Xbox CEO Asha Sharma laughed at the suggestion that she should apologize to Sony after Microsoft picked up publishing duties for Hideo Kojima's upcoming action-espionage game, Physint.
The exchange appears in a New York Times interview with Sharma, and was quoted by Pure Xbox who reproduced the passage describing Sharma's reaction. According to the report, she laughed, shrugged, and said she was happy Kojima had chosen to work with Xbox. The publishing switch follows Sony's decision to step away from Kojima's upcoming project called Physint. Kojima previously said his studio received an unexpected cancellation notice in June, prompting a search for a new partner before Xbox stepped in.
In the weeks that followed Microsoft formally announced the partnership with Kojima on September 9, which marks the second Xbox project Kojima is producing under the Xbox label, with the second being OD. However, the deal between Xbox and Kojima isn't just on games, as it also includes separate collaboration on film and television projects. Those projects have yet to be detailed or announced. As for Sharma, despite the obvious competitive nature between Xbox and PlayStation, Sharma said Xbox's relationship with Sony would continue as, "Competition and collaboration can coexist," she said.
Sharma's comments suggest securing that relationship does not prevent Xbox from working with PlayStation elsewhere, even as the two companies continue competing for major games and partnerships across the wider gaming industry. Whether Sony views it the same way is another matter entirely, especially considering the company is currently doubling down on titles being exclusive to PlayStation hardware, while simultaneously withdrawing from other platforms such as PC.
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"After hours of diplomatic conversation about her competitors, Sharma had a rare moment of speechlessness when discussing the deal for Kojima's upcoming stealth game Physint. She laughed at the idea of apologizing to Sony before shrugging and saying she was happy Kojima chose to work with Xbox," reports Pure Xbox
