Rumors are percolating anew of a PlayStation 5 Pro console that may launch as soon as 2024, but in reality, this isn't news at all. Our very own tech analyst told us about PS5 Pro last year right here on this very show, and with more information now garnered, it sounds like this thing is really happening. Or is it? Deep economic pain lingers (with more potentially on the way). And how much more power does the PS5 need, anyway? Let's discuss the freshest hardware murmurings. Then: Neil Druckmann spills the beans on The Last of Us' future on HBO and the potential of a third core game, Konami's Project Zircon indicates Castlevania is about to return, Chinese developers voluntarily submit to self-censorship in a new pact, and more, buttressed -- as always -- by listener inquiries. What's going on with Capcom's Pragmata? Could gaming magazines ever make a comeback? How long should a game be? Has Dustin's coffee snobbery gone a step too far? Thanks to our sponsor! Right now, get up to 55% off your subscription when you go to https://www.babbel.com/sacred Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Interesting news broke while we were recording the episode, and we made sure to incorporate it: Rocksteady's beleaguered Suicide Squad game (Kill the Justice League) has been indefinitely delayed from its May release on PlayStation 5, no doubt a response to the drubbing-by-consensus it recently took. Is such a move necessary, and could it right the game's trajectory? Did it even need saving it all? Other news items this week include a wild Jim Ryan quote regarding the Activision-Microsoft deal, a huge firmware update for PS5, the potential of Spider-Man 2 going head-to-head with Starfield, and more. We intersperse our show, as we always do, with listener inquiries, ranging on issues like a remake's eligibility for Game of the Year, skipping cutscenes, playing a single-player title via multiple roles, and the reveal of the soon-to-be-famous Sacred Symbols-themed sandwich at a very special Ohio deli. Thanks to our sponsors! Get a free 1-year supply of Vitamin D and 5 free travel packs with your first purchase at https://www.athleticgreens.com/sacred Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As you well-know, Sacred Symbols doesn't work with any publishers, developers, or manufacturers. As such, we're excited to talk about PSVR2 for the very first time now that we've gotten our own purchased units in the mail. We go into some of our varying experiences so far, particularly with Horizon: Call of the Mountain, and Colin in particular wonders if his unit is broken or just permanently blurry ('sweet spot' be damned). We also get into all of the week's news, of course, starting with IO Interactive's big reveal of a new fantasy RPG in the works, Elden Ring's mysterious upcoming DLC, the closure of Square Enix's Luminous Productions, and more. As usual, listener inquiries round things out for us on topics like 3D platformers, endemic industry negativity, the potentially offensive nature of the term 'JRPG', and one funny anecdote from our live show in Houston about a few mystified men who thought they were there to see Moulin Rouge. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Xbox's pursuit of Activision Blizzard reached a new crescendo in recent days, as Microsoft President Brad Smith gave both private and public presentations to the European Commission about the virtues of the proposed deal. In its persistent recalcitrance and total unwillingness to get out of the way (particularly when it comes to Call of Duty's availability on PlayStation), Sony's strategy of silence may actually be paying off. Is Cryin' Jim really Thrivin' Jim? As always, we go deep into the weeds of this never-ending saga. Other news this week includes word of Diablo IV's open beta, Bungie suing cheaters into oblivion, and Embracer's presumably overleveraged position. Listener inquiries round things out, touching on topics like games that solve puzzles for you, our favorite so-called Sony-isms, the upcoming biblical title I Am Jesus Christ, and a potential Sacred Symbols sandwich at an Ohio-based deli. (Remember: We recorded a day earlier than usual because of our live event in Houston.) Thanks to our sponsor! Shop spring designs at https://www.tommyjohn.com/sacred and get 20% off your first order Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sony has never so much as acknowledged the existence of the British team known as Ballistic Moon, but that hasn't stopped sleuths from figuring out as far back as last summer that they're working on a PlayStation exclusive called Project Bates. But in recent days, something interesting happened: Sony kinda-sorta referred to Ballistic Moon as a first party team in a job listing, which they later amended. And you may remember that Sony in fact clumsily leaked their acquisition of Bluepoint months before they properly revealed it. Is something up here? Possibly so; we'll let you decide. Other news this week includes an awesome new array of games on PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium, rumors of PlayStation-branded earbuds, the approach of the long-shambling Dead Island 2, and more. Listener inquiries round things out, as always. Is it okay to dislike BioShock? How come Colin thinks it's weird when media-types jump to publishers and developers? What exactly does the term 'survival horror' actually mean? Just what's happening at Wal-Mart, anyway? Thanks to our sponsors! Shop spring designs at https://www.tommyjohn.com/sacred and get 20% off your first order Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The brand-new Harry Potter adventure Hogwarts Legacy will very easily go down as one of 2023's best-sellers, a testament to its high quality and faithful treatment of the so-called Wizarding World. But its success is also a triumph for reason and truth, and a major defeat for the outrage machine that tried to destroy it via a distorted game of telephone. Nestled within the maelstrom is nonetheless a heck of a game, and we're eager to talk about Avalanche Software's release in-depth. Plus: BioWare's continuing troubles, PixelJunk's triumphant return to PlayStation, and much more news. Then: Listener inquiries! Should we be more mindful of old game spoilers to help the younger generations 'go in fresh'? Was the Nier: Automata Platinum Trophy a step too far? Did Take Two announce Ken Levine's Judas too early? Will Colin ever recover from the precipitous decline in almond volume in his Honey Bunches of Oats... With Almonds? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In only about 10 weeks on the market, God of War: Ragnarok has grossed (give or take) around $750 million. At 11 million units sold and counting, it's a stark reminder that -- yes indeed! -- people will buy games, buy them at a high price point, and buy them in great quantities. All that's necessary is for that product to be special. Having already made back Ragnarok's development and marketing costs several times, what's next for Santa Monica Studio? Behold yet another Sony money printer! Plus: PlayStation 5 sales are very strong, a sequel to an older PlayStation game is quietly (but blatantly) revealed, PSVR2's strengths and weaknesses are called into question weeks before launch, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! How do we feel about James Gunn's attempts to tie DC games into their larger entertainment universe? Will changes to Resident Evil 4 ruin the remake? Does Amy Hennig get too much credit for Uncharted? Can we learn to embrace the power of the badger? Thanks to our sponsors! For a free 1-year supply of Vitamin D and 5 free travel packs go to https://www.athleticgreens.com/sacred 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  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Think back a ways, to the lead-up to The Last of Us' launch on PlayStation 3. There wasn't one name -- but two! -- oft-invoked in media: Neil Druckmann and Bruce Straley. The duo's work was well-established in the Uncharted series, and they would later rescue Uncharted 4 from development tribulations as a team. But the team split apart, and these days, Druckmann is the focal point of PlayStation's internal development efforts while Straley is a ghost of times past. A recent LA Times piece allowed Straley to elaborate on the situation, which led us to a Sacred Symbols-style deep discussion on Naughty Dog, credit, Neil and Bruce's seeming divorce, and what's fair and isn't when it comes to game development. Of course, news also plays a central role in this week's episode, as it always does. Square Enix is finally squashing its questionable Avengers game, BioWare loses arguably its most prolific writer, Spider-Man 2 rumblings have everyone excited, Forspoken launches into a questionable environment, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Have we ever managed to score a game at retail before its street date? What would a modern Nintendo and PlayStation collaboration look like? Would Colin ever interview Adam Sessler on Sacred+? Are people making up tall tales specifically to be included on our show? Thanks to our sponsors! Get up to 55% off your subscription at https://www.babbel.com/sacred Start your credit journey with Chime at https://www.chime.com/sacred Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Long-percolating rumors have been confirmed: Housemarque's wonderful third-person PS5 shooter Returnal is headed to PC, and you're going to need a beefy rig to enjoy all it has to offer. But not all is well in the stars. Krafton's The Callisto Protocol, released in December to middling reviews, was also met with soft sales. Somehow, the publisher spent something like $160 million over three years making the game, and the project is very much in the red. How could things have gone so poorly for such a promising title? And how is it possible that something like Callisto cost literally 10 times what it took for Remedy to make Control, and five times what they're spending on its sequel? Tons of sales data, discussions about Atomic Heart and Hogwarts Legacy, and more round out this week's news offerings, as we then delve into listener inquiries from Patreon. Should we expect Sony to make more acquisitions this year? Are recent layoffs at Microsoft at all emblematic of issues with the Xbox brand? Is the end nigh for GameSpot and Giant Bomb? Will one listener ever find out who the mystery person in the bathroom was? You know, the one listening to Sacred Symbols while doing his business? Thanks to our sponsors! Get 20% off your first purchase at https://www.tommyjohn.com/sacred Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Not too long ago, Ubisoft was one of the most powerful publishing entities in all of video games. Today, it's a beleaguered entity haunted by an absurdly high headcount and a development pipeline ill-suited for modern trends. The result has been an in-progress collapse notable enough to warrant an extensive update from the company itself, alongside a flurry of cancelled projects and ominous adjusted financial expectations in a worsening economy. The long and the short is: Ubisoft has big changes coming, and we're eager to talk about all that's gone wrong, and what may go right in the future. Other news includes rumors of a second party People Can Fly-developed shooter for PS5, the faux story about vertical PS5s breaking, and the embarrassing Limited Run Games fiasco, plus more. We then end this week not as we traditionally do -- with six questions from the audience -- but rather with our Game of the Year awards, the most prestigious and important you can possibly imagine. We also focus-in on a listener who wrote in about his teeth-brushing habits, and... well... we'll leave it for the show. Thanks to our sponsors! Get 20% off your first order at https://www.tommyjohn.com/sacred Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's easy enough to forget (especially these days) that Sony is, first and foremost, an electronics company. So perhaps we shouldn't be surprised that the company showed up to CES not only to show off its upcoming PlayStation VR2, but also something brand new: A fresh controller codenamed Project Leonardo, one designed with maximum accessibility in mind. By leveraging the power of tech, video games can reach even more people if they simply cater to them, and when it comes to the disabled, Microsoft proved nearly five years ago that their so-called adaptive controller represented something real. It's finally time for Sony to follow suit. Plus: PlayStation 5 surpasses 30 million units sold, The Last of Us: Factions gets teased yet again, Hitman turns into the World of Assassination, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Is gaming culture broken? How important was Shuhei Yoshida to PlayStation's first party output? When can we expect to (at last!) play Six Days in Fallujah? Is hand sanitizer essential, or a prophet of dryness? Thanks to our sponsors! This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://www.betterhelp.com/sacred and get on your way to being your best self Reclaim your health with a FREE 1-year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase at https://www.athleticgreens.com/SACRED. Get up to 55% off your subscription at https://www.babbel.com/sacred Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

2022 is but a fleeting memory. Thus, as the calendar turns over, we thought it would be best to look ahead. As is our tradition, it's time for Sacred Symbols to talk about our most-anticipated games of the next 12 months. 2023 is shaping up to be a far, far stronger year than 2022, an especially bold proclamation considering we know virtually nothing about what's coming from either first or second party. Indeed, none of our 15 selections are PlayStation-published games, but -- naturally -- all of them are coming to PS5, PS4, or both. Without further ado, we present to you the upcoming adventures that've piqued our interest the most. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's time once more for our annual Sacred Symbols tradition: Recounting and discussing the most memorable and interesting moments from the last 12 months of PlayStation. The reality is, this year was quiet on the first and second party front, at least when it comes to news (the games were dope, as always). But much happened that's worth going over again: Sony's acquisition of Bungie, Haven's potential promise, PS+'s struggles, and more. Then, there's everything in orbit around PlayStation: The Abandoned saga, Cyberpunk's revival, Square Enix's firesale, EA's gambit with Koei Tecmo, and so much more. We appreciate your support, as always, on Sacred Symbols. Happy Holidays! Thanks to our sponsors! Start your credit journey with Chime. Get started at https://www.chime.com/sacred This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://www.betterhelp.com/sacred and get on your way to being your best self Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Word of a third core The Last of Us game emanates from a reliable film industry-based source. If true, The Last of Us: Part III is one of at least two games in-development at Naughty Dog, news that is being met with equal parts excitement and disappointment. With other happenings pointing towards a God of War TV show at Amazon, and with so much of Sony's strategy seemingly relying on PlayStation's existing IP, it makes sense to wonder something very simple: Where are the new could-be franchises? When it comes to AAA fare, we've gotten one from the first and second party in PlayStation 5's entire lifecycle to date in the form of Returnal. Should we be concerned? Or should we put our faith into a brand that -- let's be honest -- has largely treated us very well over the last decade-plus, particularly when it comes to what matters most. Other news this week includes official word of the Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters' imminent PS4 release, the announcement of Ys X: Nordics, the exit of one of Media Molecule's co-founders from the studio after 16 years, and much more. Listener inquiries wrap things up as always, touching on topics like noisy controllers, the proper way to play Death Stranding, the commercial triumph of Sonic Frontiers, and a compelling suggestion that Chris may in fact be a time traveller with an uncanny predictive flair. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://www.betterhelp.com/sacred and get on your way to being your best self Shop Tommy John's end of year sale for up to 70% off at https://www.tommyjohn.com/sacred Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There's little doubt that this year's Video Game Awards was the strongest industry showcase in a long time, potentially in several years. Geoff Keighley did a great job, and he deserves credit as a great ambassador for our medium. But even more important than the VGAs, the winners, and the pomp and circumstance were the game reveals. PlayStation players are going to be eating very, very well in the years to come, particularly when you consider how full the schedule is without much of an inkling of what's coming from first and second party outside of Insomniac's Marvel duo. So let's dive extensively into Ken Levine's new BioShock-like banger Judas, Hideo Kojima's haunting and wonder-invoking Death Stranding 2, Guerrilla's beautiful LA-based Horizon: Forbidden West DLC called Burning Shores, a promising new action-RPG from Don't Nod titled Banishers: Ghost of New Eden, the return of From Software's dormant mech battler with Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon, 505's surprisingly fun-looking romp Crime Boss: Rockay City, Supergiant Games' first sequel ever in Hades II, and so much more. Other news this week includes the industry's unending obsession with Days Gone discourse, the FTC's decision to sue Microsoft over the Activision acquisition, and more. Is this the longest episode of Sacred Symbols ever? Yes... it sure is. Thanks to our sponsors! This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://www.betterhelp.com/sacred and get on your way to being your best self Start your credit journey with Chime. Get started at https://www.chime.com/sacred Reclaim your health with a FREE 1-year supply of immune-supporting Vitamin D AND 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase at https://www.athleticgreens.com/SACRED Start feeling better with Feals! Go to https://www.feals.com/symbols to become a member and get 40% off and free shipping Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Capcom's Monster Hunter is a years-long smash hit, but it really hit its stride on PS4 with Monster Hunter World, Capcom's best-selling game ever. So it was mysterious when Monster Hunter Rise was launched on Switch (and later PC), but never on PlayStation. Rumor has it that's all about to change. Rise is apparently due for PS4 and PS5 very soon -- in perhaps a month and a half -- and with it comes the promise of high-quality hunting not yet seen on PS5, a genre gap Capcom rival Electronic Arts was hoping to fill with its Omega Force-developed Wild Hearts (which it had no doubt hoped would go uncontested, but no longer will). Thus, we've much to discuss. PlayStation also released interesting new updates for its tournament structure, as well as Stars, new PS+ games have been revealed, scant details about Peacock's Twisted Metal TV series have been unearthed, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Why doesn't Sony include New Game+ at launch with all first and second party titles? What game has the saddest opening ever? Which character is the current 'Face of PlayStation'? Is alliteration the most powerful determinant of a good name? Thanks to our sponsors! This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://www.betterhelp.com/sacred and get on your way to being your best self Get 20% off your first order at https://www.tommyjohn/com/sacred For 60% off your first box go to https://www.go.factor75.com/scared60 Get started with Curology with a free 30-day trial, just pay $5 for shipping at https://www.curology.com/sacred  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Thanks to our sponsors: Start feeling better with Feals! Go to https://www.feals.com/symbols to become a member and get 40% off and free shipping This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://www.betterhelp.com/sacred and get on your way to being your best self Shop Tommy John's Cyber Monday sale. Get 33% off everything plus free shipping at https://www.tommyjohn/com/sacred Start your credit journey with Chime at https://www.chime.com/sacred The British government has released a mildly-redacted -- but largely intact -- 20-something page writeup from a law firm representing PlayStation. Dated late October of this year (but new to all of us), Sony attempts to retort, basically line-by-line, Microsoft's various contentions about the pending Activision-Blizzard-King deal that has fascinated the industry for the better part of 12 months. Though we all share a relative malaise about this subject, there's huge news within this document, and we couldn't help but go through it in great detail, garnering as much information as we can out of it about Sony's operation, that of its competitors, and the various theories and gamesmanship behind the completion or destruction of one of tech's all-time biggest acquisitions, one that could affect the very future of the PlayStation brand (or so they claim). And yes, we also get to other news -- Sony is publishing two flashy Chinese games as second party products, God of War: Ragnarok sells huge, and more -- and, as always, we rounded things out with inquiries from our beloved audience. How're we feeling about Forspoken now that it's a couple of months out? Does physical software have a future on PlayStation 6? Demon's Souls won a newbie Souls fan over, so where does he go next? What, precisely, is the meaning of life? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

God of War: Ragnarok has finally arrived, and with it comes opinions. A whole slate of them. The three of us have sat with the newest PlayStation 5 smash-hit for varying amounts of time, and we come away with equally-varying opinions that we're eager to share, expand upon, and challenge. Needless to say, we spend a whole lot of time talking about the game this week, so buckle-in. We also delve into the last seven days' news, touching on Witcher III's much-delayed PS5 release, the official announcement of Remedy's Control 2, Embracer's perilous studio structure in the face of a truncating games industry, and more. We round things out, as always, with listener inquiries generated from our audience on Patreon. Is Sacred Symbols taking on too negative a tenor as of late? Should we expect better than 1080p60 on PS5? Why do people keep giving a platform to Adam Sessler? How young is too young to join the Gamer Batallation? Thanks to our sponsors: Start feeling better with Feals! Go to https://www.feals.com/symbols to become a member and get 40% off and free shipping For a truly private digital life go to https://www.piavpn.com/sacred to get 83% off and 4 months FREE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We really hope you like the Horizon series, because a new rumor from a reliably-placed source indicates that much, much more of it is coming. There are purportedly five Horizon projects in the works: Call of the Mountain on PSVR2, some sort of Zero Dawn remake for PS5, the inevitable third game in the core trilogy, a Netflix series, and now an MMORPG from South Korean firm NCSoft. Meanwhile, a journalist attempts to race-bait Final Fantasy XVI producer Naoki Yoshida, and Naughty Dog hires the renowned creator of Fortnite's monetization system. But this episode's doomish vibe really begins with Doom itself, since renowned franchise composer Mick Gordon nukes id Software from space in a sprawling, 14,000 word document chock-full of receipts. In addition to other news, we round out our show with questions, comments, concerns, thoughts, and ideas, as we always do. Topics this week include a revitalized Sonic the Hedgehog, the potential of PlayStation Stars, the disparity in pricing between physical and digital software, and a rant about "with no ice," which is how all soft drinks should rightly be ordered. Thanks to our sponsors! 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 Start your credit journey at https://www.chime.com/sacred Start feeling better with Feals! Go to https://www.feals.com/symbols to become a member and get 40% off and free shipping Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's hard to stop a moving train, and when big corporations make meaningful decisions, the results occur over years, not days, weeks, or months. It's clear now that Sony's PSVR2 is stuck between a rock and a hard place -- there's simply no way Sony could have forecasted the last two and a half years of human history when this thing was being workshopped and greenlit -- and with a high price, a bad economy, and a seeming dearth of actual games, well, PlayStation's timing may be all wrong. Does PSVR2 have a real future? We discuss at length. Other news this week circulates around updated PS5 sales data and impressive numbers for 2018's God of War, Microsoft's 700th reiteration that Call of Duty will always remain on PlayStation, Electronic Arts' new three game deal with Marvel, and much more. Listener inquiries round things out, per usual, touching on topics like a lacking creativity in PlayStation's first party, why spoilers are so detrimental and wrong, and the potentially bright future of Mega Man. We also place a moratorium on a popular user-favorite term, because we need to mix things up a bit, and because we enjoy keeping you on your toes. Thanks to our sponsors! Pick up the ultimate daily nutritional insurance at https://www.athleticgreens.com/sacred to get a FREE 1-year supply of Vitamin D and 5 FREE travel packs with your first purchase Get started with Curology with a FREE 30-day trial at https://www.curology.com/sacred just pay $5 for shipping and handling Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices