Xbox is expanding its partnership with video game industry legend Hideo Kojima. The “Death Stranding” and “Metal Gear” creator has switched the publishing partner on his upcoming game “Physint” to Microsoft’s Xbox from its original home at Sony’s PlayStation. The news was shared via a blog post published by Xbox Wednesday, along with the reveal that this partnership will “extend beyond games, with Xbox and Kojima Productions collaborating across film and television to bring new stories to broader audiences.” Xbox is already set to publish Kojima Productions’ next release “OD,” a horror game made in collaboration with Jordan Peele, which does not yet have a launch date.
The action-espionage game “Physint” is the Kojima title that’s up next after “OD” and it was previously set to be published by PlayStation. The shift of “Physint” to Xbox is particularly notable due to the long-standing relationship Kojima has had with PlayStation, including their collaboration on the “Death Stranding” franchise. Representatives for PlayStation did not immediately respond to request for comment.
During that time, Sharma and Kojima have had in-person meetings and ongoing discussions about his creative plans and ways they could work together across platforms, including IP development for TV and film. Currently, Kojima’s “Death Stranding” is being developed into a film at A24 and the game maker has ambitions for more transmedia projects. It was like analog vs digital.
It didn’t mix well, like oil and water,” Kojima told Variety in a 2024 interview about his decision to sign with Hollywood talent agency WME. The pre-production and post-production phases are digital, too. It’s even streamed digitally.
There seems to be more understanding in the conversations I have with people in the filmmaking industry. That wasn’t always the case. Now, there are movies that use Unreal Engine to create their backgrounds and environments.
They also use performance capture [PCap] like we do, so the technology is almost the same up to a certain point.” While the “Physint” news is sure to excite Kojima’s U.S.-based fans with Xbox consoles, Xbox’s expanded relationship with Kojima will also likely bolster the brand’s presence in Japan and other Asian markets, which have historically been a weaker point for Xbox.
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