Sacred Symbols: A PlayStation Podcast

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

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

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

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

Obsidian's all-new open world RPG The Outer Worlds is a blatant (and in some ways even shameless) ode to its 2010 cult hit Fallout: New Vegas... and it should come as no surprise that it's pretty damn good. So let's spend some time talking about why, and celebrate the many things it does so very right. But let's also not neglect the news! The Last of Us: Part II has been delayed, Ubisoft admits its recent critical and commercial reception has been tepid, Fallout 76 gets perhaps the most unpopular subscription service ever concocted, and WWE 2K20 is an unmitigated disaster. Plus: Audience questions! What's the specific definition of Metroidvania? Is 3D audio here to stay? Is anyone else experiencing inconsistent performance on PS4 Pro? Has Chris really never eaten corn-on-the-cob? All of that and more on the other side of the play button. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As we settle into the fall months, rumors abound. A new photograph seems to confirm the v-shaped PS5 dev kit design that was earlier making the rounds, much to our chagrin. But does it actually matter? Guerrilla Games is mo-capping, while Sony Bend is pre-producing. But should we be surprised? The US Congress has officially put Activision-Blizzard on notice over its behavior regarding Hong Kong and China. But will it be enough to bring change? Plus: Fallen Order goes gold, League of Legends is PlayStation-bound, Fallout 76 DLC gets delayed, and THQ Nordic goes to Japan. Then, listener questions! Could AI become sophisticated enough to make games without human intervention? Should Sony be willing to take significant financial losses to ensure PlayStation 5's proliferation? What should Square Enix do with Final Fantasy after VII Remake? Why do British people pay for goods with squid instead of money? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We were spoiled last week, what with lots of new PlayStation 5 details to obsess over. But Sony has another piece of PS-themed hardware that's worthy of next-gen attention, and no, we're not talking about a third handheld (which is surprising, since we talk about Vita constantly). PlayStation VR was launched just about three years ago, and some five million units later, it has quietly found its way into the living rooms of one-in-twenty PS4 owners. Now, thanks to some patent leaks and tech analysis, we may just have a glimpse at the next iteration of what PSVR looks like, from its purported new controller to its apparent wirelessness (!). Let's talk about what we know, what we think we know, and what the future just might look like (literally). Also: Layoffs quietly hit PlayStation Europe at the exact time PS5 is revealed in Wired (weird!), IO Interactive gets to work on something that isn't Hitman (mysterious!), Ubisoft invests in cartoons galore (bold!), and Donald Trump is the next major political figure to join Twitch (...JYNA). Plus: Listener inquiries on what happens to first party studios when they die, the far-flung fate of our digital libraries, the ruthless mediocrity of the PlayStation Store, and much more. Let's podcast, old friends! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We've been calling Sony's next-gen console PlayStation 5 for quite some time now, but we weren't sure that's what it would actually be named. Now, we know PS5 is indeed PS5, and along with that news comes lots of fresh details straight from the horse's mouth. From the console's release window to the nature of DualShock 5, there's a whole lot to talk about, and we do just that. Also: Activision-Blizzard appeases communists, Doom Eternal has been delayed, PS4's firmware livens-up the party, and SEGA's House of the Dead is being revived. Finally: Listener inquiries! Is Madden really just a turn-based RPG? Why does such a liberal industry like gaming glorify gun use? Can a bad boss fight ruin an entire game? Is Earth a ravioli...?         Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We recorded this week's podcast, flipped off the microphones, and went on Twitter, where we discovered a surprise piece of late-breaking news: Shawn Layden is leaving Sony. Layden used to be CEO of the American branch of PlayStation, and most recently held the position as Head Honcho of PlayStation's fully-owned, first party studios. So let's discuss his departure (albeit briefly, because we don't have all the answers yet). Beyond all of that, though, is our usual run of show, an episode littered with news. Sony is starting to cut the middleman out of its retail sales, there are lots of fresh details concerning The Last of Us: Part II, Call of Duty is absolutely dominating the historic PS4 sales charts, and Death Stranding is apparently finished and primed for publishing, whether you're ready or not. Plus: When will we learn more about Ghost of Tsushima? What's the actual definition of "Adventure Game"? What are the best places to buy and sell used hardware and games? Why are Colin and Chris so confused about the difference between sheep and a lamb?            Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The silence surrounding The Last of Us: Part II has been somewhat deafening, what with PlayStation 5 hurtling toward us on the horizon and PS4's most important and anticipated exclusive still unreleased. Our patience has been rewarded with precious new information, however, including the game's release date, and there's a whole lot to discuss, including for all you Joel fanboys and fangirls out there. Then: Borderlands 3 sells big (with seven out of ten copies purchased digitally), Sony promises a green PS5 (though not literally), and WB Montreal's Twitter account comes out of a long and dark slumber to tease a new Batman game (or so it appears). Listener questions on issues ranging from the lackluster state of the physical games market to the perilous finances of subscription services round out this week's offering, including tons of non-TLoU information from Sony's State of Play event concerning both PS4 and PSVR . Let's trek forward, friends! It can't be for nothing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It may be hard to believe, but it's been nearly seven years since Borderlands 2 launched, and so with Borderlands 3's recent arrival, you may expect fans to be delighted. Some are, no doubt, but many others aren't, and such a situation calls much into question: Are there too many loot-based shooters? Can a game like this compete on the modern market? Is Borderlands 3 simply too late? Chris and Colin don't see eye-to-eye on this much at all, which makes for an interesting conversation. Then, how 'bout some news?! GameStop keeps tanking, Final Fantasy VII Remake appeals to the old-schoolers, Control's sales are soft, and Ubisoft promises massive open-world games galore in its future. Finally, to round things out, we take some listener questions. Are publishers and developers releasing DLC too far after a game's launch? What do we think of Katamari Damacy? How do we carve out time to game? If you get a DiGiorno Pizza delivered via Amazon, does it rip a hole in space and time?         Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A rather interesting piece of industry news went largely unreported last week. It seems the Creative Director of Bethesda-owned Tango Gameworks' Ghostwire: Tokyo has randomly left the studio mere months after introducing and showcasing her game at E3. This was clearly unplanned and obviously spur-of-the-moment, so what gives? We speculate. Also: Thriving publisher Capcom has revealed an all-new Resident Evil spin-off with serious L4D vibes, a couple of Xbox and PC-centric Star Wars games are coming to PlayStation for the very first time, a leak suggests Remedy's strange action game Control is getting story DLC, and a Fairy Tail game is coming to PS4 next year, which is no doubt exciting news for all you weebs out there. Then, listener questions! Is PlayStation 2 Classic a non-starter? Are we being robbed of our gaming abilities by Father Time? Is Sony losing the Indie Battle to Nintendo? All of that and more in another stunning episode of Sacred Symbols: A PlayStation Podcast!      Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Capcom's recent resurgence hasn't only been fueled by Street Fighter, Monster Hunter, Devil May Cry, and slick retro collections. Resident Evil -- known as Biohazard in Japan -- has itself been a lynchpin since RE7 shocked us the gaming world early 2017 (not to mention RE2's wonderful remake earlier this year). Now, the Japanese publisher is teasing a new Resident Evil, but it's unclear just what it could be. A mainline entry? Another remake? Or perhaps something else entirely? Let's talk about our hopes and dreams for what's next for Raccoon City and beyond. After that, we delve into the apparent return of Telltale Games, September's surprisingly strong PS+ free games offering, the relaunch of some classic 16-bit Disney platformers, and much more. We then round out our weekly offering, as always, with questions, comments, concerns, thoughts, and ideas from the audience. Will game prices really go up next generation? Does Sony have any intention of playing nice with Stadia? Has 2K gone too far with NBA 2K20's gambling features? Is a Pizza Roll just an Italian Gusher? (That last one made Chris really angry.)       Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Every once in a while, a game comes along that you think is one thing, but ends up being something entirely different. (This is especially true for those of us who do our best to avoid preview coverage for titles we're excited about.) Sometimes, this is a good thing. Other times, it isn't. With Remedy's newest game Control -- the dev's first adventure on a PlayStation platform in 16 years -- it's a little bit of both. Frenetic to play and puzzling to understanding, Control has all the makings of an MGS-like political thriller with a supernatural twist, and there's a lot to say about it. Then: We discuss GameStop's most recent round of layoffs, Final Fantasy VIII Remaster's imminent release date, Persona's big sales milestone, and much more, back-loading our fresh-out-of-the-oven episode with listener inquiries. Where's Mafia 4? Can Sony make a portable PS4 on the cheap? Could mandatory demos increase game sales? Do Shrek and Han Solo have the same stylist? Turns out, it's more complicated than you think. (Not really.)          Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today's episode was already shaping up to be a sizable one. After all, there's THQ Nordic-related news galore to get through, not to mention the conspicuous exit of two prolific producers from BioWare, new NPD sales data, and much more to discuss. But then a meteor struck: Insomniac Games has been purchased by Sony, the first acquisition PlayStation's first party has made in more than eight years! This news comes unexpectedly, but also represents a seemingly necessary move, particularly in light of Microsoft's recent splashes in the exclusive studio space. So let's chat about the biggest news in the PlayStation universe in quite some time, and then wrap things up with delightful listener questions on topics like retro game collecting, couch co-op, loading up on sales, and generation-defining experiences.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices