Hideo Kojima Details Sony's Cold Breakup Call Over Zoom That Pushed Him To Xbox
According to Kojima, Sony blindsided him with the news that it would no longer be funding Physint over a Zoom call back in June. “I couldn’t quite process what they had said. I wasn’t sure because I was in shock.” Surprisingly, he wasn’t given a reason for why Sony wanted out from the partnership, and it seems as if it hasn’t bothered contacting Kojima since that fateful video call.
This had an immediate impact on his studio, Kojima Productions. He quickly shuttled a chunk of the staff working on Physint over to another project, OD, which is also being worked on alongside Microsoft. This was done to prevent from having to conduct any mass layoffs, but it also means the team that’s continuing to work on Physint is now significantly smaller.
To get Xbox on board for this new project, Kojima pitched it as more than just a new game but as part of a grander plan for a new IP that includes movies, anime, TV, and music. It was a no brainer for CEO Asha Sharma, who described the pitch as “fantastic,” and it’s not surprising she gave the green light. Nintendo has provided the blueprint for converting popular games into successful movies that bring in a new stream of revenue that can help offset the increasing costs of game development.
Of course, now that it’s part of team Xbox, there’s a real possibility that PlayStation fans don’t get to play new games from one of the most influential game creators in the world after enjoying his games for the last 30 years. When asked about exclusivity, which Xbox is leaning into again, Kojima shared, “I don’t know the answer to that – that would be a question for Xbox. But I don't know for sure.”
Xbox fans will likely be waiting a while before getting to experience Physint, as the staff that has shuffled over to working on OD will remain where they are, so Kojima will have to rebuild the Physint team.
