Sacred Symbols: A PlayStation Podcast

• #371 | Count Money All Day, Count Money All Night

  If Sony's recent fiscal report shows anything, it's that PlayStation is turning into a bona fide money printer. Yes, PS5 has surpassed 80 million units sold, and that in and of itself is a substantial figure. But the more interesting numbers reside in the financials, where the brand netted more in profit in a single three month period than it did for much of entire previous generations. That's completely insane. So let's discuss PlayStation's meteoric growth, what it means, and how Sony may be doing all of this with one arm tied behind its back. Plus: Media Molecule loses its final founding member, the new BioShock game is in trouble, Lost Soul Aside goes gold, Starfield is rumored to be PS5-bound in 2026, Darksiders 4 gets announced, Silent Hill F brings the franchise into an action-oriented direction, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Is PlayStation Plus fundamentally underrated? Could Battlefield 6 outsell Call of Duty: Black Ops 7? Are we on the verge of having to verify our identity on PSN? Will Colin travel to a nearby town to try and find life-sized box art of the old game X-Blades? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:27:20 - Derek <30:30:16 - Keep on, keeping on Luke0:37:24 - Grace’s first platinum0:41:28 - This is Tarman0:43:45 - SouthPeak Games0:45:52 - Is the opening of the show too out of hand?0:48:55 - Ghost of Yotei film festival1:01:40 - Sony financials1:37:35 - Media Molecule's last co-founder leaves1:50:39 - New Bioshock is in trouble2:08:32 - Lost Souls Aside has gone gold2:12:36 - Will Exiledge be a hit?2:17:30 - Starfield on PS5 rumors continue2:23:53 - Darksiders 4 announced2:28:01 - Silent Hill F is action focused2:35:47 - Red Octane is making a new rhythm game2:43:58 - Genshin Impact removes PS4 support2:51:23 - New Pragmata gameplay2:52:49 - Marvel Tokon beta2:56:36 - What We Are Playing? (Death Stranding 2, Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound, Deus Ex: The Conspiracy, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Luto, Delta Rune)3:34:07 - What is going on with the Steam payment processor story?3:40:38 - PlayStation Plus is also a great deal3:47:08 - Is it Battlefield's time?3:53:02 - Why are reviews so long?4:04:15 - Why don't game support couch co-op?4:11:40 - ID verification in games Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• #370 | Guerrilla Warfare

  Earlier this year, Chinese publisher Tencent revealed a new project so shameless that it belies belief. It's called Light of Motiram, and it's no exaggeration to say that it's a pound-for-pound carbon copy of PlayStation's vaunted Horizon franchise. It crossed the line to such an extent that Sony is suing Tencent over it, packing fascinating evidence that this title was likely intended to be Horizon all along. Is Tencent dead-to-rights? Other news this week includes likely massive overreaction to PlayStation's hiring of a cross-platform manager, updates on Amazon's God of War TV project, Xbox's dominance of PS5 sales chart with rumors of more to come, Warner Bros. dipping its toes back in the games-as-a-service space, fresh PS+ offerings, and more. To round things out, we then go to listener inquiries, as always. Is the original Metal Gear Solid overrated? What's happening with Insomniac's Wolverine project? Have payment processors gone too far in seemingly bullying the likes of Steam? Will Colin ever understand that Bob Dylan is still alive? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:16:13 -  Bob Dylan is not dead0:33:00 - 401k Sacred boys0:35:03 - RIP in Peace0:35:58 - Remembering Tomvy0:41:38 - Katy, let the PS5 breathe0:44:23 - Section 8 clarification0:48:39 - Twisted Metal release schedule1:03:52 - Sony sues Tencent over Horizon clone1:26:40 - Sony hiring a multiplatform manager1:57:25 - Ronald D. Moore talks God of War2:11:52 - New China Hero Project games2:17:06 - Xbox games dominated Q2 PS5 software sales2:34:45 - WB is hiring for a live service game2:49:16 - Lies of P coming to PS+2:53:54 - Sony's fightstick is called FlexStrike3:01:17 - Nintendo Direct stuff3:14:43 - What Are We Playing? (Death Stranding 2, Deus Ex, Silent Hill 3)3:38:32 - Steam's credit card drama3:59:19 - Does Metal Gear Solid hold up?4:05:13 - What's up with Wolverine?4:14:11 - Is anti-crunch making game development longer?4:18:24 - PlayStation sequels are selling less?4:25:13 - SkillUp's gaming website Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• #369 | Selling Years of Their Smoke and Mirrors and Open Minds

  With leaks galore coming out of its closed testing period, it should come as no surprise that Battlefield 6 is real, and it's en route very soon. Electronic Arts and its quartet of fully-owned teams under the Battlefield Studios moniker promise a full multiplayer reveal in late July, and rumors indicate the full title is primed to launch in October. Can EA finally turn the ship around and fully deliver on the potential of its ailing franchise? Or has its lunch been permanently eaten? Plus: Sony invests $450 million into Bandai Namco in return for 2.5% of the publisher, FromSoft is reportedly working on a mystery game due out in 2026, the reasons for Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles' long development cycle suddenly become clearer, Microsoft backtracks on The Outer Worlds 2's aggressive pricing, Death Stranding 2 sells big, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Did our parents ever play games with us while we were growing up? Is Colin an unadulterated and unhinged Nintendo hater? Will shorter and more reasonable development cycles ever return to the AAA space? Could one listener's ex now be dating another listener? Download Cash App Today: https://capl.onelink.me/vFut/ty57yree #CashAppPod. As a Cash App partner, Imay earn a commission when you sign up for a Cash App account. Cash App is a financial servicesplatform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. Visit cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures. Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:21:45 - Sacred Symbols lifts you up0:22:56 - Good news for a change0:23:49 - Loud yawning0:32:16 - Perfect Colin0:34:17 - Colin's allowance0:42:06 - Sony buys 2.5% of Bandai Namco0:53:29 - Battlefield 6 announced1:10:52 - What is FromSoft's Project FMC1:19:29 - New PS5 beta firmware1:29:49 - Why FF Tactics took so long1:36:53 - Outer Worlds 2 lowers its price1:48:30 - Splitgate 2 goes back to beta2:07:05 - June 2025 Circana2:16:32 - What We’ve Been Playing (Death Stranding 2, Donkey Kong: Bananza, Tony Hawk Remakes)2:38:07 - Playing video games with your parents2:51:03 - Is Colin jealous of his ex (Nintendo)?3:07:12 - Why does game development take so long?3:13:18 - The homogeneity of AAA gaming2:55:55 - New TV settings3:19:19 - Why do we care so much about news? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• #368 | Son of War

  Sony-owned Santa Monica Studio is one of PlayStation's first party powerhouses. Responsible for the God of War franchise -- and, other than Kinetica early in the PS2 era, only the God of War franchise -- there was some excitement building about what was next. But what if it's just more God of War... at least kinda? New rumors indicate that Santa Monica is working on something more familiar than we might have hoped, and from our perspective, that can only mean one thing. We discuss. Plus: Sucker Punch expresses interest in returning to Infamous, Ghost of Yotei gets special edition PS5 hardware and a DualSense, HBO's second season of The Last of Us earns a ton of Emmy nominations, concept art for Deviation's cancelled PlayStation exclusive emerges, Dragon Quest VII is apparently being remade at Square Enix, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! With the demise of Xbox's Turn 10 Studio, is it time for PlayStation to port Gran Turismo to its rival's machine? Is Colin totally off-base with his desire for Arc System Works to create a PlayStation fighter instead of a Marvel one? What's the worst example in our personal gaming lives of losing a save file? Should Dustin enter into an illicit relationship with an eager listener? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:44:52 - Dustin's cry for help0:52:56 - Sacred Streaming1:07:46 - Stand down Chrissy1:11:43 - What is Santa Monica working on?1:33:34 - Ghost of Yotei PS5 special edition1:38:23 - Restock of 30th Anniversary gear1:41:11 - 16 Emmys for TLOU season 2 + Season 32:00:46- Art from Deviation's canceled game2:08:21 - Dragon Quest VII remake rumors2:15:09 - Ubisoft announces new co-CEOs2:35:35 - Iron Galaxy's guitar hero joke2:52:39 - What We’re Playing3:30:11 - Favorite video game merch3:37:11 - Custom Powerwash simulator levels3:40:53 - GT7 on Xbox3:45:52 - Demands to Spider-Man on Xbox3:52:55 - PlayStation fighter vs Marvel Tokon4:01:18 - Accidentally deleting your save Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• #367 | Here We Go, Down That Same Old Road Again

  If you're tired of The Last of Us, well, it's really too bad. That's because Naughty Dog has updated The Last of Us: Part II yet again, this time with a so-called Chronological Mode that orders the game's chapters and subchapters sequentially. It's easy to mock this many updates, of course, but in reality, is Sony going above-and-beyond in keeping some of its older games alive? Shouldn't we applaud the years-long dedication to not only The Last of Us, but to God of War, Ghost of Tsushima, Days Gone, Horizon, and others? We discuss. Then: Twisted Metal's second season on Peacock gets a new trailer, STALKER 2 is finally confirmed for PlayStation 5, Final Fantasy IX Remake may be in trouble, Capcom acknowledges Mega Man, and more. Plus: Listener inquiries! If we could only play a single game-as-a-service, which would it be? Could gaming be entering a more serious phase, as the industry finds itself fused more with education? Is it crazy to play sequels without having experienced the original? What are the percentage odds Colin is on the precipice of becoming a Kingdom Hearts superfan? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:25:36 - Favorite color and number0:26:16 - Furries0:35:30 - Hot dog advice0:48:36 - Sacred vernacular0:53:57 - Fawn-ta0:58:34 - Kingdom Hearts Stockholm syndrome1:05:21 - Upcoming Games list1:07:14 - Last of us Part II Chronological mode1:18:00 - Twisted Metal Season 21:22:34 - STALKER 2 is coming to PS51:28:26 - Is FFIX Remake canceled?1:38:32 - Capcom comments on Mega Man1:48:25 - SAG-AFTRA strike is over1:57:14 - The industry's statement on Stop Killing Games2:13:08 - New PS+ Games2:23:42 - May Circana2:30:55 - May PSN sales2:37:01 - PS4 Firmware update2:42:39 - What Are We Playing? (Death Stranding 2, Peak)3:15:17 - Gaming attention span3:28:38 - Picking one live service game3:33:23 - Sequels that clicked3:39:15 - Does our jobs make us enjoy games less?3:51:11 - New concurrent player count record3:59:35 - Video games in education Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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