Sacred Symbols, Episode 51: Uncanny Valley
Added 2019-06-18 16:01:01 +0000 UTCE3 2019 is behind us, but -- like the persistent radiation of Chernobyl -- its effects still linger. Indeed, there's much to discuss in the afterglow of the show, and we do just that, revisiting The Avengers, Final Fantasy VII Remake, and Cyberpunk 2077. We also touch on Square Enix's plans for its own subscription service, the future of Amazon Game Studios, Konami's surprise new Contra game, and more, and take listener questions on Crash Team Racing, PlayStation 5 backwards compatibility, Assassin's Creed, and what our Game of the Year is thus far. As usual, though, all of that merely skims the surface of this episode of The Internet's Most Beloved PlayStation Podcast. So strap in, Little Billy, or whatever your name is. Let's talk about video games.
Timestamps:
0:00:17 - Intro
0:01:47 - We have some E3-related corrections and clarifications.
0:08:51 - Was this year's E3 boring?
0:11:36 - Are people's E3 expectations set too high?
0:15:31 - What are our thoughts on Nintendo at E3?
0:19:04 - What’s the best place to get kids started with video games?
0:21:11 - What games are we playing?
0:23:29 - New details about Square Enix’s Avengers game have surfaced.
0:27:23 - A remake of Trials of Mana has been revealed.
0:28:19 - Square Enix is working on a subscription service.
0:31:23 - Final Fantasy VII Remake will have a $350 special edition.
0:35:03 - Phantasy Star Online 2 may be coming to western PS4s, after all.
0:37:10 - Layoff have hit Amazon Game Studios.
0:38:50 - Witcher III: Wild Hunt surpasses 20 million units sold.
0:39:33 - Gears of War director almost cancelled Fortnite.
0:41:11 - A new Contra game is in development.
0:42:32 - E3 2020’s dates have been revealed.
0:43:22 - Minor game announcements and release date information.
0:44:53 - What are our thoughts on the new Dark Crystal game?
0:45:36 - This week's new releases for PS4, PS Vita, and PSVR.
0:52:41 - Is Square Enix getting better?
0:56:47 - Will CTR overthrow Mario Kart 8 as the best contemporary kart racer?
0:58:57 - How will PlayStation 5 backwards compatibility work?
1:04:44 - Will Xbox become more of an online platform than a console?
1:07:46 - Will Assassin’s Creed games be more like Odyssey in the future?
1:11:18 - What’s the difference between Xbox'x xCloud and PlayStation's Remote Play?
1:13:30 - How much does art style affect your enjoyment of a game?
1:17:48 - What are the frontrunners for Game of the Year?
Comments
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Colin Moriarty
2019-06-27 21:00:54 +0000 UTCHey Colin or anyone reading this, maybe I'm just not looking hard enough but where am I supposed to submit questions for Sacred Symbols?
Kenneth thomas
2019-06-27 20:45:49 +0000 UTCThat's still a very long game.
Colin Moriarty
2019-06-27 05:46:44 +0000 UTCYou can finish Assassin's Creed Odyssey in 30-40 hours easily. No need for extra side missions (or XP boosters). I did put 100 hours on it, but only because I wanted the platinum.
Mario Diosdado
2019-06-25 14:40:36 +0000 UTCLol TBF, I love all the episodes no matter what!
Joe Bellotta
2019-06-25 01:55:59 +0000 UTC2019 has been really good, yeah!
Colin Moriarty
2019-06-25 01:42:18 +0000 UTCThey did. But it can't possibly be illegal.
Colin Moriarty
2019-06-25 01:42:03 +0000 UTCOh, you're not gonna like this week's episode!
Colin Moriarty
2019-06-25 01:41:54 +0000 UTCThank you. =)
Colin Moriarty
2019-06-25 01:41:44 +0000 UTCI'm glad I'm not the only one.
Colin Moriarty
2019-06-25 01:41:39 +0000 UTCYeah, there's no doubt that this is true. It's just like sports.
Colin Moriarty
2019-06-25 01:41:32 +0000 UTCi loved this years games so far. i'm liking 2019 more than 2018. 2017 was the best in recent memory
B00ch
2019-06-24 20:48:11 +0000 UTCChris mentioned the legality of a company ripping a ROM that you didn't upload for sale. Didn't Nintendo get caught doing that with their Virtual Console games for the Wii? I could have sworn people found out Super Mario Bros. was just a rom rip uploaded for sale.
Korey Burns
2019-06-24 18:59:34 +0000 UTCCan't wait for the Dog-Men Fireside Chats episode!
Korey Burns
2019-06-24 16:52:50 +0000 UTC"Mario Kart 8 isn't close to being the best kart racer on the market" bahahahaha smoke another one Chris!
Joe Bellotta
2019-06-21 17:06:16 +0000 UTCbest episode in ages, both of you were energised / in good spirits
Rob
2019-06-21 10:06:10 +0000 UTC"it's not straight!"... lol classic
Rob
2019-06-21 10:05:47 +0000 UTCMy wife was born in Ukraine (as part of the USSR) and I didn’t know I was saying it wrong until we had been dating for months!
Brad Gray
2019-06-20 17:26:58 +0000 UTCHey Colin and Chris, a little social commentary here on fanboy toxicity. Carl Jung reinforced projection as an inherent psychological trait, basically applying one’s insecurities to others. In the realm of psychology , consumerist projection is the most toxic. As an owner of all three consoles, I certainly have my preference, but people out there are inherently afraid of their investment being lesser or worse becoming obsolete, hence why there is Xbox vs PlayStation, Android vs iPhone, etc. Unfortunately this is all a part of the human condition that contributes to why many of us live in a wave of perpetual anxiety. Anyways, cheers.
Justin Marxer
2019-06-20 00:10:00 +0000 UTCPSPs still work, and you just need to get a new battery. You just need to make sure whatever PSP you buy didn't have an exploding battery in it.
Colin Moriarty
2019-06-19 22:25:11 +0000 UTCVery sad. Millions are gonna find out too late.
Colin Moriarty
2019-06-19 22:24:47 +0000 UTCWhat a muddled mess it's turning into!
Colin Moriarty
2019-06-19 22:24:37 +0000 UTCAgreed.
Colin Moriarty
2019-06-19 22:24:28 +0000 UTCThank you! Soon. Chris is gonna do the solo mailbag this month.
Colin Moriarty
2019-06-19 22:24:06 +0000 UTCI'm really excited to play Final Fantasy VIII again.
Colin Moriarty
2019-06-19 22:23:53 +0000 UTCGood clarification. Thank you.
Colin Moriarty
2019-06-19 22:23:42 +0000 UTCI've had a Switch since launch day.
Colin Moriarty
2019-06-19 22:23:27 +0000 UTCOh dear.
Colin Moriarty
2019-06-19 22:23:17 +0000 UTCAw man, I've never owned a PSP and had no idea they were a ticking time bomb! I was just thinking about getting one. I guess a Vita is a better investment, given it has access to the PSP digital library?
Phillip Guglielmo
2019-06-19 22:22:06 +0000 UTCIt's so funny you bring that up about the PSP batteries. It was last winter when I found out my poor handheld had exploded. Fuckin thing didnt stand a chance.
Dr. Peter Venkman
2019-06-19 19:31:13 +0000 UTCBe better at capitalism, dawg
Luke Bernhard
2019-06-19 15:29:07 +0000 UTCI definitely agree with your take on Avengers. I thought the gameplay looked interesting - but I thought the aesthetic looked like shit.
Luke Bernhard
2019-06-19 15:28:41 +0000 UTCGreat episode, but desperately needs more dog-men fucking other dog-men content.
Eugene Lanzoni
2019-06-19 14:09:30 +0000 UTCThe fact that Americans think that 50mbps or even 10mbps is terrible and amongst the world's worst is hilarious. However, the prices you pay for your connections are insane.
Jewelbox
2019-06-19 08:45:50 +0000 UTCGreat Episode, and thank you for reading my question about getting kids into gaming! Was wondering if we could get another Patreon solo mailbag episode of Sacred Symbols?
Jeremy Miller
2019-06-19 06:05:46 +0000 UTCI was pretty underwhelmed by E3 overall this year. Cyberpunk and FF7 remake were the only two games I really cared about. The rest I could take or leave. Also good to see FF8 finally getting some love. One of the best FF games and really under appreciated.
Ryan Milan
2019-06-19 05:26:58 +0000 UTCAs somebody who also lives in (relatively) rural Ontario, Canada I can assure you that the one guy who says he is getting fibre out here must have got some sort of arrangement with a private company. Bell and Rogers have a monopoly up here when it comes to internet and even slow speeds by developed nation standards are prohibitively expensive. Also, say you pay for 100mbps download speed — in practice you’ll actually receive about 30-40 based on how they word their contracts. Bandwidth caps are also widespread and to get unlimited you’re going to be paying at least $90 a month.
Jake H.
2019-06-19 01:30:59 +0000 UTCHave always enjoyed you talk about Nintendo, Colin. I know how much they meant to you back then. Just hope you give Switch a chance one day, or try some hidden gems on 3DS.
Brandon Soto
2019-06-19 00:04:02 +0000 UTCI'm exiting my car trying to turn down my volume on the phone and all of sudden my phone exclaims"LEISURE SUIT LARRY WET DREAMS DON'T DRY!" The old couple next to me gasps in horror at the penultimate culmination of millenial degeneracy.
There’s No I in LLC
2019-06-18 22:48:26 +0000 UTCI'm more interested in how mediocre the game looks generally. The characters are the least of its problems.
Colin Moriarty
2019-06-18 21:35:55 +0000 UTCOkay, I think that's enough corrections for one week!
Colin Moriarty
2019-06-18 21:35:37 +0000 UTCThat's amazing.
Colin Moriarty
2019-06-18 21:35:26 +0000 UTCI saw that on his games list, but I didn't know how it all added up.
Colin Moriarty
2019-06-18 21:35:11 +0000 UTCGood deal...?
Colin Moriarty
2019-06-18 21:34:38 +0000 UTCI don't really understand how that could be, but then again, I don't understand a lot of things.
Colin Moriarty
2019-06-18 21:34:23 +0000 UTCTOO BAD RYAN.
Colin Moriarty
2019-06-18 21:33:47 +0000 UTCHe is learning.
Colin Moriarty
2019-06-18 21:33:40 +0000 UTCI was confused. Sorry. Also, I brought up the Netflix show. LOL.
Colin Moriarty
2019-06-18 21:33:33 +0000 UTCI didn't get a copy, so I had to wait to buy it. I'm about five hours in. I like it!
Colin Moriarty
2019-06-18 21:33:10 +0000 UTCChris has risen.
Colin Moriarty
2019-06-18 21:32:54 +0000 UTCPeople are wildly overreacting to the Avengers character models. The ONLY character who looks bad is Black Widow. People are only saying this because they think the characters were going to be their movie counterparts. It was clear since the announcement that this was an original story. If there were no Avengers movies people wouldn't have anything to compare it to. Its zeitgeist. Thinking Iron Man in a video game needs to look like Robert Downey is just dumb and shortsighted. Did people want a cheap ass licensed game or an original? There are literally 1000s of iterations of Avengers character models in the comics. Just saying.
Brett Carlson
2019-06-18 20:57:21 +0000 UTCGreat episode! I just wanted to add that I forgot to.include a correction last week. Psychounauts 2 was actually going to be published by Starbreeze before the Microsoft acquisition. Just thought I'd add that in there. (https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/344370/Microsoft_picks_up_Psychonauts_2_publishing_rights_from_Starbreeze.php) Also Colin thoughts on the Dragon Quest Hero being added to Smash? It's cool that you can choose between the Hero from DQ 3, 4, 8 and 11. I'll save my All-Stars 2 spiel for another time.
Real Radec
2019-06-18 20:50:57 +0000 UTCColin, the reason people say The Ukraine is because that is the pre-1991 way to say it when it was still a Soviet Province. Post 1991 when Ukraine declared independence the long and short hand in the declaration of independence refers to it as simply, Ukraine. Problem solved detectives. Also fellas Witcher 3 Switch port does not run just below 720p, it runs at a whopping 540p. Abysmal, but hey it's a smart move by CDPR and there are many people who can only afford a switch and good on this publishers to open up the library and let everyone enjoy regardless if it looks like a gameboy game.
Brett Carlson
2019-06-18 20:17:56 +0000 UTCWhen you guys talked about Rod Fergusson he left Epic in 2012 to go help Irrational Games finish Bioshock Infinite. And then was supposed to be studio head of that new 2k studio who made Mafia. I think he was saying that since fortnite was in development since 2011 he would have just outright canceled it. The BR mode didn't get introduced until after the game was out
Andrew
2019-06-18 19:07:18 +0000 UTCNow after E3 was over, I saw at a couple of online stores here in Scandinavia that the most pre-ordered games is 'Cyberpunk 2077' (Collector's Edition for ~330eur) and 'FF7: Deluxe Edition'. I usually never pre-order these days, but I actually did for FF7 deluxe edition at 95eur^^
Philip Andersen
2019-06-18 18:55:16 +0000 UTCRE: Source code, its a lot more complicated and sometimes impossible to edit and port a complied game rather than going back to the source, in the same way that if you wanted to re-edit a video you created, you wouldn't want to download the version you published to YouTube and bring that into Premier.
Dan Parsons
2019-06-18 18:39:16 +0000 UTCAnother amazing episode!! Just for clarification, I was talking about PS4 games not ps3 for my question. Thanks guys!
Ryan Gorris
2019-06-18 17:51:11 +0000 UTCWhen Chris used the word smorgasbord before the drop, I imagined Colin smiling and saying “finally, I have implanted this word on everyone’s mind.” Hahaha. Also, there are so many games coming out in September. It’s crazy
Kenneth Oms
2019-06-18 17:16:45 +0000 UTCI don't wanna be that guy, but Colin says Dark Crystal was from a dark time for disney when in fact it was made by universal studios and second, says it couldn't exist today but there is a dark crystal show coming to Netflix in August and looks just as dark.
2019-06-18 16:50:38 +0000 UTCI haven't listened yet (this is my evening commute podcast) but it doesn't seem that you guys commented on Bloodstained this week? It's out today! I also realize that the review embargo was on the street date, but just wondering what you thought of it. IGA had to have given you a copy, right? You were there day 1! Okay, I'll listen on the way home today and see if I'm wrong about this whole thing. - Alex C.
Alex Castellanos
2019-06-18 16:46:46 +0000 UTCAhhh, the saviors of my Tuesday.
Queefer Sutherland
2019-06-18 16:06:16 +0000 UTC
