, go with MGS 1, 2, or 3. The trilogy of the series are some of the best games ever created with so much replayability that never gets old, or tiring.

And yea, I'm also of the opinion that open-world was a big mistake for this franchise. The series was better suited to indoor environments (MGS 1 and 2) and urban warfare (MGS 3, 4, and Ground Zeroes); claustrophobic settings where Snake has very little room for mistakes, and where stealth is paramount.

 

[Rexus]

Konami doesn't deserve a cent from merchandise given how they treated this legendary IP and relegated it to ******* mini games on Pachinko machines, every day I wish Sony would buy it so we could get a proper remake by BluePoint.

Konami the great butcher of their own franchises; Metal Gear, Castlevania, Silent Hill, and Contra to name but a few. As someone who started gaming in the NES era and remembers how they were at the top of the industry, it's sad to see them fall from grace, but it's their own doing. I hope someone makes some great Castlevania 1/6 figures hint, hint.

 

[Solidus]

In terms of gaming, mobile apps with micro-transactions is where the money is for Konami, and that's the reason they've had zero interest in their console divisions. These days, it wouldn't make sense to have another blockbuster release like MGS V (which was in development for five years with a budget of 80 million USD), when Konami can just rely on their mobile games to generate profit. We don't have to like it, but the world has become mobile, and demographic interests have shifted as a result.

My two favorite franchises from Konami are MGS and Suikoden. The latter hasn't had a new entry since 2006. I really miss those older days of JRPGs.

 

[Victοr]

Ugh, that sounds torturous. There's no reason for you to be spending so much time with V, unless you're going after the trophies or achievements. Otherwise, the game is an immense waste of time. You never actually finish "V", as the entire game is just series of short, repetitive missions that will eventually stop loading after a certain point. And some missions will still continue to load after the "revelation" about Venom Snake.

Adding to the futility of the entire experience, around 70% of the story is told through optional in-game cassette tapes in a very disjointed fashion. It's a format that worked well for Peace Walker on the PSP, because it mimicked listening to audio books while you were on the go with a handheld. But, it boggles the mind as to why cassette tapes were substituted for in-game cinematic in MGS V's full-fledged console release.

I know. It's just my completionism mindset that gets the better of me. I don't even play the cassettes, I just go through the motions. I thought about just wasting the "movie" on YT, but that's 15 hours of an unfinished product, so screw it, might as well take it slow and get some "enjoyment" out of shooting the **** in the game itself.

I'd say, if you really want a good, short MGS experience and time is of the essence, go with MGS 1, 2, or 3. The trilogy of the series are some of the best games ever created with so much replayability that never gets old, or tiring.

I did that last year. Played them one after the other during the summer. I just want to replay 4 as a concluding chapter to the entire saga this time around, so I have to finish V too.

And yea, I'm also of the opinion that open-world was a big mistake for this franchise. The series was better suited to indoor environments (MGS 1 and 2) and urban warfare (MGS 3, 4, and Ground Zeroes); claustrophobic settings where Snake has very little room for mistakes, and where stealth is paramount.

Exactly. It's a stealth series, what's the point of the open world?

 

[Solidus]

In a lot of ways, MGS V was like a reboot of the franchise that has no bearing on the story of the saga. So, if you've played MGS 1 to 4, you've already completed the series in its original entirety.

The tapes help to fill in the storyline gaps (of which there are plenty), but it's an absolute chore to listen to them, so I don't blame you for skipping them entirely. This format alone makes the game impossible to replay if you're interested in revisiting a storyline narrative. That said, I haven't actually met a single person that's replayed "V" from beginning to "end". It's like one of those games that you either put away for good or throw away once you're finished, or bored to death. Funny thing is, there are thousands of used copies of "V" on the Japanese Mercari site, and absolutely no one buys them.

Dear god, I loathe this game. The Venom Snake character also only exists as a meta-narrative for the player without a backstory of his own. This is the sole reason for why I have no interest in having a figure representation of him in any scale.

 

[Victοr]

In a lot of ways, MGS V was like a reboot of the franchise that has no bearing on the story of the saga. So, if you've played MGS 1 to 4, you've already completed the series in its original entirety.

The tapes help to fill in the storyline gaps (of which there are plenty), but it's an absolute chore to listen to them, so I don't blame you for skipping them entirely. This format alone makes the game impossible to replay if you're interested in revisiting a storyline narrative. That said, I haven't actually met a single person that's replayed "V" from beginning to "end". It's like one of those games that you either put away for good or throw away once you're finished, or bored to death. Funny thing is, there are thousands of used copies of "V" on the Japanese Mercari site, and absolutely no one buys them.

Dear god, I loathe this game. The Venom Snake character also only exists as a meta-narrative for the player without a backstory of his own. This is the sole reason for why I have no interest in having a figure representation of him in any scale.

I still wanted to do a chronological run, and figured as I never played it, it was a good justification to do so. I imagined it'd be more fun, being less stealth focused, more casual friendly. But instead it's just an ugly mix between the two. I'm in the "put away for good" camp for sure. I have no desire to ever revisit it. But I needed it for the collection. Dunno, I think I'd still buy a Venom Snake figure. It's a cool design, despite the backstory. But that'd be it, period.

 

[Solidus]

I still wanted to do a chronological run, and figured as I never played it, it was a good justification to do so. I imagined it'd be more fun, being less stealth focused, more casual friendly. But instead it's just an ugly mix between the two. I'm in the "put away for good" camp for sure. I have no desire to ever revisit it. But I needed it for the collection. Dunno, I think I'd still buy a Venom Snake figure. It's a cool design, despite the backstory. But that'd be it, period.

Yeah, I think a lot of folks share your sentiment; they love Venom's design but couldn't care less about the game overall. For me, I'd just rather collect for games that I really love and enjoy, and with characters that I love. I need to have my cake and eat it too, in a sense .

As for a chronological run of MGS, I would've liked to have dissuaded you from doing it (the games were never meant to be played like that). The timeline for the series is irrelevant, because the story for each successive game builds upon the narrative of the previous entry. By playing in release order, you can also see how the games naturally progress from a technical standpoint - graphically, sonically, and also in terms of gameplay.

I've always been meaning to do a run of the first two MG games, followed by MGS 1 - just to see if I'd have a different perspective on the story.

 

[Victοr]

Yeah, I think a lot of folks share your sentiment; they love Venom's design but couldn't care less about the game overall. For me, I'd just rather collect for games that I really love and enjoy, and with characters that I love. I need to have my cake and eat it too, in a sense .

That's how I used to think, but my completionism takes me over. Not at the level where I'd buy a totally unrelated and unwanted figure just to complete the set (eg I don't think I'll ever get a Han, Chewie, Leia or a Farmboy Luke, much as I like SW, as I'm focused on the Jedi & Sith with some supporting characters for certain displays; but I'm likely to get doubles/different costumes of certain characters to round up a team I love), but someone like Venom is close enough to being an important look for Big Boss that I'd need him.

As for a chronological run of MGS, I would've liked to have dissuaded you from doing it (the games were never meant to be played like that). The timeline for the series is irrelevant, because the story for each successive game builds upon the narrative of the previous entry. By playing in release order, you can also see how the games naturally progress from a technical standpoint - graphically, sonically, and also in terms of gameplay.

Oh, I played them normally back in the day too. But you know how it was with rental stores and everything, so I wanted to go back and play them properly. I got the Legacy Collection some years back, and went to eBay and got the originals as well for the collection. I played through 1-3 as is, but I followed 3 with PW and figured I'd get V out of the way before ending with 4. I wouldn't want to finish my playthrough with V. 4's a much better way to end it all.

I've always been meaning to do a run of the first two MG games, followed by MGS 1 - just to see if I'd have a different perspective on the story.

I tried getting through them as they're included in the LC, but they're too old for me. And I generally no longer have the patience for something like that. I'll tell you this; between rentals, bought copies and everything else, it took me a decade to finish Deus Ex: Human Revolution. And I still haven't touched Mankind Divided. So that's where I'm at with videogames. I remember, I bought Skyrim on launch day even though I never cared for Fantasy or the Elder Scrolls, and literally just somehow found myself to the end of the game some years later, playing an hour every few months, not even knowing what the story even was, at which point I dropped it. I never got the hype for it. I suppose it was a mistake on my part, as the far North/Viking aesthetics were never my favourites. At least not enough for me to drop so many hours into a world built around them. Not that Tolkien-inspired Fantasy ever did much for me in general.

 

[Solidus]

Your gaming backlog sounds as awful as mine. I got into a fairly pessimistic mindset about gaming and some of my other hobbies for a number of years (due to working all the time). But, the pandemic and lockdowns brought me back to it. Recently, my interests have shifted more towards retro-gaming - more specifically, PS1/PS2 era games. I can always find time for those, and it's so much fun going back to my old library from the mid 90s to early 2000s. To me, this was the best era in gaming and modern games have just paled in comparison.

The original Metal Gear games for MSX 2 are fairly dated by today's standards, so I know where you're coming from. They do have a certain charm to them though, especially if you grew up playing those kind of games.

 

[Solidus]

@R_R_X Would LIM Toys have any interest in making an MGS 3 Naked Snake figure? I personally never got around to building a custom Naked Snake - mainly because it was hard to find a proper wet-suit. In addition, the security labels for the wet-suit are only found on the Medicom figures. I'd figure LIM would be able to make this figure accurately.

 

[MGS_OldBoy57]

I definitely love to see a camo Naked Snake. Head sculpts with and without an eye patch would be awesome