SCROLL NEWS / DISCOVERY
Search headlines
Find the stories shaping the conversation.
Results for " Book " 5,204 found 🔀 AI-powered Shuffle
Xiaomi 18 Fold: New colors officially revealed
Xiaomi has unveiled two new colors for its upcoming 18 Fold, joining the previously revealed red model. Set to launch in China on September 7, the foldable is expected to feature high-brightness displays, Leica-branded cameras, the new Xring O3 chipset and a 6,000mAh battery.
Barcelona star to be left out of squad vs Valencia
One member of the squad called upon by La Liga giants Barcelona for their upcoming meeting with Valencia will be omitted from the club’s official matchday list. This comes owing to an overbooking in...
Gasperini booked for protesting Colombo’s decision
Roma dominated the first half, but failed to find the back of the net. Gian Piero Gasperini was extremely frustrated, and in the closing stages he became furious with referee Colombo, who, according t...
Your Android phone might soon double as a wireless mouse for Googlebook
As we count down the days until Google's September 15 media showcase in New York City, the continued addition of cross-device continuity features being prepped behind the scenes is making me more...
CDFW: Scientists keeping an eye on river conditions to protect winter-and-fall-run salmon
From the Department of Fish and Wildlife As California continues to feel the impacts of a heat dome that is bringing higher than normal temperatures to large portions of the state, it’s a good time to remember that fish and wildlife — especially salmon — need cold water, too. River temperature management is critical for salmon’s survival and spawning. Earlier this year, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced that commercial ocean salmon fishing was back after being closed for three […]
INVESTOR DEADLINE ALERT: Hims & Hers Health, Inc. (HIMS) Investors with Substantial Losses Have Opportunity to Lead Class Action Lawsuit
Did you buy HIMS securities between August 4, 2025 and July 29, 2026? Affected HIMS Investor Summary Who: Hims & Hers Health, Inc. (NYSE: HIMS) What:...
Lenovo goes MacBook Neo: Hands-on review with Lenovo's best-looking $699 laptop
Consumer laptops do not have to look boring - with the Lenovo IdeaPad vibe, Lenovo goes for a design with a few colorful twists, at an attractive price-point with many useful features. We had a chance to check it out at IFA 2026.
Colorado Politics Calendar Sept. 7-13
CoPo’s weekly political calendar will help you find political and public-policy events throughout Colorado. It includes candidate and issue campaign events, public policy meetings, court hearings, state and local party conventions, assemblies, debates, rallies, parades, speaking engagements, traveling dignitary appearances, water meetings, book signings, county commission hearings, city council meetings and more. As a subscriber, […]
Cosm’s 700-seat domes make NFL rights run like venue operations
Cosm’s NFL deal brings Thursday, Sunday, and Monday games into 700-seat 12K domes, changing staffing, AV ops, and ticketing playbooks.
Author Lise Barnéoud on the bizarre and provoking world of microchimerism — when cells from one person live in another, genetically distinct individual
Journalist and author Lise Barnéoud talks to Live Science about her book "Hidden Guests," which dives into the field of microchimerism and how it's transforming our knowledge of genetics, immunology and evolution.
Cecile Azarcon honored with new tribute song
Cheska CK with Cecile Azarcon Photo from Facebook/@BaleKuCafe ‘The Songs Came Home’ celebrates the veteran songwriter behind enduring OPM favorites Veteran Filipino songwriter Cecile Azarcon-Inocentes is the subject of a new tribute song honoring a career that has produced some of Original Pilipino Music’s enduring compositions. “The Songs Came Home,” released by TrueStoriesSung Creative Studio, features…
15 discouraging hours with Onimusha: Way of the Sword, and 10 brilliant ones with He Who Watches
In the last few weeks, while playing some video games that I might review, I emailed two cries for help. I sent the first to a rep for Capcom, confessing that the company’s samurai game Onimusha Way of the Sword (out today for PC and console) was crushing me. “Feels like I’m playing ‘hard’ mode, not ‘normal,’” I wrote. “And I don’t want to have to knock it down to “story”. I’m exploring, trying to level my gear, but these two-phase boss fights with no mid-fight checkpoints are brutal.” I wagered I was only about halfway through the game, if that. I wasn’t sure I could keep up with the steepening difficulty curve. Was I missing something? Then, on Monday, I took some photos of some puzzles that were baffling me in the mind-bending He Who Watches (out now on PC), wrote out lengthy descriptions of how I’d been trying to solve them and asked Bobby Vanden, the game’s solo developer, for a nudge in the right direction. I told Vanden I’d spent hours on these puzzles. “I’m stuck in triplicate,” I told him. Could he tell me if the solutions I was attempting were even on the right track? I didn’t mention that the puzzles—coupled with major time pressures from other work—were stressing me out so much that playing the game was giving me headaches. This double dose of panic was unusual. I’m used to managing a workload full of reporting and reviewing, used to a crowded schedule and the need to stay calm amid the bustle. But I was stressed about these games. No one was forcing me to review them, nor even play them. I’d simply found them interesting enough to start, hoped they’d be interesting enough to write about and I’d sunk hours into them assuming I’d made the right call. Suddenly, however, I felt trapped. I was emailing for a way out. Above: This guy took me about an hour to beat. The feedback I got from Capcom confirmed my fears. They didn’t say it, but I will: Onimusha Way of the Sword is not for me. It’s a brutally hard game in need of a normal difficulty level. It’s a game that spikes so severely during its abundant boss fights—yet offers such flawed ways to improve when outside of them—that it feels like a bait-and-switch. In the new Onimusha, you play as famed samurai Musashi Miyamoto, aided by a magical soul-absorbing gauntlet that is possessed by a lady who offers advice. (Way of the Sword is a continuation of Capcom’s long-dormant Onimusha series, but that set-up had me wondering if the company was cribbing from their ill-fated Bionic Commando reboot; read about “wife-arm” when you get a chance). Way of the Sword is partially set in 17th century Kyoto, an explorable city where Miyamoto can fight demons, help civilians and eventually rescue ghostly dogs. The city evolves over time, with new mini adventures and obtainable loot on offer, all feeding into systems that promise to upgrade your gear and sword-fighting skills. Upgrades, however, are so incremental as to be imperceptible, causing the exploration of Kyoto to feel like inconsequential busywork. From that hub, players can go on linear missions into forests and old temples, where they will encounter many of the game’s tough bosses. Combat in Way of the Sword is akin to many modern melee games. Players are asked to mix attacks with dodges and parries. They’re encouraged to deplete an enemy’s stamina bar in order to do greater damage to its health bar. The old Onimusha games’ signature move was the issen, a counter-attack so sudden it’s all but pre-emptive. You strike just as they begin to strike toward you, beating them to the cut. By definition, the issen is a high risk move, leaving you wide open to pain. It feels risky in the game, especially against bosses, who can maul you in just a few blows. A game might train you to perform an issen well by offering a variety of lesser enemies who are not as tough as the boss but get close. Or it might offer a toehold against bosses by saving or checkpointing the player’s progress when a boss’ first health bar has been destroyed and before the second health bar appears. It might offer the less skilled player a chance to over-level their character, should the player simply commit to playing through its optional sidequests. Way of the Sword does none of this. Fighting its trivially easy grunt enemies and then its ferociously adept bosses is like playing a game of chess where I’ve got a rook, while the opposing side is all pawns and five queens. Bosses simply don’t checkpoint. You may be able to clear a boss’ first phase without taking much damage. Good for you. Do it again, every time you fail the second phase. As for the the central Kyoto hub, I kept pace with all of its added side activities and never felt like I was overpowered. Bosses could still easily buckle me. The new Onimusha, I concluded, is just too discouraging to keep playing. The advice I got from Capcom had been well-intentioned. They reminded me of the game’s various systems. They alerted me to an optional assist that flashes recommended button inputs (basically: counter this move; dodge that move). It was a little helpful. So was dropping down to “story mode,” which I tried last night. Story mode turns on those button prompts by default. It makes countering and dodging way too easy, nearly automatic. I don’t consider myself a master of action games like these, but I’ve cleared the likes of God of War, Stellar Blade, Star Wars Jedi and others of sub-Sekiro difficulty and had a fun time doing so. Not here. Not yet. Unless they patch Onimusha: Way of the Sword and add a middle difficulty or just checkpoint the damn bosses when they’re between health bars, my streak of loving Capcom games released in 2026 will likely end at two. It’s a shame, because I was having a good time finding those ghostly dogs. And then there’s He Who Watches, a phenomenal first person puzzle game with Portal vibes, except instead of a portal gun you’ve got a magical bow that shoots one arrow that can activate switches or be used to drag blocks. The twist is an actual twist: you can also walk on walls and the ceiling, reorienting gravity as you do, thereby placing blocks onto those other surfaces. Walking on walls and ceilings to solve problems is really the best thing. Would that I could in reality. He Who Watches consists of locked-room challenges, each brief enough to only require about a minute to actually solving, though it will take five, 10, eventually 30 minutes to figure out said solutions. They are not obvious! It’s a game of layered mechanics and shocking solutions. For example, see if you can follow this: You can drag a block to a wall. Then you can walk on the wall, which now feels like the floor, and drag that block across the wall. Later, back on the floor, you might realize you can look up. The block is still on the wall, stuck to it. You can shoot your magic arrow to its underside. Doing so creates a tether, so that you can yank the block off the wall and carry it, as if it were a balloon, into the spot where you need it to be to solve the puzzle. Here, watch Vanden explain some of the game’s basics in this launch trailer: As with any great puzzle game, the solutions to He Who Watches’ puzzles elicit relief and amazement. Oh my god, that worked! I didn’t even think that could be possible! Learning to solve the game’s puzzles feels like learning magic. But, oh, does the game get hard. Its Steam reviews, mostly glowing, are full of players remarking how quickly He Who Watches made them sweat. Wrote one: “loving this one already although my brain is hurting!” Wrote another: “As you get further in the game it feels like you need an IQ level of at least 120+.” Vanden has shown some mercy. Each locked room puzzle includes an optional junior version of the puzzle, meant to teach you. Difficulty nevertheless ramps severely. By the time I was emailing Vanden for help, I was struggling to even clear one of the hint puzzles. When I messaged him, my stress was exacerbated by strange things I’d found in the game’s various hubs: suspicious passageways, odd blocks and some intriguing locked doors. These were hints of secrets, I realized, yet I sensed I needed to play further into the game to understand them. I was stuck, but I wanted to see the rest. Vanden offered to give me the exact solutions, to solve those three puzzles for me, but first he gave four nudges. Three were for the specific puzzles, but his best hint was for all and ultimately proved to be a terrific life lesson: go back a bit, he suggested. Do the puzzles right before those. They were teaching you something. Focus on what their lesson was. Don’t rush, in other words. Recognize what you’ve accomplished. Build off of that. I did so. I absorbed the lessons. I saw those three tough puzzles in a new light. I solved one the night after he wrote back, another the morning after. I left a third for another time. I didn’t need it and I wanted to plunge deeper into the game, closer to the moment when I was sure I could start unlocking those secret doors. My head stopped hurting, too. He Who Watches feels special. It’s got more challenges, and I’m undeterred. It’s also nice that its puzzles don’t have a surprise second health bar. Game File is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe Item 2: In brief… 🎮 Ilari Kuittinen, co-founder of Helsinki-based Housemarque (Super Stardust HD, Resogun, Returnal) has stepped down from his studio, after a 31-year run, saying he’s “ taking a rare and well-deserved breather.” Sony purchased Housemarque in 2021, and the studio released its newest game, Saros, earlier this year. Trend-watch: Sony-owned Insomniac saw its founder Ted Price retire in early 2025, after a 30-year run. Sony-owned Sucker Punch saw its co-founder Brian Fleming step down in late 2025, after a 28-year run. 👀 Savvy Games Group chief Brian Ward is stepping down from the Saudi-government-backed games conglomerate, Bloomberg reports. No word on a long-term successor yet, nor if this augurs any closer integration between Savvy and Electronic Arts. EA was purchased by a consortium led by Saudi’s sovereign wealth fund, in early August. 💿 Square Enix has denied a Japanese media report that the company was planning to go private. In very different Square Enix news, the company revealed that the physical version of Final Fantasy VII: Revelation, the April 2027 finale of its radical remakes of FFVII, will include just one disc in its case, requiring a download for the rest. The first two FFVII remakes in the trilogy shipped on two discs apiece. While Square hasn’t commented on the reason why, a feature here in Game File last month broke down the processes and costs for physical games. The expense of a second disc comes out of the game publisher’s cut of each copy. Square could be saving in excess of a dollar a copy with this move. 🟥 Grand Theft Auto IV’s 26-minute ’‘extended look” gameplay showcase that premiered on Netflix last week—and was exclusive to the platform for six hours—drew 31.1 million views in its first four days, the streamer announced. (Netflix calculates views as total viewed hours divided by runtime; excludes replays). Compared to YouTube: The version that later premiered on Rockstar Games’ YouTube channel is sitting at 22.6 million views after seven days (YouTube’s more liberal counting system tallies anyone who viewed even just the first few second.) Compared to other Netflix mega-events: Last year, Stranger Things season 5’s first four episodes, which debuted together, drew a record 59.6 million views in their first few days on Netflix. For more of a live event type of comparison, in 2024, the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson boxing match drew 65 million concurrent streams as it happened; Netflix didn’t release live numbers for the GTA premiere. ☁️ Microsoft is changing the way it charges for cloud gaming, from an all-you-can-play offer for Xbox Game Pass subscribers, to caps for the subscription’s tiers (15 hours per month at the Ultimate tier), with the option to buy more hours in bulk beyond that. The company also said it will sell batches of cloud gaming time to non-Game Pass subscribers, details TBA. Microsoft does not release figures for cloud game usage, but said its changes would impact 4% of Game Pass subscribers. That implies a small portion of its subscribers exceed the 15-hour monthly mark. Cloud gaming offers the promise of playing games without the need for console or PC hardware, as the graphics, sound and controls are all transmitted via a streaming connection. Microsoft notes that its cloud gaming service can be used for a range of things, including Xbox One players using it to play newer-gen Xbox Series games via streaming; and people playing games via streaming, sans any console, “in markets where consoles are less available or affordable.” (That latter use case could even be relevant in Xbox’s home market soon, as console prices keep rising.) Take Two Interactive chairman Strauss Zelnick recently told investors he expects game-streaming tech, which has been only lightly adopted by gamers for over a decade, to be widely used within three years. 🇺🇸 The Trump administration has published multiple agenda-driven web video games to the White House’s website. One called Build The Wall partially clones Tetris as it asks players to build a wall to stop a “zombie border siege.” While actual Tetris involves clearing lines and basically not building a wall, the Trump-backed game omits the line-clearing aspect (and omits the fun as well). On Instagram, Tetris’ official license holders reacted by stating: “At Tetris we believe in the power of connection and bringing people together, not dividing them. To our fans everywhere: we love you, we see you, and we’re grateful to have you in our community. P.S. The Tetris Company was not involved in the creation of ‘Build the Wall.’ P.P.S.: We take copyright infringement very seriously.” Item 3: The week ahead: Tuesday, September 8 Game releases: Mewgenics (consoles; already out on PC) is an engrossing tactical combat game (with cats). It is getting its console port right after the release of a Star Wars tactics game and ahead of the late September launch of a Fire Emblem–a bumper crop for the genre. Wanderburg (PC) is an auto-shooting game like Vampire Survivors, but you’re a castle on wheels Event: Nintendo airs a 30-minute Nintendo Direct (10am ET) focused on The Legend of Zelda’s 40th Anniversary. A full unveiling of the upcoming remake of The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time is expected. Will they also show footage from next year’s live action movie? Tease the next big 3D Zelda? Add Link to Mario Kart World? Shadow-drop a new Tingle game? Wednesday, September 9 Event: Nintendo again! On this day, they’re planning to air a 45-minute Nintendo Direct (10am ET) focused on games heading to Switch 2 this winter. Followed by about an hour of gameplay demoed by the company’s Treehouse team. The September Nintendo Directs are always some of the year’s biggest. The 2025 edition included announcements of several major 2026 Switch/Switch 2 games: Pokémon Pokopia, Mario Tennis Fever, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, Fire Emblem Fortune’s Weave. Plus the return of the Virtual Boy. Friday, September 11 Game release: EA Sports NHL 27 (PlayStation, Xbox) is a hockey game. There are so few that an indie studio that had been making wacky sci-fi first-person shooters just announced that, hey, we’re going to fill a void and make a hockey game for PC.
Looking for more Dolly? Check out these movie screenings
Regal Cinemas is showing two of Dolly Parton’s hit movies for six days of special screenings — with all proceeds going to the star’s book gifting program.
Nursing Home Jobs Nearly Flat in August as Healthcare Hiring Slows
Job growth at skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) essentially stayed unchanged in August compared to a month ago,
HP’s latest OmniBooks get RTX Spark, 128 GB LPDDR5X RAM and 3K OLED displays
HP has unveiled the OmniBook Ultra 16 and OmniBook X 14, two RTX Spark-powered laptops that are among the first to offer the lower-tier 18-core N1X configuration with a 5,120-core Blackwell RTX GPU. Both come with up to 128 GB of LPDDR5X-9400 memory and 3K 120 Hz OLED displays.
HP unveils the world's thinnest Nvidia RTX Spark laptops for professionals and gamers alike
Perfect for people who want to deploy AI wherever they are.
Armor Health and the Stark County Sheriff's Office Partner in Launching PATH Program at Stark County Jail and Celebrate First Graduates
/PRNewswire/ -- Armor Health (ArmorHealthcare.com), a national provider of correctional healthcare, has launched the Prevention, Accountability, Treatment &...
Looking for health information in Spanish? Discover UCHealth’s news site and Facebook community.
As Colorado's Hispanic population continues to grow, UCHealth offers trusted health information in Spanish, interpreter services and a welcoming community for Spanish speakers.
Science Applications (SAIC) Grew Revenue 6% but Posted a 0.6 Book-to-Bill Ratio. Is the $22B Backlog Enough?
Science Applications International Corporation (NASDAQ:SAIC) reported second-quarter fiscal 2027 revenue of $1.88 billion, up 6.3% year over year. Net bookings, however, were approximately $1.2 billion. That produced a quarterly book-to-bill ratio of 0.6, calculated as net bookings divided by revenue, while the trailing 12-month ratio was 0.8. Total backlog stood at approximately $22.1 billion, including […]
The Grimm Reapress and the Drearytale Monster coming west in 2027 for PS5, Switch 2, Switch, and PC
NIS America will release storybook adventure game The Grimm Reapress and the Drearytale Monster for PlayStation 5, Switch 2, Switch, and PC via Steam in 2027 in the west, the publisher announced. I…
Q&A: How do statisticians contribute to research and policy on gun violence?
In this Q&A, Penn State researchers spoke about why they compiled a book about the latest gun violence research and how statisticians and data scientists can contribute their expertise in working with incomplete or biased data and advancing new analytical methods in this field.
Hisense Brings True-to-Life Color, Eye Comfort and Immersive Entertainment to IFA 2026
/PRNewswire/ -- Hisense, a leading global brand in consumer electronics and home appliances, is showcasing its latest display, laser and audio innovations at...
Apple Planning to Update MacBook Neo in Three Ways
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman today reported that Apple plans to release a second-generation MacBook Neo in 2027 with three updates: an A19 Pro chip, 12GB of RAM, and new color options. Released in March 2026, the current MacBook Neo has an A18 Pro chip with 8GB of RAM, and it is available in Silver, Blush, Citrus, and Indigo. In the U.S., the laptop initially started at $599, but Apple raised the price to $699 in June.
BenQ Unveils New Visual Innovations for Work and Entertainment at IFA 2026
/PRNewswire/ -- BenQ, the world's leading provider of technology products and solutions, joins IFA Berlin with its latest innovations across lighting,...
BenQ Unveils New Visual Innovations for Work and Entertainment at IFA 2026
/PRNewswire/ -- BenQ, the world's leading provider of technology products and solutions, joins IFA Berlin with its latest innovations across lighting,...
PRIMA raises $5M to turn hot tables into a referral business
Miami-based PRIMA wants to change that. The hospitality booking platform has raised a $5 million seed round to expand its performance-based referral network
September 4 Playbook: Fetterman Shows Little Interest In Doing Job
👷 Happy Labor Day Weekend. We’re off Monday for the holiday. And thank you to everyone that makes the dream work. 🎶 Your Morning Pick Me Up. Workin For A Livin. Huey Lewis & The News PA Weather☂️ Pittsburgh | Mostly Cloudy, Showers, 86☀️ Harrisburg | Mostly Sunny, 86☀️ Philadelphia…
Trails over textbooks
UD initiative inspires environmental lessons to take high schoolers beyond the classroom
Sony's PlayStation disc plant is losing 10 percent of its volume in 2028, not 90
Sony’s PlayStation disc plant is losing 10 percent of its volume in 2028, not 90 Sony won’t license disc pressing to anyone else, Microsoft does, and a former PlayStation boss thinks that’s the whole problem. When Sony DADC chief Dietmar Tanzer spoke with an Austrian broadcaster in July about PlayStation disc production at the Thalgau plant, a number of press outlets misunderstood the report, writing that production would fall to a tenth of current levels. It won’t. Sony DADC confirmed to Game this week that the figure is a 10 percent decline, not a decline to 10 percent. “To clarify and avoid any misleading information: in that statement Dietmar anticipated an overall product volume decline by 10 percent, not a decline down to 10 percent,” a spokesperson with Sony DADC told Game. That figure covers 2028. Tanzer didn’t put a number on the years after, and the spokesperson declined to comment further. What we do know is that on July 1, PlayStation announced that physical game disc production for all new games releasing on PlayStation consoles will be discontinued starting January 2028 and that the transition has no impact on games that have already released in disc format or will be releasing in disc format prior to that month. “So, there will be reorders going to the market after January 2028,” the Sony DADC spokesperson said. “For details around that I would ask you to liaise with the PR team from PlayStation, as we can’t speak or comment on their behalf.” PlayStation officials did not respond to questions about reorders or other disc-related matters. But I did recently speak with Shawn Layden, Game Industry Strategic Advisor and former chairman of SIE Worldwide Studios, who called a future without physical PlayStation discs “depressing, but solvable.” then added, “I think.” The chief hurdle to third-party manufacturing of collector’s editions or any other version of a PlayStation game disc is that Sony owns the proprietary process to press those discs, Layden said. “And unless they decide or determine a way to license that to some of these bespoke disc manufacturers, there’s no way to make it happen,” he said. Layden was careful to add that he understands the concept but doesn’t have “line of sight on the particulars.” “Depressing but solvable, I think.” — Shawn Layden Microsoft already licenses replication to outside plants. Xbox discs are pressed by manufacturers Microsoft certifies as Authorized Replicators, a term defined in its publisher agreements, with the approved list set at the company’s sole discretion and Microsoft retaining the right to halt manufacture. The structure is still in place today: publishers select an Authorized Replicator in Partner Center and submit a bill of materials created with a Microsoft representative. Sony, by contrast, presses PlayStation discs through Sony DADC, its own manufacturing subsidiary. No one I spoke with said they were in discussions with Sony about doing that, and PlayStation hasn’t responded to questions about whether it would be open to a licensing deal. There is an obvious reason Sony might not want to. Niko Partners analyst Daniel Ahmad pointed it out on the day of the announcement: it’s a platform-led decision, he wrote, designed to cut costs, eliminate the resale market, and drive all revenue through the PlayStation Store. The math is not subtle. On a $70 third-party game sold through the PlayStation Store, Sony keeps $21. Sold at retail, Ahmad says, it earns about half that. Licensing disc replication to an outside manufacturer might not be worth it. And even if it were, it seems unlikely that such a deal would come from boutique companies like iam8bit, which sells collector’s editions of video games. “We would absolutely love to find a way forward to continue making physical PlayStation games,” said Jon Gibson, co-owner and co-creative director of the company. “We are big believers in giving humans the option to truly own media. If we can play a role in helping make that a reality for the future of PlayStation games, count iam8bit in!” If it were to happen, it would most likely be with a company like Conectiv Supply Chain Solutions, a Memphis-based manufacturer of optical discs and vinyl records that also runs third-party logistics, fulfillment and distribution for packaged media. The company, which was formed in 2025 when Los Angeles private equity firm Variant Equity Advisors purchased Vantiva’s Supply Chain Solutions division, traces its lineage back to Technicolor. When it sold the division, Vantiva described the business as having served video game creators for more than 25 years. Conectiv is also buying, not shrinking. Last month it acquired SDS, the distributor for Universal and Warner Bros. home entertainment, consolidating those studios’ packaged-media pipeline from pressing plant to retail shelf. I reached out to Conectiv and its CEO, but haven’t heard back. Layden pointed to music and books in our discussion about the ongoing value of physical media. “No one ever saw the comeback of cassette tape,” he said. “And vinyl didn’t so much come back. The flame went down, the fire’s dying, but the ember was always there, and it just kind of came back. Much like the book business. We thought we’d all be on Kindles right now. “I believe that physical media is crucial and important. One of the things that makes us gamers, one of the core game mechanics, going back to the beginning of time, is collecting stuff. “Did you get all the diamonds in Crash Bandicoot? Did you get all the stars in Mario? And we like to collect our games. And we have a game shelf. And we put all our boxes up there. And if you’re super hardcore, when you buy a game, you buy two copies, right? One stays in the shrink wrap, and you play the other one. What happens to that important cultural part of the gaming world? You know, we buy the steelbook and the three-disc Final Fantasy set and the figurine and, you know, you can’t download any of that. “What happens to that?” And Layden believes it shouldn’t have been a revenue question for PlayStation. “This was a core thing to the experience of our most devoted fans,” he said. “Yeah, it’s fan service. Why would we take that away? Well, we can’t afford to. It’s already 120 bucks, you know, limited edition special purchase onyx box version of whatever, and those sell at a higher rate than the box selling at $69.99 does. So yeah, the market has said they will continue to buy them. You’re just saying you just don’t want to make them anymore.” Layden said he was recently talking with someone about these sorts of business decisions and how they’re made. Too often, he said, it’s all about the financials and nothing else. “OK, we can do this and save this much money, or we can invest this to look at that outcome, or we can do this and have this happen over there, or move this team to Sri Lanka,” he said. “But each one of those, someone also has to have a ledger there saying, ‘OK, what is the brand impact from that move?’ “Iif you can’t resell it, do you really own it?” — Shawn Layden “If we do that, dollars and cents work out. I get it. That’s just math. But what’s the brand impact? Are people going to say, ‘Good move, you guys?’ Or are they going to say, ‘We hate you guys. Quit doing that.’ And sometimes they say, ‘We hate you.’ Then you take a note and say, OK, how much of that can we live with? How much ‘we hate you’ is OK. And when does it go over the line? “I see a lot of companies making decisions which, objectively speaking, I don’t know what the dollar end of that was for you, Mr. Company, but your brand value just dropped 30 percent. So I hope it was worth it.” Of course, shifting to a digital-only model for games raises other issues beyond simply wanting to collect. The biggest is ownership. Layden pointed out that once you go to a streaming-only or download-only model, it’s just a digital footprint on a hard drive. “What does ownership mean anymore?” he said. “It’s a genuine question. Well, in fact, it’s not even a question anymore. It’s like you are shifting the model from ownership to accessibility. “And what’s always been true, which people forget, is you’ve never been able to sell your iTunes library. And you can’t sell your PlayStation download library. So if you can’t resell it, do you really own it?” The touching tribute found in the credits for Star Wars Zero Company. Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy Interview and Hands-On with a Minoan Masterpiece Star Wars Zero Company hands-on: Attack Astromechs, permadeath, and delightfully fatal Rube Goldberg tactics Control Resonant opens up as you get stronger — and as characters start trusting you
Used books are big business in CT again. ‘People are just reading more in general’.
Whether it’s about cost, availability or a rediscovered love of browsing and collecting, stores and book fairs that specialize in used or out-of-print books are booming.
'By Any Means' review: Mark Wahlberg takes the Johnny Depp path
Imagine "Mississippi Burning" meets "Green Book."
Why Julián Álvarez’s Barcelona Dream Still Faces Atlético’s Veto
Julián Álvarez ended the summer window still on Atlético Madrid’s books, but that outcome has settled almost nothing. Barcelona spent the entire market chasing the Argentine, Atlético publicly r...
Book Review: The Messy Business of Making Science Happen
Roberta Kwok’s “Lost in Curiosity” makes the case for luck and hard work over eureka moments in advancing science.
The future of science without animal testing
Federal agencies, such as the NIH, FDA and EPA, and scientists are moving away from animal testing. Learn how non-animal testing methods are changing the future of research.
Think you know the NFL better than an AI?
Online NFL contests are common today, with many offered in the DFS and sportsbook realms, featuring eliminator pools and pick-em formats.
BEYONCÉ MARKS HER BIRTHDAY WITH THE RELEASE OF A REMASTERED DELUXE "B'DAY" ALBUM HER COMING-OF-AGE MASTERPIECE IS AMPLIFIED WITH UPGRADED VISUALS, SURPRISE NEW TRACKS, AND SPANISH LANGUAGE SONGS, INCLUDING COLLABORATIONS WITH MALUMA AND THE LATE SELENA
/PRNewswire/ -- Today marks Beyoncé's birthday and the release of a voluminous remastered B'DAY, her coming-of-age second album. When it was released on...
Ty J. Young Wealth Management acquires Washington-based insurance firm
This is at least the third annuity book acquisition the company has announced in three weeks
Jennifer Aniston's emotional interview with boyfriend Jim Curtis about his health journey
The couple made a rare joint appearance at New York City’s 92nd Street Y, with Jen interviewing her wellness coach boyfriend about hie new guide to healing, “The Book of Possibility.”
I’m Your Friend Who Just Doesn’t “Do Politics”
“I just have other interests, I guess, apart from politics. Did I tell you I’m working with the PTA in the school library to remove any books with objectiona...
10 new paperbacks to pick up this month
From a nonfiction book by Emily Wilson to titles praised by Barack Obama and Conan O'Brien, there's much to read this September.
Lenovo IdeaPad Vibe is a MacBook Neo competitor starting at $699
Lenovo is taking on the MacBook Neo with a colorful new laptop – the IdeaPad Vibe. Announced at Lenovo Innovation...
Lenovo’s new MacBook Neo competitor comes in two sizes and seven colors
Going all in on Vibes.
Apple’s big roadmap for new Mac and iPad models revealed: report
A new report from Omdia offers fresh details on Apple’s roadmap for new Mac and iPad models in the years ahead. Here’s what it says is coming.
Apple Apparently Cancels Plans for Two New MacBooks
Apple has canceled plans for a foldable MacBook and a larger OLED MacBook Pro model, according to research firm Omdia. In a new research note, Omdia said Apple has scrapped development of a large foldable MacBook that would have measured between 16.1 and 18 inches when unfolded.
Apple Reportedly Planning All-New MacBook Model Between Air and Pro
Apple may introduce an entirely new 13.8-inch OLED MacBook model in 2029, potentially creating a new product tier between the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, according to an updated product roadmap from research firm Omdia. The firm's latest roadmap sandwiches a new 13.8-inch MacBook between the projected time line for the Air and Pro models.
Innovative Eyewear, Inc. Announces Q3 Business Update
/PRNewswire/ -- Innovative Eyewear, Inc. ("Innovative Eyewear" or the "Company") (Nasdaq: LUCY; LUCYW), the developer & manufacturer of smart eyewear under the...
Reimagined Ocean Bar Debuts on Oosterdam with Expanded Entertainment
New live music offerings, enhanced performance venue and heritage-inspired design come together as part of Holland America Evolution Key Highlights New Ocean...
My book was a financial failure but it led to career opportunities
Melissa Petro discusses her journey from landing a six-figure book deal to navigating the challenges of publishing and sustainability as an author.
Home Team Friday Week 2 MVP
POSEYVILLE, Ind. (WEHT) — After counting up 1,706 total votes, North Posey’s Carter Schickel was named our Week two Home Team Friday MVP of the night. The senior quarterback threw for over 300 yards for four touchdowns in the Vikings 48-14 win over Tecumseh. Schickel’s performance cemented his spot atop the North Posey record books […]
Harshest Punishments In Sports History: Where Does The Clippers Ruling Rank?
With the hammer officially dropped on the Clippers, let’s dive into the history books. These are the most memorable and impactful sports punishments handed out in history.
Ted Cruz Is Testing the Waters for a 2028 Run—and Taking Swipes at JD Vance
The Texas senator is making trips to Iowa, promoting his book and hitting the podcast circuit as he considers joining the race to succeed Trump.
Science Hill’s Kiantai Harris named Week 2 Player of the Week
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) — Science Hill running back Kiantai Harris ran his way into the school record books Friday night. The junior rushed for a single-game school record 367 yards on 25 carrie…
Leak lists Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake developer as Xenoblade Chronicles studio
A retailer may have inadvertently leaked information about the Ocarina of Time remake. Elkjøp specifies Monolith Soft as the lead developer for the Switch 2 game. While the Xenoblade Chronicles studio has supported Nintendo EPD in recent Zelda projects, its leverage over the franchise has grown.
Dabo Swinney denies claim that Lane Kiffin helped Clemson go after Ole Miss for tampering
Dabo Swinney has denied a claim in an upcoming book that Lane Kiffin helped Clemson call out Ole Miss for alleged tampering of linebacker Luke Ferrelli.
World's Largest Indoor, Multi-Level Karting Track & Premier Entertainment Venue Celebrates Groundbreaking in Columbus, Ohio
/PRNewswire/ -- Supercharged Entertainment, the world's largest indoor, multi-level karting track and premier entertainment venue, broke ground today on the...
Agent of chaos: Lane Kiffin fed Dabo Swinney intel, egged him on to publicly attack Ole Miss over tampering
An excerpt from upcoming book "Lane Being Lane: The Story of Lane Kiffin, College Football's Agent of Chaos"
David Brian Sanders debuts new book ‘The Heart of Entertainment’
Los Angeles news and live streaming video
Dell’s new 14S laptop exists to challenge MacBook Neo and, somehow, might be even cheaper
Apple’s MacBook Neo has made waves in the laptop world because it’s a remarkably well-built and reliable laptop at a...
Small Business Focus: The Wandering Shelf
For Tessa Cannon, books are more than stories. They’re a way to build community. As the owner of The Wandering Shelf, an independent mobile bookstore that launched in Arlington in May 2025, Cannon brings books directly to readers across the community. Operating out of a bookstore van, she sells new and used books for all
‘Harry Potter’ trailer reveals Quirrell first look, Sorting Hat, and more book moments
HBO’s ‘Harry Potter’ television adaptation has released a new teaser trailer filled to the brim with book moments, including the first look at Professor Quirinus Quirrell.
Airbnb names Pepijn Rijvers chief business officer
The former Tripadvisor and Booking.com leader succeeds Dave Stephenson as Airbnb furthers its hotel strategy.
Ecobat Completes Sale of Lithium Recycling Business
/PRNewswire/ -- Ecobat, a global leader in battery recycling and resource recovery, today announced the closing of the sale of its lithium recycling business....
Trump Returns to a Familiar Playbook as the War With Iran Flares Up Again
President Trump called on Iranians to “rise up and fight” on Tuesday as the United States seems increasingly bogged down after six months of conflict.
Business travelers are taking control of the booking journey
Today’s business traveler isn’t just along for the ride. They’re increasingly involved in how trips are planned and booked, and that shift has important implications for travel marketers. According to the latest SmartBrief Business Travel Audience Survey: 80% book or influence travel decisions 40% book travel directly through apps or websites 84% take trips lasting […]
Cherokees remember the removal in ‘Riding the Trail’ book
The Remember the Removal bike ride is one the most significant journeys a young Cherokee can take as they retrace the Trail of Tears and learn the history of how
SUN | Luminis Health facilities dealing with a cyberattack
Luminis Health is experiencing a cybersecurity incident affecting certain systems across its organization, according to a Facebook post Tuesday.“Our priority re
Industry Focus eBook
Keep up with the latest advances in quantum science with this exclusive Quantum Science Insight from Industry eBook.
Commercial AI cuts pulmonary nodule assessment times by up to 25%
The use of artificial intelligence-enabled software could significantly reduce interpretation times for chest CT scans, experts write in RSNA's Radiology.
HK-Listed Macau Firm Asia Pioneer Entertainment (8400.HK) H1 Profit Surges 90-Fold Targets Overseas Expansion for Future Growth
/PRNewswire/ -- Asia Pioneer Entertainment Holdings Limited ("APE" or the "Company"; Stock Code: 8400.HK), a leading Macau-based Electronic Gaming Equipment...
Acer’s new MacBook Air rival is nearly a pound lighter than Apple’s laptop
Now Acer is studying the Blade in pursuit of the Air.
Dell Tries to Beat the MacBook Neo With Yet Another Cheap(ish) Laptop
Finally, Dell has a colorful laptop that's not another XPS.
Dell’s newest laptop sounds a lot like a MacBook Neo
Dude, you’re getting a turquoise Dell.
Celebrity entrepreneur Emma Grede talks business in Portland
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Portland entrepreneurs and small-business owners gathered at Powell’s Books Tuesday night to hear Emma Grede talk about the realities of building a business — from overcomin…
In the Realm of the Last Man — how the future disappeared from politics
Francis Fukuyama’s memoir reflects on his intellectual journey and the enduring political questions raised by his 1992 book ‘The End of History and the Last Man’
Two Years In, Texas Business Court Finds Successes, Growing Pains
In a series this week, The Texas Lawbook dives into the Texas Business Courts’ first two years of operation and what changes may come during the next legislative session.
Florida Politics: Hope Florida, Nixon-Moody debate?
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is set to host a forum with several huge names in the Florida Republican Party, such as Attorney General James Uthmeier and GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Byron Donalds. Meanwhile, Angie Nixon is throwing her hat into the ring, challenging U.S. Senator Ashley Moody to a public debate ahead of the general election. POLITICO Reporter and Florida Playbook author Kimberly Leonard joined FOX 35's Garrett Wymer live over Zoom to discuss what's new in Florida politics.
Entertainment briefs: Dwight Yoakam, Gary Allan and Chris Young added to Resorts World rodeo week lineup
Las Vegas’ live entertainment calendar continues to fill this fall and into the holiday season, with new bookings lined up at Resorts World Las Vegas, Station Casinos properties and the Rio, along with the return of …
Lenovo’s ‘Pen Pro for Googlebook’ hits Bluetooth SIG with wireless charging and gestures
With Google’s private media event in New York City just around the corner, the hardware surrounding the launch of Googlebook continues to leak out left and right. While we’ve spent plenty of time...
Yellow Wood Partners Agrees to Acquire Nestle's Holistic Health Platform of Leading Vitamins, Minerals and Supplements Brands
/PRNewswire/ -- Yellow Wood Partners ("Yellow Wood"), a private equity firm focused exclusively on investing in consumer brands and companies, today announced...
Political Attacks Are Pushing Public Libraries To ‘Breaking Point,’ New Report Shows
Attacks on librarians, forced storytime cancellations and book bans are threatening the stability of public libraries
gamescom 2026’s Steam wishlist winners
gamescom wrapped up last weekend, and it was bloody fantastic. It really felt like the industry had a spring in its step again. The show itself was BUZZING, with 368K attendees (+3% over last year), maxed-out exhibit space, and Opening Night Live pulling over 78M online views (+7.5%). Let’s have a look at the games at the event that brought in the most new Steam wishlists between August 23 and 30. One quick thing before we start, and stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but wishlists are NOT a barometer for launch sales (they’re bookmarks, not baskets is what we always say over here at Alinea). With that aside, wishlists are a nice gauge of hype, so let’s dive in. Witche(r)s and Warlocks take the top two spots The biggest game of the event (by new wishlists, anyways) wasn’t a game at all. It was an expansion. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt’s upcoming expansion, Songs of the Past, nabbed 451K Steam wishlists by the end of the weekend. It’s a big example of something we bang on about constantly: proven IP with built-in fandom is the most powerful force in this market. But said IP can also ripple into other external success stories (more on that later!). Anyway, Songs of the Past debuted at Opening Night Live, and it’s the first Witcher 3 expansion in over a decade, landing next year after a full Witcher 3 remaster (free for existing owners!) arrives next month. The Witcher 3 has sold around 66M copies, and I’ll be one of those owners jumping back in to refresh myself on the core game (like there isn’t enough to play!), then play the expansion next year. This is all part of CDPR’s plan. The studio is clearly whetting everyone’s appetite for The Witcher 4 in 2028 via a classic bridge strategy. Want more free estimates and insights in your inbox twice a week? Subscribe below! Subscribe Releasing a free 4K remaster next month – followed by a proper expansion in 2027 – keeps IP top-of-mind across a huge gap between content (games-wise, anyway). It kind of echoes Capcom’s evergreen catalogue strategy. And outsourcing co-development to Fool’s Theory (a studio led by trusted Witcher 3 veterans) keeps CDPR’s internal headcount focused on The Witcher 4. #2 by wishlists between Aug 23 and 30 went to another giant IP: Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons, published by Wizards of the Coast and developed by Invoke Studios (a team of ex-Far Cry, Watch Dogs, and Splinter Cell devs). It’s due to launch in 2027, and it looks brilliant so far. It’s a dark-fantasy open world with third-person spell-slinging. It’s a very Witcher-ish aesthetic. As you might expect, 48% of Warlock’s Steam wishlisters have played Baldur’s Gate 3, and 46% have played The Witcher 3. One to watch. For sure! Mash-ups: Anime GTA (!?) and a city-builder for kids (and adults) Ananta took #3 with 302K new wishlists. It’s an open-world game that looks like GTA and Persona had a baby. It was published by NetEase, developed by Naked Rain, and got a trailer at Opening Night Live. I got hands-on at the show, and it wears its influences openly; there’s literal web-slinging (very Spider-Man) and a LOAD of mini-games (Like a Dragon). It’s free-to-play and out in January. For Ananta, Naked Rain is taking the free-to-play, cosmetics-only route. That’s certainly a choice for a single-player open-world game. Without gacha mechanics driving high ARPU, Ananta is betting purely on top-of-funnel reach and long-term retention. This puts pressure on skin appeal when there’s no multiplayer lobby to flex in (although, co-op is reportedly coming later). Want more free estimates and insights in your inbox twice a week? Subscribe below! Subscribe Then there’s Lego Skylines (273K wishlists between Aug 23 and 30), which does exactly what it says on the tin. It’s a cosy Lego twist on the city-builder genre, as shallow or as deep as you fancy (five min quick sesh or ten-hour no-lifer session; latter for me). There’s some family-friendly stuff in there like couch co-op, which is only really viable on console. Iceflake Studios, which Paradox acquired back in 2020 is developing this one. So Paradox is probably looking for a family-friendly onramp to its rad Cities: Skylines games. The overlap there is plain, with 33% of Lego Skylines wishlisters having played Cities: Skylines and 16% Skylines II. There’s no doubt plenty of parents here (and uncles, ahem) planning to indoctrinate the next gen of city-builders. I’ll definitely be playing with my youngest nephew. This one could be big and educational. I’m very curious to see more. Want more free estimates and insights in your inbox twice a week? Subscribe below! Subscribe Mature IP, new and old, rounds out the list As for the rest of the list of gamescom games by new wishlists between Aug 23 and 30: Heroes of Might & Magic III Remake got 189K new wishlists. It remakes the iconic 1999 turn-based-strategy classic in full 3D and 4K. It follows this year’s Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era (~1.8M copies sold, as per our estimates), and around a quarter of the III Remake wishlisters have played Olden Era, including 7% of them this month. Wardogs – a $40 PvP shooter – added another 146K to an already massive pile (nearly 1.6M total). It’s published by Team17 and made by Bulkhead. It plays somewhere between the tactical squad stuff of … Squad and the all-out-chaos battlefield of … Battlefield. It’s up to 100 players, and it’s out in about 10 days. It’s already pre-sold over 500K copies on Steam ($16.6M), boosted by a pre-order-only beta. It sold another 70K copies during gamescom, too. Afterworld managed 121K new wishlists. It’s a Paradox-made post-apocalyptic grand-strategy game, and it was announced at the show. It’s a departure from Paradox’s usual historical stuff, and the studio’s first new setting in over a decade. The Paradox purists are into it, with over half its wishlisters having played Hearts of Iron IV (19% this month) and 41% Crusader Kings III (17% this month). Metro 2039 got 110K during the show, tunnelling its total past 1.3M. Nearly 40% of wishlisters have played 2020’s Metro Exodus, the previous mainline title in the series. The Metro novels are Russian, dev 4A Games is Ukrainian, and it’s set in Moscow, so it’s unsurprising that – after the US (17.3% of wishlisters) – the next two countries are Russia (12.7%) and Ukraine (10.0%). The Blood of the Dawnwalker drew in (the blood of) 108K new wishlisters, now totalling an impressive 1.7M (at a $70 price point, though). It’s an open-world dark-fantasy action-RPG set in 14th-century Europe (with vampires!), made by some former Witcher devs at Rebel Wolves. Again, it shows. Over half of Blood of the Dawnwalker’s wishlisters have played The Witcher 3, and its #2 market is Poland, home of Rebel Wolves. That’s that hometown-hero effect we keep banging on about again! And Blood of the Dawnwalker plays very well, by the way. While it looks like a Witcher clone on the surface, it actually brings a lot to the table mechanics-wise. I love the whole time-as-a-currency spin on RPG gameplay. It gives the game a different, refreshing pace. Essentially, you start Blood of the Dawnwalker with a pool of 480 action points spread across 30 days and 30 nights. As for how the game performs, we’ll be posting some numbers next week, so hit subscribe below to get that in your inbox when it’s ready. Subscribe The Witcher’s legacy ripples Make no mistake: on a high level, this was The Witcher‘s gamescom. The #1 game by wishlisters was a Witcher 3 DLC. Warlock is clearly Witcher-inspired – as is Blood of the Dawnwalker, which was made by ex-Witcher devs. There was a lot of other cool stuff on the floor that we’ll no doubt be covering in subsequent newsletters, though! As always, wishlists went through the roof for sequels, remakes, DLC, and licensed IP. As always, though, these wishlists will likely convert to about 5% to 10% of launch-day buyers, with the probable exception of The Witcher DLC – the exception that proves the rule. Either way, we’ve got a nice, diverse list here – one that is very Witcher-y, Paradox-y, and – if you’re a fan of great games on Steam – a bloody good list. We even got a bunch of new IP to get excited for. Great gamescom! Even if we are still processing that unfathomable number of mini Kölsch beers! One more thing: GTA 6 broke the internet (again) Move aside, Spider-Man and The Odyssey (I love you both, really). But the decade’s defining entertainment zeitgeist is round the corner. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know that Rockstar dropped an extended look at GTA 6 last week. It was INSANE, the most impressed I’ve ever been by a showcase like this. You can see the budget seeping through every second of the extended look, and this level of game is unobtainable for any other publisher. Everyone’s going nuts, and rightly so. GTA 6 is out in holiday 2026, and it’ll be the biggest entertainment release ever, full stop. For those without a PS5 or Xbox Series console, a $500-$900 console is a big ask in this economy, but GTA will pull a lot of last-generation-console fence sitters over the current-gen fence either way: The autumn timing puts GTA 6 on (digital) shelves for the holidays, meaning a PS5 or Xbox (let’s be honest, mostly the former) will be on many a Christmas and Hanukkah list. Demand will outweigh the struggling supply, though, and PS5 Pros are already sold out and being sold at a markup via scalpers. Every console that isn’t on a shelf is a sale deferred or lost, and worse, it hands scalpers the margin. GTA has cultural clout that reaches everyone. It’s been a mainstream fixture since 2001’s GTA III and its clout has only grown exponentially since then. There’s a touchpoint for every generation alive. The FOMO-word-of-mouth double punch does the rest. Loading... It’ll reactivate the lockdown cohort, the millions who picked up gaming in 2020-21 and churned. GTA 6 will bring them back. Remember when College Football 25 brought a bunch of US gamers to current-gen consoles? GTA will do that globally. Once they’re back (or upgraded), and all GTA’d out, the fresh current-gen-console folks will check out the rest of the current-gen catalogue they missed. GTA Online, if not free to play, will also lead to a boost for PS+ and Xbox Game Pass, another boost for the ecosystem players. Want more free estimates and insights in your inbox twice a week? Subscribe below! Subscribe Even some of the smug PCMR 60FPS crew won’t be able to resist their FOMO and will bite the bullet on a console to play this one early (then double dip). The consoles cost the same as a decent stick of RAM these days anyway lmao… Don’t get me wrong, though. GTA 6 is no silver bullet for the mature console market, but it does prime the current gen for a couple of strong swan-song years. And it’ll also give the consoles more users from which to maximise ARPU. ‘’We are in the latter half of the lifetime cycle of [the PS5],’’ said Sony President and CEO Hiroki Totoki in a Wall Street Journal interview. ‘’That means we do not need to aggressively sell the console today; rather than that, we are focusing on the current revenue from the current user base.’’ The biggest, best premium games always arrive late in a console cycle, so getting more players aboard now, ahead of that content storm (the new current-gen-only Call of Duty included), is a clear win for the platforms. On the Netflix thing, though: let’s all chill out a bit, like. Half my LinkedIn feed was going bonkers treating the reveal debuting on Netflix like it’s the future of entertainment. It wasn’t. It was a six-hour head start, and Netflix left that detail out of the “first-of-its-kind partnership” press release. The extended look hit Netflix at 3pm ET on 27 August, then went up on YouTube and Rockstar’s site for everyone six hours later. And it was all over social immediately, anyways. This reveal was going to reach an untold number of people whether it debuted on Netflix, YouTube, a Times Square screen, or a group chat. The last trailer did nearly half a billion views in a day with no gatekeeper at all. Netflix just stood next to that audience for six hours, borrowing it. It’s was a tidy deal for Netflix, sure. But every outlet on earth was breaking the thing down frame by frame by the evening anyway. Anyway. I’m hype. And we’ll be covering some GTA numbers on the newsletter soon. So hit subscribe below to get that in your inbox when it’s ready! Subscribe The last word Reply to this email – or reach out here – if you have any feedback for the newsletter – or want to request a game for us to cover. [Alinea Analytics boasts the most accurate PC and console estimates in the business. Game makers use our platform to understand their audience, keep an eye on the competition, monitor sales trends, and spot new opportunities. We equip game studios and financial institutions with accurate data and the confidence to make smarter, data-driven decisions. Want to talk about all things games market data? We’d love to chat!]
Family Entertainment Group Expands Hospitality & Entertainment Portfolio Through Strategic Partnership with Topgolf
/PRNewswire/ -- Family Entertainment Group (FEG), one of the nation's premier developers and operators of entertainment experiences, today announced a new...
LG ELECTRONICS AND MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL ENHANCE TRAVELER ENTERTAINMENT EXPERIENCE WITH NEW GUEST ROOM TECHNOLOGY PLATFORM
News Summary Marriott International Inc. and LG Electronics have jointly developed a new cloud-based guest room entertainment and technology platform to...
Credibly Opens Applications for its Third Annual Small Business Awards, offering $60,000 to Help Entrepreneurs Grow
/PRNewswire/ -- Credibly, the AI-powered working capital company that champions small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), today opened applications for its...
Airbus A321XLR: Where you can book flights on newest long-haul plane
37 destinations, mostly in Europe and the US, are served by Aer Lingus, Air Canada, American Airlines, Iberia, Qantas, and United Airlines.
Keenova Marks the 2nd Annual National Hand Health Month with New Dupuytren's Contracture Mixed Reality Experience and Awareness Initiatives
/PRNewswire/ -- Keenova Therapeutics plc today announced plans for the 2nd Annual National Hand Health Month (HHM), a nationwide U.S. observance held each...
Samsung launches cheaper Galaxy Book6 with Intel Wildcat Lake, 8GB RAM from $799
The new Galaxy Book6 keeps the 14-inch 1920×1200 display but drops Core Ultra Series 3 and several ports. Its NPU is rated at up to 15 TOPS.
Bio-Techne Achieves Science Based Targets Validation and Reports Significant Progress Toward Climate Goals
/PRNewswire/ -- Bio-Techne Corporation (NASDAQ: TECH), a global provider of life science tools, reagents and diagnostic products, today announced significant...
Entertainment News: Movies, Music, TV and Books
The latest news in entertainment from USA TODAY, including pop culture, celebrities, movies, music, books and TV reviews.
REE Medical's "Operation Onward" Branded Entertainment Series Reach Exceeds 715,000 in Under 30 Days
/PRNewswire/ -- Refuel Agency today announced early results from Operation Onward™, an eight-episode branded entertainment series for REE Medical that brings...
Book Review: ‘American Scoundrel,’ by Kai Bird
“American Scoundrel” traces the career of Roy Cohn, whose smash-mouth politics continue to shape our own.
The best new science-fiction books of September 2026 include a tribute to Ursula K. Le Guin and a new Brandon Sanderson
From China Miéville to Brandon Sanderson via a tribute to Ursula K. Le Guin, there are some really huge names with new sci-fi novels out this month - as well as a new Doctor Who tale, says Alison Flood
What can seashells teach us about the health of our oceans?
Seashells: They're beautiful remnants to carry home from the beach—and so much more! According to environmental journalist Cynthia Barnett, seashells record history more accurately than the humans who first wrote it down. In this episode, we talk about the science of seashells, their impact on humankind and the scientist behind a very famous tongue twister.Check out Cynthia’s book The Sound of the Sea and check out Emily’s reporting on sandcastles.Interested in more marine biology stories? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s hperks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.
Radiology appointment booking platform Scan.com raises $220M
Founded in 2017, the service seeks to connect patients, providers and imaging centers—matching parties based on scanner availability, quality and price.
New OnePlus 16 leak once again points to major camera upgrade
Digital Chat Station, a reliable Weibo leaker, has once again reported on the camera setup of the OnePlus 16. In the latest leak, the tipster once again hints that the upcoming flagship phone will see a major upgrade over its predecessor.
Samsung's New Galaxy Book 6 Model Is A Budget-Friendly $799 Laptop
Samsung has released a more accessible and affordable Galaxy Book 6 laptop.
Samsung launches new 14-inch MacBook Neo rival with 25-hour battery life
The Samsung Galaxy Book 6 has been officially unveiled, and it stands as a new rival to the MacBook Neo with its 14-inch display. It’s powered by the Intel Wildcat Lake processors and has a rated battery life of up to 25 hours. The starting price is $799.
What does the Lindsay Clancy trial tell us about treating maternal mental health?
Lindsay Clancy is currently on trial for killing her three children.Prosecutors say the murders were intentional, but her defense team says she was suffering from severe postpartum psychosis -- a condition that does not have a distinct diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.That's the handbook used to identify mental health conditions, so patients often have a hard time getting proper care.The case has put a spotlight on maternal mental health and how its treated by the public and healthcare professionals. What does it reveal?WBUR’s Deborah Becker contributed reporting to this episode.It was produced by Megan Lim and Karen Zamora, with audio engineering by Éowyn Fain, Hannah Gluvna and Ted Mebane. Our director is Jonas Adams.It was edited by Justine Kenin and Tinbete Ermyas.Our interim executive producer is Courtney Dorning.Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org.
Apple Releases macOS Golden Gate Beta 8
Apple today provided developers with the eighth beta of macOS Golden Gate, with the update coming a week after Apple seeded the seventh beta. Developers can download macOS Golden Gate by going to System Settings > General > Software Update. Beta Updates will need to be enabled, and a free developer account is required. macOS Golden Gate includes multiple design improvements.
Democracy Works: Political status and the DSA summer
For our first episode of the fall season, we talk with a social movement scholar about whether the DSA's policies can win over enough votes to win in a general election and why political coalitions don't always align with the structure of America's two-party system.