Sacred Symbols, Episode 201: Embracing the Chaos

The Embracer Group's appetite for developers cannot be satiated. The never-ending expansion of what is rapidly becoming gaming's largest publishing entity has gobbled up three more studios from rival Square Enix (as well as a bunch of IP) for cash money. Does this say anything about Embracer? Probably not. It seems like they'll buy just about anything, and $300 million is a small price to pay for more than 1,000 heads and 50 licenses, including Tomb Raider. This deal does, however, say something about Square Enix. Potentially many things, in fact. Refocused on western second party relationships and Japanese internal development, some think Square Enix is trimming the fat to be purchased itself. But does that make sense? We discuss this deal extensively. Other news this week include rumblings of a takeover at Ubisoft, the leak of some of PlayStation Plus' upcoming retro games, the surprising lawsuit that potentially puts Yuji Naka's epic failure Balan Wonderworld in context, and more. As always, we touch on plenty of listener inquiries too, including ones about Reggie Fils-Aime, a potential sequel to Death Stranding, the likelihood a Punisher game might someday appear, and so on. We're back in the saddle after a very successful 200th episode, and we hope you enjoy.

Timestamps:

0:00:00 - Intro

0:03:13 - Listen to Knockback!

0:05:49 - Sacred Symbols 200 (Thank you!) 

0:25:08 - What kind of music does Dustin like?

0:35:09 - Activision shareholders have voted to approve the sale to Microsoft.

0:36:59 - Variable refresh rates have arrived on PS5.

0:42:42 - Sony is hiring an acquisitions manager.

0:48:09 - Outriders: Worldslayer has been revealed.

0:49:27 - Stray has been quietly delayed.

0:52:30 - Activision has shown the logo for Modern Warfare II.

0:59:06 - Hangar 13 has lost some core leadership.

1:08:45 - Ubisoft has announced Project Q.

1:13:55 - The Quarry has gone gold.

1:21:56 - Uncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection is coming to PC in June.

1:22:43 - Koei Tecmo has given all of its employees raises.

1:23:43 - What have we been playing?

1:39:37 - Is it okay for a trophy list to make light of trophy hunting?

1:54:29 - Embracer Group has purchased much of Square Enix’s western division.

2:23:10 - Ubisoft acquisition wars are heating up.

2:29:41 - Details about what will be included with the PlayStation Plus have been revealed.

2:47:04 - Yuji Naka shines some light on his departure.

2:59:16 - The Prince of Persia Remake may still be years away.

3:07:26 - Sony has acquired a stake in AccelByte.

3:09:30 - 2K Games is preparing to enter into Rocket League’s territory.

3:17:46 - March’s NPD numbers are here.

3:28:44 - The May PS+ games have arrived.

3:30:39 - News Wrap-Up

3:33:13 - Why is Nintendo regarded as the odd one out?

3:42:46 - Is a sequel worth it for Death Stranding?

3:47:05 - What would an LSM video game be about?

3:53:06 - Should we blame developers or publishers for ads in games?

4:02:28 - What Marvel properties would be a surefire success for Sony?