Hideo Kojima has described his upcoming espionage game, Physint, as the biggest-selling title he could possibly create. The game, which is now in development with Xbox after Sony reportedly dropped the project, is said to have major commercial appeal.
According to veteran gaming reporter Jason Schreier, Sony's decision to abandon Physint stemmed from Kojima Productions exceeding its budget and missing deadlines. While Kojima Productions has urged skepticism regarding online reports, they have not specifically refuted these details. Kojima himself expressed surprise at the project's cancellation by Sony, stating, "I didn't think Physint would be on the list of being canceled."
In an interview with IGN, Kojima confirmed that Physint remains in the concept phase, with a "very small team" currently working on its systems, visuals, and design. The tagline for the game is "The next cold war begins," and Kojima believes that espionage as a theme is inherently fun and appealing regardless of the specific game. The inspiration for Physint partly comes from significant fan demand for a new Metal Gear game. Unable to create a new Metal Gear title due to his departure from Konami, Kojima aimed to develop a fresh action espionage game that evolved from that fan interest.
Physint stars actors Bill Skarsgard and Charlee Fraser. Kojima Productions is also developing the horror game OD in partnership with Xbox. Physint's full cast includes Bill Skarsgard, Charlee Fraser, Don Lee, and Minami Hamabe.