Sacred Symbols: A PlayStation Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

What we assumed would ultimately happen has come to pass: Machinegames' upcoming Indiana Jones title is indeed coming to PlayStation 5. Between Minecraft, Call of Duty, and Bethesda -- not to mention Xbox Studios itself -- Microsoft has quickly become one of Sony's biggest third party partners, and we suspect things are still just getting started. Other news this week includes the announcement of Borderlands 4, new Mafia and Dying Light games, word of Sea of Thieves' meteoric success on PS5, impressive Silent Hill 2 Remake gameplay footage, tons of Astro Bot spoilers, pricing details for Until Dawn Remake, and more. As usual, listener inquiries help us round things out. How come rank-and-file developers never get the blame for bad games? Can Chris guide a new Destiny 2 player through the trials and tribulations of figuring things out? Which upcoming PlayStation-aligned game-as-a-service has the most potential? Has Colin yet again offended the sensibilities of the Irish? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We're getting into the late summer now, and it's no surprise that the news is beginning to pick up, starting with word of more Xbox games migrating to PlayStation. By our next episode, we should have at least one more Microsoft-centric title lined-up for PlayStation 5, a sign of the times as -- ultimately -- much of that catalog finds itself elsewhere. Meanwhile, problems are brewing in Sony's games-as-a-service initiative. On one hand, Concord's release is imminent, and the excitement level is precariously low. It's unclear whether Firewalk can really pull this thing off. On the other hand, we have second party title Helldivers 2, which has been tinkered with to such a degree that players are being rebuffed en masse. Can Arrowhead turn it around and keep a good thing going? Other news this week includes Dragon Age: The Veilguard's release date, the revival of Tango Gameworks, Final Fantasy VII Remake: Part III's potential move to Unreal Engine 5, and more. Then: Listener inquiries. How bad can the Borderlands film actually be? What kind of power does Fortnite wield these days? Is controller drift caused by faulty hardware or aggressive players? Did Chris really think he could win a breakdancing gold medal at the Paris Olympics? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

t's getting crazy out there. Fresh off of E3 Lite comes a slew of new game announcements, more than we could possibly cover, nonetheless play. And this brings up a good point, one we burrow down on: Who's gonna be able to buy and play all of this stuff in an ecosystem dominated by vacuum-like powerhouses that leave little room for competition? Are we nearing a breaking point, where there are simply too many games seeking too few players spending too few dollars, even as the industry grows? Well, we're about to find out. The news this week is otherwise copious: Horizon LEGO Adventures is coming to PS5 and PC... and Nintendo Switch?! Mark Cerny gives a rare interview and provides some insight into PlayStation's thought processes. Black Ops 6, Slitterhead, Civilization VII, The Thing Remastered, Doom: The Dark Ages, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, and so much more were announced. Sea of Thieves dominates the PlayStation Network, foretelling an obvious continuing migration of Xbox games to PS5. And much more! Then: Listener inquiries. Is Astro's Playroom teasing upcoming PlayStation announcements? How come publishers and developers are keeping specific release dates so close to their vests? Could anything get us excited about Assassin's Creed Shadows? Is Colin accidentally inhaling mind-altering chemicals while he cleans the shower? 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 Get a free gift with your Journey Pack at https://www.tryfum.com/sacred and use code SACRED A Better Paradise is available on all podcasting platforms. Listen now!  Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro 0:11:23 - Cleaning in the shower 0:19:03 - Shoes in the house 0:26:15 - Happy Birthday Cyprus 0:31:35 - Sony acquires Alamo Draft House 0:41:34 - Xbox showcase reflections 1:31:41 - COD: Black Ops 6 1:38:32 - Slitterhead 1:46:36 - Valorant 1:52:12 - Civilization VII 1:59:06 - Metal Gear Solid Delta 2:11:25 - Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake 2:15:23 - Life is Strange: Double Exposure 2:19:36 - The Thing Remaster 2:24:41 - Visions of Mana release date 2:26:27 - Game sales 2:43:20 - New trophies for classics on PSN 2:44:59 - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 2:52:05 - Wolfhound 2:54:06 - PlayStation Stars downtime 3:00:12 - FF Tactics is happening 3:03:46 - What we've been playing 3:33:23 - Lego Horizon Adventures 4:12:18 - Epic Game Store leak 4:17:46 - Mark Cerny interview 4:31:48 - Doom: The Dark Ages 4:39:02 - Dragon Age The Veilguard 4:47:40 - New PS Plus Games 4:51:27 - What would get us to play Assassin's Creed Shadows? 4:57:11 - Pixel art more expensive? 5:01:18 - New Xbox console strategy 5:08:35 - Astro teases a showcase? 5:12:11 - Missing dates in 2024 5:15:37 - Are we real hardcore gamers? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Life is full of choices. And a fundamental choice is what you do for a living and who you work for. So it was disappointing to see Shawn Layden -- a champion of PlayStation's first party games for a run of very good years -- choosing to sign with Tencent as a Special Advisor. As an ex-Fortune 500 executive, Layden is already set for life, and with a reputation and track record like his, he can work anywhere and do anything. He's chosen to be used to help normalize and strengthen Tencent's western operation, and in our humble opinion, he has some explaining to do. Plus: We further assess the catastrophic Grand Theft Auto VI leak (as well as Rockstar's response to it), EA's new Iron Man game (and its potential to be the next Spider-Man), rumors circulating about a new PS5 model (with a detachable disc drive), and much more. Then: Listener inquiries. What's the economic strategy behind Square Enix's coming avalanche of releases? Is there a firm line in game emulation that simply shouldn't be crossed? In an industry so mired in negative news, what's a glaring positive we've identified? Where the hell has Chris gone off to? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Just when you thought mega-publisher Ubisoft finally 'got it' when it came to Assassin's Creed, they went ahead and simultaneously announced three brand-new AC games for console. This is of course a change from their more recent strategy of treating this particular franchise with more care; they now seem fine with potentially running it back into the ground. What's going on at Ubisoft? And what does the future of Assassin's Creed hold? Plus: Trouble may be brewing at Sony second party studio Deviation, Team Ninja's Rise of the Ronin surprises at State of Play, the Yakuza franchise is turning over a new leaf, Babylon's Fall goes bye-bye, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Are we excited about under-the-radar third-person shooter Evil West? How long will AAA games stay at $70 before the price goes up once more? Is the drama around Forspoken's dialogue a sign of rote political and social discourse? Why does Chris keep talking about a clown wearing his father's clothes? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's clear: PlayStation's problems with Microsoft's in-motion purchase of Activision-Blizzard run deep. The financial implications are enormous, of course, but in going public with his dismay in potentially losing Call of Duty on PlayStation platforms beginning in 2028, CEO Jim Ryan illustrates Sony's concern is material enough that it's willing to take a PR beating to make its point. Our theory? They're simply trying to buy time as they continue to sort out their strategy and make sense of a growing consensus that doesn't necessarily cater to what they do best. Nonetheless, we discuss the wide-ranging, ongoing situation between Microsoft, Sony, Activision-Blizzard, and various global economic regulators that will make or break the deal. Other news this week includes the announcement of PSVR2 game Firewall: Ultra, Tencent's growing acquisition of Ubisoft, the mostly-missed confirmation that Returnal is indeed coming to PC, the reveal of Cyberpunk 2077's DLC, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Can Sony gleam anything from Microsoft's mismanagement of Halo and 343? With Spider-Man 2 rumors percolating, what are we most looking forward to in the sequel? Have we reached a point of irreversible open-world fatigue? Did someone really try to make the case that 'Chicago-style' pizza is the 'real' pizza? Note: After Ubisoft's underwhelming presentation, we decided to keep this episode as is with no pickup. We'll be covering the Ubisoft news on episode 220. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sony's procurement of its first-ever mobile studio isn't something to get excited about, and we're not even gonna pretend to try. However, the acquisition of Savage Game Studios does suggest a new strategy for PlayStation, one that seeks to protect its various flanks even if it's not yet necessarily begun to fight on said front. Mobile gaming is a good example: They've said they've wanted to do something, and they have, but they don't acknowledge or pay attention to anything that results. It's as if it's not very important, but clearly, that's all about to change. We discuss. Plus: Sony acquires 14% of FromSoftware, SNK says there's interest in both sides for a Capcom vs. SNK revival, Quantic Dream gets scooped up by a Chinese firm, Mafia IV is early in development, and more news, followed (as always) by listener inquiries. Should we embrace the term "I" and "Triple I" when it comes to indies? Is there such a thing as "too much accessibility" when it comes to gaming? Why are console-exclusive pre-order bonuses so darn persistent? Is Colin fearful of Dustin's growing podcasting power? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For the first time in the history of the gaming industry, a major piece of hardware is getting a price increase across virtually the entire world. PlayStation 5, launched in 2020 at $500 or your local equivalent, will still cost that much (with a disc drive) here in the States. But virtually everywhere else in the world -- from the UK and Europe to Australia, Japan, and beyond -- PS5's price is about to go up modestly, but noticeably. Sony no doubt isn't taking this PR catastrophe lightly -- you have to imagine there's a need here -- and, indeed, this highly-controversial will help them make an additional half-a-billion bucks this year alone. But with market conditions as they are, inflation running rampant, and production as trying as ever, the only question is whether any of their competitors follow-suit, and whether Sony itself is done upping the ante. Other news includes the reveal of PlayStation's long-awaited Elite-style controller called DualSense Edge, confirmation that PSVR2 will launch in early 2023, release dates for Dead Island 2, Sonic Frontiers, and more. and so on. Then, we wrap things up (as we always do) with listener inquiries. What's with some outlets slamming Saints Row, then accepting money to promote it anyway? Is it becoming increasingly difficult to avoid the industry's inherent negativity? Will Sony ever begin caring about their PlayStation Mobile initiative? Should one listener's public bathroom encounter have left him as scared as it has? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There may not be very many games coming out right now, but there sure is a lot of news to get through. For starters, enterprising internet detectives have conclusively uncovered an unannounced second party PlayStation game from a British studio called Ballistic Moon. Staffed by ex-Supermassive personnel, some are wondering whether their title -- codenamed Project Bates -- is a horror game in the vein of 2015's Until Dawn. We discuss. Plus: Sony-owned Japanese dev Team Asobi speaks out about its present and future plans, compelling evidence of a PlayStation PC launcher has been uncovered, Embracer continues to mindlessly gobble up whatever it can find, the KOTOR Remake for PS5 is apparently alive and well, and much more. Then: Listener inquiries! Should Sony remake the original God of War trilogy? How do we feel about Death Stranding coming to PC Game Pass? Why is Sony actively making the PlayStation Store worse? Is it time for Colin to be considered a man of color because of his Italian heritage? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What was supposed to be a routine exchange between corporations and an economic regulatory body in Brazil has turned into the hottest news in gaming over the last week. That's because both Sony and Microsoft have launched soft salvos at each other, picking apart each other's strategies on the market and their intentions to squeeze the other guy out. Buried within both of their arguments are interesting tidbits, though, particularly in regard to how Xbox and PlayStation see both themselves and each other, and we couldn't help but delve in head-first to pick it all apart. Plus: Square Enix is either priming to sell or buy more studios (potentially both), Call of Duty's beta is inbound to Sony platforms in September, PS+'s new offerings are surprisingly solid, and more news. Then: Listener inquiries! Are we tempted to go-in on the Backbone One controller? Can a game be so good that it ruins every other game you play? Is keeping old hardware less important in an era of digital software and backwards compatibility? What lessons has Colin drawn from living to his advanced age? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices