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Scientists want to quarantine alien life on the Moon before it reaches Earth
Scientists are calling for a lunar quarantine facility where samples from Mars, the Moon, and beyond would be examined before being brought to Earth. They warn that even a tiny alien microorganism could have unpredictable effects on Earth's ecosystems. By using robotic handling systems on the Moon, researchers hope to eliminate the risk of accidental exposure or release.
Here's how to turn any iPhone into a dumb phone
One of the big challenges for parents these days is that you may want to give your kids access to...
Grealish handed City lifeline as Maresca plans assessment
Jack Grealish has been handed an unexpected chance to revive his Manchester City career.New head coach Enzo Maresca wants to assess the winger during pre-season before deciding his future, TEAMtalk re...
SSM Health seeks to toss St. Mary’s nurse union election
Nurses at Madison’s St. Mary’s hospital won a union election last month. Missouri-based SSM Health, who owns the hospital, wants to throw out the results.
What’s inside the one bill Trump most desperately wants to become law
A sweeping set of national requirements for voters. An empowered DHS. What would happen if the SAVE America Act passed?
From roller rinks to laundromats, this Bywater company builds memorable marketing experiences at big events
"Audiences wanted to touch grass again and build relationships with brands in a more realistic way and not just get hammered by digital trash."
Gossip: Hull target Milinkovic-Savic
Hull City want to sign Napoli and Serbia goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic, 29, as they prepare for their Premier League return. (Corriere dello Sport - in Italian)
Famitsu's most wanted games - July 5, 2026 - Xenoblade Genesis makes first appearance, Zelda moves up
It’s time for the latest Famitsu’s most wanted games chart outlining what Japanese gamers are looking forward to based on reader votes. This is a pretty interesting week as more titles are starting to pop up from the summer showcases. As part of that, Xenoblade Genesis lands on the chart for the first time. Zelda: Ocarina of Time also just...
How to grab onto an England victory - Live Updates
Five lessons for politicians who don't want to drop the ball.
Cavs have a Bronny James plan ready for LeBron's return
Cleveland could get a package deal if this goes the way they want.
RFK Jr.’s latest overhaul aims to boost preventive care. It could get expensive.
The health secretary wants insurers to cover Alzheimer’s tests. Some in the health industry hope he’ll back routine testing for many more diseases.
Virginia Hemp Farmers And Businesses Worry About Changes Included In Newly Passed Marijuana Market Legislation
Legislators want to “change the law that they created, to clearly favor Wall Street corporations over Virginia farmers and small businesses.” By Charlotte Rene Woods, Virginia Mercury A legal cannabis market is set to take effect in Virginia next summer under the final state budget, but Mannassas-based Barbara Biddle has already given notice to her […]
Infuriating Google commercial imagines the founding fathers embracing AI
It should make Americans of every political stripe want to hurl their devices against a wall.
Mavs Should Make Bennedict Mathurin a Priority in Free Agency
The Mavericks want to build around Cooper Flagg for years to come and Bennedict Mathurin’s age and scoring ability align with that timeline.
I tried a hidden Android Auto feature Google doesn't want you to know about
Google limits what Android Auto can do, but you can sideload apps to unlock YouTube, screen mirroring, and more. Here's how it works.
The 7 Biggest Mistakes People Make In Their Wills, According To Estate Lawyers
These attorneys have seen it all, and they want you to avoid these costly legal and financial problems for your family's sake.
Want to leverage wearable tech like a World Cup athlete? Here are the metrics to track
Millions of people around the world wear smart rings and fitness trackers to keep tabs on their sleep, workouts, heart rate and even body temperature, all in the name of better understanding their health. But at the World Cup, that same technology is being pushed to an elite level.
Grassroot Institute Aims To Keep Growing Its Political Influence
Now in its 25th year, the nonprofit policy research organization wants to play a larger role in influencing state and county governance.
Newcastle slap huge price tag on Arsenal target Bruno Guimaraes
Newcastle United reportedly want a £77 million fee to sell Bruno Guimaraes, who is attracting strong interest from Arsenal. The Gunners are looking to bolster their options in central midfield, and ...
France ready for ‘war’ at World Cup after winning the ‘disgrace’ of Philadelphia
“Today we showed that whoever wants to go to war against us we’re ready to go to war as well," said one France player after winning
A child can drown in seconds. Doctors want more families to be prepared
About 4,000 to 5,000 Americans drown each year. Most are adults who die in natural bodies of water, such as lakes, ponds or oceans.
Sapp’s Diesel & Truck Center builds business on family, faith, and ‘Quality Without Compromise’
Sapps Diesel & Truck Center is not the kind of place owner Brock Sapp wants people to find only after they have been everywhere else. Located at 1955 Old Register Way in Statesboro, the family-owned truck repair shop specializes in light-duty diesel
Mass. to end contract with Biobot for wastewater surveillance
Biobot proved waste water surveillance was valuable enough that governments now want to do it themselves.
A child can drown in seconds. Doctors want more families to be prepared
Doctors and others are sounding an alarm: More U.S. children have been drowning in recent years.
A child can drown in seconds. Doctors want more families to be prepared
Doctors and others are sounding an alarm: More U.S. children have been drowning in recent years.
Greatest Sports Moments in USA History
Happy 4th of July! To celebrate America’s 250th birthday, the TOC Staff wanted to share what we felt are the most iconic sports moments in our nation’s history. We hope you enjoy our lists. And we look forward to seeing your lists in the comment section. O Basse 1. Babe Ruth calling his shot in […]
Career coach shares résumé template she recommends for AI era
Amy Perrotta, the founder of a career branding company, says an effective résumé makes a recruiter "want to pick up the phone."
Ro Khanna, the Democrat Musk wants behind bars: ‘Money has hijacked politics in the US’
The Silicon Valley congressman is leading the push to release the Epstein files and does not rule out a 2028 presidential bid. ‘They are not going to silence me,’ he warns
Tobias Harris explains decision to leave Pistons, sign with Spurs
The Detroit Pistons wanted to retain Tobias Harris in free agency, but ultimately he spurned the Pistons in favor of signing with the San Antonio Spurs on a two-year, $31 million contract. In an exchange with HoopsHype, Harris provided some insight into his decision to leave Detroit for San Antonio. “The urgency to win a championship," Harris said.
AI is reshaping tech jobs and boosting demand for versatile skills
AI is changing what employers want from tech workers, but demand remains strong, according to an analysis of 2.85 million job listings.
As Trump commands 250th stage, Democrats offer their vision of patriotism
They want to show opposition to Trump without looking like they’re unwilling to celebrate the United States.
Long Reads for the Long Weekend
(Welcome to the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a newsletter on the entertainment industry and business strategy. I write a weekly Streaming Ratings Report and a bi-weekly strategy column, along with occasional deep dives into other topics, like today’s article. Please subscribe.) Happy Fourth of July weekend! As has been a tradition of mine going back to the beginning of the EntStrategyGuy website, I’m sharing my favorite long reads of the last year, like I did in 2019, 2020, 2021, 2024, and 2025. Let’s dive right in! Subscribe “Different Prices for the Same Ride: How Uber and Lyft Use AI to Get More Money Out of You“ by Derek Kravitz in Consumer Reports I don’t think surveillance pricing, like the kind described in this brilliant Consumer Reports article, is long for the world—it’s toxically unpopular—but we’ll see if either party takes on this issue. If I ran a political party focused on affordability, I would focus on a few pro-consumer and pro-market policies: Banning non-compete agreements. Ending surveillance pricing Eliminating junk fees (read more here...) Ensuring “right to repair” for consumer (and military!) products Capping excessive app store fees Stopping digital/algorithmic price-fixing tools. Preventing automatic subscription price increases. And more. If you want to fight inflation, there are a lot of great ways to do it quickly. Speaking of higher prices... “Secret Documents Show Pepsi and Walmart Colluded to Raise Food Prices Across the Economy“ by Matt Stoller in BIG Again, I think a political party should focus on lowering prices for consumers. And deals like this—Walmart making a deal/forcing Pepsi to offer the lowest prices at its stores and nowhere else—hypothetically lower prices at Walmart...but raise them everywhere else. “15 DUIs, still driving: California’s failure to take repeat drunk drivers off the road“ by Robert Lewis and Lauren Hepler in CalMatters CalMatters does terrific reporting in California, something the Golden State desperately needs more of, and this article is a great example of that. “PugLips: The next insanely popular thing you’ve never heard of…” by Simon Carless in Game Discover Co I thought that this parody article (and yes, it’s a parody, but I was definitely unsure at first) was hilarious and totally nailed how much tech/business journalism feels these days. Actually, three of my favorite articles this year were on hype in the video game industry, including Georg Zoller’s “The Video Game Industries Very Dark Night”—which I linked to recently and wrote a follow-up here—and Owen Mahoney’s “Derek Zoolander, Videogame Exec”. In particular, I like Mahoney’s focus on user experience as a guide to what trends will actually grab hold of customers. “The Matrix Lies“ by Evan Shapiro in Media War & Peace Evan Shapiro’s first person account of his experience with AI was hilarious. I think LLMs capabilities have significantly grown from last summer, and yet...my editor/researcher just had an abysmal experience using an LLM to do a quite basic task (which our LLM normally does each week) and the LLM made a mistake on every single data entry...along with seven different mistakes affecting twelve of the twenty or so entries, including mistakes that are explicitly spelled out in the prompt. That’s a brutal failure rate. Again, if you use AI/LLM for data collection, you need to take a lot of extra steps to verify and check the data. “Ghosts in the Balcony: A Cross-Country Trip to 58 Theaters Fighting to Survive“ by Matthew Frank in The Ankler I thought Matthew Frank’s pitch to head across America to visit theaters sounded insane aggressive at the time—at least it felt that way to someone a decade older than him; man, to be in your twenties again, am I right?—but I knew the result would be great. And it was, a terrific feature by a great young writer. Also, I loved Matthew’s recent article on who’s getting the precious few entry level jobs in Hollywood. (Hint: nepotism.) “Disney erased FiveThirtyEight“ and “Did Las Vegas get too greedy?” by Nate Silver in Silver Bulletin I love media history and analysis, and there’s no one better to get the history of FiveThirtyEight than from Nate Silver, who wrote about his personal experience in one of my favorite pieces from this year. I also loved Nate’s breakdown of what’s causing Vegas’ woes, but I’ll offer one criticism, summarized as “Might I suggest antitrust?” Many centrists/center-right/libertarian thinkers (Nate is self-described as the latter) often don’t consider consolidation or antitrust as factors in policy issues like housing, America’s military readiness, or, in this case, Las Vegas. Even if libertarians want to debunk antitrust/consolidation concerns, I’d love to read that debunking. In this case, Vegas is incredibly consolidated (though it also has been for a long time) and I’d have loved to read Nate at least contending with this factor, since he addresses almost every other potential factor for Vegas’ decline. “Why Microsoft’s Carbon Removal Pullback Is Such a Big Deal“ by Robinson Meyer in Heatmap News I’m a big supporter of carbon removal efforts, but this nascent industry faces a lot of headwinds, including this big move most recently. I think it’s clear that solar panels and batteries should be able to get the world to its carbon footprint goals, but effective carbon renewal remains necessary to prevent the worst impacts of global warming. “AI is killing the cheap smartphone“ by David Oks LLMs and AI will impact the world in ways we’re not ready for, and already, third world countries are seeing the prices of cheap cellphones skyrocket due to the cost of chips skyrocketing. This article by David Oks is a terrific breakdown. “100 Days of Madness: Netflix, Paramount, Warner and the Future of Hollywood“ by Wade Major at Hollywood Heretic Wade Major dove deep into Hollywood/streaming’s financials in this must read piece. Not that I agree with everything in this article (read my take on Warner Bros./Paramount here) but the analysis is top notch. I think many people discount how quality thinking, regardless of the argument/conclusion, will make you a better thinker. “Erased by the UFC: Frank Shamrock, The MMA GOAT of the 20th Century“ by Nate Wilcox in The MMA Draw Newsletter Growing up playing the UFC fighting game on the Dreamcast, Frank Shamrock was my favorite MMA fighter, and this history/tribute to him was great. Other Fun Reads “The Hardest Part Of History To Tell Is How It Felt“ by Craig Fehrman at Defector “Unmasking the Sea Star Killer“ by Craig Welch at bioGraphic “What Could Save the Industry? Fin-Syn“ by Richard Rushfield in The Ankler Alex Rollins Berg in Underexposed on movie bumpers, pillow shots, Disney trash cinema, cult films, and Casablanca. David H. Montgomery in YouGov’s The Surveyor on punctuation marks, condiments, dinosaurs, and comic strips and kids media. “How Medium finally pivoted its way to profitability“ and “Why the best journalists on YouTube are all former Vox employees“ by Simon Owens in Simon Owens’s Media Newsletter “It’s Not Just You, Netflix Shows Have Gotten Slightly Shorter: Here’s What the Data Says“ by Kasey Moore at What’s on Netflix “Numlock Awards: How Diane Warren became the biggest loser in Oscar history“ by Nathaniel Rakich and “Numlock Awards: The Oscar Bait era is over. The Oscar Chum era is here.” by Walt Hickey & Michael Domanico at Numlock Awards
Diarrhea-causing parasite that can contaminate raw produce causing misery across several states
This 4th of July weekend, you may want to give those raw berries or green salad the side-eye.
Anthropic Wants to Make Its Own Drugs With Help from Claude
The AI company is launching preclinical drug programs for overlooked diseases.
Anthropic wants to develop its own drugs
The AI drug boom has a long way to go before reaching patients.
Browns player dodges question Steelers fans want answered
A Cleveland Browns defender shut down the question Pittsburgh Steelers fans want answered most.
As Trump commands 250th stage, Democrats offer their vision of patriotism
Partisanship around the country’s big anniversary has put Democrats in a bind: They want to criticize the president without appearing unpatriotic.
Is the World Cup is helping small businesses in Miami? Fans know what they want
The global soccer tournament is leading to big bucks for Miami businesses.
Trump got the Senate candidates he wanted. How much will he spend to help them?
President Donald Trump has reshaped the U.S. Senate map by sidelining some Republican incumbents and promoting loyalists
Valve shares official 3D print files to let users build their own Steam Machine e-ink faceplate
The e-ink faceplate was first shown off alongside the Steam hardware announcement last year, and Valve has now shared the files and instructions for those who want to make one on their own.
Trump's attack on trains taught me a lot about Americans
And spoke with those who want to invoke the 25th Amendment.
Tucker Carlson floats idea of new political party in the US in interview
Former Fox News host further said he doesn’t ‘want to be a candidate’ for president and aired frustration with Trump
'You want to put your health over money': Landscapers pause work during extreme heat
Extreme Heat Safety: Local landscaping company takes day off to protect workers
If Your Business Can't Pass This 3-Question Test, Your Customers Probably Feel Scammed
Are you creating value people knowingly want to pay for, or are you just good at collecting money people didn't intend to spend?
Current Political Problems for Science Call for More than a Political Response
“In the end, more than they wanted freedom, they wanted security and they wanted a comfortable life. And they lost it all – security, comfort and freedom. The Athenians finally wanted not to give to…
Top ‘Suicide Squad’ Developers Say the Flop Made Them Not Want to Make Games Anymore
The director and top designer of Rocksteady’s failed game open up about their experiences
Sports Help Shape Young Lives. Trans Kids Deserve That Chance.
By Lambda Legal Senior Content Manager Lake Geslani When Becky Pepper-Jackson laced up her running shoes, she wasn’t thinking about court cases or political debates. Like countless young athletes across the country, she simply wanted to be part of a team, compete alongside her friends, and proudly represent her school. Instead, Becky found herself at...
From lifelike hands to gamified nudges, how technology is reshaping the future of healthcare
While design is crucial to make prosthetics or robot pants people actually want to wear, lessons from loyalty programs could also incentivize people to visit the doctor.
4 Business Essentials You Can’t Ignore If You Want to Be a Successful Entrepreneur
Here are four critical business essentials every owner should have in place no matter the size or type of business they have.
Politics and football: How to play the game
England’s still standing in the World Cup, and politicians all want to share in the reflected glow.
This startup wants to make city streets searchable with AI
Orchestra has installed more than 100 cameras in San Francisco. Next up: 900 more, then the rest of the world.
There’s one big reason socialist voters may not get what they want
The left’s new vision is running into an old problem.
A Grand Opening cut short for Highmore Business
HIGHMORE, S.D. (KELO)– Strong winds earlier this week have left some people in Highmore high and dry if they want a burger and a beer at a local bar and grill. The downtown business had to cl…
Reports: Jaylen Brown didn’t want out from Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics dealt star Jaylen Brown in a shocking trade on Wednesday, but he apparently never asked for a change of scenery.
Weekly Entertainment Report, July 2-5: Music and lively arts » Nashua Ink Link
ALIXIA wants YOU to celebrate democracy with live music this weekend.
James Ransone coroner report shows actor's mental health struggles
"The Wire" actor James Ransone wanted mental health treatment before his death by suicide at 46, according to a medical examiner's report.
Kendrick Perkins Thinks LeBron Is Truly Waiting For Cleveland
ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins believes LeBron James wants to suit up for the Cleveland Cavaliers next season, but he's not going to guarantee a reunion at this time. James confirmed this week that he's not returning to the Los Angeles Lakers. His agent, Rich Paul, said he wants to have a chance at ...
Colorado’s Diana DeGette concedes defeat to Democratic socialist Melat Kiros
U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette — the dean of Colorado’s congressional delegation — conceded defeat in the race for the 1st Congressional District a day after losing to Democrat rival Melat Kiros in their party’s primary contest. “I want to congratulate Melat Kiros for her victory last night, and I want to wish her all the […]
Johnny Manziel Unloads On Critics Of His 'Hate' For Cleveland
If you're going to insult Johnny Manziel, do it at your own risk. Back in the September of last year, Manziel ripped the Cleveland Browns while on Shannon Sharpe's “Nightcap” podcast. The former Heisman Trophy winner said he wanted the Browns to go 0-16 during the 2025 season. "I think I will ...
SpaceX has an AI device prototype, and it sure sounds phone-ish
SpaceX reportedly showed investors a "handset-like" AI device before going public. It could be another signal SpaceX wants to expand into wireless.
Party fever: Another political party is gathering signatures to get on Nebraska's ballot
A party that wants to put Americans and Nebraskans first is collecting signatures to secure a ballot line ahead of the November election. A similar effort is underway to establish a Nebraska Working People Party. Both efforts have a July 15 deadline to get enough signatures.
Luxury realtors are spending thousands on Botox, skincare, and clothes for work
Luxury real-estate agents are spending thousands on skincare, Botox, and designer clothes to project the aspirational lifestyle their clients want.
Taylor Swift Wants Final Approval Over Travis Kelce Wedding Footage
Taylor Swift is reportedly filming her nuptials with Travis Kelce but wants the final word over the wedding footage. Sources claimed that the singer has hired a professional crew to document her speci...
Sony will cease production of discs for new PlayStation games in 2028
New games sold for PlayStation consoles will only be available digitally and won’t be sold on discs effective January 2028, Sony has announced. The move applies to all PlayStation games released from that point on, including those made by Sony and those released by third parties. The PlayStation group calls the change “a natural direction for Sony Interactive Entertainment to adapt to consumer trends as the general preference for digital media significantly outpaces physical discs,” according to a PlayStation blog post reviewed by Game File in advance of its publication. As movies, TV and music have shifted from physical media to an age of downloads and streaming, Sony’s move could speed the demise of physical media in a gaming. The industry has offered consumers games via cartridges, cassettes, floppy discs, CDs, DVDs and Blu-Rays across a 50-year stretch. Sony has been reporting to investors in recent years that PlayStation games have been increasingly purchased as downloads, not as discs. The most recent figures show nearly four in five purchases of full games for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 were purchased digitally in the past year. Stats like that may cause today’s news to carry an air of the inevitable. But Sony’s declaration for 2028 is still likely to produce a shock, as the biggest gaming platform on the planet that uses game discs leaves them behind. Discs going away, but the fate of game boxes is unknown Sony is committing to still selling games in physical retailers even after they drop discs in 2028. Just how those games will be sold—in boxes with codes inside, as cards marked with digital redemption codes—is unclear. Digital games will also continue to be sold in the online PlayStation Store. New games released for PlayStation consoles prior to January 2028 will be unaffected by the policy change, Sony says. That means the PS5 games of 2027, be they a new Madden, a new God of War, a new Call of Duty, a new Sly Cooper (one can dream?), would still potentially be offered on disc. PlayStation 6 implications Sony’s timeline for a transition to a no-disc era will also spin up more speculation about the timing and configuration of Sony’s next-generation console, the probable PlayStation 6. “This pretty much guarantees that PS6 won’t arrive until 2028 at the earliest,” Piers Harding-Rolls, senior games research analyst at Ampere Analysis tells Game File. Harding-Rolls also concludes from today’s news that “the base version of a PS6 will not include a physical media drive,” as Sony looks to keep costs down on the device. Sony itself is saying nothing about the PS6 today: not its timing, nor how it might or might not support internal or external disc drives in order to run disc-based PS4 and PS5 games, should the console be backwards compatible. The many signs this was coming Industry support for games being released on physical media has been waning. As has consumer interest in them. PC games effectively went all-digital years ago, thanks to the popularity of playing games through Steam and other digital storefronts. The Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdowns that kept much of the global population home helped shift shopping patterns toward downloads. Sony’s own data shows PlayStation game downloads being an uncommon consumer choice a decade ago and now becoming the norm. On consoles, physical media has been in such decline that Sony and Microsoft both launched their current gen Xbox Series and PS5 consoles in 2020 with cheaper versions that lacked disc drives. In early 2024, Phil Spencer, then head of Xbox, told me that ““[w]e ship games physically and digitally, and we’re really just following what the customers are doing.” He added that the game industry had become an outlier in still supporting disc-based entertainment, even as movies and TV have bailed on discs in favor of downloads and steaming: “Gaming consoles themselves have kind of become the last consumer electronic device that has a drive. And this is a real issue, just in terms of the number of manufacturers that are actually building drives and the cost associated with those. And when you think about cogs that we’re going to go put in a console—and as you have fewer suppliers and fewer buyers—the cost of the drive does have an impact.” Last year, the Nintendo’s Switch 2, which uses cartridges rather than discs, introduced the concept of game-key cards, which are physical media that contain no game, just a prompt for a download. Even disc-based games aren’t what they once were, now frequently containing just stubs of games rather than the whole thing. The website Does It Play has tested over 3000 games and found that, for example, that the disc version of this year’s hit 007: First Light, only contained the game’s first mission, with the rest needing to be downloaded. Beyond all that, last week brought the news that Grand Theft Auto VI, likely the biggest game launch this decade, will debut for PS5 and Xbox Series without a disc-based version. Today’s big news comes to you for free. Game File is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and ensure more of my work is possible, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe Discs helped define PlayStation However the trends in entertainment may be going, it is still remarkable to see PlayStation ditch discs given their importance in PlayStation history: In the late 1990s, the first PlayStation’s support for games on relatively cheap CD-ROMs instead of traditional game cartridges allowed the upstart console to outmaneuver cartridge-based systems from Nintendo and Sega, as it drove down game prices down in the process. (The cheaper disc format even prompted Final Fantasy VII maker Square to taunt Nintendo in a magazine ad, saying that if the game was “available on cartridge, it’d retail for around $1200.”) PlayStation devices often doubled as machines for watching movies and TV on the latest disc-based formats. In the late 2000s, for example, Sony’s pricy PS3 gained traction as a go-to device for playing then-novel Blu-Ray discs. In 2013, Sony effectively roasted the digital game-sharing restrictions proposed by rival Microsoft for its upcoming Xbox One console by showing how games could be shared for the then-upcoming PS4. In a 21-second clip that has over 20 million views on YouTube, one PlayStation executive simply handed a game box—presumably with disc inside—to another, who said “thanks.” Sony’s possible motivations The PlayStation announcement today cites “consumer preferences” and a shift away from discs among “the broader entertainment industry,” but does not delve into the decision-making process that brought Sony to this point. Sony is not discussing the economics of this move (I asked!), but there are a number of potential factors: Abandoning discs will spare Sony the cost of manufacturing and shipping them, which analysts and industry veterans I spoke to said could account for $1 or so of a game’s retail price. For first-party games, that’s direct savings for Sony, though the amount is limited by the winnowing percentage of people who were even buying the disc-based versions. For third-party games, Sony could pass the savings on to partners or just retain the better profit margin for themselves. As the 2024 comments from Phil Spencer alluded to, leaving discs behind could mean leaving disc-drives behind, allowing Sony to produce consoles more cheaply. Switching to digital-only for games could diminish the risks of copies of new games leaking. It would also seemingly make second-hand sales of used games impossible, pushing more people to buy their own copies of games. These economic benefits for Sony could be boons for the games industry overall, Ampere analyst Piers Harding-Rolls tells Game File. Among other things, it could free publishers and retailers from having to worry about securing an inventory of game discs when trying to sell games, he noted. “If there is a way to streamline the business of games retail, I generally think it’s a good thing for the industry as it removes unnecessary costs,” Harding-Rolls said. “This will help offset pressure on margins from other directions – development and staffing costs for example.” Should the industry shift from game boxes that contain discs to smaller, cheaper game cards, Harding-Rolls said, that reduces pressure on publishers and retailers. “The advantage of everything going digital for the industry is that sales can be tracked much more easily and there is less commercial risk for publishers wanting to continue selling via retail,” he said. The shift to no discs will also likely impact game development timelines, as developers will no longer face the same urgency to have a build ready to submit to PlayStation for the production of a disc, as industry experts noted around GTA VI’s no-disc news last week. Instead, projects may gain weeks of development time, in the event delivery deadlines for platform approval move closer to release date. Preservationists’ likely worries While millions of gamers have shifted to digital, there are still people who associate game discs—and only game discs—with actual ownership of PlayStation games. That portion of the gaming community spoke up last week about wanting to buy a version of GTA VI that they could hold in their hands, could lend to a friend and could potentially pop into a well-preserved PS5 console three decades from now and still see it run. Such gamers didn’t want to worry that they’d merely purchased a digital copy that could lose access to the game if, say, the company behind the game someday turns of the servers that transmit downloadable copies. Digital copies of games are inherently less long-lasting, because consumers aren’t actually buying a game (on a disc), just buying access to the game. The fine print in online gaming shops notes this, as does a recent law that went on the books in California in 2025. That lasw requires game publishers doing business in the state to refrain from words like “sell” when offering digital copies of games, unless they explicitly tell consumers that what’s being sold isn’t the game itself but a potentially revocable license to access it. A Sony spokesperson noted to Game File that “[w]ith all digital content, including games, movies, and music, players are purchasing a personal license for non-commercial use.” Regarding the fears of PlayStation games being lost to time in an all-digital era, the rep also noted that Sony remains “committed to delivering experiences from past generations to the new platforms our players are using.” They noted that PlayStation has used emulation and remasters to keep offering its classic games to modern gamers. It’s true that many consumers have become accustomed to not having physical copies of new music albums or movies, but the relative precariousness of digital copies of games is in fact being highlighted today by…. Sony’s other big announcement: the upcoming closure of the PS3 and PS Vita online stores Sony said today that it will be closing the online marketplaces for its PlayStation 3 console and PS Vita handheld in most countries in July 2027 (sooner elsewhere: August 2026 for the PS3 store Mexico, Honduras and Nicaragua; late 2026 for PS3 in other Latin American countries and the Middle East). “We know this news may be disappointing to PS3 and PS Vita players who hold a special place in their hearts for this generation of gaming,” Sony said in its announcement, saying the move “was not an easy decision for us to make.” Sony said that PS3 and Vita marketplaces “are no longer able” to support modern commerce systems, prompting a “need” to close the shops and focus on more modern PlayStation platform stores. The news may spark some deja vu. Sony announced back in March 2021 that it planned to take the PS3, Vita and PlayStation Portable marketplaces offline that summer. The move would have caused some 2,000 digital-only games to become unavailable for new purchasers, according to a VGC analysis at the time. Fans complained loudly. By April 2021, Sony walked back the PS3 and Vita shop closures, with then PlayStation boss Jim Ryan saying “it’s clear that we made the wrong decision here.” This time around, Sony is giving a longer notice period in most regions. The closure of those stores is still likely to cut off access to new purchases of digital-only PS3 and Vita games. The current PlayStation 5 marketplace sells PS5 and PS4 games, as well as a selection of PS1 and PS2 games. It does not sell PS3 games, because games for that platform can’t run on the system (some are offered via a PlayStation Plus streaming option). Vita games also aren’t sold via PS5. Sony says digitally purchased PS3 and Vita games will be downloadable after the stores’ shutdowns “for the foreseeable future.” Sony’s move contrasts with Microsoft’s Xbox platform, which continues to sell and support games from all four Xbox console generations. But it puts it in line with Nintendo, which disabled purchases in the marketplace for its Wii console (a contemporary of the PS3) in 2019. Nintendo discontinued purchases in the online shop for its 3DS portable (a contemporary of the Vita) in 2023. The big questions about Sony’s 2028 post-disc era Will Microsoft follow suit, ending support for new disc-based games on Xbox platforms and therefore all game consoles, too? Whether Microsoft does or not, will third-parties that can no longer release games on discs for PlayStation, simply ditch the disc options across the board? Given the GTA VI no-disc experiment launching this November, will more game publishers decide to forgo disc-based offerings even in 2027? How will no-disc PS5/6 games be packaged and sold in brick-and-mortar retail stores? What becomes of game sharing in an all-digital era? Will Sony modify its current set-up, which currently allows some sharing of digital games across a pair of consoles, to allow more casual lending? (See for example, Nintendo’s year-old system of letting players lend a digital game to another player in a “family group” for up to 14 days.) Will there be a version of a PS6 with a disc drive? Or will a drive be offered as an add-on? And how will gamers who want to retain access to PS4/PS5 disc-based games react to whichever configurations Sony chooses to offer? What will the final disc-based PlayStation game be?
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Netflix and Superheroes Are Having a Rough Stretch on Streaming....
(Welcome to my weekly streaming ratings report, the single best guide to what’s popular in streaming TV and what isn’t. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. If you were forwarded this email, please subscribe to get these insights each week.) I have a quick prediction before we start today’s article: You might see this data in future news articles. Not my specific charts or analysis, but the core trend I’ve been monitoring—Netflix is having a lackluster Q2—will become inescapable. Often, folks want to know “What does the data say?” Well, that’s what it says. I haven’t seen this analysis hit the trades really yet, but I have a feeling some other outlets are going to start making this case soon. Remember, you read it here first. You probably have read about the problems facing superhero films at the box office this weekend. Well, this week, I explore whether superheroes are dying on TV as well! And the data says: definitely maybe! We have a lot to cover in today’s Streaming Ratings Report, which covers the two weeks of 18-May and 25-May. Today, I’m just looking at TV, like Netflix’s disappointing Q2, superhero shows underwhelming, a few TV shows dropping off the charts, The Pitt finally ending its epic run on the viewership charts (and whether “view counts” change its status as one of the biggest shows of all time), all the flops, bombs and misses, and a whole lot more. Tomorrow, I’ve got a great rundown of the film side of things. Let’s dive right in! (Reminder: The streaming ratings report focuses on the U.S. market and compiles data from Nielsen’s weekly top ten viewership ranks, Luminate’s Top Ten Data, Showlabs, TV Time trend data, Samba TV household viewership, company datecdotes, Netflix hours viewed data, Google Trends, and IMDb to determine the most popular content. While most data points are current, Nielsen’s data covers the weeks of May 18th to May 31st, 2026. You can find a link to my terminology here.) Subscribe Television - Netflix’s Q2 Slump Continues Having analyzed streaming ratings for going on half a decade, I have learned to trust my gut, but I’m always relieved when I can find actual data to back it up. For example, after a string of very popular shows like Stranger Things, Bridgerton, The Lincoln Lawyer and The Night Agent came out, week after week, in January and February, my gut wondered if Netflix had enough new and returning TV shows to sustain them throughout the year. Since then, Netflix’s post-March slate of shows has not impressed me. This week seemed to feature a potential new hit, but then, like a classic Duffer Bros. TV show, there was a twist. I speak of The Boroughs, Netflix’s latest (and last) Duffer Bros. produced show. The pitch is “Stranger Things with older actors”. And it topped the Nielsen charts: With just two weeks of viewership, The Boroughs would have been a top 25 debut show last year: But here’s the twist: Netflix has already cancelled The Boroughs! What happened? Likely a few things. First, the show didn’t do as well globally as it did in the US. As What’s on Netflix showed, it lagged behind several other shows that got cancelled. Second, its completion rate was likely low; after an initial burst of interest, it quickly dropped off on the Samba TV and Luminate charts. Third, the Duffer Bros. left Netflix for Paramount, and that may have factored into Netflix’s decision here. (Though I tend to believe that if a show is doing well, Netflix would have kept greenlighting seasons.) Still, just because I can explain why Netflix may have cancelled this show doesn’t mean I’m justifying it. In particular, as I’ve noted before, Netflix is losing a lot of their bigger shows as they reach their natural ends, and they need to replace those shows. This show had the hallmarks of a big new genre show, and it’s their biggest hit of the last few months (in the US at least), but now it’s done. Netflix’s other show this week—The Four Seasons, the second season of the “hit” show from last year—definitely disappointed. Its sophomore season had about half the viewership of the first, only 12.7 million hours. It also only had a two week run on Samba TV, and its numbers were all down on Luminate too. In other words, even with two successes, the Q2 slump for Netflix looks real: I could add to the list of disappointments: Both Lord of the Files and Man on Fire had short runs on the Nielsen charts. Running Point’s sophomore season also opened to about half its viewership, similar to The Four Seasons. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder’s second season—see below—didn’t even make any of the three viewership charts I track, unlike the first season. Netflix is absolutely having a dismal second three months of 2026. If this Nielsen data is any indication, and I think it is, I think this will show up in Netflix’s engagement report, and maybe even their financial outcomes. And the rest of June doesn’t look much better. We have two hit shows coming back—Sweet Magnolias, one of their quietest big shows, and Avatar: The Last Airbender, a big hit for them in 2024—but the other big swings are limited series crime thrillers i.e. no future season potential. Like I said above, sometimes when I uncover a juicy nugget like this, other outlets end up writing very similar articles mimicking the data without credit. We’ll see if that happens this time! Share Television - The State of Superhero Shows on Streaming When I first heard the pitch for Spider-Noir—a Sony TV show on Prime Video that binge-released eight episodes first on MGM+ then on Prime Video two days later—I had my doubts. It’s a live-action Spider-Man show set in the 1930s, starring Nicholas Cage, based on a cameo of a character in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. No, seriously, that’s the pitch. That could either go terrifically well or horribly wrong. Great because, Spider-Man. He’s the biggest superhero we have. I’ve seen tracking numbers that put the new _Spider-Man: Brand New Da_y as the blockbuster of the year and initial pre-sales back that up. And yet this Spider-Noir pitch feels very esoteric. (Also, the eight-episode binge release feels very “Amazon copying Netflix” again.) So what’s the data say? And what does this say about the future of superhero shows?
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