Sacred Symbols, Episode 96: The Leaks of Us (Patreon)

Our shifting podcast schedule couldn't have possibly come at a better time, because it just so happens that the last seven days (or so) in the gaming industry have been among the most news-packed in recent memory. For starters, The Last of Us: Part II has a new release date, but such a revelation comes on the back of something truly traumatic for Naughty Dog, Sony, and TLoU fans: Catastrophic story leaks that threaten to ruin the game for everyone. (Don't worry: We don't discuss ANY spoilers in this show.) Ghost of Tsushima also got a new release date, but is Sony quietly burying Sucker Punch's long-anticipated adventure? Meanwhile, the Assassin's Creed rumors are true, and the series is going Nordic and turning to 9th century England for its next entry, and Square Enix doesn't know quite how it's going to finish Final Fantasy VII Remake, or even how many games will be required to do so. Amongst other news are plenty of listener inquiries, as always. Why don't games seemingly ever visit the Korean and Vietnam Wars? Could video games treat religion more positively? What's with awful difficulty spikes? Are nachos an appetizer or an entree? Let's go!

Timestamps:

0:00:17 - Intro.
0:01:43 - The new schedule is underway.
0:03:29 - A listener who works at Five Guys.
0:04:30 - A correction about stimulus checks.
0:05:43 - Are 7-8 year console cycles the new norm?
0:08:23 - A correction pertaining to the Amazon France PC listings.
0:09:10 - Sony blocked a listener's IP address. But why?
0:11:25 - Why do some AAA games hide background loading so poorly?
0:14:51 - Is a leek just a burrito with a hole in it?
0:15:49 - Are nachos an appetizer or an entree?
0:17:49 - What have we been playing?
0:27:36 - The Last of Us: Part II gets new release date, but also suffers catastrophic leak.
0:59:52 - Ghost of Tsushima also gets a new release date.
1:09:51 - A new Assassin’s Creed game has been revealed.
1:12:56 - The free PS+ games for May have been revealed.
1:15:50 - Square Enix has no idea how it's going to finish Final Fantasy VII Remake.
1:22:15 - Guerrilla may be working on two Horizon games, not just one.
1:25:53 - There will be no WWE game in 2021.
1:28:54 - The NPDs for March 2020 have been released.
1:32:46 - Grand Theft Auto 1 and 2 have been rated for release on PlayStation 3 (yes, 3).
1:36:21 - A new Battlefield game will come to PS5 in 2021.
1:37:23 - Minor game announcements and release date information.
1:41:13 - This week's new releases for PS4, PS Vita, and PSVR.
1:47:46 - Why won't mainstream AAA games touch the Korean and Vietnam Wars?
1:53:37 - How come religion is never explored in video games in a positive way?
2:00:20 - Where do we stand on removable vs non-removable controller batteries?
2:06:35 - What gaming sites do we actually enjoy?
2:08:56 - Could Sony potentially conduct its own PS4-for-PS5 trade-in program?
2:14:22 - What’s the deal with terrible difficulty spikes?