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Anthropic Launches Claude Science Beta: A Multi-Agent AI Workbench for Reproducible Genomics, Proteomics, and Cheminformatics Pipelines
Anthropic released Claude Science, a beta multi-agent AI workbench that runs end-to-end research pipelines and checks every citation.
Why scratching a mosquito bite makes it so much worse, according to science
Scratching activates mast cells that release histamine and substance P, creating a prolonged itch-scratch cycle that worsens skin inflammation.
Why scratching a mosquito bite makes it so much worse, according to science
Scratching activates mast cells that release histamine and substance P, creating a prolonged itch-scratch cycle that worsens skin inflammation.
Beyoncé Releases New Song ‘Morning Dew (Donk)’ As Fourth Of July Surprise
Beyoncé is setting off some Independence Day fireworks of her own, releasing a new song called “Morning Dew (Donk)” as a surprise 4th of July gift to fans. Listen to the slow-groove tune below. The so...
BEYONCÉ RELEASES NEW SONG, 'MORNING DEW (DONK)' 4TH OF JULY HOLIDAY SERVES A TREAT FOR HER FANS
/PRNewswire/ -- Beyoncé marks the 4th of July Holiday with a special gift to her fans with the release of "MORNING DEW (DONK)," a new song that also starts a...
NASA's Hubble captures a star-spangled sea of 500,000 stars
Celebrating the United States' 250th anniversary, NASA released a stunning Hubble portrait of Messier 3, an ancient globular cluster with more than 500,000 stars. The remarkable cluster is helping scientists unravel the Milky Way's past thanks to its rare stars and possible origins in a long ago cosmic merger.
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
Fourth of July fireworks pose hidden health risk for certain Americans, experts warn
Americans release 300 million pounds of fireworks annually, creating smoke that worsens asthma and COPD, experts warn.
China Proposes Expanding E-Commerce Law Scope, Platform Rules
China released draft amendments to its E-Commerce Law that would expand coverage beyond platforms and merchants, and revise rules governing the digital economy.
Danganronpa 2×2 delayed to early 2027; ‘Slayhem Mode’ and enhanced world map detailed
Publisher Spike Chunsoft and developer Gemdrops have delayed Danganronpa 2×2 from its previously planned 2026 release window to early 2027. It will be available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series,…
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
West Hartford Business Owner Released From ICE Custody
Sead (Seyo) Cecunjanin, the West Hartford resident and business owner who was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents last week was released Thursday and returned to West Hartford.
West Hartford business owner taken by ICE released
ICE agents reportedly drew guns and arrested Cecunjanin June 20 at the Dunkin’ Donuts on Park Road without warning.
West Hartford business owner released from ICE custody, according to Sen. Blumenthal
A West Hartford business owner was released from United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody after being detained last month, according to Sen. Richard Blumenthal on Friday.
Madonna Returns With Long-Awaited ‘Confessions II’
The much-anticipated release is the culmination of a months-long rollout that included a surprise Coachella performance, a pop-up show in Times Square and "taking over the Gayborhood" on Grindr.
National Federation of Independent Business releases June Jobs Report
Small business hiring ticked up in June, but owners still struggled to find qualified workers as compensation pressures eased.
READY, FIRE, AIM: Please, No Politics on the Fourth of July
Maybe I’m not the only person confused by this approach to the July Fourth celebration?
Pass on the politics, more family please. Tulsans reflect on a milestone Fourth of July.
It’s a milestone birthday for the USofA — its 250th (officially). We talked with Tulsans about how they plan to mark the holiday.
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced Global Release and Preload Times Confirmed
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced publisher Ubisoft has confirmed the game's global release and preload times.
India investigating Tata data leak that exposed Apple iPhone secrets
India is investigating a data breach at Tata Electronics that exposed documents linked to Apple's unreleased iPhone 18 Pro, the country's IT secretary said on Thursday in the government's first public comments on the incident.
Valve releases Steam Machine e-ink faceplate CAD files and firmware
Build your own "inkterface".
Echoes of Aincrad: Sword Art Online
Bandai Namco has released an 18-minute preview of the feature-length promotional animation Sword Art Online: Unanswered//butterfly included with the Echoes of Aincrad: Sword Art Online Ultimate Edi…
LeBron James' birthplace urges NBA star, 'Come home...please'
Akron's Summa Health, birthplace of LeBron James, posted a not-so-subtle message on Instagram urging the NBA star to finish his career in Cleveland.
Herb Meiner's Rock It Like Herb Unveils a New Episode on Leadership, Innovation, and Transparency
Bali, Indonesia, July 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Herb Meiner has released the latest episode of his YouTube series, Rock It Like Herb . The n...
Questions raised about Senator Mitch McConnell’s health after little information is released
Questions raised about Senator Mitch McConnell’s health after little information is released
Questions raised about Senator Mitch McConnell’s health after little information is released
Numerous people from Frankfort to Washington are saying very little about long time serving US Senator Mitch McConnell following reports he was hospitalized nearly 2 and a half weeks ago.
Announcement: New Leadership at the NJ Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health (IFNH)
Announcement by Laura Lawson, SEBS Executive Dean and NJAES Executive Director I am pleased to announce new leadership for the Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health (IFNH), positioning the institute to further advance Rutgers University’s commitment to excellence in food, nutrition, health, and community engagement. I would like to thank the faculty members whose contributions […]
NASA celebrates Fourth of July with some cosmic fireworks
The release also includes new sonifications of red, white, and blue nebulae and galaxies.
iOS 27 Public Beta Available This Month, Here's How to Get Your iPhone Ready Now
Apple previously announced that the first iOS 27 public beta would be released in July, meaning that it should be available at some point this month. Below, we have outlined how to get ready for the iOS 27 public beta, which will likely follow the third or fourth iOS 27 developer beta. Release Date History The first public betas of iOS 16 through iOS 26 came out between July 11 and July 24.
Jaylen Brown Releases First Statement On His Stunning Celtics Trade
Jaylen Brown's time in Boston is over. The former NBA Finals MVP was traded from Boston to Philadelphia in a stunning move on Wednesday afternoon. Brown is heading to Philadelphia, while Paul George, two first round picks and two second round picks are heading to Boston. The NBA world was ...
Colorado business confidence improves but still pessimistic
Halfway into the year, business confidence across Colorado has improved but is still negative, a new report found. The Leeds Business Confidence Index, a measurement of how business leaders across Colorado feel about the future of the national and state economy, increased by one point to a score of 43, according to a report released […]
Colorado business confidence improves but still pessimistic
Halfway into the year, business confidence across Colorado has improved but is still negative, a new report found. The Leeds Business Confidence Index, a measurement of how business leaders across Colorado feel about the future of the national and state economy, increased by one point to a score of 43, according to a report released […]
Colorado business confidence improves but still pessimistic
Halfway into the year, business confidence across Colorado has improved but is still negative, a new report found. The Leeds Business Confidence Index, a measurement of how business leaders across Colorado feel about the future of the national and state economy, increased by one point to a score of 43, according to a report released […]
Negotiations between Cherriots, business leaders paused after months of meetings
Talks between the Salem Area Mass Transit District and representatives from a coalition of six business and real estate groups, and citizens were halted last week, Cherriots said in a press release. The two groups formed a task force to find a compromise after a proposed payroll tax sparked frustration last year. To comment on this story, use the form at the end of the report.
iOS 27 public beta release date: When you can install the new iPhone update
iOS 27 is currently only available in developer beta, but there’s a public beta coming soon. Here’s when to expect the iOS 27 public beta.
Colorado governor fires board members who criticized release of election denier
Gov. Jared Polis (D) said clemency deliberations should be confidential.
Pinecone releases Nexus into public preview to bring business knowledge to AI agents
Pinecone releases Nexus into public preview to bring business knowledge to AI agents - SiliconANGLE
http://democrats-energycommerce.house.gov/media/press-releases/republicans-disastrous-health-care-agenda-leaves-millions-americans-without
House Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone Jr., D-N.J., and Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today released their latest report monitoring the devastating impact of Donald Trump and Republicans’ Big Ugly Bill, which has forced millions of Americans to face skyrocketing health care costs and even drop coverage entirely.
ONTOS delayed to 2027
Publisher Kepler Interactive and developer Frictional Games have delayed science-fiction mystery thriller ONTOS from its previously planned 2026 release window to 2027. It will be available for Pla…
Final Fantasy 7 Revelation store page lists multiple DLCs, including story expansion
Last month, we reported that Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, the final chapter of the acclaimed trilogy that is set to launch on Nintendo Switch 2 in 2027, could receive DLC after release. While the game is still a long way off, new evidence has surfaced suggesting that may indeed be the case. According to EpicDB, a third-party tool that tracks...
Dune: Awakening ‘Deep Dive: September 2026 Preview’ video, PS5 physical edition announced
Funcom has released a new “Deep Dive” video for open-world survival game Dune: Awakening ahead of its upcoming consoles launch, as well as announced that a physical edition will be avai…
Press Release: Dangerous Fourth of July Heat Wave
Rowan County Public Health Urges Residents to Take Precautions During a Dangerous Fourth of July Heat WaveImmediate ReleaseSalisbury, NC-Rowan County Public Health is urging residents to take steps to
What Makes Live Nation Entertainment (LYV) a Good Investment Bet?
TimesSquare Capital Management, an equity investment management company, released its “U.S. Mid Cap Growth Strategy” first-quarter 2026 investor letter. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. The Strategy fell 7.72% (net) in the quarter compared to -6.35% for the Russell Midcap Growth Index. In the first quarter, markets navigated geopolitical tensions and economic resilience alongside […]
City Hall visit, packed entertainment slate highlight 2026 HBCU Swingman Classic schedule
Major League Baseball today announced the pregame and philanthropic details for the 2026 HBCU Swingman Classic presented by USA Baseball, highlighted by a team visit to City Hall, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s first pitch, uniform patches honoring HBCU legend Roger Cador and pregame entertainment by Grammy-Award winner Durand Bernarr
Capcom Says No Thank You To GTA 6-Fueled Release Traffic Jam
The action game just became a late summer launch
US economy added jobs at a slower pace than expected in June
The Labor Department released the June 2026 jobs report, which showed the U.S. economy added jobs at a steady pace last month despite uncertainty over inflation.
Why the Jobs Market Has Wall Street and Washington on Edge
A rebound in hiring has put more pressure on the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates. New jobs numbers are scheduled for release on Thursday.
Onimusha: Way Of The Sword Will Now Launch Three Weeks Earlier
The game's release date has been moved forward to the beginning of September.
Bonus 236: A Term of Self-Inflicted Wounds
Within minutes of the Supreme Court handing down the birthright citizenship ruling on Tuesday and rising for its summer recess, its defenders were pointing to that decision (alongside the late-arriving mail-in ballots ruling on Monday and the tariffs ruling from February) as decisive proof that the Court really is “above politics,” and that criticisms of the justices for behaving more like politicians in robes than like judges are thus unfair. For a particularly thoughtful version of this claim, see Professor Will Baude’s opening response to the latest New York Times written roundtable about the Court with Baude, Professor Kate Shaw, and me. In that roundtable, I already offered one of the two major arguments against this thesis—that it’s an assessment of the numerator without regard to the denominator, and that a full account of the Court’s behavior throughout OT2025 suggests that the Court behaved even more politically during the current term than during even the previous (highly politicized) one. Just to take one of many data points, last term (OT2024), there were six rulings in argued cases in which all six Republican-appointed justices were in the majority and all three of the Democratic appointees were in dissent (along with a slew of such rulings on the emergency docket). This term, there were … 13. (Along with two 6-3 summary reversals and 10 rulings on the emergency docket from which the three Democratic appointees all dissented.) Today’s bonus issue addresses the flip side of that coin. In particular, below the fold, I identify four different moments in which the justices could have acted in ways to specifically defuse charges of political behavior—and opted instead to lean all the way in. As much as end-of-term narratives focus on what the Court did, and on the takeaways from individual rulings, consider today’s post an attempt to identify opportunities that the Court missed, as well. At least in the examples discussed below, by opting for the outcome that made the Court look more transparently political, the Court inflicted a series of (unnecessary) credibility wounds on itself. For those who aren’t paid subscribers, we’ll be back Monday with our regular coverage of the Court. For those who are, please read on.
Capcom pushes forward Onimusha: Way of the Sword release date just days after devs stated they're not afraid of September's busy schedule
We'll be playing Onimusha: Way of the Sword earlier than we thought, after all.
Anger as report says Trump hijacked US anniversary to serve own agenda
Newly-released congressional report says president hijacked United States’ 250th anniversary celebrations to serve ‘political ideology and pet projects’
Devils Sign Winger Riley Tufte to 1 Year, $850,000 Deal
In one of the more under the radar moves today, the Devils announced the signing of 28-year-old winger Riley Tufte to a one-year, one-way NHL contract. A link to the press release can be found here. A 6’6”, 245lb behemoth, Tufte has been one of the most prolific scorers in the AHL, finishing tied for […]
Los Alamos Faith & Science Forum 2026 Summer Series Presents ‘Expansion on the Book “Just Six Numbers” By Lord Martin Rees’ July 8
LOS ALAMOS FAITH & SCIENCE FORUM NEWS RELEASEThe Los Alamos Faith and Science Forum 2026 Summer Series presents ‘Expansion on the Book “Just Six Numbers” by Lord Martin Rees’ by Dr. Joyce…
Lakers' summer league roster has been finalized
The Lakers have released their official 2026 summer league roster.
Bethesda Shows Off Oblivion Remastered Switch 2 Physical Release
"I knew I could count on you"
Onimusha: Way of the Sword Release Date Moved Forward
Capcom has announced that Onimusha: Way of the Sword, the upcoming action-adventure sequel for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2, will now be released earlier than previously guided: it will be available on September 4 rather than September 25.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword release date moved up to September 4
Capcom has moved up swordplay action game Onimusha: Way of the Sword from its previously announced September 25 release date to September 4, three weeks earlier than planned. It will be available f…
Apple is reportedly planning new iPad Pro and MacBook Pro releases early next year
Apple is readying several new iPad Pro tablets, and a budget-friendly MacBook Pro, reports suggest.
Android 17 QPR1 Beta 6 hits Pixel phones with a major milestone for developers
The public release is just that much closer
Android 17 QPR1 hits Platform Stability with today's Beta 6 release
Google has announced that Android 17 QPR1 Beta 6 is releasing today, which includes several fixes and improvements.
Google rolling out Android 17 QPR1 Beta 6 for Pixel
Following last week's release, Android 17 QPR1 Beta 6 is rolling out today for Pixel devices...
Netflix will release JonBenét Ramsey show starring Melissa McCarthy
The eight-episode series also stars Clive Owen, Garrett Hedlund, Alison Pill, and Shea Whigham.
Justin Bieber Releases 'SWAG Live From Coachella' Album
Beliebers rejoice! A 22-track live recording of the pop star's weekend one headline performance is now available to stream.
Sony to end physical PlayStation game discs for new releases starting in 2028
Sony says all new PlayStation games released after January 2028 will be sold digitally, reflecting changing consumer demand and the gaming industry's broader move away from physical media.
RFK Master Plan proposes new housing, entertainment, park space around Commanders' stadium
D.C. officials released a draft of its RFK Master Plan, which maps out where new housing, recreation and retail developments will be featured around the future stadium of the NFL's Washington Com
The moment Anthropic convinced me it’s serious about science
AI Prognosis: The release of Claude Science suggests big model makers are getting serious about real science, and not just flashy problems.
Sony is killing all physical PlayStation game discs
New games released after January 2028 will be digital-only.
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?
Batten University Acquires Sentara College of Health Sciences
Virginia Wesleyan University is Coastal Virginia's premier university of the liberal arts and sciences, annually enrolling 1,600 students in undergraduate, graduate, and online programs.
Physical disc production ending in January 2028 for new games releasing on PlayStation consoles
In response to shifting trends in consumer preference, new games will be released on PlayStation Store and at retailers in digital formats only.
Press Release: Story Walk
Rowan County Public Health, Rowan Literacy Council, and City of Salisbury Parks & Recreation Celebrate Grand Opening of Salisbury Greenway Story WalkRowan County Public Health (RCPH), the Rowan Li
Josh Hokit calls for UFC to cut Tom Aspinall
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Survey shows Japan's business sentiment improving for a 5th straight quarter
TOKYO (AP) — Business sentiment among major Japanese manufacturers has improved for a fifth straight quarter, the Bank of Japan said in its quarterly “tankan” survey released Wednesday.
Survey Shows Japan's Business Sentiment Improving for a 5th Straight Quarter
TOKYO (AP) — Business sentiment among major Japanese manufacturers has improved for a fifth straight quarter, the Bank of Japan said in its quarterly “tankan” survey released Wednesday. The survey's so-called diffusion index rose to 22 from 17 in the previous quarter, the BOJ said. The index for ...
Mario Kart World version 1.7.0 update now available
Nintendo has released the version 1.7.0 update for Mario Kart World, which adds two new routes to Knockout tour, plus a new feature that lets you place stickers in Photo Mode.
Tina Peters visits President Donald Trump in the White House
Since her release from prison, Tina Peters has reemerged on the political circuit — appearing over the weekend at the GOP Freedom Fest in Castle Rock and then visiting the White House on Monday to meet with President Donald Trump. In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote that Peters “just came to the White […]
Trump took in about $1.2 billion from crypto businesses last year, financial disclosure shows
President Donald Trump took in nearly $1.2 billion dollars from his crypto businesses last year, a federal filing released Tuesday shows, locking in profits while his investors were socked with losses.
Trump took in about $1.2 billion from crypto businesses last year, financial disclosure shows
President Donald Trump took in nearly $1.2 billion dollars from his crypto businesses last year, a federal filing released Tuesday shows, locking in profits while his investors were socked with losses.
Trump made hundreds of millions from cryptocurrency ventures in first year back in office
President Donald Trump collected billions of dollars through an array of cryptocurrency holdings, royalty payments and property investments last year, according to his latest annual financial disclosure released on Tuesday.
Trump filing shows he took in about $1.2 billion from crypto businesses last year
NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump took in nearly $1.2 billion dollars from his crypto businesses last year, a federal filing released Monday shows.
Trump filing shows he took in about $1.2 billion from crypto businesses last year
President Donald Trump took in nearly $1.2 billion dollars from his crypto businesses last year, a federal filing released Monday shows.
Trump filing shows he took in about $1.2 billion from crypto businesses last year
President Donald Trump took in nearly $1.2 billion dollars from his crypto businesses last year, a federal filing released Monday shows.
Trump filing shows he took in about $1.2 billion from crypto businesses last year
President Donald Trump took in nearly $1.2 billion dollars from his crypto businesses last year, a federal filing released Monday shows.
NH Institute of Politics Releases Major June 2026 Survey of NH Voters
The New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College released its 90-page June 24-25, 2026 Survey of New Hampshire Registered Voters on Tuesday, detailing the survey results of how candidates are faring in the major races along with the mood of New Hampshire voters.
House backs Massie's push to release taxpayer-funded sexual harassment settlement records
Rep. Thomas Massie forced a vote on a resolution requiring public disclosure of taxpayer-funded sexual harassment settlements involving House lawmakers.
Kelly statement on SCOTUS ruling protecting girls' and women's sports
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to prevent biological men from playing in girls' and women's sports, U.S. Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA) released the following statement:
Miller-Meeks: Girls Sports are for Girls
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01) today released the following statement after the Supreme Court’s ruling upheld laws protecting girls’ and women’s school sports teams.
New Utah Jazz, Mammoth specialty license plates unveiled by Smith Entertainment Group
New Utah Jazz and Utah Mammoth specialty license plates were unveiled Tuesday by Smith Entertainment Group.The Utah Jazz announced the redesigned specialty lice
Smith Entertainment Group unveils Utah Jazz, Mammoth license plates
New Utah Jazz and Utah Mammoth specialty license plates were unveiled Tuesday by Smith Entertainment Group.The Utah Jazz announced the redesigned specialty lice
New Utah Jazz, Mammoth specialty license plates unveiled by Smith Entertainment Group
New Utah Jazz and Utah Mammoth specialty license plates were unveiled Tuesday by Smith Entertainment Group.The Utah Jazz announced the redesigned specialty lice
Anthropic just released a brand-new Claude Science app for Mac
Anthropic just launched a brand-new desktop app called Claude Science. The new app joins the main Claude app on the...
Anthropic releases Claude Science, a product aimed at researchers, the pharma industry
Anthropic released Claude Science, an application that optimizes its large language model for scientists and, especially, those doing research at pharma companies.
The Sims 4 Update: Official Patch Notes (June 30th, 2026)
Maxis and EA have just released a brand new The Sims 4 Update across all officially supported platforms. Including PC, Mac, Xbox and Playstation platforms.
Contract extension marks 'fresh start' for Taylor
Midfielder Fraser Taylor is relishing a "fresh start" under new St Mirren boss Craig McLeish after signing a two-year contract extension. The 23-year-old academy graduate, whose deal now runs to summer 2028, made his first-team debut in 2022 and featured 13 times for the Buddies last season before joining Partick Thistle on loan in January. "I'm really pleased, since the new manager has come in, he spoke to me on the off-season, and his ideas really suit the way I like to play," said Taylor.
Iowa Business Council projects positive six-month economic outlook
The Iowa Business Council has released its second-quarter Economic Outlook Survey for 2026, showing member expectations for sales, capital spending and employment remain positive for the next six months despite a slight overall decline from the previous quarter. The survey’s overall economic outlook index sits at 64.81 points for the second quarter, a decrease of […]
Press Release- Rowan County Sees Increase in Overdose Emergency Department Visits 2026
Rowan County Sees Increase in Overdose Emergency Department Visits; Ranks Second Highest in North Carolina for Fentanyl-Positive Death RateSalisbury, NC – Rowan County health officials are raisin
Splatoon Raiders Direct details enemies, weapons, tanks, customization, upgrades, and more
Nintendo released new information, footage, and screenshots for single-player action shooter Splatoon Raiders during a dedicated Nintendo Direct broadcast today, revealing details on the game’…
HILCO GLOBAL ANNOUNCES SALE OF TURNKEY MOVIE & ENTERTAINMENT COMPLEX IN WHEELING TOWN CENTER
/PRNewswire/ -- The Hilco Global Real Estate Practice is pleased to announce the offering of a turnkey 36,880± SF movie and entertainment complex located at...