Sacred Symbols: A PlayStation Podcast

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 the right ways. Coming sooner from first party, however, is Housemarque's Returnal sequel Saros, launching in March of '26. It looks awesome, and we're to get back to shootin'. But as if these two games didn't give us enough to talk about, there's more: Microsoft Flight Simulator is the next Xbox-aligned game PS5-bound (with Forza Horizon 6 somewhere behind it), the original Deus Ex is getting the remaster treatment, a God of War DualSense has been revealed in recognition of the franchise's 20th anniversary, Kojima both revealed a Physint poster and showed off his new horror title OD, and much more. Then: Listener inquiries! What's going on with the PS5 Pro's many technical issues? Will NetEase's F2P game Ananta be as insane as it seems? Why do we have such a problem with the premise of licensed games? Is Boar's Head's fine deli meat becoming too expensive for the average consumer? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro 0:21:17 - Sony mascots owning a gentlemen's club 0:26:19 - Boar's Head prices 0:32:22 - Colin in wedding vows 0:34:04 - Ghost of Yotei hype low? 0:40:21 - State of Play - Wolverine 1:05:31 - Saros 1:16:39 - Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 1:31:35 - PlayStation Pulse elevate speakers 1:39:34 - Smaller SoP announcements 2:11:18 - Kojima announcements 2:29:25 - Forza Horizon 6 announced, coming to PS5 2:32:57 - PlayStation Franchise Rewards 2:40:27 - Metal Gear Solid Collection Vol 2 2:46:46 - Yakuza announcements 2:48:24 - A new Mafia game has been greenlit 2:50:04 - New player habits data from Ampere Analysis 2:51:48 - What We’ve Been Playing (Cronos: The New Dawn, Puzzle Quest: Immortal Edition, Baby Steps, Borderlands 4, Hitman 1-3, Silent Hill f) 3:23:52 - Current feelings on PS5 Pro 3:36:00 - Ananta copying Spider-man, GTA etc 3:44:24 - Negative outlook on licensed games 4:00:09 - Best gamer at LSM 4:07:37 - Top 5 genres Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

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 release on PlayStation 5 in tow? We're about to find out, along with -- perhaps! -- confirmation of a Venom title, too (and presumably much more). Plus: Ghost of Yotei and Helldivers 2 find themselves sucked into recent social events, Tencent hits back at Sony over its Horizon-based lawsuit, Borderlands 4 is a technical mess for many (and Randy Pitchford won't shut up about it), Hell Is Us' director calls Silksong's surprise release "callous," and so much more. Then: Listener inquiries! Would we ever attempt something as challenging as a company Top 100 Games of All-Time list? What are some potential launch games for PlayStation 6? How does one display their physical games collection when there isn't enough room for all of it? Is Dustin about to move into the poorhouse? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro 0:19:41 - Following up on last week 0:33:18 - Sacred Mad Libs 0:43:44 - Result of mad libs 0:49:34 - Dustin's YouTube channel 1:01:12 - This Week's Situation 1:10:51 - Is or Are 1:13:38 - Sony PR is having a bad time 1:44:13 - Insomniac rumors 1:58:25 - Tencent responds to Sony's lawsuit 2:06:15 - Borderlands performance issues 2:23:18 - Hell is Us director comments on SIlksong 2:34:51 - Sega leaks Kiwami 3 2:38:13 - AC Black Flag remake is coming 2:46:40 - Dragon Quest VII Reimagined announced 2:54:41 - Mega Man Star Force collection 3:04:22 - TV adaptations drive sales 3:18:23 - Flight Simulator coming to PlayStation? 3:22:36 - What We’re Playing (Cronos: The New Dawn, Everybody’s Golf: Hot Shots, Skate, Borderlands 4, Hell is Us) 3:56:47 - 100 greatest video games of all time 4:04:29 - PS6 cartridge based? 4:08:18 - PS6 launch titles 4:19:09 - Ninja Gaiden Ragebound enemies 4:21:42 - Managing a physical game collection Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

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 interested in returning to the Thievius Raccoonus, and perhaps for good reason. After all, they want to sell actual units. We discuss! Plus: New PlayStation 6 rumors percolate in the wild, Bend is apparently hiring for a multiplayer title, precious details about Naughty Dog's Intergalactic emerge, and deep sales information has been released about PlayStation's historic software sales here in the US over the last 30 years. Then: Listener inquiries! Will the Hollow Knight: Silksong pricing drama ever end? Should Media Molecule invest in the 'cozy game' revolution? Is Marathon even worth being excited over at all? Can we help ingratiate the younger generation into the psychosis of Sacred Symbols? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro 0:10:39 - Addressing recent events 1:10:54 - End of political conversation 1:25:01 - Happy Birthday Lily 1:28:12 - Shout out Jessica 1:29:49 - Dustin and Chris contributing to the show notes 1:37:22 - PlayStation Family App 1:41:00 - PS6 will still have a disk drive 1:50:59 - Sucker Punch doesn't want to make a new Sly Cooper game 2:06:43 - Bend is hiring a creative director and looking for multiplayer experience 2:13:01 - New Intergalactic info 2:19:54 - Wolfenstein third game teased? 2:26:05 - Best selling PlayStation games since 1995 2:39:45 - PSN downloads for August 2025 2:41:43 - New PS+ Extra games 2:45:33 - What Are We Playing? (RoboCop: Rogue City Everybody’s Golf: Hot Shots Hell is Us, MGS Delta, Silksong, The Finals) 3:21:04 - Portal charging dock 3:26:50 - Is Marathon worth being excited for? 3:30:40 - How can Media Molecule turn things around? 3:34:20 - SIlksong's $20 price point 3:46:23 - Dan Houser's future 3:52:02 - PlayStation embracing timed exclusivity Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

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 sign for any project. Taken with recent reports (from this very show) of poor internal playtesting -- all the while Haven has already shed its major front-facing face and co-founder Jade Raymond -- we simply have to wonder whether Fairgames will ever launch at all. And if it does, does it have any potential to succeed whatsoever? Other news this week includes the rumored reemergence of Insomniac's Wolverine project, downward-revised SSD space for upcoming PS5 consoles, a fresh look at the promising Uncharted-like IO title 007: First Light, and much more. Then: Listener inquiries! Does Naughty Dog actually represent the pinnacle of game dev? How much can people twist themselves into a knot to justify piracy? What kind of pressure are studios and publishers under to adopt AI solutions? Will "Alleghany Hogs" catch on around the world? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro 0:32:42 - Shoutout Preston 0:40:47 - "Please clean up after your dog" 0:52:10 - Let em oink 0:54:16 - Chronos helmet = penis? 0:55:36 - MGS3 correction 0:56:34 - Ghost of Yotei goes gold 1:03:22 - Fairgames creative director leave Haven 1:28:24 - Wolverine rumors 1:47:23 - PS5 reducing storage space on new units 2:02:18 - 007 First Light gameplay revealed 2:14:27 - IO may not publish an external game again after MindsEye 2:19:13 - Hollow Knight SIlksong is only $20 2:27:57 - Capcom president says consoles are too becoming too expensive 2:34:55 - Pragmata is not a Mega Man game 2:37:01 - More games coming to PS4 2:44:57 - New live-action Tomb Raider 2:47:04 - What We’re Playing 3:29:04 - Emulating new games 3:44:41 - Why is Naughty Dog one of the best? 3:53:42 - Call of Duty changing course on skins? 4:00:24 - World's first platinum 4:04:38 - Sony's pressure to integrate AI 4:09:31 - Grading the show at the end Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

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 space (Nintendo, Valve) or chasing a presence (Sony, Microsoft) in the handheld realm, it seems like things could get very spicy on multiple fronts. Allow us to discuss in minute detail. Plus: Hermen Hulst gives a rare interview, Ken Levine emerges with hot-off-the-presses details about Judas, Sony reveals its first four incubated products in the MENA Hero Project, it'll now be easier to request a refund on PSN, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Some 14 years after release, what are our thoughts on Catherine? Could a major Xbox announcement be lurking in Sony's reported September showcase? How does Hello Games and No Man's Sky survive by giving so much away for free? Is Where's Waldo nothing more than an unconvincing psy-op? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro 0:29:02 - Metal Gear Solid Delta poster 0:34:47 - Benji! 0:36:27 - Allegheny Hogs 0:42:00 - Washing your legs 0:54:33 - Waldo 0:58:16 - Ghost of Yotei console preorder September 4th 1:00:34 - PlayStation 6 Portable leaks 1:27:50 - Hermen Hulst interview 1:59:33 - New Judas info 2:14:26 - New MENA Hero project games 2:29:11 - Forza Horizon 6 could be in Japan 2:33:12 - New PSN refund system 2:39:22 - Skate early access release date 2:43:15 - July 2025 Circana data 2:49:37 - New PS+ Essential games 2:54:35 - What We’re Playing 3:40:59 - Thoughts on Catherine 3:49:24 - Is Intergalactic a soulslike? 3:54:12 - Will Xbox announce a game at a Sony event? 3:58:41 - Are remakes creatively bankrupt 4:08:42 - No Man's Sky keeps going 4:16:05 - Do podcasts hosts need to be experts? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]