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Braves look for much-needed series win behind Chris Sale
The Braves will look to back Chris Sale to secure a series win, who they can expect another strong start from.
Cyberpunk 2077 reaches 40 million copies sold
CD Projekt has confirmed a new sales milestone for Cyberpunk 2077. The game has added another 5 million copies since the 35 million figure reported in late 2025.
109+ Best July 4th Sales to Shop: Apparel, Furniture and More up to 70% Off
Right now, you can save up to 65% on mattresses, outdoor furniture, ACs and summer clothing.
Universal Health Services (UHS) Is Up 8.7% After CMS Proposes Hospital Payment Increase and Analyst Support
In recent days, Universal Health Services received a boost after the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services proposed a 2.4% payment rate increase for hospitals, alongside supportive analyst commentary on its operating performance and upcoming second-quarter results. This regulatory tailwind for hospital reimbursement comes as UHS continues to expand its behavioral health footprint and prepare for its next earnings update, potentially influencing how investors assess its longer-term growth...
25 lessons and wishes to celebrate America’s 250th
The 250th celebration of America’s birth is upon us. There is undoubtedly much to salute. Despite plenty of strife and discontent at home, America remains a beacon to much of the world. The wisdom of our founders has largely withstood the test of time. That said, we are living through a tumultuous period, certainly not […]
Don't let your pasta salad sit in the heat too long. Here's why.
Some of the ingredients commonly included in pasta salad aren't healthy, but others are. There are ways to further improve the health of the dish.
Sharp targets ¥300 billion new business sales by fiscal 2030
Sharp also plans to expand its satellite communications equipment business, including compact antennas.
Ireland, as 'honest broker', reckons with the price of dirty business
Ireland is facing the music over its continued sales of alumina to Russia. The scandal put a damper on the start of the country's EU presidency and raised uncomfortable questions that Dublin has yet to answer.
Freedom 250 Independence Day Entertainment
Freedom 250 presents events from the National Mall prior to the evening "Salute to America" program.
Basallo homers and Rogers battles, Orioles beat Reds 3-0
It was the team’s second shutout of the season
The science behind fireworks and their brilliant colors
Fireworks displays on Independence Day are created by the combination of different metal salts, which emit light at unique wavelengths to produce vibrant colors.
Carlsson's Flyers offer sheet was entirely avoidable for Verbeek, Ducks
If Anaheim does match, they'll be in tight salary cap straights with much more to do. If they don't match, they'll lose their franchise center for four first-round picks. How did we get here?
World Cup 2026: Australia 1-1 Egypt (2-4 on penalties) - Shoot-out drama sends Mohamed Salah and co into last 16
Match report as Egypt came through a penalty shoot-out to knock out Australia and progress to the last 16 of the World Cup. Mohamed Salah scored his spot kick but two Australia defenders missed the target after the teams had drawn 1-1 after extra time
Boca Raton salon owner asks for help after fire destroys business
Boca Raton salon owner asks for help after fire destroys business
Square Enix just kicked off its biggest Nintendo Switch 2 and Switch sale ever with massive discounts for Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, more
Square Enix has a massive Nintendo Switch 2 and Switch sale running featuring Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and more - here's the full list.
Naks Pan is a new salt bread business on Oʻahu
The home bakery specializes in shio pan, or salt bread, and cream pan. The Japanese bread rolls are available in a variety of flavors, while the cream pan…
Case-led working group proposes gerrymandering solutions
The proposal advocates the use of independent commissions, national standards and algorithmic mapping to prevent partisan interference
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's rehearsal dinner guests leave with special gift boxes featuring wild party favor
Several members of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's inner circle were spotted leaving the couple's rehearsal dinner with mysterious gift boxes in hand.
Top Marketing and Business Leaders at Cannes Lions: Strictly Business
Leaders from NBCUniversal, IBM, State Farm, Autodesk and Coinbase talk trends on Variety's 'Strictly Business' podcast recorded during Cannes Lions.
Best Buy’s 4th of July Blowout Sale: Deals From Apple, Bose, Google, JBL, and Samsung
We're scouring the internet for the best deals so you can save with minimal effort. Celebrate this holiday weekend now with massive discounts on top tech, including iPads, Soundbars, Switch 2 accessories, and more.
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.
Bernie Sanders says US is on the 'verge of a political revolution'
Meet Challenger, the legendary 35-year-old bald eagle making a special appearance to celebrate America's 250th anniversary in Washington, D.C., as military aircraft stage a thunderous dress rehearsal overhead.
I shopped Best Buy’s 4th of July sale to find the 10 best tech deals worth buying
4th of July deals on TVs, speakers, headphones and more are live at Best Buy through the end of the holiday weekend.
Taylor Swift's MSG rehearsal dinner includes celebs, cocktails
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's multi-day wedding extravaganza reportedly kicked off with a star-studded rehearsal dinner and, of course, cocktails.
'A Great Foundation for Our Upcoming Projects in This Universe' — CD Projekt Hails Cyberpunk 2077 as It Hits an Incredible 40 Million Copies Sold
CD Projekt has hailed the success of Cyberpunk 2077, announcing it has now hit the 40 million copies sold mark. That’s up 5 million copies from the last time the developer announced Cyberpunk 2077 sales, back in November when it hit 35 million.
Maine group revives push for universal health care ballot initiative
Advocates are hoping to gather enough signatures to get a question about publicly funded health care on the November 2027 ballot.
Cyberpunk 2077 passes another extraordinary sales milestone as CD Projekt Red hails "the incredible, lasting strength" of the game
Yes, the launch was bad, but the success of CDPR's retro-futuristic RPG is undeniable.
Iran exploring oil sales to Japan, buyers seek longer sanctions waiver, sources
Iran has begun talks to sell oil to Japanese companies, though prospective buyers are seeking a longer U.S. sanctions waiver and reassurances on safe shipping conditions in the Gulf, three Iranian and Western sources said.
Asking Eric: Spouse refuses to ever apologize
A spouse’s lifelong refusal to admit small mistakes leaves their partner feeling dismissed, resentful, and increasingly worn down by repeated blame-shifting behavior.
Lancaster County public sales: July 3, 2026
Martin & Rutt Auctioneers LLC, of New Holland, conducted a public auction of real estate June 23 for Sarah L. Smucker at 107 Ewell Road, East Earl. A four-bedroom house
What Caesars Entertainment (CZR)'s Wabanaki iCasino Expansion and Bearish Zacks Rank Mean For Shareholders
In late June 2026, Caesars Entertainment Inc. announced it had expanded its partnership with three Wabanaki Nations in Maine to cover potential online casino gaming, adding three branded iGaming platforms that integrate with Caesars Rewards and its Universal Digital Wallet, subject to regulatory approvals. At the same time, the company faced sharply weaker analyst sentiment, including a very large downward revision to current-year earnings estimates that pushed it onto the Zacks Rank #5...
Roma, Basel reach agreement over Calafiori’s resale clause
Riccardo Calafiori is one of the players who emerged from Roma’s youth system and has managed to establish himself on the big stage. The former Giallorossi defender won the Premier League with Arsen...
Valley Golf Center owners say it's been an 'honor' as business closes
KMPH Fox 26 is the Central Valley's news leader, covering Fresno, California and the surrounding area, including Clovis, Madera, Hanford, Visalia, Biola, Kerman, Tranquillity, San Joaquin, Reedley, Coalinga, Avenal, Lemoore, Tulare, Selma, Caruthers, Tollhouse, Three Rivers, Porterville, and Merced.
Political division casts pall over 250th anniversary celebration
Michiganians fretted about political division in the U.S. even as they attended Greenfield Village to celebrate 250 years of the country being together.
Decatur Square businesses thrive during 2026 FIFA Men's World Cup and WatchFest: "...beyond our wildest imagination"
Local restaurants and bars in Decatur Square are reporting record crowds and sales as soccer fans flock to the area for World Cup matches and WatchFest events.
Saving science as we know it: Overview of new proposed rule from the Office of Management and Budget, and how we can make our voices heard.
The Office of Management and Budget has proposed to completely restructure federal funding for science as we know it. In this bite, we review the most relevant points in the proposal and describe how to submit public comments on it by the deadline of July 13th, 2026.
Nevada’s FY26 preliminary business sales revenue increases by 3.8%, Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar says
State's preliminary business sales revenue is $226.6 million, according to officials.
Why Kotek is directing Oregon to prioritize small business contracts
Oregon small businesses will get preference in state contracting, Gov. Tina Kotek announced. Here's why.
Are You Tracking These 5 Warehouse Metrics? If Not, Here's Why You Should Be.
Many leaders prioritize marketing, customer acquisition and sales channels to scale, but what they really need is hiding in plain sight.
‘I feel violated’: Burglars target Northwest Side salon; 4th different beauty business targeted
Burglars broke into a hair salon at The Rim shopping center this week. The crime shares similarities with others recently.
Amendment 61: A.4 Rapid Response and Novel Research in Earth Science Final Close Date Deferred
A.4 Rapid Response and Novel Research in Earth Science (RRNES) solicits proposals that advance the goals and objectives of NASA's Earth Science Division by
Anderson strikes tentative deal to sell forage business
Sale would allow company to pay ‘virtually’ all its creditors Anderson Hay has struck a tentative deal with an unnamed “strategic partner” to buy most of its forage business as […]
iPhone Fold could help raise average foldable phone prices by 18%
Apple’s entry into the foldable smartphone market will reportedly be one of the factors driving an 18% increase in average sale prices in the category in 2026.
Amendment 60: Final 2025 Due Date Extended for C.2 Solar System Science
C.2 Solar System Science solicits proposals for research, data analysis, data preservation, and tools that support investigations to help ascertain the
Booming business: America250 celebrations boost fireworks shops
Pyrotechnics dealers say the Fourth of July falling on a Saturday and the 250th anniversary of the United States have teamed up to make this one of the best years ever for fireworks sales.
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.
Court Stops USDA From Enforcing Funding Conditions Tied to DEI, Women’s Sports
The U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts recently blocked the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) efforts to withhold funding from states and grant recipients that have not confirmed their compliance with Trump administration policies on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), “gender ideology,” women’s and girls’ sports, and immigration.
Oregon Health Authority director Dr. Sejal Hathi resigns
Oregon Health Authority director Dr. Sejal Hathi resigned from her position leading one of the state's largest agencies, effective Aug. 1.
How a new White House proposal could fundamentally change American science
In this webinar, we discuss the potential impacts of a Trump admin plan to overhaul how federal research grants are awarded and administered.
Rivian boosts delivery outlook as EV sales top estimates
The company now expects to deliver between 65,000 and 70,000 vehicles this year, exceeding the roughly 63,000 deliveries expected by Wall Street analysts.
'Grand Theft Auto 6' Video Game Sales Off To Strong Start
Sales of video game "Grand Theft Auto 6" from Take-Two Interactive Software appear to be off to a strong start. TTWO stock rose Thursday.
Taylor Swift was a big part of their weddings. Now, fans are celebrating hers.
Swift's wedding inspires fans to reflect on how her music shaped their own weddings, proposals and love stories over the years.
Ford sales struggle with no Escape, F-Series woes, less rental business
Ford struggled compared to crosstown competitors General Motors Co. and Stellantis NV.
Ford reports Q2 sales down 10% as it transforms the business
Ford reported a decline in Q2 U.S. sales as commercial fleet sales pulled back and pickup production struggled to catch up after a fire at a supplier.
Silicon Valley-Themed 'Breaking The Code' Boarded By Two Sales Reps.
The Silicon Valley-themed 'Breaking the Code,' about pioneering Indian entrepreneur Kanwal Rekhi, has been boarded by two international sales agents.
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
Manage Your Business Projects Like a Pro With Microsoft Project 2024
This lifetime license to the full Professional version is on sale for a one-time $49.97.
Sal's childhood crush Alyssa Milano surprises him in “Impractical Jokers ”season 13 trailer (exclusive)
Brian "Q" Quinn isn't sure if he still has the "guts" to do the show.
Sal's childhood crush Alyssa Milano surprises him in 'Impractical Jokers' season 13 trailer (exclusive)
EW has the exclusive trailer for season 13 of 'Impractical Jokers,' and the pranks get so wild that Brian 'Q' Quinn isn't sure if he has 'the guts for the show anymore.'
Croatia criticised for ‘unambitious’ changes to 2022 science law
Croatia’s science ministry has been accused of a lack of ambition, and even incompetence, over proposed changes to the country’s 2022 science law. Critics say an opportunity has been missed to fix wider shortcomings in the research and universities system.“This law, like all the previous ones, will not significantly change the current state of science in Croatia,” Vlatko Silobrčić, a member of the Croatian Academy of Sciences, told Science Business. “A small shift here and there will not have a significant impact.”The 2022 law introduced multi-year block grant financing of research, based on results, and changes intended to boost employment and career progression for researchers and lecturers. But implementation of the law has been uneven. “It became apparent that certain of its provisions were subject to different interpretations by higher education institutions and scientific institutes,” the science ministry said in its proposal for change. “This caused legal uncertainty in the system, administrative difficulties in implementation and, in certain cases, unequal treatment of teachers, scientists and students.”Most of the proposed amendments deal with technicalities in hiring and promoting staff, such as extending the committee deadlines from 60 to 90 days, or allowing applicants to cite all of their achievements and not only those since their last appointment.Both the ministry and Croatian media highlighted changes that would raise the retirement age from 65 to 67 years and allow part-time students 15 year rather than 10 years to finish their studies.The change to retirement age has been criticised for reinforcing a weakness in the system. According to Matko Marušić, professor emeritus at the University of Split, this will “allow unproductive teachers to advance and work longer, while hindering and discouraging productive ones.”A longtime campaigner for excellence-based meritocracy, he sees little hope in the new legislation. “I am not optimistic that things will improve,” he told Science Business. “As recent changes to the law in Croatia show, the legal framework is becoming increasingly hypocritical and harmful.”For Marušić, who analyses Croatia's university system in a recently published book, the situation is “unfavourable and constantly deteriorating” due to the criteria used for academic advancement.“The key criterion for advancement should be scientific productivity,” he said. “In Croatia [. . .] scientific criteria are increasingly lowered, and ineffective and absurd criteria such as waiting times for promotion and age limits for remaining in a job are promoted.” He would also like to see better criteria for the quality of teaching at universities. “In practice, teaching is not monitored or evaluated,” he said, estimating that up to a third of teaching simply does not take place. “Under the guise of university autonomy and bad laws, universities and faculties are allowed to earn additional money by increasing enrolment quotas that have nothing to do with the needs of the labour market.” Lack of ambitionDora Kršul, a reporter at Telegram.hr who covers science policy in Croatia, finds the rationale for changes “bizarre.” “The ministry responsible for supervising the uniform application of the law is changing the law because it is being implemented unevenly,” she said. “This primarily speaks to the power relationship in the sphere of science and higher education in Croatia, that is, the question arises as to who actually manages this system.”Rather than raising quality, she continued, the changes appear to be designed to help vocational and applied universities who have not been complying with the law.The Independent Union of Research and Higher Education Employees of Croatia said that the changes were “unambitious” and represent a missed opportunity for more important changes. “We think some of the changes are even negative,” it said in its statement on June 25. One of these is introduction of an “assistant” job title that allows people to be hired only for the duration of a project. Related articles: Elections to top science bodies test Croatia’s gender equality in researchSlovakia revises R&D approach to increase focus on competitivenessLatvia pilots citizen engagement in research grant evaluationsThe union’s president, Tvrtko Smital, who was part of the 15-member working group tasked with drafting the changes, told the local media there was a “worrying lack of ambition” in the process, and “lack of competence” in terms of research experience and understanding the problems in the system.“There is no clear will to deal with the problems,” said Smital, an assistant professor of marine and environmental sciences at the Ruđer Bošković Institute in Zagreb. “It’s a combination of unambitiousness and incompetence,” he went on, expressing his “deep frustration” with the situation. “There is no strategy, no clear thinking, and money is not being spent optimally.”Croatia’s science ministry has not responded to requests for comment.
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.
Silk flower business destroyed by fire early Thursday in Cobb County
A fire heavily damaged a wholesale silk flower business in Cobb County early Thursday morning.
Fixing the health cost crisis
As health costs are expected to be top-of-mind for voters ahead of the midterms, both parties are falling short on proposals that will actually solve the crisis.
UK business morale slumps as Iran war pushes up costs, survey shows
British business confidence fell to its lowest since 2022 as the Iran war, which pushed up costs, saps expectations for future sales, a survey of accountants showed on Thursday.
Where does Galbraith's £10m move rank among Swans' big sales?
Swansea City sold Ethan Galbraith to Stoke City for a fee of around £10 million but where does that rank among Swansea's biggest sales?
Liverpool feeling full weight of massive Mo Salah regret
Liverpool have an enormous Mohamed Salah regret. They're now feeling the full weight of it.Mohamed Salah left Liverpool this summer. The Egyptian is no longer a Red and will find a new club, something...
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…
Cheers and jeers for mayor’s reversal on NYPD headcount
A plan to increase NYPD headcount by 580 officers was scrapped in the final city budget.
SF Now Has 30 Boozy ‘Entertainment Zones,’ Which Are Also Boosting Local Businesses
Bar and restaurant owners in neighborhoods with active entertainment zones — where alcohol can be sold and consumed in public during street festivals or other designated events — say the zones have contributed to a significant boost in sales.
'Salute to America' at Greenfield Village to start with sold-out DSO performances
"Salute to America," which starts Thursday and runs through Sunday, will feature the DSO's principal conductor leading the concert all four nights.
Marion County leaders blast 'unnecessary' OHA rules, demand rescission
Marion County leaders are asking the Oregon Health Authority to rescind recent rule changes they say endanger patients, staff and the community.
AP source: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce will celebrate wedding Friday at MSG
The festivities will kick off with a smaller rehearsal dinner planned for Thursday night, the official said.
How cryptocurrencies are changing global politics
Despite once dismissing them, Donald Trump made over $1 billion from cryptocurrency sales last year. But the digital currencies, and their lobbyists, are having an effect on policy and politicians around the world.
After Supreme Court ruling, Republicans propose banning pregnant foreigners
The proposals follow Tuesday's Supreme Court decision to uphold birthright citizenship
Report: Penguins sign Andrei Kuzmenko to one-year contract
The Pittsburgh Penguins keep adding, the latest is the report that winger Andrei Kuzmenko is joining the team for one year and $5.0 million. Kuzmenko has been among the NHL’s slowest skaters, but has the hands and scoring ability to cover up that deficiency. Curiously, his salary is right in the price range of Rickard […]
Families describe daily health challenges near the Salton Sea
Research examines air quality and respiratory health among children
Study Reveals Biology Underlying Oral Health Issues in Down Syndrome
Low saliva from calcium signaling dysfunction, microbiome changes may contribute to high rates of gum disease
How the Iran War Ignited a Clash Between Trump and the Saudi Crown Prince
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pressed President Trump earlier to cripple Iran. But as Iran asserted its power, the prince urged a cease-fire, and is now pursuing his security priorities.
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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