Sacred Symbols, Episode 117: Nuclear Winter (Patreon)

Things have been looking great for PlayStation 5, but a seismic event threatens to restructure the entire landscape of console gaming. With Microsoft's purchase of ZeniMax Media (and therefore Bethesda, all of its studios, and all of its IP), Xbox suddenly controls the fate not only of talented teams like id Software, Machinegames, Tango Gameworks, and others, but some of gaming's most iconic franchises, too, like The Elder Scrolls, Fallout, and Doom. It's a huge deal, and it could leave Sony in a tough spot with one of the industry's most-beloved brands. Let's talk about the sale, all of the recent developments over the last few days, and -- above all else -- what it means for the future of the PlayStation brand. Other news is a-brewin', too, though! Spider-Man is getting a PS5 remaster, and it's littered with some of that old-school Sony marketing confusion, while PS5's Godfall has gone gold, Cyberpunk 2077 is purportedly shorter than The Witcher 3, and legacy backwards compatibility is a dying dream. Then, we get to your inquiries. What PlayStation 5 game are we going to play first? Is Colin disappointed that Final Fantasy XVI isn't turn-based? What does the future hold for PS5's limited SSD storage? Will Chris ever return?

Timestamps:

0:00:17 - Intro
0:04:46 - We have a guest host this week.
0:09:08 - Twin Breaker is out now on Switch, Xbox One and PC!
0:09:08 - Did either of us get chosen for Sony's PS5 pre-order raffle?
0:12:30 - Is preordering multiple consoles as bad as scalping?
0:18:15 - Is Colin's mozzarella stick "hot dog" meal good or bad?
0:24:11 - What have we been playing?
0:35:38 - Microsoft has purchased Bethesda.
1:04:41 - The details surrounding Spider-Man: Remastered are getting confusing.
1:10:40 - Sony has confirmed the PS5 will not play PS1, PS2, or PS3 games.
1:16:32 - Godfall has gone gold.
1:18:28 - Nier: Replicant gets a release date.
1:22:58 - Cyberpunk 2077's main storyline will be shorter than The Witcher 3's.
1:27:24 - A new Transformers game is coming to PS4 soon.
1:30:02 - Disgaea 6 has been announced for PS4 in Japan... but nowhere else...
1:32:51 - Michel Ancel has retired from the games industry.
1:37:25 - Bandai Namco has purchased Reflector Entertainment.
1:40:29 - A Yakuza movie is in the works.
1:43:18 - Minor game announcements and release date information.
1:45:55 - This week's new releases for PS4, PS Vita, and PSVR.
2:02:25 - Is Colin's stance on China versus JK Rowling hypocritical?
2:09:56 - Why is Sony manufacturing fewer digital-only consoles?
2:13:07 - Does Colin really not care if any game sells well?
2:15:59 - Will Final Fantasy ever revert to turn-based combat?
2:20:27 - Why hasn't Sony talked about upgrading the PS5's storage?
2:25:44 - What game will we play on our PlayStation 5s first?