Death Stranding 2 had a lengthy showing at Sony’s State of Play today, but for those a little weary of Hideo Kojima’s surrealist parcel delivery series there was a glimmer of hope. Kojima confirmed that after Death Stranding 2, his studio will commence development on a “next-generation action espionage game”, which basically means he’ll be making something more akin to the Metal Gear Solid series he created. Its working title is Physint.
Kojima being Kojima, Physint won’t be a run-of-the-mill tactical stealth game with eye-watering production values. “We have extensive experience with Sony, having grown the espionage genre together for 30 years,” he said. “Also Sony does not only games but also music and movies.”
Elaborating on this, Kojima said the studio plans to “bring together cutting-edge technology and talent from around the world to create it.”
“Of course, it is an interactive game,” he said, “but it is also a movie at the same time in terms of look, story, theme, cast, acting, fashion and sound. With this title we hope to transcend the barriers between film and video games.”
He also tweeted about it, adding that Physint will be “at the next level of ‘digital entertainment’ that could be called a ‘movie’.”
“PHYSINT (working title)” will be the third, new original IP since the establishment of KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS. It is a completely new “Action Espionage” for the next-generation. It will be created using cutting-edge technology and the best talents from around the world, both from… pic.twitter.com/0vnMXJbGNzJanuary 31, 2024
You could argue he’s already done that with Metal Gear Solid 4, which had such interminable cutscenes that you could roast a chicken while they played. But something more ambitious is clearly afoot, maybe something akin to Quantum Break, which was not only a game but also—wait for it—a TV series.
Console companies sure do like to parade Kojima around like a prize hen. He appeared on an Xbox stream in 2022 to announce an Xbox exclusive, which was later revealed to be OD. That too will transcend the oppressive confines of the videogame medium, with collaborator Jordan Peele saying that “it’s a game… but it’s at the same time a movie, but at the same time a new form of media.”
Physint is undergoing “preparation” at the moment but won’t enter production until after Death Stranding 2. Given its positioning as a “next-gen” game, it could theoretically be a PlayStation 6 affair, and even then, it probably won’t hit PC at launch, unless things change a lot between now and then. Which, well, they probably will.