Xbox is reportedly paying substantially less than the $400 million figure Hideo Kojima's studio quoted for the upcoming stealth game Physint. This comes after Sony reportedly pulled its funding for the project due to budget overruns and missed deadlines.
The initial $400 million figure originated from The Game Business's Christopher Dring, who stated on a podcast that Xbox was signing Kojima Productions for Physint with a budget around that amount. However, Dring later clarified that the actual figure is likely considerably lower than what Kojima had initially proposed to Sony, with estimates ranging from $300 million to $600 million previously discussed.
Further reports from Bloomberg's Jason Schreier indicate that sources described Microsoft's negotiated figure as "significantly less" than the higher estimates. Windows Central's Jez Corden was more direct, suggesting Xbox is paying only a "fraction" of the quoted amount, though no specific figures have been confirmed by these outlets.
Physint, envisioned as a spiritual successor to Metal Gear Solid, was initially announced as a PlayStation project. Sony reportedly spent months in negotiations before ceasing its involvement. Hideo Kojima subsequently secured funding and publishing from Xbox for the title.
The agreement with Xbox reportedly includes movie and TV licensing rights for Physint, as well as improved terms for Kojima Productions' horror game OD. While Xbox has recently shown a renewed focus on exclusives, with titles like Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution confirmed for Xbox platforms only, other games such as Fable are still slated for PS5. Kojima himself has remained non-committal when asked about Physint's platform availability, stating that details will be announced at a later time.