Episódios

  • #359 | Such A Beautiful Lie to Believe In

    #359 | Such A Beautiful Lie to Believe In
    May 19 2025
    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 downside; indeed, Sony is doing all of this damage with one hand tied behind its back, as major exclusive releases have slowed down to a trickle, while the level of behind-the-scenes mismanagement becomes ever-starker. As we were wrapping our episode up, word dropped that first party studio Haven lost its founder and biggest name, Jade Raymond, apparently after a tumultuous testing of Fairgames, boding poorly for the future of that product and team. Maybe this entire initiative was a bad idea, after all? Plus: Death Stranding 2 goes gold, Stellar Blade is coming to PC, rumors percolate about a Grand Theft Auto IV remaster, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Will Final Fantasy XVII be turn-based? What does the 11th hour saving of Giant Bomb mean for the future of games media? Could Game Pass' undeniable value proposition begin peeling away the Sony hardcore? Who should we cast Obesaga on, so that we can have an overweight cast member for representation's sake?Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. Your browser is holding you back. Level up here: https://operagx.gg/SacredSymbols Sponsored by Opera GX! Timestamps: 0:00:00 - Intro0:19:30 - No more sad write-ins0:22:20 - How are we doing?0:31:22 - LSM needs more diversity0:43:46 - This week's "situation"0:47:08 - HBO MAX0:54:09 - Guy waking up meme0:59:22 - Sony FY2024 financials1:20:50 - Capcom continues to dominate1:26:38 - Death Stranding 2 goes gold1:37:18 - Stellar Blade coming to PC1:44:33 - Tati Gabrielle trained on online hate1:57:10 - GTA IV Remaster?2:04:34 - Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra delayed2:10:21 - PS Plus updates2:13:51 - Fallout Season 2 in December2:17:01 - What We’ve Been Playing (Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Doom Eternal, Doom: The Dark Ages, Tomba!)3:16:24 - Final Fantasy returning to turn based3:20:16 - Gatekeeping3:35:18 - Giant Bomb goes independent3:42:44 - Moon Studio in trouble?3:55:14 - More Xbox games to PlayStation4:03:13 - Will the value of Gamepass convert PlayStation users?4:13:43 - Jade Raymond leaves Haven Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    4 horas e 34 minutos
  • #358 | Like the MAC Got a EZ Pass

    #358 | Like the MAC Got a EZ Pass
    May 12 2025
    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. What are our fresh thoughts on GTA6? And do we think it'll make its new May 2026 release date? There's a lot of other news to get to this week, too. For starters, a new PlayStation first party studio has been revealed, though we already sorta knew about them. They're called teamLFG, they've been splintered off from Bungie, and they're making a more lighthearted multiplayer game. Is there cause to be optimistic about this project? Plus: The next Xbox domino falls, as Gears of War will arrive on PlayStation 5 this August, something that was completely unthinkable just a couple of years ago. But what about the other Gears games? And when's Halo coming over, too? Later: Mafia: The Old Country gets a release date, EA indicates Battlefield 6's reveal is imminent, Death Stranding 2 is getting its own DualSense controller, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Are we ever going to get another PlayStation Showcase? With the US threatening tariffs on foreign movies, should we be worried about foreign games suffering a similar fate? Why does Colin fail to see the intrinsic value of the modding community? Is Bradley Ellis slowly-but-surely taking Last Stand over from the inside?Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.Timestamps: 0:00:00 - Intro 0:06:46 - Mumu 0:16:12 - The Man Who Sold the World 0:32:40 - Sacred in space 0:46:20 - Punching Up takeover 0:49:06 - PSN horror story 0:58:14 - GTA VI delayed 1:35:50 - teamLFG 1:55:48 - Gears of War Reloaded coming to PS5 2:26:33 - Xbox games dominated PSN 2:36:36 - Mafia: The Old Country releases August 8th 2:46:24 - Destiny 2 expansion revealed 2:57:38 - EA gets ready for Battlefield 3:04:56 - Death Stranding 2 Dualsense 3:08:23 - Game sales 3:09:58 - What We’ve Been Playing 3:55:34 - Remaster/remake naming 4:01:45 - PlayStation Showcase 4:08:11 - PS5 identity 4:13:33 - Tariffs on video games 4:20:14 - Live service pricing 4:28:31 - Modding projects Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    4 horas e 50 minutos
  • #357 | It's Magic, It's Tragic, It's A Loss, It's A Win

    #357 | It's Magic, It's Tragic, It's A Loss, It's A Win
    May 5 2025
    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 performance across its brands, from Activision Blizzard's Call of Duty to Mojang's Minecraft and beyond. It's weird, to be sure, but predictable, too: These one-time rivals are now intrinsically linked, with both sides benefiting mightily from this new normal. With Halo, Gears, Fable, and virtually everything else Xbox-related no doubt en route to PlayStation 5 as we move forward, how deep and fruitful can this new, unusual relationship become? Plus: Long-in-development China Hero Project darling Lost Soul Aside gets delayed, Borderlands 4 experiences the extremely rare move-up in release date, Electronic Arts lays off hundreds and cancels projects at Respawn, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Is it high-time for Sony to explore asymmetrical sticks for its controllers? Does PC gaming represent an existential threat to the console space? Should Sony tap Chinese mega-studio Virtuos to revive its old IP? Are we willing to endorse the new term "remakester?"Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.Timestamps: 0:00:00 - Intro 0:22:22 - Girl crying in the bathroom Part 3? 0:23:58 - Hi Jimi 0:24:35 - Sacred Wives 0:26:14 - Best man's speech gone wrong 0:38:04 - nerd slop 0:44:09 - Xbox is PlayStation's top publisher 1:07:11 - Lost Soul Aside delayed 1:13:25 - Borderlands 4 release date moved up 1:21:17 - EA and Respawn layoffs 1:35:38 - Video game sales numbers 1:39:18 - New PS+ essential games 1:49:36 - Split Fiction movie 1:53:23 - Until Dawn original writers not credited in the movie 1:59:07 - Polygon is done, Giant Bomb next likely 2:05:26 - What We’ve Been Playing 2:07:43 - Marathon 2:34:20 - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 3:00:05 - Dualsense with asymmetric sticks 3:07:50 - Virtuos remakes 3:15:29 - Remakester 3:20:24 - Goofy games we liked 3:31:42 - PlayStation's future errors 3:39:27 - The best case scenario for the big three going forward Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    4 horas
  • #356 | Can You Hear the Rumble That's Calling?

    #356 | Can You Hear the Rumble That's Calling?
    Apr 28 2025
    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 anniversary celebration once an for all, Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders light up the internet, Star Wars is getting a strategy RPG, and lots of others news, too. Finally: Listener inquiries! How come Sony subsidiary Aniplex isn't publishing Danganronpa-like The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy on PlayStation 5? Which existing entertainment properties would best benefit from the Supermassive/Quantic Dream "CYOA" formula? Is the Catholic Church really canonizing a "gamer saint"? Which Last Stand contributor should we replace with AI first?Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. Timestamps: 0:00:00 - Intro 0:17:17 - AI replacement 0:23:33 - Crying Woman Part 2 0:36:25 - Skull lining at a funeral? 0:37:28 - Divorce proceedings 0:41:25 - Dave Ramsey 0:53:45 - Letting each other talk 0:55:37 - Ghost of Yotei releases October 2nd 1:24:35 - Switch 2 1:36:01 - Oblivion Remaster released 2:13:18 - New PS5 Firmware 2:20:45 - Devolver Digitals stats 2:28:59 - Star Wars: Zero Company 2:32:50 - Football games release dates 2:34:31 - Onimusha 2 "Hell mode" 2:36:07 - US Sales for March 2:40:50 - What We’ve Been Playing (Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Lunar: Silver Star Story, Oblivion Remastered, Marathon Alpha, Blue Prince)3:28:48 - Engagement bait 3:47:22 - Non-stop games 3:55:37 - The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy 3:59:20 - Choose your own adventure dream IP 4:03:48 - Indexed archives 4:09:31 - Saint of Gaming Your browser is holding you back. Level up here: https://operagx.gg/SacredSymbols Sponsored by Opera GX! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    4 horas e 27 minutos
  • #355 | In Violent Times, You Shouldn't Have to Sell Your Soul

    #355 | In Violent Times, You Shouldn't Have to Sell Your Soul
    Apr 21 2025
    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 prohibitive? Is it DOA like Concord? Honestly, we feel like a lot of people are overreacting one way or another, but one thing's for sure: For some, any payment is too much. Speaking of cash-money, prices for PlayStation 5 hardware and/or PS+ subscriptions alike are going up in various parts of the world, including Europe, Australia, and Canada. Is Sony trying to inoculate itself from American tariff threats by exploiting safer markets? Or are global currencies and economies really doing that poorly? Amongst other news comes, of course, listener inquiries. As Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 draws ever-nearer, what's our collective gut-check? Could rumors of a Prototype 3 actually be real? Have we gotten to the point where trashing games has become tropey? Are we closer than ever to discovering the identity of the woman who was crying in the bathroom during Sacred 200? EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/sacred Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. Timestamps: 0:00:00 - Intro 0:30:49 - Sacred is here for you 0:33:24 - Crying woman revealed 0:37:55 - Sacred Lore 0:48:38 - More Sacred dating advice 0:58:59 - Marathon revealed 1:52:25 - PS5 price increase in certain regions 2:18:44 - Last of Us Season 2's strong start 2:23:05 - Oblivion remake is real 2:35:32 - Chronos: The New Dawn 2:41:38 - Minecraft movie domination 2:45:24 - Ubisoft making an Apex Clone 2:50:23 - What We’ve Been Playing (Blue Prince, Death Stranding, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle) 3:13:40 - Clair Obscur gutcheck 3:18:00 - Most toxic fanbase 3:24:09 - Fan service complaints 3:39:21- Prototype 3 rumors 3:46:55 - New Naughty Dog game? 3:49:36 - Final gaming experiences Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    4 horas e 10 minutos
  • #354 | You Have No Idea What Loss Is

    #354 | You Have No Idea What Loss Is
    Apr 14 2025
    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 clearly this sort of thing isn't really aimed at us at all. In fact, it's likely very smart business. But that doesn't mean we're longing for something else. Anything else, really. For once. Plus: PS+ price increases slam headlong into Latin America, Portal gets some key UI and UX updates catered toward streaming users, PlayStation's concert series seemingly suffers poor ticket sales, and more. Then: Listener inquries! Should console manufacturers limit hardware sales to their most hardcore audience first? Considering the length of both Uncharted 4 and TLoU2, should be expect Intergalactic to be a very long game? Is the "games are too expensive" argument ultimately a dead end? Can Colin mystify his sons with the '90s tech magic of WYSIWYG? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. Timestamps: 0:00:00 - Intro 0:37:06 - Larger shirts selling out 0:42:17 - Dealing with grief 0:44:51 - Kids listening to Sacred 0:46:02 - Espresso tips 0:52:04 - Lawn boys rise up 0:56:21 - Timestamps on what we're playing (no) 1:00:21 - Dustin's art of the deal 1:03:19 - PS+ price increase in Latin America 1:12:52 - Marathon reveal incoming 1:30:30 - HBO renews Last of Us for Season 3 1:38:28 - PS Portal update 1:41:06 - Animated background on PS5 1:43:58 - Vampire Survivors cross-save wont come to PlayStation 1:51:23 - PlayStation Concerts being canceled 1:56:08 - Death Stranding film details 2:03:06 - What We’ve Been Playing (The Last of Us: Part II, Breakout Beyond, Ready or Not, Blue Prince, Marathon 2: Durandal, Assassin’s Creed Shadows) 2:35:58 - The Last of Us Complete 2:44:21 - New PlayStation+ games 2:52:47 - PSN Top Downloads 3:02:15 - Post-apocalyptic media 3:11:34 - Preorders looking at accounts 3:18:27 - Intergalactic's runtime 3:23:20 - Best weather in videos games 3:29:25 - Games industry and economics 3:40:48 - Lilymo and Kickstarter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    3 horas e 58 minutos
  • #353 | Like A Worn-Out Recording of A Favorite Song

    #353 | Like A Worn-Out Recording of A Favorite Song
    Apr 7 2025
    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 lot about Nintendo, because literally half of our listener inquiries this week were on the topic of Switch 2. Switch's successor is a mere months away, and while there's no doubt a lot of excitement, there also seems to exist an unusual amount of skepticism, and even anger and animosity. Will Nintendo be able to capture its first generation-to-generation success story since NES and SNES? Or are we looking at more of the same-old same-old? After, we get into rumors of yet another The Last of Us-related re-release, a mysterious physical edition at a premium price, but with contents unknown. Have we had enough, already? Other news includes data on Xbox's publishing performance on PS5, fresh sales and player numbers for the likes of Death Stranding and Atomfall, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! With the reveal of The Duskbloods on Switch 2 and because there's no Bloodborne news seemingly ever, is it clear that FromSoft has beef with Sony? Should we be worried about the survival of Ubisoft's studio Massive, and thus the future of The Division? Are physical game gimmicks getting awfully close to jumping the shark? How did we accidentally appear in a popular YouTube series about bad drivers? Your browser is holding you back. Level up here: https://operagx.gg/SacredSymbols Sponsored by Opera GX! EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/sacred Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. Timestamps: 0:00:00 - Intro 0:12:35 - Congrats Crystal! 0:23:48 - Sacred x Idiots in Cars 0:31:41 - sugrör 0:33:15 - Colin's garden 0:34:46 - Indulgences 0:41:29 - Is Colin pissed? 0:44:17 - Listener write in exposed 0:48:46 - Shout out Barry 0:49:51 - Colin on interstitial games 0:51:26 - Nintendo Switch 2 1:39:03 - Performance of Xbox game on PlayStation 1:48:03 - TLOU special edition 1:53:25 - WB cancels HogLeg expansion 1:58:46 - Game sales 2:06:49 - Onimusha details 2:08:53 - Final Fantasy IX 25th anniversary 2:11:21 - MindsEye new trailer 2:16:25 - What Are We Playing? 2:36:51 - Helldivers 2 interview 2:48:46 - Sacred and Sony PR 2:56:38 - PlayStation and Bloodborne 3:04:55 - Is Massive Entertainment safe? 3:08:24 - What's the point of physical games? 3:20:28 - Studio system 3:22:45 - platform specific podcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    3 horas e 42 minutos
  • #352 | A Warning Shot Is A Wasted Bullet

    #352 | A Warning Shot Is A Wasted Bullet
    Mar 31 2025
    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 with tech conglomerate Tencent, one that will give the Chinese firm a 25% stake in a new entity encompassing Assassin's Creed, Far Cry, and Rainbow Six. What does this $1+ billion infusion in capital do for the ailing publisher? Is it too little, too late? Plus: Indiana Jones' PS5 release date draws very near, Until Dawn's original PS3 version leaks in full, Rocksteady's upcoming Batman game may be the first confirmed PlayStation 6 title, Bandai Namco and Sony get together on more retro PlayStation ports, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! With Naughty Dog's Intergalactic unlikely to come to market before 2027, could it end up being PlayStation 5's swan song? Will Game Informer's unexpected comeback prove a triumphant success or a predictable failure? How can Housemarque best position Saros to succeed with Returnal fans? Has Colin ever sat on the couch behind him even a single, solitary time? EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/sacred Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. Timestamps: 0:00:00 - Intro 0:40:19 - The unified feed is back 0:50:07 - Reddit 1:19:56 - Depression tips 1:24:39 - Bidet recommendation 1:29:55 - Should Dustin actually talk less? 1:35:47 - New "situations" 1:38:19 - Colin's couch 1:42:18 - Dustin encounter at Target 1:43:16 - Sacred recommendations 1:51:14 - God of War expansion 1:56:03 - Indiana Jones PS5 release date 2:01:15 - Until Dawn on PS3 leaked 2:03:28 - New trophies for Days Gone 2:07:16 - Next Batman game for PS6 2:09:25 - Painkiller PS5 remake 2:12:24 - What We’ve Been Playing 2:55:01 - Ubisoft change-up 3:08:08 - Patapon and Everybody's Golf is back! 3:26:51 - New PS+ games 3:33:12 - Will Intergalactic be the swan song for PS5? 3:36:35 - Best video game stories 3:44:34 - Cosmetics in games 3:47:47 - Assassin's Creed vs Elon 4:00:04 - Game Informer's return 4:13:00 - Saros expectations Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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    4 horas e 33 minutos