Sacred Symbols, Episode 274 | Jim Ryan Is Sick of Flyin' (Patreon)

PlayStation CEO Jim Ryan -- sometimes known on this show as Cryin' Jim for whatever reason  -- is officially retiring from Sony next spring. Why? The demand of incessant travel, which is wearing him awfully thin after all these years (he's expected to be on three continents each and every month, an absurdity). He's been with the company since before the original PlayStation launched in '94, and his business and marketing acumen saw him rise the ranks of Sony's gaming outfit, first in Europe and then globally. A far cry in presentation from other notable personalities from within his ranks like Jack Tretton, Shuhei Yoshida, or even Shawn Layden, Ryan's more austere approach was undeniably sterile. But the results of his tenure also speak for themselves. He leaves PlayStation in an even more dominant position than he found it when he ascended to the CEO position in 2019 -- PS5's success throughout the pandemic in particular is already the stuff of industry legend -- and naturally, we have a lot to say about what the future holds following his exit. Plus: News about the recent Sony hack, Helldivers II's price, layoffs at Epic and SEGA, Far Cry 7 details, Capcom's stance on game pricing, trouble in the world of collectibles, and much more. Then: Listener inquiries. Is reaction fodder the lowest form of content imaginable? How do we feel about product placement in games? Will review bombing ever be mitigated? When can we expect Chris to join OnlyFans (and for how much)?

Timestamps:

0:00:00 - Intro

0:12:20 - At what point is getting clipped too egregious?

0:16:30 - Is Dustin a favorite?

0:17:42 - I’ll take my answer off the air

0:20:50 - Will Chris start a feet OF?

0:32:33 - When is it okay to put up Christmas decorations?

0:44:37 - Should I complain about the rooster?

0:50:50 - Buy a PS5, get a free game

0:52:27 - You can rate games on PSN now

0:53:13 - The FTC will sue Microsoft again

0:53:52 - Was Sony hacked?

1:00:08 - Helldivers II will cost $40

1:08:55 - Epic has laid off 16% of its workforce

1:13:34 - SEGA and Creative Assembly have canceled Hyenas

1:21:20 - Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden has been delayed

1:30:26 - Far Cry 7 story details have leaked

1:35:55 - Cities Skylines II has been delayed on PS5

1:36:37 - EA’s FIFA series’ back catalog has disappeared

1:37:25 - Sekiro has surpassed 10 million units sold

1:40:29 - SAG-AFTRA votes to authorize gaming industry strike

1:41:12 - What have we been playing?

1:55:30 - Jim Ryan is retiring

2:41:32 - Horizon Complete Edition is coming

2:46:34 - Gaming Heads has had its PS license revoked

2:56:00 - Hideki Kamiya is leaving Platinum

3:03:10 - More developers are saying games are too cheap

3:36:51 - PS+ Essential games have been revealed

3:42:37 - What’s up with the reaction meta?

4:02:23 - What advice can we offer to someone hoping to go into game development?

4:08:23 - What spooky games will we play in October?

4:15:15 - Why is product placement taboo?

4:19:40 - To bomb or not to bomb

4:23:40 - What do we think about real people in video games?