Square Enix-owned studio Eidos is running a little experiment on behalf of the industry-at-large: Its teams are now working four days a week, for 32 hours, with Fridays off. In a line of work absolutely demanding of your time, that a AAA publisher and well-respected studio are taking the initiative to do things differently is an awesome sign, though it's unclear if such a life/work balance is even possible if you want to create truly great games. Naturally, we discuss. Also: Sony has quietly poached the Head of Content of Apple Arcade, Ryu Ga Gotoku simultaneously loses its director and producer, EA and FIFA are fighting over the future of Electronic Arts' most important franchise, and much more. Then, listener inquiries! Are we as perplexed by Ubisoft's recent decisions as many of our audience members? What do we expect out of Returnal's rumored upcoming update? Did Crystal Dynamics lie to its audience by unleashing pay-to-win schemes in The Avengers? Will the boys ever cease quarreling about the efficacy of bidets? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sacred Symbols: A PlayStation Podcast

#172: Anti-Crunch

It's not 1995 anymore, or 2000, or 2006, or even 2013. During those years -- when PSone through PS4 launched in the west -- PlayStation's success revolved around what it itself can do. Its own system, its own studios, its own architecture. But in 2021? Things are changing. Sony's recent acquisition of Nixxes was all of the evidence you needed of the shifting sands, but recent interviews from ex-PlayStation CEO Shawn Layden and current PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan are incredibly illuminating when it comes to intent. After all, when Ryan is asking how a PlayStation hit selling 10 million can instead sell 100 million, he understands that can only happen by opening things up. The question is, does the audience understand too? Or is everyone about to get angry? We discuss. Plus: PS5 supply issues may ease in 2022, Konami is going both big and small, Final Fantasy's bizarre prequel has a release date, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Can third parties protect each other from consolidation? Should Sony cuddle up to Valve? Does PlayStation require more kid-friendly fare? And whatever happened to that man that pooped his pants on that date, anyway? The answer will surprise and please you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#171: A Strategy For A New Era

The inevitable has happened: Bluepoint Games has officially joined PlayStation Studios as its 16th team. You may recall that this news kinda-sorta leaked months ago, and either way, it's the most obvious acquisition Sony could have possibly made, so we're not exactly shocked. Yet, there's much to say, because it seems like Bluepoint may be breaking the mold when it comes to what they're best known for, potentially focusing on new projects rather than remakes and remasters. There's other first and second party news to consider, too. On the first party front, rumors strongly indicate Guerrilla's in-development multiplayer game may actually be Horizon-related, which frankly disappoints us. Meanwhile, over in second party, Destruction AllStars dev Lucid is apparently working on a Twisted Metal revival. Color us interested, though bummed Jaffe isn't consulting. There's other news, as well -- Firesprite's headcount has grown, GTA re-releases have been rated, etc. -- and we end (as we always do) with listener inquiries. What games did we turn our noses up at only to be pleasantly surprised when we actually gave them a chance? What licensed song do you most associate with a video game? Do we even care about Abandoned anymore? Is Colin being too harsh on bidets, and in turn European sensibilities? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#170: Getting to the Point

God Almighty, it's finally happened: The long-rumored (and much-leaked) Castlevania Advanced Collection is indeed coming to PlayStation 4. Actually, it's available right now, bringing along with it some wondrous vampiric action out of the clear blue sky (or dark night). Surprise! Then, in another piece of news that can only be described as For Colin, Square Enix randomly revealed a remake of 1991's SNES classic ActRaiser, also available now. Talk about random (and awesome). For many, though, the bigger news of the week will be word of former Sony second party partner Quantic Dream reportedly making a Star Wars game. And it's apparently not the Star Wars game you'd expect, leaving us much to discuss. Also percolating are some new THQ Nordic announcements, some key secrets hidden in both PS4's and PS5's recent firmware update, and even rumors that famous fighting game Marvel vs. Capcom 2 may be making a comeback. Then, as is typical, we like to wrap things up with your inquiries. Will Sony ever update the PlayStation Plus Collection? Was the PlayStation 3 generation one of gaming history's very best? Could Microsoft's next purchase set off a cascade of bad press for the Xbox brand? Will Chris finally test the very boundaries of his mysterious and arcane powers? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#169: A Transylvanian Triumph

As vaguely promised only a month or two ago, PlayStation announced the first of its new burst of mobile games. Which IP are they visiting this time? None other than dormant Liverpool Studio-driven racing franchise Wipeout. The thing is, this Wipeout game isn't what any Wipeout fan is looking for... and that's the honest truth. So what's the point of migrating your products to the world's most ubiquitous platforms if you're not going to do it well and do it right? We discuss. We also jump into recent news surrounding PlayStation Productions live-action TV iteration of Twisted Metal, the sudden destruction of LittleBigPlanet's historic servers, tantalizing drug-fueled rumors surrounding next year's Call of Duty, a slew of leaked games via NVIDIA (though they deny it), new PS4 and PS5 firmware updates, and so on and so forth. We also deal with your listener submissions on topics ranging from Kena: Bridge of Spirits and the potential of Resident Evil 4 Remake being PS5-exclusive to DualSense support on PlayStation 4 and Wolverine's M-rated potential. And yes: We also talk a lot about depression and sadness. This is, after all, Sacred Symbols. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#168: Hold the Phone

It's been well over a year, but finally -- finally! -- Sony has given us some new, much-needed details concerning their upcoming slate of PlayStation 5 games. Word came by way of a tight, 40 minute presentation, and perhaps the biggest news of all was that Sony-owned developer Insomniac, already responsible for two PS5 games, will be delivering two more by 2023. First off, is Insomniac now Sony's uncontested crown jewel studio? And how could they possibly be working at such a rapid clip? We get into all of that, plus all of the other reveals and details from the Showcase, including a PS5 KOTOR remake, Square Enix's Forspoken, cross-gen exclusives God of War: Ragnarok and Gran Turismo 7, and more. We also delve into the week's other news, including the acquisition of a brand-new first party team in Firesprite, fixing Sony's inane game pricing scheme with Horizon: Forbidden West, the PlayStation debut of Alan Wake, and so much more. Then, we dive into some listener inquiries. What indie studios are impressing us most right now? Would we rather 4K resolution at 60 frames or 1080p at 120 frames? Could Parappa the Rapper be a good multiverse IP for Sony to explore? Did Colin sleep without any underwear on when he stayed at Dustin's? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#167: Sleepless in Burbank

It's about time! Sony has revealed that it will be conducting a 40 minute PS5-centric presentation in the coming days, and it'll be our first real, showcase-like look at PlayStation 5 content since the console launched (in fact, since long before it launched). The question is therefore this: What should we expect? God of War and Gran Turismo 7 seem like obvious choices. A Deathloop launch trailer, too. But it's what we don't know about that's most exciting of all, particularly from first and second party studios where the possibilities are seemingly endless. Plus: Death Stranding 2 looks like a distinct possibility, PlayStation Plus' newest free game offerings are a step in the right direction, Final Fantasy is about to storm PlayStation Now, and much more. Then: What's the difference between a remaster, a remake, and a reboot? Speaking of definitions, how do we define shovelware and vaporware? Will live shows like PAX ever make a full return? Will Chris ever return, or did he float away? All of that and more, as -- per usual -- we litter our show with your inquiries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#166: The Foreshadowing

It's true: Things have been pretty slow in the world of PlayStation. Returnal and Ratchet have kept us busy enough, and we're looking forward to Deathloop, but what we really crave are some announcements, a tease of what's to come. Thankfully, some more announcements have finally arrived. For starters, Horizon: Forbidden West has a firm launch date, a new Saints Row is launching on both PS4 and PS5, Destiny 2 is getting its fresh expansion, and that long-rumored XCOM Marvel game is en route, too. The bad news? They all come out within weeks of each other. Go figure. We also discuss yet more rumors of the cancellation of PS4-exclusive vaporware Wild, the six-month delay of the next WWE game, a fresh release window for the oft-delayed LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga, and more, before taking listener inquiries on our game of the year (so far), sticking lootboxes behind an M rating, et cetera, before diving deep into the ideal ambient temperature for our respective homes, which is itself a vital topic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#165: Mark Your Calendars

In 2015, Sony quietly opened a brand-new, British first party team called Manchester Studio. Their charge? Make PSVR games. And so they did. Or, they tried to, anyway. Five years later, before even announcing their project or even leaving pre-production, the studio was shuttered, and now -- for the first time ever -- we know what they were working on and what went wrong. Their search-and-rescue virtual reality adventure sounds interesting, but leadership left much to be desired, and their execution was non-existent. So let's discuss. We'll also get into Call of Duty: Vanguard's proper reveal, chat about relics of The Last of Us: Part II's scrapped multiplayer functionality left in the game's code, wonder at the first-ever release of the original Quake on PlayStation hardware, and more. We'll also get into the mailbag, fielding your questions on topics ranging from emotion in our medium and the meaning of AAA to corporate consolidation and an unfortunate catastrophe concerning a Kit-Kat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#164: Get to the Chopper!

These slow summer days have been suddenly interrupted by a most-tantalizing rumor: PlayStation 2's classic trilogy of Grand Theft Auto games are migrating over to PS4 and PS5, reworked and modernized (though not remade!) for a new generation. Yes, it's true that GTA 3, Vice City, and San Andreas are already natively playable on PlayStation 4, but in their stubbornly-old formats. Let's talk about returning to Liberty City, Vice City, and San Andreas in full, retro effect, and how excited we are to delve back in for all the fun and mayhem. Plus: Sony has officially acquired anime streaming giant Crunchyroll, timed PS5-exclusive shooter Deathloop has gone gold, the US Congress is looking to stomp-down on lootboxes and microtransactions, Focus Home Interactive grows its internal roster of studios, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Is 2022 shaping up to be the craziest year in gaming history? Should Sony revive Massive Action Game? Is it possible (or even worthwhile) to boycott a game or a company without actually hurting it? Why does Colin sleep like Winnie the Pooh? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#163: Liberty, Vice, and Everything Nice

The news out of Sony-owned studio Guerrilla is bad, at least if some recent rumors are true. Horizon: Forbidden West -- once promised for both PS4 and PS5 this fall -- is likely going to come out in 2022, instead. This leaves PlayStation 5 fairly barren for the rest of the year, with only the likes of Kena and Deathloop filling in the timed-exclusive gaps. Should PlayStation fans be disappointed, or even worried? Or is the old adage as true now as it has always been: A delayed game is never worse-off for being pushed. Let's chat about it. Then: Sony has overcome a major obstacle in the manufacture of PS5 consoles, PlayStation 4 is predictably losing steam, new PSVR rumblings sound awfully tantalizing, and Grand Theft Auto V sets a new, incredible sales milestone. Let's then wrap up our show, as we always do, with your inquiries. In light of Activision-Blizzard's recent scandal, how should Sony manage its exclusivity and marketing arrangements for Call of Duty? Considering staggering advances in AI, should we allow artificial intelligence to assist in making games? With both PlayStation and Xbox thriving, why are the fanboy wars seemingly worse than ever? With time as our barometer, will Colin ever get over the time he accidentally smoked a hit of opium at a frat house 19 years ago? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#162: Distant Horizon

This generation is well underway, and it's official: Sony's PlayStation 5 is 'winning' by a lot. At 10 million units sold and counting, PS5 is the fastest-selling home console ever and a testament to a clearly well-oiled corporation that launched hardware in a supply-constrained, virus-infected environment. We discuss what this huge figure (and accompanying software data) means, and whether Sony should start getting comfortable as the Big Dog yet again. Plus: A new PS5 firmware update is about to fix many of our most glaring UI issues, Mortal Kombat is now the best-selling fighting franchise of all-time, ex-PlayStation CEO Shawn Layden is still very worried about the cost of making games, new PS+ games are on the horizon, and much more. Then: Has a game's controls been so bad that you've refused to play it? Is the Valve Deck about to change everything? Are we underestimating the appeal of XDefiant? Will Colin ever update his LinkedIn profile? To get a 2-year plan plus a bonus gift with a huge discount go to https://www.NordVPN.com/symbolsvpn and use code SYMBOLSVPN Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#161: Grandeur

It's time for you to wake up. Unsavory, international, and shadowy corporate and political interests are starting to tie themselves more and more to the gaming industry, and it's time for us to talk about how to resist. It's impossible for any of us to live truly ethical, modern economic lives -- only those living truly off-grid are doing so -- but it's incumbent on us to know what's happening, why, and to what extent. Tencent's recent acquisition of Sumo Digital brings the forces of Chinese Communism closer to Sony than ever, and that relationship never, ever comes at a neutral cost. Quite the opposite, for the cost is implied. Plus: Konami is making major moves with PES and some other IP, Netflix and PlayStation may be cozying up to each other, Ubisoft announces the most generic shooter you've ever laid eyes on, Xbox Series X outsells PS5 in America, and much more. Then: What's the best-looking 2D game ever? Should Sony investigate manufacturing its older hardware and games for a niche audience? Is Sony making a massive mistake with its Ghost of Tsushima upcharge? Are we seeing the edge of Chris' power when it comes to a new, still-non-existent Splinter Cell title? To get a 2-year plan plus a bonus gift with a huge discount go to https://www.NordVPN.com/symbolsvpn and use code SYMBOLSVPN Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#160: Red Storm Rising

Fresh off the further reveal of the slick-looking timed-PS5 exclusive Deathloop comes word of another Bethesda-published timed exclusive that's being pushed further into the horizon. Tango Gamework's PlayStation 5 horror project Ghostwire: Tokyo has been delayed into 2022, perhaps not a huge surprise, but one worth delving into particularly when it comes to where this game fits in the PlayStation 5 catalog to come. How annoying must it be for Microsoft to have its new prized jewel publisher be working without the full force of two of its teams? We discuss. Plus: A new Nintendo-themed fighting game has everyone talking, Persona is reading a salvo of announcements in celebration of its 25th anniversary, Polyphony Digital may be quietly revving-up a Gran Turismo 7 beta, and more. Then: Will PlayStation Experience ever return? Have we ever used PlayStation 5's 'Accolades' system? Is there such a thing as the Reverse Platinum Trophy? Who will be hungriest by the end of the show? To get a 2-year plan plus a bonus gift with a huge discount go to https://www.NordVPN.com/symbolsvpn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#159: Wire Act

Sony's newest State of Play presentation gave us a glimpse at some third-party games of varying quality, Death Stranding's PS5 port, a sequel to one of PSVR's most notable adventures, and so on. We also got a deep dive into Arkane's upcoming PS5 console-exclusive Deathloop, and it looks amazing. With its Dishonored roots shining through, Deathloop is like Returnal meets Hitman. Let's chat about that, the rest of the State of Play slate, and all of the week's other news, too. Speaking of Returnal, Housemarque apparently had other suitors before Sony secured the team, Ubisoft is making some major, series-altering changes to Assassin's Creed, Electronic Arts' DICE LA has a new name, RoboCop and Dan Houser are both making video game comebacks, and much more. Plus: Should "influencers" be hiding their Trophies and Achievements? Is it high time for Persona 4 to come to PlayStation 4? Where in God's name are PS5's external hard drives? What's with Chris' enormous water bottle? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#158: Hunting the Hunter

Sacred Symbols: A PlayStation Podcast is a weekly show all about PS5, PS4, PS Vita, and PSVR. Co-hosted by games industry veteran Colin Moriarty and comedian Chris "Ray Gun" Maldonado, Sacred Symbols aims to both inform and entertain, going through the news of the day, scouring the most recent games, and taking plenty of questions and comments from the audience. New episodes post each Friday. To get early access to each episode, support the show on Patreon at patreon.com/colinslaststand. For advertising opportunities please email PodcastPartnerships@Studio71us.com Link to survey: https://bit.ly/2EcYbu4

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Sacred Symbols: A PlayStation Podcast

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