Sacred Symbols: A PlayStation Podcast

In its first month on the market last fall, PlayStation 5's Ghost of Yotei sold more than three million copies. Now that we're a year out from that date, it wouldn't be surprising if that number was at least double. Yet, first party developer Sucker Punch, the team that gave us not only Ghost, but also Sly Cooper and Infamous, has laid off a couple dozen people. How can a modest-sized AAA team that easily turned a healthy profit with its last project still be the subject of downsizing? Should we expect more upheaval in the first party family, whether or not future games sell well? Could it be that this is a mere case of rightsizing, and not at all something more existential? There's much to discuss. Plus: Grand Theft Auto VI's file size on PS5 is humongous, Wolverine's controversial release demonstrably helped sell hardware, Arrowhead talks about the potential (or lack thereof) of a Helldivers 3, Silent Hill 1's remake is apparently more imminent than we thought, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Would Naughty Dog be wise to not have a review cycle for Intergalactic? Why can't players let Mass Effect go? How many disastrous fiscal quarters can Xbox withstand before it becomes clear there's no turning the brand around? Does Chris resemble Jan Cope from Ace Combat, or is this simply another case of Man in Glasses Syndrome? Get 10% off your first month at https://www.betterhelp.com/symbols Download Cash App today and make your money work for you. Click here to get started: https://capl.onelink.me/vFut/ty57yree #CashAppPartner Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. Cash App Visa® Debit Flex Cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC, and The Bancorp Bank, N.A., pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. See terms and conditions for the Sutton prepaid card (https://cash.app/legal/us/en-us/card-agreement), Sutton debit flex card (https://cash.app/legal/us/en-us/debit-flex-card-agreement-sutton), and Bancorp debit flex card (https://cash.app/legal/us/en-us/debit-flex-card-agreement-bancorp). Discounts and promotions provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures. Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:26:53 - Shout out William0:28:29 - Chris honored with a segment?0:36:09 - Dustin's expired food0:52:09 - Jan Cope Ray Gun0:55:13 - GTA VI has the biggest file size of any PS5 game1:01:46 - Wolverine helped sell PS5s1:06:04 - PS5 is still outselling PS4 time-adjusted1:12:33 - Xbox's PR plays1:27:18 - Suckerpunch lays off 24 employees1:49:11 - Arrowhead on Helldivers 32:02:32 - Will PS6's handheld's power surprise us?2:06:29 - Silent Hill 1 Remake could come out in 20272:14:37 - Capcom's physical games stat2:18:09 - Prism Dualsense controllers2:31:40 - New PS+ Essential2:35:36 - PSN September top downloads2:37:03 - A couple PSAs2:38:01 - What We've Been Playing (Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, Tape to Tape, Phantom Blade Zero, Alien Isolation)3:01:21 - How would we show off Intergalactic?3:13:08 - The Save Mass Effect petition3:30:43 - Why should Valve make games?3:40:14 - Will game companies accommodate aging gamers? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The first bomb has dropped following the Saudi Wealth Fund's purchase of American publisher Electronic Arts, and it's a Canadian studio that suffers the consequences. As predicted, EA has decided to shutter long-running RPG-centric studio BioWare, cancel its forever-percolating Mass Effect title, and instead double-down on sports franchises and shooters. None of this is surprising, of course -- the EA purchase is the largest leveraged buyout in the history of human economics and strapped the company with potentially-insurmountable loads of debt -- but something still has to give. Can an all-new EA rise to the moment in a culture and environment that seems increasingly hostile to predictable and repeatable games? Or is the culling of BioWare only foreshadowing the bloodletting to come? Other news this week includes the potential high cost of PlayStation 6, specious rumors of Sony's acquisition of the Kena IP, Wolverine's strong sales showing, and more. Then, we wrap things up (as we always do) with listener inquiries. Could PlayStation withstand a concentrated attack on the PSN during Grand Theft Auto VI's launch? Will Sony blunt the cost of PS6 by offering payment plans? Which engines and other technologies do the first party studios rely upon? Is Chris ready to disavow the Ritual Network once and for all? Visit https://www.prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/SACRED and use code SACRED and get $150 if you win your first $5 lineup! Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:32:24 - The towel after a shower0:35:48 - Chris and the Ritual Network0:37:51 - Best kind of buffet0:45:28 - Are we into e-sports?0:53:16 - EA shutters Bioware, 3% of staff laid off2:04:07 - Will PS6 cost $1000?2:22:49 - Has Sony acquired the Kena IP?2:28:10 - Indie dev backs off playtesting due to AI theft2:44:14 - September 2026 sales data2:54:52 - A few PSAs2:56:17 - What We’re Playing3:19:23 - GTA launch concerns3:24:44 - Removing games from PS Plus Premium3:28:04 - Payment plans for PS63:36:05 - Why should listeners even care?3:39:59 - What engines do Sony studios use? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Recent data analysis indicates what was already fairly obvious: The online pushback to Sony's discless announcement this past summer was at least partially astroturfed. It's not to say that no one had authentic grievances, or that real people didn't try their hardest to make their voices heard. Rather, it's that a tangible amount of the seemingly-earnest feedback that was plastered underneath everything PlayStation posted for months is demonstrably fake. This revelation brings us back to the original point, which is consumers' unwillingness to hit Sony where it really hurts -- in its wallet -- meaning that PlayStation can continue to merely wait this thing out, sans consequences. Why won't angry consumers do the hard work of removing themselves from the ecosystem entirely? The ramifications of such a move would speak in a language no company can ignore. Other news this week includes the reveal of a 30th anniversary Gran Turismo DualSense, a God of War: Laufey collector's edition that doesn't come with the actual game, trouble percolating over the extreme cost of licenses associated with EA's College Football, and more. Then: Listener inquiries. Was PlayStation 3's brief foray into 3D gaming a waste of time, or a promising technology that was too early to market? Should Sony prepare to lose access to Xbox's catalog of games in the PlayStation 6 era? Why don't animators and artists change the aesthetic of actors during motion capture? Did you know we're now further away from BioShock's release date than BioShock's release date was from the decade of the 1980s? Download the Quince app for exclusive offers or go to https://www.quince.com Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:41:43 - Christmas wedding update0:42:55 - Bioshock is getting old0:47:34 - Treble update0:48:43 - Shoutout James Turner0:55:39 - PlayStation disc backlash was partially bots1:22:18 - PS5 hacking1:41:59 - Midnight Black PS5 only in Japan1:45:41 - God of War Laufey Collector Box1:58:11 - Gran Turismo 7 controller2:00:31 - New PS+ Game Catalog entries2:04:31 - EA College Football issues2:11:05 - Peak rated for PS52:11:27 - Control Resonant sold 1 million copies2:16:04 - What We’re Playing (Control, The Adventures of Elliot, Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, Silent Hill: Townfall, Hellraiser: Revival, Valor Mortis, Gears)2:44:11 - 3D games on PS32:58:11 - Where are the female game commentators?3:17:11 - Xbox's poll on exclusivity3:38:01 - Real life likeness in games Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

 A common complaint during the PlayStation 5 generation has been that the core fanbase has is being ignored. There's obvious truth to this statement, as Sony pivots more and more towards the free-to-play and games-as-a-service audiences that now sustain the brand. But perhaps they're still listening, after all. Recent rumors indicate a new Ape Escape is in development at an external second party team, joining People Can Fly's alleged Killzone project as yet another look backwards into PlayStation's extensive well of dormant IP. The real question now is: What else would we want to see? We discuss. Plus: Sony sells hundreds of PSVR-related patents to Meta, a new Portal model with an OLED screen may be incoming, Forza Horizon 6 gets a PS5 release date, Warhorse's CEO thinks games should obviously cost more, Alan Wake 3 may be early in development at Remedy, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Is 'hybrid gaming' the future of the industry? How do we deal with latent DLC for games we're no longer familiar with? Should Sacred Symbols be focused on attracting more female listeners? Which host has earned the title of Emeritus? Get 10% off your first month at https://www.betterhelp.com/symbolsTimestamps: Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.0:00:00 - Intro00:19:10 - Chris and the future of Sacred Symbols00:54:12 - A new Ape Escape is in development01:15:30 - Sony offloads VR patents to Meta01:34:23 - New Portal models could be coming01:44:36 - Forza Horizon 6 coming to PS5 in January01:50:01 - Warhorse hope GTA will allow game prices to go up02:04:44 - Vice City Heat rebrand02:07:36 - Is Remedy already making Alan Wake 3?02:16:10 - Paramount-WB merger02:27:00 - PlayStation blind boxes02:30:08 - Crunchyroll's further integration into PS502:33:14 - US Sales data02:37:20 - What We’re Playing (Control, The Adventures of Elliot, Control Resonant, Gears of War: E-Day, Find the Needle)03:04:31 - When to come back for DLC03:14:08 - New options for trophy hunters03:21:56 - Appealing to a female audience03:32:58 - PSN Security updates03:43:15 - Is the future of consoles hybrid?03:49:29 - Sony IPs with different first party teams Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There's simply no denying that Naughty Dog's absence this generation is deeply felt. Apart from a couple of ports and a defunct, half-made multiplayer project, Sony's crown jewel studio hasn't contributed much of anything to PS5. Thankfully, that's on the verge of changing, not only as we get late in this cycle, but ever-closer to PlayStation 6. Three important pieces of news emerged: Intergalactic will be shown-off next year, a new Uncharted is indeed in development and will come to market following Intergalactic, and two The Last of Us projects are being incubated as well (one presumably The Last of Us: Part III). For the first time in ages, we have a clearer and more robust view into what Sony's most important team is planning for the next half-decade and well beyond. Is it time to celebrate? Or will the proof be in the pudding? Plus: Sony is skipping CES for the first time since 1967, a new look at God of War: Laufey's combat shows something decidedly DMC, AI upscaling comes to base PlayStation 5, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Why do so many "spiritual successors" fail to live up to the original? What's with all of the 10s IGN gives out these days? Should players embrace 'the grind' in video games, or seek ways around it? Who has the audacity to schedule a wedding on Christmas Eve? Visit https://www.prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/SACRED and use code SACRED and get $150 if you win your first $5 lineup! Get 10% off your first month at https://www.betterhelp.com/symbols Download Cash App today and make your money work for you. https://capl.onelink.me/vFut/ty57yree #CashAppPartner Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. Cash App Visa® Debit Flex Cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC, and The Bancorp Bank, N.A., pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. See terms and conditions for the Sutton prepaid card (https://cash.app/legal/us/en-us/card-agreement), Sutton debit flex card (https://cash.app/legal/us/en-us/debit-flex-card-agreement-sutton), and Bancorp debit flex card (https://cash.app/legal/us/en-us/debit-flex-card-agreement-bancorp). Discounts and promotions provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures. Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:28:56 - LSM quality0:31:25 - PSP Marcus0:38:23 - Don't play Sacred around your kids0:52:26 - Wedding on Christmas Eve0:59:57 - Mike Tomlin's Minecraft city1:05:29 - Sony is skipping CES1:16:49 - Naughty Dog's future1:39:58 - Uncharted 4 spoilers start2:01:00 - God of War: Laufey pre-orders are live2:09:07 - QSSR introduced on base PS52:16:42 - PlayStation 5 jailbreak2:28:27 - Sony Japan's PS5 Pro lottery2:36:07 - Kena 2 pushed to 20272:39:01 - Portal's battery update2:44:01 - Sony credit card patent2:47:32 - Ubisoft's mega-studio: Massive Entertainment2:51:30 - New Person sales figures2:56:57 - October PS+ games2:59:30 - What We’re Playing (Silent Hill: Townfall, Ace Combat 8, Control Resonant)3:36:36 - Reducing hand holding in games3:47:53 - Spiritual successors missing the mark3:54:43 - Modern gaming ADHD4:02:02 - Physint on PlayStation4:09:59 - Steam's personal calendar4:13:08 - 10/10s Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When it comes to Bungie, Sony's long been at a crossroads. Either PlayStation needs to invest heavily into keeping the studio afloat so it can support existing products and spin-up new ones, or it needs to pull the plug before more good money went after bad. Well, Sony's made a decision, and it's seemingly very much the former choice. With a new wind at its back, can Bungie turn Marathon around, revive Destiny, and survive and even thrive within the first party family? Or is it simply too little, too late? Plus: More information emerges on the Physint-Kojima situation, ex-Naughty Dog director Bruce Straley tells some hard truths about modern AAA gaming, SEGA got oh-so-close to binning Sonic the Hedgehog entirely, Square Enix intends on letting Final Fantasy VII Revelation players controversially auto-level their characters, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! What are our thoughts on Xbox's recent consolidative efforts? Are we sometimes too cavalier when openly spoiling older games? In what fashion should Crash Bandicoot's 30th anniversary be properly celebrated? How many listeners in total has Dustin gotten into Iron Maiden? Timestamps: Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:28:18 - Wearing Sacred merch listening to Sacred0:31:51 - Hogs update0:33:32 - Shoutout Samantha0:35:42 - Aaron and Dimitric0:40:51 - Iron Maiden fandom0:52:40 - Jury duty0:59:55 - Trophy by the clock1:01:32 - Bungie's future1:58:59 - Gene's interview with Kojima2:19:45 - Bruce Straley and God of War2:38:06 - FF7 Revelation allows auto leveling2:49:04 - Sega nearly did the right thing2:51:29 - Lisa Dualsense I guess2:54:30 - Lufia I + II are coming3:00:55 - What We’re Playing (Wolverine, Silent Hill: Townfall, Fire Emblem, Big Walk)3:35:45 - Armed Fantasia canceled3:38:35 - Xbox's reset part 24:01:37 - Were apps on console a mistake?4:03:53 - Asking executives any question4:08:06 - Crash's 30th anniversary4:11:46 - When are spoilers okay?4:20:30 - Do fans care about gold, silver, and bronze trophies? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A player-organized "PlayStation Blackout" recently asked Sony's hardcore customers to stay off of PSN for a mere week. It was a no doubt modest ask -- one that wasn't going to break the brand -- and it's always nice to see people try and do something when they deem it necessary. But if data from reliable US industry tracking firm Circana is any indication, the PlayStation Blackout had no discernable effect on their data whatsoever. When does initiative end and performance begin? If something is clearly not working, should one's tactics change? Perhaps most importantly, does a movement, no matter how laudable, need actually likable leadership to be effective? One thing's for sure: The blackout was a dud, something its most ardent champions cannot (or perhaps will not) square. Other news this week includes rumors surrounding Media Molecule's next game, an altered update approach for Bungie's Marathon, the reported closure of MindsEye studio Build A Rocket Boy, the trademarked sequel to 2023's beloved Lies of P, and much more. Then: Listener inquiries! Are Sony games victimized by over-focus testing? Should we be worried about Housemarque's future? Why don't more scary games launch in October? Does Colin need to remind everyone what about the true definition of "pithy"?Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.0:00:00 - Intro0:22:49 - Colin's "nachos"0:36:21 - Can Mitch McConnell beat Wolverine?0:37:22 - Define pithy0:46:02 - Resident Evil movie is good?0:50:05 - PlayStation blackout had no effect1:06:52 - Details about Media Molecule's next game1:21:33 - Marathon development update1:41:44 - Marvel Tokon's director on the PC launch1:47:18 - Build A Rocket Boy is no more1:58:11 - Lies of P Sequel trademarked2:09:01 - New PlayStation headsets2:20:53 - Powerwash Simulator 2's next DLC2:24:48 - Level 5's AI drama2:29:28 - Wardogs is a hit2:35:38 - Dragon Quest sells over 100 million2:38:48 - Terranigma releases January 14th2:44:28 - What We’re Playing (The Blood of Dawnwalker, Onimusha: Way of the Sword)2:45:15 - PlayStation's side of the Kojima divorce3:00:40 - Is focus testing ruining games?3:19:16 - Bloat and personnel in gaming3:27:25 - Porting trophies to Xbox3:35:03 - Housemarque's future3:39:33 - Horror games in October Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

So much bad mojo currently surrounds the PlayStation brand, that the negativity is starting to feel more like a trend than a temporary happenstance. The most recent news -- that Sony cancelled Kojima's Physint project, allowing him to take it to rival Xbox -- is the freshest addition to an increasing line of gut punches. Worse yet, such a move reveals something seemingly deeper: A sick PlayStation, unable to make rational decisions, desperately in-need of going under the knife and emerging with new leadership and a new directive. We discuss. Plus: Killzone Remaster/Remake rumors percolate, a popular PS3 emulator now allows play directly off of Blu-ray discs, the Saudis plot an EA-Savvy merger, Valve accidentally leaks a ton of upcoming games' achievements, and more. Then, we finish things up (as we always do) with listener inquiries. Could the greater multiplayer space benefit from a reorientation away from PvP and towards PvE? Are people severely underestimating the demand for PlayStation 6? Could Sony once again expand its first party sports offerings beyond MLB: The Show? Should we start deploying mouth-agape thumbnail images? Sign up and get 10% off at https://www.betterhelp.com/symbolsPlease keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.0:00:00 - Intro0:40:31 - Mega Man amiibo0:40:56 - Advice for divorce0:54:28 - Sacred Make-A-Wish0:58:15 - Thumbnail preference1:03:47 - Sony's physical production was misreported1:06:30 - Sony pulls PHYSINT, Kojima goes to Xbox2:14:20 - Rumor: Killzone is returning2:26:33 - Valve leaks achievements of tons of games2:38:02 - You can play PS3 games on disk on PC2:41:50 - EA and Savvy could combine2:46:43 - SNK announces Metal Slug Ultimate Collectoin2:51:48 - New PS+ Game Catalog titles2:54:27 - August PSN charts2:57:02 - What We’ve Been Playing (Alan Wake II, The Blood of Dawnwalker, Onimusha: WotS, Plague Tale Resonance)3:19:34 - Wolverine discussion3:42:57 - PvE over Pvp3:48:48 - Where is Mega Man Legends?3:55:00 - Is it better to be an early adopter?4:04:23 - Video game innovation4:14:57 - Sony first party sports4:18:34 - The end of remasters Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

PlayStation's dueling State of Play presentations -- one for western audiences and the other for its native Japanese territory -- hasn't quelled the ever-increasing animus for the brand in some corners. Though widely considered a weak showing (we rank it somewhere between a C and F, depending on which one of us you ask), there were still some great games worth discussing, and we'll do just that. New announcements included shark-eating sequel Maneater 2, an eastern take on New York City with Konami's Rhapsody in Scarlet, old-school bona fides in SlashZero, and the uniquely liminal World Phasebound Control Authority. Plus, release dates flowed for the likes of Final Fantasy VII Revelation, Until Dawn 2, and Metro 2039, all excellent-looking titles. But underneath the surface, the same issues remain. Is Sony disconnected from the reality on the ground, or are we too busy misinterpreting the noise while dodging the signal? We discuss at length. Other news this week includes some Grand Theft Auto VI updates, the exit of Housemarque's co-founder, faux rumors of Square Enix going private, and more. Then, we wrap things up (as we always do) with listener inquiries. Do we believe the scuttlebutt out of Gamescom that Sony's development and publishing partners are upset with them? What do we think of the new website Video Games Critic? Does developer Bit Reactor furloughing staff indicate a future trend for sustainable game dev? Is Sacred Symbols the absolutely perfect podcast for the manic depressive? Visit ⁠https://www.prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/SACRED ⁠and use code SACRED and get $150 if you win your first $5 lineup! Download Cash App Today: ⁠https://capl.onelink.me/vFut/ty57yree⁠ #CashAppPod  Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. Cash App Visa® Debit Flex Cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC, and The Bancorp Bank, N.A., pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. See terms and conditions for the ⁠Sutton prepaid card⁠, ⁠Sutton debit flex card⁠, and ⁠Bancorp debit flex card⁠.  Discounts and promotions provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit ⁠cash.app/legal/podcast⁠ for full disclosures. Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.0:00:00 - Intro0:16:34 - Pre-Sacred ritual0:28:26 - Chris Ray Goon0:31:09 - Bathroom paper towels0:33:04 - Podcast etiquette0:40:44 - Wendy's encounter0:52:21 - Money flow follow-up0:54:57 - State of Play1:46:37 - Netflix's GTAVI breaks records1:49:41 - Sony's comments on "digital ownership"2:03:08 - Housemarque co-founder leaves2:07:52 - Square Enix denies going private2:10:38 - Sony Music buys 24% stake in Gung Ho Entertainment2:13:06 - Sony brings live TV to PlayStation2:15:48 - Iron Man game leaked2:18:38 - What We’re Playing (Alan Wake 2, Mortal Shell 2, Halloween: The Game, Onimusha: Way of the Sword)2:29:30 - PlayStation getting cold feet?2:38:54 - Naughty Dog’s new reality2:50:52 - Video Games Critic2:59:12 - Physical games replacement3:07:32 - Mega Man’s future3:13:26 - Star Wars: Zero Company furlough Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's finally time! Rockstar has revealed an in-depth look at Grand Theft Auto VI for the first time, with tons of gameplay, details, and more that so many tens of millions of fans have been hungry for. We discuss all we saw and what we loved and didn't, along with in-depth coverage of the hullabaloo surrounding the game's preview cycle and price. Colin even takes some time to educate the masses that GTAVI at $80 is nearly twice as affordable as GTA1 was at $50, based simply on average incomes and not at all adjusting for dreaded inflation (so next time someone tells you pay hasn't kept up with the increase in game pricing, now you know they're unapologetically lying). Other news this week includes fresh rumors of electronics tariffs in America, booming Helldivers 2 sales, a ton of Gamescom ONL fodder (including Witcher 3 Remastered, Final Fantasy VII Revelation, Stage Tour, Exodus, Mega Man: Dual Overdrive, and more). Then: Listener inquiries! Is game development in danger of so-called "mode collapse"? How has MiHoYo managed to find so much success across so many high-caliber games? Would Sony ever explore re-releasing old PlayStation hardware? Will Chris and Dustin join Colin in the Fart Corner? Timestamps: Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00 - Intro20:46 - Patreon player22:05 - Free codes26:43 - Sacred is here for you28:28 - Glass Snapple is back32:03 - GTA VI leaks and pricing1:52:47 - GTA VI showcase reaction2:23:20 - New tariffs could be coming2:28:34 - Anti-data center craze2:40:40 - Gamescom catchup3:20:24 - Sony confirms Helldivers is a huge success3:21:27 - Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement delayed3:22:59 - Terranigma confirmed3:23:45 - Dave Bautista cast as Kratos3:24:37 - New PS+ games3:28:07 - What Are We Playing? (Beast of Reincarnation, Alan Wake II, Endacopia, Mortal Shell 2, How to Fish)3:53:48 - Mode Collapse of gaming4:02:30 - HoYoverse expansion4:07:33 - "Legacy PlayStation"4:11:44 - Will this be one of the best years in gaming? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sony's mishandling of its games-as-a-service initiative is well-worn territory here on Sacred Symbols, but that doesn't mean the fallout doesn't persist. This time around, Guerrilla's new multiplayer title Horizon: Hunters Gathering is the focal point. Based on recent reporting, it appears Sony is having the dev team rework the game to remove live service and other persistent elements, and its fate will be decided by December, with cancellation still very much on the table. Bungie and Marathon, Haven and Fairgames, Firewalk and Concord, Naughty Dog and The Last of Us Online, the Deviation-turned-Dark Outlaw project, Bluepoint and God of War Online, a cancelled multiplayer Spider-Man game at Insomniac, Twisted Metal never getting far off the ground at Lucid... Truly, it's enough already. Plus: Until Dawn star Hayden Panettiere sadly passes away at 37 years old, Grand Theft Auto VI suffers a catastrophic leak, Hiroko Totoki talks to the Wall Street Journal about Sony's move away from tech and towards entertainment, Square Enix swears Kingdom Hearts IV will launch in 2027, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Is Naughty Dog's high-caliber approach ultimately unsustainable? Have we lost sight of the reality of how bad the experience of using physical media actually is? How can we both run Sacred Symbols effectively while ignoring the endless, persistent, and unrealistic negativity? Will Colin ultimately push Dustin over the line by insisting he's Japanese? Timestamps: Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00 - Intro39:18 - Shoutout to Chris and Porter50:08 - "Dustin is Japanese"52:26 - Drinking in the pool1:03:09 - Digital ownership brother in arms1:09:27 - RIP Hayden Panettiere1:15:08 - GTAVI Leaks1:44:20 - Horizon: Hunters Gathering is being reworked2:28:31 - Hiroki Totoki Literature Club interview2:42:15 - Sony's shovelware purge gone wrong?2:55:21 - Kingdom Hearts IV releases late 20273:01:28 - Terranigma port3:05:32 - Pulse Elevate speakers coming in November3:07:53 - Call of Duty beta includes campaign level3:09:44 - Simpsons Hit and Run returns?3:14:25 - July US sales data3:18:42 - What We're Playing (Beast of Reincarnation, Spider-Man 2, Mortal Shell 2)3:40:39 - Toxic fandoms3:56:42 - Enshittification across media4:06:53 - Curbing your expectations4:20:17 - Is Naughty Dog unsustainable?4:24:14 - Is America AAA game dev dead?4:30:34 - Was physical media a nightmare? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On PlayStation 5 in the near future, you're going to be hacking, slashing, stabbing, and serrating your enemies with reckless abandon. For starters, the dangerously-clawed Wolverine emerges in September, along with a newly-announced special edition PS5 console, a couple of DualSense controllers, and even some plates for your existing hardware. (Plus, the previews are quite positive!) September also provides us with horroresque Halloween: The Game from IllFonic, which interestingly enough won't be released in Australia and New Zealand for the stupidest reason. Come October, hack-and-slash RPG Phantom Blade 0 joins the fray -- a long-in-development Chinese game that's getting its own State of Play imminently -- not to mention Ghost of Yotei: Complete Edition, packing new single-player content galore alongside the return of the Katana-wielding Atsu. Other news this week includes a surprise PS3-era Lord of the Rings drop, insane data about Grand Theft Auto VI pre-orders, and more. But we end, as we always do, with listener inquiries. Will Sony really eschew any sort of external disc drive for PlayStation 6, if only for backwards compatibility purposes? Why is visiting a new town in an RPG typically such an exciting experience? What would a "Digital Bill of Rights" look like? Is Dustin losing his Japanese language skills through atrophy? Timestamps: Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00 - Intro42:56 - Met-cha Chameleon47:49 - Sacred American Gladiator50:20 - 24 minutes53:49 - Almonds vs data centers1:07:26 - Phantom Blade Zero State of Play1:15:00 - Halloween The Game refused classification in Australia and New Zealand1:27:08 - Ghost of Yotei: Complete Edition1:35:19 - Wolverine console plates and more1:43:56 - Lord of the Rings: War in the North re-released1:52:42 - New PS+ Game Catalog games2:01:00 - GTAVI's $100 version is the top seller2:14:29 - July's Top PSN Downloads2:17:35 - Spider-Man sales increase thanks to the movie2:20:20 - What We're Playing (Big Walk, Marvel Tokon, Gears of War E-Day, Spider-Man (2000), Beast of Reincarnation)2:59:54- Digital Bill of Rights3:10:07 - Playing PS5 discs on PS63:20:35 - Codes in boxes3:24:14 - RPG towns3:29:23 - Defending big companies3:39:48 - Game discipline Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After roughly half-a-dozen episodes of unfortunate absence, we're pleased to welcome Dustin back to the fold, and just in the nick of time at that. A trio of interesting stories have bubbled to the surface over the past week worth examining, and they require further inquiry from the whole cast. For starters, Sony's financials show a stagnant (albeit perfectly healthy) PlayStation brand, as PS5 marches ever-slower towards 100 million units sold. And then there's Electronic Arts, the pioneering American publisher that sold-out to a wealthy foreign interest, with untold ramifications on the other side of the biggest-ever leveraged buyout in human history. Finally, we come to Netflix and Rockstar, who have teamed-up for what can only be described as a unique approach towards showcasing Grand Theft Auto VI, one (perhaps not surprisingly) some people aren't thrilled about. Among other news (and other nonsense), we also get into your listener submissions, as we do each week. How will MLB: The Show 27 be affected next year by what appears to be an inevitable work stoppage in professional baseball? Is there any workable idea for a framework surrounding the second-hand buying, selling, and trading of digital games? Could Sony blunt PlayStation 6's inevitably-high cost by taking a page from Xbox's book and offering hardware on long-term payment plans? Has Colin been saying "beaucoup bucks" wrong, or does one listener simply not know his French? This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Sign up and get 10% off at https://www.betterhelp.com/symbols Sign up for your $1 per month trial at https://www.shopify.com/sacred Get 365-day returns and free shipping at https://www.quince.com/sacred Timestamps: Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.0:00 - Intro21:28 - Beaucoup bucks23:15 - Has Colin gone woke?30:57 - Betting on Dustin's return35:44 - Last games during Dustin's leave51:19 - Balancing work, life, and kids58:32 - GTA VI premieres on Netflix1:16:24 - Sony Q1 26 financials1:56:48 - EA's sale to the Saudis is done2:11:37 - Shift Up's AI music video2:21:50 - Dave Bautista as Kratos?2:26:59 - New PlayStation LEGO2:27:31 - Black Ops on PS5 sales2:28:34 - What We're Playing (Halo, GTA SA, Big Walk, Splatoon Raiders)2:55:43 - AI Moderation3:13:54 - MLB Lockout3:17:47 - Optimizing games too much3:24:30 - Buying and selling digital games3:34:09 - Lack of real games media3:41:07 - Buying PS6 via contract Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sure, there's a lot of anger in our ecosystem right now, but what about all that's upcoming, all that could potentially change our moods? For instance, God of War: Laufey has received a February '27 release date, while compelling rumors indicate Naughty Dog's long-awaited Intergalactic may also grace PlayStation 5 in 2027. With Arc System Works promising tons of fixes for Marvel Tokon (especially on PC) in time for its imminent launch, and with Wolverine just around the corner -- not to mention a ton of third-party fare, too -- maybe it's time we lighten up a little bit. Plus: Dragon Age is seemingly dead, Square Enix lives in perpetual fear of the potential scale of a Final Fantasy VI remake, Crazy Taxi: World Tour solicits players for closed tests, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Why do so many people seem so hostile towards so-called "Gun and Ball" gamers? Is Sony's ever-struggling PlayStation Network ready for the crush it will experience with Grand Theft Auto VI? Does PS5 console exclusive Silent Hill: Townfall's approach to stealth and avoidant gameplay interest us? Will Dustin ever return to the show, or is he too busy going to Ohio to find physical games? Timestamps: Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00 - Intro11:58 - R.I.P. Sophie18:56 - R.I.P. Excalibur31:49 - Shoutout to gamer mom35:53 - Changing names41:22 - Dustin's been spotted in the wild43:26 - A rare correction51:39 - PSBlackout1:18:41 - God of War: Laufey launches on February 16th, 20271:26:22 - Reliable insider suggests Naughty Dog will release Intergalactic in 20271:36:40 - Marvel Tokon’s PC test isn’t going great1:42:38 - A Dragon Age trilogy re-release seems very unlikely1:51:02 - Yoshi-P says a Final Fantasy VI remake would require four or five parts1:58:17 - Crazy Taxi: World Tour gets a closed network test2:01:19 - Industry layoffs are accelerating2:09:47 - New PS+ Essential games revealed2:12:36 - Gran Turismo 7 gets a branded steering wheel2:15:56 - Surprise! Capcom continues to do great2:16:16 - What is Kingdom Come: Salvation?2:16:29 - Atari signs a 10-movie deal with Universal2:17:10 - Weird Trophies?2:20:23 - What We're Playing (Halo, Onimusha 2, Powerwash Simulator 2 DLC)2:57:38 - When was the last time a game took over your whole life?3:05:35 - Why is there so much animosity towards Ball-&-Gun gamers?3:20:40 - The physical games drama is getting old3:32:40 - Can the PSN infrastructure handle the GTA VI preload?3:35:35 - Is there no appetite for the PS6?3:45:00 - Silent Hill: Townfall hype level Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

PlayStation's self-inflicted physical games fiasco is nearing a month deep, and it seems fairly obvious at this point that nothing's going to change. The good news is that -- amongst all the chatter, arguing, and prognostication -- comes more info from the American market that indicates that Sony is pissing people off, yes, but also making a seemingly rational commercial decision from their perspective. Thus, we find ourselves in a continued bind: Through all of the screaming and insulting is salient data, should one be willing to look with sober eyes. We discuss. Plus: Marathon loses its game director, Bethesda vows to deliver a lot more Fallout, Rebel Wolves promises Mass Effect-like save migration for its nascent Blood of Dawnwalker series, NBA 2K27 skips PlayStation 4, Kratos gets recast in Amazon's God of War series, and more. We then wrap things up, as we always do, with listener inquiries from our audience. What are our expectations for Until Dawn 2? Did the elimination of crunch culture in some corners of the industry have unexpected downstream effects? Should Grand Theft Auto be held to account for the real-world violence it potentially inspires? Has Colin created a new mosquito bite-obliterating trend? Timestamps: Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00 - Intro17:43 - Del Walker has great insight21:03 - Marathon's PVE mode31:45 - Feel better, Brent32:32 - Moriarty X Jaffe summer camp44:43 - More sports talk please48:52 - Dexter can't dance53:24 - Mosquito's suck57:22 - Physical game sales on PS5 are struggling + June US sales data1:59:31 - Marathon's director quits2:17:10 - Bethesda confirms Fallout 3 and New Vegas remasters2:33:22 - Blood of the Dawnwalker will carry its saves over into future games2:38:06 - NBA 2K27’s cover athletes revealed, skips PS42:42:34 - Jonathan Blow’s new game confirmed for launch on PS52:45:37 - God of War’s Amazon show is recasting Kratos after on-set injury2:49:45 - The first Call of Duty film is less than a year out2:52:18 - What We're Playing (Onimusha, Onimusha 2, Powerwash Simulator 2 Star Wars DLC, Marathon, Halo Campaign Evolved)3:08:38 - Can Until Dawn 2 live up to its predecessor?3:13:29 - Is the elimination of crunch the cause of ballooning budgets?3:19:34 - The phasing out of trilogies3:24:42 - Will retro hardware prices skyrocket?3:30:38 - Does GTA cause violence?3:40:51 - Should Sony fund smaller single player games? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A new report from a trusted gaming industry analyst projects PlayStation 6 to launch in 2028 and sell only four million units in its first calendar year on the market. When you consider that even PS3 managed to sell three and a half million units in a mere four months, well, it might be a tough row to hoe. And when you take into account that this analysis assumes PS6 will sell for between $600 and $800, Sony may be in for a rude awakening indeed. We discuss. Then again, other analysis paints a far rosier picture, at least as far as Grand Theft Auto VI pre-sales are concerned, where Sony will be raking it in by the many hundreds of millions in royalties alone. Other news this week includes EA's reversal on its controversial College Football 27 microtransactions, the dominance of Call of Duty: Black Ops I and II's PSN release, the delay of the upcoming first party fight stick FlexStrike, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Is PlayStation in dire need of a spokesperson? Does Crunchyroll's new approach with its subscription portend a dicey future for PSN? Have we ever lent a physical game to a friend (or someone else) and never received it back? Could Episode 420 mean throwing all caution to the wind? Timestamps: Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00 - Intro51:17 - PlayStation at San Diego Comic-Con57:15 - Analyst forecasts a soft PS6 launch1:12:07 - GTA VI to make billions in its first week1:20:47 - EA backtracks on controversial monetization1:33:35 - Black Ops 1 and 2 dominate PSN1:44:07 - Sony finally elaborates heavily on Ranger Rumble1:53:14 - Sony’s FlexStrike fight stick hits “unexpected production delays”2:00:10 - Was Sony once exploring an animated Horizon series?2:05:43 - Koei Tecmo rapidly expands headcount2:17:22 - Halo: Campaign Evolved goes gold2:22:50 - The Blood of Dawnwalker goes gold2:24:47 - New Game Catalog additions for July2:34:13 - Mouse: PI and Black Flag sales soar2:42:21 - What We're Playing (GTA V, GTA Online, Librarian, GTA SA)3:09:54 - Is the console doom and gloom overstated?3:19:52 - Are we buying the PS6 at launch?3:27:16 - Should PlayStation invest in a face?3:34:21 - Did a friend ever steal one of your games?3:40:18 - Crunchyroll gets paywalled behind higher tiers3:49:47 - Is it time for Sony to give the PlayStation TV another shot? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're more than a week removed from the controversial decision to scrap new physical releases for PlayStation hardware beginning in early 2028, and even with a robust outpouring of rage from a portion of its hardcore audience, Sony doesn't seem like it's going to budge. This has come to surprise some people; yet, the longer Sony continues its silence on the topic, the more unlikely it'll be that anything will change. Will the Japanese megacorporation's wait-and-see approach pay off? Is there still time to turn the ship around? Are physical buyers vastly overestimating their power and positioning? There's much more to discuss surrounding the worst period of PR for the PlayStation brand since 2011. Other news this week includes furor over language in the European PSN's terms of service, drama surrounding Marvel Tokon's release on Steam, significant layoffs at Xbox that deeply affect PlayStation-aligned developers like id and Obsidian, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Is it weird that Sony executives sold more than $10 million in stock after their infamous physical games announcement? What's going on with EA's insane monetization policies in College Football 27? Why couldn't Bluepoint spin-out from Sony like Microsoft is allowing some of its teams to do? Does Dustin have similarly arcane powers as Brad, just pointed in the opposite direction? Timestamps: Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00 - Intro22:12 - Yet another Sacred baby24:04 - The Blue Reaper32:32 - Enough of the Euroslander34:18 - Wet wipes are a game changer39:07 - Infamous 2 UGC servers shutting down42:05 - Christopher Barrett settled his lawsuit with Bungie and Sony55:04 - Sony won’t reverse course on physical media1:06:22 - Sony starts repurposing its factories2:24:40 - European fans freak out about account deletion2:29:22 - Marvel Tokon on PC won’t launch in 132 countries2:34:41 - Microsoft guts id Software3:10:33 - Obsidian returns to Fallout3:25:55 - Undead Labs spins-out from Xbox3:32:42 - IO Interactive reclaims its cancelled Xbox second party game3:34:45 - June 2026’s top downloads on PSN3:35:50 - What We're Playing (GTA V, GTA SA, Mercenaries 2, PURE)3:51:27 - Microsoft is good while Sony is evil?3:56:26 - What's stopping Bluepoint from staying together?4:00:53 - Sony CEO sells 50% of his stock?4:06:45 - Crash Team Racing tips and tricks4:09:37 - EA Sports College Football 27 uproar4:17:39 - Bethesda's lay-off memorial Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It seems that no matter where one looks in the gaming industry, there's bad news on the horizon. Such is certainly the case with Sony, as the Japanese company announced two pieces of bad news concurrent to one another: That beginning in 2028, PlayStation hardware will no longer receive disc-based releases, and that by next summer, you will no longer be able to buy digital PS3 and Vita games. All things considered, the latter is a more understandable decision (after all, Sony tried to do this back in 2021 before pulling back), but the former situation has set the PlayStation fanbase alight in a way we've not seen since perhaps 2011, if not 2006, both extremely ominous years in the brand's history. We discuss both topics in great detail, incorporate a ton of your inquiries, and try to make sense of what's happening from every conceivable angle. There's other news this week, too, including Sony's stance on hardware subsidies, PlayStation's continuing commitment to the games-as-a-service sector, new roster additions for Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Is Exodus' scrapping of its in-game character creator a sign of things to come? Why are some publishers and developers so secretive with sales figures? What potential ideas could emulate the interplay between EVE Online and Dust-514? Did Dustin answer the Dustin-signal that Colin sent into the atmospheric ether? This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Sign up and get 10% off at https://www.betterhelp.com/symbols Download Cash App Today: https://capl.onelink.me/vFut/ty57yree #CashAppPod Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. Cash App Visa® Debit Flex Cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC, and The Bancorp Bank, N.A., pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. See terms and conditions for the Sutton prepaid card, Sutton debit flex card, and Bancorp debit flex card.  Discounts and promotions provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures. Timestamps: Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00 - Intro20:52 - Welcome Lily24:01 - Loud neighbors39:11 – Colin's plan of succession42:13 – The return of the King46:23 – Starting in 2028, PlayStation consoles will no longer receive new games on disc1:17:23 – Sony’s strategy1:39:54 – Why is Sony removing this option?1:52:50 – The passive income of disc production1:57:49 – What’s this mean for pricing?2:03:19 – Improving the storefront2:09:10 – Should the ownership paradigm shift?2:18:48 – Codes at stores again?2:25:58 – Multiple storefronts, buying outside of PSN2:30:07 – Does “pro-consumerism” even work?2:32:04 – Have the people spoken?2:33:47 – The never-ending rural problem2:37:00 – Lillymo2:42:32 – PS3 and Vita’s digital storefronts will go offline forever in one year3:15:53 – Sony won’t subsidize its hardware beyond a certain point3:19:29 – PS5 has its worst May on the US market since the late PSone era3:24:44 – Sony says it has to (and will) keep investing in games-as-a-service3:31:59 – Sony pulls Studio Canal films from the PSN backend3:35:24 – Shaun Layden says Sony is making a mistake by stopping its PC support3:43:11 – Blade, Loki, and Deadpool revealed for Marvel Tokon3:46:37 – Capcom moves Onimusha’s date up3:47:46 – July’s PS+ Essential games3:49:40 – Persona is getting a live action TV series3:51:54 – What We're Playing (Luna Abyss, GTA V, GTA: San Andreas)4:07:45 – When will consumers vote with their wallet?4:14:11 – Exodus will no longer feature a full character creator4:19:04 – Why are companies so reluctant to share sales data?4:22:24 – Does end game DLC generate more revenue?4:27:35 – Why won't the PS6 be delayed?4:30:40 – What franchises could benefit from a Dust-like shared world? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With Grand Theft Auto VI finally launching this November, we've been left without a key piece of information: Its price. Conjecture and prognostication has run rampant, but now we have confirmation that GTA6's base cost is $80 in the United States, with a $100 version offering players some perks and unlocks. With our long-awaited trip down to Leonida drawing closer on the horizon, we've much to discuss, including our hype level, whether we'll buy the base or special edition, the lack of a real physical version, and -- perhaps most intriguingly -- no new trailer or gameplay videos to help sell a product that (let's be honest) probably doesn't need much help to begin with. Other news this week includes significant layoffs at Sony-owned Bungie, indications that God of War: Laufey may launch as early as Q1 2027, more delisted shovelware tripe removed from PlayStation Store, executive-level issues at FromSoft, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! What's with Steam Machine's absurd price? Should Sony look to invest in any of Xbox's distressed assets? Why did PlayStation even bother publishing Midnight Murder Club if they were only going to ignore it? Will Chris and Colin one day have their shared ex-psychiatrist on the show to discuss our many mental ailments? Timestamps: Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00 - Intro22:50 - Happy Birthday nerd35:46 - Trophy hunting37:10 - Chris has a new voice47:15 - Release the files55:38 - The Green Reaper57:31 - GTA VI "plays best" on PlayStation 51:46:15 - Bungie lays of hundreds2:11:09 - Bungie pitched a Destiny dating game2:15:35 - God of War: Laufey might launch in Q1 20272:17:02 - Deborah Ann Woll claims Laufey was pitched in 20182:25:06 - PlayStation Store shovelware developer bites the dust2:30:53 - Kadokawa says Fromsoft is being mismanaged2:39:21 - Tencent exits from several game studio investments2:43:47 - What We're Playing (Pragmata, LEGO Batman, Luna Abyss, GTA: San Andreas)3:05:33 - Steam Machine pricing3:26:19 - Could Sony invest in XBOX?3:31:15 - What's next for Sony?3:40:03 - Midnight Murder Club received its final update3:46:05 - Is gambling software okay?3:54:55 - Should Sony stick to its existing IP catalog? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

PlayStation Network has once again been targeted by nefarious actors, this time exposing flaws in Sony's online infrastructure that we never even considered. If you've noticed weird games popping-up in your recently played list, titles that don't belong in your library, cluttered PSN widgets, and other oddities, you were affected. And while Sony seems to have begun to mend the issue, it feels like they're unable to accept their solemn corporate obligation to protect their customers. Will they ever even publicly admit their problems, nonetheless solve all of them? We discuss. Plus: Other news! Grand Theft Auto VI's pre-orders are imminent, rumors are circulating about a potential delay of PlayStation 6, Housemarque talks about its post-Saros future, Halo: Campaign Evolved's Trophies have been surreally revealed, Mark Hamill is set to appear in Twisted Metal's third season on Peacock, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Is PlayStation at risk of losing its hard-earned prestige? Why aren't more at-risk studios sold instead of shuttered? Should Capcom get more credit for their runaway success with RE Engine? Will Dustin ever return to the show, or will Sacred forever move forward as a duo? Timestamps: Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00 - Intro37:04 - Leon the Great38:35 - Dustin's weeb degeneracy45:27 - Colin adopts Joshua's wife52:17 - Long Island history55:40 - LSM's extra content58:35 - GTA VI pre-orders1:09:05 - PS4 got a new firmware update1:13:39 - Yet another PSN security issue1:37:16 - Will PS6 be delayed?1:52:02 - Housemarque's future2:07:50 - Halo's first trophy list2:13:29 - Mark Hamill joins Twisted Metal2:18:25 - Black Ops 1 & 2 are coming to Playstation2:23:53 - EA reveals EA Advertising2:32:16 - Rockstar retires PS4 players2:33:20 - Sony patents DualSense with button hardness2:41:21 - Unreal Engine 6 releases in 20272:54:54 - Capcom disempowers its authors3:04:38 - Devil May Cry 5 sold more copies in 20253:06:03 - Sony speaks on PC cancellations3:08:49 - What We're Playing (007 First Light, Pragmata, Crazy Taxi 2)3:14:03 - Has Playstation lost its riz?3:20:25 - Could Sony relocate?3:25:58 - Why are studios shut down?3:33:26 - Should Playstation exit the A and AA space?3:43:51 - RE Engine praise3:51:36 - Grifting doesn't earn much Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're coming off of our Summer Game Fest-related high, toting a bunch of news from publisher-driven events that occurred after we published our last episode. For starters, the Xbox Showcase... showcased... 28 games in total, of which 24 are coming to PlayStation 5, including State of Decay 3, Senua, and Spyro: A Realm Beyond (not to mention release dates for Halo: Combat Evolved and Fable). But Xbox's peculiar, wishy-washy, and inconsistent behavior likewise makes us wonder what the future might hold for Microsoft releases on Sony's hardware, especially because Gears of War: E-Day and Clockwork Revolution -- both internally slated to migrate to PlayStation 5 until very recently -- won't appear at all. Meanwhile, Nintendo's newest Direct also had some interesting fodder, including a surprise look at Kingdom Hearts IV, a brand new 2D-HD game in the form of Final Fantasy Resonance, and more. Other news this week revolves around Persona 4 Revival and Persona 6, a new Crazy Taxi adventure in the form of World Tour, a promising magic shooter called Magicians: The Devil's Deal, a fall release date for Castlevania: Belmont's Curse, and extremely strong sales figures for Yacht Club's Mina the Hollower. We wrap things up (as always) with listener inquiries! Now that everything has settled, what are our three most-anticipated games, respectively? Should Sony bite the bullet and greenlight Destiny 3? Where's Naughty Dog hiding? Is Colin falling prey to Big Plumber and Big Sewer propaganda by refusing to flush wipes? Sign up for your $1 per month trial at https://www.shopify.com/sacred Download Cash App Today: https://capl.onelink.me/vFut/ty57yree #CashAppPod Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. Cash App Visa® Debit Flex Cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC, and The Bancorp Bank, N.A., pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. See terms and conditions for the Sutton prepaid card, Sutton debit flex card, and Bancorp debit flex card.  Discounts and promotions provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures. Timestamps: Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 00:00 - Intro08:01 - Letters for Dustin14:59 - From the PO Box27:49 - LSM's big week29:08 - When she likes Sacred...33:03 - World Cup48:26 - Going to a water park alone56:50 - Flushing the poo wipes1:00:39 - Halo: Campaign Evolved launches July 281:22:01 - Persona 4 Revival + Persona 61:39:09 - Kingdom Hearts Collection + IV1:53:15 - Fable 4 Release Date2:01:34 - State of Decay 32:10:37 - Senua2:15:49 - Crazy Taxi: World Tour2:23:36 - Join Us2:26:41 - Final Fantasy Resonance2:30:25 - Magicians: The Devils Deal2:34:39 - Castlevania: Belmont's Curse2:36:33 - Spyro: A Realm Beyond2:42:53 - Thief remaster2:45:18 - Muramasa2:47:25 - Tales of Eternia Remastered2:49:05 - Mina the Hollower surpasses 500,000 copies sold2:49:53 - New PS+ Game Catalog titles2:52:52 - What We're Playing3:10:23 - Top moments of SGF season3:16:48 - Xbox and exclusivity3:55:41 - The Order 1886 Comeback?4:04:12 - Destiny frustration4:22:55 - Beating ritual4:27:37 - Where is Naughty Dog? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What a week! Our jam-packed episode of Sacred Symbols covers all of the announcements from both Sony's State of Play presentation, as well as Geoff Keighley's Summer Games Fest showcase. And let's just say, there's a ton to get through. State of Play's 25 game roster included a fresh, expanded look at Wolverine, the reveal of Firesprite's long-rumored Until Dawn 2, and the confirmation of a brand new God of War game in the form of Laufey (plus a ton of third-party stuff, including Onimusha: Way of the Sword, Silent Hill: Townfall, Control Resonant, Phantom Blade 0, Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, and more). Geoff's show went even harder, with a full 53 games displayed, including the culmination of the Final Fantasy VII Remake saga in the form of Final Fantasy VII: Revelation, the always-assumed Resident Evil: Code Veronica remake en route in 2027, two new Cuphead titles, the Stellar Blade sequel Blood Rain, and so on. We have other news this week, too -- MMORPG Horizon: Steel Frontiers has been delayed, California's legislature is going after developers and publishers who delist games, Fable has been delayed until next year, and so on -- but really, the meat of the show is all about these E3-like pressers. Even the questions at the end! So buckle up for one long episode of Sacred Symbols. Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:08:09 - Another Sacred statistic0:19:59 - dishonored brokers0:26:24 - "the podcast I listen to"0:34:27 - State of Play rundown3:12:55 - Was State of Play underwhelming?3:25:13 - Economic realities of originality3:37:27 - Stagnant first party3:44:25 - Studios stuck on IPs3:50:39 - Less attractive female characters?4:00:40 - September is looking rough4:08:39 - Summer Game Fest rundown5:26:13 - Sony removes more shovelware5:31:48 - Horizon: Steel Frontiers delayed5:33:14 - Amazon and 007 First Light5:40:50 - Toy Story Retro Roundup5:50:18 - New CA bill for game preservation6:02:53 - Fallout 76 coming to PS56:03:43 - Fable delayed6:04:11 - Gravity Circuit 2 announced6:04:57 - May 2026 PSN top downloads6:06:59 - What We're Playing (Pragmata, Saros, Mina the Hollower, 007: First Light) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We know many of you are tired of talking about Bungie, and frankly, we're kind of tired of discussing them, too. Then again, we're captive to the news, so blame Sony for purchasing them. On the back of last week's discussion about the end of Destiny 2 comes word that Bungie is planning major layoffs as it attempts to greenlight a new project to develop alongside the ongoing Marathon. And no, Destiny 3 isn't happening. At least not yet. What's next for this beleaguered team? If we're being totally candid and honest, does a future for Bungie even really exist at all? There's lots of other news this week, too, including rumors surrounding Media Molecule's next game, the peculiar re-reveal of the long-in-development Dragon Quest XII, the confirmation of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 and its October release, trouble surrounding PlayStation 3 emulation on Linux, The Witcher 3's new expansion coming more than a decade after the last, Persona 4 Remake's surprise South Korean games rating, and much more. Then: Listener inquiries! Are indie games treated more softly than AA/AAA games when it comes to reviews? What could the drastic increase in SteamDeck pricing mean for PlayStation 6? Is former Sony second party partner Quantic Dream doomed? Why would anyone try to talk about Sacred Symbols with Magic: The Gathering nerds? This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off at https://www.betterhelp.com/sacred Sign up for your $1 per month trial at https://www.shopify.com/sacred Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:35:05 - AI Questions0:36:44 - assumacide0:57:01 - Naming rights1:01:57 - Do we have drama?1:03:50 - MLB: The Show Mobile is live1:09:32 - Marathon is free June 2-91:20:21 - Bungie layoffs1:52:25 - Media Molecule is working on a new open world IP2:00:12 - Dragon Quest XII re-revealed2:16:16 - Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 42:23:09 - PS3 emulation on PS52:30:59 - RIP Destruction AllStars2:36:03 - New Witcher 3 expansion2:43:22 - Remedy's CEO claims2:52:04 - Persona 4 Revival rated in South Korea2:57:21 - June PS+ Games3:02:37 - What We’re Playing (Pragmata, 007: First Light)3:23:26 - Indie game boost3:31:57 - Steam's price issues and Sony3:44:53 - Are platinum trophies getting easier?3:49:34 - Will retro games lose value?3:59:25 - Will Quantic Dream be okay?4:08:55 - Are Sony First Party teams too protective? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What a week! On the back of Colin's PSN account being temporarily hijacked by nefarious forces, we have an enormous amount to get through for our ever-eager audience. We dissect what happened, why it happened, how we've been communicating with Sony to try and convince them to fix the major issues plaguing their online service, and what we feel you should do to protect yourself. But understand this, and understand it well: PSN's security is a complete joke. All an outsider needs to get access to your account is an email address and mundane information like the date you made a random purchase, and they'll give your account to basically anyone. Your password doesn't matter, your 2FA doesn't matter, and your passkey doesn't matter. To repeat: Your password doesn't matter, your 2FA doesn't matter, and your passkey doesn't matter. And if you want more proof, someone in our audience reset two of his own accounts back-to-back with PlayStation's hilariously-deficient (and potentially-compromised) third world customer service call centers, just to make the point. Sony must make serious changes and reunite people with their stolen PSN accounts, and we intend on pressing until they do. We are your loyal and dedicated customers. Remember? Other news this week includes the announcement of a fresh State of Play in early June, confirmation that PlayStation will no longer release its single-player games on PC, the official end of Destiny 2, the renaming of Fairgames, rumors of a return of Infamous, an increase in PS+ pricing, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Could Shuhei Yoshida ever return to PlayStation? Why have mergers and acquisitions dramatically slowed down in the games industry? Will Sony pull PS5s from shelves shortly after PS6 launches due to pricing tensions? Which members of Cobra would Chris and Dustin be? Visit https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/SACRED and use code SACRED and get $50 in lineups when you play your first $5 lineup! Go to PrizePicks.com/DoItLiveSweepstakes or check out PrizePicks social pages for more info. Timestamps:Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:22:05 - To Grace and Leo0:26:05 - Reverse Jesus0:28:25 - Children of wealth0:38:55 - Chris and Dustin in Cobra0:42:18 - Candle compromise0:43:09 - The Great Hack2:30:04 - State of Play incoming2:41:09 - Sony single player games are no longer coming to PC2:55:10 - Destiny 2 is ending3:15:58 - Fairgames renamed?3:27:38 - PS Plus price increase3:34:26 - Is Infamous coming back?3:43:00 - Warhorse Studios is working on two games3:52:07 - Embracer reorganizes4:00:14 - Circana data for April4:05:33 - What We're Playing (Mouse: PI For Hire, Pragmata, Saros, Marathon)4:14:40 - Shuhei spotted4:16:47 - PSN keys4:29:46 - What happened to consolidation?4:33:45 - Player analytics4:39:01 - PS5 after PS64:46:48 - Difficulty tuning Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's mid-May, which can mean only one thing: We're at the point in the calendar when most companies release their financials for the previous fiscal year. Sony is one such organization, reporting a relatively flat year-on-year picture both generally, and with PlayStation in particular. With PS5 sales slowing down all the while the console is becoming more expensive, and with recent Housemarque exclusive Saros seemingly selling softly, does Sony have an uphill battle to keep PlayStation relevant? Or will the inevitable PlayStation 6 -- not to mention PS5's likely-strong swan song next year -- be enough to keep the ever-distracted masses engaged with the ecosystem? We discuss. Plus: Sony's second and third party lead gives a candid interview, 007: First Light goes gold, a new externally-manufactured DualSense controller has hit the market, PlayStation Plus Game Catalog receives a refresh, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Why did so many people believe Game Informer was teasing a Grand Theft Auto VI cover? Do we think the rumors indicating that FromSoft is working on a pirate-themed game are true? Is Dragon Quest XII finally going to be properly revealed in a couple of weeks? Could Chris contest Brad's status as the guy who cares the most about Last Stand Media?Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.0:00:00 - Intro0:55:19 - Stand down Jeff0:56:27 - Daxter the pup1:02:39 - Chris on Saint Slayer1:03:59 - Sacred polls1:06:07 - PSN Settlement update1:07:28 - The "original" Uncharted 41:17:07 - Fiscal year financials2:11:35 - Saros sales numbers2:36:15 - Stellar Blade 2 goes multiplatform2:43:42 - Playstation 3rd party lead interview2:50:44 - 007 First Light has gone gold2:55:40 - New Scuf controller2:58:29 - New PS+ Plus catalog games3:03:46 - What Are We Playing? (Saros, Vampire Survivors, Mixtape, Steam Controller)3:26:59 - Breaking point with social media3:46:33 - Obsessed GTA fans3:51:31 - Fromsoft "leaks"3:58:55 - Marathon Season 24:09:29 - New Dragon Quest4:14:58 - Day and night cycle Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If the release calendar holds as currently constructed, Grand Theft Auto VI will launch into the waiting arms of millions upon millions of day-one players. And since it's likely to be the highest-grossing entertainment event in the history of mankind, it's fair to assume that the marketing push will be substantial. As we get ever-closer to the fall, Take Two's CEO has been giving revealing interviews about the insane money, expectations, and consequences behind Rockstar's much-anticipated project (and word on these digital streets is that Sony has secured the marketing rights to the game, which is absolutely massive for PlayStation 5). Are you ready to withstand a hype machine the likes of which you've never seen before? Plus: Strauss Zelnick expresses disappointment over Civilization VII and laments the lack of a new BioShock, a majority of consumers polled report never buying games at full price, Call of Duty is finally skipping PlayStation 4 moving forward, Yacht Club's Mina the Hollower gets a release date, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Should Sony reform its existing refund system on PSN? Is there an alternate reality where Sony kept the 007 film license in the '90s, thus opening up PlayStation to a series of James Bond games? Should PlayStation explore surprise reveals a la the new Star Fox? Does Colin have a potential business opportunity in the works naming other people's children? This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off at https://www.betterhelp.com/sacred Timestamps:Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.0:00:00 - Intro0:21:22 - Sacred missed connection UPDATE0:27:12 - Naming ceremony0:43:18 - Magnanimous Colin0:46:21 - DRM thoughts0:56:27 - New PSN settlement1:18:17 - Sony seemingly has the marketing rights to GTA VI1:45:27 - Zelnick on Bioshock and Civ VII2:09:08 - 62% of gamers don't buy full price2:25:56 - Call of Duty is done with PS42:28:36 - Sega reveals Stranger Than Heaven2:30:55 - Mina the Hollower has a release date2:48:45 - PSN April 2026 Sales2:52:24 - What We’re Playing (Saros, Vampire Crawlers, Saint Slayer)3:21:28 - Better ways for DRM3:26:17 - Fix the refund system3:30:51 - Alternate 007 timeline3:37:40 - Easy modes3:44:10 - Surprise announcements3:50:49 - Marketing for Marathon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sometimes, PlayStation's userbase gets upset over nothing, and this past week was a great example of that. Rumors and uninformed conjecture rapidly circulated about Sony unleashing a stringent DRM regimen on PlayStation that would force players to check-in with the PSN every 30 days, or lose their digital licenses. That (of course) was complete nonsense, obviously so -- Sony is instead attempting to throttle dishonest people from taking advantage of a quirk in their refund system -- but it didn't stop many talking points from taking hold. And really, isn't it Sony's fault, ultimately? All they had to do was communicate, good or bad. But they didn't, and so the ne'er-do-wells filled the vacuum. Then again, maybe players should be a little more mad at the actual villains: The losers and degenerates who take advantage of loopholes, steal games, and pirate anything they can get their hands on. We discuss at length. Plus: MLB: The Show Mobile slowly expands around the world, Rebel Wolves' extremely promising vampire title The Dawn of Bloodwalker gets a release date, classic NickToon Rugrats gets a games compilation, Star Wars comes to PowerWash Simulator 2, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! With Xbox's incessant will they/won't they going on, should we expect Microsoft-published games to continue to come to PS5? Is ARC Raiders and The Finals developer Embark guilty of overtuning their titles? What are the origins of "friendslop"-style games? Is Colin's wife quietly attempting to protect him from complete embarrassment by refusing to allow him to participate in the 100 Chicken Nugget Challenge? This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off at https://www.betterhelp.com/sacred Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.0:00:00 - Intro0:22:19 - Sacred missed connection0:30:03 - Group podcast listening0:39:24 - Last Stand gambling ring0:47:17 - Micah saving Colin0:49:56 - Repropoised0:51:16 - Old IGN scores0:59:40 - PlayStation DRM story1:34:17 - MLB: The Show Mobile pre-register1:42:13 - Blood of Dawnwalker gets a release date and new info1:48:57 - Rugrats: Retro Rewind collection1:58:46 - Star Wars DLC for Power Wash Simulator 22:05:19 - May PS+ games2:09:05 - What We’re Playing2:47:04 - Xbox's future on PlayStation3:04:20 - Investing in video game companies3:13:23 - Overfixing a game3:26:55 - Halo 3 = Friendslop?3:32:00 - Steam Controller and next gen controllers3:41:58 - Proud dad story Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A duo of interesting stories quietly circulated around the PlayStation ecosystem over the last few days, with potential clarity shone on some lingering, years-long issues. For starters, beloved ex-Sony exec Shuhei Yoshida recently spoke at a gaming event in Australia, where he revealed more precious information on his departure from first party, noting that ex-CEO Jim Ryan ultimately fired him from his role for not acceding to his demands. Meanwhile, an ex-Naughty Dog lighting artist seemed to spill the beans on some of the behind-the-scenes drama surrounding Uncharted 4, which -- as you may recall -- was a tortured project. But no one knew things were as bad as they seemingly were, until now. Plus: Age verification is coming to PlayStation hardware near you in the UK and elsewhere, Assassin's Creed IV's remake has finally officially emerged, SEGA's classic Ecco the Dolphin franchise is being revived, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! With Kotaku making aggressive new hires while touting increasing traffic, can the once-storied media brand be saved? Do any of us mess with motion aiming on DualSense? Is there a feeling of melancholy when deleting an old online friend from your PSN list? Would you believe that Colin never even one time suffered from "imposter syndrome"?Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.0:00:00 - Intro0:18:01 - Saint Slayer is here!0:34:43 - Gaming with a new baby0:46:30 - Imposter syndrome0:54:21 - Colin power0:55:07 - More details on Shuhei's exit from Sony1:21:11 - Uncharted 4 drama1:38:29 - PlayStation age verification1:42:25 - Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced1:49:51 - Ecco the Dolphin returns1:54:56 - March 2026 Circana2:01:29 - What We’re Playing (Saint Slayer: Spear of Sacrilege, Pragmata, Mouse PI for Hire, Tomodachi Life,Vampire Crawlers)2:31:12 - Communism and Tetris2:35:44 - Fired for a review?2:48:44 - Can Kotaku be saved?3:00:35 - Motion aiming3:05:37 - Learning from video games3:22:33 - Deleting PSN friends Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Things are quiet recently. It feels like we're waiting for something to pop-off; some new announcements, or tantalizing rumors, or whatever. We have a little of that this week, though -- perhaps as usual -- it's good news mixed-up with a few questionable items. Let's start with PS5 sales, which picked up substantially in the days leading up to the hardware's global price increase. We then move into the surreptitious release of once-hidden Grand Theft Auto Online numbers, which shows a game still making around $10 million a week, with around two-thirds of its playerbase on PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4. Then, we get into first and second party fare: More details about the unannounced (but heavily rumored) Faye-driven God of War spinoff, casting and performance capture details for Hideo Kojima's PHYSINT, word of a Bloodborne animated feature in the works, and a Metal Gear Solid film, too, both being steered by Sony Pictures. And did Insomniac's Spider-Man 3 get leaked, too? Inquiries from the audience help us round things out, as always. Why is PlayStation 2 Colin's least-favorite Sony console? Is there room for the point-and-click adventure genre in modern gaming? Will Xbox really go back down the path of exclusivity? Can we act as an effective billboard for a listener's pregnancy announcement? Sign up for your $1 per month trial period at https://www.shopify.com/sacred Visit https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/SACRED and use code SACRED and get $50 in lineups when you play your first $5 lineup! Go to PrizePicks.com/DoItLiveSweepstakes or check out PrizePicks social pages for more info. Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.0:00:00 - Intro0:35:29 - Player 30:39:45 - Timothy's weight loss0:44:56 - RIP Juno0:56:18 - Back to PSVR2?0:57:39 - Weird Pragmata discourse1:09:20 - Roblox on PS51:10:14 - PS5 sales boost due to the price increase1:22:13 - GTA Online makes $10 million a week1:36:28 - New Faye God of War details1:47:42 - Physint casting details1:56:27 - Bloodborne animated movie2:12:37 - Metal Gear Solid movie rumors2:21:39 - Mocap for Spider-Man 32:32:29 - New PS+ games2:39:39 - What We’re Playing (Starfield, Marathon, Mouse PI For Hire)3:00:56 - Defending capitalism3:16:27 - "AI-free"3:27:11 - PlayStation in Super Smash Brothers3:38:01 - PS2, the least favorite3:43:06 - Point and Click adventure games3:49:05 - Xbox returning to exclusives? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the world of PlayStation, this past week was one of mystery. For instance, the director of Uncharted: The Lost Legacy seems to be rather blatantly teasing a new Uncharted game on Instagram. But is he actually? Meanwhile, the promise of PlayStation on PC seems to have gone totally up in smoke, with the quiet removal of related iconography from the PSN. Could it be a sign of things to come? Plus, Sony's aggressive new position on the PlayStation Store continues to bear fruit, as even more games are deleted and unpublished that never belonged there to begin with. Are we finally getting the storefront we deserve? Other news this week includes intrigue surrounding an interview with Sony CEO Hiroki Totoki, changes incoming for PS5's UI, potential teases for remakes or remasters of Persona 1 and 2, the wet fart that was the Tales series' 30th anniversary, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Do you have to play the original Resident Evil trilogy on PSone to be a "real" fan, or do the remakes suffice? Why is Square Enix so hesitant to do anything with Chrono Trigger? With Capcom's Pragmata right around the corner, what are our last-minute thoughts? Is Dustin hiding his PlayStation Trophies because he's a fake gamer? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:21:17 - Back to the spread0:21:52 - Read the names0:28:09 - How's everyone doing?0:46:11 - Dustin's hidden trophies0:47:51 - Tacos or burritos0:55:03 - Colin was wrong?0:55:33 - Uncharted tease?1:15:52 - PC and Crossbuy icons removed from PS5 OS1:30:43 - Hiroki Totoki interview1:39:00 - new PS5 interface?1:40:33 - PSN delisting continues1:50:16 - The Playerbase1:58:49 - Persona 1 and 2 remakes/remasters?2:05:25 - Bandai Namco doesn't have anything for Tales 30th anniversary2:11:38 - 007: First Light Dualsense2:18:27 - Top PSN downloads for March2:27:42 - What We’re Playing (SuperStation One, Returnal, Starfield)2:51:09 - Games industry guardrails3:11:39 - Remakes vs Originals3:28:01 - PlayStation theme park3:33:47 - Where is Chrono Trigger?3:39:14 - Pragmata worries3:44:42 - PlayStation Experience Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're in the midst of a promising month of releases on PlayStation 5, and our patience is finally about to be rewarded. For starters, Housemarque's first party third-person shooter Saros has gone gold. So, too, has Capcom's beleaguered (yet incredibly promising) Pragmata, which was first revealed in 2020 for a 2022 release. Starfield's and Hades II's PS5 debuts, Mouse: PI For Hire's launch, the Konami-published Darwin's Paradox, the undoubtedly addictive Vampire Crawlers, and much more have us asking: When are we supposed to find the time to play all of this? It's a good problem to have! Plus: Sony purchases British machine learning firm Cinemersive Labs, Neil Druckmann teases the future of The Last of Us, Stellar Blade developer Shift Up buys Shinji Mikami's new studio outright, Disney executives are apparently interested in acquiring Epic, MindsEye's bizarre drama gets even weirder, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! What's the status of Fairgames? Are there any Life Is Strange fans in the LSM crew? Should gaming be more accessible to the poor? Is it possible that the Artemis II astronauts will listen to this episode of the show while en route to the moon? Sign up for your $1 per month trial period at https://www.shopify.com/sacred This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off at https://www.betterhelp.com/symbols  Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:31:27 - Never give up Krystal0:33:51 - Ernie Anastos RIP in Peace0:40:52 - First to platinum Saint Slayer0:46:23 - Artemis II0:56:09 - Nate's next career1:01:14 - Sony spins off TV business1:08:05 - Sony acquires cinemersive1:14:05 - Saros goes gold1:22:38 - Pragmata goes gold1:27:36 - The Last of Us 3 tease?1:38:35 - Shift Up purchases Shinji Mikami's studio1:48:31 - Disney rumored to buy Epic1:59:02 - MindsEye gets weirder2:09:43 - New PS Plus games for April2:14:02 - What We’re Playing (Returnal, Saint Slayer: Spear of Sacrilege, Marathon, Resident Evil Requiem, Crimson Desert, Marathon, Raccoin, Croc)2:45:49 - Is gaming really for the rich?2:59:10 - Is this crash worse than 1983?3:12:46 - Are we Life is Strange fans?3:19:32 - The state of Fairgames3:23:40 - PSSR update3:27:27 - PlayStation Direct preorders Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's another week of bad news for PlayStation, as PlayStation 5 -- as well as PS5 Pro and PlayStation Portal -- are getting another fresh round of global price increases. While every previous gaming generation got progressively cheaper over time, our current gen is becoming substantially more expensive, and things are clearly starting to get to a breaking point. There's much to say. Also, more bad news: Newly-minted first party shooter studio Dark Outlaw Games has been unceremoniously shuttered after only a year. Such a move speaks yet again to the uneven leadership, tastemaking ability, and decision making at the top of PlayStation Studios, and begs the question how much bloodletting we need to see before anyone takes responsibility. If this sort of thing doesn't fall on Hermen Hulst's shoulders (an idea which doesn't really make any sense in and of itself), then who or what is responsible, and when will the poor stewardship of the brand's own games and studios finally cease? Plus: PlayStation cuts down on its years-long mobile gaming investments and initiatives, Sly 4 studio Sanzaru at one time readied a pitch for a Jak & Daxter remake, we nearly got a Breaking Bad game on PSVR, Epic Games lays off 1,000 employees, Pearl Abyss owns its AI mistakes in Crimson Desert, Microsoft Flight Simulator on PS5 gets PSVR2 support, Marathon sells a purported (and somewhat soft) 1.2 million copies, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! With Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth courting older gamers on average, is Final Fantasy officially finished with the younger generations? Are platform holders and publishers intentionally underpublishing physical copies of games to drive customers to digital storefronts? Do we believe the incessant rumors that Witcher 3 will get an expansion more than a decade after it first launched? Could Colin be the undisputed typing champion of Last Stand Media? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:31:24 - Shoutout to Tyrell0:33:44 - New York authentic experience0:46:37 - Nitrotype0:55:08 - PlayStation price increases1:29:28  Dark Outlaw Games closed2:12:51 - PlayStation moving away from mobile2:38:52 - Sanzaru pitched Jak & Daxter remake2:49:14 - Firesprite was working on Breaking Bad VR2:57:33 - Epic layoffs3:17:54 - Pearl Abyss apologizes for AI art in Crimson Desert3:20:20 - Flight Simulator is getting PSVR 2 support3:24:38 - Minecraft Dungeons 2 announced3:28:22 - Marathon predicted sales at 1.2 million3:43:29 - February sales data3:49:07 - What We’ve Been Playing (Chronicles of the Wolf, Returnal, Resident Evil Requiem, Marathon, Crimson Desert)4:21:16  Is Final Fantasy doomed?4:35:49 - Is Dragon Quest like Pokemon?4:42:48 - AI flooding indie games4:55:09 - Physical games low stock5:01:27 - Witcher 3 DLC Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The drama around DLSS 5 has overtaken the gaming industry during the last week. Nvidia's image upscaling tech has been present in our space for years, but its newest iteration (set for a proper fall release) has many people scratching their heads. Have we gone from frame generation to art reinterpretation? Why is this technology being deployed so aggressively, anyway? And how come so many companies were so excited about it until they saw the overwhelmingly negative audience response? Let's delve headfirst into the mystery of the Yassified Grace, and all of the fallout therein. Plus: A fresh rumor indicates PlayStation Network branding will disappear later this year, Sony has apparently automatically refunded people for any spending in the now-cancelled Highguard, PSVR2 second party FPS Firewall Ultra has silently been delisted, PlayStation 3 received its random annual firmware update, legendary Tom Clancy developer Red Storm has been gutted, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Have any of us messed around with a PS3 emulator? What's going on with Street Fighter 6's creepy new storyline? With Bravely Default skipping PS4 and PS5, is it safe to assume Square Enix isn't actually done with exclusives? Did two Sacred Symbols fans miss each other by mere seconds in a Dollar Tree parking lot? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:17:29 - Sacred Symbols missed connection0:18:46 - The Oscars Vs The Game Awards0:27:32 - New Titans logo0:32:29 - This is life huh?0:35:29 - DLSS 51:14:13 - Sony is dropping the PlayStation Network branding1:27:46 - Sony refunding Highguard purchases1:34:14 - Starfield is officially coming to PS51:41:19 - Portal update1:48:15 - Firewall Ultra delisted2:02:31 - New PS3 Firmware2:07:15 - Layoffs at Red Storm2:13:26 - Exodus gameplay2:18:24 - Saudi Arabia buys 5% of Capcom2:19:50 - What We’ve Been Playing (Minishoot Adventures, Chronicles of the Wolf, Resident Evil Requiem, Marathon)2:59:57 - PSNProfile leaderboards change3:05:44 - Giving up on gaming3:12:18 - PS3 emulation3:21:05 - Bravely Default only on Xbox3:23:33 - Flopathon website3:29:19 - Street Fighter 6 controversy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With Sony abandoning its chase of easy PC dollars, the megalithic Japanese company instead seems intent on maximizing its dollars at home, and reasonably so. While reporting indicates PlayStation's PC sales were stymied by staggered and unpredictable releases, that was already obvious. What's less clear is how Sony's pursuit of profit might affect the status quo, with a lawsuit in the UK over PSN monopolization and blatant A/B testing for dynamic digital pricing happening right before our eyes. What does the future hold as we begin to move towards next-gen? Plus: EA lays off members of the Battlefield team that created America's best-selling game in 2025, Nagoshi Studio and its Yakuza-like title Gang of Dragon are in big trouble, a LEGO PlayStation (1) console is seemingly en route for the holiday season, adventure classics Myst and Riven are PS5-bound, Crimson Desert finally emerges on PS5 Pro, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! With id finding so much success with the revived Doom trilogy, could Quake be next? What was the deal with that cryptic Bluepoint Tweet from 2019, anyway? Are physical-only players being hurt by the underproduction of copies of big games? Is Dustin intentionally making mistakes in his edits to sabotage our entire operation? Visit https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/SACRED and use code SACRED and get $50 in lineups when you play your first $5 lineup! A special Magic City Max Discount promotion is live in the app right now. Jalen Johnson only needs 0.5 POINTS during the Hawks vs Magic game this Monday 3/16. Open the app and make it rain! This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off at https://www.betterhelp.com/symbols Get 50% off and free breakfast for a year at https://www.factormeals.com/sacred50off and use code sacred50off  Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:28:57 - Ragebaiting Dustin0:38:33 - Geno Smith0:38:56 - Neighborhood drama0:45:22 - Sony's issues with PC releases0:54:22 - UK case vs Sony digital storefront begins1:13:40 - Sony testing dynamic pricing1:33:32 - EA layoffs1:45:23 - Nagoshi Studio is in trouble1:56:33 - A PS1 Lego set is coming2:05:55 - Crimson Desert console specs2:13:43 - Pragmata moves up release date2:15:36 - Myst and Riven remake coming to PS52:19:38 - Falcom revives Dragon Slayer2:27:09 - New PS+ game catalog titles2:31:27 - What We’re Playing (Resident Evil Requiem, Minishoot Adventures, Marathon, Pokemon Pokopia)3:38:42 - Preordering physical games3:48:05 - New Quake?3:56:13 - Can Sony pull people away from established games?3:59:50 - Do Sony studios have too much power?4:02:27 - What was the point of Bluepoint's old tweet?4:05:03 - Starfield interference Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Reporting from this past week indicates Sony is abandoning its push to publish more games on PC, a reversal from a six-ish year old initiative that frankly bore little fruit outside of Helldivers 2. And let's be real: Though we were vocal advocates of this approach on the show, a vast majority of the PlayStation fanbase was decidedly not on board. Sony has apparently determined that it's a waste of time to further pursue this path, and that doing so could ultimately eat into their console ecosystem in unacceptable ways. Thus, it's time for many of you to celebrate, as we consider the reasons behind this dramatic course-correction. Plus: Rumors are circulating that Cory Barlog's next game is a God of War spin-off, Bluepoint was apparently eager to work on a Bloodborne remake before behing unceremoniously shut down, Starfield is finally coming to PlayStation 5 this April, Marathon has been mysteriously rated by the ESRB for launch on PlayStation 4, embattled free-to-play shooter Highguard is officially shutting down, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Is Sony investing enough into games for kids? In such a hostile environment, could troubled products like No Man's Sky and Cyberpunk 2077 have launched and turned things around today? Why are some games' Trophies published, even if they go unreleased? Will Dustin continue to compile a collection of pictures of complete strangers on his refrigerator? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:14:34 - Preorder Allegheny Hogs shirt!0:25:54 - Shout out Brady0:36:51 - RIP in Peace Bozo0:39:21 - Coming back home0:41:35 - Dustin's polaroids0:44:46 - Sony is done with PC ports1:17:49 - Cory Barlog's game stars Faye1:52:13 - Bluepoint wanted to remake Bloodborne2:25:18 - Leaks show Starfield is coming April 7th2:28:39 - Marathon post release plans2:35:07 - Amazon's God of War screenshot2:42:01 - Highguard is shutting down2:58:30 - Physical game sales at lowest point ever3:00:32 - PSN top downloads in February3:01:51 - Resident Evil Requiem surpasses 5 million copies3:02:37 - What We’re Playing (Resident Evil Requiem, Marathon)3:42:57 - What's up with Horizon Hunters Gathering?3:53:02 - Is PlayStation doing enough for younger audiences?4:01:00 - The disappearing resistance games4:08:24 - Seinfeld game4:14:04 - Can game comebacks still happen?4:23:09 - Unreleased games and trophies Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

While the wider world continues to embrace ubiquitous access for their digital products, compelling rumors indicate Sony might opt to go in the other direction. This is particularly surprising considering their pursuit of success on PC, openness in publishing on Nintendo Switch, and the shocking move to bring Helldivers II to Xbox. Then again, the numbers speak for themselves. It appears PlayStation has grossed somewhere between one and two billion dollars in total from their PC releases dating back to 2020, a comically small sum compared to their greater gross over that time, and an amount of money that may simply not justify further jeopardizing their closed ecosystem. Are we about to snap back to the old way of doing things? Many PlayStation fans will be pleased, if so. Plus: Wolverine gets a September release date on PS5, Horizon: Hunters Gathering and Marathon revel in concurrent playtests, Death Stranding 2 is coming to PC very soon, French publisher Nacon declares its insolvency, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Can Sony's first party teams truly be blamed for pitching games-as-a-service when it was clear that's what leadership wanted? Could it be possible that the secret Santa Monica Studio, Cory Barlog-directed game is Uncharted? Is Resident Evil 9's 10-12 hour runtime a selling point or a detriment? Will Sacred Symbols go another 400 episodes, or perhaps even 4,000? This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at ⁠https://www.betterhelp.com/symbols ⁠and get on your way to being your best self Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:34:10 - New merch drop!0:46:42 - Reflecting on 400 episodes1:00:10 - Favorite part of doing the show1:13:26 - 420 special?1:14:25 - capspiracy1:15:39 - USA GOLD1:26:16 - triple space1:27:49 - 100 chicken nuggets1:39:16 - Chris on Bluepoint1:56:17 - Saint Slayer release date2:01:35 - Wolverine release date2:09:17 - Sony walking away from PC gaming?2:33:09 - Horizon Hunters Gathering beta this weekend2:36:52 - Marathon cheaters will be banned permanently2:45:08 - Death Stranding 2 PC specs revealed2:48:01 - Nacon is insolvent2:50:29 - Marvel Maximum Collection revealed3:02:46 - New NieR game?3:06:12 - Yves Guillemot interview3:11:17 - Koei Tecmo reorganizes3:13:08 - March PS+ Games3:17:50 - January sales data3:23:27 - What We’ve Been Playing3:39:34 - Did PS Studios really choose live service games?3:55:00 - Could Cory Barlog’s next game be Uncharted?4:05:40 - Softball interviews4:19:45 - 10–12 hour games4:24:30 - How to use guides4:28:11 - RNG in games Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We were already recording this episode when unexpected news broke: Sony is shuttering Texas-based first-party remake and port specialist studio Bluepoint. Equally shocking -- when taking into context the many first and second party failures, flubs, and misalignments in recent years -- is PlayStation Studios lead Hermen Hulst still somehow having a job. Bluepoint has an exceptional pedigree alongside untapped potential, but that's been squandered by the same machinery that allowed them to make a multiplayer game in the first place. Who is responsible for all of this first party buffonery? What's with this obsession with established teams all chasing the same exact thing? And how lucky is Sony that the going is so good for PlayStation 5 that none of this really seems to matter? Here's hoping the bloodletting begins and ends here, but we're skeptical. Other news this week includes rumors of PlayStation 6's delayed timeline, when we might expect to see Santa Monica Studios' unannounced title, McFarlane Toys picking up the Sony toy license, and more. Then, we wrap things up with listener inquiries. On the back of Silent Hill: Townfall's PS5 console exclusivity, why does Sony bother chasing these deals these days? Does Fairgame$ have an icecube's chance in hell of succeeding? Will God of War's remake be one compilation or three separate games? Is Dustin ready for his fatherly snot-sucking duties? Sign up for your $1 per month trial period at ⁠https://www.shopify.com/sacred⁠ Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:29:05 - Sacred Symbol ruining lives0:32:14 - Snot sucker0:37:01 - Chris Chan sighting0:43:49 - Baby's first console0:58:13 - RIP Shuntaro Iida1:00:54 - RIP Hideki Sato1:08:46 - Bluepoint shutdown1:44:05 - Will Sony delay PlayStation 6 due to RAM shortages?2:04:44 - Shawn Layden says PS6 won’t be able to be all digital2:18:30 - Santa Monica's next game2:30:45 - New Helldivers and God of War toys2:37:35 - Tencent funded Highguard2:53:39 - Todd Howard on Starfield's return2:55:23 - Konami removes MGS4 and Peace Walker HD from PS32:58:02 - What We’re Playing (God of War: Sons of Sparta, Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined)3:25:33 - Silent Hill Townfall's exclusivity to PS53:31:08 - God of War Remake release format3:34:18 - The state of Fairgames3:39:45 - Where to start with Castlevania3:41:34 - Are we tastemakers?3:47:46 - Where are the demos? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sony has accomplished a truly rare feat in this contentious era by providing players with a widely-lauded hour-plus State of Play presentation. At the top of the heap of announcements for many are a duo of God of War-related unveilings -- the long-rumored 2.5D Metroidvania game and an early-in-development ground-up remake of the original PS2 and PS3 trilogy -- with the former project stealth released at the time of its reveal. That's right: You can buy it right now! 29 other games were showcased, revealed, and otherwise shown off during the proceedings as well, like a new Castlevania called Belmont's Curse, a sequel to Kena: Bridge of Spirits called Scars of Kosmora, a AAA John Wick project, stealth title Yakoh: Shinobi Ops, the second volume of Konami's Metal Gear Collection, and much, much more. Plus, fresh looks at Saros, Resident Evil: Requiem, Marathon, Mina the Hollower, Beast of Reincarnation, Marvel Tokon, Control Resonant, Pragmata, 4LOOP, and so on. Other news rounds things out this week -- like steep layoffs at Highguard studio Wildlight and casting details for 2027' Helldivers film -- before we move onto listener inquiries. Who are some of our favorite black characters in gaming history? Why exactly doesn't Colin care about sports games anymore? Should Sony more heavily pursue Astro Bot spinoffs? Did the all-Spanish Super Bowl Halftime Show send any of us into an unspeakable rage? Get 50% off your first box and free breakfast for a year at https://www.factormeals.com/sacred50off and use code sacred50off Sign up for your $1 per month trial period at https://www.shopify.com/sacred Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:28:09 - Love to Sean0:35:17 - Superbowl thoughts0:52:00 - GTA regret after murder0:57:09 - State of Play1:05:20 - Kena: Scars of Scars of Kosmora1:10:20 - Ghost of Yotei: Legends1:16:04 - Death Stranding 2 PC1:18:46 - 4:Loop1:26:26 - Capcom updates1:27:08 - Legacy of Kain Defiance Remastered1:29:41 - Brigandine1:31:45 - Dead or Alive1:33:16 - Control Resonant1:35:11 - Crimson Moon1:37:28 - Beast of Reincarnation1:39:58 - Rayman 30th Anniversary Edition1:44:21 - Mina the Hollower1:45:39 - Yakoh Shinobi Ops1:48:27 - Project WIndless1:53:36 - Star Wars Galactic Racer1:58:15 - Metal Gear Solid Collection Vol 22:02:42 - Konami segment2:14:47 - John Wick2:18:33 - Marathon2:21:44 - Saros2:22:18 - Tokon2:24:18 - God of War2:37:36 - Highguard layoffs3:17:22 - Horizon 3 could be 3-5 years out3:29:43 - Kojima revealed he almost worked with Respawn3:38:21 - Build A Rocket Boy still claims they were sabotaged3:53:22 - Helldivers movie update3:58:15 - What We’re Playing (Lovish, Astalon: Tears of the Earth, Turok 2: Seeds of Evil, Resident Evil 5, Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined)4:22:16 - PlayStations online negativity4:29:25 - Black History Month in gaming4:34:24 - Returning to Madden?4:35:49 - Women in the industry4:41:20 - Should Sony focus on uncslop?4:43:40 - Where are the Astrobot spinoffs? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the wake the reveal of the PC-only MMORPG Steel Frontiers late last year, the other long-rumored Horizon multiplayer game has finally been announced. It's called Hunters Gathering, it's in development internally at Guerrilla, and it's set to launch on both PS5 and PC at some point in the future. Excited? Well, some of you (and us!) are. But the response at this early hour has been mixed. Is Horizon being overexposed? Where's the third core game? What's with this obsession with multiplayer? From our perspective, it seems like nothing pleases anyone these days. We discuss. Plus: Sony's FY Q3 '25 financials show profit growth and strong console sales, Grand Theft Auto VI's promised November release date seems to be solidifying, The Last of Us on HBO may not go past a third season, rumors say Starfield launches on PlayStation 5 in April, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! What are our favorite gaming-related revelations from the Epstein Files? Is Resident Evil: Requiem being overexposed? Should the industry worry about Google's Genie 3 environmental AI module? Will Colin continue to take unpredictable call-ins on Sacred Streaming? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:22:28 - Colin's superbowl plans0:32:09 - Patreon names0:36:54 - Colin-slop movies0:56:45 - Horizon: Hunters Gathering announced1:40:30 - Sony financials1:52:24 - What is "Wallet Credit"?1:56:54 - New Sony patents2:07:56 - Confidence is growing that GTA VI will launch this year2:26:31 - Rumor: Starfield coming to PS5 in April2:28:38 - No TLOU Season 42:31:48 - Netflix on PS3 is shutting down2:36:42 - January top PSN downloads2:39:18 - What We’re Playing (Castlevania Requiem, Turok: Dinosaur Hunter, Turok 2: Seeds of Evil, Jak and Daxter, Nioh 3, Neon Inferno)3:06:38 - Gaming characters in the Epstein files3:18:07 - Content creators playing it safe3:27:43 - Marketing going too far3:37:20 - First Dragon Quest game3:42:16 - Spooked by AI3:58:07 - Will Xbox beat PlayStation 6 to market? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With the chase for AI obliterating affordability in computing-related markets, it should come as no surprise that Sony may be deliberating a delay for PlayStation 6's rollout and release. But recent commentary from a well-connected financial analyst suggests that PS6's purported delay may be more substantial than we thought, perhaps precipitated by more factors than we initially thought. When does the gaming world need the next PlayStation? Could we go potentially several more years on PS5 alone? We discuss. Plus: Chris has played Highguard extensively and has a lot to say, Rockstar may take our advice and forego physical copies of GTAVI at launch to avoid spoilers, Ubisoft unions are agitating for an international strike at the publisher's many offices, MLB: The Show 26 gets its cover athlete and a release date, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Are mini-maps useful or distracting? How do we feel about Final Fantasy VII Remake's new "Streamlined Progression" update? Is New Game+ functionality catering to an older, diminishing audience? Did Dustin enjoy his romantic California getaway with Brad? This week, PrizePicks has a special Max Discount for the Big Game, live in the app now! Drake Maye just needs 1 passing yard for the Max Discount to win! Just add another player to your line up and if your picks hit you can cash in! Visit https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/SACRED and use code SACRED and get $50 in lineups when you play your first $5 lineup! This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://www.betterhelp.com/symbols and get on your way to being your best self Sign up for your $1 per month trial period at https://www.shopify.com/sacred Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:18:45 - Dustin's weekend away0:30:16 - The Persona concert0:42:43 - 2026 snow storm0:53:47 - Football story1:00:25 - PlayStation 6 could be delayed1:28:06 - PS5 Pro and Portal attach rates1:34:00 - Real PS4 Portable1:37:12 - Rumor that GTA VI will be digital only at launch1:50:21 - Ubisoft strike2:13:38 - MLB: The Show cover revealed2:17:03 - February PS+ games2:21:00 - What We're Playing (Front Mission 1st Remake, Castlevania Requiem, Highguard, The Exit 8, Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow, Code Vein II)3:15:47 - Mini maps in games3:23:29 - FF7 Remake update3:29:17 - Should we support PlayStation live service?3:36:34 - Are huge games unsustainable?3:46:37 - Kotaku evolved?3:54:25 - Is replaying games unc coded? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Ubisoft that we knew is dead. In its place, a new structure has emerged, a federalized series of five "Creative Houses," each with its own studios, IP, revenue flow, and responsibilities. Ultimately, it's the new Ubisoft's way of giving their employees all the leeway they need to make great stuff. But then again, you know what they say about getting too much rope. Will the once-great French publisher survive and thrive again? One thing's for sure: The old way of doing things has long been a nonstarter. Other news this week includes a March 5th release date for Marathon, the spinning-off of Sony's TV business, more Xbox games en route to PS5, cumulative 2025 software sales data for the American market, and more. We then end things -- as we always do -- with six listener inquiries from our beloved audience. When should we expect word on Persona 6? Will we replay Returnal in preparation for Saros? How should Naughty Dog navigate the choppy marketing waters surrounding Intergalactic? Will Colin survive the upcoming winter storm? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:25:27 - Prayers for Gene0:32:11 - Colin preparing for snow0:41:07 - Isla Vanal0:46:21 - Burrito mishap0:54:08 - Ubisoft details their reorganization1:45:56 -  Sony spins-off TV business1:59:01 - Marathon has a release date2:13:37 - Four new Xbox games coming to PlayStation2:39:02 - ThiGames made a lot of money2:40:40 - December 2025 Circana data2:48:57 - Crimson Desert goes gold2:49:16 - Resident Evil: Code Veronica remake coming2:49:47 - What We’ve Been Playing (Mega Man 11, Front Mission 1st Remake, Jak & Daxter, Kingdom Hearts 23:05:59 - Naughty Dog noise3:14:58 - Settings unexplored in gaming3:19:46 - When will we see Persona 6?3:23:47 - How long will Highguard last?3:32:55 - Plans for Saros3:35:50 - Trendy tropes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As PlayStation's aggressive pursuit of crossmedia success continues, we have a new piece of news worth considering in the form of the casting of Kratos in Amazon's upcoming God of War series. 6'6" American actor Ryan Hurst has won the coveted role, joining notable writers, directors, and a famous showrunner to make what could very well be Sony's most promising TV property yet. We discuss. Plus: A notorious developer known for more than a thousand asset flip-slash-Trophy farming games has all of its titles removed from the PSN, compelling evidence circulates that 2016's The Division is getting a Definitive Edition on PS5 somewhat imminently, Xbox's Fable joins Avowed as yet another game slated for Sony's console, Call of Duty sales purportedly plummet 60% year-over-year, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! With Colin only a few Platinums away from 200, is there any game he's specifically targeting for the milestone? Following the closure of Meta's largest VR studios, is the pursuit of virtual reality in games officially dead? Could Sea of Thieves be the actual, original extraction shooter (for lack of a better term)? Do we anticipate we'll ever win the Golden Globe for Best Podcast? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:30:04 - Rest in Peace Mojo0:34:17 - Golden Globe's best podcast0:37:48 - Stand down Dave0:38:38 - Long Island lore0:43:56 - Ryan Hurst is Kratos0:56:57 - The Division: Definitive Edition?1:04:21 - Is Sony doing something about Trophy slop games?1:20:34 - Forza Horizon 5 sells over 5 million on PS51:26:51 - Fable is coming to PS51:41:15 - Is Call of Duty failing?2:04:02 - PS+ Extra Games2:06:58 - PSN Top games 20252:11:36 - What We’ve Been Playing (Mega Man 11, Destiny 1, Kingdom Hearts 2)2:28:58 - Colin's 200ths platinum plans2:32:39 - Lillymo DLC2:39:40 - Forgiveness for a 4 year old's gaming skills?2:43:56 - Fallout Season 22:48:49 - Meta shutting down studios3:04:07 - Why doesn't Sea of Thieves get enough credit? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Happy New Year! Well, maybe not so happy for Sony. That's because -- if rumors and percolations are true -- PlayStation 5's ROM keys have been leaked, meaning that the console is likely on the verge of being jailbroken. And for veterans of the PS3 era, you know precisely what that means: Chaos. Well, maybe? Let's discuss this potentially serious development. Also: Ruminations on the passing of legendary games producer Vince Zampella, new inbound DualSense and cover colors, Marathon's exiting art director, Gran Turismo 7 quietly amassing a huge player base, Kojima's plans to cast (and begin shooting) PHYSINT this year, China Hero Project title Convallaria running into serious issues, Wolfenstein 3 whispers, and much more. Then: Listener inquiries! With computing component pricing and rarity skyrocketing, should we expect a much-delayed PlayStation 6 launch? With only a few weeks until launch, is Wildlight's F2P shooter Highguard in serious trouble? Following a second Ghost game, what should Sucker Punch make next? Is Dustin quietly morphing into a furry before our very eyes? This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://www.betterhelp.com/symbols and get on your way to being your best self Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:34:01 - Shout out to Thomas!0:35:25 - Post break mindset0:43:26 - Naming rights college trust fund0:56:34 - Dustin furry allegations1:07:54 - Vince Zampella's passing1:24:17 - Will PS5 be jailbroken soon?1:41:27 - New DualSense and covers coming1:46:19 - Marathon's art director leaves Bungie1:54:11 - GT7 has 2 million MAU2:05:46 - PHYSINT casting and motion capture in 20262:18:45 - Sony patents "AI Ghost"2:27:13 - China Hero Project game Convallaria in trouble2:35:51 - Machine Games is working on Wolfenstein 32:39:22 - New Witcher 3 DLC?2:46:48 - 007: First Light delayed2:48:25 - No Hundred Line on PS52:53:41 - January PS+ games2:57:06 - ARC Raiders dominates PSN and PSN top downloads3:14:26 - Games sales news3:15:55 - What We’re Playing (Terminator 2D, Dying Light: The Beast, Marvel Cosmic Invasion, MM Legacy Collection 1-2, MM11, Mega Man X, Fallout: New Vegas, The Alters, Dragon Quest VII demo, Skate Story, Shinobi: Art of Vengeance)3:48:22 - Is PS6 getting delayed okay?3:59:47 - What's going on with Highguard?4:13:26 - Gaming Merch4:24:22 - What's next for Sucker Punch?4:30:37 - Talking about what you like vs dislike4:37:42 - Crunch at Naughty Dog Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If rumors about PlayStation 6 are true, then we're well into the back-half of PS5's tenure as Sony's primary console. And -- as is often the case at this point in a generation -- the releases are starting to pick up drastically, especially dramatic considering the sheer number of options on the market these days. Thus, it's time for the second of our two yearly traditions here on Sacred Symbols, as we pre-record a couple of holiday episodes for Christmas break. While we gathered last week to look back at the year that was, it's now time to look forward at the year to come. Each of us has chosen five games (for 15 total) that we're looking forward to. The only rules are that they have to be PS5-bound and either confirmed or assumed for release in '26. That's it! So let's get into it, and see if any of your personal favorites made our list. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at ⁠https://www.betterhelp.com/symbols ⁠and get on your way to being your best self Visit https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/SACRED and use code SACRED and get $50 in lineups when you play your first $5 lineup! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The holiday season is here, which means we're off for a bit. But, of course, new episodes never cease rolling out! Thus, we've arrived at the first of our two Christmastime traditions: Recounting the most consequential 'moments' in the world of PlayStation and beyond for the past calendar year. As usual, we've each selected five choices for 15 total, and they touch on topics like the first concrete rumors surrounding PlayStation 6, Helldivers 2's surprise migration to Xbox as Microsoft itself brings its whole slate of games to PS5, multiple Grand Theft Auto VI delays, the reemergence of Insomniac's Wolverine, Hermen Hulst's sudden demotion, Sony suing Tencent over the blatant Horizon ripoff Light of Motiram, and much more. Enjoy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Let's be honest: This whole Light of Motiram thing was shady from the get-go. A game that blatantly rips off Guerrilla's Horizon franchise, created by the publisher-and-developer combo that was later revealed to have unsuccessfully pitched Sony a Horizon spin-off beforehand? They call that 'dead to rights.' And now it's official, because Sony's lawsuit against Tencent over this facsimile has been dropped with prejudice, and the game has been delisted from Steam. That's a win for PlayStation, and an even bigger win for creativity in the AAA space. We discuss. Plus: Sucker Punch co-founder, long-time producer, and studio lead Brian Fleming is officially retiring from the team after 28 years, Bungie's Marathon is slated to come to PS5 in March, Hollow Knight: Silksong is getting a free nautical expansion in '26, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Should we expect devs to lean more deeply into attractive characters? Do we think "made using AI" warnings will appear on games at some point in the near future? Who's to blame for Highguard's tepid response at The Game Awards? Is it strange if a wheelchair-bound listener wants to proudly wear a Stand Down shirt? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:37:46 - A nice note from William0:43:47 - Andrew and Steven0:52:25 - Ratchet & Clank: Ranger Rumble is out in some European countries0:53:55 - Light of Motiram case dropped1:02:24 - Sucker Punch's co-founder is leaving1:15:19 - Marathon gets a release month1:28:21 - Silksong sells 7 million with an expansion on the way1:31:05 - Ubisoft acquires an Amazon team1:32:32 - Mega Man Star Force Legacy collection announced1:35:14 - US sales data1:47:35 - What We’re Playing (Terminator 2D: NO FATE, Dying Light: The Beast, Marvel Cosmic Invasion, The Outer Worlds 2, Destiny 2: Renegades (The Star Wars Expansion), Skate Story, Tomba 2, Metroid Prime 4)2:11:17 - Featuring "attractive female characters"2:27:14 - Game studios and AI2:45:51 - Will the DRAM shortage effect consoles?2:53:46 - One handed gaming2:57:39 - Highguard3:08:25 - Games that will never get revived Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Game Awards have come and gone, leaving in its wake a whirlwind of game announcements, release date reveals, and fresh perspectives on our industry. Indeed, there's something for everyone, a draw for all comers. For starters, what's new? Two Star Wars offerings, Larian's secret Divinity project, Jonathan Blow's long-awaited Order of the Sinking Star, a sequel to Remedy's Control, Toshihiro Nagoshi's anticipated Yakuza rival Gang of Dragon, two Tomb Raider games in the form of a remake and something unseen, a Cyberpunk-like called NO LAW, and even Mega Man 12 -- well, Mega Man Dual Override, anyway -- to keep Colin fed, and more beyond that. And new looks, too, at PlayStation games like Saros and 4:LOOP, as well as Resident Evil Requiem, Pragmata, Exodus, and Phantom Blade 0. And then there are the awards themselves, and the pomp and circumstance, and... well... there's a lot to discuss! Plus, we have all of the non-TGA happenings from the past week, too. PlayStation Wrap-Up is live, Deviation's cancelled second party shooter has leaked, London Studio's cancelled multiplayer game has seemingly reemerged under a new team, Call of Duty might be in trouble, and so on. Then: Listener inquiries! Could MLB: The Show succeed on PC with a Football Manager-style experience? Does Netflix really see no value in WB's gaming assets? Is a rumored $1 million for three minutes of advertising at The Game Awards too much? Remember when Dustin called DW from Arthur Double D? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:27:06 - Sacred Compliments0:33:32 - A happy write in for once0:45:45 - Double D0:48:04 - Slandering the English1:01:45 - Glass Snapple1:09:54 - The Game Awards overall thoughts1:25:51 - Pragmata1:30:02 - Tank Rat1:33:16 - Bradley the Badger1:37:49 - Stupid Never Dies1:42:15 - Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic1:50:40 - Divinity1:57:23 - 4LOOP2:04:34 - Coven of the Chickenfoot2:08:56 - Ontos2:13:45 - Resident Evil Requiem2:15:35 - Order of the Sinking Star2:24:09 - Exodus2:26:48 - Warlock: Dungeons and Dragons2:27:55 - Control Resonant2:35:28 - Gang of Dragon2:41:22 - Street Fighter movie2:45:11 - Lego Batman2:47:39 - Tomb Raider2:56:09 - Saros2:58:32 - NO LAW3:03:56 - DMC Season 23:04:20 - Ace Combat 83:06:40 - Star Wars: Galactic Racer3:07:37 - Out of Words3:10:33 - Phantom Blade 03:12:02 - Mega Man: Dual Override3:20:41 - Highguard3:34:27 - PlayStation Wrap-Up 20253:52:14 - PlayStation 20264:02:32 - Can we thank Flight Sim for Xbox on PlayStation4:09:26 - Deviation's cancelled game has leaked4:24:06 - Ex-London Studio's game reemerges4:35:37 - Maybe Call of Duty isn't doing so great?4:54:32 - Capcom wants to grow their smaller IPs4:58:08 - New PS+ games5:02:35 - What We’ve Been Playing (Metal Eden, Dying Light: The Beast, Skate Story, Marvel Cosmic Invasion, Metroid Prime 4, YARG)5:32:21 - Rise of actors in games5:42:19 - Would Chris and Dustin play sports games?5:50:22 - PlayStation making a Football Manager game5:56:27 - Is WB games "worthless”?6:04:28 - $1 Million for a Game Awards trailer6:09:14 - Refunding Game Pass Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When it comes to the evolving gaming market, there's a lot for Sony to keep an eye on in the years and decades to come. To keep PlayStation the vibrant brand it is today, the company needs to spread the field, and two newly-announced projects -- an all-new co-op multiplayer game from the director of Left 4 Dead and a mobile port of mega-popular baseball franchise MLB: The Show -- fit the bill nicely. It's true that Sony has had more than its fair share of false starts (and even outright failures) in both the mobile and games-as-a-service space. Yet, there's gold in them there hills. Lots of it. Can Sony finally slay some off-platform and off-genre demons and reap some rewards? We discuss. Plus: Nixxes helps reduce Helldivers 2's PC file size by an astounding 85%, Bungie has apparently solved its dispute with the artist it purportedly stole Marathon-related art from, Shovel Knight developer Yacht Club Games finds itself in self-inflicted financial duress, Amazon has already renewed the God of War TV show for a second season, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Has leaking culture gone too far? Will Micron's exit from the consumer RAM business affect console manufacturing? How can people find likeminded gaming friends online? Can we please do away with adult gift-giving once and for all? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:52:36 - Juices flowing0:54:56 - YouTube Recap1:08:13 - Colin dying1:11:02 - Switching to no presents1:21:02 - PlayStation partners with Bad Robot1:35:15 - The Show: Mobile releases1:46:06 - Helldivers 2 PC install sized down1:53:26 - Helldivers 2 movie has a director2:03:31 - Amazon orders two seasons of God of War2:08:14 - Bungie settles with artist over stolen art2:11:45 - Yacht Club Games may be in trouble2:27:26 - Saudi PIF will own 93.4% of EA2:31:22 - IO confirms Hitman 42:36:53 - Splinter Cell Remake director returns2:40:15 - Tomba 2 gets a release date2:43:10 - November's top PSN downloads2:45:16 - What We’re Playing (Ball x Pit, Metal. Eden, TMNT: Cowabunga Collection, Metal Gear Solid Delta, Red Dead Redemption)3:09:22 - Arc Raiders introduces gamers to socializing3:25:28 - Games that age well3:31:54 - Disdain for leakers3:41:44 - Micron leaves the consumer market3:49:29 - Meeting new people to play games3:56:53 - Can criticism go too far? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Two months ago, a now-fired Sucker Punch developer lost her job due to an ill-timed social media post, and she's been fairly quiet ever since, at least until now. In a new article, artist Drew Harrison talks about what befell her, but -- truth be told -- she seems to have missed the biggest part of her own story: How much she could have (and did) harm the hundreds of other people that worked for years on Ghost of Yotei, only to disrupt the entire marketing roll-out of the game on the precipice of its hyped release. Let's revisit the situation with new context and insights, and see if we can make sense of whether her dismissal was fair, unfair, or perhaps just the product of the environment many industry professionals gleefully cheered on when the shoe was on the other foot. Plus: Death Stranding 2 gets an ESRB rating for a PC release, PlayStation 3 emulation is actively being worked on outside of Sony's walls, Stellar Blade 2 is abandoning PlayStation as its publishing partner, RAM price spikes threaten the future of console pricing, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Did Sony's recent update to PlayStation Portal ruin the functionality of the PS button? What happened to the so-called "One Sony" initiative? Could an ex-Housemarque developer's new game spark a renewed love for arcade-style romps? What's the latest on the misadventures of an entity called Young Colin? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:32:10 - Pursuing your dream0:44:04 - Walking inspiration0:49:29 - Young Colin0:52:29 - Black Friday memories1:04:24 - Colin’s Intergalactic drama1:17:41 - Fired Sucker Punch employee speaks out1:43:21 - Death Stranding 2 PC release leaked1:47:39 - New info on PlayStation emulation from MysticRyan2:00:30 - Sony's PC releases are declining2:04:33 - Stellar Blade 2 will be multiplatform2:13:22 - Is PS5 safe from RAM price increases?2:26:16 - New Marathon closed beta2:37:04 - December PS+ games2:43:23 - Splitgate 2 returns in December2:45:38 - Far Cry is getting a TV show2:49:42 - What We’ve Been Playing3:08:52 - Shoutout to Sektori3:11:59 - Portal for Christmas3:14:57 - Portal's PS button change3:17:41 - What happened to One Sony?3:25:03 - Why drives the love for retro games?3:37:14 - PSA on getting your partner into games Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Last year, Sony launched it's service-based third-person shooter Concord, and it bombed worse than virtually any PlayStation-developed title in history. In fact, it was received so poorly that Sony disappeared it off the market in a matter of two weeks, gave everyone their money back, and snuffed the entire project out of existence while closing the studio that made it. Fast-forward more than a year, though, and Concord has kinda-sorta returned. Tech-savvy enthusiasts have revived the game on private servers, but Sony has already caught wind of it all and are working to nip it in the bud. Do we really need Concord to return? Why does Sony care if it does? And why do smart people work so diligently on things they don't own or have control over? Plus: Black Friday will be exceptionally nice for those looking for PlayStation hardware, accessories, and games, Sony dominates The Game Awards nominations with 19, Bungie prods its playerbase for ideas on how to improve Destiny 2, EA's F1 series is taking a year hiatus, possibly indicating the future of EA Sports, Peacock renews Twisted Metal for a third season, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Do we keep the physical boxes for our gaming hardware? Would Sony ever revive The Legend of Dragoon? How does one navigate gaming's ragebait culture? Out of all of our many choices, which type of French Fry is the absolute best? Take advantage of Ridge’s Biggest Sale of the Year and GET UP TO 47% Off by going to https://www.Ridge.com/SACRED #Ridgepod Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:23:07 - Stay well Will0:29:30 - Is Colin an actual curmudgeon?0:36:30 - Best French Fries0:46:01 - Thanksgiving plans1:04:16 - PlayStation Black Friday1:09:18 - Game Awards nominations1:36:53 - Concord returns and dies again1:46:08 - Horizon surpasses 40 million copies sold1:54:16 - Major changes coming to Destiny 22:06:29 - EA is changing up F12:16:00 - Nintendo inspired PlayStation to cut prices in Japan2:22:35 - Ghost of Yotei NG+ update2:26:48 - Twisted Metal renewed for S32:27:33 - Bandai Namco is remastering Tales of Berseria2:31:39 - Circana October data2:37:07 - What We’re Playing (PowerWash Simulator 2, Silent Hill F, Ball x Pit, Elden Ring, Vampire The Masquerade Bloodlines 2, Metal Gear Solid 3: Delta, Black Ops 7)3:23:20 - Rage bait culture3:42:00 - When will it be time to move away from consoles?3:54:42 - Where is Legend of Dragoon?3:57:19 - When gaming feels like it isn't for you anymore4:06:11 - Saving gaming packaging4:15:16 - Half-Life 3? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

PlayStation 5 has officially turned five, giving us much to reflect upon. Has the console lived up to its potential, left folks disappointed, or fallen somewhere in between? We get into that -- alongside new Sony financials that paint an admittedly rosy picture -- before getting into the meat of our show. Two new Sony-aligned games have been revealed, but they've left many potential players puzzled, as neither offering is actually on PlayStation hardware. For starters, NCSoft's long-rumored Horizon MMO is real. It's called Steel Frontiers and it actually looks really nice. But it's only on PC and mobile. Meanwhile, a new Ratchet & Clank game has also been showcased, an online arena shooter called Ranger Rumble. But it too eschews PS5 and PS4, instead going straight to mobile platforms only. What gives? Why does Sony seem half-in on these off-platform initiatives, all the while neglecting their core audience that could give these respective titles the boost they need? Is it time for them to break old habits and embrace a more cogent multiplatform direction that centers PlayStation first and foremost? Plus: Sony's new 27" gaming monitor has people intrigued, Marvel Tokon: Fighting Spirits is getting another closed test, Elden Ring: Nightreign is receiving some much-needed DLC, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! What do we think of Valve's new Steam Machine PC-console hybrid? In any given game's menus, where should subtitle options be nestled: General, Audio, or Graphics? Does ARC Raiders success potentially benefit Marathon? Is Dustin wielding his power over Brad in unsavory ways? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:28:20 - Keep your head up Cam0:33:46 - Is this marriage destined for failure?0:38:06 - Depressed?0:46:26 - LSM power dynamics0:53:35 - Ubisoft halts trading0:57:08 - PlayStation 5 turns 51:13:41 - Red Dead Redemption is coming to PS51:16:41 - Horizon: Steel Frontiers revealed1:34:24 - Ratchet & Clank: Ranger Rumble comes to mobile1:52:17 - Sony Q2 financials2:14:31 - New PlayStation PC monitor2:23:34 - Cheaper PS5 coming to Japan2:28:15 - New Marvel Tokon beta2:31:17 - New Elden Ring: Nightreign expansion2:33:52 - Todd Howard interview2:37:27 - Mass Effect is still in development2:37:56 - New PS+ game catalog games2:41:21 - What We’ve Been Playing (Ghost of Yotei, PowerWash Simulator 2, Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted, Arc Raiders, Lumines Arise, Dispatch)3:00:54 - Valve's new hardware3:29:09 - Will Sony change their PC strategy?3:34:44 - Gran Turismo 73:44:04 - Where should the subtitles option go?3:46:53 - Will Marathon benefit from Arc Raiders?3:58:46 - Eurogamer’s 2/5 review of Arc Raiders Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For those with specific use cases, the PlayStation Portal has always been awesome. But Sony has been quietly bolstering the device over the last two years, and with its newest update, it's become more powerful than ever. Those with a PS+ Essential subscription can now purchase and stream nearly 3,000 games directly to the device without any sort of console tether, a major step-up for a peripheral once reliant on PS5. What's it all mean for the future of PlayStation? We discuss! Plus: New cross-buy tags on PSN indicate Sony is preparing some sort of PC launcher, dynamic pricing on the PlayStation Store has some customers in a tizzy, Dan Houser spills the beans on Rockstar's cancelled PS3-exclusive spy thriller Agent, Marvel looks to stick with Sony-owned Insomniac for a long time to come, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Does Colin have any reflections on GameFAQs as it turns 30? What constitutes a good in-game map? How has our gaming behavior changed over the years? Who's most likely to want to blow into the DualSense microphone to light fires in Ghost of Yotei, even if they don't have to? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:19:05 - Coffee Swamp0:21:55 - Sacred Sighting at Cedar Point0:29:58 - YouTube Premium is great0:36:54 - Tanvi0:38:40 - Alucard0:45:33 - Reesees0:47:28 - GTA VI delayed again0:51:18 - PlayStation Cloud streaming leave beta1:09:20 - "Cross-Buy" appears on PSN1:30:50 - PlayStation plays around with dynamic pricing1:46:45 - Dan Houser on Lex Fridman1:58:06 - Marvel will continue to work in Insomniac2:16:44 - Top PSN games in October2:25:20 - Physical games are 100x worse for the environment2:33:55 - What We’re Playing3:05:11 - What advancements do we want to see in games?3:17:04 - The shift to quick hit games3:27:20 - GameFAQs turns 303:33:54 - Blowing into the controller3:37:37 - Good video game maps3:41:56 - Genre preference changes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

An old piece of games industry lore has recently reemerged, and it has people wondering about a tantalizing what-if. Back in 1999, The Matrix hit theaters, and the co-creators of the film happened to have been huge fans of Hideo Kojima, himself a year removed from the launch of Metal Gear Solid. And, as was reported at the time, there was potential that Konami would allow Kojima to pursue a licensed Matrix game post-MGS. A lot of new information has since emerged about what did and didn't happen here, and it makes for a great conversation starter. So let's lean into it, shall we? Our conclusion: Perhaps Kojima doing MGS2 instead of a Matrix game means he likely dodged a bullet (pardon the pun). Other news this week includes some quiet updates seemingly being made to PlayStation Portal's functionality, leaks from Bluepoint's cancelled God of War game, the most recent China Hero Project title in the form of Loulan: The Cursed Sand, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Following Freedom Wars, Patapon, and Everybody's Golf, what should Sony's and Bandai Namco's next collaborative re-release be? Do PC players have any reason to invest in the modern PlayStation ecosystem? Will the culture war consume Naughty Dog's Intergalactic? Does Colin type so fast that his keyboard smokes? Download Cash App Today: https://capl.onelink.me/vFut/ty57yree #CashAppPod. Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. See terms and conditions at https://cash.app/legal/us/en-us/card-agreement. Discounts and promotions provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit http://cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:43:10 - RIP Nick Mangold0:44:13 - stand down non-traditional candy0:50:45 - Chris wills glass Snapple back0:55:36 - New York location lore0:59:19 - PS+ Premium streaming to Portal leaked1:12:23 - Bluepoint's cancelled God of War game leaks1:22:33 - Sony isn't interested in buying WB1:30:51 - Konami turned down a Kojima Matrix game1:48:20 - Loulan: The Cursed Sand is the next China Hero Project game1:58:19 - Square Enix is cracking down on Dragon Quest spoilers2:11:02 - November PS+ Games2:13:51 - What We’ve Been Playing (Ghost of Yotei, PowerWash Simulator 2, Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted, Battlefield 6, Vampire Survivors)2:41:13 - What Japan Studio game will get released by Bandai Namco?2:45:10 - Halo and the US government2:54:17 - Gaming ads on Sacred3:11:04 - Wait for PS6?3:20:24 - The console war lives in on services3:38:25 - Is Intergalactic the next target? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With Xbox's famous ringworld officially arriving on PlayStation 5 in 2026, we can rest assured that Sony's longtime rival has finally conceded the console space for good. Halo: Campaign Evolved -- clever! -- is a ground-up remake of the smash-hit 2001 Xbox launch title, and it comes with some new bells and whistles, including fresh content and a four-player online-enabled campaign. Microsoft even trotted Halo's community manager out in a PlayStation shirt, promised all upcoming Halo content is Sony-bound, and yielded perhaps their last meaningful franchise to the competition. This gives us much to discuss! Plus: Helldivers 2 dev Arrowhead begins work on its next project, Horizon's live-action movie is slated to film next year and launch in '27, Resident Evil 0 Remake rumors are percolating, we may be waiting a while longer for Starfield's PS5 debut, Electronic Arts scores a renewed deal with the NFL to continue the Madden franchise, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Why does anyone care about Photo Mode? What's our dream PowerWash Simulator 2 DLC? Is it okay to play a game without delving into its greater meaning and themes? Will Chris ever return from New York? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:42:57 - RIP Sam Rivers0:44:41 - buttrock and rap metal0:54:36 - Couple vs few0:58:55 - Keep on keeping on Thomas1:03:48 - PSN Profiles issuers?1:12:16 - Halo is coming to PS51:54:28 - Arrowhead is hiring for a new game?2:01:24 - Updates on the Horizon film2:09:25 - Resident Evil 0 remake rumors2:14:37 - Starfield announcement for PS5 next year2:23:12 - EA NFL renewal2:28:25 - Ex-AC lead claims he didn't step down2:33:46 - Remedy CEO steps down2:37:22 - New sales data3:07:02 - What We’re Playing (Ghost of Yotei, Ninja Gaiden 4, Ball x Pit)3:21:03 - How's our media literacy?3:29:03 - Dream DLC for Power Wash Simulator?3:32:17 - Updates with trophies3:36:11 - Photo mode is free marketing?3:40:06 - Sony's PC strategy with Xbox's PC push3:45:59 - Soundbar recommendations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Time sure is moving, but has a sufficient amount of it passed for us to start considering the next generation of PlayStation console? According to two reliable leakers, the answer is yes: Sony is very much aiming to get PS6 out in 2027. This makes sense by historical standards -- seven years between consoles is fairly normal, if not even a little slow -- but it really doesn't feel like we need this thing. Or do we? By 2027, who knows what our ecosystem might look like. Let's discuss! Plus: Legendary Tecmo director and producer Tomonobu Itagakai has sadly passed away, Sony-owned studio Bluepoint is hiring for a mysterious third-person action project, San Diego Studio appears primed to finally bring its smash-hit MLB: The Show series to PC, Ghost of Yotei is selling at parity with Ghost of Tsushima, we could have very easily gotten a mobile The Last of Us game, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Do we like to partake in New Game+, when applicable? With Xbox's displacement as a hardware competitor, is Sony and Nintendo's long-standing rivalry primed to be reignited? Why don't we talk more about the fighting scene? Will Dustin regale us with some of his Japanese language skills? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:38:55 - Shoutout Saxon0:43:38 - Eloping in Vegas0:54:26 - Dagster check in?0:55:44 - 今週何個の瓶を埋めたか教えてください0:57:31 - RIP Tomonobu Itagaki1:07:17 - PlayStation 6 in 20271:44:10 - Bluepoint hiring for a 3rd person melee action game1:53:40 - Ghost of Yotei sales similar to Tsushima , Suckerpunch can only do one game at a time2:05:41 - MLB: The Show coming to PC?2:12:13 - Tencent pitched a mobile Last of Us2:24:34 - PSVR2 controller for sale2:32:23 - Fans revive ModNation Racers2:36:49 - Quantic Dream reveals multiplayer game2:48:20 - Remedy's FBC Firebreak is in the red2:57:15 - Build A Rocket Boy in trouble3:01:13 - New PS+ games3:08:23 - What We’re Playing (Ghost of Tsushima, Ghost of Yotei, Battlefield 6, Lumines Arise)3:53:35 - Why is New Game+ late?3:58:58 - Why isn't Nintendo competition?4:06:34 - Video game betting4:14:01 - What do we want from a PlayStation handheld?4:19:03 - Why aren't we into fighting games? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you're a regular purchaser of games, you're a stark minority within the very industry you know and love. We've known all about the revenue-related trends directing games as of late, but recent data indicates things are far more dire than they seem, particularly if you're a single player purist. For instance, a third of gaming consumers purchase less than one game a year; 12% buy one game a year; 18% buy two games a year. Only 14% of players buy at least one game a month! Yet, there's more money flowing than ever. Like, lots more. What gives? A migration of customers and their habits, of course! We discuss. Other news this week includes a brief Mark Cerny video celebrating Sony's collaboration with AMD for PlayStation 6, the reemergence of Marathon with invites to an NDA'd closed test, the bluest DualSense controller you could possibly imagine, rumors of a cancelled Reconstruction-era Assassin's Creed, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Could Sony be on the precipice of adding to its family of first party studios? Is there a potential unfilled niche for medical-themed titles? Does PlayStation need to spin-up a new loyalty program? Forget about your favorite color. What's your favorite shape? Download the PrizePicks app and use code SACRED to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:37:16 - Strange places to listen to Sacred0:41:27 - Ben Debate0:52:43 - Favorite shape0:58:31 - Mark Cerny appears!1:09:26 - New player purchasing data1:29:11 - New Marathon technical test coming1:49:59 - New early PlayStation lore1:58:37 - New blue Dualsense2:03:38 - PlayStation Concert cancelled2:10:25 - Cancelled Assassin's creed leaked2:33:10 - Expedition 33 sells over 5 million, new content coming2:35:40 - New Circana data2:43:33 - Top PSN downloads2:47:34 - PowerWash Simulator 2 release date and Mina the Hollower delayed2:54:28 - What We’re Playing (Ghost of Tsushima, Ghost of Yotei, Baby Steps, Mario Galaxy)3:27:58 - SIE and Sword of the Sea?3:31:39 - Will Rockstar innovate gameplay in GTA VI3:37:38 - What's the end point of live service?3:42:44 - What do "fans" want?3:55:38 - PlayStation Stars still floating around3:59:19 - Where are the medical games? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

All anyone wants to talk about right now is Electronic Arts, and reasonably so. The American publishing titan is on the verge of being purchased by external interests for $55 billion, and when we say external, we mean it. The major player in reverting EA to a private corporation is Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, muddying this already complex deal that also happens to be the largest leveraged buyout in human history. Perhaps not surprisingly, this gives us much to pontificate on. Other news this week includes rumblings of a DualSense revision with a removable battery, the very real potential that a Prototype remaster is imminent, the wisdom (or perhaps lack thereof) in Forza Horizon 6 skipping PlayStation 5 at launch, and more. We then get into listener inquiries to wrap up the show, as we always do. What are our thoughts on Xbox's staggering Game Pass price hike? How do we feel about Magic: The Gathering's stylish new collaboration with PlayStation? Is Destiny officially on death's door? Will Dustin have a coffee named after him at a cafe in Texas? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:27:35 - Sacred Sweaters! Preorder starts Monday!0:30:44 - Sacred Coffee specials0:38:06 - Salary for a henchman0:44:03 - EA sells to a consortium for $55 billion1:31:33 - Is Sony a "terrible company"?1:46:24 - New DualSense revision1:53:25 - Revisions to the PS5 Slim1:54:51 - Prototype remaster incoming?2:05:22 - Forza Horizon 6 is coming to PS5, but delayed2:14:03 - Ubisoft and Tecent's collaboration is called Vantage Studios2:17:13 - What We’re Playing (Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut, Puzzle Quest: Immortal Edition, BioShock 2, Baby Steps, Silent Hill f, Megabonk)2:46:17 - Xbox's price hike3:23:32 - What's next for Halo?3:40:36 - Direct sequels or spiritual successors3:47:29 - Sony/Magic the Gathering3:57:56 - Is Destiny 2 dead?4:04:54 - Series prime for AA sequels Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The "where are the games?!" crowd is having a bad week, because PlayStation's most recent State of Play showed that plenty is indeed incoming for your PS5. For starters, Insomniac's long-dormant Wolverine has reemerged. Revealed four years ago and having clearly gone through some tribulations behind-the-scenes, Wolverine is slated for PlayStation 5 next fall, and it looks violent and grisly in all the right ways. Coming sooner from first party, however, is Housemarque's Returnal sequel Saros, launching in March of '26. It looks awesome, and we're to get back to shootin'. But as if these two games didn't give us enough to talk about, there's more: Microsoft Flight Simulator is the next Xbox-aligned game PS5-bound (with Forza Horizon 6 somewhere behind it), the original Deus Ex is getting the remaster treatment, a God of War DualSense has been revealed in recognition of the franchise's 20th anniversary, Kojima both revealed a Physint poster and showed off his new horror title OD, and much more. Then: Listener inquiries! What's going on with the PS5 Pro's many technical issues? Will NetEase's F2P game Ananta be as insane as it seems? Why do we have such a problem with the premise of licensed games? Is Boar's Head's fine deli meat becoming too expensive for the average consumer? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:21:17 - Sony mascots owning a gentlemen's club0:26:19 - Boar's Head prices0:32:22 - Colin in wedding vows0:34:04 - Ghost of Yotei hype low?0:40:21 - State of Play - Wolverine1:05:31 - Saros1:16:39 - Microsoft Flight Simulator 20241:31:35 - PlayStation Pulse elevate speakers1:39:34 - Smaller SoP announcements2:11:18 - Kojima announcements2:29:25 - Forza Horizon 6 announced, coming to PS52:32:57 - PlayStation Franchise Rewards2:40:27 - Metal Gear Solid Collection Vol 22:46:46 - Yakuza announcements2:48:24 - A new Mafia game has been greenlit2:50:04 - New player habits data from Ampere Analysis2:51:48 - What We’ve Been Playing (Cronos: The New Dawn, Puzzle Quest: Immortal Edition, Baby Steps, Borderlands 4, Hitman 1-3, Silent Hill f)3:23:52 - Current feelings on PS5 Pro3:36:00 - Ananta copying Spider-man, GTA etc3:44:24 - Negative outlook on licensed games4:00:09 - Best gamer at LSM4:07:37 - Top 5 genres Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The internet is alight with word that a State of Play (or perhaps even a proper so-called Showcase) is right around the corner, and with it the purported reemergence of Insomniac's Wolverine, first revealed way back in 2021 alongside Spider-Man 2 (which itself came out two years ago). Is our clawed, self-healing, and somewhat short friend about to reemerge from the shadows, perhaps with a 2026 release on PlayStation 5 in tow? We're about to find out, along with -- perhaps! -- confirmation of a Venom title, too (and presumably much more). Plus: Ghost of Yotei and Helldivers 2 find themselves sucked into recent social events, Tencent hits back at Sony over its Horizon-based lawsuit, Borderlands 4 is a technical mess for many (and Randy Pitchford won't shut up about it), Hell Is Us' director calls Silksong's surprise release "callous," and so much more. Then: Listener inquiries! Would we ever attempt something as challenging as a company Top 100 Games of All-Time list? What are some potential launch games for PlayStation 6? How does one display their physical games collection when there isn't enough room for all of it? Is Dustin about to move into the poorhouse? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:19:41 - Following up on last week0:33:18 - Sacred Mad Libs0:43:44 - Result of mad libs0:49:34 - Dustin's YouTube channel1:01:12 - This Week's Situation1:10:51 - Is or Are1:13:38 - Sony PR is having a bad time1:44:13 - Insomniac rumors1:58:25 - Tencent responds to Sony's lawsuit2:06:15 - Borderlands performance issues2:23:18 - Hell is Us director comments on SIlksong2:34:51 - Sega leaks Kiwami 32:38:13 - AC Black Flag remake is coming2:46:40 - Dragon Quest VII Reimagined announced2:54:41 - Mega Man Star Force collection3:04:22 - TV adaptations drive sales3:18:23 - Flight Simulator coming to PlayStation?3:22:36 - What We’re Playing (Cronos: The New Dawn, Everybody’s Golf: Hot Shots, Skate, Borderlands 4, Hell is Us)3:56:47 - 100 greatest video games of all time4:04:29 - PS6 cartridge based?4:08:18 - PS6 launch titles4:19:09 - Ninja Gaiden Ragebound enemies4:21:42 - Managing a physical game collection Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Name any random PlayStation IP from the days of yore, and people will claim to want it back. One such franchise is Sucker Punch's long-dormant Sly Cooper trilogy, the third game of which is now 20 years old. (And yes, we got a fourth Sly game from Sanzaru in 2013, but it's not like many of you played it.) A recent interview indicates there are very few people at Sony's Washington-based studio interested in returning to the Thievius Raccoonus, and perhaps for good reason. After all, they want to sell actual units. We discuss! Plus: New PlayStation 6 rumors percolate in the wild, Bend is apparently hiring for a multiplayer title, precious details about Naughty Dog's Intergalactic emerge, and deep sales information has been released about PlayStation's historic software sales here in the US over the last 30 years. Then: Listener inquiries! Will the Hollow Knight: Silksong pricing drama ever end? Should Media Molecule invest in the 'cozy game' revolution? Is Marathon even worth being excited over at all? Can we help ingratiate the younger generation into the psychosis of Sacred Symbols? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:10:39 - Addressing recent events1:10:54 - End of political conversation1:25:01 - Happy Birthday Lily1:28:12 - Shout out Jessica1:29:49 - Dustin and Chris contributing to the show notes1:37:22 - PlayStation Family App1:41:00 - PS6 will still have a disk drive1:50:59 - Sucker Punch doesn't want to make a new Sly Cooper game2:06:43 - Bend is hiring a creative director and looking for multiplayer experience2:13:01 - New Intergalactic info2:19:54 - Wolfenstein third game teased?2:26:05 - Best selling PlayStation games since 19952:39:45 - PSN downloads for August 20252:41:43 - New PS+ Extra games2:45:33 - What Are We Playing? (RoboCop: Rogue City Everybody’s Golf: Hot Shots Hell is Us, MGS Delta, Silksong, The Finals)3:21:04 - Portal charging dock3:26:50 - Is Marathon worth being excited for?3:30:40 - How can Media Molecule turn things around?3:34:20 - SIlksong's $20 price point3:46:23 - Dan Houser's future3:52:02 - PlayStation embracing timed exclusivity Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

While Ghost of Yotei has gone gold and is now right around the corner, other segments of PlayStation Studios are on far less sturdy ground. Fairgames (or Fairgame$, if you like marketing) is seemingly the latest victim of an unprecedented run of bad decision-making, execution, and leadership within Sony's first party, as the upcoming shooter has shed its director, often (though not always) a dire sign for any project. Taken with recent reports (from this very show) of poor internal playtesting -- all the while Haven has already shed its major front-facing face and co-founder Jade Raymond -- we simply have to wonder whether Fairgames will ever launch at all. And if it does, does it have any potential to succeed whatsoever? Other news this week includes the rumored reemergence of Insomniac's Wolverine project, downward-revised SSD space for upcoming PS5 consoles, a fresh look at the promising Uncharted-like IO title 007: First Light, and much more. Then: Listener inquiries! Does Naughty Dog actually represent the pinnacle of game dev? How much can people twist themselves into a knot to justify piracy? What kind of pressure are studios and publishers under to adopt AI solutions? Will "Alleghany Hogs" catch on around the world? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:32:42 - Shoutout Preston0:40:47 - "Please clean up after your dog"0:52:10 - Let em oink0:54:16 - Chronos helmet = penis?0:55:36 - MGS3 correction0:56:34 - Ghost of Yotei goes gold1:03:22 - Fairgames creative director leave Haven1:28:24 - Wolverine rumors1:47:23 - PS5 reducing storage space on new units2:02:18 - 007 First Light gameplay revealed2:14:27 - IO may not publish an external game again after MindsEye2:19:13 - Hollow Knight SIlksong is only $202:27:57 - Capcom president says consoles are too becoming too expensive2:34:55 - Pragmata is not a Mega Man game2:37:01 - More games coming to PS42:44:57 - New live-action Tomb Raider2:47:04 - What We’re Playing3:29:04 - Emulating new games3:44:41 - Why is Naughty Dog one of the best?3:53:42 - Call of Duty changing course on skins?4:00:24 - World's first platinum4:04:38 - Sony's pressure to integrate AI4:09:31 - Grading the show at the end Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

New leaks from friend-of-the-show MLiD have given us a deeper glimpse into Sony's plans for PlayStation 6, especially when it comes to the rumored handheld iteration, codenamed Canis. It appears this device -- slated as part of a potential trio of PS6 hardware due out in '27 -- will be affordable, powerful, and perhaps most surprisingly dockable. With all first party competitors now occupying space (Nintendo, Valve) or chasing a presence (Sony, Microsoft) in the handheld realm, it seems like things could get very spicy on multiple fronts. Allow us to discuss in minute detail. Plus: Hermen Hulst gives a rare interview, Ken Levine emerges with hot-off-the-presses details about Judas, Sony reveals its first four incubated products in the MENA Hero Project, it'll now be easier to request a refund on PSN, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Some 14 years after release, what are our thoughts on Catherine? Could a major Xbox announcement be lurking in Sony's reported September showcase? How does Hello Games and No Man's Sky survive by giving so much away for free? Is Where's Waldo nothing more than an unconvincing psy-op? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:29:02 - Metal Gear Solid Delta poster0:34:47 - Benji!0:36:27 - Allegheny Hogs0:42:00 - Washing your legs0:54:33 - Waldo0:58:16 - Ghost of Yotei console preorder September 4th1:00:34 - PlayStation 6 Portable leaks1:27:50 - Hermen Hulst interview1:59:33 - New Judas info2:14:26 - New MENA Hero project games2:29:11 - Forza Horizon 6 could be in Japan2:33:12 - New PSN refund system2:39:22 - Skate early access release date2:43:15 - July 2025 Circana data2:49:37 - New PS+ Essential games2:54:35 - What We’re Playing3:40:59 - Thoughts on Catherine3:49:24 - Is Intergalactic a soulslike?3:54:12 - Will Xbox announce a game at a Sony event?3:58:41 - Are remakes creatively bankrupt4:08:42 - No Man's Sky keeps going4:16:05 - Do podcasts hosts need to be experts? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For prospective PlayStation 5 owners, America's new tariff regime has struck at a most inopportune time. Having carved through their backfill of PS5 units in America, and seemingly moving at least some of the console's manufacturing process out of China, Sony still has to foot the bill to import the machine. A $50 increase across the board -- on standard and Pro units alike -- has led to much consternation. What do we think about the whole situation? Beware: It's impossible to talk about this issue sans politics. Plus: Hollow Knight: Silksong gets a surprise release date in literally two weeks, storied 'closer' Rod Fergusson joins Cloud Chamber to help ship the beleaguered fourth BioShock, Triangle Strategy randomly launches on PS5 (but not PS4) three years after its Switch debut, long-time studio lead Pete Parsons leaves Bungie after more than 20 years, PS3 JRPG Tales of Xillia is finally being remastered, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Is there a desire for more modern and grounded military shooters? Should Guerrilla abandon Aloy as Horizon's protagonist? What's our hype level (if any) for Borderlands 4? Is Dustin's hometown well and truly haunted? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:31:02 - Is Last Stand in trouble?0:50:48 - Car totaled while listening to Sacred0:53:46 - Our relationship with comments1:13:53 - PS5 price increase2:16:15 - Silksong release date2:30:21 - Gamescom announcements2:41:04 - Ghost of Yotei is getting a Legends mode2:47:44 - Helldivers 2 x ODST2:54:24 - Rod Fergusson is moving to Cloud Chamber to save Bioshock 43:09:49 - Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 launches November 14th3:17:18 - Triangle Strategy is out on PSN3:21:10 - Tales of Xillia Remastered launches in October3:27:34 - Callisto Protocol sold 6-7 million copies3:28:26 - Sony unloads EVO shares to a subsidiary3:29:54 - Bungie leadership change3:38:13 - What We’ve Been Playing (Doom: The Dark Ages, MindsEye, Mafia: The Old Country, Battlefield 6, Indika)4:10:16 - Is the podcast parasocial relationship unhealthy?4:17:20 - Is FPS culture shifting?4:23:14 - Hype level for Borderlands 44:28:29 - Killing Aloy4:32:55 - Spouses interrupting game time4:38:06 - Colin doesn't play driving games because he doesn't drive Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sony is a many-tendrilled corporation, which can be both a blessing and a curse. But in fully leveraging all that the wider company does well, it seems they're closer than ever to achieving the "One Sony" goal from years and decades past. Enter Physint (sometimes typed PHYSINT, for some reason), a Hideo Kojima-led project revealed last year as a mysterious cross-pollination between PlayStation and Sony Pictures, one that appears to go into a distinctly Metal Gear Solid-like direction. With Death Stranding 2 now in the past, Kojima is confirmed to be working on Physint itself, presumably for PlayStation 6, which raises some questions, like: What will the game be like? When will it come out? Will it be a commercial success? We know so little about it, and yet, that's never stopped us before, so why start now? Plus: Arrowhead rather blatantly teases a Helldivers 2/Halo crossover, Strauss Zelnick expresses confidence in GTA6's Spring '26 release window and promises that BioShock 4 will indeed launch one day, rumors percolate about upcoming Resident Evil remakes, Crimson Desert gets delayed, PUBG is the next game to reveal it's leaving PlayStation 4 behind, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! What's the best stoner game? Are people overreacting to recent PlayStation executives' chatter about moving away from hardware? Is Danganronpa actually bad? Did we actually (and unintentionally) get someone fired from their job? Download Cash App Today: https://capl.onelink.me/vFut/ty57yree #CashAppPod. As a Cash App partner, Imay earn a commission when you sign up for a Cash App account. Cash App is a financial servicesplatform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cardsissued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. Visit cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures. Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:22:21 - Tarman joke gone too far?0:25:33 - Sacred episode titles0:36:20 - Ranking autistic fanbases0:42:04 - Who gets the worst taxes?0:50:29 - Starting a business tips0:53:47 - Kojima has started working on Physint... alone1:09:39 - Light of Motiram makes some big changes1:17:25 - Helldivers 2 x Halo?1:28:09 - Strauss Zelnick is confident in GTA VI's release date1:41:14 - Is Code Veronica and RE Zero the next remakes from Capcom?1:46:09 - New Resident Evil movie1:55:24 - Crimson Desert delayed to 20262:03:49 - PUBG is leaving PS4 behind2:07:23 - New PS Plus games2:14:51 - July PSN Sales charts2:31:36 - Control sells five million copies2:38:45 - Far Cry TV show2:47:52 - What We’re Playing (Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, Doom: The Dark Ages, MindsEye, Battlefield 6 Beta, Hell is Us Demo)3:35:44 - Raging at Danganronpa3:39:15 - Can Dollman shut up?3:43:30 - Good stoner games3:47:19 - Genie 3 making games3:55:29 - Nu Metal is back?4:03:08 - Is Sony moving away from hardware? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If Sony's recent fiscal report shows anything, it's that PlayStation is turning into a bona fide money printer. Yes, PS5 has surpassed 80 million units sold, and that in and of itself is a substantial figure. But the more interesting numbers reside in the financials, where the brand netted more in profit in a single three month period than it did for much of entire previous generations. That's completely insane. So let's discuss PlayStation's meteoric growth, what it means, and how Sony may be doing all of this with one arm tied behind its back. Plus: Media Molecule loses its final founding member, the new BioShock game is in trouble, Lost Soul Aside goes gold, Starfield is rumored to be PS5-bound in 2026, Darksiders 4 gets announced, Silent Hill F brings the franchise into an action-oriented direction, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Is PlayStation Plus fundamentally underrated? Could Battlefield 6 outsell Call of Duty: Black Ops 7? Are we on the verge of having to verify our identity on PSN? Will Colin travel to a nearby town to try and find life-sized box art of the old game X-Blades? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:27:20 - Derek <30:30:16 - Keep on, keeping on Luke0:37:24 - Grace’s first platinum0:41:28 - This is Tarman0:43:45 - SouthPeak Games0:45:52 - Is the opening of the show too out of hand?0:48:55 - Ghost of Yotei film festival1:01:40 - Sony financials1:37:35 - Media Molecule's last co-founder leaves1:50:39 - New Bioshock is in trouble2:08:32 - Lost Souls Aside has gone gold2:12:36 - Will Exiledge be a hit?2:17:30 - Starfield on PS5 rumors continue2:23:53 - Darksiders 4 announced2:28:01 - Silent Hill F is action focused2:35:47 - Red Octane is making a new rhythm game2:43:58 - Genshin Impact removes PS4 support2:51:23 - New Pragmata gameplay2:52:49 - Marvel Tokon beta2:56:36 - What We Are Playing? (Death Stranding 2, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, Deus Ex: The Conspiracy, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Luto, Delta Rune)3:34:07 - What is going on with the Steam payment processor story?3:40:38 - PlayStation Plus is also a great deal3:47:08 - Is it Battlefield's time?3:53:02 - Why are reviews so long?4:04:15 - Why don't game support couch co-op?4:11:40 - ID verification in games Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Earlier this year, Chinese publisher Tencent revealed a new project so shameless that it belies belief. It's called Light of Motiram, and it's no exaggeration to say that it's a pound-for-pound carbon copy of PlayStation's vaunted Horizon franchise. It crossed the line to such an extent that Sony is suing Tencent over it, packing fascinating evidence that this title was likely intended to be Horizon all along. Is Tencent dead-to-rights? Other news this week includes likely massive overreaction to PlayStation's hiring of a cross-platform manager, updates on Amazon's God of War TV project, Xbox's dominance of PS5 sales chart with rumors of more to come, Warner Bros. dipping its toes back in the games-as-a-service space, fresh PS+ offerings, and more. To round things out, we then go to listener inquiries, as always. Is the original Metal Gear Solid overrated? What's happening with Insomniac's Wolverine project? Have payment processors gone too far in seemingly bullying the likes of Steam? Will Colin ever understand that Bob Dylan is still alive? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:16:13 -  Bob Dylan is not dead0:33:00 - 401k Sacred boys0:35:03 - RIP in Peace0:35:58 - Remembering Tomvy0:41:38 - Katy, let the PS5 breathe0:44:23 - Section 8 clarification0:48:39 - Twisted Metal release schedule1:03:52 - Sony sues Tencent over Horizon clone1:26:40 - Sony hiring a multiplatform manager1:57:25 - Ronald D. Moore talks God of War2:11:52 - New China Hero Project games2:17:06 - Xbox games dominated Q2 PS5 software sales2:34:45 - WB is hiring for a live service game2:49:16 - Lies of P coming to PS+2:53:54 - Sony's fightstick is called FlexStrike3:01:17 - Nintendo Direct stuff3:14:43 - What Are We Playing? (Death Stranding 2, Deus Ex, Silent Hill 3)3:38:32 - Steam's credit card drama3:59:19 - Does Metal Gear Solid hold up?4:05:13 - What's up with Wolverine?4:14:11 - Is anti-crunch making game development longer?4:18:24 - PlayStation sequels are selling less?4:25:13 - SkillUp's gaming website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With leaks galore coming out of its closed testing period, it should come as no surprise that Battlefield 6 is real, and it's en route very soon. Electronic Arts and its quartet of fully-owned teams under the Battlefield Studios moniker promise a full multiplayer reveal in late July, and rumors indicate the full title is primed to launch in October. Can EA finally turn the ship around and fully deliver on the potential of its ailing franchise? Or has its lunch been permanently eaten? Plus: Sony invests $450 million into Bandai Namco in return for 2.5% of the publisher, FromSoft is reportedly working on a mystery game due out in 2026, the reasons for Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles' long development cycle suddenly become clearer, Microsoft backtracks on The Outer Worlds 2's aggressive pricing, Death Stranding 2 sells big, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Did our parents ever play games with us while we were growing up? Is Colin an unadulterated and unhinged Nintendo hater? Will shorter and more reasonable development cycles ever return to the AAA space? Could one listener's ex now be dating another listener? Download Cash App Today: https://capl.onelink.me/vFut/ty57yree #CashAppPod. As a Cash App partner, Imay earn a commission when you sign up for a Cash App account. Cash App is a financial servicesplatform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. Visit cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures. Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:21:45 - Sacred Symbols lifts you up0:22:56 - Good news for a change0:23:49 - Loud yawning0:32:16 - Perfect Colin0:34:17 - Colin's allowance0:42:06 - Sony buys 2.5% of Bandai Namco0:53:29 - Battlefield 6 announced1:10:52 - What is FromSoft's Project FMC1:19:29 - New PS5 beta firmware1:29:49 - Why FF Tactics took so long1:36:53 - Outer Worlds 2 lowers its price1:48:30 - Splitgate 2 goes back to beta2:07:05 - June 2025 Circana2:16:32 - What We’ve Been Playing (Death Stranding 2, Donkey Kong: Bananza, Tony Hawk Remakes)2:38:07 - Playing video games with your parents2:51:03 - Is Colin jealous of his ex (Nintendo)?3:07:12 - Why does game development take so long?3:13:18 - The homogeneity of AAA gaming2:55:55 - New TV settings3:19:19 - Why do we care so much about news? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sony-owned Santa Monica Studio is one of PlayStation's first party powerhouses. Responsible for the God of War franchise -- and, other than Kinetica early in the PS2 era, only the God of War franchise -- there was some excitement building about what was next. But what if it's just more God of War... at least kinda? New rumors indicate that Santa Monica is working on something more familiar than we might have hoped, and from our perspective, that can only mean one thing. We discuss. Plus: Sucker Punch expresses interest in returning to Infamous, Ghost of Yotei gets special edition PS5 hardware and a DualSense, HBO's second season of The Last of Us earns a ton of Emmy nominations, concept art for Deviation's cancelled PlayStation exclusive emerges, Dragon Quest VII is apparently being remade at Square Enix, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! With the demise of Xbox's Turn 10 Studio, is it time for PlayStation to port Gran Turismo to its rival's machine? Is Colin totally off-base with his desire for Arc System Works to create a PlayStation fighter instead of a Marvel one? What's the worst example in our personal gaming lives of losing a save file? Should Dustin enter into an illicit relationship with an eager listener? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:44:52 - Dustin's cry for help0:52:56 - Sacred Streaming1:07:46 - Stand down Chrissy1:11:43 - What is Santa Monica working on?1:33:34 - Ghost of Yotei PS5 special edition1:38:23 - Restock of 30th Anniversary gear1:41:11 - 16 Emmys for TLOU season 2 + Season 32:00:46- Art from Deviation's canceled game2:08:21 - Dragon Quest VII remake rumors2:15:09 - Ubisoft announces new co-CEOs2:35:35 - Iron Galaxy's guitar hero joke2:52:39 - What We’re Playing3:30:11 - Favorite video game merch3:37:11 - Custom Powerwash simulator levels3:40:53 - GT7 on Xbox3:45:52 - Demands to Spider-Man on Xbox3:52:55 - PlayStation fighter vs Marvel Tokon4:01:18 - Accidentally deleting your save Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you're tired of The Last of Us, well, it's really too bad. That's because Naughty Dog has updated The Last of Us: Part II yet again, this time with a so-called Chronological Mode that orders the game's chapters and subchapters sequentially. It's easy to mock this many updates, of course, but in reality, is Sony going above-and-beyond in keeping some of its older games alive? Shouldn't we applaud the years-long dedication to not only The Last of Us, but to God of War, Ghost of Tsushima, Days Gone, Horizon, and others? We discuss. Then: Twisted Metal's second season on Peacock gets a new trailer, STALKER 2 is finally confirmed for PlayStation 5, Final Fantasy IX Remake may be in trouble, Capcom acknowledges Mega Man, and more. Plus: Listener inquiries! If we could only play a single game-as-a-service, which would it be? Could gaming be entering a more serious phase, as the industry finds itself fused more with education? Is it crazy to play sequels without having experienced the original? What are the percentage odds Colin is on the precipice of becoming a Kingdom Hearts superfan? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:25:36 - Favorite color and number0:26:16 - Furries0:35:30 - Hot dog advice0:48:36 - Sacred vernacular0:53:57 - Fawn-ta0:58:34 - Kingdom Hearts Stockholm syndrome1:05:21 - Upcoming Games list1:07:14 - Last of us Part II Chronological mode1:18:00 - Twisted Metal Season 21:22:34 - STALKER 2 is coming to PS51:28:26 - Is FFIX Remake canceled?1:38:32 - Capcom comments on Mega Man1:48:25 - SAG-AFTRA strike is over1:57:14 - The industry's statement on Stop Killing Games2:13:08 - New PS+ Games2:23:42 - May Circana2:30:55 - May PSN sales2:37:01 - PS4 Firmware update2:42:39 - What Are We Playing? (Death Stranding 2, Peak)3:15:17 - Gaming attention span3:28:38 - Picking one live service game3:33:23 - Sequels that clicked3:39:15 - Does our jobs make us enjoy games less?3:51:11 - New concurrent player count record3:59:35 - Video games in education Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For the first time ever, PlayStation is publishing one of its own games on Xbox. The new port comes in the form of 2024's smash-hit multiplayer game Helldivers 2 from second party studio Arrowhead, and though Sony has a long-but-silent history of bringing games to other consoles -- there was a Wipeout game on N64, after all, and the likes of Death Stranding and MLB: The Show have already migrated to Xbox via intermediaries -- never before have they acted as publisher. Is this a one-off, or a move that could signify a new strategy? Will Xbox players conditioned to Game Pass put their money where their mouth is? Are single-player exclusives next? Then: Neil Druckmann announces he's done with The Last of Us on HBO, instead turning his full attention back to Naughty Dog, while it sure does sound like Sony-owned team Firesprite is openly hiring for a PlayStation 6 project. After some other news, we get into what we're playing before ending the show as we always do, with six questions, comments, concerns, thoughts, and ideas from our audience. What are our ruminations concerning Xbox's recent layoffs and cancellations? Will the PS5 era be looked back upon as a generation of wasted potential? How do we feel about the Stop Killing Games initiative in Europe? Are some listeners intentionally exposing their wives to Sacred Symbols in order to facilitate a divorce? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:23:03 - Patreon numbers0:29:17 - Benji0:36:16 - Don't show your wife Sacred0:43:47 - This week's situation0:47:51 - Happy Birthday Nick0:52:23 - Defending the PlayStation concert0:59:28 - Helldivers 2 coming to Xbox1:31:18 - Neil Druckmann is no longer working on TLOU on HBO1:40:45 - PSSR update in 20261:54:12 - Firesprite is hiring1:59:29 - Is College Basketball returning?2:02:56 - Street Fighter movie casting2:06:49 - What We’ve Been Playing (Death Stranding, Death Stranding 2, Peak)2:45:15 - Xbox's unraveling3:04:57 - Supporting layoffs3:15:19 - Studios moving to cheaper cities3:18:57 - What is going on this generation?3:30:10 - Journalism as a path into marketing or development3:33:38 - Stop Killing Games Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is your PlayStation 5 about to break? Probably not, but speculation is increasingly circulating suggesting that the old run of PS5s -- pre-Slim and pre-Pro -- may start running into a 'liquid metal' problem that's causing issues for some players. What does this all mean, from where does this speculation stem, and what (if anything) can be done about it? We discuss in detail. Plus: Death Stranding 2 is out, and thus it's time for us to gush! Then: The other news of the week, including Hellblade II's PS5 release date, rumors of RPG progression systems in Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, PlayStation Plus turns 15, SEGA accidentally leaks a ton of sales data, and more. Finally: Listener inquiries. What's the best 'one-hit wonder' game? With PlayStation: The Concert coming Stateside, do we have any interest in attending? Which studio's three-game run is most impressive, quality-wise? Will you, too, find a Sacred Symbols shirt in your local Goodwill or Salvation Army? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:29:19 - This week's situation0:34:22 - Nintendo 690:43:33 - Colin's power washing0:59:42 - Nitpick from last week1:01:04 - Are PS5s failing due to liquid metal?1:15:16 - Hellblade 2 releases August 12th1:20:25 - Intergalactic will have RPG elements1:27:27 - Midnight Murder Club releases August 14th1:37:33 - Sony reiterates the PS Plus strategy1:49:57 - Sega sales leak1:57:45 - Lies of P sells over three million1:58:06 - Square Enix is "aware" of Expedition 332:01:27 - System Shock 2 Remake delayed on PS52:05:15 - Blood of Dawnwalker gameplay video2:08:23 - What We’ve Been Playing (Death Stranding, Death Stranding 2: On The Beach)2:27:40 - Established or custom characters2:34:21 - One hit wonder games2:42:11 - Best 3 game run2:49:44 - Rush to story or pace yourself2:58:11  - PlayStation: The Concert3:03:47 - Selling Physical games Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sony's recent PlayStation-centric corporate presentation illustrated just how powerful their gaming vertical is. Indeed, PlayStation 5 has already generated more revenue for the company than PS1, PS2, and PS3 combined, and in the last five years, Sony has netted more in profit from gaming than it did in all 26 prior years the brand has existed, combined. Within their presentation was a lot of interesting data, quotes, anecdotes, and more to comb through, and we do that with a fine-tooth comb. We also wonder why the video presentation was so awkward, stilted, and choreographed. Can these people not speak extemporaneously and off-the-cuff? But we digress! Then, we get into other pertinent news of the week: Bungie's indefinite delay of Marathon, rumors of Sony's potential interest in Warner Bros., fresh PlayStation 5 and 6 handheld rumors, and more. Then, we end the show (as we always do) with listener inquiries. Is Hermen Hulst truly to blame for PlayStation's serious first party woes? When will Ghost Story's Judas launch? Is controller rumble and vibration an important component of our gameplay experiences? Will Colin's 100 hours in PowerWash Simulator translate to the real world? 0:00:00 - Intro0:31:11 - Colin and the pool0:44:34 - New home tips0:58:35 - Sony Business Segment Presentation2:26:40 - Marathon delay2:55:14 - Is Stellar Blade coming to Switch 2?3:02:17 - Does Sony want Warner Bros Discovery?3:15:09 - PlayStation handheld rumors increase3:29:00 - Death Stranding changed because people liked it too much3:39:11 - Death Stranding animated adaptation3:41:34 - Borderlands 4 is $703:51:35 - Beastsaber updates on PSVR2 is ending4:00:36 - Gears beta extended4:02:42 - What We've Been Playing (Cyberpunk 2077, Splitgate 2, FBC Firebreak Death Stranding)4:24:06 - Hermen Hulst's long term projects4:29:36 - PC titles on Xbox's next hardware4:48:44 - Where is Judas?4:54:33 - Is vibration important?5:01:10 - Climate station5:04:59 - Does knowing who developed a game even matter? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With Bend Studio laying off 30% of its staff as it gears up to enter a lengthy pre-production stage, it's clear their next release (should it ever materialize) will be on PlayStation 6. This is just the most recent example in a lengthening string of Sony absolutely botching its first party initiative, deploying teams on projects that make no sense, purchasing studios that have never even released a game, and complicating a service game strategy that -- at least on paper -- made a lot of sense. Where does the buck stop, exactly? And how lucky is Sony and the PlayStation brand that they've been able to coast almost entirely on external content and commercial inertia all the while? Plus: MindsEye is a complete disaster, Stellar Blade becomes PlayStation Publishing's most-played single-player PC port, Capcom and Konami reveal Resident Evil Requiem and Silent Hill Remake respectively, the Outer Worlds 2's $80 price point infuriates some, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is somehow coming to PlayStation 4, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! When Colin talks about a hypothetical AAA Mega Man game, what exactly is he envisioning? Why did Microsoft include the PS5 logo so readily during its showcase? Will GameStop ever stop selling opened games as new? Will Dustin and Brad one day own Last Stand? 0:00:00 - Intro0:32:13 - Habroxia Special Edition0:46:31 - LSM at TooManyGames!0:51:17 - Sacred proposal0:54:05 - Bradstin1:05:28 - Mindseye refunds1:24:59 - Stellar Blade is PlayStation's biggest single-player game on Steam1:35:14 - Bend Studio layoffs2:01:18 - Tencent acquires 15% of Arrowhead2:05:17 - Resident Evil: Requiem announced2:15:18 - Silent Hill Remake announced2:22:30 - Persona 4 Revival2:28:38 - Black Ops 72:35:05 - Gears of War: Reloaded PS5 beta incoming2:41:41 - Halo coming to PS5 soon?2:51:16 - The Outer Worlds 2 is $803:00:32 - DualSense will connect to multiple devices3:04:05 - Mina the Hollower launches this Halloween3:04:55 - New PS+ game catalog entries3:12:11 - What We’ve Been Playing3:29:30 - What would a new Mega Man game look like?3:34:25 - Should we keep going to GameStop?3:38:06 - Is the future handhelds?3:52:28 - PS5 logos at Xbox's Showcase3:58:27 - Alex Hutchinson's Game Pass comments4:11:25 - Pandemic hiring sprees fallout Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Since we published our previous episode, Sony not only announced it was having a State of Play event, but that event has already happened. Thus, we have much to discuss throughout this lengthy episode, an unexpected surprise for the PlayStation faithful. In short, the most recent State of Play was a great showcase of nearly 30 upcoming PlayStation 5 games, with some PS4 and PSVR2 mixed in there, too. And -- for those that care -- more than a half-dozen of the games are PS5 console exclusive, nipping that entire argument in the bud. In the realm of Sony second party, we've learned about a Marvel-themed fighting game from Arc System Works called Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls, while Tecmo Koei's Team Ninja is hard at work on Nioh 3. Elsewhere, we were given the first glimpse at IO Interactive's long-in-development James Bond game called First Light, a brand-new Lumines offering from the creators of Tetris Effect, the return of Capcom's seemingly-beleaguered Pragmata, something fresh from Grasshopper Manufacture called Romeo Is A Dead Man, a late-September release date for Silent Hill F, our first look at the sequel to Iga's Bloodstained, and -- yes indeed! -- confirmation of Final Fantasy Tactics coming to PlayStation in just a few months in the form of The Ivalice Chronicles. "No games?" Maybe if you don't like or play video games, perhaps. Other news this week includes our first look at Witcher 4 via a controversial UE5 tech demo, rumors of a native PS5 port for Red Dead Redemption 2, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Should 'game length' be considered a spoiler? How do we feel about pinball video games? Do we ever mess with the PSN's 'activity cards' while playing? Is Dustin poised to elope with Brad?Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. Timestamps:  0:00:00 - Intro0:26:17 - Habroxia Special Edition0:36:59 - Too much to play0:42:31 - Look or talk like Jar Jar?0:44:49 - This week’s “situation”0:51:21 - MLMs0:57:49 - State of Play overall thoughts1:10:07 - Lumines Arise1:14:44 - Pragmata1:21:10 - Romeo Is a Dead Man1:28:46 - Silent Hill F1:34:33 - Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement1:40:12 - Digimon Story Time Stranger1:45:17 - Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles1:57:37 - Babysteps2:02:06 - Herogami2:04:37 - Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots2:10:32 - Ninja Gaiden Ragebound2:14:08 - Cairn2:17:55 - Mortal Kombat Legacy Collection2:25:34 - Playstation Fight Stick (Project Defiant)2:35:44 - Metal Gear Solid Delta2:37:48 - Nioh 32:43:17 - Thief VR2:47:48 - Tides of Tomorrow2:50:49 - Astrobot update2:57:47 - Sea of Remnants3:00:46 - Sword of the Sea3:04:57 - FBC: Firebreak3:08:39 - Deus Ex on PS Plus Premium3:11:43 - Twisted Metal 3 and 4 on PS Plus Premium3:14:22 - Resident Evil 2 and 3 on PS Plus Premium3:16:07 - 007 First Light3:27:37 - Ghost of Yotei3:28:48 - Marvel Tokon Fighting Souls3:39:11 - Apple Pay on PS53:39:43 - Witcher 4 UE5 tech demo3:48:01 - People Can Fly cancels two games3:49:22 - Red Dead Redemption 2 PS5 port3:51:06 - MindsEye executives leave3:54:56 - Shift Up’s Project Spirits3:58:54 - MediEvil and Tenacious D’s canceled movie4:04:17 - Elden Ring Nightrein’s success and PSN charts4:09:43 - What Are We Playing (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Borderlands 2, Dead Island 2)4:25:37 - Is game length a spoiler?4:28:47 - Pinball video games4:33:54 - PlayStation activity cards4:37:54 - AI making games4:42:40 - New console reviews4:48:02 - Fixing inverted controls for a kid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The global economy is in a tumultuous state, inflation has carved away everyone's purchasing power, and prices are almost universally going up. So naturally, PlayStation will follow suit and jack its rates up too, right? Well, no. Instead, they're doing the exact opposite of what seems natural: For their annual, weeks-long Days of Play sales event, Sony has slashed prices on PS5 and PS5 Pro, PSVR2 and DualSense, and even DualSense Edge and the Access controller. Is Sony's boldness in risking economic erosion worth it? Is its strategy simply to put its boot on Xbox's neck once and for all? We discuss. Plus: If all went according to plan, The Order: 1886 would have gotten two sequels, EA cancels its Black Panther project while shutting down the studio behind it, Build A Rocket Boy suggests there may be a paid, organized campaign against its upcoming title MindsEye, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! What does Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's success mean for the future of global JRPGs? Could Star Wars Battlefront be revived on the basis of a recent resurgence in popularity? Is Colin ignoring an obvious connection between Souls games and his beloved Castlevania? Should we invest thousands in a commemorative Concord plaque, currently for sale on an online auction site?Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. Timestamps:  0:00:00 - Intro0:39:27 - Store bought pasta0:47:19 - Micah cooked Colin0:49:13 - **TLOU2 spoiler** Jerkin Joel0:53:34 - New YouTube censorship words0:58:50 - Concord plaque found1:07:37 - Days of Play 20251:17:56 - The Order's canceled sequels1:26:43 - EA cancels Black Panther game1:39:50 - MindsEye under attack?1:57:53 - PS+ for June2:05:40 - Dragon Quest 1 and 2 HD release date2:09:53 - Video game sales numbers2:38:38 - What We've Been Playing (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Shovel Knight Dig, Powerwash Simulator Shrek DLC, Borderlands 2, Death Stranding)2:47:09 - Gaming "moment of clarity"2:52:29 - More JPRG settings3:07:37 - PlayStation's return to handheld2:08:32 - Watching a playthrough to catch up3:14:16 - Battlefront 2 resurgence3:22:31 - When will Colin play a Souls game? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The last couple of weeks for Bungie have been nothing short of catastrophic, calling into question whether their upcoming extraction shooter Marathon has any chance at all in finding market success. We've long discussed whether Sony should have bought Bungie at all (they shouldn't have), but now that they're so deeply invested, how do they get the team out of this mess? And what does all of this hullabaloo -- about stolen art, poorly-reviewed gameplay, and lackluster audience reaction -- say about the team's future, full stop? Meanwhile, things aren't much better north of the border, where Quebec-based Haven recently parted ways with founder and once-famous producer Jade Raymond, who has now left three different teams without any sort of release. Is Fairgame$ DOA? Maybe not, but we have lots of new information on the recent closed test of the game under the moniker Project Hearts, and... well... it's not sounding great. Also: MLB: The Show is seemingly getting a mobile release, PlayStation Stars is going away unceremoniously, Stellar Blade 2 is in active development, Xbox's Hellblade II is coming to PS5, Kojima's Physint is at least five more years away, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Keeping in mind Sony's typical naming conventions, what will PlayStation 6's controller be called? Do we also find delight in Darth Vader's AI voice in Fortnite? Is the PS5 Pro truly worth purchasing before prices likely go up? Has Chris ever seen a ghost?Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.Timestamps:  0:00:00 - Intro00:44:13 - Best man bromance00:46:03 - ghoul-ing01:04:41 - Haven/Jade Raymond reflections01:37:51 - Bungie art theft reflections02:33:15 - MLB: The Show mobile02:38:25 - PlayStation Stars is over02:51:24 - Stellar Blade sequel coming02:56:49 - Kojima's next game is far off03:01:41 - Hellblade 2 is coming to PS503:05:56 - Randy Pitchford on Borderlands 4 pricing03:26:21 - Circana data03:35:21 - New Naughty Dog logo03:37:18 - Doom: The Dark Ages surpasses three million players03:40:44 - What Are We Playing (Doom The Dark Ages, Stardew Valley, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Shovel Knight Dig)04:05:34 - Iconic PlayStation Games04:16:19 - ChatGPT game hints04:19:15 - DualSense 2?4:22:38 - AI Vader in Fortnite04:28:19 - "Editions" releases04:35:04 - Current thoughts on PS5 Pro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

PlayStation is booming, at least depending on how you look at things. On the one hand, Sony's annual financial results are incredibly strong: PlayStation drove more revenue last year than any gaming entity ever has in the entire history of the industry. Meanwhile, PS5 will surpass 80 million units sold soon, and has become the default console for most players this generation. But there's a downside; indeed, Sony is doing all of this damage with one hand tied behind its back, as major exclusive releases have slowed down to a trickle, while the level of behind-the-scenes mismanagement becomes ever-starker. As we were wrapping our episode up, word dropped that first party studio Haven lost its founder and biggest name, Jade Raymond, apparently after a tumultuous testing of Fairgames, boding poorly for the future of that product and team. Maybe this entire initiative was a bad idea, after all? Plus: Death Stranding 2 goes gold, Stellar Blade is coming to PC, rumors percolate about a Grand Theft Auto IV remaster, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Will Final Fantasy XVII be turn-based? What does the 11th hour saving of Giant Bomb mean for the future of games media? Could Game Pass' undeniable value proposition begin peeling away the Sony hardcore? Who should we cast Obesaga on, so that we can have an overweight cast member for representation's sake?Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. Your browser is holding you back. Level up here:  https://operagx.gg/SacredSymbols Sponsored by Opera GX! Timestamps:  0:00:00 - Intro0:19:30 - No more sad write-ins0:22:20 - How are we doing?0:31:22 - LSM needs more diversity0:43:46 - This week's "situation"0:47:08 - HBO MAX0:54:09 - Guy waking up meme0:59:22 - Sony FY2024 financials1:20:50 - Capcom continues to dominate1:26:38 - Death Stranding 2 goes gold1:37:18 - Stellar Blade coming to PC1:44:33 - Tati Gabrielle trained on online hate1:57:10 - GTA IV Remaster?2:04:34 - Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra delayed2:10:21 - PS Plus updates2:13:51 - Fallout Season 2 in December2:17:01 - What We’ve Been Playing (Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Doom Eternal, Doom: The Dark Ages, Tomba!)3:16:24 - Final Fantasy returning to turn based3:20:16 - Gatekeeping3:35:18 - Giant Bomb goes independent3:42:44 - Moon Studio in trouble?3:55:14 - More Xbox games to PlayStation4:03:13 - Will the value of Gamepass convert PlayStation users?4:13:43 - Jade Raymond leaves Haven Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Grand Theft Auto VI promises to be the biggest video game (and likely entertainment product, full stop) in history. But unfortunately, it's been delayed. It'll come out just over a year from when this episode publishes, and a brand new trailer indicates it'll launch with all of GTA's essential trappings: Cars, guns, insane characters, a crazy story, and -- of course! -- lots and lots of crime. What are our fresh thoughts on GTA6? And do we think it'll make its new May 2026 release date? There's a lot of other news to get to this week, too. For starters, a new PlayStation first party studio has been revealed, though we already sorta knew about them. They're called teamLFG, they've been splintered off from Bungie, and they're making a more lighthearted multiplayer game. Is there cause to be optimistic about this project? Plus: The next Xbox domino falls, as Gears of War will arrive on PlayStation 5 this August, something that was completely unthinkable just a couple of years ago. But what about the other Gears games? And when's Halo coming over, too? Later: Mafia: The Old Country gets a release date, EA indicates Battlefield 6's reveal is imminent, Death Stranding 2 is getting its own DualSense controller, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Are we ever going to get another PlayStation Showcase? With the US threatening tariffs on foreign movies, should we be worried about foreign games suffering a similar fate? Why does Colin fail to see the intrinsic value of the modding community? Is Bradley Ellis slowly-but-surely taking Last Stand over from the inside?Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.Timestamps: 0:00:00 - Intro  0:06:46 - Mumu  0:16:12 - The Man Who Sold the World  0:32:40 - Sacred in space  0:46:20 - Punching Up takeover  0:49:06 - PSN horror story  0:58:14 - GTA VI delayed  1:35:50 - teamLFG  1:55:48 - Gears of War Reloaded coming to PS5  2:26:33 - Xbox games dominated PSN  2:36:36 - Mafia: The Old Country releases August 8th  2:46:24 - Destiny 2 expansion revealed  2:57:38 - EA gets ready for Battlefield  3:04:56 - Death Stranding 2 Dualsense  3:08:23 - Game sales  3:09:58 - What We’ve Been Playing  3:55:34 - Remaster/remake naming  4:01:45 - PlayStation Showcase  4:08:11 - PS5 identity  4:13:33 - Tariffs on video games  4:20:14 - Live service pricing  4:28:31 - Modding projects   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

While the Xbox console brand continues to wane, Microsoft's wise pivot to third party publishing is already paying dividends. According to recent financial reports, Xbox is now PlayStation's single biggest publishing partner, dominating PSN's very own pre-order and pre-load charts on the backs of Forza Horizon 5, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and Doom: The Dark Ages, not to mention strong performance across its brands, from Activision Blizzard's Call of Duty to Mojang's Minecraft and beyond. It's weird, to be sure, but predictable, too: These one-time rivals are now intrinsically linked, with both sides benefiting mightily from this new normal. With Halo, Gears, Fable, and virtually everything else Xbox-related no doubt en route to PlayStation 5 as we move forward, how deep and fruitful can this new, unusual relationship become? Plus: Long-in-development China Hero Project darling Lost Soul Aside gets delayed, Borderlands 4 experiences the extremely rare move-up in release date, Electronic Arts lays off hundreds and cancels projects at Respawn, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Is it high-time for Sony to explore asymmetrical sticks for its controllers? Does PC gaming represent an existential threat to the console space? Should Sony tap Chinese mega-studio Virtuos to revive its old IP? Are we willing to endorse the new term "remakester?"Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.Timestamps: 0:00:00 - Intro  0:22:22 - Girl crying in the bathroom Part 3?  0:23:58 - Hi Jimi  0:24:35 - Sacred Wives  0:26:14 - Best man's speech gone wrong  0:38:04 - nerd slop  0:44:09 - Xbox is PlayStation's top publisher  1:07:11 - Lost Soul Aside delayed  1:13:25 - Borderlands 4 release date moved up  1:21:17 - EA and Respawn layoffs  1:35:38 - Video game sales numbers  1:39:18 - New PS+ essential games  1:49:36 - Split Fiction movie  1:53:23 - Until Dawn original writers not credited in the movie  1:59:07 - Polygon is done, Giant Bomb next likely  2:05:26 - What We’ve Been Playing  2:07:43 - Marathon  2:34:20 - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33  3:00:05 - Dualsense with asymmetric sticks  3:07:50 - Virtuos remakes  3:15:29 - Remakester  3:20:24 - Goofy games we liked  3:31:42 - PlayStation's future errors  3:39:27 - The best case scenario for the big three going forward   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's been a very busy week in PlayStation Land. For starters, Sucker Punch's long-awaited follow-up to Ghost of Tsushima -- Ghost of Yotei -- has a release date. It'll be coming to PS5 on October 2nd, alongside a non-linear, almost Mega Man-like gameplay structure. We're excited! Let's discuss. Then: Bethesda's Oblivion Remastered has finally arrived, PS5's new firmware memorializes the 30th anniversary celebration once an for all, Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders light up the internet, Star Wars is getting a strategy RPG, and lots of others news, too. Finally: Listener inquiries! How come Sony subsidiary Aniplex isn't publishing Danganronpa-like The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy on PlayStation 5? Which existing entertainment properties would best benefit from the Supermassive/Quantic Dream "CYOA" formula? Is the Catholic Church really canonizing a "gamer saint"? Which Last Stand contributor should we replace with AI first?Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. Timestamps: 0:00:00 - Intro  0:17:17 - AI replacement  0:23:33 - Crying Woman Part 2  0:36:25 - Skull lining at a funeral?  0:37:28 - Divorce proceedings  0:41:25 - Dave Ramsey  0:53:45 - Letting each other talk  0:55:37 - Ghost of Yotei releases October 2nd  1:24:35 - Switch 2  1:36:01 - Oblivion Remaster released  2:13:18 - New PS5 Firmware  2:20:45 - Devolver Digitals stats  2:28:59 - Star Wars: Zero Company  2:32:50 - Football games release dates  2:34:31 - Onimusha 2 "Hell mode"  2:36:07 - US Sales for March  2:40:50 - What We’ve Been Playing  (Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Lunar: Silver Star Story, Oblivion Remastered, Marathon Alpha, Blue Prince)3:28:48 - Engagement bait  3:47:22 - Non-stop games  3:55:37 - The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy  3:59:20 - Choose your own adventure dream IP  4:03:48 - Indexed archives  4:09:31 - Saint of Gaming  Your browser is holding you back. Level up here:  https://operagx.gg/SacredSymbols Sponsored by Opera GX! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After years of hard work (and tons of external speculation), Sony-owned developer Bungie has finally revealed gameplay from and tons of details concerning its next project, Marathon. An extraction shooter that will be sold for a mid-range price ($40 seems to be the going guess), reactions to the project have been mixed. Does a large market for a game like this exist? Is the cost of entry too prohibitive? Is it DOA like Concord? Honestly, we feel like a lot of people are overreacting one way or another, but one thing's for sure: For some, any payment is too much. Speaking of cash-money, prices for PlayStation 5 hardware and/or PS+ subscriptions alike are going up in various parts of the world, including Europe, Australia, and Canada. Is Sony trying to inoculate itself from American tariff threats by exploiting safer markets? Or are global currencies and economies really doing that poorly? Amongst other news comes, of course, listener inquiries. As Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 draws ever-nearer, what's our collective gut-check? Could rumors of a Prototype 3 actually be real? Have we gotten to the point where trashing games has become tropey? Are we closer than ever to discovering the identity of the woman who was crying in the bathroom during Sacred 200? EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/sacred Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. Timestamps: 0:00:00 - Intro 0:30:49 - Sacred is here for you 0:33:24 - Crying woman revealed 0:37:55 - Sacred Lore 0:48:38 - More Sacred dating advice 0:58:59 - Marathon revealed 1:52:25 - PS5 price increase in certain regions 2:18:44 - Last of Us Season 2's strong start 2:23:05 - Oblivion remake is real 2:35:32 - Chronos: The New Dawn 2:41:38 - Minecraft movie domination 2:45:24 - Ubisoft making an Apex Clone 2:50:23 - What We’ve Been Playing (Blue Prince, Death Stranding, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle) 3:13:40 - Clair Obscur gutcheck 3:18:00 - Most toxic fanbase 3:24:09 - Fan service complaints 3:39:21- Prototype 3 rumors 3:46:55 - New Naughty Dog game? 3:49:36 - Final gaming experiences Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If something never goes away, you're never able to miss it. That's why there's an incredible amount of cynicism surrounding The Last of Us Complete, yet another re-release of the 2013 original and its 2020 sequel, a package that combines both games into something more accessible and affordable for PlayStation 5 owners. Naturally, this is heavily tied into the return of The Last of Us on HBO, and clearly this sort of thing isn't really aimed at us at all. In fact, it's likely very smart business. But that doesn't mean we're longing for something else. Anything else, really. For once. Plus: PS+ price increases slam headlong into Latin America, Portal gets some key UI and UX updates catered toward streaming users, PlayStation's concert series seemingly suffers poor ticket sales, and more. Then: Listener inquries! Should console manufacturers limit hardware sales to their most hardcore audience first? Considering the length of both Uncharted 4 and TLoU2, should be expect Intergalactic to be a very long game? Is the "games are too expensive" argument ultimately a dead end? Can Colin mystify his sons with the '90s tech magic of WYSIWYG? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. Timestamps: 0:00:00 - Intro 0:37:06 - Larger shirts selling out 0:42:17 - Dealing with grief 0:44:51 - Kids listening to Sacred 0:46:02 - Espresso tips 0:52:04 - Lawn boys rise up 0:56:21 - Timestamps on what we're playing (no) 1:00:21 - Dustin's art of the deal 1:03:19 - PS+ price increase in Latin America 1:12:52 - Marathon reveal incoming 1:30:30 - HBO renews Last of Us for Season 3 1:38:28 - PS Portal update 1:41:06 - Animated background on PS5 1:43:58 - Vampire Survivors cross-save wont come to PlayStation 1:51:23 - PlayStation Concerts being canceled 1:56:08 - Death Stranding film details 2:03:06 - What We’ve Been Playing (The Last of Us: Part II, Breakout Beyond, Ready or Not, Blue Prince, Marathon 2: Durandal, Assassin’s Creed Shadows) 2:35:58 - The Last of Us Complete 2:44:21 - New PlayStation+ games 2:52:47 - PSN Top Downloads 3:02:15 - Post-apocalyptic media 3:11:34 - Preorders looking at accounts 3:18:27 - Intergalactic's runtime 3:23:20 - Best weather in videos games 3:29:25 - Games industry and economics 3:40:48 - Lilymo and Kickstarter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We don't make the news; we merely report and dissect it. So it's not our fault that this week's episode focuses quite a bit on some older topics come alight, starting with a new Helldivers 2 postmortem. Developer Arrowhead's CEO recently gave an interview, displaying a surprising level of accountability and levelheadedness about the ups and downs of their mega-popular game. Then, we talk a whole lot about Nintendo, because literally half of our listener inquiries this week were on the topic of Switch 2. Switch's successor is a mere months away, and while there's no doubt a lot of excitement, there also seems to exist an unusual amount of skepticism, and even anger and animosity. Will Nintendo be able to capture its first generation-to-generation success story since NES and SNES? Or are we looking at more of the same-old same-old? After, we get into rumors of yet another The Last of Us-related re-release, a mysterious physical edition at a premium price, but with contents unknown. Have we had enough, already? Other news includes data on Xbox's publishing performance on PS5, fresh sales and player numbers for the likes of Death Stranding and Atomfall, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! With the reveal of The Duskbloods on Switch 2 and because there's no Bloodborne news seemingly ever, is it clear that FromSoft has beef with Sony? Should we be worried about the survival of Ubisoft's studio Massive, and thus the future of The Division? Are physical game gimmicks getting awfully close to jumping the shark? How did we accidentally appear in a popular YouTube series about bad drivers? Your browser is holding you back. Level up here: https://operagx.gg/SacredSymbols Sponsored by Opera GX! EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/sacred Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. Timestamps: 0:00:00 - Intro 0:12:35 - Congrats Crystal! 0:23:48 - Sacred x Idiots in Cars 0:31:41 - sugrör 0:33:15 - Colin's garden 0:34:46 - Indulgences 0:41:29 - Is Colin pissed? 0:44:17 - Listener write in exposed 0:48:46 - Shout out Barry 0:49:51 - Colin on interstitial games 0:51:26 - Nintendo Switch 2 1:39:03 - Performance of Xbox game on PlayStation 1:48:03 - TLOU special edition 1:53:25 - WB cancels HogLeg expansion 1:58:46 - Game sales 2:06:49 - Onimusha details 2:08:53 - Final Fantasy IX 25th anniversary 2:11:21 - MindsEye new trailer 2:16:25 - What Are We Playing? 2:36:51 - Helldivers 2 interview 2:48:46 - Sacred and Sony PR 2:56:38 - PlayStation and Bloodborne 3:04:55 - Is Massive Entertainment safe? 3:08:24 - What's the point of physical games? 3:20:28 - Studio system 3:22:45 - platform specific podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Would you play a Miles Morales-style God of War interstitial? If you said "yes," we have good news: Just such a product is apparently slated for PS5 this fall, and it's rumored to return the series to its Greek roots. But is this really the best use of Santa Monica Studio's time? Shouldn't all eyes be on what's truly next? We discuss. Then: Ubisoft has announced its long-rumored financial deal with tech conglomerate Tencent, one that will give the Chinese firm a 25% stake in a new entity encompassing Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six. What does this $1+ billion infusion in capital do for the ailing publisher? Is it too little, too late? Plus: Indiana Jones' PS5 release date draws very near, Until Dawn's original PS3 version leaks in full, Rocksteady's upcoming Batman game may be the first confirmed PlayStation 6 title, Bandai Namco and Sony get together on more retro PlayStation ports, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! With Naughty Dog's Intergalactic unlikely to come to market before 2027, could it end up being PlayStation 5's swan song? Will Game Informer's unexpected comeback prove a triumphant success or a predictable failure? How can Housemarque best position Saros to succeed with Returnal fans? Has Colin ever sat on the couch behind him even a single, solitary time? EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/sacred Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. Timestamps: 0:00:00 - Intro 0:40:19 - The unified feed is back 0:50:07 - Reddit 1:19:56 - Depression tips 1:24:39 - Bidet recommendation 1:29:55 - Should Dustin actually talk less? 1:35:47 - New "situations" 1:38:19 - Colin's couch 1:42:18 - Dustin encounter at Target 1:43:16 - Sacred recommendations 1:51:14 - God of War expansion 1:56:03 - Indiana Jones PS5 release date 2:01:15 - Until Dawn on PS3 leaked 2:03:28 - New trophies for Days Gone 2:07:16 - Next Batman game for PS6 2:09:25 - Painkiller PS5 remake 2:12:24 - What We’ve Been Playing 2:55:01 - Ubisoft change-up 3:08:08 - Patapon and Everybody's Golf is back! 3:26:51 - New PS+ games 3:33:12 - Will Intergalactic be the swan song for PS5? 3:36:35 - Best video game stories 3:44:34 - Cosmetics in games 3:47:47 - Assassin's Creed vs Elon 4:00:04 - Game Informer's return 4:13:00 - Saros expectations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week is one of revelations, as the once-unknown finally sees the light of day. For starters, we have exclusive information on WB San Diego's cancelled game, a never-before-discussed (until now) WB-infused kart racer codenamed Moonlight, in development for years before having the plug pulled. We give you all the details. Then: If you're a Sacred Symbols listener, you've known about Sony's secret LA-based studio for the better part of two years, one led by Call of Duty veteran Jason Blundell. Well, now we know the team's name -- Dark Outlaw Games -- and have a better glimpse as to their future plans. Plus: Polish FPS studio People Can Fly signed a second party deal with Sony, Konami revealed its upcoming all-new horror offering Silent Hill F, the Final Fantasy series surpassed a staggering 200 million copies sold, Starfield's inevitable PS5 port is definitively leaked, and much more. Finally: Listener inquiries from our Patreon audience! What's the perfect age for a kid to start playing games? Are there any famous (or not-so-famous) gaming Easter Eggs that have stuck with us over time? Will Iga ever release Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night 2? Should we let Dustin speak more, or silence him completely?  Your browser is holding you back. Level up here: https://operagx.gg/SacredSymbols Sponsored by Opera GX! Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. Timestamps: 0:00:00 - Intro 0:26:40 - Music podcast? 0:32:34 - Another Death Stranding spoilercast? 0:37:42 - Dustin suppression? 0:42:29 - Poker night 0:45:21 - Colin's sighs 0:47:39 - Diddy's Dream 0:56:37 - Flushable wipes 0:57:47 - The Bradley Ellis allegations 1:09:23 - Final Fantasy surpasses 200 million sold 1:22:00 - Starfield on PS5? 1:29:49 - Plants Vs Zombies: Reloaded 1:33:25 - College Football players getting a raise from EA 1:34:08 - Space Marine 3 confirmed 1:42:02 - New industry union 1:57:52 - What Are We Playing? 2:06:42 - Warner Bros San Diego leak 2:23:04 - Dark Outlaw Games 2:33:46 - People Can Fly is partnering with PlayStation 2:41:14 - Silent Hill F 2:44:23 - February Circana figures 2:49:33 - How young to start playing games? 2:58:03 - Best easter eggs 3:10:29 - Naughty Dog and internet culture 3:15:36 - Where is Bloodstained? 3:24:02 - God of War TV's director hasn't played the games Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Sacred Symbols is a Kojima Fanboy Podcast... for a little while, anyway. Finally -- finally! -- we have a release date for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, and it's fairly close, arriving on PlayStation 5 in late June. And as a deep love for Kojima is perhaps the biggest gaming stance all three Sacred hosts share, we thought we'd spend some time getting hyped up following an all-new 10 minute trailer, collector's edition and pre-order details, and so on. Other news this week includes word of major forthcoming updates to PS5 Pro, the leak of a mysterious PSP game called STAMP that was never greenlit into production, the announcement of PowerWash Simulator 2 (!) from FuturLab, rumors of imminent PS5 releases for Indiana Jones and an Oblivion Remake, and much more. Then: Listener inquiries! What do we think of the reveal that Naughty Dog's Intergalactic will deal with religion as a central theme? Do we have any thoughts about the copious leaks from the recent Battlefield playtests? How will MLB: The Show 25 shape-up in its first current-gen-only PlayStation outing? Does Dustin have a serious misconception of what some people actually do when listening to our shows? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. Timestamps: 0:00:00 - Intro 0:25:53 - The audience divided 0:38:15 - PJ the Boston Terrier <3 0:47:36 - Dustin's Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy 0:49:41 - FSR 4 on PS5 Pro 0:58:53 - Lost PSP game pitch found 1:04:55 - PowerWash Simulator 2 announced 1:15:44 - Indiana Jones coming to PS5 on April 17 1:18:32 - Oblivion remake coming soon? 1:23:36 - Forza Horizon 5 will require a Microsoft log in 1:32:26 - RoboCop: Rogue City expansion incoming 1:35:22 - Chrono Trigger's 30th anniversary 1:42:06 - Split Fiction sells two million copies 1:42:46 - What Are We Playing? 2:00:56 - Death Stranding 2 2:42:07 - New PS Plus Games 2:46:12 - Ubisoft selling IP 2:52:40 - New MLB: The Show 2:58:08 - Will GTA VI make fun of the right? 3:11:07 - Intergalactic and religion 3:18:56 - Battlefield leaks 3:26:15 - Path of Exile 2's economy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're on the verge of the second season of HBO's The Last of Us, and yet new questions percolate about whether we'll ever see another game in Naughty Dog's vaunted series. In a recent interview, Neil Druckmann told fans "don't bet on there being more," which is both alluringly ominous and obviously vague. That's good news for us, though, since it gives us plenty to discuss. Do we need more? Do we want more? Should we get more? Plus: Rumors are ramping up about one-time Xbox titan Gears of War migrating to PlayStation 5 later this year, while details related to Firesprite's cancelled Twisted Metal project have leaked. Also: PlayStation 2 turns 25 years old in Japan, Until Dawn Remake studio Ballistic Moon goes belly-up, a key Bungie designer joins Guerrilla, Monster Hunter Wilds smashes Capcom sales records, and more. Finally: Listener inquiries! Is it possible that Grand Theft Auto VI fails to meet either critical or commercial expectations, or perhaps both? What are our reflections on PS5 Pro now that we've had our own for some months? Should Canadians stop buying games from American publishers and developers in retaliation of US tariffs? Will Colin ever forgive his brother for continuously referring to himself as "The Dagster"? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. Timestamps: 0:00:00 - Intro 0:14:43 - Get well soon Bishop! 0:19:09 - Squeaking chair 0:22:12 - 5 thing we achieved this past week 0:30:45 - Last show's debauchery 0:39:57 - "The Dagster" 0:42:56 - Wonder Woman 0:49:23 - Twin Breaker is now on PS5! 0:51:32 - Terminator 2D: No Fate 0:52:58 - Happy Birthday PS2 1:01:52 - Layoffs at PlayStation 1:06:40 - Until Dawn Remake dev shut down 1:15:19 - PS3 update 1:17:21 - Variety's interview with Druckmann and Mazin 1:23:43 - New TLoU controller 1:25:46 - Cancelled Twisted Metal game details leak 1:31:28 - Ex-Bungie designer joins Guerilla 1:35:50 - Forza Horizon 5 releases April 29 on PS5 1:39:29 - Call of Duty 2025 will remain on PS4 1:44:32 - Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3+4 is real 1:49:35 - Monster Hunter Wilds sells 8 million 1:50:21 - La Quimera 1:54:56 - What Are We Playing? 2:16:51 - Gears of War coming to PS5 2:33:53 - New India Hero Project games 2:38:53 - PlayStation beta program 2:45:28 - Acclaim is back 2:57:56 - What if GTA VI disappoints? 3:04:08 - Boycotting American games 3:13:23 - PS5 Pro check in 3:21:37 - Portal's lack of bluetooth 3:26:31 - Auto popping trophies 3:30:48 - Capcom and Mega Man Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 2022, approximately 8,500 people lost their jobs in the games industry. In 2023, that number rose to 10,500, and just last year it ballooned to an unfathomable 14,600. Will it be worse this year? That's currently unknowable, but one thing's certain: Industry playing and spending habits are radically changing, and the newest victim of the environment (and loads of really bad choices along the way) is Warner Bros. Games, which shut down three studios (including the vaunted team Monolith Productions, cancelling its Wonder Woman project in the process) while declaring it's all-in on very specific IP, but nothing more. Is WB Games' meltdown a cautionary tale? Or is it a simple example of more-of-the-same? With seven out of 10 PlayStation 5 players playing at least one of the 10 most popular games on the platform -- and with an astonishing 40% of playtime on PS4 and PS5 spent with those 10 games, and those 10 games alone -- we are nearing an inflection point. There are too many people making too many games alongside too little interest in much of what's being released, and frankly, the bloodletting is nowhere near finished. We discuss. Plus: PSVR2 gets a major price cut, THPS 3+4 Remastered leaks via ratings, Black Myth: Wukong sells huge on PlayStation 5, Sony-published Midnight Murder Club gets a release date, and more. Then: Inquiries from our beloved listeners. How hyped are we for Death Stranding 2? What do we make of the rumors of a God of War-related announcement slated for March? Could we define the term "Eurojank"? Will Chris ever get another haircut again in his entire life? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. Timestamps: 0:00:00 - Intro 0:28:36 - Colin's lower octave 0:36:39 - Does Chris need a haircut? 0:42:10 - Imagine Dragons in space 0:46:06 - Colonoscopy customer service 0:51:59 - Ohio slander 0:59:20 - PSVR2 price cut 1:10:43 - Sony stashing PS5s in US 1:23:43 - 40% of playtime is on 10 live service games 1:34:52 - Sony sued over digital monopoly 1:43:11 - THPS 3+4 1:48:40 - Konami and Bloober sign a new deal 1:54:44 - Black Myth: Wukong sold 5 million copies on PS5 1:57:27 - Midnight Murder Club is coming to early access 2:05:18 - What Are We Playing? 2:21:52 - Chaos at WB Games 3:14:25 - PS Plus Essentials 3:27:43 - Circana January stats 3:33:00 - Death Stranding 2 Special Edition extras 3:37:06 - God of War returning 3:40:40 - Did Quantic Dream get away? 3:47:11 - Everything is a meta-verse 3:54:07 - Addicted to maps 3:58:30 - Eurojank Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This has been an exciting week in Sacred Symbols World. We're riding high off of our two hour interview with ex-Sony executive Shuhei Yoshida, and we're eager to reminisce and reflect on it. (You can watch or listen for yourself on Sacred Symbols+.) But as far as news is concerned? Well, this week is a little slower than most, which is why we packed extra listener inquiries into the show, and still covered what was there: Fresh rumors of a Tony Hawk 3+4 Remastered Collection, leaker updates concerning Square Enix's remakes of Final Fantasy IX and Final Fantasy Tactics, clarity on HBO's seasonal plans with The Last of Us, the potential emergence of a major Rainbow Six Siege update, and much more. As usual, we then round things out with listener inquiries on a variety of subjects. What are our thoughts about the recent layoffs on the Marvel Rivals team? Does SEGA and Ryu Ga Gotoku run the risk of overexposing the Yakuza/Like A Dragon franchise? Why are many creators so eager to politically and socially alienate their audiences? Is Colin on the verge of converting to Islam? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. Timestamps: 0:00:00 - Intro 0:12:23 - Clipping our show 0:22:25 - Status of TLOU2 Season 2 spoilercasts and Side Quest 0:31:29 - Patreon RSS changes 0:48:00 - Gaming full circle moment 0:50:08 - RIP Bullet 0:56:21 - Husky problems 1:13:50 - Colin's secret identity 1:17:37 - Colin's Italian citizenship 1:31:38 - Last week's stolen idea 1:34:47 - Roger Clark meeting 1:42:46 - Creating stories in Civilization 1:51:01 - Colin got Radec'ed 1:59:01 - Lost Soul Aside is getting a physical release 2:03:29 - Final Fantasy IX remake rumors 2:08:24 - Xbox will start including PS5 logos during events 2:15:39 - THPS 3+4 remake is real 2:23:15 - System Shock 2 remake is coming 2:28:43 - Rainbow Six Siege X 2:36:51 - TLOU will be four seasons long 2:40:00 - KCD2 and Dynasty Warriors sales 2:41:20 - What Are We Playing? 3:25:05 - Stick deadzone 3:30:15 - Marvel Rivals layoffs 3:37:20 - Like a Dragon's continued success 3:45:01 - Strong competition in the console market 3:52:14 - Dice Awards drama 4:01:44 - Amazon's failure to disrupt Steam Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A recent presentation showcased a diverse array of some 35 games coming to PlayStation 5 over the next couple of years. But -- perhaps unsurprisingly -- that hasn't stopped boo-birds from raining down upon Sony yet again, at least from some particularly loud corners. It seems that some people will literally never be satisfied, no matter what. But for those who are looking forward to new games to play, there was much to be excited about in the form of Lost Soul Aside, Metal Eden, Borderlands 4, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, Hell Is Us, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, Days Gone Remastered, Tides of Annihilation, and even a brand new Housemarque PS5-exclusive called Saros, amongst much more. This week, we take time to delve into everything discussed during the newest State of Play, and dive into a bunch of other news too. Sony's quarterly financials are out, and PS5 sales are booming, reaching 75 million sold and counting. Meanwhile, Astro Bot is getting even more free DLC, God of War may be reverting to its Greek roots, Resistance and The Order are likely permanently dead, Twisted Metal returns to Peacock this summer, and so on. Then: Listener inquiries! Is Kendrick Lamar a PlayStation nerd? Does HDR even do anything? Why aren't more old folks playing games? Should Colin just retire? This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://www.betterhelp.com/SYMBOLS and get on your way to being your best self. Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. Timestamps: 0:00:00 - Intro 0:18:20 - Super Bowl stories 0:39:47 - Bellota <3 0:47:32 - 2x Speed 0:52:27 - In some sense 0:54:56 - Napoleon's penis 0:59:25 - PSN outage 1:17:20 - PS5 sells over 75 million 1:29:11 - Astro Bot bundle incoming 1:38:02 - Death Stranding 2 stream at SXSW 1:41:27 - Elden Ring: Nightreign release date 1:46:04 - The Order 1886 could have had a sequel 1:50:54 - 100% new information about Resistance 4 2:00:01 - God of War in Greece? 2:07:30 - Twisted Metal Season 2 coming this summer 2:10:35 - Koei Tecmo's CEO steps down 2:13:52 - Layoffs at Crytek 2:17:07 - DQXII is still in development 2:18:53 - PUBG is more lucrative than ever 2:23:36 - What Are We Playing? 2:53:24 - State of Play general thoughts 3:18:42 - Monster Hunter WIlds 3:19:57 - Shinobi 3:23:35 - Sonic Racing Cross Worlds 3:25:15 - Digimon Story Time Stranger 3:29:18 - Lost Soul Aside 3:32:55 - Small updates/games 3:36:47 - Borderlands 4 3:41:39 - Split Fiction 3:43:41 - Directive 8020 3:48:38 - The Midnight Walk 3:50:43 - Darwin's Paradox 3:52:28 - Warriors Abyss 3:53:50 - Onimusha 3:56:42 - Metal Gear Solid Delta 3:57:47 - Hell is Us 4:01:33 - Lies of P Overture 4:03:07 - Dreams of Another 4:08:16 - Days Gone Remastered 4:17:43 - Stellar Blade DLC 4:20:16 - Lost Records 4:21:54 - PS Plus games 4:24:28 - Tides of Annihilation 4:30:00 - Metal Eden 4:33:54 - MindsEye 4:40:11 - Saros 4:45:24 - Sony cleaning out AI games 4:50:34 - HDR woes 4:55:12 - IGN's Twitter antics 4:58:43 - Earthblade cancellation 5:03:34 - Too old for video games? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When truly great games are delivered, players tend to respond. The industry's newest sales success is the long-awaited Kingdom Come: Deliverance sequel, which immediately sold a million copies upon release. But it's hardly alone. And the rest of this long year is already shaping up to be something special, with Metal Gear Solid Delta's release date leaking, Death Stranding 2's newest trailer drawing nearer, and EA's Battlefield finally toying with a real comeback. Other news this week includes the potential of a discless PlayStation 6, the arrival of more Xbox games on PS5 in the form of Age of Empires and Age of Mythology, Capcom's announcement of a port of PS2's Onimusha 2 for PlayStation 4, and more. Let's then round things out with listener inquiries, as is our tradition. What are our thoughts on the return of games media brand Rooster Teeth? Is Sony putting its own games on sale too quickly and too steeply, to its own detriment? Did EA executives really claim Dragon Age: The Veilguard failed because it wasn't live service? Will Colin ever recover from tendinitis, or are his weightlifting days over? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. Timestamps: 0:00:00 - Intro 0:23:28 - Side Quest is back! 0:29:11 - Colin's tendinitis 0:32:14 - George's bush 0:48:41 - Career switching advice 0:57:39 - Why is Abby tiny? 1:06:19 - Shawn Layden thinks PlayStation will keep physical for PS6 1:12:25 - Metal Gear Solid Delta release date leaked 1:17:31 - Death Stranding 2 is rated in South Korea 1:21:42 - KCD2 sells one million in one day 1:27:25 - New Battlefield game by early 2026 1:34:43 - MultiVersus is going offline 1:42:13 - Devil May Cry remake coming? 1:49:04 - Prince of Persia The Lost Crown sold 1.3 million copies 1:50:02 - Konami churned $500 million in profit over 9 months 1:51:06 - Sony integrates SN Systems 1:52:11 - What Are We Playing? 2:31:06 - Age of Mythology is coming to PS5 2:38:03 - Onimusha 2 is being remastered 2:46:00 - Rooster Teeth's return 2:57:37 - Should PlayStation stop putting their games on sale? 3:06:17 - Will Sony stop releasing on PC? 3:13:42 - Sony's live service push concerning for the industry? 3:16:28 - Is EA crazy? 3:23:38 - Is new IP overvalued? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Just last year, Sony had grand designs of a new PlayStation leadership structure executing on an exciting multi-pronged strategy, but only three fiscal quarters later, the plan has come undone. Hideaki Nishino and Hermen Hulst were bestowed co-CEO roles -- the former looking after hardware and services, the latter after software -- but now, Nishino will hold the CEO role alone, with Hulst demoted and now reporting directly to him. While Sony Corporation itself made some other changes as well, including installing Hiroki Totoki as the larger entity's CEO, changes to PlayStation's executive structure so soon after alterations were first made says something rather clear: Bad choices were made, and rectifying them as quickly as possible is the best idea. We discuss. Other news this week includes Xbox quickly becoming PlayStation's biggest publisher, with yet another Xbox game -- Forza Horizon 5 -- en route to PS5, rumblings of new films for Resident Evil and Beyond: Two Souls, PlayStation 5 continuing to outsell the PS4 in the US when adjusted for time, layoffs at BioWare following Dragon Age's tumultuous end, MLB: The Show 25 skipping PS4 for the first time since the console launched, and more. Listener inquiries wrap things up. Is NCSoft's Horizon MMO cancelled? How does a game's budget actually get determined? Should future Dragon Quest games abandon Akira Toriyama's art style? Will Colin's Herman Miller chair ever arrive? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. Timestamps: 0:00:00 - Intro 0:10:14 - Gooneral 0:25:29 - Punching Up rising up 0:27:14 - Herman-Miller woes 0:30:13 - Raymond 0:40:52 - PS5 is outselling PS4, time-adjusted 0:52:26 - PSN logins on PC are now optional for single player games 0:59:23 - 30th Anniversary themes are gone (but coming back) 1:21:16 - MLB The Show 25 coming on Match 18 1:35:38 - Spider-Man 2 is out now on PC 1:43:51 - BioWare downsizes 1:56:44 - Helldivers 2's director is taking a sabbatical 2:04:44 - Silent Hill 2 Remake surpasses two million copies sold 2:05:03 - Sega renews the trademark for Skies of Arcadia 2:09:00 - Berserk Boy 2:11:44 - What Are We Playing? 2:49:50 - Shakeup in Sony's leadership 3:10:58 - Xbox is the biggest publisher on PlayStation 3:33:13 - PlayStation Productions news 3:44:16 - New PS Plus games 3:50:12 - Horizon MMO canceled? 3:53:09 - Difficulty and trophies 3:59:43 - Best tip for aspiring journalists 4:19:05 - Why does game production cost so much? 4:23:22 - Should Dragon Quest's art style change with Toriyama's passing? 4:27:40 - What is the golden age of gaming? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Insomniac Games' co-founder Ted Price is retiring from the company after a storied 30 year career, but it's what he's leaving behind in his stead that's truly curious: A three-person CEO grouping, virtually unheard of in the corporate world, that hopes to leverage the unique skills of each person. When taken into account with PlayStation's new co-CEO structure, it makes us wonder if Sony seeks to spread the field instead of focus decision-making and responsibility on a single person. Is that such a good idea? We discuss. Meanwhile, Xbox had an exceptional press conference, and as Xbox games are now PlayStation games, we have a few titles of import to go over, including the reveal of the Microsoft-published Ninja Gaiden 4 and release dates for both Doom: The Dark Ages and third party RPG Clair Obscur. Other news this week includes chatter of a $100 pricetag for Grand Theft Auto VI, impressive new gameplay footage for Phantom Blade Zero, the commercial bombing of Dragon Age: The Veilguard, and more. We then wrap up with six inquiries from the audience, as is our tradition. Could tariffs on Mexico drive physical game prices higher? Are there more game cancellations than ever, or simply more transparency in the process? Did Xbox miss an opportunity to strike at a vulnerable and underperforming PlayStation? Is Colin over-reliant on email, rendering him an exceptionally old man? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. Timestamps: 0:00:00 - Intro 0:15:28 - Staying strong during a breakup 0:23:51 - Colin and email 0:42:15 - Winnie the Pooh style forever sleep 0:53:36 - Colin's thesaurus 0:56:32 - Dustin at the symphony 1:00:53 - GTA VI costing $100? 1:24:17 - Phantom Blade Zero gameplay 1:31:00 - New Astro Bot content 1:33:42 - Dragon Age bombed 1:48:46 - Resident Evil 6 rated for Xbox 1:53:44 - Silent Hill F ESRB rating 1:57:35 - Balatro sells over 5 million 2:00:35 - Civ 7 has gone gold 2:02:11 - What Are We Playing? 2:31:48 - Xbox Developer Direct 2:57:35 - Ted Price is retiring 3:20:07 - New sales data 3:24:16 - Tariff check 3:28:35 - Game cancelations 3:34:27 - Do kids care about PlayStation? 3:41:50 - Is Sony relieved at the state of Xbox? 3:46:01 - "DEI-Woke" games selling softer 4:00:33 - Was Jim Ryan horrible for PlayStation? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We had already finished this recording when surprising news broke in the world of PlayStation: Sony has cancelled two of its upcoming, unannounced games. And -- would you believe it? -- they were both live service titles, including a God of War spin-off. The really unfortunate news, however, is who was making these titles: Bend and Bluepoint, two smaller AAA teams that typically work on a single project at a time, thus wasting years of development, as well as time and resources that can never be recovered. What in the world is going on with PlayStation Studios, and how did the person who helmed the first party family during such a tumultuous period of greenlights and plug-pulling ascend to the top of PlayStation itself? It's time to start asking some really hard questions. Other news this week includes substantial rumors of more Xbox content en route to PlayStation which, if true, will make Microsoft the single most-prolific producer of content for a platform that was once its arch-rival, but no longer. Also: Reactions to the first Until Dawn film trailer, a surprising end to Rocksteady's Suicide Squad game, accolades for an exceptional-looking upcoming vampire RPG called The Blood of Dawnwalker, tantalizing news about Bungie's in-development Smash Bros.-inspired MOBA, and more. We wrap up our episode (as we always do) with listener inquiries. Now that Nintendo's Switch 2 has been revealed, what are our preliminary thoughts? Is 2025 the year we finally give PSVR2 the respect it deserves? Why is it so hard to make swimming control well? Is it just a weird coincidence that SEGA renewed its Ecco the Dolphin trademark on September 11, 2001, or is there something deeper at play? This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://www.betterhelp.com/SYMBOLS and get on your way to being your best self. Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. Timestamps: 0:00:00 - Intro 0:21:27 - Sacred car collision 0:25:01 - Ranking LSM autism 0:28:06 - Do Colin and Chris drink coffee? 0:47:45 - Phil Summers Mega Man book 0:49:52 - Sony and SoCal studios are donating to the wildfire recovery 0:51:47 - Until Dawn movie 1:00:11 - Rocksteady ends Suicide Squad 1:05:09 - The Blood of Dawnwalker 1:11:35 - Ubisoft + Tencent? 1:18:59 - Square Enix releases a Group Customer Harassment policy 1:23:27 - Ecco the Dolphin trademark 1:29:02 - Elden Ring Nightreign network test registration is up 1:30:28 - Lunar Remastered has a date 1:33:14 - What are we playing? 1:54:54 - Sony has shut down two live service projects 2:19:14 - More Xbox games on PlayStation 2:43:49 - Bungie's Gummy Bears 2:57:35 - New PS Plus Extra and Premium games 3:05:41 - Top downloads on PSN for December 3:09:52 - Our thoughts on Switch 2 3:30:35 - PSVR2 recommendations 3:36:29 - Gamifying our life 3:45:11 - Swimming in games 3:50:41 - PS4 living on 3:53:33 - Prestige system for platinums Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're back! 2024 is so last year; it's now time for us to dwell here in 2025... and perhaps even beyond. The holiday season was pretty quiet news-wise, but there were fairly substantial exceptions in the form of two lengthy interviews published by legendary Japanese games publication Famitsu, conducted with both of PlayStation's recently-installed co-CEOs. On the one hand, Hermen Hulst was peppered with questions about Helldivers 2 and Concord, the future of Sony's single-player initiatives, and whether PlayStation fans can expect more games to travel off-platform. On the other hand, Hideaki Nishino was prodded for answers on topics like the future of cloud gaming, the success of PS5 in the wake of PS4, and even when we might see a hypothetical PlayStation 6. Obviously, we're left with much to discuss. Other news of note includes another delay for Assassin's Creed: Shadows, early rumblings of a potential new emulation solution for PS3, compelling evidence of a forthcoming remake of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, a turned-down pitch for Dead Space 4, and much more. Then: Listener inquiries! Why were so many people convinced Black Myth: Wukong was a PS5 console-exclusive title? Is it necessary for a True Yakuza Fan to play all titles in the series? 10 years on, how has Colin enjoyed his decade of media independence? Can we convince one listener not to name his son Simon or Ronan, but Richter instead? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. Timestamps: 0:00:00 - Intro 0:27:58 - How was our break? 0:52:11 - Ronan or Simon? 0:55:38 - Internet service guy marks territory 1:04:51 - Halo x Doom 1:13:37 - AC Shadows delayed 1:25:19 - PS3 emulation? 1:33:34 - Ex-Platinum game director joins Housemarque 1:38:35 - The Midnight Black collection 1:45:12 - Sony is reviving old IP 1:50:17 - Is an Oblivion remake coming? 2:04:16 - Dead Space 4 denied 2:15:44 - Sega is considering a subscription service 2:23:55 - Stardew Valley keep selling 2:30:57 - What Have We Been Playing? 3:13:22 - Herman Hulst's Interview with Famitsu 3:26:31 - Nishino's Interview 3:42:39 - Sony at CES 3:54:37 - New PS Plus games 4:00:49 - How to get into Yakuza 4:08:16 - Should we comment on other's commentary? 4:17:19 - Black Myth Wukong's exclusivity myth debunked 4:19:12 - Mouthwashing's trophies 4:22:20 - Reflections on Kinda Funny 4:26:25 - Does LSM reimburse game purchases Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

2024 is officially in the rearview mirror, which can only mean one thing: We're now in the exciting "next year" of video game releases on PlayStation 5 (and 4, too, to an extent). As is tradition here on Sacred Symbols, we cap-off our dueling annual end-of-year shows with a look ahead, each selecting five 2025 releases we're most amped about. This of course allows us to widely chat about 15 exciting upcoming games with only two rules in mind: Selections have to be slated for (or at least conceivably coming in) '25, and they must be on PlayStation hardware. Thus, we touch on just about everything you can imagine, from the biggest AAAs to our darling indies, and so much in between. Please enjoy, and Happy New Year to you and yours! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The holidays are upon us, and thus it's time to roll out an old Sacred Symbols tradition: Our list of the most remarkable, interesting, confounding, and notable moments in the world of PlayStation for the calendar year. As usual, each of us has chosen five 'moments' -- that's 15 total -- and they all involve the PlayStation ecosystem in some way, some literally and obviously, while others more loosely and casually. So let's chat about Helldivers 2's meteoric success, the collapse of Concord and Firewalk, Xbox's wide-ranging publishing capitulation to Sony, the lead-up to (and launch of) PS5 Pro, the PlayStation brand's uneven 30th anniversary celebration, Sony's decision to publish Horizon on Switch, the furor around Stellar Blade, confirmation of a new PlayStation handheld in the years to come, and much, much more. Happy Holidays; please enjoy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The holidays draw ever-nearer, making this our final recording of 2024. (Fear not, though: As tradition dictates, episodes will continue uninterrupted throughout the break, and indeed, everything is already in the can!) Not surprisingly, the news is a little light this time of year, though there are some interesting tidbits to pick up on. For starters, we take a look at two titles shown at The Game Awards that we skipped over last week, in the form of Crimson Desert and Midnight Murder Club, the latter a second party, Sony-published offering. We also delve into Mark Cerny's recent PS5 Pro technical presentation, wade through the (now rectified) drama surrounding Helldivers 2's exciting Killzone crossover, analyze whether the upcoming sci-fi RPG Exodus has the potential to be the true next Mass Effect, and more. But at the end of our show, we replace our typical six questions about random topics with six questions about something more than 50 of you wrote in about on the most recent thread. The topic at hand is obviously Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, Naughty Dog's upcoming PS5 exclusive. So many wrote in, in fact, that it felt disingenuous to ignore all of the noise. So instead, let's dive way deeper. What should PlayStation's next move be when it comes to rolling out this new product? Could the game flop on the market, either outright or by Naughty Dog's lofty standards? Do the masses suffer from some combination of Naughty Dog and Neil Druckmann Derangement Syndrome? And what does all of this insanity mean for The Last of Us: Part III... if anything at all? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro 0:20:37 - Tri Breaker is out now! 0:33:46 - What gives us the right? 0:36:50 - Changes for LSM in 2025 0:46:09 - Gooning over the landlady 0:54:01 - Jurassic: The Hunted 0:56:00 - Chis = Smeargle 1:01:47 - New Astro Bot level 1:06:54 - Game Awards clarifications 1:15:28 - new Mark Cerny ASMR video 1:20:12 - Helldivers 2 x Killzone is real 1:31:18 - Exodus could be the next Mass Effect? 1:40:09 - Secret Level renewed 1:46:05 - Please don't make FF7 NSFW mods 1:49:06 - More Tales of remasters are coming 1:52:33 - What We're Playing 2:09:50 - Sony has bought an additional 8% of Kadokawa 2:21:18 - Circana November data 2:30:44 - Will Intergalactic flop due to the early reaction? 2:40:36 - Naughty Dog derangement 2:55:24 - Neil Druckmann derangement 3:11:16 - What will Sony's strategy be around the game? 3:20:41 - PlayStation and female characters 3:27:16 - When will we get The Last of Us Part 3? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Geoff Keighley's 'The Game Awards' festivities didn't disappoint this year. Quite the contrary, it was arguably the single strongest showing of new game announcements the industry has seen in seemingly forever, and it was capped-off with what many of us have long awaited: Naughty Dog's new game. For the first time since 2005's Jak X: Combat Racing on PlayStation 2, Sony's crown jewel studio is readying a product that's aligned neither with Uncharted nor The Last of Us. It's called Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, it's about a spacefaring bounty hunter and a mysterious alien planet, and it's coming to PlayStation 5 at an undetermined point in the future. Naturally, we have much to discuss. Other TGA announcements of note include a surprise update for Helldivers 2, Capcom reveals in the form of new games in the Onimusha and Okami series, a brand new multiplayer Elden Ring spin-off called Nightreign, our first look at Borderlands 4 and The Witcher IV, the long-awaited revival of the Turok IP, the first new 2D Ninja Gaiden in more than three decades, and much more. And there's a regular ol' episode of Sacred Symbols underneath all of that, too, focused on the purported leak of Bend Studio's new game, the death of Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, a serious lawsuit filed against Bungie by a fired executive, final word on long-defunct vaporware PS4 project Wild, and more. We wrap things up with listener inquiries on topics like rumors of an upcoming Steam console, parasocial relationships in the creator space, the ability of dialogue to ruin a perfectly good user experience, and a conundrum surrounding perpetual hiccups and $100 million. Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro 0:35:57 - Tri Breaker is out now! 0:40:41 - Colin and Charli XCX 0:43:38 - $100 million but hiccups 0:50:04 - PlayStation Wrap-up 1:05:33 - Sony shares are trading higher than any point since 2000 1:07:19 - Thoughts from employees about Sony x Kadokawa 1:14:02 - Ex-Bungie director is suing 1:22:44 - UI designer leaks Bend's next game 1:27:37 - Apple and Sony are partnering on PSVR2 controllers for Apple Vision Pro 1:35:09 - Publishers are worried about their releases around GTAVI 1:37:13 - Suicide Squad support is ending 1:41:39 - What Are We Playing? 2:15:08 - The Game Awards announcements 4:04:44 - New info on Wild 4:12:28 - New PS Plus games 4:15:23 - PSN top games 4:18:16 - Does Steam OS going everywhere affect Sony? 4:34:06 - Too many tutorials 4:41:05 - Our thoughts on parasocial bonds 4:52:25 - Realizing you've changed through media 4:59:36 - Are clips hurting the industry? 5:11:10 - Main Quest vs Side Quests Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices