Kojima Details Shocking Call Where Sony Cancelled Physint
Hideo Kojima has detailed how Sony abruptly cancelled Physint during a mid-June Zoom call, leaving his independent studio in financial peril until he secured a new Xbox partnership. While Kojima expresses no anger and maintains a professional relationship with Sony, he emphasized the personal difficulty of repeating the Silent Hills cancellation experience, noting the project was originally a joint agreement with former SIE chief Jim Ryan.
Video Games Chronicle reports that Kojima and studio president Shinji Hirano received the cancellation news via a Zoom call in mid-June, with Hirano noting that Kojima immediately returned to work rather than showing anger. Kojima also revealed the project was originally conceived with former Sony CEO Jim Ryan after his 2020 illness, making the sudden withdrawal particularly baffling given their prior agreement.
Source: Video Games ChronicleMashable reports that Kojima described his mental state during the call as going 'blank' and noted that he was unable to inform his staff of the financial peril until Xbox had secured the deal. The report also highlights that Kojima chose Xbox specifically for their willingness to develop broader IP assets like movies and anime, rather than just funding the single title.
Source: MashableHideo Kojima reveals that Sony ended its partnership for Physint via a video call, leaving his studio in a precarious financial position before it secured a new publisher.
Source: PC Gamer
