Hideo Kojima continues to reveal details about the troubled development of PHYSINT, his new action and espionage project. After PlayStation stopped being involved as the publisher and Xbox took over publishing duties, the Japanese creator explained how he ended up working with Microsoft and, in the process, revealed that his pitch for the game left the Xbox team impressed.

In an interview with IGN, Kojima explained that choosing a partner to finance and publish a game of this magnitude is not simply about who offers the most money. The project needs technical support, marketing, and even infrastructure to conduct player testing. That was precisely where Xbox entered the picture, as they were impressed by the project and the opportunity.

PHYSINT cancelación Hideo Kojima XBOX alianza
XBOX rescatará PHYSINT luego de que PlayStation lo abandonara (imagen: XBOX)

Xbox Already Had a Relationship with Kojima Thanks to OD

Kojima mentioned that he approached Xbox when he began looking for a partner for PHYSINT and that Microsoft had something other potential publishers could not necessarily offer: an existing relationship with Kojima Productions.

“We needed technical support, marketing support, playtesting and things like that,” the creator explained. “I approached Xbox and they were great. They could support us technically. And also, we had already been working with them on OD, so we already had a connection.”

Kojima also explained that, although the central idea behind PHYSINT could seem relatively straightforward — an action and espionage game directed by the creator of Metal Gear Solid — the vision he presented to Xbox was much more ambitious.

When the time came to show his formal proposal, Microsoft’s reaction surprised him.

“I gave them a proper pitch for PHYSINT. And their first reaction was, ‘This pitch is fantastic! We’ve never seen a pitch like this!’ And that’s how it started with Xbox.”

The situation is particularly striking when we consider that Xbox had already demonstrated its willingness to bet on Kojima’s unconventional ideas.

PHYSINT cancelación Hideo Kojima Xbox
PlayStation abandonó PHYSINT, pero Hideo Kojima se alió con XBOX para salvar el proyecto (imagen: Sony, Microsoft, LEVEL UP)

Xbox Was Also the Exception with OD

Before PHYSINT, Kojima had revealed that his proposal for OD, the horror game he is developing alongside Xbox, also provoked reactions of disbelief from different companies.

According to the creator, practically every publisher he presented the idea to considered his proposal too strange or simply “crazy.” Xbox was the exception. That openness seems to have helped build the relationship that now allowed Kojima Productions to find a new partner for PHYSINT in Microsoft.

For now, concrete details about the project remain scarce. Kojima has described it as a production that seeks to “redefine action and espionage” and that will not be limited by existing genres within digital entertainment.

In addition, it was recently confirmed that Bill Skarsgård, known for his roles in John Wick 4 and Nosferatu, will be the game’s protagonist. That said, the reality is that there are still many questions surrounding the project, since even the graphics engine it will use has not been decided.

What did you think of this news? Do you think Xbox made the right call by taking the opportunity to finance and publish PHYSINT? Tell us in the comments.

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