A card key or key card is a flat, rectangular card that stores a physical or digital signature, which can be used to disengage a card key lock on a door. They eventually became outdated in the aftermath of Liquid Ocelot's Insurrection in 2014, due to advances in Cyborg technology relegating ID directly into the left limb of a cybernetic soldier.

Contents 1 Types 1.1 Punch card 1.2 Integrated circuit card 1.3 Personal area network card 2 Behind the scenes 3 Appearances 4 Gallery 5 Notes and references

TypesEdit

Punch card Edit

A punch card is a piece of stiff paper that contains digital information represented by the presence or absence of holes in predefined positions.

The warehouse at Ponizovje, Tselinoyarsk, and the missile silo on the San Hieronymo Peninsula, utilized punch card systems for some of their doors, during the 1960s and early '70s, respectively.

Integrated circuit card Edit

An integrated circuit card or smart card is a pocket-sized card with embedded integrated circuits, including volatile memory and microprocessor components.

IC cards were used in the fortress of Zanzibar Land to unlock doors of various security levels, and in some cases, up to three system levels. They were also used as part of ArmsTech's Permissive Action Link system for the nuclear warheads stored on Shadow Moses Island.

Personal area network card Edit

A personal area network card utilizes a computer network for communication with other devices, in proximity to an individual's body.

In the 2000s, PAN cards were used in the facilities of both Shadow Moses and the Big Shell, also serving as ID cards for base personnel. The card system transferred data by passing minute electric currents using the salt in the user's body as a transmission medium. PAN cards could be carried anywhere on one's person and unlock doors automatically. During the Big Shell Incident, Otacon was supposed to get PAN cards for the SEAL Team 10's Bravo Team, while undercover as a chief architect of the facility's security systems, but failed to do so.

Behind the scenesEdit

"These cards open doors. Card numbers will differ, depending on the type of door."

— Card key description in Metal Gear

Hideo Kojima, the creator of the Metal Gear series, originally wanted to force the player to use trial-and-error to figure out which cards worked for which doors. He was inspired by the classic George A. Romero horror film Dawn of the Dead. In one of the scenes, one of the characters has to go through several keys in order to try and open a door with zombies approaching. Just as the zombies are about to attack, he finally picks out the right key and moves to safety. Kojima wanted to give players this sense of dread and urgency in his game. While he was able to implement this in Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake, it was somewhat minimized in Metal Gear 2 with the addition of master card keys. He decided not to implement it in further games as it would become too "troublesome."

In Metal Gear Solid, ID cards are backwards compatible, allowing access to any doors equal to or lower than the card's security level. Though the card itself must be equipped in order to open doors, this was not made a requirement in the sequel Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty as well as the remake, Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes.

The punch card key (as well as the other keys) weigh 0.1 kg.

Card keys do not make an appearance in the main game of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, although they did appear in the Jetstream DLC as well as the E3 Demo. In addition, they were also mentioned in the main game during a Codec conversation with the character Doktor regarding left hand ID tags in R-01, with the implication that the card keys had long been outdated and replaced with cybernetic left hands.^[1]

AppearancesEdit

• Metal Gear
• Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake
• Metal Gear Solid
• Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
• Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
• Metal Gear Acid
• Metal Gear Acid 2
• Metal Gear Solid Mobile
• Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops
• Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker
• Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance (E3 demo only/Jetstream DLC/mentioned only)

GalleryEdit

Notes and referencesEdit

1. ^ Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, Kojima Productions/Platinum Games (2013)
   Cyborg IDs conversation
   Doktor: The enemy cyborgs' ID information is embedded into the memories in their left hands. Most likely, that's what the gate is scanning for. Depending on your ID, you would only have clearance for certain gates. // Raiden: Convenient. // Doktor: No more fumbling around with a pocketful of cardkeys!

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