They helped him establish a AAA studio from the ground up, funded expensive projects, gave him first party tools, and allowed him to keep his IP's and do whatever the he wanted including porting his game to other platforms like Xbox. They spoiled him alright. Funding a 3rd underperforming video game with limitless budget isn't smart business.

Microsoft is only in this for desperate PR points and we don't know if they'll commit. It could easily end up like Scalebound (which probably didn't cost anywhere near a Kojima game), and I very much doubt they would continue working with him after making two overbudget games that take forever to make and not sell well enough on their platform.

Nintendo funded Bayonetta 3 and 3, but these games didn't cost a fortune and were exclusive to their platforms. Kojima was expecting endless funding while keeping the project multiplatform seemingly against Sony's will lol. Sony isn't a charity. Kojima is an over ambitious spoiled moneypit and his modern games didn't quite inherit the quality or appeal of Metal Gear. Sony gave him over a decade of support and creative freedom, and he didn't use it wisely. People shifting the blame onto Sony are engaging in console wars or sentimentalism. They're just not obliged to fund him forever.

Regardless, as a big fan of Metal Gear I do look forward to Physint. I'm glad Microsoft is taking Sony's place in funding him, but there are countless talented developers out there who won't get a fraction of the privilege that he enjoys, and are able to produce amazing video games without Sony's or Microsoft's or Nintendo's backing. If Kojima is efficient, he wouldn't need any major company's backing for his games to continue existing. It's all business and no one owes him shit.

As excited as I am for Physint, I won't like when I say that I found both MGS4 and MGS5 top be sub-par experiences (but enjoyable games nonetheless). I also have never convinced myself to buy either Death Stranding 1 or 2, and most likely never will.

And since this game is most likely at minimum a 2030 game, I most likely won't play it until 2032 anyways (when the pricing is more acceptable for me). So, personally I am not too concern with Sony dropping this. I'm sure there are multiple reasons they are doing this, but if this allows them to funnel funds into 3-4 other projects, I'd prefer that anyways.

I like Kojima’s games, but this is not a shocking decision. This would be a $200m game that’s probably 5 years away, being funded as a prestige product that’s potentially never going to make significant profit.

Google also cancelled a Kojima game, and OD got rejected by basically everyone they pitched it to before Microsoft (which was presumably the last option). Quote by Kojima "I pitched to many people, to the big companies, and also to the up-and-coming companies. All of them said the same thing, They said that I'm crazy, and that they really don't understand the concept — that they will not be able to do it."


I’m not sure why people are so mad though, the game is still getting made, you’ll still be able to play it. Does it really matter what corporation’s name is on the “box”

This is so weird to me because this at the least would be a next gen game which would have the main purpose of selling consoles. Sony seems to have been actively trying to devalue themselves so much I wonder why they don't just commit to exiting the hardware business altogether and just selling games on Xbox.

I saw a yt video with a guy saying it would need to be remade in a new engine.
Also he needs to finish OD before he can start working on Physint again.
This means it likely MORE than 5 years away.

That's a very good post, even as I do think Death Stranding was surpringly good, it indeed lacked commercial appeal.

That being said, they funded 2 games for him, and gave him one of their best engines and support to develop them, they didn't achieve nearly as much return as they were hoping, they didn't keep the IP. They did a lot for him, yes.

So why proudly announce PhysInt as a SoP show finisher? It's not like Kojima was suddenly a costly and quirky guy, they have been working with him for his entire life, and directly for a decade now. So why fund the third project, commit to it publicly when it was in very early concept stages, and then pull the rug?

Sony has been doing spreadsheet decisions on a whim, Kojima said it actually happened pretty much right when they were about to announce the physical media ending plan.

Kojima may have his share of blame, as was the case with MGS V in the Konami situation, but this is yet another stupid decision from Sony that can't evaluate anything other than how to show bigger number during the next few quarters to please its investors.

What Kojima is responsible in the whole picture for Playstation's success since the PS1 days, and the kind of fresh air it can provide to AAA is insanely valuable, and even as you are right its business and they don't have to please someone forever, it's such a stupid decision that, once again, harms their brand image, that if you has already commited to it publicly, you at least go for it this one more time. That'll likely be Kojima's last game, he has very must indicated it himself, just why choose to pull the rug now?

As a fellow Dutch guy I recognized Herman immediately when he entered the spot light. I know the type. A Smooth talker trowing around hyperboles, selling himself to upper management as a generational talent. Sucking up to their boss to get promotion after promotion. But actually just took credit for the work more talented people did. An empty suite that has no ideas.

Koshima is obviously pissed. Sorry Sony no more Game of the Year prizes anytime soon from Jeff.