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Sacred Symbols, Episode 25: The Kingdom of Leaks

Colin is just about near death with some sort of winterborne illness, but he and Chris gather for their weekly ritual -- bestowing upon you some PlayStation goodness -- nonetheless. Kingdom Hearts III doesn't come out until late January; yet, the game has leaked, and spoilers are abound. We discuss the fiasco in spoiler-free fashion. Also: Metro Exodus has gone gold and gotten a bumped-up release date, Detroit: Become Human hits a sale milestone, Uncharted guru Amy Hennig is set to receive prestigious honors, the Game Awards have us rethinking our most-anticipated games of 2019 podcast from last week, and much more. We also integrate plenty of your questions, comments, and concerns (as always), including on if in-game ads have gone too far, if games media needs to fundamentally rethink how it reviews games, and if developers are perhaps too focused on quality over quantity. Have at you!

Timestamps:

0:00:17 - Intro.
0:02:58 - Chris willed Crash Team Racing Remake into existence, possibly with Dark Arts.
0:04:24 - Do people simply like older games more than newer ones? (Also, Colin may be dying.)
0:05:54 - A correction on Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night.
0:06:47 - That Sonic movie really does look terrifying, doesn't it?
0:08:16 - A brief Happy Holidays message!
0:08:57 - My PS4 Life: A story of potential sadness.
0:10:25 - We don't need a cute relationship name!
0:11:32 - What have we been playing?
0:16:40 - A word (or two) on The Game Awards + announcements (+ Q's).
0:31:37 - Kingdom Hearts III leaks; Square Enix handles it best they can.
0:34:43 - Metro Exodus goes gold, gets a new (nearer) release date.
0:35:18 - Sony talks about PS4 Pro's performance (+ Q's).
0:37:00 - Amy Hennig to be honored with the GDC Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019.
0:37:56 - Metro movie put on hold; MGM wanted to Americanize it too much!
0:39:30 - Detroit: Become Human is officially Quantic Dreams' quickest-selling game (+ Q's).
0:41:59 - November, 2018's best-selling digital games were...
0:43:09 - Arc System Works announces Granblue Fantasy Versus for PS4.
0:44:01 - Metal Gear Solid: The Board Game revealed.
0:45:44 - Kingdom Hearts III is getting its own PS4 Pro Special Edition.
0:46:23 - Minor game announcements and release date information.
0:46:52 - This week's new releases for PS4, PS Vita, and PSVR (+ Q's)
0:54:21 - Why are people being dramatic about Spider-Man's DLC?
0:57:51 - How should reviews work for long-tail games-as-a-service vs. more static titles?
1:00:00 - Should game devs be more willing to sacrifice utmost quality for quantity of content?
1:03:26 - Are publishers getting out of control with in-game ads, microtransactions, and lootboxes?
1:12:40 - I'm new to gaming. What are some must-play PS4 games?
1:15:18 - Outro.

Sacred Symbols, Episode 25: The Kingdom of Leaks

Comments

Lol “you would be”

Tyson Williams

Their proprietary engine is called Void, which riffs on idTech, I think.

Colin Moriarty

You would be excited.

Colin Moriarty

I believe Bethesda also owns Arkane studios and the engine those games run in, and that’s a fantastic impressive engine

Tyson Williams

I’m so excited for the Sonic movie lmao it’s gonna be terrible I love it, Chris should make a patreon tier to watch sonic with him

Tyson Williams

Thanks for the feedback. I’ll just hold off until the PS5.

NeO JD

The OS runs faster and more reliably, and maybe online functionality does, too... but that's about it. My old PS4 was a launch model, and I had a Slim as well. I don't think I have the proper gear to really see what it can do, honestly. I just needed a new unit, and figured I should just get a Pro.

Colin Moriarty

Have you noticed any differences since switching from the base PS4?

NeO JD

I've not gotten a 4K TV, no. I may be moving in the spring, and I feel like I should wait until I know where I'm gonna be. It'll just be another thing to move (and maybe break).

Colin Moriarty

You know what to do.

Colin Moriarty

That's true. Like any artists, game creators wanna push the envelope and accomplish what's not been accomplished. Excellent point.

Colin Moriarty

Well, tell us how you really feel!

Colin Moriarty

For sure. =)

Colin Moriarty

I think I'm gonna start playing it next week, once I get my editing done. =)

Colin Moriarty

My doctor today told me it could be the weed, but also could be the Lexapro. So... a little bit of Column A and Column B, as it were.

Colin Moriarty

Thank you!

Colin Moriarty

Yeah, this tiered approach could be a new way of squashing complaints of high game cost versus output, and give everyone whatever they want for a more specified price.

Colin Moriarty

I'm in agreement, generally. Buyer beware, is a shorter way of putting it.

Colin Moriarty

=)

Colin Moriarty

You're very welcome. Thank you for submitting it.

Colin Moriarty

Thank you, Will. I'm getting better.

Colin Moriarty

C&P'd above (in case you didn't see): I've seen your guys' comments and looked into it. I'm actually gonna take the strange measure of recording an addendum to correct the record for the public release, because it's a big oversight. Thank you for pointing it out!

Colin Moriarty

Very nice. The Old Blood is excellent.

Colin Moriarty

I mean, I'm sure it's in the EULA, to be fair. But yeah, it's dumb. But, maybe it'll be part of a future that can bring costs down, or mitigate or spread out cost.

Colin Moriarty

Holy moly.

Colin Moriarty

C&P'd above (in case you didn't see): I've seen your guys' comments and looked into it. I'm actually gonna take the strange measure of recording an addendum to correct the record for the public release, because it's a big oversight. Thank you for pointing it out!

Colin Moriarty

I see, I see. I'm no linguist. =)

Colin Moriarty

True, true.

Colin Moriarty

C&P'd above (in case you didn't see): I've seen your guys' comments and looked into it. I'm actually gonna take the strange measure of recording an addendum to correct the record for the public release, because it's a big oversight. Thank you for pointing it out!

Colin Moriarty

Good to know! And thank you!

Colin Moriarty

I feel like Syphon Filter could live again. But who would make it?! Very interesting. (Likewise, can't wait for Dying Light 2. So amped.)

Colin Moriarty

A semi-Sonic nerd, or a Semisonic nerd, like that late '90s band?

Colin Moriarty

I've seen your guys' comments and looked into it. I'm actually gonna take the strange measure of recording an addendum to correct the record for the public release, because it's a big oversight. Thank you for pointing it out!

Colin Moriarty

I am so amped up to play Onimusha. The Trophies are already live, so we're close now!

Colin Moriarty

I know how much you guys and gals look forward to this show, and I didn't want to let you down. But, duly noted. =)

Colin Moriarty

I wish it were funnier! LOL.

Colin Moriarty

Thank you! I am currently on the mend.

Colin Moriarty

MTGA.

Colin Moriarty

=)

Colin Moriarty

What an unusual amount of time.

Colin Moriarty

Solid ep guys. Colin, you mentioned changing your tune on the PS4 Pro now. Did you get a 4K TV yet? If not, what have you noticed about the Pro on your usual tv? How does it stack up compared to the OG PS4 on non-4K TVs? I’ve always been interested in upgrading but with PS5 looming in the distance, I’m still tentative.

NeO JD

Loving the chemistry between you and Chris , this coming from someone who has religiously listened and watched you Colin for the last ten years , my new girlfriend doesn't understand my love of games and has become a pro lemon between us , do I A dump her for PS4 games B tell her I have to play four hours a day if we are to make it together or C give up my PS4 pro and devote my life to taking walks and discussing life and what it's all about

Matthew Perry

Hey guys - quick comment on the question from Christian the not-obvious vampire from Transylvania (beautiful land btw). I think what we're missing is the drive of creators to do better and progress their craft. It is not about arbitrary admiration of the crowd in my view - people just want to push the art form both visually and technologically

tejotl

Kingdom hearts fucking blows

Ryan Gorris

DYING LIGHT IS ONE OF THE TOP 3 GAMES THIS GEN!

Andrew

Yeah, I never had a problem with the game being grindy at all. I did a ton of the side activities and I was always fairly over level. I guess some people don't play as organically as I do. I've never been the kind of person that rushes to the end of a game. I like to squeeze as much value out as I can. Sometimes I think people just can't survive unless they're griping about something. Origins' microtransactions were way worse in that you could buy actual skill points, but I don't remember ever hearing a word about that.

Jason Stafford

It seems like a lot of people who wanted to get straight to the story in AC Odyssey and felt much side stuff was irrelevant was the ones that suffered from the grind dilemma. It’s not that well balanced as me personally I’m just above lvl 50 and I’m not even half way trough the game and pretty over-level because I went rouge and explore, quests etc. also those conquest battles kept giving a lot of exp.

Philip Andersen

I agree. Unlike R*, Bethesda doesnt really hold the same weight but their titles are the force behind the developer, not the other way around arguably.

Tom Mack

When you smoke pot it tends to effect Rem sleep so when you stop it comes back very hard. Think of a elastic band being pulled back and then being let go. This is one of the reasons why I hate stopping cold turkey

Matthew Clarkson

I look forward to this every week. Dope ep as always.

Daniel Schiffer

On the note of what if Black Ops 4 releases their Battle Royale mode for free, They did release on PC a “Battle” edition I believe, which contained the standard multiplayer suite and the Blackout battle royale mode for $30. (So No zombie mode included) Not free, but Activision might be testing the waters with releases such as this. I wouldn’t be surprised if they do release Blackout for free in the Summer before they launch 2019’s CoD in the Fall. Treyarch CoD games have always, at least since 2010 Black Ops 1, had very long lifespans as far as the player bases compared to Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer games. I don’t expect Blackout to quietly be fizzled out by a new CoD BR mode in 2019.

Zack E

I’d argue that when you pay $60 for a game, you’re paying $60 for whatever was indicated as being $60. I just don’t think the “I expect to have the full game” makes much sense. What is the definition of “full game”? To me the only party that is privileged to answer that question is the publisher/developer. Perhaps some publishers could do a better job indicating on the box that there should be an expectation that further features or content may be additionally purchased. In the end, the only thing that ever moves the needle is money. I’m sorry to say, people enjoy buying some of these micro transactions. And what’s wrong with people buying items that they fell is worth it? I bought Black Ops 4 the day it came out. I’ve played the game for many hours now these past 2 months. I’ve not purchased any of the cosmetic content they sell or their Season Pass. My experience with the core game has not been affected one bit. I’ve enjoyed all of the free updates Treyarch has done. And because the game has brought so much enjoyment to me, I wouldn’t mind forming over a few dollars for some silly gun or character skin. It’s a great game and I wish to support it going forward. Buy what you feel is worthy to buy, and don’t buy what you feel isn’t worthy.

Zack E

The sound Colin made after Chris said high school shooter should be a notification tone.

David Graham

Thanks for reading my question. I have no idea how to fix the review problem. Maybe the hardcore fans of these games find the youtubers and twitch streamers that let them know the state of the game

James Galos

Just wanted to say I agree with Chris stating that Bethesda can get by with the fallout name and the elder scrolls name. The average gamer (and there are many) who doesn’t largely follow the industry isn’t going to care enough that it’s developed by Bethesda. I’d wager the average casual fan doesn’t know that Bethesda game studies is a developer under the publisher Bethesda. If their name meant that much to people the dishonored series and Evil within 2 would have sold much more considering the Bethesda logo is all over the product. That being said I need Chris to will that evil within 3 into existence because after the horrendous sales of 2 I can’t see Tengo doing a 3rf

John Lynch

Hope you get feeling better soon.

Will Caldwell

I just wanted to touch in Obsidians game. I believe the reason it’s on PS4 is its published by a subsidiary of 2k

John Lynch

Great episode guys. Just wanted to chime in with my played games. I hit up the back catalogue and I’m splitting my time between Persona 5 and Wolfenstein the old blood

John Lynch

That's gotta be the best Drop reading yet, High score shooter holy shit lol

Tanner Brant

The problem I have with the Street Fighter thing is that it was added AFTER launch and without the consent of the player base. This means it wasn't in the reviews, and wasn't able to be a part of the consumer's decision on whether or not to buy the game (and thereby, tacitly support such tactics). This is why I label this as predatory.

Dave Carsley

Obsidian put out a statement a day or two after the announcement trailer. This game is published by Private Division and has nothing to do with Microsoft. It wasn't part of the deal with Microsoft, and Microsoft has no control over the existing contracts for it.

Dave Carsley

Quick note on the Nippon Marathon confusion. "Nippon" is used in patriotic contexts, often in the case of event/company titles to show that they are PROUDLY Japanese (eg: Nippon Ichi Software, All Nippon Airways, etc). I think in this case it may be done so facetiously though, to further highlight how wacky that game sounds given the reputation Japanese media has for being super weird. Just my interpretation though.

Travis Johnson

Colin we all know the reason CTR was released standalone. One word. ACTIVISION.

Brett Carlson

The publishing situation / scale of The Outer Worlds is really interesting to me so I looked around online and found some cool details. First, it's being published by Private Division, a new subsidiary of Take Two that focuses on AA games. I've also noticed that people are expecting it to basically be New Vegas 2, but Obsidian has come out and said that it'll be set on two different planets and it'll be open area as opposed to open world. That being said, it's easily one of my most anticipated games of 2019 and I hope that if it's received well Microsoft gives them the money to make something similar with the scale we'd expect from a New Vegas 2.

Jimmy Champane

Great episode guys. Just gotta say Vermintide 2 is actually a really fun game, even though I know co op isn't your thing. It's basically Left 4 Dead with a fantasy style setting. Hope you feel better man!

Kyle Goodrich

Microsoft will have nice card to play if (when) there’s a sequel to Outer Worlds. “Hey, you liked Outer Worlds right? Well, the sequel is only on Xbox.” Also, I know I’m probably the only one that wants it, but if you guys could will a Syphon Filter game into existence, that would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance for that Oh, and shout out to Dying Light. Great game with a ton of post release support both paid and free. Really looking forward to the next DL.

Richard Duflo

As a semi Sonic nerd, I wanted to let you know that Eggman was the Japanese name, while Robotnik was the American name. In recent years, it's become Robotnik across the board. Also, the movie looks absolutely terrible. As someone who has regularly knocked the Super Mario Bros. movie, I am scared for the receipts coming my way.

Korey Burns

Hey guys - regarding Outer Worlds, a publisher deal with Take-Two subsidiary Private Division was already completed. Despite the purchase, Microsoft has to honor the deal, hence why it's on PS4. We Happy Few had the same thing with Gearbox already publishing.

Phil Crone

I think one of the best things about old games being remastered or re-released on the PS4 is that a lot of us didn't get to check out certain hits for PS1, PS2, or PS3 due to being kids and having limited funds. So i'm excited to check out Onimusha which i never got to try! Also, I'm not a super fan boy of Kingdom Hearts 3, but is it weird that i'm excited to get it and finish it because it's been 13 years? I can remember getting the first game while I still lived in Puerto Rico and PS1/PS2 JRPGS by squaresoft/enix were growing a rapid fan base.

Kenneth Oms

Hey Colin! Hope you're feeling better now. We really appreciate your dedication to delivering an episode on schedule every week. But when it's a question of your health, I'm sure no Patron here would be disappointed if you took an additional day or two to recover before getting an episode ready. 🙂 Looking forward to another guaranteed stellar episode of SS.😁

Moiz Khan

Lol @ near death.

Anthony Wright

Thanks and feel better, Colin!

Quinn Chapman

The best part of every Tuesday. Thanks, guys!

Matthew Hamilton

Oh hell yes.

Here we gooo!! Time for my Tuesday to get uplifted for 69 minutes

Timothy Bryant


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