Rumors about Hideo Kojima collaborating with Xbox for an unannounced project have been around ever since eagle-eyed fans noticed a Ludens figure next to the glowing Xbox logo on Phil Spencer's shelf. This rumor was fueled even more by a report from GamesBeat in which notable game journalist Jeff Grubb claimed that Kojima is indeed in talks with Xbox to publish his next game.
Over the course of the year, Xbox fans have learned to keep an eye on Phil Spencer's shelf, as there are plenty of objects deliberately placed that tease future announcements. For instance, the cheaper and less powerful variant of Xbox's next generation of console, Xbox Series S, was tucked away in Spencer's bookshelf on the July 1st, 2020 episode of Gamelab Keynote Fireside. Hence, when fans noticed a Ludens figure, the mascot of Kojima Productions, next to a glowing logo of Xbox, many believed that to be yet another deal Xbox has gotten itself this year.
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Interestingly, Grubb has shed more light on this alleged collaboration that has yet to be officially confirmed. In the latest episode of his podcast Jeff Grubb's Game Mess, Grubb revealed that he confirmed the news with his source and that everything placed on Spencer's shelf is intentional, even the Nintendo Switch, though he isn't sure of what that signifies currently. Grubb further added that he verified the news with one another source before revealing that information publicly.
if Grubb's statements are anything to go by, Kojima might actually be working with Xbox on his next project. The possibility of this happening makes sense seemingly because Kojima Productions is an independent game developing company. Furthermore, Kojima has shown interest in game subscription services like Xbox game pass and believes that streaming is the future of games. If Kojima strikes a deal with Xbox, his next game will be available to 18+ million subscribers of game pass at an instant, as well as available to stream on mobile devices via xCloud. For what it's worth, fans might not have to wait much longer as Kojima Productions' next game could be announced soon.
With Sony seemingly moving away from investing in smaller titles that involve more risk to focus on curating its existing popular franchises, such a deal makes even more sense. It's no surprise that Death Stranding wasn't as big of a commercial hit as Sony's other AAA titles like God of War, or Marvel's Spider-Man. For Kojima to continue making innovative experiences that alter the mere definition of video games, Xbox and Xbox game pass seems like an ideal fit at this point in time.