XBOX, KOJIMA STUDIOS AND PLAYSTATIONS GAMBLE
Much to the astonishment of the dedicated gaming public and other internauters, Sony PlayStation recently announced an end of their partnership with Hideo Kojima on his much anticipated ‘Phsyint.’ A stealth action game being developed by his studio and expected to be in the same mould as Mr. Kojima’s much celebrated Metal Gear series. A spiritual successor of sorts with all the current day conveniences built by the same brilliant mind. Brilliance that was on display in his last two outings. However, creative genius doesn’t necessarily translate to commercial success. While the first Death Stranding was financially successful with 5 million copies sold, the second has struggled to break even per analysts’ estimates. Perhaps Sony PlayStation has chosen to throw caution to the wind and pare back on unnecessary costs. In addition, Death Stranding and Death Stranding 2 received considerable support from Guerrilla games as both were built using the latter’s Decima Engine. With Guerrilla games going through its own struggles with very little on the horizon, perhaps PlayStation has decided to put all its eggs in one basket and in particular the one basket it fully controls. Kojima Productions is still a third party studio with a lot of independence. With Physint expected to still spend 5 more years in production, per the directors own words, it is possible that leadership at PlayStation lost interest in Kojima’s magic beans. The goose laying the proverbial golden eggs is still atop the yet to be planted beanstalk. Even then, the giants of player sentiment and industry headwinds may block access to the much desired treasure.
The goose that will lay the proverbial golden eggs is still atop the yet to be planted beanstalk. Even then, the giants of player sentiment at the time may block access to the much desired treasure.
Not to be outdone, Microsoft-Xbox under Asha Sharma’s leadership have swooped in to rescue the production. While details remain scant the production costs will in all likelihood be astronomically high with real-life actors being cast in starring roles, much like Kojima’s other productions. The famed director described the project as being not only an interactive game but a movie that will draw deeply from Sony’s experience and presence in the film and music industries. This sounds very similar to Microsoft’s own ‘Quantum Break’ which attempted to marry a live action TV show to gameplay and narrative elements. Sadly, this failed in one aspect while it succeeded in the other. While Kojima’s genius may transcend Remedy Entertainment’s, ultimately he who pays the piper plays the tune. Quantum Break’s live-action segments ultimately failed artistically due to budget constraints. Kojima may have lost a willing partner in PlayStation but bought himself unwilling servitude. The bean counters at Xbox-Microsoft have been particularly brutal these past few months and sooner or later may decide that the particular strain of magic Mr. Kojima’s seeds have are worthless.
Ultimately, while siblings, Profits will forever triumph over Goodwill in the great tournament that is business.
However, it is possible that Xbox-Microsoft is simply flexing its financial muscles. This will be their second collaboration with Kojima Productions following the yet to be launched OD. While Physint may be a financial liability, it could be written off as a marketing expense. Xbox gets to have bragging rights for publishing the next Metal Gear game and earn some player goodwill. While Sony may have lost even more goodwill, following the ‘No Disc No Buy’ movement, it may have clawed back on some foreseen losses. Ultimately, while siblings, Profits will forever triumph over Goodwill in the great tournament that is business. At launch, Physint will have to overcome the significant burden of expectations while being somewhat profitable. A feat that may be nigh on impossible for both Xbox-Microsoft and Kojima Productions. With the launch of the title previewed for no sooner than 2030, following the current direction of the gaming market, the landscape then may be very different from what it is now. The generation that fell in love with Mr. Kojima’s Metal Gear series may not show up in droves then due to other life obligations and shifting priorities as they age out of gaming.
Video companion piece here.
Image credits in order of appearance: Image par Gordon Johnson de Pixabay; Image par OpenClipart-Vectors de Pixabay