Sacred Symbols: A PlayStation Podcast
Sacred Symbols: A PlayStation Podcast is a weekly show covering PS5, PS4, PSVR2, and Sony's gaming legacy. Hosted by industry veteran Colin Moriarty, along with comedian Chris Ray Gun and producer Dustin Furman, the podcast discusses news, highlights recent games, and interacts with the audience. New episodes are released every Monday.
Episodes
#414 | This Is the Revelation of the Year
What a week! Our jam-packed episode of Sacred Symbols covers all of the announcements from both Sony's State of Play presentation, as well as Geoff Keighley's Summer Games Fest showcase. And let's just say, there's a ton to get through. State of Play's 25 game roster included a fresh, expanded look at Wolverine, the reveal of Firesprite's long-rumored Until Dawn 2, and the confirmation of a brand
#413 | People Told Us It Would Never Transpire
We know many of you are tired of talking about Bungie, and frankly, we're kind of tired of discussing them, too. Then again, we're captive to the news, so blame Sony for purchasing them. On the back of last week's discussion about the end of Destiny 2 comes word that Bungie is planning major layoffs as it attempts to greenlight a new project to develop alongside the ongoing Marathon. And no, Desti
#412 | They Disguise It, Hypnotize It
What a week! On the back of Colin's PSN account being temporarily hijacked by nefarious forces, we have an enormous amount to get through for our ever-eager audience. We dissect what happened, why it happened, how we've been communicating with Sony to try and convince them to fix the major issues plaguing their online service, and what we feel you should do to protect yourself. But understand this
#411 | Neon Signs Flash Other Choices
It's mid-May, which can mean only one thing: We're at the point in the calendar when most companies release their financials for the previous fiscal year. Sony is one such organization, reporting a relatively flat year-on-year picture both generally, and with PlayStation in particular. With PS5 sales slowing down all the while the console is becoming more expensive, and with recent Housemarque exc
#410 | The PR Transmissions Will Resume
If the release calendar holds as currently constructed, Grand Theft Auto VI will launch into the waiting arms of millions upon millions of day-one players. And since it's likely to be the highest-grossing entertainment event in the history of mankind, it's fair to assume that the marketing push will be substantial. As we get ever-closer to the fall, Take Two's CEO has been giving revealing intervi
#409 | Truth or Consequence, Say It Aloud
Sometimes, PlayStation's userbase gets upset over nothing, and this past week was a great example of that. Rumors and uninformed conjecture rapidly circulated about Sony unleashing a stringent DRM regimen on PlayStation that would force players to check-in with the PSN every 30 days, or lose their digital licenses. That (of course) was complete nonsense, obviously so -- Sony is instead attempting
#408 | The Thin Line Between Entertainment and War
A duo of interesting stories quietly circulated around the PlayStation ecosystem over the last few days, with potential clarity shone on some lingering, years-long issues. For starters, beloved ex-Sony exec Shuhei Yoshida recently spoke at a gaming event in Australia, where he revealed more precious information on his departure from first party, noting that ex-CEO Jim Ryan ultimately fired him fro
#407 | Pleasure Spiked With Pain
Things are quiet recently. It feels like we're waiting for something to pop-off; some new announcements, or tantalizing rumors, or whatever. We have a little of that this week, though -- perhaps as usual -- it's good news mixed-up with a few questionable items. Let's start with PS5 sales, which picked up substantially in the days leading up to the hardware's global price increase. We then move int
#406 | Now You're Here, Now You're Away
In the world of PlayStation, this past week was one of mystery. For instance, the director of Uncharted: The Lost Legacy seems to be rather blatantly teasing a new Uncharted game on Instagram. But is he actually? Meanwhile, the promise of PlayStation on PC seems to have gone totally up in smoke, with the quiet removal of related iconography from the PSN. Could it be a sign of things to come? Plus,
#405 | Waiting Like the Stalking Butler
We're in the midst of a promising month of releases on PlayStation 5, and our patience is finally about to be rewarded. For starters, Housemarque's first party third-person shooter Saros has gone gold. So, too, has Capcom's beleaguered (yet incredibly promising) Pragmata, which was first revealed in 2020 for a 2022 release. Starfield's and Hades II's PS5 debuts, Mouse: PI For Hire's launch, the Ko
#404 | Every Single Hope You Had Shattered
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
#403 | Not For Me, or Anyone Else
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 companie
#402 |The Story Was Quite Clear
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
#401 | Minimum Waste and Maximum Joy
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 o
#400 | My Computer Is Future Shockin'
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 PlayStati
#399 | Step Back From That Ledge, My Friend
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 alongsi
#398 | I'm Immortal, Immune To All That Is Wrong
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 relea
#397 | Nothing Seems To Fill This Place
In the wake the reveal of the PC-only MMORPG Steel Frontiers late last year, the other long-rumored Horizon multiplayer game has finally been announced. It's called Hunters Gathering, it's in development internally at Guerrilla, and it's set to launch on both PS5 and PC at some point in the future. Excited? Well, some of you (and us!) are. But the response at this early hour has been mixed. Is Hor
#396 | These Changing Years, They Add To Your Confusion
With the chase for AI obliterating affordability in computing-related markets, it should come as no surprise that Sony may be deliberating a delay for PlayStation 6's rollout and release. But recent commentary from a well-connected financial analyst suggests that PS6's purported delay may be more substantial than we thought, perhaps precipitated by more factors than we initially thought. When does
#395 | It Never Made Much Sense
The Ubisoft that we knew is dead. In its place, a new structure has emerged, a federalized series of five "Creative Houses," each with its own studios, IP, revenue flow, and responsibilities. Ultimately, it's the new Ubisoft's way of giving their employees all the leeway they need to make great stuff. But then again, you know what they say about getting too much rope. Will the once-great French p
#394 | You're A God
As PlayStation's aggressive pursuit of crossmedia success continues, we have a new piece of news worth considering in the form of the casting of Kratos in Amazon's upcoming God of War series. 6'6" American actor Ryan Hurst has won the coveted role, joining notable writers, directors, and a famous showrunner to make what could very well be Sony's most promising TV property yet. We discuss. Plus: A
#393 | Pleasantly Caving In
Happy New Year! Well, maybe not so happy for Sony. That's because -- if rumors and percolations are true -- PlayStation 5's ROM keys have been leaked, meaning that the console is likely on the verge of being jailbroken. And for veterans of the PS3 era, you know precisely what that means: Chaos. Well, maybe? Let's discuss this potentially serious development. Also: Ruminations on the passing of leg
#392 | Our Most Anticipated Games of 2026
If rumors about PlayStation 6 are true, then we're well into the back-half of PS5's tenure as Sony's primary console. And -- as is often the case at this point in a generation -- the releases are starting to pick up drastically, especially dramatic considering the sheer number of options on the market these days. Thus, it's time for the second of our two yearly traditions here on Sacred Symbols, a
#391 | Our Favorite PlayStation Moments of 2025
The holiday season is here, which means we're off for a bit. But, of course, new episodes never cease rolling out! Thus, we've arrived at the first of our two Christmastime traditions: Recounting the most consequential 'moments' in the world of PlayStation and beyond for the past calendar year. As usual, we've each selected five choices for 15 total, and they touch on topics like the first concret
#390 | But Without Me, You're Only You
Let's be honest: This whole Light of Motiram thing was shady from the get-go. A game that blatantly rips off Guerrilla's Horizon franchise, created by the publisher-and-developer combo that was later revealed to have unsuccessfully pitched Sony a Horizon spin-off beforehand? They call that 'dead to rights.' And now it's official, because Sony's lawsuit against Tencent over this facsimile has been
#389 | Something's Magnetic Here
The Game Awards have come and gone, leaving in its wake a whirlwind of game announcements, release date reveals, and fresh perspectives on our industry. Indeed, there's something for everyone, a draw for all comers. For starters, what's new? Two Star Wars offerings, Larian's secret Divinity project, Jonathan Blow's long-awaited Order of the Sinking Star, a sequel to Remedy's Control, Toshihiro Nag
#388 | Broken Records Wanna Make A Case
When it comes to the evolving gaming market, there's a lot for Sony to keep an eye on in the years and decades to come. To keep PlayStation the vibrant brand it is today, the company needs to spread the field, and two newly-announced projects -- an all-new co-op multiplayer game from the director of Left 4 Dead and a mobile port of mega-popular baseball franchise MLB: The Show -- fit the bill nice
#387 | Price You Gotta Pay When You Break the Panorama
Two months ago, a now-fired Sucker Punch developer lost her job due to an ill-timed social media post, and she's been fairly quiet ever since, at least until now. In a new article, artist Drew Harrison talks about what befell her, but -- truth be told -- she seems to have missed the biggest part of her own story: How much she could have (and did) harm the hundreds of other people that worked for y
#386 | Baby, It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over
Last year, Sony launched it's service-based third-person shooter Concord, and it bombed worse than virtually any PlayStation-developed title in history. In fact, it was received so poorly that Sony disappeared it off the market in a matter of two weeks, gave everyone their money back, and snuffed the entire project out of existence while closing the studio that made it. Fast-forward more than a ye
#385 | Old-Fashioned Superstitions I Find Too Hard to Break
PlayStation 5 has officially turned five, giving us much to reflect upon. Has the console lived up to its potential, left folks disappointed, or fallen somewhere in between? We get into that -- alongside new Sony financials that paint an admittedly rosy picture -- before getting into the meat of our show. Two new Sony-aligned games have been revealed, but they've left many potential players puzzle
#384 | Everybody's Looking For the Same Thing
For those with specific use cases, the PlayStation Portal has always been awesome. But Sony has been quietly bolstering the device over the last two years, and with its newest update, it's become more powerful than ever. Those with a PS+ Essential subscription can now purchase and stream nearly 3,000 games directly to the device without any sort of console tether, a major step-up for a peripheral
#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 licens
#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
#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 thi
#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
#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 $55 billion, and when we say external, we mean it. The major player in reverting EA to a private corporation is Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, muddying this already complex deal that also happens to be the largest leverage
#378 | Underneath, the New Skin Breathes
The "where are the games?!" crowd is having a bad week, because PlayStation's most recent State of Play showed that plenty is indeed incoming for your PS5. For starters, Insomniac's long-dormant Wolverine has reemerged. Revealed four years ago and having clearly gone through some tribulations behind-the-scenes, Wolverine is slated for PlayStation 5 next fall, and it looks violent and grisly in all
#377 | Holding Out For A Hero
The internet is alight with word that a State of Play (or perhaps even a proper so-called Showcase) is right around the corner, and with it the purported reemergence of Insomniac's Wolverine, first revealed way back in 2021 alongside Spider-Man 2 (which itself came out two years ago). Is our clawed, self-healing, and somewhat short friend about to reemerge from the shadows, perhaps with a 2026 rel
#376 | We Are the Same, Whatever We Do
Name any random PlayStation IP from the days of yore, and people will claim to want it back. One such franchise is Sucker Punch's long-dormant Sly Cooper trilogy, the third game of which is now 20 years old. (And yes, we got a fourth Sly game from Sanzaru in 2013, but it's not like many of you played it.) A recent interview indicates there are very few people at Sony's Washington-based studio inte
#375 | Never Meant to Fade Away
While Ghost of Yotei has gone gold and is now right around the corner, other segments of PlayStation Studios are on far less sturdy ground. Fairgames (or Fairgame$, if you like marketing) is seemingly the latest victim of an unprecedented run of bad decision-making, execution, and leadership within Sony's first party, as the upcoming shooter has shed its director, often (though not always) a dire
#374 | This Is What It's Like When Worlds Collide
New leaks from friend-of-the-show MLiD have given us a deeper glimpse into Sony's plans for PlayStation 6, especially when it comes to the rumored handheld iteration, codenamed Canis. It appears this device -- slated as part of a potential trio of PS6 hardware due out in '27 -- will be affordable, powerful, and perhaps most surprisingly dockable. With all first party competitors now occupying spac
#373 | That's Okay Man, 'Cause I Like the Abuse
For prospective PlayStation 5 owners, America's new tariff regime has struck at a most inopportune time. Having carved through their backfill of PS5 units in America, and seemingly moving at least some of the console's manufacturing process out of China, Sony still has to foot the bill to import the machine. A $50 increase across the board -- on standard and Pro units alike -- has led to much cons
#372 | Let's Get Physintcal
Sony is a many-tendrilled corporation, which can be both a blessing and a curse. But in fully leveraging all that the wider company does well, it seems they're closer than ever to achieving the "One Sony" goal from years and decades past. Enter Physint (sometimes typed PHYSINT, for some reason), a Hideo Kojima-led project revealed last year as a mysterious cross-pollination between PlayStation and
#371 | Count Money All Day, Count Money All Night
If Sony's recent fiscal report shows anything, it's that PlayStation is turning into a bona fide money printer. Yes, PS5 has surpassed 80 million units sold, and that in and of itself is a substantial figure. But the more interesting numbers reside in the financials, where the brand netted more in profit in a single three month period than it did for much of entire previous generations. That's com
#370 | Guerrilla Warfare
Earlier this year, Chinese publisher Tencent revealed a new project so shameless that it belies belief. It's called Light of Motiram, and it's no exaggeration to say that it's a pound-for-pound carbon copy of PlayStation's vaunted Horizon franchise. It crossed the line to such an extent that Sony is suing Tencent over it, packing fascinating evidence that this title was likely intended to be Horiz
#369 | Selling Years of Their Smoke and Mirrors and Open Minds
With leaks galore coming out of its closed testing period, it should come as no surprise that Battlefield 6 is real, and it's en route very soon. Electronic Arts and its quartet of fully-owned teams under the Battlefield Studios moniker promise a full multiplayer reveal in late July, and rumors indicate the full title is primed to launch in October. Can EA finally turn the ship around and fully de
#368 | Son of War
Sony-owned Santa Monica Studio is one of PlayStation's first party powerhouses. Responsible for the God of War franchise -- and, other than Kinetica early in the PS2 era, only the God of War franchise -- there was some excitement building about what was next. But what if it's just more God of War... at least kinda? New rumors indicate that Santa Monica is working on something more familiar than we
#367 | Here We Go, Down That Same Old Road Again
If you're tired of The Last of Us, well, it's really too bad. That's because Naughty Dog has updated The Last of Us: Part II yet again, this time with a so-called Chronological Mode that orders the game's chapters and subchapters sequentially. It's easy to mock this many updates, of course, but in reality, is Sony going above-and-beyond in keeping some of its older games alive? Shouldn't we appla
#366 | And If Anything, Then There's Your Sign of the Times
For the first time ever, PlayStation is publishing one of its own games on Xbox. The new port comes in the form of 2024's smash-hit multiplayer game Helldivers 2 from second party studio Arrowhead, and though Sony has a long-but-silent history of bringing games to other consoles -- there was a Wipeout game on N64, after all, and the likes of Death Stranding and MLB: The Show have already migrated
#365 | Metal Health
Is your PlayStation 5 about to break? Probably not, but speculation is increasingly circulating suggesting that the old run of PS5s -- pre-Slim and pre-Pro -- may start running into a 'liquid metal' problem that's causing issues for some players. What does this all mean, from where does this speculation stem, and what (if anything) can be done about it? We discuss in detail. Plus: Death Stranding
#364 | No Squares Shall Enter in the Circle of Winners
Sony's recent PlayStation-centric corporate presentation illustrated just how powerful their gaming vertical is. Indeed, PlayStation 5 has already generated more revenue for the company than PS1, PS2, and PS3 combined, and in the last five years, Sony has netted more in profit from gaming than it did in all 26 prior years the brand has existed, combined. Within their presentation was a lot of inte
#363 | Getting Bent
With Bend Studio laying off 30% of its staff as it gears up to enter a lengthy pre-production stage, it's clear their next release (should it ever materialize) will be on PlayStation 6. This is just the most recent example in a lengthening string of Sony absolutely botching its first party initiative, deploying teams on projects that make no sense, purchasing studios that have never even released
#362 | I Do Believe You're Trying to Wake Me Up
Since we published our previous episode, Sony not only announced it was having a State of Play event, but that event has already happened. Thus, we have much to discuss throughout this lengthy episode, an unexpected surprise for the PlayStation faithful. In short, the most recent State of Play was a great showcase of nearly 30 upcoming PlayStation 5 games, with some PS4 and PSVR2 mixed in there, t
#361 | The Most Natural Thing, But Nothing We'd Expect
The global economy is in a tumultuous state, inflation has carved away everyone's purchasing power, and prices are almost universally going up. So naturally, PlayStation will follow suit and jack its rates up too, right? Well, no. Instead, they're doing the exact opposite of what seems natural: For their annual, weeks-long Days of Play sales event, Sony has slashed prices on PS5 and PS5 Pro, PSVR2
#360 | I'll Confess This: You're My Tragedy
The last couple of weeks for Bungie have been nothing short of catastrophic, calling into question whether their upcoming extraction shooter Marathon has any chance at all in finding market success. We've long discussed whether Sony should have bought Bungie at all (they shouldn't have), but now that they're so deeply invested, how do they get the team out of this mess? And what does all of this h
#359 | Such A Beautiful Lie to Believe In
PlayStation is booming, at least depending on how you look at things. On the one hand, Sony's annual financial results are incredibly strong: PlayStation drove more revenue last year than any gaming entity ever has in the entire history of the industry. Meanwhile, PS5 will surpass 80 million units sold soon, and has become the default console for most players this generation. But there's a downsid
#358 | Like the MAC Got a EZ Pass
Grand Theft Auto VI promises to be the biggest video game (and likely entertainment product, full stop) in history. But unfortunately, it's been delayed. It'll come out just over a year from when this episode publishes, and a brand new trailer indicates it'll launch with all of GTA's essential trappings: Cars, guns, insane characters, a crazy story, and -- of course! -- lots and lots of crime. Wha
#357 | It's Magic, It's Tragic, It's A Loss, It's A Win
While the Xbox console brand continues to wane, Microsoft's wise pivot to third party publishing is already paying dividends. According to recent financial reports, Xbox is now PlayStation's single biggest publishing partner, dominating PSN's very own pre-order and pre-load charts on the backs of Forza Horizon 5, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, and Doom: The Dark Ages, not to mention strong p
#356 | Can You Hear the Rumble That's Calling?
It's been a very busy week in PlayStation Land. For starters, Sucker Punch's long-awaited follow-up to Ghost of Tsushima -- Ghost of Yotei -- has a release date. It'll be coming to PS5 on October 2nd, alongside a non-linear, almost Mega Man-like gameplay structure. We're excited! Let's discuss. Then: Bethesda's Oblivion Remastered has finally arrived, PS5's new firmware memorializes the 30th anniv
#355 | In Violent Times, You Shouldn't Have to Sell Your Soul
After years of hard work (and tons of external speculation), Sony-owned developer Bungie has finally revealed gameplay from and tons of details concerning its next project, Marathon. An extraction shooter that will be sold for a mid-range price ($40 seems to be the going guess), reactions to the project have been mixed. Does a large market for a game like this exist? Is the cost of entry too prohi
#354 | You Have No Idea What Loss Is
If something never goes away, you're never able to miss it. That's why there's an incredible amount of cynicism surrounding The Last of Us Complete, yet another re-release of the 2013 original and its 2020 sequel, a package that combines both games into something more accessible and affordable for PlayStation 5 owners. Naturally, this is heavily tied into the return of The Last of Us on HBO, and c
#353 | Like A Worn-Out Recording of A Favorite Song
We don't make the news; we merely report and dissect it. So it's not our fault that this week's episode focuses quite a bit on some older topics come alight, starting with a new Helldivers 2 postmortem. Developer Arrowhead's CEO recently gave an interview, displaying a surprising level of accountability and levelheadedness about the ups and downs of their mega-popular game. Then, we talk a whole l
#352 | A Warning Shot Is A Wasted Bullet
Would you play a Miles Morales-style God of War interstitial? If you said "yes," we have good news: Just such a product is apparently slated for PS5 this fall, and it's rumored to return the series to its Greek roots. But is this really the best use of Santa Monica Studio's time? Shouldn't all eyes be on what's truly next? We discuss. Then: Ubisoft has announced its long-rumored financial deal wit
#351 | Too Many Shadows, Whispering Voices
This week is one of revelations, as the once-unknown finally sees the light of day. For starters, we have exclusive information on WB San Diego's cancelled game, a never-before-discussed (until now) WB-infused kart racer codenamed Moonlight, in development for years before having the plug pulled. We give you all the details. Then: If you're a Sacred Symbols listener, you've known about Sony's secr
#350 | The Unending Sixth Extinction
This week, Sacred Symbols is a Kojima Fanboy Podcast... for a little while, anyway. Finally -- finally! -- we have a release date for Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, and it's fairly close, arriving on PlayStation 5 in late June. And as a deep love for Kojima is perhaps the biggest gaming stance all three Sacred hosts share, we thought we'd spend some time getting hyped up following an all-new 10
#349 | The Last of Us, Seriously
We're on the verge of the second season of HBO's The Last of Us, and yet new questions percolate about whether we'll ever see another game in Naughty Dog's vaunted series. In a recent interview, Neil Druckmann told fans "don't bet on there being more," which is both alluringly ominous and obviously vague. That's good news for us, though, since it gives us plenty to discuss. Do we need more? Do we
#348 | Warning Brothers
In 2022, approximately 8,500 people lost their jobs in the games industry. In 2023, that number rose to 10,500, and just last year it ballooned to an unfathomable 14,600. Will it be worse this year? That's currently unknowable, but one thing's certain: Industry playing and spending habits are radically changing, and the newest victim of the environment (and loads of really bad choices along the wa
#347 | The Return of the King
This has been an exciting week in Sacred Symbols World. We're riding high off of our two hour interview with ex-Sony executive Shuhei Yoshida, and we're eager to reminisce and reflect on it. (You can watch or listen for yourself on Sacred Symbols+.) But as far as news is concerned? Well, this week is a little slower than most, which is why we packed extra listener inquiries into the show, and stil
#346 | Then There Is No Pleasing You
A recent presentation showcased a diverse array of some 35 games coming to PlayStation 5 over the next couple of years. But -- perhaps unsurprisingly -- that hasn't stopped boo-birds from raining down upon Sony yet again, at least from some particularly loud corners. It seems that some people will literally never be satisfied, no matter what. But for those who are looking forward to new games to p
#345 | You Keep It Copacetic
When truly great games are delivered, players tend to respond. The industry's newest sales success is the long-awaited Kingdom Come: Deliverance sequel, which immediately sold a million copies upon release. But it's hardly alone. And the rest of this long year is already shaping up to be something special, with Metal Gear Solid Delta's release date leaking, Death Stranding 2's newest trailer drawi
#344 | Illusion Never Changed Into Something Real
Just last year, Sony had grand designs of a new PlayStation leadership structure executing on an exciting multi-pronged strategy, but only three fiscal quarters later, the plan has come undone. Hideaki Nishino and Hermen Hulst were bestowed co-CEO roles -- the former looking after hardware and services, the latter after software -- but now, Nishino will hold the CEO role alone, with Hulst demoted
#343 | Codename Trinity
Insomniac Games' co-founder Ted Price is retiring from the company after a storied 30 year career, but it's what he's leaving behind in his stead that's truly curious: A three-person CEO grouping, virtually unheard of in the corporate world, that hopes to leverage the unique skills of each person. When taken into account with PlayStation's new co-CEO structure, it makes us wonder if Sony seeks to
#342 | We've Painted A Picture, Now We're Drowning in Paint
We had already finished this recording when surprising news broke in the world of PlayStation: Sony has cancelled two of its upcoming, unannounced games. And -- would you believe it? -- they were both live service titles, including a God of War spin-off. The really unfortunate news, however, is who was making these titles: Bend and Bluepoint, two smaller AAA teams that typically work on a single p
#341 | The Mystery of What's to Come
We're back! 2024 is so last year; it's now time for us to dwell here in 2025... and perhaps even beyond. The holiday season was pretty quiet news-wise, but there were fairly substantial exceptions in the form of two lengthy interviews published by legendary Japanese games publication Famitsu, conducted with both of PlayStation's recently-installed co-CEOs. On the one hand, Hermen Hulst was peppere
#340 | Our Most Anticipated Games of 2025
2024 is officially in the rearview mirror, which can only mean one thing: We're now in the exciting "next year" of video game releases on PlayStation 5 (and 4, too, to an extent). As is tradition here on Sacred Symbols, we cap-off our dueling annual end-of-year shows with a look ahead, each selecting five 2025 releases we're most amped about. This of course allows us to widely chat about 15 exciti
#339 | Our Favorite PlayStation Moments of 2024
The holidays are upon us, and thus it's time to roll out an old Sacred Symbols tradition: Our list of the most remarkable, interesting, confounding, and notable moments in the world of PlayStation for the calendar year. As usual, each of us has chosen five 'moments' -- that's 15 total -- and they all involve the PlayStation ecosystem in some way, some literally and obviously, while others more loo
#338 | Naughty Dog Derangement Syndrome
The holidays draw ever-nearer, making this our final recording of 2024. (Fear not, though: As tradition dictates, episodes will continue uninterrupted throughout the break, and indeed, everything is already in the can!) Not surprisingly, the news is a little light this time of year, though there are some interesting tidbits to pick up on. For starters, we take a look at two titles shown at The Gam
#337 | Another Dimension, New Galaxy
Geoff Keighley's 'The Game Awards' festivities didn't disappoint this year. Quite the contrary, it was arguably the single strongest showing of new game announcements the industry has seen in seemingly forever, and it was capped-off with what many of us have long awaited: Naughty Dog's new game. For the first time since 2005's Jak X: Combat Racing on PlayStation 2, Sony's crown jewel studio is rea
#336 | A Kind of Cathedral Business
News is admittedly slow as the industry awaits major announcements at the imminent Game Awards. But a specific interview was recently released that still gives us plenty to discuss. The website Eurogamer sat down with ex-PlayStation executive Shawn Layden for a fascinating chat about the present and future of the console space, and he had tons to say. We spend a lot of time dissecting his thoughts
#335 | Time To Go Mobile
Over the past year or so, rumors have percolated surrounding a future PlayStation handheld, but in reality, no one knew what the exact nature of this hypothetical device would be. Could it be a successor to PSP and Vita? Or perhaps a portable PS4 or PS4 Pro? Well, it's neither of those things, if recent reporting is accurate. Instead, Sony is apparently building a fully portable PlayStation 5, whi
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