For Metal Gear fans and Sony executives alike, the wait for what some view as the PlayStation Triple's crown jewel (and cash cow) has been bordering on unbearable. For some of us, it's been downright painful. Thankfully Ryan Payton, by way of the latest Kojima Productions Report, has some encouraging words to stave off the hunger pangs for a while longer: 

"We are on the eve of entering the bug-checking phase, which means that we're pretty far along," Payton said. Bugs not withstanding (and with a few pieces, such as the opening cinematic, still missing), the game can already be played "from start to finish."

What that means is that you can expect to see Metal Gear Solid 4 gracing Darth Vader's suitcase near you during the second quarter of this year. However, there's one more surprise for us waiting in the wings: You will actually be able to pause those long cut-scenes that Metal Gear games are famous for!

So the next time your bladder's contents have nearly leaked out of your eyeballs while waiting for the long-winded proselytizing sequences to end (so you can take that much needed bathroom break), you can remind yourself that Kojima has you covered -- and rest assured that you're not missing out on the enlightenment. You can pause the game, drain the lizard, and get back to the action like you never left in the first place. Making sure that we don't pee on ourselves while playing through another Metal Gear game? Now that's thoughtful.

[Via 1UP --Thanks, Madninja]