Kojima likes to work unhinged on grand ideas with a tall budget which may stick or not stick at all. So may be Sony didn't like the direction of Physint and decided to dump it.
While Sony may be wrong in judging the game in its early stage, the replacement publisher, Microsoft, has solid track record of terrible taste at creating exclusives.
I'm seeing claims of a cost in the $100M to $300M range, while seeing earnings in the $60M to $120M (as of 2025) range. That's $20M plus in the best case, which is still underwhelming.
It's also impossible to judge success relative to marketing budget, how well the game was pushed by Sony etc.
Clearly a critical success and an objectively good game however.
Hopefully we won't get another MGS:V situation where the last part of the game is just kind of missing.
It sold only 2-3 million copies which, depending on how much money they spent on development and marketing, may be a net loss
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_Stranding_2%3A_On_the_Be...
It remains to be seen what egg will be laid in this case, how many golden ones may come after, and how many end up on Playstation anyway.
They don't understand what made the brand great in aggregate.
In the case of MGS4 and MGS5, because they're weirdly horny... Like, MGS5 was a good game, but you can't tell me that Kojima doesn't spend a lot of time thinking about bikini clad snipers.
MGSV Metal Gear Online (the _other_ tacked-on multiplayer) was also great, but very unreliable netcode made it frustrating.
I wish someone would just take that game engine and make another good game on it. I _almost_ bought metal gear survive on the engine alone, that is how good it is.
If you have never seen this summary of the Metal Gear series, buckle up: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aaLiLRVeaZA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzBmOeYmN_M
But I agree the overall story/timeline of all MGS games taken as a whole is really wild. It's definitely quite something.
MGS 3 itself while an excellent game overstays it welcome after you defeat "The End" IMO.
The games that he is well known for at this point are really 20+ years old.
MGS4 and MGS5 were successful but I don't think they were really that good compared to the other games. I am certainly not alone when it comes to thinking that.
The vast majority of praise goes to MGS2 and 3 these days. I think the original MGS should get more praise as it has the better story and at the time it really pushed what was possible.
> Death Stranding franchise is one of the "games that he is well known for" and it is most def not 20+ years old.
It isn't nearly as well respected as MGS 1-3. Metal Gear Solid 3 came out in 2004.
> Dont see your point.
The point is that Kojima work these days isn't nearly as much of a draw as it once was. If fans of the original MGS games like myself aren't that interested in his newer stuff that says quite a lot.
Metal Gear Solid as far as I am concerned ended after I finished 3.
To me it seems like saying "oh no, not another delicious steak today, I couldn't possibly"
I guess people just prefer more novelty than I do?
Otherwise people feel like the parent, that it's just slightly different than before but incrementally improved, and should therefore be a DLC.
Spear of Destiny (also 1992) is not only more of the same game, but an entire new game worth of new content. Great, but it's not part of any conversation.
Then came Doom (1993). Genre defining game all over again, no question.
On the other hand, you have Death Stranding (2019) and Death Stranding 2 (2025). Why did it take six years to make more of the same game?
My favorite band started experimenting with different sounds and genres and while I still like their old stuff I don't care for their new stuff much
I would love if they made more that sounded like their old stuff.
Obviously it's their art and I don't begrudge them doing their own thing, but it was a bummer when I listened to it and felt it was no longer for me.
and then I saw... how video games used to be...
(1985 - 1991)
But, yes you may be correct, i "didn't remember their 'Bugs'"...maybe too much of a "Lag"-something. Enjoy your nearing Weekend, regards... (-:
Even though Guerilla Games is currently owned by Playstation Studios, they are still effectively an independent studio.
Microsoft, otoh, owns like half a dozen engines, uses none of them, and licenses none of them. The only way I'd see a engine swap happening is if Kojima somehow swung a deal to license the newest version of the Doom engine.