Reports now indicate Microsoft is paying substantially less than the widely circulated $400 million figure for Hideo Kojima’s Physint, with one source describing the amount as only a “fraction”. The correction matters because the original estimate suggested an exceptionally expensive deal for Kojima’s stealth-action project, which Sony reportedly abandoned after budget overruns and missed deadlines.

The $400 million figure came from The Game Business, but its source later said Xbox’s deal was “quite a bit less”; Bloomberg described it as “significantly less”, without providing an exact sum. Physint, a spiritual successor to Metal Gear Solid, is now funded and published by Xbox, with the agreement also covering film and television rights and improved terms for Kojima’s horror project OD. It remains unclear whether Physint will launch on PlayStation, although Kojima has suggested that future announcements may clarify its availability.