Sacred Symbols: A PlayStation Podcast

Latest Episodes:

#190: The Bright Side Feb 21, 2022

Show notes

It seems like PlayStation has taken some body blows recently, but stark reality paints a different picture. Sales data shows PlayStation 5 is steadily outselling Xbox Series X|S, while games like the original Horizon and Miles Morales are doing Nintendo first party-level numbers, something its primary competition could only dream of. Heck, with Cyberpunk 2077 sneakily arriving on PlayStation 5 in the shadow of Horizon: Forbidden West's launch, there's much to be excited about. Of course, it isn't all good news. Sony second-party partner Haven has already lost its COO and co-founder -- a bad sign, indeed -- while PlayStation seems to be unnecessarily screwing around with cross-gen pricing. And what's up with Platinum Games' recent desperation and the censoring of horror game Martha Is Dead? We discuss. We then end, as we usually do, with a smattering of listener inquiries. Does the upcoming closure of Wii U's and 3DS' digital storefronts portend bad things for PS3 and Vita? Is Sony Pictures on the verge of taking full advantage of the Destiny IP? What's with all the anti-"gamer" hate in the industry? Will Chris ever return to New York?

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#189: Safehaven Feb 14, 2022

Show notes

Microsoft's pending purchase of Activision has turned the industry upside down for weeks, but now we're not so sure it deserves too much worry, at least not for the PlayStation fanbase. In anticipation of regulatory concerns, Microsoft has explicitly and repeatedly ensured that PlayStation (and Nintendo?!) will receive plenty of Activision-Blizzard games well after already-inked deals have lapsed. In other words: Call of Duty, Diablo, Overwatch, and the like will be on PlayStation forevermore, with new IP likely to forego Sony's platforms. We discuss. Then: Rockstar finally acknowledges Grand Theft Auto VI (or whatever it'll be called), we're grateful to learn more about Haven and their mysterious PlayStation 5 project (though not very much), Chrono Cross is coming to PlayStation 4 in a brand-new edition, Platinum Games' new direction may spell trouble, and more. Plus: Listener inquiries! What do we think of FromSoftware's pre-Demon's Souls output? Should Sony make a move for the Lord of the Rings games license? What should Bungie make when it's done with Destiny 2? Is Colin secretly illiterate?

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#188: Fulfilling Destiny Feb 07, 2022

Show notes

When it comes to mergers and acquisitions, it appears Sony is willing to play along: It's $3.6 billion acquisition of Bungie is proof. Thing is, this marriage is a bit different for the brand. Bungie will remain outside of PlayStation Studios' publishing hierarchy and remain both independent and multiplatform. However, Sony isn't done yet. Far from it. It's as ominous as it sounds, and we dedicate plenty of time to get all of our thoughts out. Then: Other news! Sony has released fresh financials indicating a very healthy company, but one severely supply-constrained and unable to meet demand, MLB: The Show 22 has a release date on PS4 and PS5, Ghostwire: Tokyo is coming way sooner than you may have thought, Yacht Club's newest game is a Zelda-inspired romp, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Will we ever see Destiny 3? Could Fat Princess ever return? Are games becoming too ideological? Where's Dustin getting all of his recent bravado?

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#187: In A Galaxy Run Far, Far Into the Ground Jan 31, 2022

Show notes

Disney couldn't care less whether or not you want more Star Wars, because you are, nevertheless, getting more. In our realm, three new Star Wars games have been revealed -- one we kinda knew about, two we certainly didn't -- but what makes things interesting is that they're all coming from the same source: EA-owned Respawn, the team behind Titanfall and Apex Legends. What's with this massive investment into Star Wars? Do we really, honest-to-god need more of this series? We discuss. Plus: Horizon 2 is gold, as is Elden Ring, Call of Duty will remain on PlayStation through at least 2023, PlayStation Plus' February offerings leave much to be desired, Sony invests even more into first and second party teams, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Is it the right time to revive MotorStorm? Will Spartacus ultimately disappoint us? How do analysts draw their sales conclusions? Will you join us in Richmond, Virginia for Episode 200 live?!

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#186: A Very Stupid Arms Race Jan 24, 2022

Show notes

Microsoft -- as it's wont to do -- just went and spent a bunch of money on a publisher. But this is no ordinary publisher or forgettable amount of money: By buying Activision-Blizzard for a record $68.7 billion, Xbox now controls some of the industry's most vital IP and studios, including the king of them all, Call of Duty, and its constellation of developers, including Infinity Ward and Treyarch. Yet, Microsoft's bullish move will likely set off an even-further damaging series of mergers and acquisitions that remove risk for certainty and eliminates creativity for volume. It amounts to a very stupid arms race that everyone else will be compelled to compete in, whether they want to or not, and there's only one entity to blame. Then: Release dates for Ghostwire Tokyo, LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, and WWE 2K22 have emerged, God of War does big numbers on PC, Sony renews trademarks related to defunct first party team Psygnosis, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! What's our temperature on Horizon: Forbidden West less than a month away from launch? Are we not keeping an open enough mind when it comes to the possibilities of gaming NFTs? Will Sony botch the little things that could make Project Spartacus shine? Is David Jaffe more attractive than Colin Moriarty?

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#185: Twisted Resistor Jan 17, 2022

Show notes

First party rumors are growing. With a Twisted Metal revival unannounced (but very much in-development) comes word that it's now an internal project under the control of Firesprite. Meanwhile, the candor ex-Bend Studio leads displayed in a conversation with David Jaffe continue to reverberate, bringing to light the possibility of a Resistance revival, or something new in the world of Syphon Filter. Meanwhile, word out of the UK is that PlayStation Now cards will stop being sold in physical stores, a near-certain sign that Sony's GamePass competitor is nearing. There's more news to discuss, too, including Dying Light 2's hour-count misstep, the continuing manufacture of PlayStation 4, tantalizing details surrounding a possible Armored Core revival, and indications that a second Quantic Dream game may be in development. We then interrupt tradition by forgoing our mailbag-centric ending for something grander: Our Game of the Year awards. We each pick our top three games of 2021, and give away five random awards, as well. So hit play! There's much to discuss.

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#184: The Virtual Horizon Jan 10, 2022

Show notes

This week's episode of Sacred Symbols is full of acronym soup. Let's start with the biggest news: PSVR2. While Sony revealed PlayStation VR's successor last year, we finally have new information, though -- frustratingly -- we still lack a release date or price. Along with fresh PSVR2 details comes a new game, too, something from the first party. It's called Horizon: Call of the Mountain, and we're eager to talk about it. Then: NFTs. Japanese publishers Square Enix and Konami are the latest to signal their intentions to enter the goofy world of the non-fungible token. What does it all mean for we gamers? We discuss. And how about TLoU? That stands for The Last of Us, of course, and compelling new rumors indicate a ground-up PS5 remake of the classic PS3 game is near. Plus: New details surrounding God of War: Ragnarok's release date, sales data for both Ghost of Tsushima and Days Gone, a delayed reveal for Final Fantasy XVI, Tencent's further expansion, and more, all capping off with listener inquiries. Are we underestimating Tom Holland's value to Sony? What's the deal with silent protagonists? Which 2022 release has the potential to be most disappointing? Is it okay to use your hand instead of a tissue when blowing your nose?

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#183: Our Most Anticipated Games of 2022 Jan 03, 2022

Show notes

It's time for us to gather 'round the digital fire and talk about what's to come. We -- the three Sacred Symbols Boys -- each selected five games, confirmed for 2022 release on PlayStation 4 and/or PlayStation 5, that we're most excited to get our hands on. We round out our choices with your own, of course, giving us more than two dozen exciting titles to opine about as we wait for them to arrive in the next calendar year. The only thing we can hope for, then, is that delays are minimal... or perhaps even non-existent! But perhaps that's wishful thinking...

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#182: Our Favorite PlayStation Moments of 2021 Dec 27, 2021

Show notes

The last 12 months have been contentious in the real world, and here in our digital escape, you could say that things have been equally rocky, albeit for wildly different reasons. While perhaps not the strongest year for new releases, 2021 still easily contends as one of the most interesting years in recent memory when it comes to the gaming industry itself, and PlayStation in particular. From PSVR2's promise and Sony going all-in on PC gaming to the sudden ending (and equally-sudden revival) of PS3's and Vita's storefronts and the mystery surrounding Blue Box, we have much to remember. And then there's the madness in the third party realm, from the major GeForce leak and troubling activity at Activision to GTA's disastrous reemergence and the reappearance of Six Days in Fallujah. We've much to talk about, so hit play and let's get to it.

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#181: Three Green Lights Dec 20, 2021

Show notes

What's that there? In the dark? That familiar setup can only mean one thing: Splinter Cell is returning. In the form of a remake of the 2002 original, in fact. Questions remain, however. Is Ubisoft Toronto the studio that should be undertaking this project? Should a Splinter Cell remake be undertaken at all? We discuss. Even more Chris-centric news occurred this week, too, as rumors of Bully 2 from Rockstar persist, while Sony quietly made a first party purchase in the form of Valkyrie Entertainment, though it's nothing to be over-the-moon about. Also: Babylon's Fall gets a release date, all indications are Persona 3 is getting a current-gen console release, new DualSense (and console) colors arrive for PlayStation 5, and more. Then: Listener questions! What's a good way for a non-creative to work in the gaming industry? Is the use of the word 'biome' out of control? Are we making too much out of upgrade pricing? Has Colin become a communist?

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