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Last Stand Media & Studio71

Sacred Symbols: A PlayStation Podcast is the internet's premiere weekly PlayStation show dedicated to coverage of PS5, PS4, PSVR2, and Sony's deep gaming legacy stretching back to the mid-'90s. Join 20+ year gaming industry veteran and PlayStation brand expert Colin Moriarty -- along with his co-hosts comedian Chris Ray Gun and producer Dustin Furman -- as they go through the news of the week, highlight the best recent games, and interact with their incredibly loyal audience, all without taking anything too seriously. New episodes post each and every Monday. To get early access to each episode, join thousands and thousands of your fellow listeners by supporting the show on Patreon at patreon.com/laststandmedia

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Sacred Symbols: A PlayStation Podcast

With Xbox's famous ringworld officially arriving on PlayStation 5 in 2026, we can rest assured that Sony's longtime rival has finally conceded the console space for good. Halo: Campaign Evolved -- clever! -- is a ground-up remake of the smash-hit 2001 Xbox launch title, and it comes with some new bells and whistles, including fresh content and a four-player online-enabled campaign. Microsoft even trotted Halo's community manager out in a PlayStation shirt, promised all upcoming Halo content is Sony-bound, and yielded perhaps their last meaningful franchise to the competition. This gives us much to discuss! Plus: Helldivers 2 dev Arrowhead begins work on its next project, Horizon's live-action movie is slated to film next year and launch in '27, Resident Evil 0 Remake rumors are percolating, we may be waiting a while longer for Starfield's PS5 debut, Electronic Arts scores a renewed deal with the NFL to continue the Madden franchise, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Why does anyone care about Photo Mode? What's our dream PowerWash Simulator 2 DLC? Is it okay to play a game without delving into its greater meaning and themes? Will Chris ever return from New York?

Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.

0:00:00 - Intro0:42:57 - RIP Sam Rivers0:44:41 - buttrock and rap metal0:54:36 - Couple vs few0:58:55 - Keep on keeping on Thomas1:03:48 - PSN Profiles issuers?1:12:16 - Halo is coming to PS51:54:28 - Arrowhead is hiring for a new game?2:01:24 - Updates on the Horizon film2:09:25 - Resident Evil 0 remake rumors2:14:37 - Starfield announcement for PS5 next year2:23:12 - EA NFL renewal2:28:25 - Ex-AC lead claims he didn't step down2:33:46 - Remedy CEO steps down2:37:22 - New sales data3:07:02 - What We’re Playing (Ghost of Yotei, Ninja Gaiden 4, Ball x Pit)3:21:03 - How's our media literacy?3:29:03 - Dream DLC for Power Wash Simulator?3:32:17 - Updates with trophies3:36:11 - Photo mode is free marketing?3:40:06 - Sony's PC strategy with Xbox's PC push3:45:59 - Soundbar recommendations
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#382 | I've Seen the Light and I'm Gaining in Height Now

Time sure is moving, but has a sufficient amount of it passed for us to start considering the next generation of PlayStation console? According to two reliable leakers, the answer is yes: Sony is very much aiming to get PS6 out in 2027. This makes sense by historical standards -- seven years between consoles is fairly normal, if not even a little slow -- but it really doesn't feel like we need this thing. Or do we? By 2027, who knows what our ecosystem might look like. Let's discuss! Plus: Legendary Tecmo director and producer Tomonobu Itagakai has sadly passed away, Sony-owned studio Bluepoint is hiring for a mysterious third-person action project, San Diego Studio appears primed to finally bring its smash-hit MLB: The Show series to PC, Ghost of Yotei is selling at parity with Ghost of Tsushima, we could have very easily gotten a mobile The Last of Us game, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Do we like to partake in New Game+, when applicable? With Xbox's displacement as a hardware competitor, is Sony and Nintendo's long-standing rivalry primed to be reignited? Why don't we talk more about the fighting scene? Will Dustin regale us with some of his Japanese language skills?

Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.

0:00:00 - Intro0:38:55 - Shoutout Saxon0:43:38 - Eloping in Vegas0:54:26 - Dagster check in?0:55:44 - 今週何個の瓶を埋めたか教えてください0:57:31 - RIP Tomonobu Itagaki1:07:17 - PlayStation 6 in 20271:44:10 - Bluepoint hiring for a 3rd person melee action game1:53:40 - Ghost of Yotei sales similar to Tsushima , Suckerpunch can only do one game at a time2:05:41 - MLB: The Show coming to PC?2:12:13 - Tencent pitched a mobile Last of Us2:24:34 - PSVR2 controller for sale2:32:23 - Fans revive ModNation Racers2:36:49 - Quantic Dream reveals multiplayer game2:48:20 - Remedy's FBC Firebreak is in the red2:57:15 - Build A Rocket Boy in trouble3:01:13 - New PS+ games3:08:23 - What We’re Playing (Ghost of Tsushima, Ghost of Yotei, Battlefield 6, Lumines Arise)3:53:35 - Why is New Game+ late?3:58:58 - Why isn't Nintendo competition?4:06:34 - Video game betting4:14:01 - What do we want from a PlayStation handheld?4:19:03 - Why aren't we into fighting games?
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#381 | Watch It Fly By As the Pendulum Swings

If you're a regular purchaser of games, you're a stark minority within the very industry you know and love. We've known all about the revenue-related trends directing games as of late, but recent data indicates things are far more dire than they seem, particularly if you're a single player purist. For instance, a third of gaming consumers purchase less than one game a year; 12% buy one game a year; 18% buy two games a year. Only 14% of players buy at least one game a month! Yet, there's more money flowing than ever. Like, lots more. What gives? A migration of customers and their habits, of course! We discuss. Other news this week includes a brief Mark Cerny video celebrating Sony's collaboration with AMD for PlayStation 6, the reemergence of Marathon with invites to an NDA'd closed test, the bluest DualSense controller you could possibly imagine, rumors of a cancelled Reconstruction-era Assassin's Creed, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Could Sony be on the precipice of adding to its family of first party studios? Is there a potential unfilled niche for medical-themed titles? Does PlayStation need to spin-up a new loyalty program? Forget about your favorite color. What's your favorite shape?

Download the PrizePicks app and use code SACRED to get $50 in lineups after you play your first $5

Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.

0:00:00 - Intro0:37:16 - Strange places to listen to Sacred0:41:27 - Ben Debate0:52:43 - Favorite shape0:58:31 - Mark Cerny appears!1:09:26 - New player purchasing data1:29:11 - New Marathon technical test coming1:49:59 - New early PlayStation lore1:58:37 - New blue Dualsense2:03:38 - PlayStation Concert cancelled2:10:25 - Cancelled Assassin's creed leaked2:33:10 - Expedition 33 sells over 5 million, new content coming2:35:40 - New Circana data2:43:33 - Top PSN downloads2:47:34 - PowerWash Simulator 2 release date and Mina the Hollower delayed2:54:28 - What We’re Playing (Ghost of Tsushima, Ghost of Yotei, Baby Steps, Mario Galaxy)3:27:58 - SIE and Sword of the Sea?3:31:39 - Will Rockstar innovate gameplay in GTA VI3:37:38 - What's the end point of live service?3:42:44 - What do "fans" want?3:55:38 - PlayStation Stars still floating around3:59:19 - Where are the medical games?
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#380 | Don't Fall Away and Leave Me to Myself

All anyone wants to talk about right now is Electronic Arts, and reasonably so. The American publishing titan is on the verge of being purchased by external interests for $55 billion, and when we say external, we mean it. The major player in reverting EA to a private corporation is Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, muddying this already complex deal that also happens to be the largest leveraged buyout in human history. Perhaps not surprisingly, this gives us much to pontificate on. Other news this week includes rumblings of a DualSense revision with a removable battery, the very real potential that a Prototype remaster is imminent, the wisdom (or perhaps lack thereof) in Forza Horizon 6 skipping PlayStation 5 at launch, and more. We then get into listener inquiries to wrap up the show, as we always do. What are our thoughts on Xbox's staggering Game Pass price hike? How do we feel about Magic: The Gathering's stylish new collaboration with PlayStation? Is Destiny officially on death's door? Will Dustin have a coffee named after him at a cafe in Texas?

Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.

0:00:00 - Intro0:27:35 - Sacred Sweaters! Preorder starts Monday!0:30:44 - Sacred Coffee specials0:38:06 - Salary for a henchman0:44:03 - EA sells to a consortium for $55 billion1:31:33 - Is Sony a "terrible company"?1:46:24 - New DualSense revision1:53:25 - Revisions to the PS5 Slim1:54:51 - Prototype remaster incoming?2:05:22 - Forza Horizon 6 is coming to PS5, but delayed2:14:03 - Ubisoft and Tecent's collaboration is called Vantage Studios2:17:13 - What We’re Playing (Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut, Puzzle Quest: Immortal Edition, BioShock 2, Baby Steps, Silent Hill f, Megabonk)2:46:17 - Xbox's price hike3:23:32 - What's next for Halo?3:40:36 - Direct sequels or spiritual successors3:47:29 - Sony/Magic the Gathering3:57:56 - Is Destiny 2 dead?4:04:54 - Series prime for AA sequels
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#379 | Money, It's A Crime

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 - Intro0:21:17 - Sony mascots owning a gentlemen's club0:26:19 - Boar's Head prices0:32:22 - Colin in wedding vows0:34:04 - Ghost of Yotei hype low?0:40:21 - State of Play - Wolverine1:05:31 - Saros1:16:39 - Microsoft Flight Simulator 20241:31:35 - PlayStation Pulse elevate speakers1:39:34 - Smaller SoP announcements2:11:18 - Kojima announcements2:29:25 - Forza Horizon 6 announced, coming to PS52:32:57 - PlayStation Franchise Rewards2:40:27 - Metal Gear Solid Collection Vol 22:46:46 - Yakuza announcements2:48:24 - A new Mafia game has been greenlit2:50:04 - New player habits data from Ampere Analysis2:51:48 - 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 Pro3:36:00 - Ananta copying Spider-man, GTA etc3:44:24 - Negative outlook on licensed games4:00:09 - Best gamer at LSM4:07:37 - Top 5 genres
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#378 | Underneath, the New Skin Breathes

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 - Intro0:19:41 - Following up on last week0:33:18 - Sacred Mad Libs0:43:44 - Result of mad libs0:49:34 - Dustin's YouTube channel1:01:12 - This Week's Situation1:10:51 - Is or Are1:13:38 - Sony PR is having a bad time1:44:13 - Insomniac rumors1:58:25 - Tencent responds to Sony's lawsuit2:06:15 - Borderlands performance issues2:23:18 - Hell is Us director comments on SIlksong2:34:51 - Sega leaks Kiwami 32:38:13 - AC Black Flag remake is coming2:46:40 - Dragon Quest VII Reimagined announced2:54:41 - Mega Man Star Force collection3:04:22 - TV adaptations drive sales3:18:23 - 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 time4:04:29 - PS6 cartridge based?4:08:18 - PS6 launch titles4:19:09 - Ninja Gaiden Ragebound enemies4:21:42 - Managing a physical game collection
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#377 | Holding Out For A Hero

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 - Intro0:10:39 - Addressing recent events1:10:54 - End of political conversation1:25:01 - Happy Birthday Lily1:28:12 - Shout out Jessica1:29:49 - Dustin and Chris contributing to the show notes1:37:22 - PlayStation Family App1:41:00 - PS6 will still have a disk drive1:50:59 - Sucker Punch doesn't want to make a new Sly Cooper game2:06:43 - Bend is hiring a creative director and looking for multiplayer experience2:13:01 - New Intergalactic info2:19:54 - Wolfenstein third game teased?2:26:05 - Best selling PlayStation games since 19952:39:45 - PSN downloads for August 20252:41:43 - New PS+ Extra games2:45:33 - 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 dock3:26:50 - Is Marathon worth being excited for?3:30:40 - How can Media Molecule turn things around?3:34:20 - SIlksong's $20 price point3:46:23 - Dan Houser's future3:52:02 - PlayStation embracing timed exclusivity
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#376 | We Are the Same, Whatever We Do

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 - Intro0:32:42 - Shoutout Preston0:40:47 - "Please clean up after your dog"0:52:10 - Let em oink0:54:16 - Chronos helmet = penis?0:55:36 - MGS3 correction0:56:34 - Ghost of Yotei goes gold1:03:22 - Fairgames creative director leave Haven1:28:24 - Wolverine rumors1:47:23 - PS5 reducing storage space on new units2:02:18 - 007 First Light gameplay revealed2:14:27 - IO may not publish an external game again after MindsEye2:19:13 - Hollow Knight SIlksong is only $202:27:57 - Capcom president says consoles are too becoming too expensive2:34:55 - Pragmata is not a Mega Man game2:37:01 - More games coming to PS42:44:57 - New live-action Tomb Raider2:47:04 - What We’re Playing3:29:04 - Emulating new games3:44:41 - Why is Naughty Dog one of the best?3:53:42 - Call of Duty changing course on skins?4:00:24 - World's first platinum4:04:38 - Sony's pressure to integrate AI4:09:31 - Grading the show at the end
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#375 | Never Meant to Fade Away

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 - Intro0:29:02 - Metal Gear Solid Delta poster0:34:47 - Benji!0:36:27 - Allegheny Hogs0:42:00 - Washing your legs0:54:33 - Waldo0:58:16 - Ghost of Yotei console preorder September 4th1:00:34 - PlayStation 6 Portable leaks1:27:50 - Hermen Hulst interview1:59:33 - New Judas info2:14:26 - New MENA Hero project games2:29:11 - Forza Horizon 6 could be in Japan2:33:12 - New PSN refund system2:39:22 - Skate early access release date2:43:15 - July 2025 Circana data2:49:37 - New PS+ Essential games2:54:35 - What We’re Playing3:40:59 - Thoughts on Catherine3:49:24 - Is Intergalactic a soulslike?3:54:12 - Will Xbox announce a game at a Sony event?3:58:41 - Are remakes creatively bankrupt4:08:42 - No Man's Sky keeps going4:16:05 - Do podcasts hosts need to be experts?
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#374 | This Is What It's Like When Worlds Collide

For prospective PlayStation 5 owners, America's new tariff regime has struck at a most inopportune time. Having carved through their backfill of PS5 units in America, and seemingly moving at least some of the console's manufacturing process out of China, Sony still has to foot the bill to import the machine. A $50 increase across the board -- on standard and Pro units alike -- has led to much consternation. What do we think about the whole situation? Beware: It's impossible to talk about this issue sans politics. Plus: Hollow Knight: Silksong gets a surprise release date in literally two weeks, storied 'closer' Rod Fergusson joins Cloud Chamber to help ship the beleaguered fourth BioShock, Triangle Strategy randomly launches on PS5 (but not PS4) three years after its Switch debut, long-time studio lead Pete Parsons leaves Bungie after more than 20 years, PS3 JRPG Tales of Xillia is finally being remastered, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Is there a desire for more modern and grounded military shooters? Should Guerrilla abandon Aloy as Horizon's protagonist? What's our hype level (if any) for Borderlands 4? Is Dustin's hometown well and truly haunted?

Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.

0:00:00 - Intro0:31:02 - Is Last Stand in trouble?0:50:48 - Car totaled while listening to Sacred0:53:46 - Our relationship with comments1:13:53 - PS5 price increase2:16:15 - Silksong release date2:30:21 - Gamescom announcements2:41:04 - Ghost of Yotei is getting a Legends mode2:47:44 - Helldivers 2 x ODST2:54:24 - Rod Fergusson is moving to Cloud Chamber to save Bioshock 43:09:49 - Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 launches November 14th3:17:18 - Triangle Strategy is out on PSN3:21:10 - Tales of Xillia Remastered launches in October3:27:34 - Callisto Protocol sold 6-7 million copies3:28:26 - Sony unloads EVO shares to a subsidiary3:29:54 - Bungie leadership change3:38:13 - What We’ve Been Playing (Doom: The Dark Ages, MindsEye, Mafia: The Old Country, Battlefield 6, Indika)4:10:16 - Is the podcast parasocial relationship unhealthy?4:17:20 - Is FPS culture shifting?4:23:14 - Hype level for Borderlands 44:28:29 - Killing Aloy4:32:55 - Spouses interrupting game time4:38:06 - Colin doesn't play driving games because he doesn't drive
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#374 | This Is What It's Like When Worlds Collide

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