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Sacred Symbols, Episode 174: Running Up the Score

While there's no doubt Microsoft's Xbox Series X is doing great, there's also no doubt that Sony's PlayStation 5 is doing even better. Markedly so. Microsoft stubbornly refuses to publicly state how many consoles it has sold, but we now know that Sony has surpassed 13 million in less than a year, almost certainly beginning to put some distance between PS5 and XSX. Let's discuss what these new sales figures mean, and whether inertia might be turning into new momentum. Also: Guerrilla is hiring for external Horizon projects, Warner Bros. is making a goofy-looking crossover fighter, the next PlayStation-to-PC game isn't one you may have expected, Stardew Valley's spiritual successor looks awfully endearing, PS+ games are en route, and more. Oh, and we talk at length about the most recent State of Play, too. We also get into listener questions, as always. Do we trust Bluepoint with a Bloodborne sequel? What's going on with Sony's and Apple's increasingly-obvious closeness? What are the right foods (if any) to eat while gaming? Has Dustin fooled everyone with his love of Aldi? All of that -- and much more -- on the other side of the play button.


Timestamps:

0:00:00 - Intro

0:04:42 - Corrections, comments, and concerns.

0:35:01 - Some smaller news items.

0:56:03 - October 2021 State of Play impressions.

1:22:56 - What have we been playing?

1:46:54 - New sales numbers have rolled in for PS5, and they are very good.

1:59:14 - Guerilla appears to be farming out their IP to external teams.

2:07:06 - Sackboy: A Big Adventure appears to be coming to PC.

2:13:24 - Warner Bros. is reportedly developing a crossover fighter.

2:23:46 - Returnal’s 2.0 update is out now.

2:30:16 - ConcernedApe, developer of Stardew Valley, is working on a new title.

2:34:04 - The remastered GTA trilogy is official, and it’s coming to PS4 and PS5 soon.

2:44:37 - November’s PS+ games have been revealed, including some extra PSVR titles.

2:47:30 - Until Dawn’s new title, The Devil in Me, has been announced.

2:52:05 - Team Ninja has announced their new game.

2:57:11 - A Quiet Place is getting a video game set in the same universe.

3:01:31 - GungHo Online Entertainment has sold off Grasshopper Manufacture.

3:02:51 - News Wrap-Up

3:03:52 - Should Bluepoint be working on the Bloodborne sequel instead of From Software?

3:09:02 - Could Xbox dominate the holiday conversation this year?

3:12:40 - What is the best meal or snack for gaming?

3:17:58 - Is there more behind the Apple/PlayStation relationship?

3:22:53 - Will the gaming industry converge on the product or platform model?

3:34:00 - Should PlayStation be working on a character based racer?


Sacred Symbols, Episode 174: Running Up the Score

Comments

Seems like there's no escape from the model, however, whether you support it or not.

Colin Moriarty

Gotta disagree with Chris on streaming services. I've actually found that I interact with Netflix and other services in the opposite way. I find that, with a few exceptions, most "Netflix Originals" feel like samey bloat. If you need evidence, watch a bit of Spenser Confidential. Over the last couple years, because of this, I've actually found myself just putting on the tried and true shows. It's always Sunny, the Office and such on repeat and being less explorative. I think the subscription service model has actually deteriorated quality overall which means when something stands out, it becomes a cultural phenomenon like Squid Game or Stranger Things because it's got a bunch of bloated crap as it's competition

Paul Andrew

I may. =)

Colin Moriarty

Yes, that's what I got the service for. =)

Colin Moriarty

Apple TV+ has some great shows. Ted Lasso and Mythic Quest are both phenomenal. Use that free 6 months and give them a shot

Nicholas Coso

Apple TV+ does have a man in the high castle like show. For all mankind. An alt history show where Russia won the space race and the space race kept going. It’s excellent.

Owen

Thank you! We're recording this weekend.

Colin Moriarty

I wonder if he's gone back...?

Colin Moriarty

<3

Colin Moriarty

Just finished listening. Another great episode! Very curious to the knockback of MGS 3. One of the first games that hit me hard emotionally. A true masterpiece.

Big Boss Games

You'll get nothing but positivity from me, man! Thanks for helping me get through my long, cramped Delta flights.

Max Stahl

Chris: I’ve been stuck in Dread, too. But there is a objective log” in the menu to remind you of what Adam has directed. Also look for the flashing grey areas on the map which indicate secrets that have yet to be solved. Good luck!

Kid-Organic

No spoilers. =\

Colin Moriarty

I like it.

Colin Moriarty

We do talk about that, every time we talk about sales. That's what we mean by 'inertia'.

Colin Moriarty

?

Colin Moriarty

I think he reads them sometimes, but yes, always best to try to get his attention on Twitter.

Colin Moriarty

Come hang out!

Colin Moriarty

Anything is possible.

Colin Moriarty

A Quiet Place Part II had SO many similarities to the Last of Us games that it totally took me out of the experience. - grizzled old man bonding with young girl after losing his family - girl’s only connection to father being his watch - scary and violent factions that emerge (the docks scene) - safe haven on the island = Jackson - having to be quiet when the aliens (clickers) are nearby I think the same thing would happen if a game was made from this IP for me where I’m just thinking of TLOU the whole time!

joefray_

Colin, brushing teeth in the shower is part of my morning ritual. I don't know where it came from but growing up my parents always had a sticky cup that stuck to the shower wall with all your brushing essentials. I even toss my brush over the glass in hopes to hit the sink. Nothing weird about it at all, in fact it's more efficient. It's also fun brushing like a savage and not really worrying about overspray or debris, which the shower allows you to do.

lazer_josh

The PS5's Future is Grim!

Douglas Morreale

Didnt Sony have the final spec for PS5 finished before Microsoft did and go into full production before them as well. Something about Xbox waiting for AMD to announce their new line. Right now it’s hard to find either. While this doesn’t account completely for the gap and there is an undeniable fervor for the brand coming off of PS4. This should be taken into account.

Mark Michaels

I know Chris doesn’t read these but it’s not just him, Metroid Dread’s maps are awful, and I honestly think its level design/progression is just not good. The game feels good to play though.

Josh Lucas

Was waiting for the Jets insane victory tweet from Colin and now i understand why it wasn't there :( looks like I'm joining Discord

Jordan Falduto

When Chris said Unkarted and then The Fast of Us, I pictured all the games in his head that haven’t come to exist in this universe, being played by him in his mind and thus him reaching into that energy to bring them into existence here. 👀

NeO JD

I'm aware of that. It still doesn't account for a ton of conversations in the game, most of all over Codec. It's just a goofy decision, and -- if the game is remade -- they absolutely have to remedy that.

Colin Moriarty

Colin, they ARE speaking Russian in MGS3. When you first meet up with Sokolov, he says "By the way, your Russian is superb. Where did you learn to speak it?" and Naked Snake responds, "From my mentor." This is Kojima's way of letting the audience know that even though you are hearing them in your native language, they are speaking Russian. Here's a timestamp of the moment: https://youtu.be/xIRPmfQuR7g?t=364

Otrant

That's so weird.

Colin Moriarty

Tweet at him!

Colin Moriarty

PSP was quietly home to a lot of great JRPG ports and remakes.

Colin Moriarty

A full-length Playroom could be interesting... but could also wear out its welcome.

Colin Moriarty

Twitch has also outright banned the confederate flag on their platform and I'm sure they aren't the only ones. . I'm willing to give Rockstar the benefit of the doubt here but we will have our answers when GTA6 eventually comes out to if Rockstar have actually lost their spine.

Craig Mcguire

Quick Tip for Chris: In Metroid Dread there IS a way to look at your objective. On the Pause menu, hit either L or R (I forget which) but it brings you to a log which you can check out previous and current objectives for some clues on where to go and or what to look for. I beat the game last night and absolutely loved it. I found myself only getting lost once for about an hour or so, then again for about another 10 minutes. Found my way with no guides in the end. Personally I feel like the game holds your hand a bit too much but I think it just goes with experience with the genre.

Dave Ramos

Loved Star Ocean: The Second Story. The follow ups were enjoyable enough, but I really liked the first two. Although the PSP remake of 2 rubbed me the wrong way. In a world where I couldn't buy new games, 80 different endings made for a lot of replay value with different characters you could pick up or pass on. It also had a huge grind depending on what you were doing playthrough wise. I'm surprised more games didn't go the route of 2, although I understand since so much of the game went unseen by people.

Jason Bolla

PS5’s killer-app could be Astro’s Playroom, but it’s free. Or maybe R&C: Rift Apart, but it’s very short / a tad disappointing.

Brandon Soto

Yeah, that could be neat.

Colin Moriarty

I watched For All Mankind. It was good.

Colin Moriarty

I think that would annoy Ben.

Colin Moriarty

Do it!

Colin Moriarty

I have to wonder if there's intent there. We'll see with how they treat Ghostwire next.

Colin Moriarty

I think that's normal if you're being thorough... and also realizing that I think the clock runs.

Colin Moriarty

I can't wait to talk about it.

Colin Moriarty

Thank you. <3

Colin Moriarty

Fair enough.

Colin Moriarty

Yes.

Colin Moriarty

It's so weird how the Internet can default so easily to the negative unless you actively fight against it... or try to keep things small and contained, like we do with our community.

Colin Moriarty

Yeah, I know. What I'm saying is, it's stupid. It doesn't make sense. The game never differentiates when people are speaking different languages. It's a major error, in my opinion.

Colin Moriarty

Yes. I'm already feeling better.

Colin Moriarty

I think a Mario Party or Fall Guy style game with Astro Bots in a series of small levels and stages borrowing from Sony IPs could be cool.

Cristian R

Apple TV has built a pretty decent library. This is an amazing value to receive for free. I’d recommend the following for anyone interested: Ted Lasso (Comedy) For All Mankind (alternate history, Russia lands on the moon first) Foundation (space opera) See (Jason Mamoa in a GoT type show) The Morning Show (similar to HBOs Newsroom)

Cristian R

Any chance we could get separate timestamps for each game being talked about in the games u guys are playing?

Alec Dyer

Dustin I'm in knee deep in deathstranding do you wanna make a strand contract?

Big titty drinker

Sony have completely shafted Deathloop. When I go onto the store on PS5 I see both Returnal and Demon's Souls in the 'Must See' category. In fact Deathloop is no where on the 'Latest' tab

Braden Summers

Dude I have 92 hours in death stranding and only on chapter 6. Is that normal? I'm pretty OCD about building out all the roads and side stuff.

Big titty drinker

Cant wait for the knockback for MGS3, best theme song of all time nothing even comes close.

Michael Buffill

Good for you, Colin. I stopped using Twitter years ago.

Andrew

I haven't had a social media account since myspace when I was in high school. I'm 100% happy I have not because most of the people that are attached to social media I find to be unintelligent dregs.

Wayde

100 percent Smt paved the way

Wayde

Also Cole Cassidy is a pornstar name

DarthLemon616

Leaving social media - even with my miniscule following and incredibly vanilla opinions - was such a positive step for my mental health. Twitter just drip feeds other people's negativity and righteous anger. And once you realise you still find out about the important news, and if people want to reach out, you'll never go back as the harms far outweigh the positives

Michael Cook

Colin just called Shin Megami Tensei a spin off from Persona when it's the other way around. Without SMT there's no Persona

DarthLemon616

With regards to MGS3 and the use of Russian, in a conversation between Snake and Sokolov, it’s noted that they’re speaking Russian to one another, but the game is in English for our benefit. Not sure if you knew that and would have preferred they actually speak Russian (which would have been dope), or if you missed that small exchange in the beginning of the game.

Forrest Hunter

I haven’t used social media in years (aside from the Messenger app that I use to keep in touch with friends abroad who I can’t text) and it’s been great for me. I think you’ll find once you cut social media from your life it frees up a lot of time and helps you live in the moment.

Jake H.

Do it right, or not at all. That should always be the mantra.

Colin Moriarty

I love them, personally. But we all know that.

Colin Moriarty

Stand down.

Colin Moriarty

True.

Colin Moriarty

It's gross.

Colin Moriarty

Good to know.

Colin Moriarty

You're very welcome.

Colin Moriarty

Thanks for listening!

Colin Moriarty

I also find it weird.

Colin Moriarty

There's no reason for anyone to be Kickstarting games, but I've been saying that for a solid decade now.

Colin Moriarty

The goalposts are forever moving.

Colin Moriarty

Please enjoy!

Colin Moriarty

I agree that if Sony wants to do another crossover fighter they can't half ass it. They need to go all out.

Real Radec

I have come close to doing this for social media definitely seems to be more of a negative in society then positive. It just seems like everyone wants to argue on social media.

Derek Alcott

Metroidvanias are fun to me but also frustrate me at the same time. I am totally in agreement with Chris and Metroid Dread. No map can help me with metroidvanias for I tend to get lost. Even in Metroid Dread where they try to help you in going the right direction it doesn't matter. I like to explore and tend to get side track or if I put the game down for sometime it's difficult to remember where I left off.

Derek Alcott

Aldi fans rise up

Michael (ObjoGaming)

“Hookers are real.” Chris’ parents 2004 / Chris Raygun 2021

I got Dustin's back on Aldi but I must stand with Colin and Chris about Dr. Pepper. That shit straight up tastes like medicine.

Luis Sanchez

I completely removed all social media from my phone and life August 2020. There was an immediate improvement to my mental health and I will never go back. I am a genuinely happier person because of it, and I encourage others to entertain the idea of doing the same.

Drew Sleezer

So my question got talked about (Wipeout Rush) and I just wanted to say I just happened to search it on the Google play store one night and it was available. Might be because I'm in the uk, some release dates are different in different regions. Genuinely though, don't bother with the game.

James Schubert

Thank you Colin, for shitting on Dr Pepper. Someone had to say it.

PuppiesOnParade

I’m only 30 minutes in and this is one of the funniest episodes I’ve heard. From brushing your teeth in the shower to Dr. Dazzle, absolutely hilarious 😂

MayorGarbageMan

Never felt compelled to eat while gaming. You open yourself to the oils/food particles infiltrating your controller and wearing down the thumb sticks. I’ll have a water or Gatorade but that’s about it.

Stephen Forgione

I feel bad for the people who Kickstarted the little devil inside. This trailer raised a lot of red flags for people because it feels like they revamped the game because they didn’t show off any of the open world environments they pitched this game on, and have shown for years now. Neostream has no experience with shipping a game which they were honest about in their pitch, they are a marketing company. They also didn’t bother updating their Kickstarter backers after this newest trailer, so they’ve gone ghost on them.

Kenneth Oms

Considering Xbox is allowing their titles on PC and streaming through mobile, im much more impressed by the sales of the Series Consoles. PS5 is doing great but thats in a world where you cant play PS5 games anywhere else. The whole "Why Buy an Xbox when its available anywhere else?" crowd doesnt look really bright these days.

Joe B

I love it when this podcast is over three hours. It feels right. Always my favourite podcast to listen to.

Josef Barker


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