Sacred Symbols: A PlayStation Podcast

It's another week of bad news for PlayStation, as PlayStation 5 -- as well as PS5 Pro and PlayStation Portal -- are getting another fresh round of global price increases. While every previous gaming generation got progressively cheaper over time, our current gen is becoming substantially more expensive, and things are clearly starting to get to a breaking point. There's much to say. Also, more bad news: Newly-minted first party shooter studio Dark Outlaw Games has been unceremoniously shuttered after only a year. Such a move speaks yet again to the uneven leadership, tastemaking ability, and decision making at the top of PlayStation Studios, and begs the question how much bloodletting we need to see before anyone takes responsibility. If this sort of thing doesn't fall on Hermen Hulst's shoulders (an idea which doesn't really make any sense in and of itself), then who or what is responsible, and when will the poor stewardship of the brand's own games and studios finally cease? Plus: PlayStation cuts down on its years-long mobile gaming investments and initiatives, Sly 4 studio Sanzaru at one time readied a pitch for a Jak & Daxter remake, we nearly got a Breaking Bad game on PSVR, Epic Games lays off 1,000 employees, Pearl Abyss owns its AI mistakes in Crimson Desert, Microsoft Flight Simulator on PS5 gets PSVR2 support, Marathon sells a purported (and somewhat soft) 1.2 million copies, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! With Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth courting older gamers on average, is Final Fantasy officially finished with the younger generations? Are platform holders and publishers intentionally underpublishing physical copies of games to drive customers to digital storefronts? Do we believe the incessant rumors that Witcher 3 will get an expansion more than a decade after it first launched? Could Colin be the undisputed typing champion of Last Stand Media?

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

0:00:00 - Intro0:31:24 - Shoutout to Tyrell0:33:44 - New York authentic experience0:46:37 - Nitrotype0:55:08 - PlayStation price increases1:29:28  Dark Outlaw Games closed2:12:51 - PlayStation moving away from mobile2:38:52 - Sanzaru pitched Jak & Daxter remake2:49:14 - Firesprite was working on Breaking Bad VR2:57:33 - Epic layoffs3:17:54 - Pearl Abyss apologizes for AI art in Crimson Desert3:20:20 - Flight Simulator is getting PSVR 2 support3:24:38 - Minecraft Dungeons 2 announced3:28:22 - Marathon predicted sales at 1.2 million3:43:29 - February sales data3:49:07 - What We’ve Been Playing (Chronicles of the Wolf, Returnal, Resident Evil Requiem, Marathon, Crimson Desert)4:21:16  Is Final Fantasy doomed?4:35:49 - Is Dragon Quest like Pokemon?4:42:48 - AI flooding indie games4:55:09 - Physical games low stock5:01:27 - Witcher 3 DLC
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The drama around DLSS 5 has overtaken the gaming industry during the last week. Nvidia's image upscaling tech has been present in our space for years, but its newest iteration (set for a proper fall release) has many people scratching their heads. Have we gone from frame generation to art reinterpretation? Why is this technology being deployed so aggressively, anyway? And how come so many companies were so excited about it until they saw the overwhelmingly negative audience response? Let's delve headfirst into the mystery of the Yassified Grace, and all of the fallout therein. Plus: A fresh rumor indicates PlayStation Network branding will disappear later this year, Sony has apparently automatically refunded people for any spending in the now-cancelled Highguard, PSVR2 second party FPS Firewall Ultra has silently been delisted, PlayStation 3 received its random annual firmware update, legendary Tom Clancy developer Red Storm has been gutted, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Have any of us messed around with a PS3 emulator? What's going on with Street Fighter 6's creepy new storyline? With Bravely Default skipping PS4 and PS5, is it safe to assume Square Enix isn't actually done with exclusives? Did two Sacred Symbols fans miss each other by mere seconds in a Dollar Tree parking lot?

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

0:00:00 - Intro0:17:29 - Sacred Symbols missed connection0:18:46 - The Oscars Vs The Game Awards0:27:32 - New Titans logo0:32:29 - This is life huh?0:35:29 - DLSS 51:14:13 - Sony is dropping the PlayStation Network branding1:27:46 - Sony refunding Highguard purchases1:34:14 - Starfield is officially coming to PS51:41:19 - Portal update1:48:15 - Firewall Ultra delisted2:02:31 - New PS3 Firmware2:07:15 - Layoffs at Red Storm2:13:26 - Exodus gameplay2:18:24 - Saudi Arabia buys 5% of Capcom2:19:50 - What We’ve Been Playing (Minishoot Adventures, Chronicles of the Wolf, Resident Evil Requiem, Marathon)2:59:57 - PSNProfile leaderboards change3:05:44 - Giving up on gaming3:12:18 - PS3 emulation3:21:05 - Bravely Default only on Xbox3:23:33 - Flopathon website3:29:19 - Street Fighter 6 controversy
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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?

Visit https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/SACRED and use code SACRED and get $50 in lineups when you play your first $5 lineup! A special Magic City Max Discount promotion is live in the app right now. Jalen Johnson only needs 0.5 POINTS during the Hawks vs Magic game this Monday 3/16. Open the app and make it rain!

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Get 10% off at https://www.betterhelp.com/symbols

Get 50% off and free breakfast for a year at https://www.factormeals.com/sacred50off and use code sacred50off 

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

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

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?

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at ⁠https://www.betterhelp.com/symbols ⁠and 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 - 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
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices