In many ways, this year's Tokyo Game Show is Sony's big coming out party. With Nintendo a no-show and Microsoft's presence in Japan fleeting at best, the responsibility of demonstrating a quality lineup from both internal studios and third parties falls to the Big S. If Konami's lineup, which does indeed include plenty of love for Nintendo and Microsoft platforms too, is any indication, though, the PSP and PS3 will have some bigguns to enjoy over the next several months.

With the exception of a little Winning Eleven luv and the surprisingly improved Silent Hill Origins, for PlayStation owners, it's definitely the Metal Gear Solid show. Not only will the newer Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops + be on hand, but the new Metal Gear Solid 2 Bande Desinee digital graphic novel will make an appearance too. Of course, the real draw will be the fact that both the stand-alone multiplayer PS3 game Metal Gear Solid Online 2.0 (nee Metal Gear Online) and the granddaddy of 'em all Metal Gear Solid 4 will be playable for the first time for the public at large.

Yes, this is the part where we stare at our bank accounts and curse the cost of running a small business at the top of our lungs. Anyone lucky enough to be in Japan come Thursday had better thank whatever respective deities they pray to that they got to play what has to be the PS3's biggest game of 2008. You lucky bastards.