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?

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Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.

0:00:00 - Intro
0:26:53 - Shout out William
0:28:29 - Chris honored with a segment?
0:36:09 - Dustin's expired food
0:52:09 - Jan Cope Ray Gun
0:55:13 - GTA VI has the biggest file size of any PS5 game
1:01:46 - Wolverine helped sell PS5s
1:06:04 - PS5 is still outselling PS4 time-adjusted
1:12:33 - Xbox's PR plays
1:27:18 - Suckerpunch lays off 24 employees
1:49:11 - Arrowhead on Helldivers 3
2:02:32 - Will PS6's handheld's power surprise us?
2:06:29 - Silent Hill 1 Remake could come out in 2027
2:14:37 - Capcom's physical games stat
2:18:09 - Prism Dualsense controllers
2:31:40 - New PS+ Essential
2:35:36 - PSN September top downloads
2:37:03 - A couple PSAs
2:38:01 - 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 petition
3:30:43 - Why should Valve make games?
3:40:14 - Will game companies accommodate aging gamers?

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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?

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Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.

0:00:00 - Intro
0:32:24 - The towel after a shower
0:35:48 - Chris and the Ritual Network
0:37:51 - Best kind of buffet
0:45:28 - Are we into e-sports?
0:53:16 - EA shutters Bioware, 3% of staff laid off
2:04:07 - Will PS6 cost $1000?
2:22:49 - Has Sony acquired the Kena IP?
2:28:10 - Indie dev backs off playtesting due to AI theft
2:44:14 - September 2026 sales data
2:54:52 - A few PSAs
2:56:17 - What We’re Playing
3:19:23 - GTA launch concerns
3:24:44 - Removing games from PS Plus Premium
3:28:04 - Payment plans for PS6
3:36:05 - Why should listeners even care?
3:39:59 - What engines do Sony studios use?

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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?

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Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.

0:00:00 - Intro
0:41:43 - Christmas wedding update
0:42:55 - Bioshock is getting old
0:47:34 - Treble update
0:48:43 - Shoutout James Turner
0:55:39 - PlayStation disc backlash was partially bots
1:22:18 - PS5 hacking
1:41:59 - Midnight Black PS5 only in Japan
1:45:41 - God of War Laufey Collector Box
1:58:11 - Gran Turismo 7 controller
2:00:31 - New PS+ Game Catalog entries
2:04:31 - EA College Football issues
2:11:05 - Peak rated for PS5
2:11:27 - Control Resonant sold 1 million copies
2:16:04 - 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 PS3
2:58:11 - Where are the female game commentators?
3:17:11 - Xbox's poll on exclusivity
3:38:01 - Real life likeness in games

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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?

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Timestamps:

Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.
0:00:00 - Intro
00:19:10 - Chris and the future of Sacred Symbols
00:54:12 - A new Ape Escape is in development
01:15:30 - Sony offloads VR patents to Meta
01:34:23 - New Portal models could be coming
01:44:36 - Forza Horizon 6 coming to PS5 in January
01:50:01 - Warhorse hope GTA will allow game prices to go up
02:04:44 - Vice City Heat rebrand
02:07:36 - Is Remedy already making Alan Wake 3?
02:16:10 - Paramount-WB merger
02:27:00 - PlayStation blind boxes
02:30:08 - Crunchyroll's further integration into PS5
02:33:14 - US Sales data
02:37:20 - 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 DLC
03:14:08 - New options for trophy hunters
03:21:56 - Appealing to a female audience
03:32:58 - PSN Security updates
03:43:15 - Is the future of consoles hybrid?
03:49:29 - Sony IPs with different first party teams

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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?

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Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.

0:00:00 - Intro
0:28:56 - LSM quality
0:31:25 - PSP Marcus
0:38:23 - Don't play Sacred around your kids
0:52:26 - Wedding on Christmas Eve
0:59:57 - Mike Tomlin's Minecraft city
1:05:29 - Sony is skipping CES
1:16:49 - Naughty Dog's future
1:39:58 - Uncharted 4 spoilers start
2:01:00 - God of War: Laufey pre-orders are live
2:09:07 - QSSR introduced on base PS5
2:16:42 - PlayStation 5 jailbreak
2:28:27 - Sony Japan's PS5 Pro lottery
2:36:07 - Kena 2 pushed to 2027
2:39:01 - Portal's battery update
2:44:01 - Sony credit card patent
2:47:32 - Ubisoft's mega-studio: Massive Entertainment
2:51:30 - New Person sales figures
2:56:57 - October PS+ games
2:59:30 - What We’re Playing (Silent Hill: Townfall, Ace Combat 8, Control Resonant)
3:36:36 - Reducing hand holding in games
3:47:53 - Spiritual successors missing the mark
3:54:43 - Modern gaming ADHD
4:02:02 - Physint on PlayStation
4:09:59 - Steam's personal calendar
4:13:08 - 10/10s

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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 - Intro
0:28:18 - Wearing Sacred merch listening to Sacred
0:31:51 - Hogs update
0:33:32 - Shoutout Samantha
0:35:42 - Aaron and Dimitric
0:40:51 - Iron Maiden fandom
0:52:40 - Jury duty
0:59:55 - Trophy by the clock
1:01:32 - Bungie's future
1:58:59 - Gene's interview with Kojima
2:19:45 - Bruce Straley and God of War
2:38:06 - FF7 Revelation allows auto leveling
2:49:04 - Sega nearly did the right thing
2:51:29 - Lisa Dualsense I guess
2:54:30 - Lufia I + II are coming
3:00:55 - What We’re Playing (Wolverine, Silent Hill: Townfall, Fire Emblem, Big Walk)
3:35:45 - Armed Fantasia canceled
3:38:35 - Xbox's reset part 2
4:01:37 - Were apps on console a mistake?
4:03:53 - Asking executives any question
4:08:06 - Crash's 30th anniversary
4:11:46 - When are spoilers okay?
4:20:30 - Do fans care about gold, silver, and bronze trophies?

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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 - Intro
0:22:49 - Colin's "nachos"
0:36:21 - Can Mitch McConnell beat Wolverine?
0:37:22 - Define pithy
0:46:02 - Resident Evil movie is good?
0:50:05 - PlayStation blackout had no effect
1:06:52 - Details about Media Molecule's next game
1:21:33 - Marathon development update
1:41:44 - Marvel Tokon's director on the PC launch
1:47:18 - Build A Rocket Boy is no more
1:58:11 - Lies of P Sequel trademarked
2:09:01 - New PlayStation headsets
2:20:53 - Powerwash Simulator 2's next DLC
2:24:48 - Level 5's AI drama
2:29:28 - Wardogs is a hit
2:35:38 - Dragon Quest sells over 100 million
2:38:48 - Terranigma releases January 14th
2:44:28 - What We’re Playing (The Blood of Dawnwalker, Onimusha: Way of the Sword)
2:45:15 - PlayStation's side of the Kojima divorce
3:00:40 - Is focus testing ruining games?
3:19:16 - Bloat and personnel in gaming
3:27:25 - Porting trophies to Xbox
3:35:03 - Housemarque's future
3:39:33 - Horror games in October

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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?

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Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.
0:00:00 - Intro
0:40:31 - Mega Man amiibo
0:40:56 - Advice for divorce
0:54:28 - Sacred Make-A-Wish
0:58:15 - Thumbnail preference
1:03:47 - Sony's physical production was misreported
1:06:30 - Sony pulls PHYSINT, Kojima goes to Xbox
2:14:20 - Rumor: Killzone is returning
2:26:33 - Valve leaks achievements of tons of games
2:38:02 - You can play PS3 games on disk on PC
2:41:50 - EA and Savvy could combine
2:46:43 - SNK announces Metal Slug Ultimate Collectoin
2:51:48 - New PS+ Game Catalog titles
2:54:27 - August PSN charts
2:57:02 - What We’ve Been Playing (Alan Wake II, The Blood of Dawnwalker, Onimusha: WotS, Plague Tale Resonance)
3:19:34 - Wolverine discussion
3:42:57 - PvE over Pvp
3:48:48 - Where is Mega Man Legends?
3:55:00 - Is it better to be an early adopter?
4:04:23 - Video game innovation
4:14:57 - Sony first party sports
4:18:34 - The end of remasters

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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?

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Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.
0:00:00 - Intro
0:16:34 - Pre-Sacred ritual
0:28:26 - Chris Ray Goon
0:31:09 - Bathroom paper towels
0:33:04 - Podcast etiquette
0:40:44 - Wendy's encounter
0:52:21 - Money flow follow-up
0:54:57 - State of Play
1:46:37 - Netflix's GTAVI breaks records
1:49:41 - Sony's comments on "digital ownership"
2:03:08 - Housemarque co-founder leaves
2:07:52 - Square Enix denies going private
2:10:38 - Sony Music buys 24% stake in Gung Ho Entertainment
2:13:06 - Sony brings live TV to PlayStation
2:15:48 - Iron Man game leaked
2:18:38 - 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 reality
2:50:52 - Video Games Critic
2:59:12 - Physical games replacement
3:07:32 - Mega Man’s future
3:13:26 - Star Wars: Zero Company furlough

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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 - Intro
20:46 - Patreon player
22:05 - Free codes
26:43 - Sacred is here for you
28:28 - Glass Snapple is back
32:03 - GTA VI leaks and pricing
1:52:47 - GTA VI showcase reaction
2:23:20 - New tariffs could be coming
2:28:34 - Anti-data center craze
2:40:40 - Gamescom catchup
3:20:24 - Sony confirms Helldivers is a huge success
3:21:27 - Bloodstained: The Scarlet Engagement delayed
3:22:59 - Terranigma confirmed
3:23:45 - Dave Bautista cast as Kratos
3:24:37 - New PS+ games
3:28:07 - What Are We Playing? (Beast of Reincarnation, Alan Wake II, Endacopia, Mortal Shell 2, How to Fish)
3:53:48 - Mode Collapse of gaming
4:02:30 - HoYoverse expansion
4:07:33 - "Legacy PlayStation"
4:11:44 - Will this be one of the best years in gaming?

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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 - Intro
39:18 - Shoutout to Chris and Porter
50:08 - "Dustin is Japanese"
52:26 - Drinking in the pool
1:03:09 - Digital ownership brother in arms
1:09:27 - RIP Hayden Panettiere
1:15:08 - GTAVI Leaks
1:44:20 - Horizon: Hunters Gathering is being reworked
2:28:31 - Hiroki Totoki Literature Club interview
2:42:15 - Sony's shovelware purge gone wrong?
2:55:21 - Kingdom Hearts IV releases late 2027
3:01:28 - Terranigma port
3:05:32 - Pulse Elevate speakers coming in November
3:07:53 - Call of Duty beta includes campaign level
3:09:44 - Simpsons Hit and Run returns?
3:14:25 - July US sales data
3:18:42 - What We're Playing (Beast of Reincarnation, Spider-Man 2, Mortal Shell 2)
3:40:39 - Toxic fandoms
3:56:42 - Enshittification across media
4:06:53 - Curbing your expectations
4:20:17 - Is Naughty Dog unsustainable?
4:24:14 - Is America AAA game dev dead?
4:30:34 - Was physical media a nightmare?

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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 - Intro
42:56 - Met-cha Chameleon
47:49 - Sacred American Gladiator
50:20 - 24 minutes
53:49 - Almonds vs data centers
1:07:26 - Phantom Blade Zero State of Play
1:15:00 - Halloween The Game refused classification in Australia and New Zealand
1:27:08 - Ghost of Yotei: Complete Edition
1:35:19 - Wolverine console plates and more
1:43:56 - Lord of the Rings: War in the North re-released
1:52:42 - New PS+ Game Catalog games
2:01:00 - GTAVI's $100 version is the top seller
2:14:29 - July's Top PSN Downloads
2:17:35 - Spider-Man sales increase thanks to the movie
2:20:20 - 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 Rights
3:10:07 - Playing PS5 discs on PS6
3:20:35 - Codes in boxes
3:24:14 - RPG towns
3:29:23 - Defending big companies
3:39:48 - Game discipline

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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?

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Timestamps:

Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.
0:00 - Intro
21:28 - Beaucoup bucks
23:15 - Has Colin gone woke?
30:57 - Betting on Dustin's return
35:44 - Last games during Dustin's leave
51:19 - Balancing work, life, and kids
58:32 - GTA VI premieres on Netflix
1:16:24 - Sony Q1 26 financials
1:56:48 - EA's sale to the Saudis is done
2:11:37 - Shift Up's AI music video
2:21:50 - Dave Bautista as Kratos?
2:26:59 - New PlayStation LEGO
2:27:31 - Black Ops on PS5 sales
2:28:34 - What We're Playing (Halo, GTA SA, Big Walk, Splatoon Raiders)
2:55:43 - AI Moderation
3:13:54 - MLB Lockout
3:17:47 - Optimizing games too much
3:24:30 - Buying and selling digital games
3:34:09 - Lack of real games media
3:41:07 - Buying PS6 via contract

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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 - Intro
11:58 - R.I.P. Sophie
18:56 - R.I.P. Excalibur
31:49 - Shoutout to gamer mom
35:53 - Changing names
41:22 - Dustin's been spotted in the wild
43:26 - A rare correction
51:39 - PSBlackout
1:18:41 - God of War: Laufey launches on February 16th, 2027
1:26:22 - Reliable insider suggests Naughty Dog will release Intergalactic in 2027
1:36:40 - Marvel Tokon’s PC test isn’t going great
1:42:38 - A Dragon Age trilogy re-release seems very unlikely
1:51:02 - Yoshi-P says a Final Fantasy VI remake would require four or five parts
1:58:17 - Crazy Taxi: World Tour gets a closed network test
2:01:19 - Industry layoffs are accelerating
2:09:47 - New PS+ Essential games revealed
2:12:36 - Gran Turismo 7 gets a branded steering wheel
2:15:56 - Surprise! Capcom continues to do great
2:16:16 - What is Kingdom Come: Salvation?
2:16:29 - Atari signs a 10-movie deal with Universal
2:17:10 - 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 old
3:32:40 - 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

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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 - Intro
17:43 - Del Walker has great insight
21:03 - Marathon's PVE mode
31:45 - Feel better, Brent
32:32 - Moriarty X Jaffe summer camp
44:43 - More sports talk please
48:52 - Dexter can't dance
53:24 - Mosquito's suck
57:22 - Physical game sales on PS5 are struggling + June US sales data
1:59:31 - Marathon's director quits
2:17:10 - Bethesda confirms Fallout 3 and New Vegas remasters
2:33:22 - Blood of the Dawnwalker will carry its saves over into future games
2:38:06 - NBA 2K27’s cover athletes revealed, skips PS4
2:42:34 - Jonathan Blow’s new game confirmed for launch on PS5
2:45:37 - God of War’s Amazon show is recasting Kratos after on-set injury
2:49:45 - The first Call of Duty film is less than a year out
2:52:18 - 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 trilogies
3:24:42 - Will retro hardware prices skyrocket?
3:30:38 - Does GTA cause violence?
3:40:51 - Should Sony fund smaller single player games?

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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 - Intro
51:17 - PlayStation at San Diego Comic-Con
57:15 - Analyst forecasts a soft PS6 launch
1:12:07 - GTA VI to make billions in its first week
1:20:47 - EA backtracks on controversial monetization
1:33:35 - Black Ops 1 and 2 dominate PSN
1:44:07 - Sony finally elaborates heavily on Ranger Rumble
1:53:14 - 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 headcount
2:17:22 - Halo: Campaign Evolved goes gold
2:22:50 - The Blood of Dawnwalker goes gold
2:24:47 - New Game Catalog additions for July
2:34:13 - Mouse: PI and Black Flag sales soar
2:42:21 - 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 tiers
3:49:47 - Is it time for Sony to give the PlayStation TV another shot?

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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 - Intro
22:12 - Yet another Sacred baby
24:04 - The Blue Reaper
32:32 - Enough of the Euroslander
34:18 - Wet wipes are a game changer
39:07 - Infamous 2 UGC servers shutting down
42:05 - Christopher Barrett settled his lawsuit with Bungie and Sony
55:04 - Sony won’t reverse course on physical media
1:06:22 - Sony starts repurposing its factories
2:24:40 - European fans freak out about account deletion
2:29:22 - Marvel Tokon on PC won’t launch in 132 countries
2:34:41 - Microsoft guts id Software
3:10:33 - Obsidian returns to Fallout
3:25:55 - Undead Labs spins-out from Xbox
3:32:42 - IO Interactive reclaims its cancelled Xbox second party game
3:34:45 - June 2026’s top downloads on PSN
3:35:50 - 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 tricks
4:09:37 - EA Sports College Football 27 uproar
4:17:39 - Bethesda's lay-off memorial

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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?

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Timestamps:

Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.

0:00 - Intro
20:52 - Welcome Lily
24:01 - Loud neighbors
39:11 – Colin's plan of succession
42:13 – The return of the King
46:23 – Starting in 2028, PlayStation consoles will no longer receive new games on disc
1:17:23 – Sony’s strategy
1:39:54 – Why is Sony removing this option?
1:52:50 – The passive income of disc production
1:57:49 – What’s this mean for pricing?
2:03:19 – Improving the storefront
2:09:10 – Should the ownership paradigm shift?
2:18:48 – Codes at stores again?
2:25:58 – Multiple storefronts, buying outside of PSN
2:30:07 – Does “pro-consumerism” even work?
2:32:04 – Have the people spoken?
2:33:47 – The never-ending rural problem
2:37:00 – Lillymo
2:42:32 – PS3 and Vita’s digital storefronts will go offline forever in one year
3:15:53 – Sony won’t subsidize its hardware beyond a certain point
3:19:29 – PS5 has its worst May on the US market since the late PSone era
3:24:44 – Sony says it has to (and will) keep investing in games-as-a-service
3:31:59 – Sony pulls Studio Canal films from the PSN backend
3:35:24 – Shaun Layden says Sony is making a mistake by stopping its PC support
3:43:11 – Blade, Loki, and Deadpool revealed for Marvel Tokon
3:46:37 – Capcom moves Onimusha’s date up
3:47:46 – July’s PS+ Essential games
3:49:40 – Persona is getting a live action TV series
3:51:54 – 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 creator
4:19:04 – 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?

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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 - Intro
22:50 - Happy Birthday nerd
35:46 - Trophy hunting
37:10 - Chris has a new voice
47:15 - Release the files
55:38 - The Green Reaper
57:31 - GTA VI "plays best" on PlayStation 5
1:46:15 - Bungie lays of hundreds
2:11:09 - Bungie pitched a Destiny dating game
2:15:35 - God of War: Laufey might launch in Q1 2027
2:17:02 - Deborah Ann Woll claims Laufey was pitched in 2018
2:25:06 - PlayStation Store shovelware developer bites the dust
2:30:53 - Kadokawa says Fromsoft is being mismanaged
2:39:21 - Tencent exits from several game studio investments
2:43:47 - What We're Playing (Pragmata, LEGO Batman, Luna Abyss, GTA: San Andreas)
3:05:33 - Steam Machine pricing
3:26:19 - Could Sony invest in XBOX?
3:31:15 - What's next for Sony?
3:40:03 - Midnight Murder Club received its final update
3:46:05 - Is gambling software okay?
3:54:55 - Should Sony stick to its existing IP catalog?

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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 - Intro
37:04 - Leon the Great
38:35 - Dustin's weeb degeneracy
45:27 - Colin adopts Joshua's wife
52:17 - Long Island history
55:40 - LSM's extra content
58:35 - GTA VI pre-orders
1:09:05 - PS4 got a new firmware update
1:13:39 - Yet another PSN security issue
1:37:16 - Will PS6 be delayed?
1:52:02 - Housemarque's future
2:07:50 - Halo's first trophy list
2:13:29 - Mark Hamill joins Twisted Metal
2:18:25 - Black Ops 1 & 2 are coming to Playstation
2:23:53 - EA reveals EA Advertising
2:32:16 - Rockstar retires PS4 players
2:33:20 - Sony patents DualSense with button hardness
2:41:21 - Unreal Engine 6 releases in 2027
2:54:54 - Capcom disempowers its authors
3:04:38 - Devil May Cry 5 sold more copies in 2025
3:06:03 - Sony speaks on PC cancellations
3:08:49 - 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 praise
3:51:36 - Grifting doesn't earn much

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