PlayStation Ditched Kojima's Physint Due to Missed Deadlines and Budget Concerns, Report Claims

Sony decided not to proceed with Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima's PlayStation game Physint, according to a Bloomberg report. The reason for Sony's decision was budget concerns and missed deadlines, as per sources cited by Bloomberg. Microsoft later acquired Physint for Xbox. Analysts have suggested that Sony is tightening its spending after a series of first-party game failures and cancellations.

These include development of the short-lived Concord, Naughty Dog's now abandoned The Last of Us Online, and the struggling Marathon. The report also attributes the decision to Sony's lower-than-expected performance of Death Stranding and its sequel, as well as a shift away from releasing single-player games on PC. Sony and Kojima have a long-standing partnership, but many of Sony's executives who previously worked with Kojima have since left the company.

Xbox's new leaders, under Asha Sharma, saw Physint as a strong investment, with plans to launch the game on PC and as an expansion of Xbox's reach beyond games to film and TV. Analysts from Alinea Analytics note that the decision is financially sound, especially given the recent failures of Sony titles. Kojima's next project, OD, a project similar to The Last of Us that is set to release on Xbox, remains uncertain.