Hideo Kojima’s Next Game Got Rejected By Sony, Claims Report

Intriguingly, a recent report claims that Hideo Kojima's newest project has been snubbed by Sony, and the reason for this might be to do with the company playing it safe for the future.

You might have seen the news that there was a Days Gone sequel pitched by Bend Studio to Sony, but the publisher turned it down two years ago. Apparently, the higher ups aren't too willing to give "risky" properties another shot - for your reference, Days Gone outsold God of War and Horizon Zero Dawn at launch in Japan - and would much prefer that the time and effort of its first-party studios are spent on surefire successes. That's why we might be getting one more Uncharted title and a remake of The Last Of Us on the PlayStation 5.

Now, Kojima's games are strange, but they're never total flops. Metal Gear has sold over 60 million copies worldwide across three decades. Usually, games overseen with his direction push the boat out with regard to the mixing of cinematic and interactive convention, and even if you don't enjoy the experience in its entirety, you won't forget the eclectic story and the characters that carried you to the credits any time soon. Yoji Shinkawa, a frequent collaborator of Kojima's, has stated that the next game from Kojima Productions will be announced "quite soon" and really, it could be absolutely anything.

According to a slew of speculation, it might have been this spontaneity that turned Sony off from Kojima's next venture. In Episode 52 of the XboxEra podcast, Nick Baker said that he's known for some time that this game wouldn't be coming to the PlayStation 5. Sony and Kojima have had a positive professional relationship in the past, with Death Stranding launching as an exclusive for the PlayStation 4 and using Guerrilla Games' Decima engine. So, that's a curious claim to consider. He continued to say that he had heard Kojima presented this new project to Sony, but the publisher hadn't warmed to it. Crucially, it's possible that PlayStation boss Jim Ryan might have been the one to close the door on Kojima, though Baker has been quick to clarify this might not have transpired.

Combine this with the knowledge that Microsoft has been shifting its attention to Japanese game developers, and it's sounding more and more likely that the next game from Kojima Productions might be found on the Xbox Series X and S. The auteur's star power, so to speak, is very significant and this would be a major get for Microsoft. Of course, it's tough to say right now whether this is verifiable, but with a possible reveal from the studio on the horizon, we'll let you know as soon as the lid is lifted on the next game.

Topics: News, Death Stranding