Sacred Symbols: A PlayStation Podcast

With Sony abandoning its chase of easy PC dollars, the megalithic Japanese company instead seems intent on maximizing its dollars at home, and reasonably so. While reporting indicates PlayStation's PC sales were stymied by staggered and unpredictable releases, that was already obvious. What's less clear is how Sony's pursuit of profit might affect the status quo, with a lawsuit in the UK over PSN monopolization and blatant A/B testing for dynamic digital pricing happening right before our eyes. What does the future hold as we begin to move towards next-gen? Plus: EA lays off members of the Battlefield team that created America's best-selling game in 2025, Nagoshi Studio and its Yakuza-like title Gang of Dragon are in big trouble, a LEGO PlayStation (1) console is seemingly en route for the holiday season, adventure classics Myst and Riven are PS5-bound, Crimson Desert finally emerges on PS5 Pro, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! With id finding so much success with the revived Doom trilogy, could Quake be next? What was the deal with that cryptic Bluepoint Tweet from 2019, anyway? Are physical-only players being hurt by the underproduction of copies of big games? Is Dustin intentionally making mistakes in his edits to sabotage our entire operation?

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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 - Intro0:28:57 - Ragebaiting Dustin0:38:33 - Geno Smith0:38:56 - Neighborhood drama0:45:22 - Sony's issues with PC releases0:54:22 - UK case vs Sony digital storefront begins1:13:40 - Sony testing dynamic pricing1:33:32 - EA layoffs1:45:23 - Nagoshi Studio is in trouble1:56:33 - A PS1 Lego set is coming2:05:55 - Crimson Desert console specs2:13:43 - Pragmata moves up release date2:15:36 - Myst and Riven remake coming to PS52:19:38 - Falcom revives Dragon Slayer2:27:09 - New PS+ game catalog titles2:31:27 - What We’re Playing (Resident Evil Requiem, Minishoot Adventures, Marathon, Pokemon Pokopia)3:38:42 - Preordering physical games3:48:05 - New Quake?3:56:13 - Can Sony pull people away from established games?3:59:50 - Do Sony studios have too much power?4:02:27 - What was the point of Bluepoint's old tweet?4:05:03 - Starfield interference
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Reporting from this past week indicates Sony is abandoning its push to publish more games on PC, a reversal from a six-ish year old initiative that frankly bore little fruit outside of Helldivers 2. And let's be real: Though we were vocal advocates of this approach on the show, a vast majority of the PlayStation fanbase was decidedly not on board. Sony has apparently determined that it's a waste of time to further pursue this path, and that doing so could ultimately eat into their console ecosystem in unacceptable ways. Thus, it's time for many of you to celebrate, as we consider the reasons behind this dramatic course-correction. Plus: Rumors are circulating that Cory Barlog's next game is a God of War spin-off, Bluepoint was apparently eager to work on a Bloodborne remake before behing unceremoniously shut down, Starfield is finally coming to PlayStation 5 this April, Marathon has been mysteriously rated by the ESRB for launch on PlayStation 4, embattled free-to-play shooter Highguard is officially shutting down, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Is Sony investing enough into games for kids? In such a hostile environment, could troubled products like No Man's Sky and Cyberpunk 2077 have launched and turned things around today? Why are some games' Trophies published, even if they go unreleased? Will Dustin continue to compile a collection of pictures of complete strangers on his refrigerator?

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

0:00:00 - Intro0:14:34 - Preorder Allegheny Hogs shirt!0:25:54 - Shout out Brady0:36:51 - RIP in Peace Bozo0:39:21 - Coming back home0:41:35 - Dustin's polaroids0:44:46 - Sony is done with PC ports1:17:49 - Cory Barlog's game stars Faye1:52:13 - Bluepoint wanted to remake Bloodborne2:25:18 - Leaks show Starfield is coming April 7th2:28:39 - Marathon post release plans2:35:07 - Amazon's God of War screenshot2:42:01 - Highguard is shutting down2:58:30 - Physical game sales at lowest point ever3:00:32 - PSN top downloads in February3:01:51 - Resident Evil Requiem surpasses 5 million copies3:02:37 - What We’re Playing (Resident Evil Requiem, Marathon)3:42:57 - What's up with Horizon Hunters Gathering?3:53:02 - Is PlayStation doing enough for younger audiences?4:01:00 - The disappearing resistance games4:08:24 - Seinfeld game4:14:04 - Can game comebacks still happen?4:23:09 - Unreleased games and trophies
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While the wider world continues to embrace ubiquitous access for their digital products, compelling rumors indicate Sony might opt to go in the other direction. This is particularly surprising considering their pursuit of success on PC, openness in publishing on Nintendo Switch, and the shocking move to bring Helldivers II to Xbox. Then again, the numbers speak for themselves. It appears PlayStation has grossed somewhere between one and two billion dollars in total from their PC releases dating back to 2020, a comically small sum compared to their greater gross over that time, and an amount of money that may simply not justify further jeopardizing their closed ecosystem. Are we about to snap back to the old way of doing things? Many PlayStation fans will be pleased, if so. Plus: Wolverine gets a September release date on PS5, Horizon: Hunters Gathering and Marathon revel in concurrent playtests, Death Stranding 2 is coming to PC very soon, French publisher Nacon declares its insolvency, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Can Sony's first party teams truly be blamed for pitching games-as-a-service when it was clear that's what leadership wanted? Could it be possible that the secret Santa Monica Studio, Cory Barlog-directed game is Uncharted? Is Resident Evil 9's 10-12 hour runtime a selling point or a detriment? Will Sacred Symbols go another 400 episodes, or perhaps even 4,000?

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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 - Intro0:34:10 - New merch drop!0:46:42 - Reflecting on 400 episodes1:00:10 - Favorite part of doing the show1:13:26 - 420 special?1:14:25 - capspiracy1:15:39 - USA GOLD1:26:16 - triple space1:27:49 - 100 chicken nuggets1:39:16 - Chris on Bluepoint1:56:17 - Saint Slayer release date2:01:35 - Wolverine release date2:09:17 - Sony walking away from PC gaming?2:33:09 - Horizon Hunters Gathering beta this weekend2:36:52 - Marathon cheaters will be banned permanently2:45:08 - Death Stranding 2 PC specs revealed2:48:01 - Nacon is insolvent2:50:29 - Marvel Maximum Collection revealed3:02:46 - New NieR game?3:06:12 - Yves Guillemot interview3:11:17 - Koei Tecmo reorganizes3:13:08 - March PS+ Games3:17:50 - January sales data3:23:27 - What We’ve Been Playing3:39:34 - Did PS Studios really choose live service games?3:55:00 - Could Cory Barlog’s next game be Uncharted?4:05:40 - Softball interviews4:19:45 - 10–12 hour games4:24:30 - How to use guides4:28:11 - RNG in games
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We were already recording this episode when unexpected news broke: Sony is shuttering Texas-based first-party remake and port specialist studio Bluepoint. Equally shocking -- when taking into context the many first and second party failures, flubs, and misalignments in recent years -- is PlayStation Studios lead Hermen Hulst still somehow having a job. Bluepoint has an exceptional pedigree alongside untapped potential, but that's been squandered by the same machinery that allowed them to make a multiplayer game in the first place. Who is responsible for all of this first party buffonery? What's with this obsession with established teams all chasing the same exact thing? And how lucky is Sony that the going is so good for PlayStation 5 that none of this really seems to matter? Here's hoping the bloodletting begins and ends here, but we're skeptical. Other news this week includes rumors of PlayStation 6's delayed timeline, when we might expect to see Santa Monica Studios' unannounced title, McFarlane Toys picking up the Sony toy license, and more. Then, we wrap things up with listener inquiries. On the back of Silent Hill: Townfall's PS5 console exclusivity, why does Sony bother chasing these deals these days? Does Fairgame$ have an icecube's chance in hell of succeeding? Will God of War's remake be one compilation or three separate games? Is Dustin ready for his fatherly snot-sucking duties?

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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 - Intro0:29:05 - Sacred Symbol ruining lives0:32:14 - Snot sucker0:37:01 - Chris Chan sighting0:43:49 - Baby's first console0:58:13 - RIP Shuntaro Iida1:00:54 - RIP Hideki Sato1:08:46 - Bluepoint shutdown1:44:05 - Will Sony delay PlayStation 6 due to RAM shortages?2:04:44 - Shawn Layden says PS6 won’t be able to be all digital2:18:30 - Santa Monica's next game2:30:45 - New Helldivers and God of War toys2:37:35 - Tencent funded Highguard2:53:39 - Todd Howard on Starfield's return2:55:23 - Konami removes MGS4 and Peace Walker HD from PS32:58:02 - What We’re Playing (God of War: Sons of Sparta, Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined)3:25:33 - Silent Hill Townfall's exclusivity to PS53:31:08 - God of War Remake release format3:34:18 - The state of Fairgames3:39:45 - Where to start with Castlevania3:41:34 - Are we tastemakers?3:47:46 - Where are the demos?

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Sony has accomplished a truly rare feat in this contentious era by providing players with a widely-lauded hour-plus State of Play presentation. At the top of the heap of announcements for many are a duo of God of War-related unveilings -- the long-rumored 2.5D Metroidvania game and an early-in-development ground-up remake of the original PS2 and PS3 trilogy -- with the former project stealth released at the time of its reveal. That's right: You can buy it right now! 29 other games were showcased, revealed, and otherwise shown off during the proceedings as well, like a new Castlevania called Belmont's Curse, a sequel to Kena: Bridge of Spirits called Scars of Kosmora, a AAA John Wick project, stealth title Yakoh: Shinobi Ops, the second volume of Konami's Metal Gear Collection, and much, much more. Plus, fresh looks at Saros, Resident Evil: Requiem, Marathon, Mina the Hollower, Beast of Reincarnation, Marvel Tokon, Control Resonant, Pragmata, 4LOOP, and so on. Other news rounds things out this week -- like steep layoffs at Highguard studio Wildlight and casting details for 2027' Helldivers film -- before we move onto listener inquiries. Who are some of our favorite black characters in gaming history? Why exactly doesn't Colin care about sports games anymore? Should Sony more heavily pursue Astro Bot spinoffs? Did the all-Spanish Super Bowl Halftime Show send any of us into an unspeakable rage?

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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 - Intro0:28:09 - Love to Sean0:35:17 - Superbowl thoughts0:52:00 - GTA regret after murder0:57:09 - State of Play1:05:20 - Kena: Scars of Scars of Kosmora1:10:20 - Ghost of Yotei: Legends1:16:04 - Death Stranding 2 PC1:18:46 - 4:Loop1:26:26 - Capcom updates1:27:08 - Legacy of Kain Defiance Remastered1:29:41 - Brigandine1:31:45 - Dead or Alive1:33:16 - Control Resonant1:35:11 - Crimson Moon1:37:28 - Beast of Reincarnation1:39:58 - Rayman 30th Anniversary Edition1:44:21 - Mina the Hollower1:45:39 - Yakoh Shinobi Ops1:48:27 - Project WIndless1:53:36 - Star Wars Galactic Racer1:58:15 - Metal Gear Solid Collection Vol 22:02:42 - Konami segment2:14:47 - John Wick2:18:33 - Marathon2:21:44 - Saros2:22:18 - Tokon2:24:18 - God of War2:37:36 - Highguard layoffs3:17:22 - Horizon 3 could be 3-5 years out3:29:43 - Kojima revealed he almost worked with Respawn3:38:21 - Build A Rocket Boy still claims they were sabotaged3:53:22 - Helldivers movie update3:58:15 - What We’re Playing (Lovish, Astalon: Tears of the Earth, Turok 2: Seeds of Evil, Resident Evil 5, Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined)4:22:16 - PlayStations online negativity4:29:25 - Black History Month in gaming4:34:24 - Returning to Madden?4:35:49 - Women in the industry4:41:20 - Should Sony focus on uncslop?4:43:40 - Where are the Astrobot spinoffs?
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