Sacred Symbols: A PlayStation Podcast

• #383 | I Can Dodge Bullets?

  An old piece of games industry lore has recently reemerged, and it has people wondering about a tantalizing what-if. Back in 1999, The Matrix hit theaters, and the co-creators of the film happened to have been huge fans of Hideo Kojima, himself a year removed from the launch of Metal Gear Solid. And, as was reported at the time, there was potential that Konami would allow Kojima to pursue a licensed Matrix game post-MGS. A lot of new information has since emerged about what did and didn't happen here, and it makes for a great conversation starter. So let's lean into it, shall we? Our conclusion: Perhaps Kojima doing MGS2 instead of a Matrix game means he likely dodged a bullet (pardon the pun). Other news this week includes some quiet updates seemingly being made to PlayStation Portal's functionality, leaks from Bluepoint's cancelled God of War game, the most recent China Hero Project title in the form of Loulan: The Cursed Sand, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Following Freedom Wars, Patapon, and Everybody's Golf, what should Sony's and Bandai Namco's next collaborative re-release be? Do PC players have any reason to invest in the modern PlayStation ecosystem? Will the culture war consume Naughty Dog's Intergalactic? Does Colin type so fast that his keyboard smokes? Download Cash App Today: https://capl.onelink.me/vFut/ty57yree #CashAppPod. Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. See terms and conditions at https://cash.app/legal/us/en-us/card-agreement. Discounts and promotions provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit http://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 - Intro0:43:10 - RIP Nick Mangold0:44:13 - stand down non-traditional candy0:50:45 - Chris wills glass Snapple back0:55:36 - New York location lore0:59:19 - PS+ Premium streaming to Portal leaked1:12:23 - Bluepoint's cancelled God of War game leaks1:22:33 - Sony isn't interested in buying WB1:30:51 - Konami turned down a Kojima Matrix game1:48:20 - Loulan: The Cursed Sand is the next China Hero Project game1:58:19 - Square Enix is cracking down on Dragon Quest spoilers2:11:02 - November PS+ Games2:13:51 - What We’ve Been Playing (Ghost of Yotei, PowerWash Simulator 2, Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted, Battlefield 6, Vampire Survivors)2:41:13 - What Japan Studio game will get released by Bandai Namco?2:45:10 - Halo and the US government2:54:17 - Gaming ads on Sacred3:11:04 - Wait for PS6?3:20:24 - The console war lives in on services3:38:25 - Is Intergalactic the next target? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• #382 | I've Seen the Light and I'm Gaining in Height Now

  With Xbox's famous ringworld officially arriving on PlayStation 5 in 2026, we can rest assured that Sony's longtime rival has finally conceded the console space for good. Halo: Campaign Evolved -- clever! -- is a ground-up remake of the smash-hit 2001 Xbox launch title, and it comes with some new bells and whistles, including fresh content and a four-player online-enabled campaign. Microsoft even trotted Halo's community manager out in a PlayStation shirt, promised all upcoming Halo content is Sony-bound, and yielded perhaps their last meaningful franchise to the competition. This gives us much to discuss! Plus: Helldivers 2 dev Arrowhead begins work on its next project, Horizon's live-action movie is slated to film next year and launch in '27, Resident Evil 0 Remake rumors are percolating, we may be waiting a while longer for Starfield's PS5 debut, Electronic Arts scores a renewed deal with the NFL to continue the Madden franchise, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Why does anyone care about Photo Mode? What's our dream PowerWash Simulator 2 DLC? Is it okay to play a game without delving into its greater meaning and themes? Will Chris ever return from New York? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:42:57 - RIP Sam Rivers0:44:41 - buttrock and rap metal0:54:36 - Couple vs few0:58:55 - Keep on keeping on Thomas1:03:48 - PSN Profiles issuers?1:12:16 - Halo is coming to PS51:54:28 - Arrowhead is hiring for a new game?2:01:24 - Updates on the Horizon film2:09:25 - Resident Evil 0 remake rumors2:14:37 - Starfield announcement for PS5 next year2:23:12 - EA NFL renewal2:28:25 - Ex-AC lead claims he didn't step down2:33:46 - Remedy CEO steps down2:37:22 - New sales data3:07:02 - What We’re Playing (Ghost of Yotei, Ninja Gaiden 4, Ball x Pit)3:21:03 - How's our media literacy?3:29:03 - Dream DLC for Power Wash Simulator?3:32:17 - Updates with trophies3:36:11 - Photo mode is free marketing?3:40:06 - Sony's PC strategy with Xbox's PC push3:45:59 - Soundbar recommendations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• #381 | Watch It Fly By As the Pendulum Swings

  Time sure is moving, but has a sufficient amount of it passed for us to start considering the next generation of PlayStation console? According to two reliable leakers, the answer is yes: Sony is very much aiming to get PS6 out in 2027. This makes sense by historical standards -- seven years between consoles is fairly normal, if not even a little slow -- but it really doesn't feel like we need this thing. Or do we? By 2027, who knows what our ecosystem might look like. Let's discuss! Plus: Legendary Tecmo director and producer Tomonobu Itagakai has sadly passed away, Sony-owned studio Bluepoint is hiring for a mysterious third-person action project, San Diego Studio appears primed to finally bring its smash-hit MLB: The Show series to PC, Ghost of Yotei is selling at parity with Ghost of Tsushima, we could have very easily gotten a mobile The Last of Us game, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Do we like to partake in New Game+, when applicable? With Xbox's displacement as a hardware competitor, is Sony and Nintendo's long-standing rivalry primed to be reignited? Why don't we talk more about the fighting scene? Will Dustin regale us with some of his Japanese language skills? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:38:55 - Shoutout Saxon0:43:38 - Eloping in Vegas0:54:26 - Dagster check in?0:55:44 - 今週何個の瓶を埋めたか教えてください0:57:31 - RIP Tomonobu Itagaki1:07:17 - PlayStation 6 in 20271:44:10 - Bluepoint hiring for a 3rd person melee action game1:53:40 - Ghost of Yotei sales similar to Tsushima , Suckerpunch can only do one game at a time2:05:41 - MLB: The Show coming to PC?2:12:13 - Tencent pitched a mobile Last of Us2:24:34 - PSVR2 controller for sale2:32:23 - Fans revive ModNation Racers2:36:49 - Quantic Dream reveals multiplayer game2:48:20 - Remedy's FBC Firebreak is in the red2:57:15 - Build A Rocket Boy in trouble3:01:13 - New PS+ games3:08:23 - What We’re Playing (Ghost of Tsushima, Ghost of Yotei, Battlefield 6, Lumines Arise)3:53:35 - Why is New Game+ late?3:58:58 - Why isn't Nintendo competition?4:06:34 - Video game betting4:14:01 - What do we want from a PlayStation handheld?4:19:03 - Why aren't we into fighting games? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• #380 | Don't Fall Away and Leave Me to Myself

  If you're a regular purchaser of games, you're a stark minority within the very industry you know and love. We've known all about the revenue-related trends directing games as of late, but recent data indicates things are far more dire than they seem, particularly if you're a single player purist. For instance, a third of gaming consumers purchase less than one game a year; 12% buy one game a year; 18% buy two games a year. Only 14% of players buy at least one game a month! Yet, there's more money flowing than ever. Like, lots more. What gives? A migration of customers and their habits, of course! We discuss. Other news this week includes a brief Mark Cerny video celebrating Sony's collaboration with AMD for PlayStation 6, the reemergence of Marathon with invites to an NDA'd closed test, the bluest DualSense controller you could possibly imagine, rumors of a cancelled Reconstruction-era Assassin's Creed, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Could Sony be on the precipice of adding to its family of first party studios? Is there a potential unfilled niche for medical-themed titles? Does PlayStation need to spin-up a new loyalty program? Forget about your favorite color. What's your favorite shape? Download the PrizePicks app and use code SACRED to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5 Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:37:16 - Strange places to listen to Sacred0:41:27 - Ben Debate0:52:43 - Favorite shape0:58:31 - Mark Cerny appears!1:09:26 - New player purchasing data1:29:11 - New Marathon technical test coming1:49:59 - New early PlayStation lore1:58:37 - New blue Dualsense2:03:38 - PlayStation Concert cancelled2:10:25 - Cancelled Assassin's creed leaked2:33:10 - Expedition 33 sells over 5 million, new content coming2:35:40 - New Circana data2:43:33 - Top PSN downloads2:47:34 - PowerWash Simulator 2 release date and Mina the Hollower delayed2:54:28 - What We’re Playing (Ghost of Tsushima, Ghost of Yotei, Baby Steps, Mario Galaxy)3:27:58 - SIE and Sword of the Sea?3:31:39 - Will Rockstar innovate gameplay in GTA VI3:37:38 - What's the end point of live service?3:42:44 - What do "fans" want?3:55:38 - PlayStation Stars still floating around3:59:19 - Where are the medical games? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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• #379 | Money, It's A Crime

  All anyone wants to talk about right now is Electronic Arts, and reasonably so. The American publishing titan is on the verge of being purchased by external interests for $55 billion, and when we say external, we mean it. The major player in reverting EA to a private corporation is Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, muddying this already complex deal that also happens to be the largest leveraged buyout in human history. Perhaps not surprisingly, this gives us much to pontificate on. Other news this week includes rumblings of a DualSense revision with a removable battery, the very real potential that a Prototype remaster is imminent, the wisdom (or perhaps lack thereof) in Forza Horizon 6 skipping PlayStation 5 at launch, and more. We then get into listener inquiries to wrap up the show, as we always do. What are our thoughts on Xbox's staggering Game Pass price hike? How do we feel about Magic: The Gathering's stylish new collaboration with PlayStation? Is Destiny officially on death's door? Will Dustin have a coffee named after him at a cafe in Texas? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:27:35 - Sacred Sweaters! Preorder starts Monday!0:30:44 - Sacred Coffee specials0:38:06 - Salary for a henchman0:44:03 - EA sells to a consortium for $55 billion1:31:33 - Is Sony a "terrible company"?1:46:24 - New DualSense revision1:53:25 - Revisions to the PS5 Slim1:54:51 - Prototype remaster incoming?2:05:22 - Forza Horizon 6 is coming to PS5, but delayed2:14:03 - Ubisoft and Tecent's collaboration is called Vantage Studios2:17:13 - What We’re Playing (Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut, Puzzle Quest: Immortal Edition, BioShock 2, Baby Steps, Silent Hill f, Megabonk)2:46:17 - Xbox's price hike3:23:32 - What's next for Halo?3:40:36 - Direct sequels or spiritual successors3:47:29 - Sony/Magic the Gathering3:57:56 - Is Destiny 2 dead?4:04:54 - Series prime for AA sequels Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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