Sacred Symbols, Episode 69: Rumor and Innuendo (Patreon)

As we settle into the fall months, rumors abound. A new photograph seems to confirm the v-shaped PS5 dev kit design that was earlier making the rounds, much to our chagrin. But does it actually matter? Guerrilla Games is mo-capping, while Sony Bend is pre-producing. But should we be surprised? The US Congress has officially put Activision-Blizzard on notice over its behavior regarding Hong Kong and China. But will it be enough to bring change? Plus: Fallen Order goes gold, League of Legends is PlayStation-bound, Fallout 76 DLC gets delayed, and THQ Nordic goes to Japan. Then, listener questions! Could AI become sophisticated enough to make games without human intervention? Should Sony be willing to take significant financial losses to ensure PlayStation 5's proliferation? What should Square Enix do with Final Fantasy after VII Remake? Why do British people pay for goods with squid instead of money?

Timestamps:

0:00:17 - Intro.
0:03:24 - Various notes of import.
0:06:03 - The Death Stranding embargo has been revealed (+ Stadia launch details).
0:07:06 - A random RIP to a listener's PS3 Fat.
0:08:48 - Fried Burrito Talk + Ocean Fears.
0:11:33 - A quick note concerning last week's DLC discussion.
0:12:38 - A listener wonders if we're being dramatic about PSVR.
0:15:07 - What’s an example of a good video game romance?
0:18:40 - What will our next spoilercasts be?
0:20:36 - The workings of sales tax.
0:22:57 - What have we been playing?
0:28:06 - Those v-shaped PS5 dev kits appear to be real.
0:32:16 - The US government makes itself seen in the Blizzard/China fiasco.
0:35:30 - MLB: The Show 20 has been announced.
0:38:56 - Some new details out of Sony Bend and Guerrilla.
0:46:27 - These are September 2019's best-selling games in the US.
0:49:32 - Jedi: Fallen Order has gone gold.
0:55:52 - A modified version of League of Legends is coming to consoles.
1:00:21 - Bethesda is putting the breaks on some Fallout 76 updates.
1:02:54 - Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2 has been delayed.
1:04:07 - THQ Nordic is now operating out of Japan.
1:05:50 - A new firmware update is available for Vita.
1:07:57 - Minor game announcements and release date information.
1:09:30 - This week's new releases for PS4, PS Vita, and PSVR.
1:29:04 - Could AI one day make games without human intervention?
1:34:38 - Could GameStop get a bump from PS5's backwards compatibility?
1:39:38 - Could Sony sacrifice immediate profit to proliferate PS5?
1:43:33 - How does music best serve gameplay and story?
1:46:59 - What will Square Enix do with Final Fantasy post-VII Remake?
1:52:48 - Will DualShock 5 cost more than DualShock 4?