Sacred Symbols, Episode 107: Impropriety (Patreon)

It was a really big week for Ubisoft. They revealed (the admittedly leaked) Far Cry 6, stamped a couple of release dates on Watch Dogs: Legion and Assassin's Creed Valhalla, and gave us some more details on the upcoming battle royale Hyper Scape, too. But the company has also been persistently dogged by accusations of sexual impropriety and other illicit activities at its highest levels of management, and the purge of its ranks continues unabated. With the ignominious fall of both its Chief Creative Officer and the leader of all of its Canadian studios (not to mention its Head of HR), how should one of gaming's biggest publishers proceed in the wake of what can only be described as an internal reckoning? Let's chat about it. Also: Sony is ratcheting-up production of PlayStation 5, Destiny 2's upcoming DLC has been delayed, Konami's Pro Evolution Soccer is approaching this year a little differently, and more. Then: Listener inquiries galore! Is Xbox making a mistake by emphasizing cross-generation play? Should Sony pad its first party family with smaller devs? Does Sony's acquisition of a small share of Epic mean future Epic Games Store exclusivity for its PC releases? Is it normal to eat oranges in the shower? Our answers may surprise you.

Timestamps:

0:00:17 - Intro.
0:06:16 - A letter on keeping things lighthearted.
0:11:49 - A Curt Schilling-based correction.
0:12:52 - The real meaning of 'mucho gusto'.
0:15:03 - Another angle on Take Two's "billions in profit" from last year.
0:18:16 - Digital Sales vs. The Cost of Convenience.
0:24:22 - When will we be able to pre-order PlayStation 5?
0:32:34 - For how long does Colin stare at his lawn each day?
0:33:37 - Is Oscar the Grouch homeless?
0:38:33 - Does Colin use the word "tantalizing" too much?
0:40:58 - A war of escalation: Milk and Cereal.
0:43:28 - Thoughts on our shower routines.
0:50:58 - One psychopathic listener enjoys eating oranges in the shower.
0:54:16 - Colin insists that he could defeat both geese and swans in a fight.
0:57:39 - It remains a mystery where to plug in headphones on the PS4 for one listener.
0:59:37 - What the hell are "cotton wool buds"?
1:00:53 - What have we been playing?
1:07:44 - Sony is seeing higher-than-expected PS5 demand; increases production.
1:11:38 - Ubisoft has announced Far Cry 6.
1:16:56 - Watch Dogs: Legion has a release date.
1:19:54 - Assassin's Creed: Valhalla also has a release date.
1:22:14 - Skull and Bones has been rebooted, says report.
1:26:13 - Is Splinter Cell ever coming back?
1:30:09 - After recent allegations, big changes hit Ubisoft's management.
1:40:27 - Sony is reportedly getting outflanked by Tencent to purchase Leyou.
1:42:17 - Destiny 2: Beyond Light has been delayed.
1:45:46 - Pro Evolution Soccer takes a sharp left turn.
1:47:06 - Minor game announcements and release date information.
1:51:15 - Is Xbox's emphasis on cross-generation play wise or unwise?
2:00:45 - On the whole, what makes Sony's studios so talented?
2:05:12 - What occupation deserves more representation in games?
2:08:29 - How do we know how much to spend (or not spend) on a game?
2:15:40 - Should Sony invest in smaller indie studios?
2:20:02 - Epic Games Store, PlayStation, and you.