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Sacred Symbols, Episode 243 | Desperate Measures (Patreon)

Published:
2023-02-24 17:06:42
Imported:

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Content

Xbox's pursuit of Activision Blizzard reached a new crescendo in recent days, as Microsoft President Brad Smith gave both private and public presentations to the European Commission about the virtues of the proposed deal. In its persistent recalcitrance and total unwillingness to get out of the way (particularly when it comes to Call of Duty's availability on PlayStation), Sony's strategy of silence may actually be paying off. Is Cryin' Jim really Thrivin' Jim? As always, we go deep into the weeds of this never-ending saga. Other news this week includes word of Diablo IV's open beta, Bungie suing cheaters into oblivion, and Embracer's presumably overleveraged position. Listener inquiries round things out, touching on topics like games that solve puzzles for you, our favorite so-called Sony-isms, the upcoming biblical title I Am Jesus Christ, and a potential Sacred Symbols sandwich at an Ohio-based deli. (Remember: We recorded a day earlier than usual because of our live event in Houston.)

Timestamps:

0:00:00 - Intro

0:12:02 - Sneaky Ron’s is here to stay

0:14:32 - Should there be an LSM inspired sandwich?

0:17:39 - Are Dustin’s restaurant renaming habits concerning?

0:19:51 - In Long Island or On Long Island?

0:21:09 - A PSA for PS3 owners

0:25:47 - Cite your sources!

0:29:05 - Ozzy and Sharon are pimping PSVR2

0:32:54 - Elden Ring has surpassed 20 million copies sold

0:43:32 - SEGA has given its Japanese staff 30% raises

0:46:33 - The Saints Row reboot cost $100 million

0:54:14 - Square Enix promises Chrono Cross PS4 fixes… a year late

0:58:47 - Is Returnal unpopular on Steam?

1:02:48 - How do we feel about Lies of P?

1:11:09 - Doki Doki Literature Club has surpassed a million units sold

1:13:58 - Ubisoft confirms it will be at E3 if it happens

1:17:28 - What have we been playing?

2:06:53 - Microsoft has signed long-term deals with Nvidia and Nintendo (and lots more)

2:39:22 - Diablo IV has announced a beta

2:44:19 - Bungie’s cheating drama continues

2:55:34 - What is one Sony-ism that we enjoy?

2:58:58 - Are older games better than modern games?

3:02:11 - What games are great for a very busy new parent?

3:06:33 - Is there a place for faith-based games?

3:11:04 - Should games tell you the answers to puzzles?

3:13:57 - What do you do with someone who mainlines open-world games?

Files

Comments

lazer_josh

sneaky Ron's new vernacular 💯💯💯

Kyle Day

Right off the top. I am totally with Dustin. I have a bottle of peeps Pepsi in the fridge. I am a sucker for branding. I know I am a sucker at least and that it will very likely be terrible. However, I have the need to at least try branded sodas at least once. How else can one explain buying and drinking a flaming hot Mountain Dew?

lazer_josh

I agree Colin grammy's are mostly meaningless however this is the 1st year that video game music has a category!

Kenneth Oms

Atomic heart is awesome. The lore and world building is excellent. The cringe dialogue seems to be issues with translation. I play with controller on pc and the main character is always sprinting, there is a skill tree to make him run faster too.

Stray_Bullets

The sandwich surely should be called “The Last Stand” right?

John
>>102671498

Agreed, This game is awesome so far. I’m sure you’ve already discovered it, but if you’re playing with a controlling he will move based on how far you push the stick forward. There is no click to sprint. If you push it forward all the way he’ll run, but if you nudge the stick he’ll walk

Josh Gamez

I absolutely second what Colin said about Doki, Doki. Somehow I went into the game totally unspoiled when the Plus version came out and holy shit what an experience. That's definitely among the games I wish I could experience for the first time again after having all memory of it erased Men in Black style lol.

Dylan Michael

Hey Colin just wanna say I was the same way with every FromSoft game but I just took the experience from other JRPGS I had and translated it over- I would put on a podcast and grind whenever I found enemies that gave a lot of experience. In Elden Ring specifically I found a grind you can do immediately in the game and basically you can break the game and make it easy as cake. As someone who mainly plays FromSoft games for the world design and hefty feel of combat, I like making it easy.

Zachary Abell

Boys, the lack of mention of Nintendo in all these merger talks comes from the regulators themselves acting as if Nintendo doesn't exist in the battle. Sony and MS are responding to how the regulators see it.

Bogey Zero

Colin I love your shows but can I just give just a bit of constructive feedback? Sometimes it feels like you guys just take turns talking instead of having a discussion. It almost feels like you’re loading up the next thing while the other guys are giving their answer, instead of listening and responding directly to them and adding to the conversation. There are times when Dustin or Chris have a great rebuttal to something you just said, and I’m excited to hear how you respond, but instead it feels like you’re detached and then you just move on. It’s just something I’ve noticed, not a huge deal because I still love your content.

Angel DeJesus

Funny listening to you Colin on Microsoft today. I told a friend last week the clocks gotta be ticking on Phil Spencer. Looks terrible that Todd Howard and Bethesda is putting things out, but Microsoft is barren. Also, I have always found it comical that the anticapitalism games media, is so pro acquisition here. It doesn't mesh well with their anticapitalism stance.

TROTMAC96

Coincidentally, I'm playing Fallout 3 for the first time while listening to this podcast.

Dakota Brown

I love this show and Defining Duke. It is so interesting to hear such different perspectives on gamepass and the Activision deal on both shows. Cog says that he believes you guys aren’t so different in your views, but it doesn’t seem that way. Could a future crossover episode focus on these different views? I’m not saying I want some big argument or conflict. I just would love to hear the discourse from two very opposing views. Thank you for such great content across the LSM brand!

Anonymous

Colin ask a number of times "what does it mean to be an Xbox fan", so I figured I will try to answer the question. To preface, I enjoy all three console platforms with Nintendo having my all time favorite games and Xbox being my "main" platform where I buy all multiplatform games. I think my answers are extremely obvious, but I guess it needs to be said anyway: 1 - Online multiplayer gaming. Even during the worst Xbox generation, the Xbox One, Xbox had the best multiplayer offerings. You have to understand that there are many gamers who only care about multiplayer and the Xbox One had the following exclusives: Sea of Theives, Forza Horizon and Motorsport, Halo, Gears, Halo Wars, and a couple others. The PS4 and PS5 do not match the Xbox One's multiplayer offerings (the worst Xbox generation!). 2 - Backwards compatibility. To play GoW2 on PS, I need to subscribe to a service and stream it. To play GoW2 (Gears) on Xbox, I can actually buy the damn game and play it 4K/60 natively. Fucking Nintendo has me subscribing to play GBA ROMs. 3 - Game Pass. Personally, I don't subscribe, but people fucking love it. 4 - Diversity of genres. Most would agree that Xbox is the best console platform for strategy (Halo Wars, Gears Tactics, Age of Empires, and a handful of backwards compatible third party titles), racing (Forza of course), and shooters (Halo, Gears). Nintendo also does a good job in the strategy games space, but Sony really doesn't even bother with it. 5 - Franchises. Nothing different here from PS and Nintendo, but of course Xbox has way less bankable franchises than the other two. 6 - Bethesda fans who jumped on board after the acquisition.

peter42O
>>102690199

I agree with what you said in regards to what it's means to be an Xbox fan. For me, it's the following - 1. Game Pass first and foremost. While I don't stay subscribed, I do so when there's a game I want to play and for a $10 monthly rental, you can't go wrong. Being able to play games that I would never buy or simply wouldn't take the chance on buying is great. I would have loved for Game Pass to exist during the 80's and 90's when I was a kid and teenager. 2. Diversity of genres and the variety that Microsoft is doing is great because even though some games aren't for me, it's more exciting to see different genres and games than just being a one trick pony. Before it was always Halo, Gears and Forza. While they still exist, there's so much more to look forward to. Only played the first two chapters of Hi Fi Rush and it's really good. Will get back to it at some point later this year. Redfall which seems to be a Far Cry/Ubisoft style FPS is intriguing because it's Arkane who doesn't miss and it's Vampires which doesn't happen often in games. I'm not a Bethesda Game Studios fan (but love Arkane, Tango and Machine Games) but being able to play and give Starfield a legitimate shot due to Game Pass is great. Then there's Avowed, The Outer Worlds 2, Hellblade 2, Fable and so much more coming. 3. Free Cloud Saves. This has saved me at least 3 times this generation where I would get frustrated at a game, drop and unistall it but rethink it a few days later and be like, damn, I have to go through what I already went through a second time but nope, my cloud save automatically gets downloaded when I reinstalled the games. Such a time saver and useful extra. 4. While im not a fan of ABK whatsoever and the only game of interest to me is Diablo IV, I want more acquisitions simply because it means more games in Game Pass day one that I don't have to buy in order to check them out. 5. Ability to use the Xbox One controller. I love this fucking controller. Best controller I have ever used. No gimmicks. No bullshit. And it just feels great and works flawlessly. I wish Microsoft would re-release Xbox One controllers because I would buy a few as im not a fan of the Series X controller. Hate the grooves or whatever they're called on the back of the controller. So damn uncomfortable. Xbox Series X is my primary gaming console while PlayStation 5 is my secondary exclusives only console. No interest in Nintendo. Sony has great first party titles that I like and enjoy for the most part but unlike PS4 which was my primary, what they're doing game wise just isn't exciting to me as it's just more of the same where as Microsoft gives me a lot more variety and diversity of genres and games and best of all, I can play them on Game Pass and if I like it, great and will keep playing but if not, instead of a $70 loss, it's a $10 rental. The online stuff doesn't apply to me as I prefer single player games but will play games like Outriders or Division 2 solo because they're my type of game. Redfall will most likely be included in this list as well in a few months. Backwards Compatibility, free current generation upgrades and the simplicity of the platform being streamlined to where it all just works with no issues are just extra bonuses for me.

Justspartan

Safe travels y’all!!🦅🦅🤠🤠🐄🐄

Brandon Soto

Xbox is the GamePass Company now. Like you said, if that’s really the case, bring it on. I’ll sign up for it on PlayStation.

NeO JD

Col, do you think games will ever include an option to play itself for you? Example: you don’t wanna do a puzzle or can’t beat a certain boss but you want to see the game anyway. Say you accept that it won’t give you the trophy but it plays itself for you until you decide you want control back. Could this ever be a thing? Maybe an option to skip any section? Thoughts?

Aladin_Run

Doki Doki Literature Club is a really special game.

Anonymous

The federal trade commission themselves argued that xbox would gain control of top video game franchises and would harm “high performance gaming consoles” That’s the whole reason they want to block the deal. So yes xbox are not the ones keeping nintendo out of the conversation the regulators did that, if anything xbox is bringing nintendo in by saying their games will be there. The publishers and the regulators just say what they want to get their desired outcome. But I don’t understand why you would be surprised about xbox making themselves look bad when Sony has done the same thing, you’ve said this. They all want to be the victim.

Joshua Brown

Being an Xbox gamer is like rooting for your underdog sports team that had a great season a long time ago and you’re just waiting for the stars to align again so you can return to that feeling you had a long time ago. I play on all platforms but with Xbox being my main since the original, at the time it was down to online play on the original Xbox live keeping me connected to my friends after we scattered to the four winds, fast forward a few generations it’s still about that with the current friend group. You play where your friends are.

lazer_josh

the postal service ❤️

Mark M

On companions spoiling puzzles - I can't imagine that if a game killed enemies for you, or zipped you to the end of a level in a platformer, that it would be considered "respecting the player's time". At least make it an opt in 'press for hint' situation. All of this really just shows how much pointless busywork is in these games, that we are considering options to skip them rather than just tightening up the experience. Leading to comments where people ask if older games were better in that regard.

Liz Folley

This was a great Defining Duke episode! Holy shit.

Jeremy Seal

I would label him Phony Phil.

Jeremy Seal

There could be a really cool Sampson game. He was the strongest man on Earth.

Anthony Palerino

Your discussion of Postal Service reminded me of another great Seattle supergroup: Temple of the Dog, essentially Chris Cornell + Pearl Jam

Andrew Christensen

Listening to Colin attempt to describe playstation trophies to Joe Biden was one of the funniest moments in Sacred Symbols history, IMO. 😂

Greg McDonald

Hope posting links is allowed but this is a great skit about NPCs who made "Ukraine" their identity for a while https://youtu.be/6-LRS9A-rW4

Evan Erickson

Never heard it called "squares" before. Only heard it referred to as "boxes"

ByWatterson

Plague Tale Requiem is the only unqualified AAA third-party banger on Gamepass that I can think of.

Dennis

Someone should make an A.I. Joe Biden video where he is talking about the broken trophies in Atomic Heart. And he wants to schedule a meeting with Putin to fix it.

Bryant

First, I really appreciate that you guys still did a show even with the live event this past weekend. Too many other podcasts (gaming or otherwise) would use it as an excuse to take two weeks off. Second, Plague Tale Requiem doesn’t count as a GamePass banger?

Joe B

Weird to be comparing Hifi Rush and Returnal PC releases. They have zero to do with one another and ones lack of audience gained had nothing to do with the others.

TheMuff1nMon

re: Mainlining games question - I also mainlined the Horizon games because I only do care about the story. I'm well aware that most open world games aren't for me. I'm okay getting that experience out of it. I don't do this with every game as I love JRPGs and do tons of side quests but these Ubisoft style open worlds type games, I can't be bothered tbh.

David D

I think you’re being a little unfair on the atomic heart games media discussion, before release you were saying it would be another Hog Leg in terms of controversy because “that’s the next thing everyone’s been told to think” but when people actually do appreciate the nuance of the Mundfish situation it’s hypocrisy? Putting the L in LSM for that one IMO unfortunately. Having said that, I COMPLETELY agree with you on the trophy situation, as a fellow trophy hunter that’s one of the most horrifying things I could hear about any game!

David D

I think you’re being a little unfair on the atomic heart games media discussion, before release you were saying it would be another Hog Leg in terms of controversy because “that’s the next thing everyone’s been told to think” but when people actually do appreciate the nuance of the Mundfish situation it’s hypocrisy? Putting the L in LSM for that one IMO unfortunately. The Atomic Heart situation certainly does have a greater potential for actively harmful outcomes compared to Hog Leg, I suppose trans issues are more immediate for most people in comparison to Russia’s War of aggression against Ukraine, which would be how I’d explain it. Having said that, I COMPLETELY agree with you on the trophy situation, as a fellow trophy hunter that’s one of the most horrifying things I could hear about any game!

Joshua Fielder

Just in case nobody has said it, in god of war there was always an option in the menus to reduce the hints for puzzles or turn them off, don't remember which or if it was both. I think it was in horizon as well but that was too long ago so idk about that one. Everyone needs to get used to going to look in the options with new sony games because they're giving more options than they used to.

Dana Anderson

Colin’s argument makes sense from a “how the structure was built”, however, look at Google. Its a monopoly and it did it i. House. Its still an illegal monopoly at the end of the day. Microsoft’s argument is Sony is nearly a monopoly, and the acquisition of a software develop will not relinquish this dominance.

Bobby Woods

Yeah atomic heart kinda massively disappointing for me. It’s moment to moment gameplay is really poorly designed here. Combat doesn’t feel as fluid and tight as bioshocks. Only a few hours into it and already everyone talks to much. It’s just poor design here which is really disappointing. The world is absolutely amazing to be in though it’s just not hitting for me on a gameplay standpoint and I haven’t even gotten to the stuff power Pyx is talking about.

Greg Hommel

Boys, the kids not playing games “right” is generational. They don’t explore, the don’t have the urge to complete optional tasks, they don’t choose to expand the story through optional means, and they don’t care at all that we are upset by their flippancy. They are almost as satiated by watching a Let’s Play on YouTube as they are to play it themselves. There is a genre to capitalize on with this novel way they experience games. What that could be, I haven’t a fucking clue.

David D
>>102879931

I had a feeling you’d get me on that, seemed like too good an opportunity to pass up, but alas!