Sacred Symbols: A PlayStation Podcast

We're truly in the doldrums of summer when it comes to console gaming, at least when considering news, releases, and other notable happenings. But we have a show to do nonetheless, and there are still a series of interesting tidbits worth discussing. Nexon's Bungie-inspired shooter The First Descendant has found itself in some controversy around in-game art, Amazon's Fallout TV series received a ton of Emmy nominations (with Twisted Metal on Peacock receiving one of its own), Sony will show off a slew of games on the show floor at Beijing's ChinaJoy '24 convention, Black Ops 6's beta details have been revealed, and more. We round things out with listener inquiries, as we usually do, this week approaching topics like our game of the year so far for 2024, immersion, playing games with our spouses, and the generational gap (in player age) when it comes to the hardcore space.

Tickets to Sacred Vs Dukes live show: https://bit.ly/sacreddukes

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

0:00:00 - Intro

0:41:47 - Snark Tank dash cam crash update

0:46:10 - F Cancer

0:48:56 - Where was Dustin on Saturday?

1:13:28 - Dustin's baby publicity

1:29:50 - Too similar?

1:38:14 - Sony at ChinaJoy

1:42:03 - Black Ops 6 beta details

1:49:39 - New Emmy nominations

1:54:07 - Crash 5 cancelled?

1:58:19 - First Descendant copies Destiny?

2:03:59 - Gamers love microtransations

2:11:32 - AAA console games bomb on iOS

2:20:49 - Valve's low employee count

2:24:01 - What we're playing

2:44:29 - GOTY so far?

2:54:20 - Gaming nostalgia

3:13:18 - Immersion problems

3:21:24 - Gaming with your significant other

3:26:30 - Gaming demographics

3:37:45 - DEI layoffs

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The next PlayStation Studios game in the pipeline is Concord, and we're all interested to see how it pans out. But by opening up its imminent beta weekend to all PS+ subscribers instead of those who pre-ordered the game, it's obvious that the pre-release energy for this title simply isn't there. Will a mass of people going hands-on change its trajectory? Or do things seem a little bit dire for Firewalk's maiden voyage? Plus: Bloodborne for PS5 appears on PlayStation Stars in a cruel tease, Zenless Zone Zero hits 50 million players in only a week, Arc System Works is toiling away on a 3D Double Dragon game, Sony gets into bed with PalWorld studio Pocketpair, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! What do we think of the extensive changes Microsoft made to Xbox's Game Pass program? We've talked a great deal about AI, but how do we feel about its distant cousin procedural generation? Which changes do we want to see instituted most in Firaxis' Civilization VII? Will Chris trade his PSVR2 to a listener for standing room concert tickets?

Tickets to Sacred Vs Dukes live show: https://bit.ly/sacreddukes

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

0:00:00 - Intro

0:22:41 - Happy Birthday Emily

0:28:45 - Lockmort's patronage

0:30:40 - Stretch our legs

0:34:00 - Heat

0:35:11 - Chingers

0:44:55 - Marriage advice

0:54:53 - New team name

0:57:02 - Trade offer

1:00:51 - Concord beta

1:16:55 - Bloodborne PS5

1:22:24 - Double Dragon reboot

1:26:18 - Zenless Zone Zero success

1:29:58 - Ys X release date

1:32:43 - What the Sigma Star Saga?

1:33:54 - What we're playing

2:02:07 - Pocketpair’s Sony Partnership

2:10:23 - Software and hardware sales data

2:19:55 - New PS Plus games

2:26:25 - Xbox Game Pass price increase

2:44:53 - Stigma to lower difficulties

2:52:15 - Legendary fights

2:56:01 - How much AI is ok?

3:12:56 - Civ VII dreams

3:20:09 - Right-wing grifters

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Days Gone came to PlayStation 4 more than five years ago, and though it sold very well, a sequel hasn't been greenlit, and will almost certainly never be. So why are we still talking about it? Because the civil war that fractured Bend Studio after Days Gone's release has left a sour taste in some folks' mouths. Fair enough. But ultimately, we've all got to move on, and a public airing of grievances -- while personally satisfactory, no doubt -- solves very little. We discuss. Other news this week includes the cancellation of Netflix's in-development Horizon TV series, Sony confirming it will have a presence at Tokyo Game Show for the first time since 2019, reports of SEGA's Crazy Taxi reboot being an MMO, and more. We wrap up our snug lil episode with inquiries from the audience, per usual. If we had complete immunity as the President of Gaming, how would we abuse our power? Are we attracted to the speedrunning scene? How is Elon Musk's Neuralink already changing the way people interact with games? Is Dustin a fake PlayStation fan?

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

0:00:00 - Intro

0:32:14 - Six years of Sacred

0:38:44 - 126 degree party

0:51:31 - Angry Colin?

1:01:12 - Dustin exposed/canceled?

1:12:20 - The Getaway issues

1:17:27 - Days Gone Drama

1:29:53 - Horizon Netflix canceled

1:36:22 - New PlayStation collectibles

1:40:39 - Sony at TGS

1:47:53 - Dead Rising details

1:54:16 - Star Wars Outlaws goes gold

1:56:27 - Crazy Taxi reboot

2:04:57 - What we're playing?

2:25:37 - Presidential Gaming immunity

2:33:28 - Castlevania speed run

2:40:04 - Waiting to play games

2:41:48 - Neuralink gaming

2:52:27 - Game within games

2:57:04 - Goodbye to goodbyes

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Good news emanates from South Korea, where developer Shift Up announced that PS5-exclusive release Stellar Blade has surpassed a million copies sold. To the rational thinking person, this is obviously a great accomplishment for a niche and provocative release on a single platform, and yet there are know-nothings debating its success. Thus, we correct the incorrect while also talking about Stellar Blade's future, including DLC, a PC port, and -- ultimately! -- a sequel. Other news this week includes details for Concord's upcoming closed and open betas, the surprising return of Capcom zombie-killing classic Dead Rising, fresh PSone-era collections for the likes of Fear Effect and Fighting Force, percolating rumors about PlayStation 3 emulation finally coming to PS4 and PS5, and much more. As always, we wrap things up with inquiries from you, the audience. What do we think about a Guerrilla producer's desire to get Aloy in Smash Bros? Is poor media literacy stopping gaming from reaching its true potential? Which random PlayStation 2 games would we like to see ported to modern hardware? If we could go back to the 17th century and permanently scar a peasant child with a video game experience, which one would we choose?

• Get a free gift with your Journey Pack at https://www.tryfum.com/sacred and use code SACRED

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

0:00:00 - Intro

0:13:04 - Independent wrestling promoter

0:15:22 - Bread

0:34:26 - Rotating third chair?

0:45:31 - Chips in the microwave?

0:54:12 - Taking a game back in time

1:05:09 - Concord beta details

1:16:27 - Astro Bot's dev team is 60 people.

1:33:49 - PS3 emulation rumors

1:47:35 - Smaller news items

1:58:00 - What we're playing

2:26:41 - Stellar Blade sells over 2 million

2:38:04 - PSVR 2 woes

2:59:39 - Dead Rising Deluxe Remaster

3:08:14 - Limited Run Games announcements

3:15:38 - New PS Plus games

3:27:33 - Retro PlayStation Podcast

3:33:43 - Smash-like PlayStation game

3:50:39 - Media literacy in gaming

4:04:09 - Stranded PS2 games

4:15:17 - Boss Rush mode

4:20:17 - Fixing the amount of games

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nintendo and Microsoft both had rock-solid presentations during this faux-E3 time of year, and it has some PlayStation fans on their back foot. Why does it seem like Sony is dragging its feet when its competitors are going full steam ahead? Isn't there anything to say? And while many (including some of us on this show) make the argument that its lack of communication doesn't particularly matter in the long run -- PlayStation 5 is doing great as-is -- the consternation is nonetheless growing in the vacuum of silence. Plus: Dragon Quest III HD-2D and a Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Collection are both en route to PS5, as is Hironobu Sakaguchi's Fantasian, while the seventh China Hero Game, Evotinction, is slated for release later this year, Shovel Knight prepares his triumphant return, Bluepoint reconfirms it's working on an original title, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Did developer Game Science really get shaken-down for $7 million by a DEI consultancy? Will Hollow Knight: Silksong ever actually come out, or is it a myth? Whatever happened to the reconstituted Telltale Games? Has Colin gained full royal status, complete with new honorary titles?

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

0:00:00 - Intro

0:30:51 - Happy Juneteenth Dustin

0:43:53 - Dustin's demise

0:49:39 - Around the NFL RIP?

0:53:18 - Dog pee scandal

1:01:06 - Expectations are the thief of joy

1:03:04 - Corrections

1:08:14 - Horizon at a Nintendo Direct

1:14:33 - Bluepoint's original IP

1:24:51 - Uncharted 2 movie

1:28:45 - PS Portal Update

1:30:58 - Sony will not be at Gamescom

1:33:16 - Sony owned company skipping PS5 publishing

1:39:17 - TimeSplitters rated for PS4 and PS5

1:50:46 - Jedi: Survivor rated for PS4

1:52:02 - Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP release date

1:55:02 - Beyond Good & Evil 20th Anniversary Edition

1:57:05 - Tomba! 2 is being remastered

2:02:24 - What We’ve Been Playing

2:32:13 - Dragon Quest III HD-2D

2:53:37 - Fantasian is coming to PlayStation

3:04:42 - Evotinction

3:10:41 - Marvel Vs Capcom Fighting Collection

3:19:15 - Shovel Knight news

3:28:07 - How long can Sony keep it low key?

3:39:01 - Does Sony need more games?

3:52:38 - Games journalism ethics

4:07:29 - Toxic Silksong fans

4:16:02 - Where is Telltale Games?

4:18:52 - What happened to video game reviews?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

t's getting crazy out there. Fresh off of E3 Lite comes a slew of new game announcements, more than we could possibly cover, nonetheless play. And this brings up a good point, one we burrow down on: Who's gonna be able to buy and play all of this stuff in an ecosystem dominated by vacuum-like powerhouses that leave little room for competition? Are we nearing a breaking point, where there are simply too many games seeking too few players spending too few dollars, even as the industry grows? Well, we're about to find out. The news this week is otherwise copious: Horizon LEGO Adventures is coming to PS5 and PC... and Nintendo Switch?! Mark Cerny gives a rare interview and provides some insight into PlayStation's thought processes. Black Ops 6, Slitterhead, Civilization VII, The Thing Remastered, Doom: The Dark Ages, Dragon Age: The Veilguard, and so much more were announced. Sea of Thieves dominates the PlayStation Network, foretelling an obvious continuing migration of Xbox games to PS5. And much more! Then: Listener inquiries. Is Astro's Playroom teasing upcoming PlayStation announcements? How come publishers and developers are keeping specific release dates so close to their vests? Could anything get us excited about Assassin's Creed Shadows? Is Colin accidentally inhaling mind-altering chemicals while he cleans the shower?

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

0:00:00 - Intro

0:11:23 - Cleaning in the shower

0:19:03 - Shoes in the house

0:26:15 - Happy Birthday Cyprus

0:31:35 - Sony acquires Alamo Draft House

0:41:34 - Xbox showcase reflections

1:31:41 - COD: Black Ops 6

1:38:32 - Slitterhead

1:46:36 - Valorant

1:52:12 - Civilization VII

1:59:06 - Metal Gear Solid Delta

2:11:25 - Prince of Persia: Sands of Time remake

2:15:23 - Life is Strange: Double Exposure

2:19:36 - The Thing Remaster

2:24:41 - Visions of Mana release date

2:26:27 - Game sales

2:43:20 - New trophies for classics on PSN

2:44:59 - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

2:52:05 - Wolfhound

2:54:06 - PlayStation Stars downtime

3:00:12 - FF Tactics is happening

3:03:46 - What we've been playing

3:33:23 - Lego Horizon Adventures

4:12:18 - Epic Game Store leak

4:17:46 - Mark Cerny interview

4:31:48 - Doom: The Dark Ages

4:39:02 - Dragon Age The Veilguard

4:47:40 - New PS Plus Games

4:51:27 - What would get us to play Assassin's Creed Shadows?

4:57:11 - Pixel art more expensive?

5:01:18 - New Xbox console strategy

5:08:35 - Astro teases a showcase?

5:12:11 - Missing dates in 2024

5:15:37 - Are we real hardcore gamers?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

fter a flurry of activity, we find ourselves in a bit of a lull. And frankly, that's good. We could all use a little bit of a rest. Doing so allows us to catch up, refresh, and anticipate what lies behind the next undoubtedly-busy corner. With E3's multi-pronged replacement readying a barrage of announcements and other newsworthy bits, let's clear what's on our plate at present. Firewalk's divisive Concord has been given a (compelling?) price, PSVR2 is receiving its long-rumored PC adapter, WB loses $200 million on Rocksteady's Suicide Squad game, the original Halo is rumored for release on PS5, and much more. Listener inquiries wrap things up, per usual. Does Astro Bot have the potential to be PlayStation's next big IP? Do Chinese games deserve more respect? Why doesn't PlayStation Network allow you to buy digital titles for your friends? Is Colin a psychopath for embracing the 'sock-shoe, sock-shoe' lifestyle?

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

0:00:00 - Intro

0:18:57 - Dustin’s baby’s name

0:30:56 - Dusty

0:34:35 - Colin’s Body Pillow

0:40:04 - Ranch

0:42:59 - sock, shoe, sock, shoe

0:49:24 - Slitter’s Return

0:52:50 - Dagan’s IMDB page

0:54:46 - Puff puff

0:58:48 - Tomba: Special Edition dated

1:10:26 - PSVR PC Adapter

1:23:56 - Multiple projects confirmed at Naughty Dog

1:32:55 - Concord price and beta details

1:55:34 - PS5 8K box change

2:10:11 - Is The Last of Us Part 2 PC port done?

2:14:04 - Octopath Traveler is out on PlayStation

2:19:20 - Suicide Squad bombs

2:25:41 - Silent Hill 2 gameplay

2:32:16 - Dragon Age has a new name

2:33:31 - YouTube Leaks

2:34:29 - Amazon’s Yakuza show

2:43:24 - What We’ve Been Playing

3:00:39 - Astro Bot’s potential

3:08:10 - Do we miss E3?

3:15:25 - Game selling regret

3:22:16 - Battle Pass objectives

3:25:02 - Chinese Games

3:29:21 - PSN buying for a friend

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

During Sony's fiscal recent reporting, the company promised that it would further outline its respective situations and plans with each of its internal silos. When it comes to PlayStation, the result was an informative, information-rich PDF and an earnings call-like presentation that gives us a lot of extra insight into the brand. Here's what's clear: PlayStation is economically vibrant, growing, and reaching more than a hundred million people each month. Its generational revenue and profits are at all-time highs. People are spending more on the console than ever, purchasing more content, engaging with more products, and hanging around longer than ever. So, uh... maybe all of that chatter of an industry-wide console decline was a little premature? Sony (and Nintendo) is doing much better than just fine. Other news this week includes details on all 14 games shown during Sony's State of Play stream, including our first look at first party products like Firewalk's Concord and Asobi's all-new AstroBot game, rumors of the next Doom coming to PS5 day-and-date, the mystery behind Dragon Warrior III HD's long-time disappearance and recent return, controversy surrounding the misquoting of Neil Druckmann by Sony's own PR, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! When we say an executive has a fiduciary obligation, what do we mean? Should Sony be worried about Call of Duty going to Xbox Game Pass day one? Why is Activision being sued by the Uvalde shooting parents? Does Colin have any advice for a new Boston Terrier owner?

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

0:00:00 - Intro

0:18:09 - Texas Tornado

0:22:23 - Boston Terrier advice

0:26:02 - Listening in the shower

0:38:16 - Two rapid questions

0:49:31 - New Doom on PS5

1:11:53 - PSVR2 PC adapter

1:21:50 - Neil Druckmann misquoted

1:45:43 - Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 announced

1:50:48 - Dragon Quest III HD update

1:57:28 - Dragon's Dogma 2 sells three million

1:59:14 - What are we playing?

2:34:27 - State of Play

3:21:54 - Sony investors meeting

4:09:34 - Days of Play 2024

4:21:07 - Resident Evil rumors

4:31:00 - Circana's April data

4:39:21 - JRPG lingo ranking

4:43:55 - Rebuilding a lost collection

4:51:30 - Will people switch to Xbox for COD on Gamepass?

4:59:54 - What are fiduciary obligations?

5:01:36 - Class Action lawsuit against games

5:14:35 - Was Destiny successful?

Get a free gift with your Journey Pack at https://www.tryfum.com/sacred and use code SACRED

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We talk about 'first parties' and 'third parties' all the time, and we all fundamentally understand the terms. But what about the mysterious 'second party' game? Where do those fit in? Well, PS5 has recently been the recipient of two key second party exclusives -- Arrowhead's Helldivers 2 and Shift Up's Stellar Blade -- and both have been wildly successful, surpassing the respective expectations surrounding each product. In years past with different studios (think Naughty Dog, Guerrilla, Sucker Punch, Insomniac, Housemarque, and others), this level of accomplishment in the second party (where publishers own the game and/or its publishing rights, but not the team making it) often meant acquisition. But things seem awfully different now. There's no doubt Sony's interested in Arrowhead and Shift Up, but is it mutual? Other news includes hints surrounding PlayStation's bubbling mobile initiative, Ghost of Tsushima's amazing performance on PC, Death Stranding 2 entering its final phases of development, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Why are we so obsessed with PlayStation 3 games coming to PS4 and PS5? Have we ever kept a journal to chronicle our experience with a game? With LEGO Horizon rumors amok, what other Sony IP would make sense in that aesthetic? Has Dishwasher Gate officially broken the collective spirit of the Last Stand community?

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

0:00:00 - Intro

0:29:32 - Last week's unhinged start

0:42:42 - Sacred encouragement

0:45:28 - Southern man epidemic

0:50:15 - "I don't know"

0:59:39 - The Division 3 is coming

1:00:33 - Financial reporting correction

1:02:09 - Trophy completion data

1:05:26 - Where is the time to play games?

1:10:03 - Goodbye London Studio

1:16:10 - Death Stranding releasing in 2025

1:21:52 - Ghost of Tsushima is PlayStation biggest single player PC launch

1:32:27 - Strauss Zelnick is confident in GTA6's release date

1:41:38 - IGN buys everyone

1:55:57 - Rolling Stone revives its gaming coverage with Saudi money

2:15:00 - What we’ve been playing

3:06:28 - Changes at Arrowhead

3:26:11 - Shift Up's future plans

3:39:00 - PlayStation mobile job listings

3:48:50 - Why do we want PS3 emulation?

3:59:28 - Trophy addiction

4:07:15 - Video game journaling

4:12:13 - Dualsense Edging

4:18:22 - Other Lego PlayStation games

4:22:17 - Exclusives shouldn't exist?

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jim Ryan's tenure leading PlayStation is officially over (as is Hiroki Totoki's stewardship), and he'll be replaced by a co-CEO format moving forward. Sony veterans Hermen Hulst and Hideaki Nashino hope to divide and conquer, turning an ever-growing brand -- and Sony's flagship -- into an efficient gaming powerhouse. But can they deliver? Good question. We discuss. Other news this week revolves around Sony's jam-packed fiscal year financials, Square Enix's abandonment of their by-platform strategy, release dates and timing for the likes of Grand Theft Auto VI, Assassin's Creed: Shadows, and EA NCAA Football 25, a rumored LEGO Horizon game, the cancellation of The Division: Heartland, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Could Helldivers be turned into a mockumentary-style TV show? Would Sony consider stepping in to save Tango Gameworks? Are Chris and Dustin excited about Destiny 2's upcoming The Final Shape expansion? Will we ever stop unintentionally convincing audience members to get divorced?

Get a free gift with your journey pack at https://www.tryfum.com/sacred and use code SACRED

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://www.betterhelp.com/symbols to get on your way to being your best self

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

0:00:00 - Intro

0:32:19 - Happy Birthday Ethan

0:34:00 - Vampire Robot YouTube channel

0:44:52 - Sacred ending marriages

0:49:37 - Mid Year review

0:52:52 - The next generation of Kingdom Hearts fans

0:58:20 - Sony capitulating

1:00:33 - No new Sony games this year

1:02:07 - The Last of Us Season 2 First look

1:06:15 - Bungie's CTO joins PlayStation

1:11:41 - LEGO Horizon?

1:25:53 - Ghost of Tsushima's PC port Legends mode crossplay is in beta

1:35:25 - Ragnarok rumored to be the next PC port

1:46:17 - Xbox's initiative to bring more games to PlayStation

2:03:22 - PS2 games coming to PS5

2:11:08 - Ubisoft cancels The Division: Heartland

2:25:30 - Adult Swim games reverting ownership to devs

2:27:23 - Tomb Raider TV series coming to Amazon

2:34:28 - What We’re Playing

3:11:45 - GTA VI is launching Fall 2025

3:14:40 - PlayStation has announced two new CEOs

3:29:12 - Sony earnings report

3:50:01 - Square Enix's shift to 3rd party

4:08:49 - Assassin's Creed: Shadows announced

4:26:42 - New PS Plus Games Catalog titles

4:29:38 - Helldivers TV adaptation pitch

4:34:05 - LSM Showcase live reaction?

4:40:23 - Could Sony scoop up what remains of Tango?

4:42:46 - Final Shape gut check

4:46:41 - RNG woes

4:52:38 - Uncharted 5 tease

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices