Updated
Updated · The Verge · Sep 20
Kojima Productions Denies Trouble After Sony Drops Physint, Says Studio Remains Profitable
Updated
Updated · The Verge · Sep 20

Kojima Productions Denies Trouble After Sony Drops Physint, Says Studio Remains Profitable

3 articles · Updated · The Verge · Sep 20

Summary

  • Kojima Productions said it is in a “healthy, profitable state,” pushing back after Sony dropped Hideo Kojima’s Physint and rumors spread that the studio was in financial trouble.
  • Bloomberg reported Sony’s decision was tied to missed deadlines, budget and profitability concerns, and unease over the game’s timed-exclusivity arrangement.
  • Hideo Kojima told IGN he had feared losing the contract could force layoffs or even threaten the studio’s survival because of cash-flow pressure.
  • The studio also said its relationship with PlayStation “remains strong,” despite reports of disappointing Death Stranding sales and Physint’s shift to Xbox.

Insights

Why did Sony really abandon a 30-year partnership with Hideo Kojima over his highly anticipated espionage game?
How did Kojima's secret pivot to a multimedia franchise save his studio after PlayStation walked away?
Are ballooning AAA budgets and experimental designs quietly destroying the gaming industry's biggest exclusive partnerships?