Sacred Symbols: A PlayStation Podcast

This is a big episode of Sacred Symbols, so big that we've done the unprecedented: We've gone back and edited a half-day old podcast to incorporate some smashing news: Sony is indeed planning a rival to Xbox's Game Pass. It's codenamed Spartacus, and details are scarce, but we've obviously got to discuss what we know so far. Likewise, we have brand-new information about the upcoming BioShock game to chat about, including the 'anatomy' of how such a story is chased in the first place, and why rumors and speculation sometimes falls incomplete. Anyway, you'll want to bring your jacket. Plus: Battlefield has a new future, Godfall on PlayStation Plus is an insult, Dying Light 2 is gold, and more. Then: Are award shows (and awarded products) becoming too homogenized? What game mechanics truly shined in 2021? Will auteurs come to rule the industry landscape? Will Dustin ever appreciate the complexity and versatility of applesauce? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What happened to Electronic Arts-owned studio BioWare? Once the crown jewel of EA's family of devs, BioWare has experienced nearly a decade of consistent struggle, and now it's been hit with yet another punch: The loss of Dragon Age's Creative Director, seemingly on not-great terms, injuring a game that's already been in development for some six years. Needless to say, BioWare is a shadow of its former self with no true identity, begging the question: Is it even worth saving at all? Plus: Other news! Chrono Cross Remastered is apparently on the verge of being announced, while Sony is the newest company to be sued by its own employees, this time a female accusing the corporation of gender bias. Meanwhile, some dedicated and talented fans are in the midst of salvaging the online functionality of some of PlayStation 3's most important exclusives, while Hideo Kojima is finally getting into the movie industry, though we're unsure if that's where he belongs. After all of this (and more), we get into some listener inquiries to wrap things up. What in God's name is going on with Battlefield 2042? Are there rules that determine who's included in the credits of video games? Is scalping consoles really a worthwhile financial endeavor? Should Colin, Chris, and Dustin name their new child Drilin or Crustin (or both)? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sometimes, very easy things turn out to be very hard for no apparent reason. Apparently, this mantra rings true for Rockstar, which released its acclaimed PlayStation 2 trilogy of Grand Theft Auto games on PS4 and PS5 in... well... a pretty shocking state. It's a big story (and a damn shame), and we discuss it in-depth. Rockstar ain't the only one hurting, though. Activision isn't only beleaguered from top-to-bottom due to claims of impropriety galore, but because its new Call of Duty game is apparently selling softer than any entry in the series in some 15 years. That, too, is a big story (although less of a damn shame), and we discuss that in-depth, too. Plus: Delays! Six Days in Fallujah, Saints Row, and Pragmata have all been pushed, while WB's crossover fighter MultiVersus is real, and League of Legends goes all-in on expanding its universe on PlayStation. We wrap up, as we always do, with listener inquiries. Will the effects of COVID and the chip shortage extend the PS5 generation? Is it possible that PlayStation's Spider-Man will appear in the new Spiderverse film? How do we feel about detective-style games? Can we instruct a listener on how to properly execute his first kiss? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Bad news: Sony isn't going to be able to make as many PlayStation 5 consoles as it was hoping, at least in the short term. What does that mean for you? It means that, if you're still on the hunt for a console, you may want to get used to the idea of ponying up for a black market unit or settle in for a long and painful winter. We discuss. Plus: Gaming engine Unity has made a substantial acquisition, Q-Games acquires The Tomorrow Children from Sony, licensing issues bog down GTA's re-releases and Metal Gear Solid's legacy titles alike, Konami has totally botched the rollout of eFootball, and so on, and so on, and so on. Listener inquiries allow us to cleanly wrap things up as always, touching on subjects like Mass Effect's revival, the demise of Jump Force, the uncertain future of Media Molecule, and word from a funeral director that -- yes -- she listens to Sacred Symbols while embalming bodies. We suppose somebody's gotta do it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We have some awesome news for long-time PlayStation fans: The Mother of Uncharted, Amy Hennig, is finally returning with something new. Seriously. And it's just in the nick of time, since it's been a staggering 10 years since Uncharted 3 launched on PS3, which was her last brainchild. Heck, it's been nearly eight years since she left Naughty Dog! So it's great to know what she's working on next, but there's a catch, of course: She's making a Marvel game. And thus, both the excitement and complaining begin in earnest, and naturally, we must take part. Other news also crossed our desk this week, including the $50 million loss Take Two is taking on a cancelled game codenamed Volt, the going-public nature of publisher Devolver Digital (which Sony now owns 5% of), the potential rise of a true AAA console game out of China, Call of Duty 2022 rumors, and so much more. We also get into listener questions, as is our wont. Will Sony ever create a dedicated PC launcher? Did Guardians of the Galaxy benefit greatly from not being overexposed? Is there a stigma attached with Game Pass games? Did Chris accidentally leave his "jerk tissues" in-frame? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

While there's no doubt Microsoft's Xbox Series X is doing great, there's also no doubt that Sony's PlayStation 5 is doing even better. Markedly so. Microsoft stubbornly refuses to publicly state how many consoles it has sold, but we now know that Sony has surpassed 13 million in less than a year, almost certainly beginning to put some distance between PS5 and XSX. Let's discuss what these new sales figures mean, and whether inertia might be turning into new momentum. Also: Guerrilla is hiring for external Horizon projects, Warner Bros. is making a goofy-looking crossover fighter, the next PlayStation-to-PC game isn't one you may have expected, Stardew Valley's spiritual successor looks awfully endearing, PS+ games are en route, and more. Oh, and we talk at length about the most recent State of Play, too. We also get into listener questions, as always. Do we trust Bluepoint with a Bloodborne sequel? What's going on with Sony's and Apple's increasingly-obvious closeness? What are the right foods (if any) to eat while gaming? Has Dustin fooled everyone with his love of Aldi? All of that -- and much more -- on the other side of the play button. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you listen to this show (and we know that you do), you would have known months ago that God of War was coming to PC, because we told you it was. Well, if you didn't believe us, it is indeed true: 2018's God of War is indeed PC-bound, and it has some players in their feelings... and not in a good way. Is it time for PlayStation's audience to embrace the inevitable? Or will stragglers hold on for dear life as the industry moves past console exclusivity above all else? Meanwhile, the upcoming Uncharted movie has its first trailer, and it's not as bad as we thought it'd be, while some 2022 DC games are looking mighty hot and Blue Box is suffering under the weight of its endless conspiracy. Plus: Elden Ring is delayed, Dbrand punches Sony in the mouth, a new Splinter Cell is indeed in production, and more, and listener inquiries bring us to just some of the following topics: Striking workers, the rise of SEGA, Gamepass' flat growth, and the proper placement of toothpaste on the toothbrush. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Square Enix-owned studio Eidos is running a little experiment on behalf of the industry-at-large: Its teams are now working four days a week, for 32 hours, with Fridays off. In a line of work absolutely demanding of your time, that a AAA publisher and well-respected studio are taking the initiative to do things differently is an awesome sign, though it's unclear if such a life/work balance is even possible if you want to create truly great games. Naturally, we discuss. Also: Sony has quietly poached the Head of Content of Apple Arcade, Ryu Ga Gotoku simultaneously loses its director and producer, EA and FIFA are fighting over the future of Electronic Arts' most important franchise, and much more. Then, listener inquiries! Are we as perplexed by Ubisoft's recent decisions as many of our audience members? What do we expect out of Returnal's rumored upcoming update? Did Crystal Dynamics lie to its audience by unleashing pay-to-win schemes in The Avengers? Will the boys ever cease quarreling about the efficacy of bidets? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's not 1995 anymore, or 2000, or 2006, or even 2013. During those years -- when PSone through PS4 launched in the west -- PlayStation's success revolved around what it itself can do. Its own system, its own studios, its own architecture. But in 2021? Things are changing. Sony's recent acquisition of Nixxes was all of the evidence you needed of the shifting sands, but recent interviews from ex-PlayStation CEO Shawn Layden and current PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan are incredibly illuminating when it comes to intent. After all, when Ryan is asking how a PlayStation hit selling 10 million can instead sell 100 million, he understands that can only happen by opening things up. The question is, does the audience understand too? Or is everyone about to get angry? We discuss. Plus: PS5 supply issues may ease in 2022, Konami is going both big and small, Final Fantasy's bizarre prequel has a release date, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Can third parties protect each other from consolidation? Should Sony cuddle up to Valve? Does PlayStation require more kid-friendly fare? And whatever happened to that man that pooped his pants on that date, anyway? The answer will surprise and please you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The inevitable has happened: Bluepoint Games has officially joined PlayStation Studios as its 16th team. You may recall that this news kinda-sorta leaked months ago, and either way, it's the most obvious acquisition Sony could have possibly made, so we're not exactly shocked. Yet, there's much to say, because it seems like Bluepoint may be breaking the mold when it comes to what they're best known for, potentially focusing on new projects rather than remakes and remasters. There's other first and second party news to consider, too. On the first party front, rumors strongly indicate Guerrilla's in-development multiplayer game may actually be Horizon-related, which frankly disappoints us. Meanwhile, over in second party, Destruction AllStars dev Lucid is apparently working on a Twisted Metal revival. Color us interested, though bummed Jaffe isn't consulting. There's other news, as well -- Firesprite's headcount has grown, GTA re-releases have been rated, etc. -- and we end (as we always do) with listener inquiries. What games did we turn our noses up at only to be pleasantly surprised when we actually gave them a chance? What licensed song do you most associate with a video game? Do we even care about Abandoned anymore? Is Colin being too harsh on bidets, and in turn European sensibilities? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

God Almighty, it's finally happened: The long-rumored (and much-leaked) Castlevania Advanced Collection is indeed coming to PlayStation 4. Actually, it's available right now, bringing along with it some wondrous vampiric action out of the clear blue sky (or dark night). Surprise! Then, in another piece of news that can only be described as For Colin, Square Enix randomly revealed a remake of 1991's SNES classic ActRaiser, also available now. Talk about random (and awesome). For many, though, the bigger news of the week will be word of former Sony second party partner Quantic Dream reportedly making a Star Wars game. And it's apparently not the Star Wars game you'd expect, leaving us much to discuss. Also percolating are some new THQ Nordic announcements, some key secrets hidden in both PS4's and PS5's recent firmware update, and even rumors that famous fighting game Marvel vs. Capcom 2 may be making a comeback. Then, as is typical, we like to wrap things up with your inquiries. Will Sony ever update the PlayStation Plus Collection? Was the PlayStation 3 generation one of gaming history's very best? Could Microsoft's next purchase set off a cascade of bad press for the Xbox brand? Will Chris finally test the very boundaries of his mysterious and arcane powers? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As vaguely promised only a month or two ago, PlayStation announced the first of its new burst of mobile games. Which IP are they visiting this time? None other than dormant Liverpool Studio-driven racing franchise Wipeout. The thing is, this Wipeout game isn't what any Wipeout fan is looking for... and that's the honest truth. So what's the point of migrating your products to the world's most ubiquitous platforms if you're not going to do it well and do it right? We discuss. We also jump into recent news surrounding PlayStation Productions live-action TV iteration of Twisted Metal, the sudden destruction of LittleBigPlanet's historic servers, tantalizing drug-fueled rumors surrounding next year's Call of Duty, a slew of leaked games via NVIDIA (though they deny it), new PS4 and PS5 firmware updates, and so on and so forth. We also deal with your listener submissions on topics ranging from Kena: Bridge of Spirits and the potential of Resident Evil 4 Remake being PS5-exclusive to DualSense support on PlayStation 4 and Wolverine's M-rated potential. And yes: We also talk a lot about depression and sadness. This is, after all, Sacred Symbols. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's been well over a year, but finally -- finally! -- Sony has given us some new, much-needed details concerning their upcoming slate of PlayStation 5 games. Word came by way of a tight, 40 minute presentation, and perhaps the biggest news of all was that Sony-owned developer Insomniac, already responsible for two PS5 games, will be delivering two more by 2023. First off, is Insomniac now Sony's uncontested crown jewel studio? And how could they possibly be working at such a rapid clip? We get into all of that, plus all of the other reveals and details from the Showcase, including a PS5 KOTOR remake, Square Enix's Forspoken, cross-gen exclusives God of War: Ragnarok and Gran Turismo 7, and more. We also delve into the week's other news, including the acquisition of a brand-new first party team in Firesprite, fixing Sony's inane game pricing scheme with Horizon: Forbidden West, the PlayStation debut of Alan Wake, and so much more. Then, we dive into some listener inquiries. What indie studios are impressing us most right now? Would we rather 4K resolution at 60 frames or 1080p at 120 frames? Could Parappa the Rapper be a good multiverse IP for Sony to explore? Did Colin sleep without any underwear on when he stayed at Dustin's? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's about time! Sony has revealed that it will be conducting a 40 minute PS5-centric presentation in the coming days, and it'll be our first real, showcase-like look at PlayStation 5 content since the console launched (in fact, since long before it launched). The question is therefore this: What should we expect? God of War and Gran Turismo 7 seem like obvious choices. A Deathloop launch trailer, too. But it's what we don't know about that's most exciting of all, particularly from first and second party studios where the possibilities are seemingly endless. Plus: Death Stranding 2 looks like a distinct possibility, PlayStation Plus' newest free game offerings are a step in the right direction, Final Fantasy is about to storm PlayStation Now, and much more. Then: What's the difference between a remaster, a remake, and a reboot? Speaking of definitions, how do we define shovelware and vaporware? Will live shows like PAX ever make a full return? Will Chris ever return, or did he float away? All of that and more, as -- per usual -- we litter our show with your inquiries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's true: Things have been pretty slow in the world of PlayStation. Returnal and Ratchet have kept us busy enough, and we're looking forward to Deathloop, but what we really crave are some announcements, a tease of what's to come. Thankfully, some more announcements have finally arrived. For starters, Horizon: Forbidden West has a firm launch date, a new Saints Row is launching on both PS4 and PS5, Destiny 2 is getting its fresh expansion, and that long-rumored XCOM Marvel game is en route, too. The bad news? They all come out within weeks of each other. Go figure. We also discuss yet more rumors of the cancellation of PS4-exclusive vaporware Wild, the six-month delay of the next WWE game, a fresh release window for the oft-delayed LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, and more, before taking listener inquiries on our game of the year (so far), sticking lootboxes behind an M rating, et cetera, before diving deep into the ideal ambient temperature for our respective homes, which is itself a vital topic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices