There's no doubt that the console games space at large is predicated on some shaky economics, and recent layoffs are just the beginning of what will likely be a substantial purging of talent from the ranks of teams around the world. Late last year, we caught wind (via the Insomniac leaks) that Sony was planning layoffs, and would close one of its teams, too. This turned out to be true: 8% of PlayStation's workforce has been released, London Studio is no more, and multiple games have been cancelled, including a Twisted Metal project. Will these drastic moves help buttress the PlayStation brand's ever-narrowing profit margin, and allow the world-class brand to operate from a point of renewed strength? Or is the pain only beginning? Plus: Neil Druckmann may be burning out, footage of a never-released LittleBigPlanet product emerges on the net, cheaters begin ruining Helldivers 2, and more. At the end of our show, we field audience questions, as usual. Where do we fall on the recently-brewing localization fiasco surrounding games like Unicorn Overlord? How come Stellar Blade got such trouble for its fanservice while Final Fantasy VII Rebirth's blatant fanservice is celebrated? Should everyone be a little nicer to Geoff Keighley? Has Dustin's opinions on Aldi changed one listener's life forever?Start the Good Habit at <a href="https://tryfum.com/sacred">https://www.tryfum.com/SACRED </a>to save 10% off the Journey Pack today.Start building credit at <a href="https://www.chime.com/apply-debit/?ad=podcast_sacred">https://www.chime.com/sacred</a>Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement.0:00:00 - Intro0:24:24 - RIP Richard Lewis0:31:03 - Annals of manifested wishes0:34:39 - Laxative-gate0:39:55 - First apartment advice0:45:09 - Aldi is awesome0:54:01 - Potential baby names0:55:05 - Best Podcast award1:00:18 - Peloton LSM crew1:02:13 - FFVII Rebirth discs are messed up in Asia1:06:42 - Helldivers 2 cheaters1:12:18 - LittleBigPlanet Hub leaks1:14:55 - Remedy regains control of Control1:20:39 - Supermassive Games layoffs1:21:46 - NCAA Football is offering $600 to players1:25:09 - What Are We Playing?2:00:39 - Sony layoffs3:22:41 - EA layoffs3:31:36 - Neil Druckmann says he only has a few games left in him3:41:00 - January 2024 Game Sales3:43:44 - March PS+ Games3:45:03 - Localization issues3:55:17 - Stop attacking Geoff Keighley3:58:39 - Proportional hypocrisy4:02:18 - Multiple playthrough trophies4:04:24 - Bloodborne leak woes4:07:56 - Two-path system Learn more about your ad choices. Visit <a href="https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices">podcastchoices.com/adchoices</a>

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#296 | A Smooth Operator, Operating Correctly

Sacred Symbols: A PlayStation Podcast