Hideo Kojima and Microsoft have signed an agreement of interest indicating both parties intend to develop a new game from Kojima Productions as an Xbox exclusive, according to VentureBeat.
What the agreement means
The document described is an “agreement of interest,” meaning the companies have accepted a broad proposal while lawyers continue to negotiate finer contractual terms. The arrangement is not yet final, but it represents a significant step in talks between the creator of Metal Gear Solid and Microsoft.
Progress in negotiations
Sources close to both sides told VentureBeat that company representatives spent months discussing the partnership and that the deal now appears more likely to conclude. The report says the negotiations are advanced enough that Microsoft has already started preparing resources Kojima may need for the project.
New hires and cloud ambitions
The story gained momentum after Microsoft recently hired game designer Kim Swift, known for Portal and Left 4 Dead, to oversee partnerships and major game projects at Xbox Game Studios. VentureBeat reported that Swift’s hiring is intended to help make Kojima’s project—planned for cloud release—a reality.
Kojima Productions’ recent history
After leaving Konami, where he created the Metal Gear franchise, Kojima partnered with Sony to release Death Stranding in 2019. Kojima Productions remains independent and has not previously signed an exclusivity deal; nine months after Death Stranding’s PlayStation launch, Kojima was able to remove PlayStation’s exclusivity and publish the game on PC.
Details still missing
As of this article’s publication, neither Kojima Productions nor Microsoft has made an official announcement confirming the agreement. There is also no public information about the nature, genre, or scope of the potential new game.
Source: VentureBeat
