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Russia's internet crackdown hobbles small businesses
Russian dogwear entrepreneur Natalia Kukovinets has had to switch messaging apps multiple times to stay in touch with customers, one of many web-dependent businesses struggling with the Kremlin's widening internet crackdown.
Russia's internet crackdown hobbles small businesses
Russian dogwear entrepreneur Natalia Kukovinets has had to switch messaging apps multiple times to stay in touch with customers, one of many web-dependent businesses struggling with the Kremlin's wide...
Nintendo Plans Switch 2 Price Increase as Outlook Disappoints
Nintendo Co. said it will increase the price of its Switch 2 console to $500 from $450, acknowledging pressure on profitability of its flagship device heading into its second year on the market.
Nintendo announces Switch 2 price increase, going into effect worldwide
Nintendo is increasing the price of Switch 2 worldwide, the company has announced. In the U.S. and Canada, the system is going up by $50. Europe will essentially see the console rise by €30. Over in Japan, Nintendo Switch 2 will increase by 10,000 yen, and there’ll be increases for Switch 1 there as well. The dates for the Nintendo...
Resident Evil Requiem Update Adds New Minigame Mode 'Leon Must Die Forever'
Try it out today on Switch 2
Resident Evil Requiem update live, adds Leon Must Die Forever mini-game
The much-discussed mini-game for Resident Evil Requiem has just been made available as part of a new update for the game, which is revealed to be Leon Must Die Forever. Nintendo Switch 2 players can access it now. The mode can be unlocked after finishing the main story. According to Capcom, it includes “the nonstop combat action that players know...
Nintendo Music "Special Release" Adds Tracks From Star Fox's Switch 2 Game
Let's rock and roll!
Star Fox 64 Remake For Switch 2 Announced, Arrives Next Month
Our initial reaction to the surprise reveal.
STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT launches August 20 for PS5, Xbox Series, Switch 2, PS4, Switch, and PC
Science Adventure series visual novel reboot STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT will launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, Switch 2, PlayStation 4, Switch, and PC via Steam on August 20 in Japan, MAGES. announce…
Star Fox Nintendo Switch 2 boxart, price revealed, official announcement
We have more on the just-announced Switch 2 remake of Star Fox, including the boxart, price, and official announcement from Nintendo. The game’s packaging image is attached below. As for the price, it looks like this one will be on the cheaper side for a Nintendo Switch 2 title. We should have official U.S. pricing very shortly, but in Japan,...
A remake of Star Fox 64 is coming to Switch 2 this June
New visuals, new features, and new cutscenes: 30 years later, Star Fox is back with a bang.
Nintendo announces a new Star Fox for the Switch 2
The company revealed the game during a surprise Direct presentation.
Google Says Pixel Phones Won't Get Apple's Liquid Glass Design
The Android operating system for Pixel smartphones is not going to take design cues from Apple and adopt a Liquid Glass aesthetic, Google Android president Sameer Samat said recently (via 9to5Google). In response to a social media mockup of an Android device with a Liquid Glass design, Samat said, "Not happening! Y'all are wild". The mockup was in response to a teaser video for The Android Show: I/O, which depicted the Android mascot pulling a light switch and turning translucent.
Scientists program materials just by spinning them
There is something universally appealing about the slap bracelet, and the way a simple tap causes it to switch between a straight shape and a curled one. What you probably didn't know is that a slap bracelet's ...
BioShock, game prices, GTA, the disappearing NFL deal and more: An interview with Take Two CEO Strauss Zelnick
In 20 years of covering the video game beat, I’d probably not spoken more than 20 words with Take Two chairman Strauss Zelnick, who’s been running the company behind NBA 2K, Grand Theft Auto, BioShock and Red Dead Redemption for, you guessed it, nearly 20 years. Last week, though, ahead of a panel I was hosting at the iicon event in Las Vegas, I had about 20 minutes to interview Zelnick. I could ask one question for each year, I joked, as we settled into our seats on opposite sides of a conference table. Take Two’s longtime head of corporate communications, Alan Lewis, was seated at Zelnick’s side. I didn’t quite conduct our chat that way, but we wound up going through a lot, including… The state of BioShock The ramifications of the rising costs of game development The fate of Take Two’s recent multi-game deal with the NFL Some hints about Take Two’s mobile plans Whether Zelnick’s answer to me about Civ VII was a good one The do’s and don’t’s of NBA 2K microtransactions Take Two’s take on the Switch 2 Oh, and GTA VI (Spoiler: if Zelnick had spilled the beans on the price of the game or a release date for a PC version or whether there will be a polka radio station, that would have been this article’s headline). Before all of that, I would learn what it’s like to interview Strauss Zelnick, who is confident, calm and focused on delivering precise answers. To wit, I thought I’d start our chat with something fun, a bit insidery but maybe safe for him to share. The team at Take Two’s Rockstar label delays their games a lot, I noted. Of course, those delays, however painful, tend to be worth it. So, I was wondering how Zelnick finds out about them. Take the most recent postponement back in November 2025, when Rockstar said that GTA VI would not hit its May 26, 2026 release date (just 20 days from now!) and would instead come out on November 19, 2026. Was that news delivered via a call? An email? How does it work? “I work super closely with my team,” Zelnick said. “It's a very thin team at Take Two. The entire senior management team is six executives who sit in one hallway and share two assistants. And then, basically, there are two people who head up each of our labels.” They meet weekly to discuss their business, he said. So no one emails him about a delay? Nothing like that? Zelnick craned his neck to look at my left hand. He asked if I was married. I am, I said. “Does your partner email you to give you information?” he asked. Fair enough. I didn’t get the sense Zelnick was going to read me the minutes of the management meeting where the GTA VI delay was discussed. Slight pivot, maybe I could get some personality insights about one of the most successful gaming execs of the last 20 years, before getting to my big list of questions about specific Take Two games, franchises and policies. I asked: How do you deal with delay news like that? Go for a run? Meditate? “I tend to default to being very calm,” he said. “I’m not a person who freaks out easily.” He noted that he has a daughter with special needs due to an illness, and he shared that that situation had gotten him worked up. It was a personal, family emergency. “But, you know, business is not that,” he said. “I have no trouble distinguishing between, like, a business challenge and an emergency.” He turned to his left to ask Lewis, his colleague of 17 years, a question. “Have you ever seen me freak out?” “Never,” Lewis replied. “You’ve seen me upset,” Zelnick told Lewis. “Have you seen me raise my voice? Maybe how many times? Be honest, because we might as well be.”
Mina The Hollower Finally Lands On Switch 1 & 2 In Just A Few Weeks
Squeaking into that Spring window
The World Is In Such A Mess, Investors Actually Want Nintendo To Raise The Price Of The Switch 2
But then others are worrying about that too!
Nintendo Under Pressure to Raise Switch 2 Console Price, as Hardware Currently Sold at a Loss
Nintendo is reportedly facing pressure to raise the price of Switch 2 consoles, as costs rise and its share price continues to fall.
Star Fox Remakes Star Fox 64 On Switch 2 This June
Updated graphics, characters, and more bring Star Fox 64 to the modern age.
Star Fox Direct sees Fox McCloud and crew prepare for liftoff on Nintendo Switch 2 June 25 - News
All systems go! Moviegoers around the world have seen Fox McCloud take to the skies in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie – soon players can blast off with Fox and his allies on the Nintendo Switch 2 system. In today’s Nintendo Direct presentation, Ninten…
Microsoft Says Edge Password Security Vulnerability Is ‘By Design’—Is It Time To Switch To Chrome?
Microsoft Edge loads all your saved passwords, decrypted and in plaintext, into memory at startup. Google Chrome doesn’t—is it time to switch browser?
Switch 2 Reportedly Too Good a Deal, Investors Want That Fixed
Could a $50 price increase for the Switch 2 be announced soon?
The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero and The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure coming to PS5, Switch 2 this fall
NIS America will release PlayStation 5 and Switch 2 versions of Falcom-developed story RPGs The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero and The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure this fall. Each game wil…
The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero, Trails to Azure coming to Nintendo Switch 2
The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero and The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure are both to Nintendo Switch 2, NIS America and Falcom just revealed. These two titles are planned for Fall 2026. The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero and The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure previously came to Nintendo Switch. For these new releases, however,...
The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero and Trails to Azure are coming to PS5 and Switch 2 in Fall 2026
Both Crossbell games will support up to 4K 120fps on PS5 and Switch 2 from NIS America.
Microsoft Says Edge Password Security Vulnerability Is ‘By Design’—Is It Time To Switch To Chrome?
Microsoft Edge loads all your saved passwords, decrypted and in plaintext, into memory at startup. Google Chrome doesn’t—is it time to switch browser?
Sound System announced for Nintendo Switch 2, from Guitar Hero, Rock Band, and DJ Hero veterans
Echo Foundry Interactive announced that it’s making Sound System for Nintendo Switch 2, the company has announced. Launch timing for the platform will be shared later. Sound System is said to be the “next generation of music and rhythm experiences”. It’s being developed by industry veterans behind the Guitar Hero, Rock Band, and DJ Hero franchises. Learn more about the...
Nintendo Announces Switch 2 Pokémon Pokopia Bundle
Launching this June down under
Review: R-TYPE DX: Music Encore (Switch) - A Pint-Sized Port, Still Curious And Cute
The force is with you
Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso join Nigeria Democratic Congress in major political shake-up
Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso, who came third and fourth respectively in the last elections, switch parties.
Will Dybala light up the Superclasico in 2026-27?
Recent reports suggest that Paulo Dybala will switch from Roma to Boca Juniors in the summer, which means La Joya will be one of the stars to watch in the Superclasico against River Plate in 2026-27.D...
Renaud to seal summer move to Hearts
Hearts linked with young defender on loan in Northern Ireland as French midfielder moves closer to Tynecastle switch.
Evolution isn’t random. Scientists find the same genes used for 120 million years
Evolution seems to follow a script more often than expected. Researchers found that distantly related butterflies and moths have reused the same pair of genes for over 120 million years to produce strikingly similar warning colors. Rather than altering the genes themselves, evolution modifies how they’re switched on and off. This discovery hints that life may evolve in more predictable ways than previously believed.
I stopped using Google Maps on Android Auto and switched to an app that actually works
Google Maps isn't the only fish in the pond.
Round Up: The Previews Are In For 007: First Light
Arriving "later this summer" on Switch 2
Everyone loves Nintendo
Higher memory chip costs fuel fears of price rise for Switch 2 and cast shadow over console’s success
Melty Blood: Twi-Lumina Announced For Switch 1 & 2, Out "Early 2027"
"Type Lumina is back and better than ever"
Melty Blood: Twi-Lumina announced for PS5, Switch 2, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC
Publisher Aniplex and developer French-Bread have announced fighting game Melty Blood: Twi-Lumina for PlayStation 5, Switch 2, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC (Steam). It will launch in ear…
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle reveals Nintendo Switch 2 frame rate, resolution, and DLSS usage
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Nintendo Switch 2 tech specs released, and the developer promises good things for this version.
“Xbox Mode is here”: Microsoft rolls out console-style experience on Windows 11, barely meeting its own deadline
Xbox Mode launches with support for aggregated game libraries, quick switching to desktop, and reduced background tasks to improve overall gaming performance.
Trump accuses Cassidy of ‘political games’ after surgeon general nominee switch
President Trump on Thursday accused Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) of playing “political games” that ended his second surgeon general nominee’s confirmation in the Senate, comments tha…
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle gets first Nintendo Switch 2 gameplay
The first pure gameplay for the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 version of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is now available. A new 15-minute video has surfaced with the footage. It looks like the gameplay here is taken from an early portion of the title. Although we did get a trailer previously, this is our first extended, uninterrupted look at...
"It Is Just One-To-One" - MachineGames Talks Preserving 'Indiana Jones And The Great Circle' On Switch 2
"We haven't scaled back or cut content"
Animal Crossing: New Horizons 3.0.3 Patch Notes - Switch 2 And Switch Updates And Fixes
Download it now
Tales Of Eternia Remastered Switch Rating Surfaces Online
Bandai Namco isn't slowing down
Super Mario Galaxy 2 1.4.0 update out now, patch notes - includes new story in storybook
Patch notes now available for new version 1.4.0 update for Super Mario Galaxy 2 on Nintendo Switch, including new story in the storybook.
Classic PS1, PSP Tales Remaster Leaks, But It Might Be a Nintendo Switch Exclusive
It's been an Eternia
Thousands of Appalachian voters flip from Democrat to Republican, narrowing registration lead
A wave of party switching in West Virginia has reshaped voter rolls, with over 68,000 voters changing affiliation ahead of the state's 2024 primary.
Save Up To 50% On Nintendo Switch Digital Games At Amazon
More than a dozen digital Switch games are on sale at Amazon, including Metroid Dread and Bayonetta 3.
Salem CSD sports to leave Adirondack League
The Salem Central School District will be switching its athletic partnership at the end of the 2025-2026 school year. According to an announcement from the district, they will be leaving the Adiron…
This Promo Code Gets You Double the Discounts in Woot's Massive Sale on PS5, Switch, and Xbox Games and Accessories
The best deals are stackable.
Nintendo has discounted a bunch of its Switch games in new rare sale
A rare first-party Nintendo games sale has just gone live on Amazon with around a dozen of the company's titles discounted.
Ubuntu's "AI Kill Switch" Is Achieved By Removing Snaps, Initially Opt-In
Following yesterday's polarizing news of Canonical to begin shipping AI features in Ubuntu Linux over the course of the next year, Jon Seager as the VP of Engineering at Canonical has now provided some clarifications around their AI plans.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth gets a surprise demo today, complete with progression carry-over on Xbox, Switch 2 and PC
Play the first two chapters of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth now, then transfer your progress over when the full game launches in June.
The G512 X is Logitech’s most advanced and customizable gaming keyboard yet
Featuring support for both mechanical and analog switch with TMR sensors, rapid trigger tech and an 8K polling rate, the Logitech G512 X might be Logitech's fanciest and most customizable gaming keyboard to date.
Rugrats: Retro Rewind Collection Will Bring PS1, N64, & GB Favourites To Switch This May
Includes Search for Reptar, Studio Tour, and more!
Rugrats: Retro Rewind revealed for Nintendo Switch
Today, Limited Run Games pulled back on its latest project Rugrats: Retro Rewind, which is in the works for Nintendo Switch. A digital release is set for May 15, 2026 with physical versions to follow. The package includes six classic Rugrats titles featuring the iconic babies from the ’90s. There’ll also be various quality-of-life features, including screen filters, save states,...
Canva apologizes after its AI tool replaces ‘Palestine’ in designs
How does this even happen?
Thanks to GLP-1s, Obesity Experts Are Trying to Understand ‘Food Noise’
Before the rise of GLP-1s, obesity experts didn’t study the internal buzz that compels people to eat. Now that food noise is being switched off, they want to understand it.
Scientists may have found the brain’s switch for chronic pain
Deep within the brain, scientists have uncovered a hidden “switch” that may decide whether pain fades away—or lingers for months or even years. Researchers found that a small, little-known region called the caudal granular insular cortex (CGIC) acts like a command center, telling the body to keep pain signals alive long after an injury has healed. In animal studies, shutting down this pathway not only prevented chronic pain from forming but could even erase it once it had taken hold.
Eastern mythology-themed Metroidvania game Karma Exorcist announced for PS5, Xbox Series, Switch, and PC
Publisher Infini Fun and developer Cyclos have announced Karma Exorcist, an Eastern mythology-themed Metroidvania / side-scrolling action adventure game. It will be available for PlayStation 5, Xbo…
River City Saga: Journey to the West launches June 4
Roguelite action game River City Saga: Journey to the West will launch for PlayStation 5, Switch, and PC via Steam on June 4 for $19.99 / 2,970 yen, publisher Arc System Works and developer UnitePl…
New Legend of Zelda Game Reportedly Leaked Ahead of Reveal
A new Legend of Zelda game, a 2D game, specifically, for the Nintendo Switch 2 has reportedly leaked ahead of its reveal.
NateTheHate has “zero doubt” about the new Star Fox project announcement
NateTheHate has spoken a little more about the Star Fox game which he claims is coming to the Nintendo Switch 2 this June. While Nate said that Nintendo is planning to announce it this month…
Legend of Zelda Remaster Dropping On Nintendo Switch, No NSO Required
The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess is finally coming to the Nintendo Switch
"We want players to spend their time actually enjoying the content they're passionate about" – Honkai: Star Rail Developers Discuss the Future, Potential Switch 2 Port, Himeko’s Coffee, and More
Ahead of its third anniversary, we spoke to the Honkai: Star Rail development team to discuss plans for the future, a potential Trails collaboration, Steam Deck and Switch 2 support, Himeko's coffee, and much more.
Digimon Story: Time Stranger Nintendo Switch 2 vs. Switch comparison, more frame rate and resolution details
Digimon Story: Time Stranger gets more details on Nintendo Switch 2 and Switch frame rate and resolution, plus here's a comparison.
Final Fantasy XIV Online For Switch 2 Able To Reach "30fps In A Stable State"
But "certain areas" may experience frame rate drops
FF14 on Switch 2 has some framerate issues, but "you don't have to be concerned," says Yoshi-P
"We are striving to get the best performance."
NateTheHate on Star Fox: “I have no update to share, the intent was to reveal this month”
Leaker Nate The Hate previously revealed that Nintendo has been hard at work on a remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and a new Star Fox game which he said was planned to be announced this…
Final Fantasy 14 is coming to Nintendo Switch 2 in August – but there's a catch
Final Fantasy 14 is coming to Nintendo Switch 2 in August.
FuRyu announces roguelike action game CRYMELIGHT for PS5, Switch 2, and PC
FuRyu has announced roguelike action game CRYMELIGHT, the next entry in its “dark bishoujou action” CRY series. It will launch for PlayStation 5, Switch 2, and PC via Steam on November …
NC Rep. Carla Cunningham switches party affiliation after losing March primary
Cunningham joins Tricia Cotham as the second Mecklenburg County legislator to switch her party affiliation in recent years.
Final Fantasy XIV Is Coming to Nintendo Switch 2 in August With a Separate Subscription
Square Enix has announced plans to bring Final Fantasy XIV to Nintendo Switch 2 this August – but there is a catch.
It's Happening: Final Fantasy XIV Is Coming To Switch 2 This August
Players will require a separate subscription from other platforms
Final Fantasy 14 coming to Nintendo Switch 2
Square Enix is bringing Final Fantasy 14 to Nintendo Switch 2, Square Enix just announced. The game will be available this August. A short early access period of about a month is planned. The cost during this time will be entirely free. The Switch 2 version will require a separate subscription from other versions, following discussions with Nintendo. However, a...
Disgaea Mayhem launches July 23 in the west
Action RPG Disgaea Mayhem will launch for PlayStation 5, Switch 2, Switch, and PC via Steam on July 23 in the west, publisher NIS America announced.
SQUARE ENIX ANNOUNCES <em>EVERCOLD—</em><br /> LATEST <em>FINAL FANTASY XIV </em>EXPANSION SET FOR<br /> JANUARY 2027
EVANGELION Crossover Alliance Raid and Nintendo Switch 2 Version Revealed; Shadowbringers Expansion Added to Free Trial and More
Final Fantasy XIV Is Coming To Nintendo Switch 2, But There's A Terrible And Expensive Catch
Not the way I envisioned my Warrior of Light on the go...
"It ended up being pretty much co-development" - how 80s anime, a legendary Gundam director and It Takes Two talent combined for the Switch 2's next hit Orbitals
An extensive hands-on preview, studio visit and series of interviews on the hugely anticipated co-op Switch 2 exclusive, Orbitals.
Annapurna Reveals Even More Switch 2 Games, Including A Cosy Critical Darling
All in on Switch 2
Possessor(s) coming to Switch 2 on April 29
Publisher Devolver Digital and developer Heart Machine will release side-scrolling action adventure game Possessor(s) for Switch 2 on April 29, the companies announced.
Preorders Are Live for the Switch 2-Exclusive Splatoon Raiders and Its Three Accompanying Amiibo Figures
Everything you need to know to preorder Splatoon Raiders for Nintendo Switch 2, including pricing, release date, and where to find the accompanying amiibo figures.
Sayonara Wild Hearts, Lorelei and the Laser Eyes Nintendo Switch 2 Editions have just released
Two more Nintendo Switch 2 Editions have just dropped with Annapurna releasing new versions of Sayonara Wild Hearts and Lorelei and the Laser Eyes. Right now we’re only seeing it in Japan, but it should be rolling out in other regions over the next day. Sayonara Wild Hearts now includes a Remix Arcade mode in which players are tasked with aiming...
Mar 2026 USA Sales: Pokémon-Powered Switch 2 Finally Beats 5-Year-Old PS5
A wild Pokopia appears
Gamers sue Nintendo over tariff refunds, saying consumers should get the money back
Two gamers have filed a class action lawsuit against Nintendo, alleging that the company will be unjustly enriching itself with any refund it secures from the U.S. government over widespread tariffs last year that, among other things, hiked the prices of Nintendo hardware and accessories. “Unless restrained by this Court, Nintendo stands to recover the same tariff payments twice—once from consumers through higher prices and again from the federal government through tariff refunds, including interest paid by the government on those funds,” the suit states. Nintendo sued the U.S. government to secure a tariff refund in March, after the Supreme Court struck down the tariffs a month prior, saying they were illegally implemented by President Donald Trump.. The gamers who have sued, California-based Gregory Hoffert and Washington-based Prashant Sharan, both say they purchased Nintendo goods that had increased in price due to tariffs, according to the complaint. They filed their suit in the Western District court of Nintendo of America’s home state of Washington and are seeking class action status to represent all people in the U.S. who purchased price-hiked Nintendo goods between February 1, 2025 and February 24, 2026. They allege that Nintendo’s recovery of any tariff refunds would constitute unjust enrichment and violate Washington state consumer protection law. Similar class action lawsuits pressing companies to pass on tariff refunds have been previously filed against FedEx, UPS and eyeglass importer EssilorLuxottica. The tariffs were announced in early April, and by mid-month, Nintendo had announced $5 price increases for controllers for the then-forthcoming Switch 2. In August, it raised the price of the original Switch. In their suit, the gamers cite comments from Nintendo executives connecting the tariffs to price increases. In May 2025, a month after the tariffs were imposed, Nintendo CEO Shuntaro Furukawa told investors “Our basic policy is that for any country or region, if tariffs are imposed, we recognize them as a part of the cost and incorporate them into the price.” Nintendo’s March lawsuit, along with tariff-recovery suits from hundreds of other companies was immediately put on hold pending the implementation of a refund system. The U.S. government announced the beginning of the refund process earlier this week. Companies could receive as much as $160 billion, per CNBC. In March 2026, after Nintendo filed its lawsuit to recover the cost of the tariffs, I asked the company if they planned to pass their refund on to customers who’d paid increased prices. The company’s response acknowledged the existence of the lawsuit but avoided answering that question: “We can confirm that we filed a request. We have nothing else to share on this topic.” Even a promise to consumers may not have spared Nintendo this week’s lawsuit. FedEx previously promised to pass its tariff refunds on to consumers. They’ve been sued over them anyway.
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book gets first gameplay on Nintendo Switch 2
Check out the first actual gameplay of Yoshi and the Mysterious Book on Nintendo Switch 2.
Rumor: Street Fighter 6 Year 4 DLC characters leak, includes big crossover
A leaker with a reliable track record has allegedly leaked DLC characters for Street Fighter 6 Year 4, which includes a big crossover.
As ‘Marathon’ Goes On Sale, Is A Free-To-Play Switch In The Cards?
Marathon needs to stop losing players, so is going free-to-play a way to do that? It's complicated, given the situation.
Splatoon Raiders gets summer Switch 2 release date, as well as a Deep Cut amiibo to add to your collection
Nintendo has announced a release date for its single-player focused action shooter, Splatoon Raiders.
Shaky political science: using "simulated" elections over real-world elections
[Dear DSOS readers – this article is the latest in our “Shaky Political Science” series. In our 38 page report, “Shaky political ‘science’ misses mark on ranked choice voting,” released in early December, we examined over 40 studies focused on ranked choice voting. We found that many of these studies suffered from puzzling research methodologies, poorly constructed surveys, unrealistic simulated elections, cherry picked data, and faulty analyses that often were contradicted by results from real-world elections (a link to our full paper is here). Here are links to the first three articles in our series: the first one summarizing the overall results of our report, the second one analyzing a study co-authored by University of Minnesota academic Larry Jacobs, which was one of the most error-prone of all the research we reviewed in our report, and a third article showing an admirable example of two political scientists holding two other political scientists accountable for their flawed, sloppy research]. In this fourth article in our “Shaky Political Science” series, we shine a spotlight on seven studies that were web-hosted and funded by New America’s Political Reform Program and its Electoral Reform Research Group (the ERRG is an ad hoc committee headed by New America’s Political Reform Program and joined by the American Enterprise Institute, the Unite America Institute and Stanford University’s Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law). This research consortium has been led by Lee Drutman, senior fellow with New America’s Political Reform Program. These seven studies are simply not credible from any objective standard about how political “science” is supposed to illuminate our understanding of either ranked choice voting or politics in general. The feature that six of these seven studies have in common is that they all used surveys – artificial, simulated elections -- to attempt to say something cogent or interesting about ranked choice voting (RCV) elections. None of them used real world data from actual RCV elections – either the 1000+ elections in the US or the many thousands of elections from places like Australia, Ireland and elsewhere where RCV has been used for 100 years. While a few of these studies conclude with some mixed positives about RCV, our analysis here is content neutral. The idea that, with a political reform like RCV, you can ask respondents in a mock, artificial election to vote with that method, with only the barest of explanation about how RCV works or its likely impacts (i.e. no spoiler candidates, majority winners, voters liberated to pick their favorite candidates, coalition-building), and then ask them their thoughts/reactions about voting in that system, with fake candidates and no real campaigning, no real exposure to an actual election or actual candidates, rests on some very puzzling assumptions. The findings of these seven studies actually are contradicted by the findings from many other studies based on real-world RCV elections. These New America studies also failed to list the real-world RCV studies in their own citations, instead including those studies that reinforced their conclusions. The seven studies featured in this article were chosen because they form a cohesive cohort which precisely illustrates one of the main points of our research paper, namely that using surveys, i.e. artificial elections, or mathematical/theoretical models, instead of real-world data, is in fact “shaky political science.” Below are summaries of our analysis of five of the seven New America studies. You can read our complete analysis of all seven studies at our paper, “Shaky political ‘science’ misses mark on ranked choice voting.” Choosing to “Vote As Usual” by Andre Blais, Carolina Plescia, and Semra Sevi. New America. (Blais et al., 2021). This study, web-hosted and funded by New America’s Political Reform Program and its Electoral Reform Research Group, used two surveys in which respondents completed ballots for simulated elections using plurality, approval, RCV and point (Score) voting. In both cases the authors provided the respondents with only minimal explanation of each method. For example, the entire explanation for RCV was “For this vote, rank the candidates from your first to your last choice (you do not need to rank them all). This is called the ranked vote.” That’s it. The study did not provide any context or explanation to survey respondents about why she/he might want to rank multiple candidates. Participants were not even told that ballots would be tabulated using an “instant” runoff, not to mention any description of RCVs ability to eliminate the spoiler effect or liberate voters to rank their favorite candidates without fear of helping the “greater evil” candidate to win. That’s like taking an iPhone back in time to 1970 and asking someone if they like it better than their rotary phone without explaining how it works. Their first survey targeted states that held 2020 Super Tuesday Democratic primaries and used the real candidates’ names in the survey; the second survey used fictitious candidates. In other words, they surveyed respondents who had only ever participated in plurality elections, had no history or background with using RCV or any of the other methods, had no clue about its likely impacts, and did not communicate how the alternative methods would be counted, and then asked them: “How satisfied are you with using each system?” Predictably, the winner was plurality elections, the system used for president, Congress, gubernatorial and state legislative elections – in other words, the method they have been using, year after year, all their voting lives. With so little explanation of RCV and its impacts, this study is simply not credible in discovering anything useful about real-world RCV elections. It merely shows that a basic voter education campaign is needed when adopting a new election system. Additionally, the result contradicts many other post-election surveys following real RCV elections, asking opinions from voters who had just participated in a RCV election, that showed a great deal of satisfaction with RCV (see details on that in Studies 22-25 in our paper, as well as the four studies cited in the review for Study 28). Share Other studies on “satisfaction” and “understanding” make similar mistakes, in terms of basing their surveys on inadequate explanation to respondents and lack of education about context. How could any survey ever hope to measure accurately, in essence simulate a real-world election, without actual campaigning candidates, the media writing about those candidates, organizations endorsing candidates and voters being inundated with crucial information? More than anything, what these “studies” based on surveys show is that if you ask voters about something they don’t know very much about, and fail to adequately educate them, their responses will unsurprisingly reflect their confusion. Equally puzzling is that New America’s Electoral Reform Research Group, headed by political scientist Lee Drutman, found this to be a credible enough study that they not only published it but highlighted it in Drutman’s own discussion of research related to ranked choice voting. This pattern was repeated in study after study featured by New America’s Electoral Reform Research Group. For example in Ranked-Choice Voting and Political Expression: Voter Guides Narrow the Gap between Informed and Uninformed Citizens by Cheryl Boudreau, Jonathan Colner, and Scott MacKenzie, the researchers based their analysis on a survey which found that respondents who were asked to vote in a simulated RCV election, with minimal explanation of RCV or how it works, displayed less evidence of being informed about how to use RCV effectively, with the least informed voters ranking fewer candidates. As pointed out under the study above, in a real election voters are informed by a wide variety of methods, including public education by the election administration, by interested political groups, the media, and the candidates themselves who benefit from voters being aware of how to vote in the new system. In Support for Ranked-Choice Voting across Race and Partisanship by Joseph Anthony, David C. Kimball, Jack Santucci and Jamil Scott, the researchers used respondents from different parties and races voting in simulated plurality and RCV elections, who indicated their satisfaction with each voting method. Instead of using real world election results, the authors fell back on the easy, armchair and less reliable academic research methodology of making up mock elections. As with the other studies, little explanation was given of how RCV works or what its implications might be (electing majority winners or eliminating spoilers, for example). Unsurprisingly, this study found that respondents were not very satisfied with RCV. However, when the authors added an explanation that RCV has a tendency to elect more women and people of color, they found that this greater explanation increased the preference for RCV. The more voters were familiar with it, and the more they understood potential positive impacts – surprise! -- the more they were open to switching away from the status quo. Of note, the results from this study are thoroughly contradicted by a number of other studies whose data was obtained from real RCV elections with real voters. Those studies show a great deal of satisfaction with RCV. More “fake election” research An interesting wrinkle on this “research by fake elections” approach, which only served to illustrate how unreliable such “research” can become, was taken in Ranked-Choice Voting, Runoff, and Democracy: Insights from Maine and Other U.S. States by Joseph Cerrone and Cynthia McClintock_,_ also web-hosted and funded by New America’s ERRG. It gets high marks for creativity, but an eye-roll for thinking this could possibly add anything meaningful to our understanding of real world RCV elections. This study tried to determine whether RCV, plurality or two-round runoff elections provided greater voter satisfaction and acceptance of election results. To determine that, the authors conducted a survey asking if voters were satisfied with a fictional newspaper report of an election, with three different versions given to respondents – plurality, runoff and RCV, with variations of Republican/Democrat winners and variations of “come-from-behind” winners,” i.e. candidates not initially in first place but who win the “runoff.” Again, a minimal explanation of RCV or how it works was given, and the survey showed that respondents had the greatest unfamiliarity with RCV than the other methods. The unsurprising result? Respondents were much more satisfied with “come-from-behind” victories in a traditional two-round runoff election than in RCV, even though RCV is also a runoff system but with a single round of counting. Interestingly, the dissatisfaction with RCV disappeared for those who were more familiar with RCV. In fact, among those respondents who were “very familiar” with RCV, they were equally satisfied with RCV, runoff and plurality. Surprise, surprise. Again, what this study revealed, more than anything, is not only the inadequacy of the explanation for RCV given by the authors of this study, but the failure of the research format itself, thinking that such an artificial mock election could somehow simulate what actually happens in the real world in a real RCV election. Those four studies reviewed above are fitting examples of inadequate and shaky political “science.” Other studies reviewed in our paper from the New America/Electoral Reform Research Group cohort which also used mock elections included: Ranked-Choice Voting is an Acquired Taste by Joseph Anthony and David C. Kimball. New America. (Anthony et al., 2021). Ranked-Choice Voting is No Refuge for Extreme Candidates by Melissa Baker. New America. (Baker, 2021). Also included in this New America cohort is Does Ranked-Choice Voting Reduce Racial Polarization? by Yuki Atsusaka and Theodore Landsman, which actually did use real-world election results data but applied an odd and unconventional methodology to the data which relied on shaky assumptions and non-real-world scenarios that were too divorced from reality. To determine levels of “racially polarized voting,” the researchers imagined “ethnic parties,” by which they mean political parties for each ethnic group, which was especially odd since the election data they were using came from nonpartisan RCV races. But then they made an even odder assumption, namely that since race and ethnic characteristics of studied voters were not available, the authors tried to infer that information based on who voters selected and the racial make-up of voters in each district. This amounted to little more than vague and ambiguous guesswork dressed up with a bunch of mathematical equations used to give it a veneer of scientific appearance. Indeed, it seemed to assume racial polarization in order to prove racial polarization. Based on this questionable methodology, the authors concluded that RCV doesn’t reduce racial polarization. But the premise of this study missed an obvious reality: since RCV incentivizes more candidates to run and can result in more diverse fields of candidates, one would expect more racially-polarized voting in voters’ top rankings, not less, because more voters would have someone on that ballot who represents their racial or ethnic identity and more freedom to vote for their real first choice. By encouraging more diverse candidates and eliminating the spoiler effect, RCV facilitates voting for a favorite candidate of your own race and then selecting a second choice with the best likelihood of winning. The real measure is what voters do with their additional rankings – do they consider other candidates and vote “for the best of the rest”? This study didn’t tell us anything useful about that. But readily available data shows this is common in real RCV elections, and candidates act on this knowledge by engaging with voters outside their racial group. So the authors of this study failed to consider or account for what actually happens in real-world elections, and their conclusions are tainted by this failure. New America has contributed a great deal over the past 2.5 decades to our understanding of many policy areas, including politics and political reform (full disclosure: Steven Hill, one of the authors of this article and of the “Shaky Political Science” research paper and series, is a former senior fellow and former director of New America’s political reform program, 2005-2010). So it was especially disappointing that New America funded and published such a large batch of dubious studies about ranked choice voting. The stated praiseworthy goal of its Electoral Reform Research Group was to inspire new academic research about ranked choice voting that would shed light and help the public better understand the impacts of RCV. Instead, the ERRG research did just the opposite. It produced dubious research that created more confusion and misinformation. In so doing, New America’s political reform program contributed to “shaky political science.” Steven Hill and Paul Haughey Share Upgrade to $5 subscription Thanks for reading DemocracySOS, a reader-supported digital portal for the pro-democracy movement. Subscribe for only $5 per month to receive full benefits and to support our work. Subscribe
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