PlayStation Loses Kojima’s Stealth Game “Physint” to Xbox in New Partnership; Deal Extends Across Films and TV
Aside from the Death Stranding franchise, legendary game creator Hideo Kojima has also partnered with Sony for the development of stealth action game Physint, which was seen as the spiritual successor to the Metal Gear franchise.
Well, that’s not happening anymore, as new development has surfaced, and it Kojima has now shacked up with Xbox for the game.
This is a huge shift in the industry, as Kojima, Xbox and even PlayStation all had something to say about it.
Kojima Partnership With Xbox Now Includes a Horror Game and a Stealth Project
On the official Xbox site, Kojima said, “This expands our relationship with XBOX beyond OD. As we move forward with the development of PHYSINT, we remain committed to redefining the action-espionage genre for players around the world.”
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma said about the partnership, “Creators have choices about where and how they bring their ideas to life. We’re honored that Kojima-san has chosen XBOX to work with KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS on PHYSINT. His ambition to challenge conventions reflects the kind of creativity we want to support at XBOX.”
It’s also mentioned that aside from OD and Physint, the relationship will extend beyond games, “with XBOX and KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS collaborating across film and television to bring new stories to broader audiences.”
Kojima, Sony Comment on Breakup
Hopping on X (formerly Twitter), Kojima also shared more insight into what happened, stating that they received a notice back in June.
“As confirmed earlier through our official channels, in mid-June of this year, we unexpectedly received notice from PlayStation Studios that they would cancel the PHYSINT project. PHYSINT is an important project both to me personally and to KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS. Determined to keep the project alive, we have spent the last three months searching tirelessly for a new partner. In the course of seeking advice and pursuing negotiations with people across many fields, we found in XBOX a partner with whom we share a common vision for the future, and we have decided to team up with them once again. Please rest assured that development of PHYSINT, our genre-defining action-espionage title, is ongoing and will continue moving forward,” Kojima stated.
That’s not all, as Sony has issued a statement via the official PlayStation X account, stating, “An update from PlayStation Studios: After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to step away from collaborating with KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS on its project PHYSINT. We continue to have great admiration for Hideo Kojima’s vision for the game.”
The company adds that their relationship remains “strong” after three decades of cooperation, and they look forward to “close collaboration with Hideo Kojima and his award-winning independent studio in the future.”
I get it, Kojima’s games are quirky and not your typical live service stuff that generates countless revenue. But it’s hard to look at this and not see this as another L for Sony.
No word on where development is for Physint, but five months ago, we reported on new casting details about it. When it comes to OD, Kojima said it has a system in place to allow people too scared to continue.
With Xbox pushing for a disc-to-digital initiative, and Sony seemingly in the hot seat for its all-digital future, and now this, it seems we might be seeing a shift in the future — at least when it comes to gamer sentiment.
Will Physint be one of the Xbox-published games that they’ll push across other platforms? Maybe. But if I had to hazard a guess, this is one title Sharma and Co. will want to keep for themselves.
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