Konami has announced the Metal Gear Online component of MGS4 will soon be available separately in Japan.
As reported by IGN, it'll go on sale on July 17th priced at JPY 1800 (around GBP 8.50 / EUR 11).
So any news on a European price and/or release date? "I cannot comment until we announce concrete PAL plans," a spokesperson told Eurogamer. At least there are "plans".
News of the Japanese release came during a MGS4 signing session, where series creator Hideo Kojima gave a talk. He revealed there are plans to host a global tournament titled Metal Gear Online World Championship 2008, but declined to offer any more details.
Stat fans may like to know that MGO connections peak at around 11pm (Japanese time, presumably), with up to 12,000 people playing the game online.