Sacred Symbols: A PlayStation Podcast

• #360 | I'll Confess This: You're My Tragedy

  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

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  5:00:25
• #359 | Such A Beautiful Lie to Believe In

  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

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  4:34:20
• #358 | Like the MAC Got a EZ Pass

  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

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  4:49:46
• #357 | It's Magic, It's Tragic, It's A Loss, It's A Win

  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

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  4:00:18
• #356 | Can You Hear the Rumble That's Calling?

  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

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  4:26:55

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