Sacred Symbols: A PlayStation Podcast

Latest Episodes:

#110: Gatekeeping Aug 10, 2020

Show notes

Next month, the long-in-development Avengers game comes to PlayStation 4 (it'll come to PS5 when the console launches, too), and there's a special sort of catch for Sony gamers: When Spider-Man arrives in Crystal Dynamics' long-awaited multiplayer adventure in 2021, he'll only be available within the ecosystem. That is to say, Xbox and PC players won't have access to arguably the biggest character in the entire experience. Is such a move a vestige of generations past? Or are the Big Three about to compete for every exclusive scrap like never before? We delve in. Then, in other news: PS4 continues to climb the historical sales charts, Street Fighter V is about to welcome four new challengers, 2020's Call of Duty is on the verge of being revealed, Ubisoft sheds more dead weight, and more. And in listener questions, we explore if visual novels are really video games per se, whether Wild is officially vaporware, if the so-called "Console War" between fans of the different consoles is getting better or worse, and if it's possible that Chris doesn't understand food. All of that -- and much more! -- on the other side of the play button.

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#109: Popularity Contest Aug 03, 2020

Show notes

We may not have any idea when PlayStation 5 is coming out, what it'll cost, or even if many of us will be able to get our hands on one at launch. But what we do know -- thanks to a recent consumer survey conducted in the UK -- is that Sony's upcoming console is far, far more eagerly-anticipated than Microsoft's Xbox Series X. Does this spell good (or even great) news for PS5, or are any celebrations out of Tokyo premature? Let's sift through the details and figure it out. Then: Ghost of Tsushima sets a first party sales record, a spiritual successor to Suikoden is on the way, Ubisoft almost green-lit a medieval RPG, Cuphead has randomly arrived on PS4, and more. Plus: G4 is coming back... but why? Joe Rogan isn't a big video game fan... but so what? Crunch seems to be derided in games yet celebrated in other industries... but does it matter? Chris has probably never had baked beans in his life... but how is that possible?

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#108: Peak Performance Jul 27, 2020

Show notes

We already know PlayStation 5 was primed to provide a technological quantum leap to AAA projects, but what it'll be capable of in its first round of games is fairly surprising. Sony-owned Insomniac has revealed that its launch game -- the kinetic Spider-Man: Miles Morales -- can run at 60 frames-per-second in 4K resolution, which is virtually unheard of on current-gen consoles. But nothing is free, so at what technical cost are such results achieved? Let's chat about it. Plus: Ubisoft escalates next-gen's pricing wars, Madden NFL 21 says goodbye to the Washington Redskins, NHL 21 is staying on PS4 (for now), Final Fantasy VII Remake: Part II's mysterious development situation remains as murky as ever, and much more. Then, listener inquiries! How do we balance gaming as a hobby with our real-life relationships? Will standalone expansions become more common as development costs rise? Do Sony's outspoken studio heads help or hurt their respective brands? If a person doesn't return a shopping cart after use, should they go to prison?

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#107: Impropriety Jul 20, 2020

Show notes

It was a really big week for Ubisoft. They revealed (the admittedly leaked) Far Cry 6, stamped a couple of release dates on Watch Dogs: Legion and Assassin's Creed Valhalla, and gave us some more details on the upcoming battle royale Hyper Scape, too. But the company has also been persistently dogged by accusations of sexual impropriety and other illicit activities at its highest levels of management, and the purge of its ranks continues unabated. With the ignominious fall of both its Chief Creative Officer and the leader of all of its Canadian studios (not to mention its Head of HR), how should one of gaming's biggest publishers proceed in the wake of what can only be described as an internal reckoning? Let's chat about it. Also: Sony is ratcheting-up production of PlayStation 5, Destiny 2's upcoming DLC has been delayed, Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer is approaching this year a little differently, and more. Then: Listener inquiries galore! Is Xbox making a mistake by emphasizing cross-generation play? Should Sony pad its first party family with smaller devs? Does Sony's acquisition of a small share of Epic mean future Epic Games Store exclusivity for its PC releases? Is it normal to eat oranges in the shower? Our answers may surprise you.

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#106: Epic Moves Jul 13, 2020

Show notes

Until Fortnite, the primary fuel that made Epic Games run was Unreal Engine, its ubiquitous and flexible framework on which hundreds of notable, successful, and popular titles have run for more than two decades. But these days, Epic's many initiatives have the North Carolina-based company accelerating at light speed, and now, Sony owns a sliver of 'em. We discuss what this modest acquisition means, and why owning just a little bit of Epic can go a very long way. Then: A tension is growing in the industry concerning next-gen game pricing, and we've gotta jump back into the fray. Also: Horizon's writer has left Guerrilla, Kingdoms of Amalur is getting new DLC 8+ years after launch, Mafia: Definitive Edition gets delayed, Infamous may be coming back, and more. Plus: Listener inquires! Could episodic releases help adjust rising game dev costs? Are some gamers being completely over-the-top in their reactions to The Last of Us: Part II? Should Sony attempt to acquire WB Interactive? Does Long Island have the world's best pizza? (The answer to the last question is a simple and emphatic "yes".)

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#105: Dollars and Sense Jul 06, 2020

Show notes

Now that we've gotten a limited look at next-gen, a few major unknowns remain. Perhaps the biggest mystery -- apart from the cost of PlayStation 5 itself -- is how expensive AAA software running on the new hardware will be. Thanks to 2K, we may have an answer, marking the first price hike in well over a decade. Such a move may cause sticker shock at first, but rest assured: Gaming is still cheaper than ever. We explain. Plus: TLoU2 sells big, Sony is on the hunt for its next studio acquisition, Tencent comes to America, the Harry Potter RPG is real, PlayStation Plus turns 10, and more. Then, listener questions! Should difficulty Trophies hinder one's enjoyment of a game? When did the arcade racer (essentially) go extinct? How long do we have to wait for The Last of Us: Factions to return? Do birds get too little respect for being descended from dinosaurs? We have an answer we think you'll dig.

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#104: Crashed Jun 28, 2020

Show notes

As you probably know, Chris has a very specific arcane power: He can seemingly wish games of his choosing into existence. So when Crash Bandicoot 4 was revealed, it appeared that the planets aligned for Ray Gun (it's one of his favorite series, after all), and so we have much to talk about with that topic alone. But there are other important pieces of news to get to, too, including a deep dive into the recent allegations of sexual impropriety that have engulfed the industry as of late. Plus: Ghost of Tsushima goes gold, Ready at Dawn gets bought, Rocksteady is making Justice League, and much more. Then: Listener inquiries! Does Mixer deserve a rousing eulogy? Should older games pack content disclaimers? What happened to gaming journalism, anyway? Does deodorant belong in your buttcrack? Once more unto the breach! (Pardon the pun.)

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#103: Vanguard Squadron Jun 22, 2020

Show notes

Publisher Electronic Arts gets a lot of grief -- much of it earned -- but it also announces something truly exciting and different on occasion. Star Wars Squadrons is one such game, a dogfighter in the same spiritual vein as beloved Star Wars-related franchises of the past like Rogue Squadron and X-Wing (vs. TIE Fighter). It sounds pretty awesome, and we go deep into why we think so. Plus: We talk about all of the rest of the news EA announced (including the unexpected reveal of Skate 4), we go over plenty of clarifications and new morsels from the recent PS5 event (touching on the likes of Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Horizon: Forbidden West), we talk about Cyberpunk 2077's newest delay, and much more. As always, your listener inquiries round things out, as we ponder the sheer meanness of games media, the tantalizing possibilities of Silent Hills, the "racism" scandal hitting Little Devil Inside, and much more . We even dedicate time to confirming the proper pronunciation of the word "caramel," because this is indeed a PlayStation podcast.

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#102: Play Has No Limits Jun 15, 2020

Show notes

It's hard to believe, but the time has finally come, for Sony hasn't only shown PlayStation 5 games galore, but PlayStation 5 itself. That's right: The box. Now that we know what the console actually looks like, it's time to discuss its aesthetic. But more importantly, it's time to discuss the titles that will run on the machine. From first party to second party to third party, Sony brought out some of big guns, and there's much to chat about. A new Horizon? A new Gran Turismo? A new Ratchet & Clank? Yes, yes, yes... and even that Demon's Souls remake that's been long-rumored? That's also real. We've got a ton of games to sort through, so let's get into it. (Plus, we parse through all of the week's other news, too, so fear not.) These are exciting times! Let's embrace 'em.

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#101: Unrest Jun 08, 2020

Show notes

Here in America, a cop's murder of an unarmed black man has temporarily torn our society asunder. It's caused peaceful mass protests around the country, and the situation has occasionally fallen into outright rioting and looting as well. In other words, we're experiencing a period of substantial unrest. That unrest has naturally transferred its way into the World of PlayStation, where Sony's much-awaited reveal event for some first (and second and third) party PS5 games was delayed out of respect for the moment. With that, we're left to speculate about what Sony's plan is, and when this event might take place in the (hopefully) near future. It hasn't stopped PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan from talking extensively about his company's plans for the console, though, and so we've much to discuss. Plus: More news! Konami is silently creeping back into the publishing game, Paradox Interactive is now officially a union shop, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is making a welcome comeback, Hideo Kojima vaguely talks about his next project, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Should Sony attempt to bring EA's BioWare into its own first party fold? Is it time for Twisted Metal to make a comeback? How much better can sport sims become? Is it psychotic to buy the Pop-Tarts without frosting? Well...

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