Sacred Symbols, Episode 68: Visions of the Future (Patreon)

We were spoiled last week, what with lots of new PlayStation 5 details to obsess over. But Sony has another piece of PS-themed hardware that's worthy of next-gen attention, and no, we're not talking about a third handheld (which is surprising, since we talk about Vita constantly). PlayStation VR was launched just about three years ago, and some five million units later, it has quietly found its way into the living rooms of one-in-twenty PS4 owners. Now, thanks to some patent leaks and tech analysis, we may just have a glimpse at the next iteration of what PSVR looks like, from its purported new controller to its apparent wirelessness (!). Let's talk about what we know, what we think we know, and what the future just might look like (literally). Also: Layoffs quietly hit PlayStation Europe at the exact time PS5 is revealed in Wired (weird!), IO Interactive gets to work on something that isn't Hitman (mysterious!), Ubisoft invests in cartoons galore (bold!), and Donald Trump is the next major political figure to join Twitch (...JYNA). Plus: Listener inquiries on what happens to first party studios when they die, the far-flung fate of our digital libraries, the ruthless mediocrity of the PlayStation Store, and much more. Let's podcast, old friends!

Timestamps:

0:00:17 - Intro.
0:01:34 - We'll be covering the China/Hong Kong/Blizzard/etc. situation on Sacred Symbols+.
0:05:23 - A lil' housekeeping.
0:06:20 - Sending our love to Gio Corsi.
0:08:26 - New PS5 details (and corrects from last week).
0:16:15 - A quick note about IP ownership.
0:19:02 - One listener writes in to spew bullshit opinions about Five Guys.
0:22:19 - When a studio is shut down, do they get the option to become independent?
0:23:40 - Is it too late to buy a PS4?
0:28:14 - What have we been playing?
0:44:32 - Will Chris play Ghost Recon: Breakpoint?
0:46:25 - It sounds like we won't see or hear much more about PS5 'til 2020.
0:47:28 - A new patent seems to show off PSVR2.
0:55:28 - Layoffs hit PlayStation Europe.
0:58:28 - IO Interactive is making a new game, and it ain't Hitman.
1:00:17 - Ex-Simpsons: Hit and Run devs wanna remake the game.
1:03:33 - There's now a national clinic for gaming addiction in the UK.
1:06:31 - Ubisoft is going all-in on animated adaptations of their games.
1:07:23 - Donald Trump is now on Twitch.
1:08:38 - Minor game announcements and release date information.
1:09:22 - This week's new releases for PS4, PS Vita, and PSVR.
1:20:47 - Will our digital games really always be available?
1:25:38 - What peripherals would we want to see supported on PS5?
1:32:23 - How will next-gen consoles sell?
1:40:51 - Could big companies like Apple or Google start buying up devs and IP?
1:45:18 - One listener can’t get over how bad the PlayStation Store is.