Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3 pulled from stores over licensing issue

Metal Gear Solid2, Metal Gear Solid3: Snake EaterAnthologies that contain those games cannot be purchased online due to expired licenses for historic footage used in cinematic sequences. It also means this: Metal Gear SolidHD Collection PlayStation Now’s game streaming service will end.

Konami released a statement Monday morning informing fans about the marketplace shut downs. Starting Nov. 8, these games won’t be sold anymore:

• Metal GearSolid 2 Sons of Liberty HD edition For Vita 3 or Vita Vita
• Metal Gear Solid 3 Snake Eater HD edition For Vita 3 or Vita Vita
• Metal Gear Solid HD edition 3
• Metal Gear Solid HD Collection For Vita and Now
• Metal Gear Solid HD Edition: 2 & 3 Xbox 360
• Metal Gear Solid Snake Eater 3D for Nintendo 3DS

Also, Metal Gear Solid 2 Substance GOG.com is being taken down Metal Gear Solid 2 HD And 3 HD Nvidia Shield TV will no longer be available at mobile stores.

Konami called the removals “a temporary decision” and said it will “work towards making these products available for purchase once again.”

Konami didn’t specify what footage, specifically, is causing the takedowns. Eight years ago, YouTube’s KefkaProduction spliced all the cutscenes from Metal Gear 2 And Metal Gear 3 In two movies, one longer than the other, but both lasting more than four hours and the last more than five.

Metal Gear Solid II: Sons of Liberty launched Nov. 13, 2001 on PlayStation 2, so it’s possible Konami had a 20-year license to sell games with certain scenes, and that was as good as infinity in the days of disc media. Metal Gear Solid 3 Launched Nov. 17, 2004. Perhaps with clips that were not covered under the original licence. This has been an issue for a few all-time great games that have been remastered, re-released, or anthologized over the years, particularly Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto series, well-known for the music of its in-world radio stations.