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The wait for Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is finally over, as Konami announced today that the game has shipped to retailers across the nation.

"Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots not only represents the height of the stealth-action genre, but it also defines what it is to be a next-generation game by setting new standards in gameplay, storytelling and graphics," said Anthony Crouts, Vice President of Marketing for Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. "We are incredibly excited for fans and gamers alike to reunite with all their favorite characters from the Metal Gear Solid saga while experiencing a game unlike anything they have seen before. We truly believe Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots symbolizes a milestone for videogames, and will be remembered for years to come."

The game was developed by Kojima Productions, the team run by legendary game designer Hideo Kojima, and is retailing for $59.99. A special edition is available at GameStop for $84.99 while a MGS4 PS3 bundle can be purchased for $599.99 at Konami.com.

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In the linked Reuters article, calling Metal Gear Solid 4 the last of the third-party single-platform exclusive games, Kojima Production's Ryan Payton says that the game must sell over a million copies on launch day to recoup the huge cost of development.

So far only two games have even hit the million-sold mark for the PS3. Ratchet and Clank: Tools of Destruction, the so-far most anticipated release for the system, has sold under 100,000 copies currently.

There is serious doubt as to whether the game will be the financial boon that Sony needs it to be. Metal Gear has its fans, but the game lacks the widespread appeal of less complicated series such as, say, Ratchet and Clank. Then again, I suppose there are a lot of people who are holding off on a purchase of the last-place console until MGS4 releases, myself included, but are there really a million people ready to pony up $400+ for the sake of one game?

The most commercially obvious thing for Konami to do is release this game on a more popular platform so it might have a chance of making a profit, and the only reason we haven't heard an announcement of such a port is because Sony clearly has some kind of ridiculous exclusivity contract.

And I don't blame Sony for that. If MGS4 rolls off onto the 360 like previously-PS3-exclusive Assassin's Creed did, the PlayStation 3 obituaries will start coming fast. It's in their best interest to lock MGS4 down, but by tying the system's future to a game that newcomers to the franchise won't even understand, they may have signed their own death warrant.

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