Xbox agreed to allocate significantly less for Physint than PlayStation budgeted for the project - Media

Currently, neither Xbox nor Kojima Productions have officially disclosed the game's budget.

Information that emerged at Tokyo Game Show, claiming Xbox allegedly allocated around $400 million for Physint, has been refuted by several well-known insiders. According to journalists familiar with the details of the deal between Microsoft and Kojima Productions, the actual amount is significantly lower than that figure.

The discussion was sparked by a publication from The Game Business. In a subscriber-only issue from September 21, journalist Chris Dring wrote that he had heard various estimates for Physint's initial budget — from $300 million to $600 million, but the figure most frequently mentioned in conversations in Tokyo was around $400 million. Dring specifically noted that he did not know if Xbox actually paid that exact amount.

Later, Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier commented on the situation. He emphasized that he did not want to name exact figures without documents or confirmation from multiple sources, as in the case of Physint, there are several different amounts: the game's initial budget with Sony, subsequent estimates, figures from negotiations, a possible budget involving famous Hollywood actors, the amount of the new deal with Xbox, and finally, the actual development cost by the time of release.

However, Schreier's source, directly familiar with the agreement from the Xbox side, told him that Microsoft signed Physint for significantly less than $400 million.

Windows Central editor Jez Corden claims almost the same. According to him, sources with direct access to the contracts also reported that Xbox agreed with Kojima Productions on a substantially smaller amount. Corden suggests that $400 million could have referred to potential expenses for Sony and PlayStation if the initial deal with Kojima Productions had continued.

According to Corden, Xbox concluded an agreement with Kojima Productions that includes not only the development of Physint but also rights to film and television projects related to the game. In addition, the deal allegedly includes more favorable terms for OD — Hideo Kojima's other project for Xbox.

Thus, the available information does not yet allow for an exact budget for Physint. However, Schreier's and Corden's statements agree on one thing: the assertion that Xbox paid $400 million for the game is not confirmed by their sources. It remains unknown how much Sony had already invested in the project before the collaboration ceased and what portion of these costs can be used in the new version of the game.

A separate issue is related to the technical side of development. Physint was initially created for PlayStation, and after the project moved to Xbox, Kojima Productions will likely have to adapt a significant portion of the work already done. In particular, it is unknown whether the studio will be able to continue using the technologies applied under the original agreement.

The budget story itself also shows how conditional the $400 million figure can be. In the case of AAA games, the budget can change significantly during production due to the project's scale, cast, additional agreements, and extended development timelines. Schreier specifically mentioned negotiations involving top-tier Hollywood actors, which could have significantly impacted Physint's potential cost.