Sacred Symbols: A PlayStation Podcast

Latest Episodes:

#150: Epic Money May 17, 2021

Show notes

Who knew Epic Games' lawsuit with Apple would be rife with so many interesting tidbits about our beloved PlayStation? Here's one piece of news: The House of Fortnite apparently offered Sony a staggering $200 million to port between four and six of its exclusives to its PC store. Sony -- at the time owners of 1.4% of Epic -- doubled-down by refusing the deal and nearly doubling its investment into the company instead. This is a strange story, so let's explore it! We'll also get into the week's other pertinent news, too, like PlayStation's (apparent) 25 games in development, fresh rumors circulating around PSVR2, the first new DualSense color schemes, and much more. Then: Listener inquiries! Are Sony's recent moves answering its naysayers? Will EA ever revisit Dead Space? How will monetary inflation affect the games industry? Can Dustin survive his role as full-time member of our show?

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#149: Returnal of the Mack May 10, 2021

Show notes

We've waited long enough: Housemarque's newest PlayStation game has arrived. Indeed, they always seem to be there in a second party capacity at launch, whether it's with Super Stardust for PS3 and Vita, or Resogun for PS4. Yet, their newest offering -- Returnal -- is a stark departure for a team previously known only for its arcadey fare, and so the question is: Do we like it? Well, we've got a whole lot to say (good and bad) in our exploration of the endless loop. Then: News! Sony has acquired a piece of Discord, and the service will be fully integrated into both PS4 and PS5. A redesign for PlayStation 5 is apparently already being redesigned, though it's nothing to get excited about. A new trademark for Sunset Overdrive has people talking about Insomniac's lone Xbox game and its future. And much, much more. Plus: Listener inquiries! Is publishing games on PC actually a really bad idea for PlayStation? Should critics be reviewing games without having finished them? What's the story with Sony's smallest first party team, Pixelopus? Will Colin be able to handle David Jaffe?!

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#148: The Model of Perfect Health May 03, 2021

Show notes

PlayStation is booming. Recent financial results from Sony prove it, countervailing the prevailing wisdom about the brand's shortcomings. The reality is stark: PlayStation 5 is the fastest-selling home console of all-time so far, even under severe supply constraints. Meanwhile, more games have now been sold for PlayStation 4 than any gaming hardware, ever, and PlayStation made nearly twice as much in revenue as rival Xbox over the last fiscal year. They're very much in the black, with billions in profit to show for it. So what does this all mean? Well... it means we need to give Sony a lot more credit than we've been providing in recent weeks, so let's remedy that. Let's also cover the other news, as it presents itself. Ideas for The Last of Us III are percolating at Naughty Dog, PS5 launch game Godfall looks like it's getting a PS4 port, old LittleBigPlanet games have apparently been in a non-functioning state for quite some time now, Sony filed new trademarks for PlayStation Home and Soho Engine, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Is the key to accepting a $70 price point the launch functionality (or lack thereof) of modern games? Can you host industry events, galas, and the like, and be an objective critic? Has a game ever been so good that it's ruined everything else for you? Is Colin lying about his lack of a sweet tooth?

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#147: Phoenix Down Apr 26, 2021

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#146: Recharted Apr 19, 2021

Show notes

We know it seems like everything is on fire recently, but does that feeling match reality? On the back of explosive reporting concerning Naughty Dog, Bend Studio, and an unacknowledged (by Sony) second team in San Diego, PlayStation fans are left questioning just what's going on with a company that seems more interested in smash hits, remakes, and extracting blood from a stone than trying something new. An Uncharted remake? A remake of The Last of Us?! Eh. Let's talk about if recharting old territory is the wisest use of time for some of the industry's most talented teams. Then: News! PlayStation 5 has received its first firmware update, Sony has dumped even more money into Epic, PlayStation is hiring a new Head of Mobile for its first party family, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Will Horizon: Forbidden West actually make it out in 2021? Why are some Trophies hidden? How can Sony not figure out how to emulate PS3 when hackers have already done so? Just what's for dinner, anyway?

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#145: Green Monster Apr 12, 2021

Show notes

Sony's arch-rival Microsoft is beginning to make key moves that directly encroach on PlayStation's turf. Nailing down MLB: The Show 21 -- a game Sony itself develops -- as a day-one Game Pass offering is the ultimate insult. Worse yet, the swings are coming in hot from two directions: Their corporate enemy that wants to body you and a long-time licensing partner that appears to have zero problems throwing them to the sharks. One can't ignore PlayStation 5's strong sales... and yet... something is definitely up, and the shadows are looming larger. We've much to discuss. Also: Deathloop has been delayed, E3 is coming back, PlayStation Productions are coming to Netflix, and more. Then: What's up with Outriders? Are cross-gen games really holding us all back? Is Jim Ryan stumbling with the PlayStation brand? Is Balan Wonderland enough to give Chris nightmares? Press play!

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#144: At Death's Door Apr 05, 2021

Show notes

The words are hard to type, but they must be typed nonetheless: Sony is pulling the plug on PlayStation Vita. Beginning in late August, you won't be able to buy any games anymore (though you'll still be able to download what you own). The same goes for PlayStation 3, though its ignominious date comes even sooner, in early July. Thus, we are left with more questions than answers, and a lot of emotion, too. And so we spend a lot of time talking about the PlayStation Store shutdowns for these platforms (and PSP) this week, and work through all of the philosophical, commercial, and other relevant ramifications that this major move presents. Other news this episode involves fresh PlayStation Plus games, an unfortunate AAA delay, more nonsense from CD Projekt, and much more, and we round it all out -- as we always do -- with questions, comments, concerns, thoughts, and ideas from the audience. What's the best time to play during any given title's day/night cycle? Which games would be best for someone new to the shooter genre? Is there any hope for relationship co-op, or will the likes of Overcooked forever ruin love? If you were offered $1,000, would you eat a random person's boogers?

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#143: Pirates of the PSN Mar 29, 2021

Show notes

Recent (still unsubstantiated) rumors indicate Sony may be considering a full shutdown of its digital stores for PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 3, and -- perhaps most tragically -- PlayStation Vita. While we don't yet know what Sony's plans are (if any!), such a possibility raises a lot of interesting philosophical and practical questions, particularly this one: Who's watching out for the digital-only games that may be lost to history? Today, let's delve deep into the PSN, the digital ecosystem more widely, and the industry's history of piracy-for-good, as well as rampant piracy-for-piracy's-sake. Right or wrong, is it the only way we'll have access to many games in the future? Plus: News! Housemarque's Returnal has gone gold, a Ghost of Tsushima film is in the early stages, Media Molecule's Studio Director is receiving a very prestigious award, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! What did we think about Six Days in Fallujah's gameplay reveal, and the new fiasco(s) that came about as a result? Where are the PlayStation 5 firmware updates? Should Sony seek a partnership with Google's Stadia? Will Colin ever one time comprehend a technical question?

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#142: Phantom Bust Mar 22, 2021

Show notes

Interesting news emerged in recent days: Sony is funding the creation of a new second party studio in Canada, and it'll be working on a brand new IP for PlayStation. But it's who's leading the team -- Jade Raymond -- that has people excited. But should that excitement be replaced with skepticism? Raymond hasn't released a game in years, and it's uncommon (as in, it virtually never happens) that an industry gets excited over a game producer, as opposed to someone who contributes more creatively. So what gives? Is there reason to be stoked, or is this studio and project nothing more than (for the time being) a figment of our imagination. Plus: More news! Sony has officially revealed PSVR's new controllers, Square Enix has given a proper name to Project Athia, Life is Strange is readying to show off its True Colors, Tiger Woods is now a 2K Sports game, PlayStation is getting generous with the giveaways, and much more! Then: Listener inquiries! Is Colin displaying gatekeeperish tendencies? Are scalpers holding onto their PlayStation 5 consoles? Is watching how long you played on PS5 the new Trophy hunt? Will the delivery man ever find Chris?

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#141: Oblivion Mar 15, 2021

Show notes

The deed is done: Microsoft has officially purchased Bethesda. What's that mean for PlayStation gamers? Well, it doesn't seem good, at least if you care about many of that label's products coming to PlayStation 5 outside of Deathloop and Ghostwire Tokyo. But between the lines are still myriad topics ripe for discussion, like Phil Spencer's years-long lack of categorical, definitive statements, Microsoft's seeming inability to manage the studios they already own, and what PlayStation may look like without the likes of Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, Doom, Wolfenstein, and more. So let's jump deep into the topic at hand, shall we? Plus: PS5's sales are historically high in the United States, TMNT is redefining the definition of Turtle Power, NCAA Football's return may be further away than you think, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Why is Square Enix so hesitant to re-release their NES and SNES-era Final Fantasy games? Does the 'end' of Japan Studio have any sort of effect on Fumito Ueda? Where are all of the detective games? Did Colin give Chris a PSVR unit in the past so that Chris can give it back to him in the future?

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