Xbox division management, led by Asha Sharma, is undergoing a deep restructuring of the business, along with layoffs and studio closures. One of the main steps in the new strategy is to intercept Physint, Hideo Kojima’s new espionage action game for PlayStation. The Japanese company previously cut support for the game due to high costs.
After information emerged online about a hypothetical budget of $400 million, which is more than the cost of blockbusters such as Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, experts have clarified what’s really going on. Industry insiders note that Microsoft signed a deal for a much smaller amount, but the fact of the partnership underscores the risks the platform is willing to take for the sake of exclusivity.
Such bets are aimed at increasing console sales and attracting viewers to subscription services. However, Kojima Games’ historically huge budget left little room for error, placing a huge financial and reputational burden on the new Xbox management.
