Konami blew quite a few minds at E3 when they announced that Metal Gear mastermind Hideo Kojima would be involved in Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, their upcoming reboot of the Castlevania franchise. It has since come to light that the game is actually being made by Mercury Steam with Konami Europe producing. It wasn't even really a Castlevania game in the beginning. So just what does Kojima's involvement entail, then? The man himself answered that question in a recent Famitsu interview.

Konami has kept pretty quiet about Vandal Hearts: Flames of Judgment ever since it was announced back in April. That changes today as Konami has released new screenshots and a features list for the upcoming tactical RPG.

Siliconera reports that Konami has recently filed a trademark for "Genso Suikoden" in the US. Yeah, it's for the Japanese series name, which kinda dilutes the possibility of an actual new game in the long-running RPG series. Still, the chance for another game is there.

They may both be stealth-heavy games, but one of the big differences between Ubisoft's Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction and Konami's Metal Gear Solid 4 lies in the cutscenes, with the former having none at all. According to one of the game's devs, this was a conscious decision made to improve the gamer's immersion in the story.

After the mostly dismal showing of last year's Castlevania Judgment, Konami is once again trying to take the Castlevania franchise in a new, albeit slightly more familiar, direction with the open-world action title, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow.

And we shall definitely be looking forward to Konami's presentation at the upcoming E3 2009. The company is hyping up their attendance by promising "surprise guests and revolutionary announcements".

So far, we've seen a teaser image, two countdowns and some letters and numbers that all tease Hideo Kojima's next project. Now here's another one to add to the mix.

Looks like Microsoft is planning to dish out some surprises at this year's E3. In addition to the known games they're bringing to the expo, they're apparently also showing off an unannounced "AAA" exclusive.

And finally, this is really it! There's no stopping E3 now! The committee for the E3 Expo 2009 has now released the floor plans for the said event. Posted over at their official website are the layouts for the West Hall, South Hall, and the 2nd Level Directory. Details after the jump.

Just as promised, Konami's teaser website for Kojima Productions' next project has opened its gates with blustery winds and flying cows (umm right, is Helen Hunt in the house?).

So what game is it? Gives a bit of a Heavy Rain vibe, but maybe that's just me. Some are already linking this to that "Tornado Outbreak" listing found a couple days ago, but only time will tell.