'Metal Gear Solid 4' release is delayed

Previously scheduled for a UK release on March 30, 2008, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of Patriots has now had its release date pushed back, Konami has announced.

The Japanese firm, which now plans to launch the game at some point between April and June, claims the delay will allow it to make further improvements to the highly-anticipated PlayStation 3 release.

A statement from the company read: "Konami has decided to delay the title's release in order to make further improvements to the quality of the game and provide even greater enjoyment for more customers worldwide."

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of Patriots, which sees the return of the game's main 'stars', including Solid Snake, Meryl Silverburgh, Raiden, Hal ‘Otacon’ Emmerich and Roy Campbell, promises to offer a wealth of new stealth-based tricks and a new close-quarters combat system.