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Parasite outbreak spreads to 21 Michigan counties. See where cases are
Michigan health officials said a gastrointestinal parasite that causes explosive diarrhea has sickened over 225 people. Here's where the cases are.
What is cyclosporiasis? Know the signs, prevention as Michigan health officials investigate outbreak
Michigan health officials are investigating an outbreak of cyclosporiasis across the state after at least 170 cases were reported within days.
‘Destiny 2’ Is Now Permanently Disabling Gear It Can’t Patch
Destiny 2 has limited options to fixing issues with the game with just one hotfix left. So it is starting to permanently disable things.
U.S. Healthcare Spending’s Meager Return On Investment
The U.S. spends a lot on healthcare — in terms of total and per capita expenditures and patient out-of-pocket costs — but gets a relatively poor return on its investment.
US to give Tanzania $1.3 bln under five-year health pact
The United States has signed a memorandum of understanding with Tanzania to invest more than $1.3 billion in its health sector over the next five years, the latest in a series of deals that have caused controversy in some African countries.
30 Crusaders Named Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sports Scholars
WORCESTER, Mass. – The College of the Holy Cross had 30 student-athletes named 2026 Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sports Scholars, honoring their athletic and academic achievements. The awards were announced in the June 8 issue of Diverse: Issues in Higher Education magazine. Leading the way was senior Julian Beban of the men's soccer team, who was one of 10 national finalists for the men's Sports Scholar of the Year award. Beban was also joined by senior Julian Jenkins (men's lacrosse) and senior Emma Tweed (women's rowing) as the top honorees in their respective sports.
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.
Minor League Update: Rookie Leagues
Whenever I give updates on minor league stats, I’m always conflicted about how many players to include. Some of it is time management-related. Obviously, if I cover every conceivable player, it will take me time I sometimes don’t have. But I also am not particularly interested in writing 5,000 words for one of these either. […]
9 Founders Who Turned Their Worst Moment Into A Business
Nine founders faced rock bottom, a death, a diagnosis, a war, a collapse, and built a business out of it. How they found strength when it felt furthest away.
The White House goes all in on aliens with new UAP Science Advisory Council
This new group, which is led by Harvard professor Avi Loeb, aims to advise the Trump administration and the U.S. intelligence community, as well as to publish its findings in peer-reviewed journals
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.
Lithium mining: a dilemma with no exit?
The quest for clean energy metals like lithium is giving rise to a bitter irony, as Stephen Williams discovers in this important book.
Millennials Are Buying Blue Collar Small Businesses To AI-Proof Their Future
Young entrepreneurs are snapping up baby boomer-owned plumbing, construction, manufacturing and HVAC companies. Plus: Tips for would-be buyers and sellers.
Editorial: The most important thing you can do to protect science
Your comments on a dangerous rule putting politicals in charge of science can matter.
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.
Going outside in this heat? Follow these guidelines to stay safe
Man, it's a hot one! Don't go out in this summer's heat wave before you arm yourself with these tips and a really big water bottle.
Southern California’s total tobacco bans aren’t helping public health
Instead of pursuing tobacco bans, state health officials should prioritize proven harm reduction policies.
Bengals' Tee Higgins reportedly gets a big branding deal
Some fun offseason news for Bengals WR Tee Higgins.
The US healthcare system is in crisis. A Supreme Court ruling could make things worse
The effects of the high court ruling that could lead to mass deportations will be felt across hospitals and emergency rooms, which already operate under persistent staffing shortfalls. But it's the long-term health care sector that will suffer the greatest disruptions, according to experts.
Xbox reportedly to follow PlayStation's example and ditch discs for next-gen console Project Helix
The next Xbox console may also ship without a built-in disc drive, but Microsoft may have a solution for discs from older generations.
Pre-Deployment Simulations Are Vital To Developing Generative AI That Can Best Provide Mental Health Advice
Pre-deployment simulation is a new technique from OpenAI. It can be used to better shape AI-led mental health guidance. An AI Insider analysis and scoop.
Cincinnati Bengals' Tee Higgins Makes Big Decision During NFL Offseason
Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins is making a notable off-field change this offseason.
Atlanta Braves See Multiple Key Developments in Win Over Cardinals
Ozzie Albies homered and Braves pitching held St. Louis to two hits as Atlanta evened the series with a 5-1 win Wednesday night.
New Costco approved in California, but some locals say location is 'unnecessary'
A proposed Costco warehouse and gas station in Downey, California, cleared a key approval, but many residents say another location isn't needed.
Lawyers offer 7 boxes to check before hiring your next regulatory compliance officer
Hospitals are not the only healthcare entities competing over a limited pool of qualified compliance officers. Payers, vendors and others are in the race too. But hospitals and health systems may have the most to lose if they let down their guard on adherence to regulatory rules.
Soaring revenue at Mar-a-Lago shows how Trump’s business interests and politics intersect
As President Donald Trump’s wealth has soared since retaking office, a new financial disclosure shows his two premier Florida resorts have also delivered record-breaking surges in revenue.
Soaring revenue at Mar-a-Lago shows how Trump’s business interests and politics intersect
As President Donald Trump’s wealth has soared since retaking office, a new financial disclosure shows his two premier Florida resorts have also delivered record-breaking surges in revenue.
Valley businesses offer Fourth of July deals and discounts for America's 250th birthday
From buy-one-get-one ribs to a $17.76 pizza, local businesses are offering holiday savings — and some give back to the community.
Allina Health doctors at Mercy, Unity hospitals vote to authorize strike
Laid off federal scientists keep maps and data visuals online with crowdfunded money
Federal employees axed during waves of cuts by the Trump administration have fought back against the dismantling of a key climate science website.
World Cup visitors could be a test for U.S. healthcare systems
Seattle hospitals have been prepping for possible emergency situations and public health issues for months ahead of the matches.
Princess Kate stuns at Wimbledon 2026, hands out tickets to fans
Princess Kate has a whole lot of "love" for tennis but also for her fans.
UP libraries host Super Science Fest this week
Kids learned about animals, science, and art while beating the summer heat.
Raskin helps Belgium stage comeback to book last-16 place
Rangers midfielder Nicolas Raskin helped inspire Belgium to a dramatic fightback from 2-0 down to defeat Senegal and book a place in the last 16 of the World Cup. The Belgians were trailing to goals from Diarra and Sar when Belgium head coach Rudi Garcia threw on Raskin and Dodi Lukebakio for Kevin de Bruyne and Jeremy Doku after 55 minutes at Seattle Stadium.
The deal also allows the Grizzlies to preserve its …
The deal also allows the Grizzlies to preserve its …
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.
Vance and Rubio take different approaches as Iran tests their 2028 prospects
Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio appear to be staking out differing approaches to carrying out President Donald Trump’s national security agenda as the possible 2028 presidential rivals jostle for position in a divided Republican Party.
Local health experts explain cyclosporiasis rise in northwest Ohio, southeast Michigan
Local health officials are reporting a rise in Cyclosporiasis cases across southeast Michigan and northwest Ohio, with Lucas County recording approximately 65 cases and southeast Michigan reporting 170 total, including 90 in Monroe County and 33 in Lenawee County.
Scientists devise new method for tracing environmental PFAS contamination better
Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of synthetic chemicals widely used in industrial processes and consumer products because of their resistance to heat, water and oil. However, ...
Mitch McConnell Was Reportedly Found Unconscious Last Month—What We Know About His Health
The 84-year-old senator has been hospitalized twice this year.
Ex-CIA Director John Brennan sues the Trump administration, demanding it preserve records of investigations into him
Former CIA Director John Brennan sued the Trump administration Wednesday, demanding a court order that would require officials to preserve records from investigations that he says are targeting him for “what amounts to phantom criminal conduct.”
Minnesota won’t enforce social media health warning as lawsuit continues
State officials didn’t indicate there would be any delays in enforcement in the days before the law took effect.
State health officials celebrate extended Medicaid coverage after pregnancy
Eligible pregnant people can now qualify for one year of Medicaid coverage postpartum instead of only 60 days, thanks to a state law passed earlier this year.
Politics complicate push for year-round E15, Iowa Farm Bureau president says
Questions loom over the status of E15 legislation in the U.S. Senate. “Mixed signals is very accurate.” Iowa Farm Bureau president Brent Johnson says he’s heard members of Congress say E15 can’t pass on its own, while others say it can. “So when you look at the makeup of the Senate, I do think we […]
Anthropic Goes Deeper Into Drug Development With Claude Science
The company launched an app designed as an AI workbench that brings together the vast array of tools used in scientific research and also said it is getting into drug development.
Palantir Just Issued a Warning to Business Leaders About AI: Guard This 1 Thing Like 'Treasure'
Palantir also warned about tokenmaxxing and a sense of 'false progress.'
Elon Musk denies a report about SpaceX’s AI phone prototype
Musk says the report is “utterly false.”
Netflix will release JonBenét Ramsey show starring Melissa McCarthy
The eight-episode series also stars Clive Owen, Garrett Hedlund, Alison Pill, and Shea Whigham.
After Supreme Court ruling, Republicans propose banning pregnant foreigners
The proposals follow Tuesday's Supreme Court decision to uphold birthright citizenship
Queen Letizia of Spain Gives Espadrilles a Business-casual Turn
Queen Letizia visited the Zarzuela Palace to speak with professionals working in the field of eating disorders on Wednesday wearing espadrilles.
Federal Reserve Chair Warsh emphasizes political independence, signals focus on inflation
New Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh said Wednesday that the central bank would remain independent and seek to bring down inflation, likely foreclosing the rate cuts President Trump has sought.
Meta Plans Cloud Business to Take on Big Tech Rivals
Meta is planning a cloud infrastructure business that will sell AI computing power/model access. That’s according to a report Wednesday (July 1) by
Stomach bug causing explosive diarrhea. How to reduce your risk
In the past nine days, health officials have diagnosed more than 170 people with cyclosporiasis, a diarrheal illness. It is considered an outbreak.
Nationals pitcher Cade Cavalli apologizes for calling Willson Contreras 'boy' after strikeout: 'It'll never happen again'
Do this, not that: Health warnings, tips ahead of 4-day heat wave
To prevent illness and injuries, health officials recommend the following safety tips from the American Red Cross and National Safety Council.
A New Leader for USC Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science - USC Viterbi
Professor Noah Malmstadt, newly appointed chair of the USC Mork Family Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, discusses the energy and manufacturing challenges that connect the disciplines, and why the future of the department is built on firm foundations.
Michigan health officials warn of ‘large and growing outbreak’ of cyclosporiasis
State officials are still working to identify what caused the spread of more than 170 cases.
Bickering Over Healthcare Coverage Disrupts House Panel Hearing
Finger pointing over the number of Americans losing health insurance roiled what otherwise would have been a technical House hearing over employee health coverage.
NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens Receives the PRISM Award from the Academy of Medical-Surgical Nurses
NYC Health + Hospitals/Queens today announced that its Medical-Surgical Unit, 5B East, has received the prestigious PRISM Award from the Academy of
Trump earned $1.2 billion from crypto business, filings show
A recent federal filing reveals that President Donald Trump generated about $1.2 billion from his cryptocurrency ventures in 2025, highlighting the substantial wealth amassed since his return to the White House.
Federal Reserve Chair Warsh emphasizes political independence, signals focus on inflation
In remarks at a central bank conference in Sintra, Portugal, Warsh said that if businesses or households thought the Fed would accept inflation above 2%, “I guess they'd be disappointed. We're going to deliver price stability.”
US decides not to renew USMCA trade pact, will seek separate deals with Canada, Mexico
President Trump has opted against the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) and will instead pursue separate trade deals with the two major trading partners, FOX Business has learned.
RFK Master Plan proposes new housing, entertainment, park space around Commanders' stadium
D.C. officials released a draft of its RFK Master Plan, which maps out where new housing, recreation and retail developments will be featured around the future stadium of the NFL's Washington Com
Army experimenting with mobile business apps
The events are also revealing where industry is building redundant software, the Army said.
Cyclospora illness counts spike in Southeast Michigan, health officials investigating cause
How Bridge Entertainment Labs' Steven Olikara Is Building Community Across America's Deepest Divides
Steven Olikara identifies a "division industrial complex" where media and politics profit from societal polarization, fostering hatred based on false narratives. To counter this, Olikara, drawing from...
How Bridge Entertainment Labs' Steven Olikara Is Building Community Across America's Deepest Divides
Steven Olikara identifies a "division industrial complex" where media and politics profit from societal polarization, fostering hatred based on false narratives. To counter this, Olikara, drawing from his experiences in music and politics, founded Bridge Entertainment Labs.
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
Best of the Valley 2026: Our Favorites in Lifestyle & Entertainment
The Valley’s wellspring of cultural diversions - festivals, the arts, fitness, et al. - has never been deeper or more diverse. Grab your swimsuit and dive in!
Is the GOP race for Colorado governor heading into mandatory recount territory?
Not yet — not until the race tightens further as election officials tally more votes. The race for governor in the Republican primary between state Sen. Barb Kirkmeyer and ministry leader Victor Marx tightened on Tuesday night to roughly 1,400 votes, but whether a mandatory recount is triggered will depend on whether the margins shrink […]
How Investors May Respond To PENN Entertainment (PENN) Aurora Casino Opening And Russell 2000 Shift
PENN Entertainment recently celebrated the grand opening of its new US$360 million Hollywood Casino and Hotel Aurora in Illinois, while also being moved from the Russell 1000 family of indices into the Russell 2000, Russell 2000 Value, and Russell 2000 Dynamic indices as part of the latest rebalancing. This combination of a large-scale brick-and-mortar investment and a shift toward small-cap and value-oriented index inclusion reshapes how both fundamental and index-tracking investors may...
Federal Reserve Chair Warsh emphasizes political independence, signals focus on inflation
New Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh said Wednesday that the central bank would remain independent and seek to bring down inflation, likely foreclosing the rate cuts President Trump has sought
New Federal Reserve Chair Warsh emphasizes political independence, signals focus on inflation
New Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh said Wednesday that the central bank would remain independent and seek to bring down inflation, likely foreclosing the rate cuts President Donald Trump has sought. The Fed typically combats inflation by raising borrowing costs. When asked about Trump's oft-repeated desire for lower rates, Warsh underscored the Fed's independence from day-to-day politics.
Gift From Phil Hochberg ’61 Combines His Passion for Newhouse, Sports and DC
A prominent lawyer, Phil Hochberg is also well-known in Washington, D.C., as a former MLB, NFL and college public address announcer.
This satellite constellation transformed earth science by creatively tuning in to GPS signals
Governments and companies have launched similar constellations to use the method, called GNSS-R, to monitor and forecast wildfires, flooding and more.
Content Independence Day, one year on: building the business model for the agentic Internet
One year after declaring Content Independence Day, a dynamic market for monetized content has officially emerged. In this report, we examine how the rise of autonomous AI agents is upending traditional search referrals and detail the new infrastructure required to support a sustainable web economy.
PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium's announcements of monthly new games are being changed in some territories, and players aren't happy about it
PlayStation has made some changes in certain key territories to how new PS Plus Extra and Premium game reveals are made.
House Dem urges transparency by public officials after GOP colleague reveals reason for extended absence
Democratic Rep. Ritchie Torres urged transparency from officials after House Republican Tom Kean revealed the previously undisclosed reason for an extended congressional absence.
Taylor Swift Wants Final Approval Over Travis Kelce Wedding Footage
Taylor Swift is reportedly filming her nuptials with Travis Kelce but wants the final word over the wedding footage. Sources claimed that the singer has hired a professional crew to document her speci...
The 4 Skills That Matter Most In Global Business Today
Learn the four essential skills for cross-cultural communication, global leadership, and building trust across cultures in today's increasingly global workplace.
Aston Martin boss Newey reveals health issues led to 'difficult period'
Adrian Newey has revealed he was battling health issues during his first year at Aston Martin, leading to a "difficult period" as the team also struggled to adapt to Formula 1's 2026 regulations.
Cinder City asks for 64GB RAM in recommended PC specs
Cinder City now lists 64GB RAM as recommended on Steam. The open-world shooter also asks for 32GB RAM as the minimum PC spec.
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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