#303 | The Unified Field Theory

For better or for worse, modern console manufacturers like Sony and Microsoft -- and even Nintendo -- are slowly learning that sustained success in the mid-to-long-term will require a wider view. Whether via mobile, or PC, or even your competitors' own machines, a certain message is getting through to the powers-that-be, and when it comes to Sony, the Japanese giant seems committed to opening a second front on home computers in particular. Thus comes word of a new PlayStation overlay that will launch with Ghost of Tsushima on PC this May, another step in a direction towards an inevitable conclusion. Other news this week includes so-called "transmog" drama in Helldivers 2, pending layoffs at publisher Take Two, compelling rumors of remakes for the original Persona game and its sequel, additional PS5 Pro details, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Do we track our gaming backlogs? Does Tencent's minority ownership of Stellar Blade developer Shift Up give us pause? How far back in time could you go before you could -- in no way, shape, or form -- explain what a video game was? Can British people ever overcome their insane shared vocabulary? Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. Timestamps: 0:00:00 - Intro 0:26:55 - Sacred in Antigua 0:30:12 - British Vernacular 0:36:22 - Colin's Networking Solution 0:41:10 - Chris Ray Trump 0:43:09 - Dustin's vacancy 0:55:45 - Marriage insight 0:58:05 - Chess.com 1:10:39 - Ampere Analysis 1:16:23 - No Helldivers 2 transmog 1:22:04 - Take Two layoffs 1:36:08 - Ascendant Studios furloughed 1:37:37 - Persona remakes? 1:42:16 - March top downloads 1:45:39 - Possibility Space shut down 2:01:37 - Keanu Reeves cast in Sonic 3 2:02:48 - What We’re Playing 2:37:58 - PlayStation trophies on PC 2:56:54 - New PS5 Pro leaks 3:19:02 - Have we used Backloggd? 3:26:16 - Will companies chase the success of Helldivers? 3:35:47 - How do you explain video games to the past? 3:43:32 - Shift Up and Tencent 3:48:33 - Divergent timelines and parallel universes 3:54:57 - How do our personalities play into our taste? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices