Sacred Symbols: A PlayStation Podcast

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#80: A Roll of the DICE Jan 10, 2020

Show notes

Most of you know EA-owned DICE as the Scandinavian creators of the Battlefield series (and the resuscitators of Star Wars Battlefront, too), but tucked quietly away in Los Angeles is a DICE support studio aptly called DICE LA. DICE LA is essentially the remnants of the old Medal of Honor team Danger Close that's since been relegated to secondary status, but it appears all of that's about to change. Electronic Arts has opted to dispatch the creative might of Respawn co-founder Vince Zampella to revitalize and rebrand the dev, with a new game promised for the coming years. Is this a wise move, or is EA getting distracted by shiny objects to the detriment of perhaps its most reliable talent? Let's chat about it. Then: Sony talks PlayStation 5 at CES (kinda), Dragon Quest XII is officially in development, Final Fantasy VII Remake is getting a demo, and much more. Plus: Listener questions galore, and Colin tells Chris he's getting drafted and going to Iran to fight on our behalf. How unfortunate for him.

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#79: Game of the Year Awards 2019 Jan 03, 2020

Show notes

2019 was an interesting year for games. While we eagerly await The Next Generation (no, not the Star Trek show, you godforsaken nerds), a litany of good, great, and even fantastic games hit our precious PlayStation 4 in recent months, and now that the last year is in the books, it's time to look back on some of the best titles '19 had to offer. Without further ado, here are our favorite games of the past 365 days or so, with a special Sacred Symbols twist: A bunch of completely made-up awards, some of which no developer would actually want to win. Alas! We simply couldn't help ourselves.

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#78: The Witching Hour Dec 27, 2019

Show notes

It wasn't even a year ago that prolific Polish developer CD Projekt and The Witcher's creator Andrzej Sapkowski found themselves in a legal battle over the beloved fantasy IP. But times certainly do change. Both sides of the dispute have announced that, in the wake of their dispute, they'll now be working more closely together than ever. Go figure. But what does it all mean?! We discuss. Plus: What's with this new DualShock 4 peripheral? Should we be excited about these fresh Capcom trademarks coming out of Japan? Who will buy the Nintendo PlayStation prototype going up for auction next year? Plus, listener questions! Does Sony San Diego have Xbox Series X dev kits? Will Colin get Twin Breaker's Platinum Trophies before anyone else? Why do PlayStation gamers love PornHub so much? How does "Peggy" come from "Margaret"?

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#77: Summer Samurai Dec 20, 2019

Show notes

As PlayStation 5 lumbers toward us like an AT-AT stomping across Hoth (but in a good way), the calendar has left us with precious few PS4 exclusives of consequence. The Last of Us: Part II is obviously the King of the Unreleased, and Dreams is a commercial long-shot, but Ghost of Tsushima might just be the most intriguing of the bunch. One part third-person action game and another part historical fiction, Sucker Punch's eagerly-anticipated PlayStation 4 swan song finally has a release date. Well, window. So let's chat about it. Oh, and have we mentioned we're making a PS4/Vita game of our own? It's true! It's called Twin Breaker, and we're super excited to tell you more. Along with other announcements out of The Game Awards and news from parts elsewhere, we fit in some of your inquiries, too. Does Final Fantasy VII Remake's lack of PS4 exclusivity matter? Does Capcom risk going overboard with the remakes? Is Death Stranding getting critically short-changed? Why is Dick a nickname for Richard? Mysteries abound!

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#76: It's Outta Here Dec 13, 2019

Show notes

Since 1997, Sony has published an annual baseball game -- once eponymously called MLB and more recently dubbed The Show -- that has lived exclusively in its ecosystem. Indeed, for the last 15 years or so, PlayStation has dedicated a first party studio to essentially (and obsessively) focusing on America's pastime. So recent news that MLB: The Show would begin publishing outside of PlayStation platforms beginning in 2021 came as a bit of a shock. It's a first for Sony, and it's a story that requires some study and analysis. So let's dance. Of course, other news occurred since we last met, too, particularly surrounding 2019's final State of Play stream. Dreams is ready to emerge, Resident Evil 3 is real (and spectacular), and Ghost of Tsushima is quietly creeping up. Naturally, dear listener, we could never forget about you. Ever! So let's take some of your questions, comments, concerns, thoughts, and ideas as we do each week, on topics ranging from political ads in games and the return of Resistance to the future of SOCOM and the power of Jesus Christ. In gaming form, anyway.

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#75: 25 to Life Dec 06, 2019

Show notes

In December of 1994, the original PlayStation launched in Japan, and the rest (as they say) is history. Fast-forward 25 years, and the PlayStation brand is an absolute powerhouse. PSone, PS2, and PS4 have all surpassed 100 million sold (only one other home video game console has ever done the same), and even those that fell short -- PS3, PSP, and even Vita -- have all left an indelible mark on our industry. So let's celebrate, shall we? Then, let's get into some news! Hideo Kojima's longtime producer has officially left his side after nearly two decades, more PS5 dev kits have popped up in the wild, Codemasters made a new studio purchase, and Titanfall 2 dramatically returns as a free PS+ game. Also, listener inquiries! What does the increasing prevalence of digital marketplaces mean for game sharing? Is PS4 Remote Play on iOS and Android viable? How do games with broken Trophies make it through certification? Does anyone in this world like Long John Silver's? Let's talk it through.

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#74: R3make Nov 29, 2019

Show notes

Beloved publisher-slash-developer Capcom has been experiencing a renaissance of sorts over the last few years, fueled not only by new games like Monster Hunter: World, but by a litany of re-releases and remakes, too. At the top of the pile is Resident Evil 2, an astounding revisiting of a '90s survival horror classic that sold millions. So it should come as no surprise that a remake of Resident Evil 3: Nemesis is right behind it, at least if recent rumors are any indication. How excited are we? Very! Plus: Amy Hennig finally returns to gaming, Final Fantasy VII Remake's Part II is in development, Activision's CEO says his company isn't interested in making any political statements, and Shenmue IV might be en route (even if Shenmue III is in the midst of bombing). And how about some listener questions?! Will Half-Life: Alyx come to PSVR? Could Rockstar ever revisit Bully, Manhunt, or Midnight Club? When will Sony finally show us PlayStation 5? Is it okay to rip farts in public bathrooms? Let's go!

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#73: Try, Try Again Nov 22, 2019

Show notes

Did you know that -- in the United States -- Anthem is the eighth best-selling game of the year? This little factoid tells us a whole lot. It indicates that our instincts as enthusiasts don't always speak for the wider market. It suggests a void in our understanding of meaningful metrics in the world of games-as-a-service. And it confirms perhaps the most unfortunate fact of all, at least for EA and BioWare: Lots of people paid good money to play their game, and few people cared to stick around. Yet, in a bold move, the publisher-developer combo are secretly planning to revive their beleaguered shooter with a slate of reported updates, tweaks, and overhauls, begging the question: Is such a move wise? We discuss. Then: DualShock 5's patents suddenly appear from out of Japan, it looks like Dreams may be hitting retail sooner than we thought possible, Microsoft's X019 event serendipitously reveals new PS4 games, and Deep Silver reaches out to the hardcore. Plus: Listener questions, comments, concerns, thoughts, and ideas! Could Sony engineer a PS4 buyback program to help sell PS5? Is Remedy running damage control over Control's sluggish sales? Does Shenmue III stand a chance? If vegans hate meat so much, how come they're so eager for food that tastes like meat?

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#72: Timefall Nov 15, 2019

Show notes

Death Stranding is finally here, and we use the word "finally" lightly. Conceived and developed at light speed compared to many of its AAA contemporaries, Hideo Kojima's new game came to fruition relatively quickly, and with lots of expectations in tow. What it delivers is one of the most unusual experiences we've ever played. And we mean that in the best way possible. So join us as we gush about Death Stranding for a while, and stay with us as we work through the PlayStation news of the week, from a corporate reshuffle at Sony HQ to an all-new first party studio working on PS5 games from Southeast Asia. Then, listener questions round-out the episode, per usual, with a requiem for PlayStation Vue, a lesson on how the Trophy system works, the possibility of Ghost of Tsushima preempting The Last of Us: Part II, and an unfortunate (albeit necessary) revisiting of last week's show, in which a listener pooped his pants on a date. (Turns out there's more to say about that, for some reason.)

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#71: The King Nov 08, 2019

Show notes

Nary a decade ago, many an industry analyst wondered if console gaming was dying. Would mobile take over? Could Facebook become the new dominant platform? With PlayStation 4 now securely occupying the spot of second best-selling home console of all-time (behind PlayStation 2), questions like those sure do seem quaint, don't they? Let's discuss PS4's new sales figures, what they mean for the brand, and how great PlayStation 4 performance may just harm PS5. Plus: Blizzard announces two new eagerly-anticipated games, fresh PlayStation Plus games are coming to a PS4 Nioh you (sorry), Modern Warfare earns its keep for Activision, and Ubisoft takes aim squarely at next-gen. Also: How does Sony make money on PlayStation Now? Why are credits so friggin' long? Does anyone care about Shenmue III? If cereal is a soup, does that make oatmeal stew? We apologize for entertaining these hypotheticals, but we just can't help ourselves.

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