#383 | I Can Dodge Bullets?

An old piece of games industry lore has recently reemerged, and it has people wondering about a tantalizing what-if. Back in 1999, The Matrix hit theaters, and the co-creators of the film happened to have been huge fans of Hideo Kojima, himself a year removed from the launch of Metal Gear Solid. And, as was reported at the time, there was potential that Konami would allow Kojima to pursue a licensed Matrix game post-MGS. A lot of new information has since emerged about what did and didn't happen here, and it makes for a great conversation starter. So let's lean into it, shall we? Our conclusion: Perhaps Kojima doing MGS2 instead of a Matrix game means he likely dodged a bullet (pardon the pun). Other news this week includes some quiet updates seemingly being made to PlayStation Portal's functionality, leaks from Bluepoint's cancelled God of War game, the most recent China Hero Project title in the form of Loulan: The Cursed Sand, and more. Then: Listener inquiries! Following Freedom Wars, Patapon, and Everybody's Golf, what should Sony's and Bandai Namco's next collaborative re-release be? Do PC players have any reason to invest in the modern PlayStation ecosystem? Will the culture war consume Naughty Dog's Intergalactic? Does Colin type so fast that his keyboard smokes? Download Cash App Today: https://capl.onelink.me/vFut/ty57yree #CashAppPod. Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App’s bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. See terms and conditions at https://cash.app/legal/us/en-us/card-agreement. Discounts and promotions provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit http://cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures Please keep in mind that our timestamps are approximate, and will often be slightly off due to dynamic ad placement. 0:00:00 - Intro0:43:10 - RIP Nick Mangold0:44:13 - stand down non-traditional candy0:50:45 - Chris wills glass Snapple back0:55:36 - New York location lore0:59:19 - PS+ Premium streaming to Portal leaked1:12:23 - Bluepoint's cancelled God of War game leaks1:22:33 - Sony isn't interested in buying WB1:30:51 - Konami turned down a Kojima Matrix game1:48:20 - Loulan: The Cursed Sand is the next China Hero Project game1:58:19 - Square Enix is cracking down on Dragon Quest spoilers2:11:02 - November PS+ Games2:13:51 - What We’ve Been Playing (Ghost of Yotei, PowerWash Simulator 2, Plants vs. Zombies: Replanted, Battlefield 6, Vampire Survivors)2:41:13 - What Japan Studio game will get released by Bandai Namco?2:45:10 - Halo and the US government2:54:17 - Gaming ads on Sacred3:11:04 - Wait for PS6?3:20:24 - The console war lives in on services3:38:25 - Is Intergalactic the next target? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices