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Sacred Symbols, Episode 260: The Thread (Patreon)

Published:
2023-06-21 19:00:04
Imported:
2023-06

Content

Hi!

Submit your questions, comments, concerns, thoughts, and ideas for this week's episode of Sacred Symbols in this thread.

As always, please keep your inquiries well-written and pithy. Novels, poorly-written posts, etc. are politely ignored.

You have until Thursday, June 22nd at noon ET to submit.

Talk to you soon!

Comments

Jordan Fugate

Hey Sacred Crew, Colin it was nice to hear you talk positively about your experience with The Definitive Edition of Grand Theft Auto III. Do you have any plans to also play through Vice City and/or San Andreas? I’ve played through The Definitive Edition trilogy recently and had a great time with three classic titles from the PlayStation 2 era. Keep doing what you do best providing quality content each week.

Anonymous

Greetings, my fellow Plasma Cutter enthusiasts. As all of you are both podcasters and fans of Dead Space Remake, I was wondering your thoughts regarding "Dead Space: Deep Cover". It's described as a "scripted audio series" that will explore the Church of Unitology. Given how a large portion of Dead Space's broader narrative is told through in-game audio logs, I believe an audio show could make more sense for the universe than a TV show or novelization. Will any of you be tuning in next year? Cheers, and a hearty "thanks!" for keeping my earholes satisfied all these years.

Anonymous

Hello Sacred Fuckers, As the reviews are coming in for Final Fantasy XVI and they are quite positive, that marks another huge hit for 2023, only halfway in. With games like Tears of the Kingdom and Diablo also being huge right now, it feels like an awesome time to be a gamer. My question is this: how do think 2023 will rank in comparison to other huge video game years? 2007 and 2017 especially come to mind. Personally, I already think this year will be one of the greats. Keep up the good work gents!

Frank G.

Hello boys. This question is for Chris but I'd love for other C and D to chime in. What's going on with Destiny 2? the games feels like its imploding, every week there's a new bug that's more consistent to show up than the game working properly. Community sentiment is at an all time low, and now they're stealing artwork from artist, what? I'm taking a break from it right now because the drip feed for its storyline has gotten on my last nerve (although the cutscene this week was dope) and..I don't think it's just burn out there's something behind the scenes that's changed. Monetization, mismanagement, the studio is growing too fast or too slow. Please let me know your thoughts. Thank you for the wonderful content every week my dudes.

Anonymous

Hey gents, Last week, Colin lamented DigitalFoundry’s remark about 30fps games coming back and how he might have to be more selective in the games he plays based on whether the game offers a performance mode — at least until the PS5 Pro arrives. But what about when the PS6 comes out? There’s no reason this cycle of alternating between 30 and 60fps hardware couldn’t continue indefinitely. Perhaps instead, Sony could forego a mid-gen refresh and release the PS6 and PS6 Pro simultaneously, where the PS6 is the “official next-gen standard” for performance and the PS6 Pro is sort of a “next-gen+” where for, say, an extra $100-$200 you would get stronger hardware along with Sony’s guarantee that every game — 1st party or otherwise — runs at 60fps. Do you think more people might be compelled to adopt the PS6 Pro if it were available at the start of the generation rather than arriving halfway through the lifecycle, after most consumers already own a base PS6? Personally, I probably would. Don’t forget: the best part of using a chicken for your genital ventriloquism is that you get a good jizz AND a good meal. Cheers

Anonymous

Dear sirs, I write by way of correction, but also to defend the honor of a fellow listener who's write-in Colin completely butchered last week. The use of the phrase "must needs...", or even "needs must..." is a completely valid, if a bit archaic manner of speech. I could cite numerous examples throughout English literature. It is especially prevalent, for example, in religious texts of the Judeo-Christian tradition. Furthermore, it surprised me to learn that a student of American history, especially one who begins every podcast with "greetings and salutations" ; itself an archaic turn of phrase, would be unfamiliar with it. Feel free to read this in a stuffy, constipated Brittish accent. Good day to you.

Anonymous

Colin, Is there any word on the trophies for Dying Light 2? I really enjoyed the first game and am waiting until they are fixed to dive into the second. Thank you for all you do gentlemen and have a great week!

Beau

Hey CDC, you guys often talk about introducing older generations to gaming. I never would’ve expected to play a part in that myself but I’m happy to report my mother got my 69 (OH!) year old stepfather a PS5. She mainly got it for him to play the new EA PGA game…but in two short weeks with a console he’s found his way over to Red Dead 2. My mother sent me a text last night: “how do we get dead eye tonic?”. Amazing. Cheers gentlemen. Beau

James Ketchum

Good day gents, Colin, on a recent episode of Constellation, you mentioned the 50's informational videos you have been watching, such as "How to Help Around the House." etc. I was first introduced to these back in the 90s on Mystery Science Theater 3000. I remember one that was about how little Timmy (Tolkien) could be more helpful to his parents. "Father leaves the house and works all day in a job he doesn't really love, but it allows him to provide for his family." When I was in high school, I thought that was so absurd and thought "I'll never work a job I don't love." Now, as a very full time employed husband (in a just-ok job) and father of 3, I look at that video and think, "Fuckin-A right, dad. You weld that metal to bring home the groceries." A consequence of this is being at peace with the knowledge that I'll only every beat 2-3 games a year. LSM helps me feel like, even though I don't have near enough time for my favorite hobby, I can still be a part of my favorite hobby. So, thank you for always knowing how to keep us busy dads in the loop!

ZipDavis

Hello Gentleman, Ff16 looks great. It feels like games are being released in an unfinished state more than ever. I am hoping this game hits from a quality standpoint and leads by example. Do you think releasing games when they are at least in a polished 1.0 state could become a healthy trend? I know games are more complex now but I do feel at least ng+,day 1 patch etc. should be included at launch. Thank you and good luck on getting your Boar’s Head sponsorship. We have a saying down here:Why buy the boar when you can get the head for free.

Anonymous

I'm just not going to play any of these games until the PS6 and the Xbox Series 360SX-One come out so I can play them at 60FPS.

Anonymous

Hey Sacred Crew, On the last episode of SS, Colin pontificated on the origin of his sayings “Greetings and Salutations” and “questions, comments, thoughts, and ideas”. Well, there are actually two instances of Seinfeld characters using “Greetings and Salutations”, the first is when Ray Thomas first appears to clean Jerry’s apartment and steal George’s beloved statue, the second is a George quote from the episode when he does the opposite of all his instincts. Below are links to the relevant clips if you want to jog you memory. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjrV8Er_h88&ab_channel=ZackAnderson https://youtu.be/SpPUw8uNhAI I realize that there is little hope or value of pinpointing exactly where you picked up these sayings, but I figured it was a good opportunity to point out that there really has been a Seinfeld reference in every single episode of SS. Thanks for all the great content.

Anonymous

Greetings heathens! On the last episode of Constellation, Colin made an off hand comment about how he listens to alot of educational podcasts and that got me thinking. What podcasts do you all listen to, and which would you recommend? As a truck driver, I have long stretches where the only thing I can do to keep myself occupied is to listen to music or podcasts to pass the time. As such I go through podcasts at a faster pace then normal (even on 1x speed) and am always looking for something new to pass the time. Anyway thanks for all the great content, both on LSM and Snark Tank, and keep on trucking.

Bryan Lonsdale

Good afternoon Sacred Crew, I'm writing in to try and get a better understanding of Colin's mindset towards franchises that have been around for decades. Zelda, street fighter, and Final Fantasy all have new entries this year. Colin has said that Tears of the Kingdom "isn't Zelda" and has said the new Street Fighter doesn't look anything like Street Fighter and doesn't understand how long time fans can like it. However, Final Fantasy 16 is a drastic change for the franchise going into a full action game. Yet you are completely amped for the game despite many saying it isn't really a Final Fantasy game anymore. In your mind, what makes it okay for some franchises to totally change the gameplay/art direction, and when is it not? Thanks and have a great day!

Anonymous

Yello boys, Colin, what are your recommendations for getting a Vita fixed? After getting the platinum in Muramasa Rebirth, I've noticed that my left analog stick may be suffering from stick drift. Help me Colin Mori-Obi, you're my only hope.

Anonymous

Howdy my fellow prolific poultry pounders, This is directed more towards Chris/Dustin but I’d love to know if this resonates in some way with you, Colin. Hearing Chris last week enamoured with the Steam-Deck had me thinking about it’s viability as a stand-alone ‘handheld/console’ if you will. As someone who previously dabbled in PC gaming about a decade ago and fell off, would you consider the Steam-Deck worth the investment for its access to the steam catalogue & Game Pass, or does the set up of the controls lend it self to be conflicting with pc games? Any other drawbacks would be useful to know from both your experiences with the system. Much love from the UK, thanks for all of the quality content!

Anonymous

Hey boys on last weeks discussion about pride, its really cool to see you all talk about a space I am apart of and interesting to see your takes in it, however a lot of patreon comments were saddening to see at least and outright homophobic at worst. I understand you have no control over what your audience posts and thats fine, however, as a bisexual it made me feel genuinely unwelcome in the last stand community. I love when you have talks like this and I look forward to hearing more takes from the last stand crew on whatever topics you have in the future. thanks sam

Anonymous

Hey CDC, Wondering if you guys saw the trailer for Trepang2? It's an indie first person shooter heavily inspired by the original F.E.A.R (released by Monolith back in 2005). It released on Steam today and a demo has been available for awhile. I was surprised to see a trailer on Playstation's youtube channel saying it's coming to consoles soon. I think F.E.A.R. is one of the best FPS games of all time so I've been really excited for this. Is this on your radar and something you guys might check out? Thanks for the constant flood of great podcasts. -Michael Held

Josh Kisskalt

CDC, it rarely gets any shine, so I want to say how awesome PS Stars has turned out to be. I have received $40 in PSN gift cards, and have started to love my growing collection of virtual trophies. It has also prompted me to play some of the PS+ games I may have skipped. Best of all, it's completely free. It's a shame this program doesn't get more love. It's the exact player-friendly program we all say Sony doesn't do anymore. Do you guys participate at all? Any changes you think could boost engagement? Thanks and thanks for motivating me to exercise more by listening to LSM while I do.

Anonymous

Hey Sacred Crew, Last episode’s discussion over the pronunciation of Concord and how New Englanders don’t know how to talk reminded me of when I had to correct my high school History teacher on the proper pronunciation of Worcester, Massachusetts. Colin, I’m sure you know the proper pronunciation living in the state for as long as you did, but if not then ask Micah she must know. Or ask Dustin and Chris to see if they can get it right. Thank you for an amazing podcast.

Anonymous

Sup Nerds, This whole Titanic deep dive voyage tragedy got me thinking. If you were trapped, in what was going to be your inevitable coffin, which game would you want to ride out life with? I’d imagine there would be no internet in these situations, and perhaps a handheld device would make the most sense, but let’s not let common sense, or the potential loss of human life, ruin our fun with this one. Hopefully by the time this episode airs we’ll have heard good news, or at the very least the families have some semblance of closure.

Late to the Party Video Games

Press X to Start comment. I've recently seen a Troy Baker tweet with him speaking at some witness-protection-named-con. Aside from the upcoming Fort Solis and Death Stranding 2, are Troy's (and maybe Nolan North's) best years behind him? Before, you couldn't throw a rock without hitting one of them, and now, they're barely in anything. Especially Nolan. I think they're easily the two best actors in the business, like Pacino and De Niro. What's Colin's take on it, seeing that he's "been there" since the beginning. Love your work, you guys are the best at what you do.

Anonymous

Hey CDC, Thoughts on the Stephen Totilo story regarding Microsoft’s desire to “eliminate” Playstation (https://www.axios.com/2023/06/20/exhibit-k-microsoft-activision)? Do you think this is just executive bluster or a possible sign that, despite what they have claimed, Microsoft is planning on making Activision/Blizzard content exclusive in an effort to squash competition? Thanks for the great content and in the case of the six-year-old chicken, gentlemen of Last Stand Media, you ARE the fathers!

Anonymous

Hey sacred trinity, my question is about the Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol 1. So, we know that the HD collections were taken down from the store because of licensing issues. With the new collection coming this fall being priced at 60 USD, do you think that is a fair price? Will it have the stock footage used in the originals, or will they replace it? Will they acknowledge that Kojima made the games? What do you guys think?

Anonymous

What are some sequels that hardcore fans of the previous games in the franchise are too hard on? For example, I'm playing Mass Effect Andromeda after completing the original trilogy for the first time last year. It's not nearly as great as the originals, but it's still a fun game that got way too much hate in my opinion. To be fair, I'm playing it after years of patching. Why can't disappointing sequels in beloved franchises be taken at face value? They seem to always be talked about as if they're terrible when in reality they're average.

Charlie Cate

Dear Colin - OHHH! I took your advice and revisited Grand Theft Auto III on PS5 this weekend. As a fellow Sopranos obsessive, there’s few things that beat driving around in my Mafia Sentinel to the classical sounds of Double Clef FM, checking off job after job for my bosses, all while enjoying the incredible voice acting from some of crime cinema’s greatest actors. I’m having the time of life rediscovering classic songs on the radio and old jokes from various NPCs that still ring a bell after all these years. Coming back to this game also brings back so many great memories of the marketing and commercial spots for what would become Rockstar’s landmark title. After getting sucked back into GTA III, I think I’ll be attempting to go through all the Grand Theft Auto stories leading up to the release of Grand Theft Auto 6. Rockstar’s games are among the densest pieces of entertainment in existence, and I truly hope the narrative of the sixth installment scratches that itch that only a Rockstar game can. Be well Sacred boys, your work makes us all very happy! Charlie

Anonymous

Colin and Chris, I know you won’t read this on the show, but I wanted to address how flippantly the Nickmercs situation was discussed last week. Chris said Nickmercs’ statement to “leave little children alone” in school only makes sense if you believe “the gays are after your kids”. To which I ask, are you actually aware of what is happening in public schools? Of course, I’m not here to paint with broad strokes and label all gay or trans people as predators - and consenting adults are free to do as they please. But gay and trans ideology is absolutely pushed and encouraged in public schools, while also keeping parents in the dark. Examples include school sanctioned drag shows and books in school libraries such as “Gender Queer”, which instructs children how to give oral sex - including illustrations. The New York State Department of Education just published a “legal update and best practice” document that says if your child identities as a different gender it is “best practice” to lie to the parents about it. California just put forward bill AB957 which will remove custody from a parent that doesn’t affirm their child’s gender identity if in a custody battle. The example the proponents gave involved how a 7 year old identifies. It passed! In many states, these confused children are then offered chemical castration and/or surgical mutilation WELL before they’re at an age to truly consent to what is happening - leaving them infertile and dependent on big pharma for the rest of their lives. There are countless other examples of how this is playing out in schools and society at large that I would be happy to provide. I am a big fan of the shows and appreciate all of your work, but to pretend a large portion of this movement isn’t preying on confused children is incredibly naive. So when Nickmercs says “they should leave little children alone”, he’s 100% correct.

Davy Sueppel

What’s up CDC, No questions but I just want to say this, normally when a show changes or they switch out or add people to a show I lose interest or start losing interest. Examples would be Kinda Funny and Giant Bomb. (Well kinda funny because they cast out Colin and all the “additions” seemed like subtractions to me) but I will say when Dustin was added to the show I took to him IMMEDIATELY. Instantly felt like an old friend and I loved hearing his input. Same with Mama Micah, Gene… Everyone has been such a welcome addition. Good on your Colin. Seriously, you put together a great team. Chris too! I can’t leave him out, I’ve heard his name bouncing around the internet before you two started the pod but now I’m a huge fan and look forward to his videos. Thank you for everything you all do! Ps Dustin now that I’ve S’d you Dick please add a “table top game” section to the discord. Love you all.

RK128

Hello Sacred Gents, With the release of FF16 and it's performance mode being lackluster, what do you three feel about 30FPS being the standard again? And do you think Spider-Man 2 will kick off 30FPS-only first party Sony releases going forward? Have a great day and keep up the great work.

Anonymous

Dustin you beautiful human, Did you or any of the sacred squad get a chance to try the Sea of stars Demo? It may be the RPG to knock Koudelka from my favourite turn based RPG of all time! Appreciate all the content.

Nevets

Sacred Men, With the Metal Gear collection coming, it got me thinking about the Psycho Matis fight. We obviously can't unplug controller ports, but what if you have to use the console interface to change the designated controller. Or, what if you have to sign in to a different user to win the fight? I think there are some neat ways they can update this.

Anonymous

G’day Gents, I was writing in to discuss the origins of “Greetings and Salutations”, however, scrolling through the thread I quickly realised I had been beaten to the punch. Nevertheless, as I’ve recently upgraded my Patreon so I can submit comments, I’ll take the time to heap some praise on my favourite podcasters. I’ll admit that Sacred is not the only show I listen to, I’ll occasionally check in to KindaFunny and the likes if something catches my eye, such as a review or spoilercast. However, Sacred Symbols is the only show I’ll listen to regardless of the content. I love the intellectual insight, I love the childish filth and I love the rogue nature of everything you guys stand for. Keep up the great content. Cheers from down under. P.s congrats to Colin and Micah on your upcoming wedding.

Anonymous

Hey Shockers I'll chase to the ends of the earth, While perusing Push Square, I stumbled upon an article concerning venomized Spider-Man and the Shocker, highlighting the necessity for a remake of a special scene of the original Spider-Man cartoon in Spider-Man 2. Chris introduced me to this remarkable sequence, which I strongly encourage everyone to witness. Would it be prudent for us to engage in a boycott if this particular aspect is omitted?

Nik peltier

Sirs, Can we admit that PS+ is better than Gamepass at this point in time? If you want online play it is now $2 more a month for Gamepass ultimate than it is for PS+ extra, the best tier. I know there are these exclusives that are supposed to be really good coming day one to Gamepass, but they're not here yet. Both have titles that are completely subjective, but one could argue the Horizon and uncharted franchises having all games on PS+ is better than anything the competition has. The free monthly games aren't even close in comparison. So, just for now, can we admit that PS+ is giving the consumer more bang for their buck, or are we going to pretend that Gamepass is still leaps and bounds ahead? As an early Gamepass adaptor and big fan of the model, I think it's impressive how quick Sony has closed the gap.

Anonymous

Hello Fellows, What is your game paralysis? For example, I don’t want to play story heavy games when I’m not sure on how much time I have, but I don’t want to play mindless games for a long time, etc. Thanks, Elliott

Anonymous

What’s up guys, Has covering/being-apart-of the video games industry enhanced or dampened you’re pure enjoyment of playing games? I’m sure a lot of people like myself wonder about trying to break into the industry in any way, but does that come at the cost of your ability to be a fan? Love all that you guys do, $5 for almost 20 hours of content a week is the best value of all time !!!

NukeDukem

What’s up boys! I’ve been curious to know your thoughts on urinals without a partition? I personally refuse to use them, it feels like a breach of privacy to me. I know the guy next to me is most likely not looking over to “size me up” so to speak, but I feel like that’s the case regardless. Anyway, thanks for the shows! All the best - Nuke.

Michael Thew

Hey CDC, When did it become uncool to like QTE and cinematic trailers. Growing up I couldn’t wait for the next MGS or Zelda trailer, that Zelda expo 2000 trailer pops out for me. I guess QTE remind me of RPGs in a way and that’s why I like those. Well take it easy guys.

Sean Mason

Hey CDC, With how succesful the Final Fantasy XVI demo was, I'm curious as to why PlayStation wouldn't release a similar size demo for Spider-Man 2? In today's age of digital games I would love if more games took this approach. Best, Sean M.

Anonymous

Hey CDC, This week’s Sacred Symbols will release (for patrons) on the morning of my birthday, but more importantly, it will also be the birthday of Alan Turing, creator of the Turing Test, as well as Randy Jackson, former American Idol judge - two of the most important human beings to ever exist. Do you share birthdays with any such legends? Thanks and bring on the filthy

Anonymous

Salutations & Greetings Symbols Sacred, It’s been awhile since we’ve talked about the ABK deal. As the FTC files for an injunction and all the heads come to the table to plead their case it feels as if we are at the apex of this deal finally coming to a conclusion. Will Cryin’ Jim Ryan prevail amongst thine enemies? Or will P3 and his big D bring Xbox out of acquisition turmoil with a victory? Find out next week on, “When will this deal finally be over so we can just move on?” Thank you, Justin

Anonymous

Hey CDeez nuts, Did you boys happen to catch the first footage shown of the Metal Gear Solid Master collection from the latest Nintendo direct? In classic Konami fashion it looks to be packed with awesome bonus content that goes above and beyond most remasters these days. What do you guys think?

NecrumOddBoy

Most Wise CDC, Simple question as I am watching the timer for Final Fantasy XVI slowly count down to midnight: What the flying fuck? I understand the midnight launch parties of olde, but for us in the digital age, why do most game releases remain stuck to midnight as opposed to something reasonable like 5pm? Thanks and don’t fuckfuckfuck them chocobos too hard this week boys.

Anonymous

Hey guys, have you seen gate zero? It's a Bible exploration game on Kickstarter. I backed it a few days ago. I hope this leads to more Christian based games, but also thought this format would work for other historical events like the great revolution. What do you all think? Thanks and keep up the good work.

Andy Jenereaux

Hello gentleman, I was roaming twitter when I came across a post by a gaming artist (@TheCartelDel) celebrating his 10th physical release. In this post he also is anticipating adding “The Last of Us Online once they’re ready”. If what he is saying is correct and they are releasing a physical copy of the game, doesn’t this mean the game won’t be free to play?

Ethan Barcelos

Hey Boys, With the announcement of a Super Mario RPG remake, it got me thinking about remakes of old games in general. I think the remake for Mario looks great, but I also can't help but feel that something is lost in translation from the pre-rendered SNES graphics to 3D. I know in the past Colin has commented on 2D vs 3D graphics, but what do we think about these games with very distinct artstyles such as Super Mario RPG? Is there a good way to translate these games to the modern era, or would it be best to ask for mere ports with updated resolutions and what not at a reduced price? Thank you boys and have a good one!

Jake Z

How do you feel about games ranking your performance?

Koray Savas

Colin and Crew, Is corporate IP control the cause of PlayStation+ Premium’s lack of content? We’re a year into the service and still haven’t seen the likes of Gran Turismo, Metal Gear Solid, Dino Crisis, The Getaway, Resistance, Killzone, Twisted Metal, SOCOM, Burnout, Medal Of Honor, and other countless classic franchises. There is such a rich backlog of IP both first party and third, that seemingly will never come to the service because publishers are too afraid that it may interfere with their future bottom line. Thoughts?

Anonymous

Hey Sexy Sacred Schmucks, Not video game related but I gotta say Chris's comments about why your worried about Pride Month is a little off base. It's not that fact that it's recognized, it's the fact that many (not all, not even close to all) teachers take an opportunity to push their own personal agenda. There are countless stories of teachers telling girls with short hair that play softball that they can be boys and many boys that they can be women because of some item of clothing they can wear. In California it's now considered child abuse if your kid says he's trans at like the age of 7 and you don't affirm him/her. I've seen countless members of the LGBT community come out and say leave the kids alone and to just focus on teaching reading writing and arithmetic. If Chris had kids and wasn't concerned in the slightest then accuse him of not being an active parent. If this seems over the top I apologize, but I felt like I had to chime in on this really quick as a parent. All 3 of you are awesome and I wish you the best day.

Anonymous

Hey fellas, Colin, this is something I'm ultimately interested in from you, but it's also Final Fantasy XVI related and only relevant before release. I'd like to make a public prediction and would love to hear what your sons have to say about it. So, if you choose this for the show, would you kindly indulge me by going to take a "fat piss" or something, maybe handing things over to Dustin (or Chris...?), and letting us pick the brains of the two Beautiful Boys for a bit? ...Trying to add some space so you can scroll past before the real inquiry starts... All right, hi guys, if everything has gone well it's just us. I've got this sneaking suspicion that Colin is going to be turned off of Final Fantasy XVI, mainly because of the seemingly demanding combat. Do you think I'm way off base? Is this something that's already been discussed? I know he's been media dark but don't know how complete that's been; I also was before this week, aware of but only barely considering what having a combat director who'd worked on DMC5 might imply. I definitely did not realize it was going to mean FFXVI is essentially a character action game with Bayonetta boss fights (not that I personally mind). Am I just dumb for not realizing this earlier, or is there a possibility of turning off some long time Final Fantasy fans who maybe haven't followed the marketing? Hope you can use some of your possible time alone for something truly deranged. Best, Gus

Anonymous

Hello sacred crew, So me and my girlfriend had our son Vincent on the 8th of June, the same day that final fantasy XII rebirth was shown off at summer game fest. I always associated the name with the character from ff7 but my girlfriend says he’s named after her grandfather. Do I let him believe that, or do I remind him that he’s in fact named after our favorite mysterious red cloaked badass. What say you gentleman? Seems like fate to me

Anonymous

Hey CDC, With the release of FFXVI and a Metacritic score of 88. Are we ready to call Yoshi P an Auteur? I know you've not played FFXIV but his story telling was masterful and turned a down trodden game into Square's most valuable live service IP. Premature? Maybe, but he has to be in the conversation as one of the great producers of the past 10 years. I know I say this for most FFXIV fans but I'm excited to see what's coming down that pipeline now that this FFXVI is out.

Anonymous

Hey CDC, Hope you all are doing well today. The time has come that our collective and definitive game of the year, Crash Team Rumble, has arrived; a game to put all other games to shame! Ok- obviously that was sarcastic, and I have no intention of playing it whatsoever- but to be honest, I don't mind when studios try a different style/gaming genre with an already established franchise to try to mix it up every once and a while. Games such as Gears of War Tactics, the upcoming Persona Tactics, Minecraft Dungeons, Halo Wars, a variety of League of Legends Story spinoffs, and a plethora of Mario games (Party, Strikers, Golf, Rabbids) all take a beloved IP and try something new with it. Heck, even Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One took its turn and tried focusing mainly on cooperative multiplayer for its core gameplay. Obviously some succeeded and some didn't, but you can't blame for trying. So in this thought experiment, I'd like for y'all to take a beloved Playstation first party IP and give it a new spin/genre. For me- it'd be the aforementioned Ratchet & Clank but in a Battle Royale setting. There are plenty of characters and environments to make it interesting and it definitely doesn't lack for good weapon choices. I can just imagine all the beautiful explosions and chaos as enemies are forced to dance to the Groovitron in the background. Keep up the good work and much love, Nathan from Texas

The Snacksquatch

Hey guys, After spider-man 2, we really don’t know what else is coming from Sony aside from a a few titles that have been announced. What would you like to see from them in the future. We know live service games seems to be their big strategy. But aside from that, what are some things/dreams you would like to see? Thanks for all you do.

Anonymous

Hey CDC, We all are tired of the ABK drama with Microsoft but I was wondering if we could get a gut check from you guys. Did Sony refrain from showing more at the showcase in order to not draw any attention to their market dominance? Hearing the FTC cite Redfall and Starfield's exclusivity as a cause for concern over the merger, got me thinking, is Sony still holding back and laying low or is it just simply the first party isn't ready to show out yet? Will we get another showcase this year? Thanks for the hours of entertainment from a fan since Podcast Beyond episode 380!

Michael Akridge

Aloha CDC, We have seen what’s in Metal Gear Solid Vol.1. What do you expect we will see in Vol 2? Cheers, Michael

Iqan Adil

Hello Gents, Did you see the Kojima documentary trailer? What do you think? Personally, I love Kojima, but I got the sense that's he's getting high on his own supply. Best regards, Iqan

Anonymous

Hey CDC, What makes turn-based rpgs enjoyable? I've never played a turn-based game until recently. I didn't think that they looked that fun to me. However, I decided to give Persona 5 a try because it came with the PS4 collection when I got my PS5/PS Plus, and it is considered one of the best turn-based rpgs. I've played about 6 hours of it, and the animated cut scenes are beautiful, the story is interesting and the combat (the little that the game has allowed me to play so far) is intriguing. That being said, the dialog makes the game feel excruciatingly slow, the school life and social connections annoyed me and, quite frankly, I just didn't have fun while playing it and I couldn't help but think that I'd rather watch the anime. I later read that a lot of people consciously think of themselves as the main character in rpgs. This is foreign to me, as I've never consciously thought of myself as the main character or creating my own story in the over 25 years that I've been gaming, including action/adventure rpgs with user-named and unvoiced characters (although I enjoy named/voiced character games much more). Am I weird? Do you all consciously view yourself as the main character in rpgs? Do you think that this would increase my enjoyment of turn-based rpgs? Sorry for the lengthy post and thanks for putting out so much great content every week.

BMJ614

Hey CDC, The mid months of games for the free games has been upping their "game" lately. This month has been great in particular. So that being said there's no need to say the games cause you have a segment made literally for that purpose. All I want is for y'all to use this message to segue way into that topic, pretty please 🙏🏾 And as always STAND DOWN from F'n that chicken 😉

Surge!

Greeting's y'all, It's been said before but it must be restated for the record on just how infectious the southern man voice has become. I was skimming through the weekly flyer for the grocery store near me when I noticed a sale on corn muffins, at which point I then began narrating to myself on the fly, "We got those corn muffins you been lookin for. Yes sir just like the good lord intended. As sweet and wholesome as a clear moon night out in them fields." Often times I make nonsensical, rambling jokes out of the blue that probably account for most of the odd looks I get in public and from my family, but this southern voice is something else. It's damn near possessive. Keep it up is all I've got to say. Heck, maybe we can even get a banjo to go along with the drum set you've got going on in the background. Incorporate it into the show.

Anonymous

Hello CDC! Last week's podcast Colin was saying he doesn't know where he got the "greetings and salutations" from, funnily enough, last week I was rewatching Seinfeld and lo and behold, the grad student that cleaned Jerry's apartment in season 2 said exactly that, maybe Colin got it from there since he watches the show constantly

Dieter Hoeller

Hi CDC Why do you think people dislike Fetch Quests so much? For me, fetch quests are the perfect side Mission. Bring something to a place I'm already heading towards to AND receive exp points? Yes please! Besides they are a clear indicator that they are side missions. Who wants to get hung up in story heavy sidequests a la Witcher 3 anyway? Stories that go on for so long that you forget the main quest. What's your opinion about fetch quests and side missions? Keep up the good work. Dieter

badlybrave

Hey CDC, Not sure if any of you have squeezed any time into FFXVI yet, but if you have, how are you feeling about the performance? I honestly expected to be more bothered by it than I am- but the quality of the game makes it feel like nothing more than a small footnote in what seems to be a stellar game.

Anonymous

Hey Guys, Final Fantasy XVI is finally upon us and the reviews are glowing, except for one thing: performance. Our go-to guru's at Digitalfoundry strongly suggest going with the very stable 30fps mode in place of what seems to be another terrible performance mode that drops to 720p even to attempt to maintain 60 (which it frequently fails to do). A story that's becoming more and more common. How do you plan on playing the game? I took DFs advice and started the game in quality mode and I am having a blast. As a follow on question, are we already at the stage in the generation where we've pushed these machines to their limits if we want smooth 60fps performance? df suggest that 30fps will become the norm much sooner rather than later and with highly ambitious titles like FFXVI or Starfield it looks like the tradeoff for ambition is high framerates. Cheers from Ireland, Philip

Kurt Lewin

Hi Sacred Men. We all know that fanboy culture is a terrible thing but from a business, objective, analytical, whatever you want to call it point of view. Do you think that Sony should be leaning more into it if they wanted to make more money? Jim Ryan made some comments regarding the Microsoft/Activision saga which stoked the fanboy fires but that was only really limited to social media. This may be a crude example but one I have seen is with soccer teams who sell merchandise which dunks on their rival team like shirt with a cartoon fan urinating on the badge of their rival team. Whilst I wouldn't expect Sony to quite go that far I could imagine some shirt which dunks on Xbox in some way, but the question would be whether its official PlayStation merchandise or not. Even in the social media space would they stand to gain anything by making digs at Microsoft rather than congratulating each other on a new game release as we have seen both companies do in the past? On a totally different note I wanted to ask Dustin if he has any interest in Park Beyond after I saw him say in Jaffe's newsletter that Roller Coaster Tycoon would be one of his Desert Island games. Cheers from the UK Kurt

Anonymous

Hello CDC I want to talk about something that many people have not touched upon, the fact that Star Wars Outlaws is a Ubisoft title, and the first major Star Wars game since EA’s exclusive rights to the franchise expired. I think the reaction to the release of the game will send a strong message to IP holders about giving exclusive rights to publishers. I can’t wait to see Disney realize what they have missed out upon with the exclusive deal and it still blows my mind they made it in the first place. With Indiana Jones being exclusive to Xbox, I wonder how these sorts of deals will turn out in the future. What are your thoughts? Cheers from Paris Alex

Anonymous

Howdy Boys, 2023 is shaping up to be one of the best years in gaming. Simple question; what's your current "best year for games" 2008 must be a contender: Super Mario Galaxy, MGS4, Modern Warfare, Fallout 3, LittleBigPlanet, GTAIV, Gears of War 2, Left4Dead, Wii Fit, Fable 2. Have a good day, and see you in London.

Jonathon Haeffele

Hey CDC, My wife and I have been closely following the news of the missing Titanic submersible and she was shocked that after all this news I told her I'd still visit the wreck in a heartbeat. As someone who has been weirdly obsessed with Titanic since Kindergarten, 1996, I would jump at opportunity despite the risk of implosion or being stuck at the bottom of the ocean in complete darkness and frigid temperatures until your oxygen supply runs out. My question is, do any of you have something you'd like to do even though it is extremely dangerous?

Evan

Sal-YOU-tations CDC, Colin, you mentioned that you’re in a good position with upcoming games like Spider-Man 2 because you’ve waited to replay the first game just before the sequel's release. You suggested that others should have done the same. I'm a bit puzzled by this logic. Personally, I would risk burn-out if I played similar games like Breath of the Wild or Spider-Man back-to-back, given the maps and general gameplay feel and loop are so similar. Everyone has their own preferences, of course, but can you see the other side of the argument where this strategy might have drawbacks?

Joe Hammonds

Hey fellas, One of my favorite tabletop games, Gloomhaven, is finally getting a console release on September 18. Are any of you interested in picking it up? I feel like the unique tactics gameplay and branching narrative might be a draw for Colin, but the trophy list will likely be a turnoff. What are your thoughts?

Clara Martin

Greetings, Gamer Triumvirate! There's been talk and consternation regarding games releasing early at a higher cost, while game journalists seem to miss reporting on poor launch performance. Here's my question: Could Starfield's Premium Edition, with its 5-day early access, actually provide a valuable opportunity for the public to get more genuine feedback on performance? Considering concerns about locked 30fps, is this early launch a potential advantage for unbiased performance reviews? Keep up the awesome content!

Levelupbrady

Colin, You briefly mentioned Stellaris on a recent show, a game that shares similarities with Civilization but is supposedly easier to dive into (in my opinion). As someone who appreciates space-related topics, I'm wondering if it's a game you might consider trying someday. With the forthcoming events involving aliens, I highly recommend giving it a try as a means of preparation. If you're starting to grow weary of that chicken, I suggest giving "The Stranger" a shot. It might provide a refreshing change of pace. ChatGPT

Anonymous

Hey gang, I was recently playing the latest episode of SS via my car speakers on a vacation drive with my wife. She kept to herself most of the trip until the three of you started joking about “ripping a fat piss” In what I can only describe as disappointment, and without even turning her head she uttered “These are your heroes huh?” Thank you

GhostRade

Hey Sacred Fellas, I hear you guys question whether or not people are willing to re-install a game months after launch to play expansions, so I thought I’d ask a group about how often they were willing to play expansions that released months after they deleted a game. It was a small group of about twelve people but I think they had somewhat interesting answers. Everyone in the group bought Cyberpunk 2077 at launch, and are all reinstalling and/or replaying to prepare for Phantom Liberty, even the few who didn’t like the game, as they’re curious about the overhauls coming with it. Three are even buying current gen consoles for it as they played on PS4/Xbox One. Along with that, three of them bought Control on launch and two of three reinstalled to play the AWE expansion a year later. Seven played Fallout New Vegas, five of them played all of the expansions as they released. Four played Gears 5, two reinstalled it to play the Hivebusters expansion a year later. And most curiously, six had played Borderlands The Handsome Collection on launch in 2015, four of them reinstalled it in 2019 order to play the final expansion. One bought The Handsome Collection to play it, as he played Borderlands 2 on PS3 in 2012, where the expansion wasn’t available. Hopefully this data gave you guys something of interest, I was surprised by some of the answers myself. Apologies for the long write-in and have a nice day.

Anonymous

Hey Sacred Symbols crew, With the majority of the announcement season behind us, and rumors of a future PlayStation showcase this fall, I wanted to ask what do you all personally think could be the huge reveal? With so many first party studios rumored to be working on things but very little of it officially confirmed, what could Sony do to build up that excitement to take over the Twitter threads? I personally want to see what the supposed space themed new IP from Santa Monica. That studio stepping away from God of War to make a new IP has me really excited to see what it is. What do you fat pissing experts have to say? Bluepoint’s new IP blowing the doors off the place? Bend showing up with something shocking? What say you? Thanks for the best podcast I look forward too every week. Thanks, James from Colorado

Rickygreen33

Hey Sacred Gents, Colin in a recent episode mentioned Banishers the new game from Dontnod entertainment, and it looks great and has my interest so far. Having myself getting the platinum in Remember Me and Vampyr both games are definitely worth a play and from the same studio. To my inquiry, Do any of you have plans to check out Vampyr? The game now runs at 1440x60fps on ps5 and the story and dialogue choices and decisions are great.

Anonymous

Boys, I need to correct the record on something important here: the games media keep regurgitating that Game Pass is profitable, but this misunderstanding actually derives from a comment made by Phill Spencer some time ago, when he stated that GP was *sustainable*. What he meant was that Microsoft can easily *sustain* Game Pass by pouring in money onto the service until it eventually turns a profit and breaks even down the road. Corporate lingo 101. Keep up the great work.

Stefan Catinella

Hey Sacred Crew, I'm not one to generally care about numbered scores for games on Metacritic, but Eurogamer dragging down the score of Final Fantasy XVI over identity politics seems really unfair. Do you think it will effect the bonuses of the team at Square?

Chuck Rude

Hey Gents, There’s been a lot of talk about the lack of release dates from the Sony Showcase. I was wondering if you think this is a new strategy from Sony, to not put out a release date until they know it’ll be ready to prevent delays. Maybe they realize the fan base is catching on to everything being delayed and want to look like the smooth professionals of game development. Have a good day and thanks for the great content!

Tanner Lange

Hey CDC, this ones mainly for Chris and Dustin. With the announcement of the new 2D Mario game, Super Mario Wonder coming out October 20th, same day as Spiderman 2, which game will you be playing first? I don't have any idea which one I'm playing first. And Colin will you play Super Mario RPG remake?