Sacred Symbols: A PlayStation Podcast

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#130: Our Favorite PlayStation Moments of 2020 Dec 28, 2020

Show notes

For every last one of us, 2020 was an absolutely insane year. And, yes: We're all very, very worn down by it all and happy to wave it goodbye. But this unusual 365 day period also gave us a lot to be pleased with, particularly when it comes to the PlayStation brand we all know and love, a brand that we may owe an extra tip-of-the-cap to in an era dominated by a need for distraction. PS5 was properly revealed and released this year, and lots of awesome games, too, including PlayStation 4's wonderful swan songs. There were some long-awaited reckonings in our industry, some new devs emerged while others closed shop, and rivals have revved their engines, too. Let's cut through it all, see what's what, and make sense of 2020, if not from a grander perspective, then perhaps through a narrower one: Through the lens of the hobby we love.

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#129: Cardinal Misdirection Dec 21, 2020

Show notes

Cyberpunk 2077 isn't what it was promised to be. At least, that's the experience of countless gamers the world-over, as they grasp with playing CD Projekt's long-awaited RPG on, say, a PlayStation 4. The resulting fallout has engulfed our industry, and rightfully so, because what happened here was bound to occur eventually. In a fandom dominated by loud, boisterous voices excited for every last product and willing to devour anything the powers-that-be give them, we do here on this show what we always do: Sift through the nonsense and tell it exactly like it is. There's other (admittedly less important) news to wrap our minds around, too, including the possible discontinuation of PS4 Pro and the sudden acquisition of Codemasters by Electronic Arts. But really, it all comes back to a very broken role-playing game. Listener questions allow us to explore some off-the-beaten-path topics as always, however, including the use of the term 'PlayStation Studios', Mass Effect's future possibilities, realism in game design, and much more.

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#128: An Old Friend Dec 14, 2020

Show notes

Geoff Keighley's Game Awards went off without a hitch, and -- as usual -- the show came along with a boatload of announcements, release date reveals, and other such newsworthy items. But buried within the event is an interesting truth: Sony only showed up with one game, from the second party, which we already knew about. In doing so, it lined-up PlayStation 5's next exclusive of consequence, giving it a date. Housemarque's Returnal will be expected to carry the load until the likes of Ratchet & Clank, Horizon, Gran Turismo, and God of War are ready. Can Sony rely on its old partner to come through yet again? We discuss. Plus: Neil Druckmann gets promoted, Telltale touches base, the Metal Gear Solid movie stirs to life, and more. Then: Is it time for Bluepoint to make their own AAA game? Why use a console for streaming when smart TVs do the same thing? Are hidden Trophies more frustrating than they should be? What will Colin order from Wawa?

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#127: Bye-oWare Dec 07, 2020

Show notes

We were about to wrap-up recording this week's show when some unexpected news broke: Long-time BioWare creative leads Casey Hudson and Mark Darrah have both left the EA-owned dev, and one can't help but wonder if they were pushed out the door. After all, modern BioWare is a far cry from the glory days of yore. We make sure to discuss these notable exits, though they come as a sort of ironic twist, since we had already planned to talk about some high-profile departures from Bend Studio and Japan Studio, too. Plus: PlayStation 5 is doing huge numbers (though we don't exactly know how many have been sold, per se), Square Enix is remastering its PSone JRPG Saga Frontier (though we're unclear why), Aardman Animation and Bandai Namco are getting into bed with one another (continuing Bandai Namco's westward movement), and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Will COVID permanently change the way games are made? What older games could benefit most from haptic feedback? Does DualSense's sticks get the convex/concave mixture just a little bit wrong? What if every time you farted, you also cried?

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#126: Arbitrage Nov 30, 2020

Show notes

There are a lot of understandably frustrated PlayStation fans out there right now. After all, PS5s are truly and persistently hard to come by, a situation unassisted by COVID, component shortages, a wobbly economy, and other macroeconomic factors. But -- much like the market for virtually any desirable object -- a vacuum has been created, facilitated by bot-assisted scalpers serving monied and desperate clienteles alike. Let's chat about this unfortunate situation with an open mind, and consider when Sony hopes this pileup of demand may clear up. Plus: New patents indicate a technically-impressive PSVR2, The Last of Us on HBO has officially gotten its first season order, Red Dead Online and Fortnite make changes in pursuit of an ever-distracted multiplayer audience, and much more. Then: Listener inquiries galore! Would Bluepoint and Konami make for the perfect marriage? Does obscure Norse mythology predict the next God of War's release date? Should developers be offering more linear routes through their non-linear games? What does it mean when one listener's girlfriend tells him she "really likes falling in love" with him?

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#125: Oh, Crap(com) Nov 23, 2020

Show notes

Capcom has been the victim of a massive external hack, and the group responsible is apparently holding the company for digital ransom. Yet, the beloved Japanese publisher and developer has reportedly refused to yield, and as such, a treasure trove of ill-begotten information has been dumped on the 'net, most of it irrelevant to our show. But amongst the details are a few trinkets we simply cannot ignore, including what appears to be the business' entire AAA release schedule through 2024. Let's talk about what we can, without giving too much credence to bad actors. Then: Spider-Man is apparently PlayStation's best-selling exclusive of all-time, IO Interactive is hard at work on a 007 game, Sony's stance on cross-gen gaming seemingly evolves yet again, Microsoft's CFO signals Bethesda support outside of Xbox, and more. Plus: Listener inquiries! What do we think of the nominees for The Game Awards? Why is Sony so seemingly hesitant to re-release many of its older titles? Will time be kind to the hype surrounding DualSense? How does Colin take care of his luxurious beard?

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#124: The Dawn of a New Age Nov 16, 2020

Show notes

We've covered the lead-up to PlayStation 5 on this podcast from every conceivable angle. In reality, there wasn't much of importance left to say, aside from idle speculation and over-analysis. Yet, the time has indeed come: PS5 is finally here, and now that we've gotten our hands on our consoles and spent time with some games, it's safe to assume we're not gonna run out of things to talk about on this show for years to come. The first 90 (!) minutes of this show are dedicated to our impressions of Sony's new console, along with thoughts on games ranging from Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Astro's Playroom to Demon's Souls Remake and Bugsnax. But of course, there's news to tend to as well. Sucker Punch has scored a commercial hit with Ghost of Tsushima, while Crystal Dynamics' Avengers game has cost Square Enix tens of millions of dollars in losses. We now have a better idea of when we can expect PS5's second wave of exclusives, including Ratchet & Clank: A Rift Apart and Horizon: Forbidden West, while a timed third party exclusive in the form of Arkane's Deathloop has been given a more specific release date. Plus: More! But at the end of the day, it all falls back to PlayStation 5. So let's enjoy the moment together, shall we?

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#123: Took You Long Enough Nov 09, 2020

Show notes

There was a time not too long ago when League of Legends was one of the most-played games in the industry, and even today, around a decade after launch, Riot's core offering remains popular. And now, for the very first time, a game taking place in that universe is coming to PlayStation in the form of an RPG called Ruined King, and it's launching sooner than you might think. Question is, what took Riot so long to release a complementary console adventure, and is it too little, too late? What's not too little, too late however is PlayStation 5, which we are finally on the verge of getting in our mitts. Yet, Sony has a few last-minute things to say about its new console's storage possibilities, VR capabilities, and even its short-term availability. On the back of those discussions come your inquiries, as always. Is Killzone better than Resistance? Has Sony displayed shrewdness in making Miles Morales cross-gen? What are "roguelikes"? Which band is better: Creed or Nickelback?

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#122: Cyberpunk'd Nov 02, 2020

Show notes

Barely two months after promising not to delay Cyberpunk 2077 yet again, famous Polish dev CD Projekt has done just that, though for a mere three weeks. This pushes their open world RPG (arguably the single most-anticipated title of 2020, though certainly one of them) precariously close to Christmas, and some candid words from one of the studio's execs indicates they're not entirely sure they'll ship in December, either. Is something wrong with Cyberpunk 2077? Let's discuss. Then: Bugsnax becomes PlayStation 5's very first free PS+ game, Destruction AllStars gets blasted into 2021, Sony is mighty bullish on PlayStation 5's prospects, and Final Fantasy XVI is starting to take form. Plus: Let's end with some listener questions, as always. How will we say goodbye to PlayStation 4? What's the scariest game we've ever played? How do we feel about The Last Guardian? How does Colin know who Rick Rude is?

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#121: Gearing Up Oct 26, 2020

Show notes

When Kojima careened from Konami's cocoon (that's called alliteration!), he was left to his own devices for the first time in basically his entire career. The result was his unusual Sony-funded project Death Stranding, an interesting (if divisive) game that left us curious what he may pursue next. We don't yet know a specific answer, but thanks to a salvo of job listings out of Kojima Productions' Tokyo office, we know he and his team are revving up. And we're intrigued. So let's chat about it. We'll also touch on some other news, too, for KojiPro ain't the only ones hiring. Sucker Punch, too, is openly hiring for more Ghost of Tsushima, all but confirming the continuation of the franchise. And did you know Phil Spencer has spoken even more about the Bethesda situation, saying whatever anyone wants to hear? We'll get into all of that, and more, buttressed by your many inquiries. Will persistent gaming drag PlayStation 5's attach rate down? What's going on with PS5 launch titles The Pathless and Bugsnax? All of that and more on the other side of play.

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