Sacred Symbols: A PlayStation Podcast

Latest Episodes:

#210 | Sucker Punched Jul 11, 2022

Show notes

It's always fun to receive a letter, unless that letter happens to be very sad. Sony-owned developer Sucker Punch penned one such melancholy note to its audience in recent days, and it relayed sorrowful news indeed: The team isn't working on Infamous or Sly Cooper games now, they won't be in the foreseeable future, and -- perhaps most surprising -- no other studio is, either. Is the abandonment of Sucker Punch's history... well... a sucker punch of its own? We discuss. Plus: God of War: Ragnarok finally gets a release date, Forspoken is delayed into 2023, Rockstar abandons plans for a Grand Theft Auto IV remaster, and more news. Then: Listener inquiries! What are our expectations for Dragon Quest XII? Is there a future for digital game rentals? Will we ever 'retire' from playing games? Why does Colin hate phone calls so damn much?

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#209 | Square Dancing Jul 04, 2022

Show notes

It's a relatively slow week in the world of PlayStation, but there are still matters to discuss. Yes: We're all curious about when God of War: Ragnarok's release date will be revealed, and we have some things to say about this strange new line of Sony electronics under the INZONE brand. But really, we'd rather get into the weeds with smaller stories and lots of listener inquiries. Topics range from Horizon's TV debut and the potential of Persona live-action media to the return of Star Ocean and Final Fantasy XVI's British-style English. Speaking of Final Fantasy XVI, we also get into just what's happening with Square Enix and its relationship with PlayStation. Is Sony courting the publisher, particularly with so much money heaped at it for timed exclusivity and marketing? Plus: Do we care about speedruns? Are live service games ruining our gaming cadences? Should Sony have allowed its studios to speak out on Roe vs. Wade? All of that and more on the other side of the play button.

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#208: Bobby Kotick's No Skater Jun 27, 2022

Show notes

The news can be painful sometimes, and, well... get the medicine. It appears Activision, in its infinite wisdom, halted its developer Vicarious Visions (now Blizzard Albany) from remaking PlayStation 2-native titles Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 and 4 in a similar fashion it remade the PSone THPS games for PS4 in 2020. This leaves us crestfallen, wondering why such a money-hungry entity would leave such obvious cash on the table. We also get into copious news surrounding Final Fantasy XVI, DICE's stubbornness when it comes to Battlefield 2042, Creative Assembly's questionable FPS HYENAS, John Garvin's new Web3 game, various PlayStation Plus updates, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Are we being too harsh on The Last of Us: Part I? What's our gut tell us about God of War: Ragnarok's release date and review scores? Why do Xbox fans seem particularly agitated at us? Will Chris create the most successful OnlyFans in history?

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#207: A Crisis Reborn Jun 20, 2022

Show notes

This is a week tailor-made for Final Fantasy fans, particularly on the back of Final Fantasy XVI's re-reveal. That's because... well... wait! There's more! During a brief live stream celebrating Final Fantasy VII's 25th anniversary, publisher-slash-developer Square Enix made two big announcements: The 2007 PSP Final Fantasy VII prequel Crisis Core is coming to PS4 and PS5, and the second part of the now-confirmed-three part Final Fantasy VII Remake launches the following winter, only on PlayStation 5. Thus, we have much to digest in the land of role-playing. This jam-packed episode has much more to work over, too, including the leak of an in-production, high-end Elite-style controller for PS5, the long-in-coming confirmation of Dragon's Dogma 2, reliable information concerning God of War: Ragnarok's release month, the arrival of Persona 3 and 4 on PS4, and so on and so forth. Then: Listener inquiries. What game dev jobs would Chris and Dustin want to undertake? Is the audience being too hard on The Last of Us: Part I? Could the incoming economic recession have a negative effect on the games industry? Will Dustin bend the knee and finally kiss Jim Ryan's ring?

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#206: The Return of Them Jun 13, 2022

Show notes

Joel and Ellie are set to return to PlayStation, and a lot sooner than you might think. The long-rumored The Last of Us: Part I is real -- it's a ground-up remake of the 2013 PS3 original, slated for PS5 and later PC -- and it comes out in just a few months. But that's not all: Naughty Dog has also opened-up about not only its upcoming TLoU multiplayer game, which it describes as their biggest game yet, but even hint at a PlayStation 5 project beyond that. This means we've much to talk about when it comes to Sony's crown jewel team. But there's a lot more news than just that. There's conflicting word about the release status of God of War: Ragnarok, with some claiming it's been pushed to 2023 while others state it's simply not so. Meanwhile, PlayStation 5 has surpassed 20 million units, with Sony both severely supply-constrained and without any truly meaningful exclusive launches to date. Plus: Street Fighter 6's roster leaks, Bend is working on a multiplayer game, Overdose may be Hideo Kojima's next game, and more. Then: Listener inquires! Is Snowrunner a low-key Chris game? What kind of 'value' would Sony have to add to get us to subscribe to higher tiers of PlayStation Plus? Does Colin hate too much on the PlayStation 3 XMB? Who would win in a fight: Knack or a hundred Sackboys?

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#205: State of Play Wins the Day Jun 06, 2022

Show notes

It's good to keep your expectations low. That way, surprises could be around every corner. With the PlayStation ecosystem so vacant in recent months, it's clear that Sony and its many partners have a lot to say. It's just that we didn't think a State of Play presentation that Sony seemed to actively and repeatedly lower expectations for would be the venue. Well, consider us surprised, indeed! During a tight 30 minute showcase, we got to see 15 different games (including three from first party), spanning PS4, PS5, and PSVR2. Horizon: Call of the Mountain looks great, and -- believe it or not -- 2018's Spider-Man is PC-bound, where it looks to add to its and Miles Morales' stunning 33 million copies sold. Resident Evil 4 Remake is real (and it's glorious), Stray finally has a release date (and will be a 'free' title for PS+ Premium and Deluxe), Callisto Protocol wears its Dead Space inspiration on its sleeve (and preempts Dead Space Remake on the calendar), and Final Fantasy XVI -- due out in Summer 2023! -- looks incredible. We have a lot to gush about. There's other news this week, too, which makes this episode officially jam-packed. Dragon Age's return draws near, Killzone may be en route to PSVR2, Sonic Frontiers looks questionable, and more. Plus: Listener inquiries! Are we being too hard on Forspoken? Why, exactly, does Colin hate multiplayer gaming? Can print strategy guides ever experience a resurgence? Has Dustin underestimated the selling power of the Slitterhead Shuffle?

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#204: Going Pro May 30, 2022

Show notes

When PlayStation 4 Pro launched in 2016, it was fairly divisive. Why did we need two iterations of the same console? Isn't it a waste of money? Wouldn't developers have more work to do? It all ended up being needless worry, and so it should come as no surprise that -- if indications are correct -- PlayStation 5 Pro is en route for 2023 or 2024. What's the potential of the machine? Do we even need it? And how will potential consumers respond to a higher-end console when they can't even find the base version? We discuss. This news-thick episode also touches on lots of other issues, from God of War: Ragnarok's release date and Death Stranding 2's seeming leak, to lots of PlayStation Plus drama and new nuggets about PlayStation's PC and acquisitions strategies. Our lengthy podcast ends, as always, with listener inquiries. Why do people insist on scapegoating video games for societal violence? Will Square Enix ever re-package and re-release the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy? Can The Callisto Protocol earn the survival horror crown? Did one listener's car accident bring a deer within striking distance of this very podcast?!

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#203: Shattering the Silence May 23, 2022

Show notes

In the coming weeks, the all-new PlayStation Plus will begin rolling out, and we've finally learned more about what we can expect, especially when it comes to games. First and second party are well-represented across PSone, PS2, PS3, and PSP, and of course PS4 and PS5 will have plenty of fodder for you, too. And yes: PSone games can have Trophies! Apart from talking deeply about PS+ and its evolution, however, we also get into other news. Rumors indicate The Last of Us Remake -- still unannounced! -- might be PlayStation 5-bound sooner than we thought, while Final Fantasy VII Remake: Part II and Final Fantasy XVI may also receive much-desired updates. Oh, and even more Silent Hill rumors, if you can stomach them. Then: Listener inquiries! Are the Mafia games overrated? What's with the paranoia surrounding Naughty Dog's output? Will we predict the next 'water cooler' game? Can Chris and Dustin steer the ship while Colin goes to take a call?

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#202: Scarce Silicon May 16, 2022

Show notes

Sony's annual financial report brings with it good news for the brand. PlayStation, as usual, is the most important vertical in its corporate family in Japan, pulling in the most revenue and raking in the highest profit (even more than Sony Pictures, currently in a renaissance of its own). Yet, with PlayStation 5 doing well, Sony has a serious issue: It still can't manufacture enough PS5s to satiate demand. Not even close, in fact. Such a situation isn't only allowing its competitor to catch up; it's also creating doubt regarding if they can even fix the problem at all. Yet, they're hoping to right the ship over the next year, where they essentially intend to double their sales. Will they succeed? Only time will tell. Elsewhere in the industry, Electronic Arts has pulled the plug on its 30-year FIFA franchise, opting -- as rumors indicated -- to go it alone. But FIFA is ready to fight back, and with eFootball in the mix, too, things should get quite interesting in the soccer space in the years to come. Plus: Elden Ring sells huge, Gotham Knights is cancelled on PS4, Outriders was a financial dud, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Should cloud saving be free? When should Sony have a games showcase? What ever happened to Army of Two? Will Colin sell Last Stand Media to the communists?

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#201: Embracing the Chaos May 09, 2022

Show notes

The Embracer Group's appetite for developers cannot be satiated. The never-ending expansion of what is rapidly becoming gaming's largest publishing entity has gobbled up three more studios from rival Square Enix (as well as a bunch of IP) for cash money. Does this say anything about Embracer? Probably not. It seems like they'll buy just about anything, and $300 million is a small price to pay for more than 1,000 heads and 50 licenses, including Tomb Raider. This deal does, however, say something about Square Enix. Potentially many things, in fact. Refocused on western second party relationships and Japanese internal development, some think Square Enix is trimming the fat to be purchased itself. But does that make sense? We discuss this deal extensively. Other news this week include rumblings of a takeover at Ubisoft, the leak of some of PlayStation Plus' upcoming retro games, the surprising lawsuit that potentially puts Yuji Naka's epic failure Balan Wonderworld in context, and more. As always, we touch on plenty of listener inquiries too, including ones about Reggie Fils-Aime, a potential sequel to Death Stranding, the likelihood a Punisher game might someday appear, and so on. We're back in the saddle after a very successful 200th episode, and we hope you enjoy.

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