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 to Xbox via intermediaries -- never before have they acted as publisher. Is this a one-off, or a mov...
Jul 07, 2025•4 hr 4 min•Ep. 366
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 2 is out, and thus it's time for us to gush! Then: The other news of the week, including Hellblade I...
Jun 30, 2025•3 hr 31 min•Ep. 365
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 interesting data, quotes, anecdotes, and more to comb through, and we do that with a fine-tooth comb. We...
Jun 23, 2025•5 hr 21 min•Ep. 264
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 a game, and complicating a service game strategy that -- at least on paper -- made a lot of sense. W...
Jun 16, 2025•4 hr 31 min•Ep. 363
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, too. And -- for those that care -- more than a half-dozen of the games are PS5 console exclusive, nip...
Jun 09, 2025•5 hr 7 min•Ep. 362
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 and DualSense, and even DualSense Edge and the Access controller. Is Sony's boldness in risking eco...
Jun 02, 2025•3 hr 51 min•Ep. 361
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 hullabaloo -- about stolen art, poorly-reviewed gameplay, and lackluster audience reaction -- say abo...
May 26, 2025•5 hr•Ep. 360
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 r...
May 19, 2025•4 hr 34 min•Ep. 359
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 ...
May 12, 2025•4 hr 50 min•Ep. 358
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 beyon...
May 05, 2025•4 hr•Ep. 357
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...
Apr 28, 2025•4 hr 27 min•Ep. 356
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 a...
Apr 21, 2025•4 hr 10 min•Ep. 355
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....
Apr 14, 2025•3 hr 58 min•Ep. 354
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 S...
Apr 07, 2025•3 hr 42 min•Ep. 353
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 encompa...
Mar 31, 2025•4 hr 33 min•Ep. 352
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 secret LA-based studio for the better part of two years, one led by Call of Duty veteran Jason Blundell....
Mar 24, 2025•3 hr 43 min•Ep. 351
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 minute trailer, collector's edition and pre-order details, and so on. Other news this week includes ...
Mar 17, 2025•3 hr 47 min•Ep. 350
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 want more? Should we get more? Plus: Rumors are ramping up about one-time Xbox titan Gears of War mi...
Mar 10, 2025•3 hr 52 min•Ep. 351
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 way) is Warner Bros. Games, which shut down three studios (including the vaunted team Monolith Product...
Mar 03, 2025•4 hr 18 min•Ep. 348
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 still covered what was there: Fresh rumors of a Tony Hawk 3+4 Remastered Collection, leaker updates conc...
Feb 24, 2025•4 hr 25 min•Ep. 347
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 play, there was much to be excited about in the form of Lost Soul Aside, Metal Eden, Borderlands 4, O...
Feb 17, 2025•5 hr 22 min•Ep. 346
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 drawing nearer, and EA's Battlefield finally toying with a real comeback. Other news this week includes t...
Feb 10, 2025•3 hr 49 min•Ep. 345
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 and now reporting directly to him. While Sony Corporation itself made some other changes as well, in...
Feb 03, 2025•4 hr 51 min•Ep. 344
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 spread the field instead of focus decision-making and responsibility on a single person. Is that suc...
Jan 27, 2025•4 hr 22 min•Ep. 343
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 project at a time, thus wasting years of development, as well as time and resources that can never be...
Jan 20, 2025•4 hr 18 min•Ep. 342
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 peppered with questions about Helldivers 2 and Concord, the future of Sony's single-player initiatives, and...
Jan 13, 2025•4 hr 46 min•Ep. 341
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 exciting upcoming games with only two rules in mind: Selections have to be slated for (or at least conceiv...
Jan 06, 2025•2 hr 13 min•Ep. 340
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 loosely and casually. So let's chat about Helldivers 2's meteoric success, the collapse of Concord and ...
Dec 30, 2024•3 hr•Ep. 339
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 Game Awards that we skipped over last week, in the form of Crimson Desert and Midnight Murder Club, the...
Dec 23, 2024•3 hr 46 min•Ep. 338
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 readying a product that's aligned neither with Uncharted nor The Last of Us. It's called Intergalactic:...
Dec 16, 2024•5 hr 31 min•Ep. 337
