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Local businesses sending supplies to Venezuela
Hampton Roads Virginia and Northeastern North Carolina News, Weather, Traffic and Sports.
Reflecting on a Year as Athlon Sports' Senior Golf Writer: Lessons from Golf's Stories
One year ago today, I officially began my run as Senior Golf Writer for Athlon Sports. By the time this opportunity arrived, I had already spent nearly three decades in golf as a PGA Professional, coach, educator, business owner, nonprofit founder and writer. The biggest lesson from my first year with Athlon Sports was not about deadlines, access or the volume of stories written.
Priced out: The growing cost of live entertainment
Summer tours are trying to fill seats while keeping up with growing ticket prices. Tickets for the Ed Sheeran concert at U.S. Bank stadium are BOGO through the 4th of July, and the Mystic Lake Amphitheater is doing an offer of four tickets for $99 for select concerts. Meanwhile shows like Noah Kahan are having no problem selling tickets with high ticket prices. Music critic for the Star Tribune Chris Riemenschneider joins All Day to talk about the drama around concert tickets.
Former NBA player Malik Beasley pleads not guilty in gambling scandal
Beasley is the latest charged in a growing sports gambling probe led by prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York.
McConnell was found 'unconscious' in home last month as condition remains unknown
Sen. Mitch McConnell was reportedly found unconscious at his D.C. home before being hospitalized, and his recovery timeline is still unclear.
SC behavioral health agency cuts 47 jobs in administrative overhaul, workers say they had no warning
Nearly 50 people are now without jobs after layoffs within the South Carolina Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.
Small Businesses Prepare for Shift as Recreational Marijuana Market Takes Shape
Virginia’s legal recreational marijuana market is one year away, but for businesses already selling cannabis products, the transition is happening now.
Milwaukee Brewers vs. Cincinnati Reds score, lineups, live updates
Follow along for live updates from American Family Field as the Brewers go for six straight wins over the Reds.
Here’s everything new in Android 17 QPR1 Beta 6 [Gallery]
With Android 17 QPR1 Beta 6 today, Google is rolling out a third wave of bug fixes for Pixel devices and Platform Stability...
Great-grandson of Wong Kim Ark praises Supreme Court ruling affirming birthright citizenship
The great-grandson of Wong Kim Ark, the Chinese American at the center of the U.S. Supreme Court case that established the constitutional guarantee of birthright citizenship, called Tuesday’s ruling a victory for all Americans, saying it reaffirmed that precedent.
Trinity Health Grand Rapids works to offer more free medication
Trinity Health Grand Rapids is rolling out a new program that aims to get prescription medicine to some of the lowest-income patients in West Michigan.
Video shows masked thieves smashing glass, grabbing items during Bowie business break-in
WBFF Fox45 provides local news, weather forecasts, traffic updates, notices of events and items of interest in the community, sports and entertainment programming for Baltimore and nearby towns and communities in Maryland, including Annapolis, Crofton, Glen Burnie, Linthicum, Pasadena, Severn, Cockeysville, Dundalk, Essex, Parkville, Owings Mills, Towson, White Marsh, Woodlawn, Hampstead, Sykesville, Taneytown, Westminster, Elkton, Perryville, Pt. Deposit, Rising Sun, Aberdeen, Abingdon, Bel Air, Edgewood, Fallston, Havre De Grace, Columbia, Elkridge, Ellicott City, Fulton, and Ocean City.
Walmart goes nuclear in first-of-its-kind power deal for retail giant
The retail giant has signed its first nuclear power deal with Constellation for about 176 megawatts from the Dresden Clean Energy Center in Illinois.
Severe starting pitching injuries cap the Cubs' midpoint grade
The Cubs are rolling despite massive starting rotation problems.
ENTERTAINMENT: ‘Footloose’ at Murry’s; ‘Glee’ hits mark 4 years for ATLR
To mark its fourth birthday, Actors Theatre of Little Rock actors will perform hits from the TV show “Glee” for “Little Rock Sings: Glee!”, 6:30 p.m. Monday at Camp Taco, 822 E. Sixth St., Little Rock.
Meta stock soars as Mark Zuckerberg explores cloud business
Meta shares soared Wednesday on a report that the company is wading into the business of selling cloud computing services and access to AI models.
Apple Readies New iPad Pro, Redesigned Entry MacBook Pro for 2027
Apple Inc. is preparing an upgraded iPad Pro line and a redesigned entry-level MacBook Pro for next year, adding to a slate of several other major new products planned for the iPhone’s 20th anniversary year.
GTA Online Event Week: Independence Day Special (July 2nd-8th)
[responsivevoice_button] A new GTA Online Weekly Update has begun and Rockstar are offering Independence Day rewards, massive discounts and more ahead of the new update. Check out everything happe…
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.
NEW Best In Games Warren: Metro Detroit’s Ultimate Indoor Family Entertainment Center
Located at 28300 Dequindre Road, this massive entertainment destination features everything from an enormous indoor playground and laser tag to go-karts, bowling, arcade games, and even axe throwing…
Both chambers of General Assembly pass budget, another vote Thursday
Both chambers of the North Carolina General Assembly passed a state budget Wednesday and are a second vote away from sending it to Gov. Josh Stein's desk.
New Illinois Republican Party chair hopes for ‘JB fatigue’ in tough midterm
In an interview with Capitol News Illinois, Bob Grogan, who was elected party chair in May, said he knows what bridges he needs to build for the party to succeed in the 2026 midterms.
Marion County warns Oregon behavioral health rules put staff, residents at greater risk
KATU ABC 2 offers coverage of news, weather, sports and community events for Portland, Oregon and surrounding towns, including Beaverton, Lake Oswego, Milwaukie, Happy Valley, Gresham, Vancouver, Hillsboro, Oregon City, Tualatin, West Linn, Woodburn, Tigard, Tualatin and Garden Home.
Google rolling out Android 17 QPR1 Beta 6 for Pixel
Following last week's release, Android 17 QPR1 Beta 6 is rolling out today for Pixel devices...
AG Sunday Ensures Protections for Patients via Settlement after Review of Allegheny Health Network’s Acquisition of Heritage Valley Health - PA Office of Attorney General
HARRISBURG – Attorney General Dave Sunday and the Office of Attorney General’s Antitrust Section announced a court-approved settlement that will protect patients, physicians, and health plans potentially impacted by Allegheny Health Network’s (AHN) recent acquisition of Heritage Valley Health Systems (HVHS). The Office of Attorney General thoroughly reviewed the transaction and outlined a number of […]
Maryland-Bred Big Cuddle Joins Haskell Lineup
Pocket 3's Racing’s Big Cuddle will face his stiffest test yet in the $1 million, Grade 1 Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park on July 18, the Daily Racing Form reports. The Haskell field is expected to draw Preakness winner Napoleon Solo and runner-up Iron Honor, as well as G3 Tampa Bay Derby ...
Cape Fear Valley Health cuts nearly 200 positions
Cape Fear Valley Health is eliminating approximately 200 positions as it faces declining federal reimbursements and rising healthcare costs.
Alleged Cuban influence operative, family in federal custody after Rubio revokes legal status
A Cuban national who authorities say worked for regime-linked influence organization ICAP has been taken into federal custody pending removal from the U.S.
Retrofitted Qatari jet takes flight as Air Force One for Trump's N. Dakota trip
It has luxury features like plush carpets, lie-flat seats, wood paneling and a presidential seal on the seat belts
Retrofitted Qatari jet takes flight as Air Force One for Trump's N. Dakota trip
It has luxury features like plush carpets, lie-flat seats, wood paneling and a presidential seal on the seat belts
Illinois State undertaking major upgrades to science research and teaching capacity through new project
Illinois State is undertaking a major upgrade of its science research and teaching capacity through the construction of three new facilities.
Penn State's Rocco Becht praises QB2 Alex Manske
Penn State quarterback Alex Manske faces a critical path forward after an injury sidelined his spring development.
Fox News Poll: An early look at the Georgia Senate race
A new poll shows Democrat Jon Ossoff leading Republican Mike Collins by 13 points in the 2026 Georgia Senate race, with inflation as the top concern.
After Supreme Court ruling, Republicans propose banning pregnant foreigners
The proposals follow Tuesday's Supreme Court decision to uphold birthright citizenship
CHAMP Initiative Combines Climate Science and Storytelling to Address Urban Heat
As summer temperatures climb, so does the risk of extreme heat—now recognized by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as the leading cause of weather-related deaths in the United States. In cities such as Camden, where buildings, pavement, and other infrastructure trap heat and create higher temperatures than surrounding areas, understanding the impacts of urban […]
Justin Bieber Releases 'SWAG Live From Coachella' Album
Beliebers rejoice! A 22-track live recording of the pop star's weekend one headline performance is now available to stream.
Are your kids already bored this summer? Here’s a new entertainment option.
Sky Zone of Wichita is “an indoor trampoline amusement park,” as one of its owners put it, and is having a soft opening starting July 10.
Are your kids already bored this summer? Here’s a new entertainment option.
Sky Zone of Wichita is “an indoor trampoline amusement park,” as one of its owners put it, and is having a soft opening starting July 10.
Davenport University launches accelerated pathway to mental health counseling
Davenport University is saving students time and money with its one-of-a-kind Bachelor of Applied Science in Applied Psychology and Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling combined degree to provide an accelerated stackable pathway for students to become mental health counselors. The new course pathway is 168 credits, a reduction from the
Backers of online sports betting in Nebraska submit signatures to get on 2026 ballot
The question of whether online sports betting should be legal in Nebraska will likely come before voters this November.
Draw down of Pineview Reservoir creates recreation, business concerns
Pineview Reservoir will be significantly drawn down towards the end of this summer as Ogden city prepares to replace part of an aging water pipeline, despite concerns from small businesses.
Nationals pitcher Cade Cavalli apologizes for calling Willson Contreras 'boy' after strikeout: 'It'll never happen again'
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.
Metroid Ravenous For Switch 2 Seemingly Leaked In New Rating
It's certainly believable given the timeline
Judge rules for UNC in lawsuit from fired business professor
A federal judge has ruled against a former University of North Carolina business professor who sued the school for retaliation and racial discrimination after his contract was not renewed in 2024.
Party fever: Another political party is gathering signatures to get on Nebraska's ballot
A party that wants to put Americans and Nebraskans first is collecting signatures to secure a ballot line ahead of the November election. A similar effort is underway to establish a Nebraska Working People Party. Both efforts have a July 15 deadline to get enough signatures.
Victoria Aveyard’s ‘Tempest’ In The Works As TV Series
Chernin Entertainment has snapped up the television rights for The Red Queen author Aveyard’s move into adult fantasy.
New Scientist recommends an unsettling deep dive into forensic science
Esteemed forensic anthropologist Sue Black gives a candid insight into the UK criminal justice system and how it really works in her book An Expert Witness, finds Linda Geddes
Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro Max eSIM Model To Pack A Mammoth 5,425mAh Battery, While Physical SIM Buyers Get Predictably Shortchanged On Battery Capacity
In keeping with the prevailing divulgatory trend, the latest tidbit has detailed the battery capacity within Apple's iPhone 18 Pro Max.
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.
'This Is Borderline Evil' - Minecraft Creator Speaks Out Against ESA Calling Private Servers 'Illegal'
Minecraft creator, Markus 'Notch' Persson, has spoken out against the Electronic Software Association for claiming that private servers are "illegal."
Carolina’s School of Data and Information Sciences launches
In a campus message, Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Magnus Egerstedt celebrated the “critical milestone” as the University builds on strengths in information, library and data sciences
Collaboration is key for Carolina’s newest school
The UNC School of Data and Information Sciences strengthens teamwork among related disciplines.
Jacqueline Mosher Joins Industry Entertainment (EXCLUSIVE)
Manager Jacqueline Mosher has joined Industry Entertainment after seven years at Rain Management, Deadline can tell you first.
Manager Jacqueline Mosher Joins Industry Entertainment
EXCLUSIVE: Manager Jacqueline Mosher has joined Industry Entertainment. Mosher works with a mostly literary-focused client base across film and TV and comes to Industry after seven years at Rain Manag...
PlayStation Plus July 2026 free games lineup announced, including Modern Warfare 3
Play a recent Call of Duty for free before Modern Warfare 4 drops this fall
Lindsey Graham expects housing package to become law despite Trump's election bill demands
"We need the housing bill." U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham says President Trump shouldn't let Tim Scott's bipartisan housing bill become collateral damage in the fight over the SAVE America Act.
PlayStation Plus Confirms 3 Games For July 2026 Free Game Line-Up
Available to enjoy from Tuesday July 7.
Army experimenting with mobile business apps
The events are also revealing where industry is building redundant software, the Army said.
Sony PlayStation Phasing Out Physical Video Game Discs
Sony PlayStation said it plans to end production of physical video game discs by January 2028.
See why Shaggy's, Zea Rotisserie, 5 others failed June health inspections
Seven restaurants in Rankin and Madison counties received failing health inspection grades in June 2026.
ECU Health launches new residency program, welcomes first ophthalmology residents
New program expands access to specialized eye care in eastern North Carolina
Study Reveals Biology Underlying Oral Health Issues in Down Syndrome
Low saliva from calcium signaling dysfunction, microbiome changes may contribute to high rates of gum disease
How the Supreme Court became a pivotal force in Trump's immigration agenda
President Donald Trump's administration looked to the Supreme Court to greenlight its sweeping hard-line immigration agenda and, by and large, it got the backing it was looking for with one key exception.
Bates lifts what matters in healthcare leadership
East Carolina University College of Nursing student Sandra Bates is driven by a passion for improving healthcare systems.
The Supreme Court’s trans sports ban ruling is about exclusion, not safety, advocates say
The Supreme Court can't stop using biological arguments to advance bigotry. In a 6-3 ruling, the justices sided in favor of state laws that ban transgender athletes from women's sports teams, citing unfair competition and physical danger.
From Business Idea to Launch: Inside Babson’s New Online MSBC Degree · Babson Thought & Action
Professor Richard Hanna explains how Babson’s new online Master of Science in Management in Business Creation helps aspiring entrepreneurs build launch-ready businesses.
'60 Minutes' shake-up continues with departure of longtime producer
The newsroom at "60 Minutes" is facing another goodbye. Henry Schuster, a longtime producer on the CBS program, revealed his departure in a LinkedIn post Monday, June 29.
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...
Uber Shakes Up AI Data Labeling Business, Dismissing Top Leaders
Uber Technologies Inc. has dismissed two tech leaders at its nascent AI data labeling business, shaking up a key division that the ride-hail company has positioned as a key growth driver.
Thomas, Hurst Headline Athlon Sports Preseason Awards
Wide receiver Amare Thomas and offensive lineman Shadre Hurst were Houston Football's two Athlon Sports Preseason All-America Third-Team selections announced...
Belarus' authoritarian leader pardons 28 political prisoners to ease ties with the West
TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Belarus’ authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko on Wednesday pardoned 28 political prisoners, part of his efforts to improve relations with the West.
Sanford Health announces new research president, leadership restructuring
Sanford Health has named a new president for Sanford Research along with what it's calling a leadership realignment.
Meta Stock Rises on Report It’s Building a Cloud Business. CoreWeave Drops.
Meta rises on a report that it hopes to generate revenue from selling excess computing power to third parties. CoreWeave and Nebius are falling.
Your guide to summer grilling and heart health - Baylor College of Medicine Blog Network
Dr. Nidal Buheis explains the role red meat plays in heart health and suggests how to enjoy red meat in moderation this summer.
US cooking oil market shrinking due to Ice pressures on Latino households, Mazola owner says
Economic squeeze and anti-immigration raids have hit Hispanic communities, prompting people to shop online and reuse oil
Fire breaks out at Springfield business Wednesday morning
Crews are battling a fire at a Springfield business.
John Collins agrees to $51 million contract with Detroit Pistons
The veteran big man strengthens the Pistons' frontline.
How cognitive automation can transform your business
Zapier reports that cognitive automation enhances business efficiency by enabling machines to interpret information and make decisions, unlike traditional automation.
Trump filing shows he took in about $1.2b from crypto businesses last year
President Trump got more than $500 million from his World Liberty Financial business selling new crypto products, according to the annual disclosure report with the Office of Government Ethics.
Georgia man sentenced for stealing more than $65K worth of equipment from Sampson County business
A Georgia man was sentenced to federal prison for stealing $65,000 worth of farm machinery and equipment from a business in Sampson County, prosecutors said Tuesday.
The Case for Performance-First Management
What began as a crisis-driven response to the Covid pandemic laid the foundation for today’s dominant management paradigm: people-first management. But today’s business demands a different approach, as performance and productivity have replaced engagement and retention atop the CEO agenda. Performance-first management represents a gentle shift toward an approach where managers empower their teams to deliver high-impact results within a complex and evolving reality. It keeps people at the center, but reorients the manager’s role around enabling performance, not just supporting satisfaction. Gartner research shows that managers who shift toward a performance-first approach are up to 21% more likely to deliver the business results that are expected of them. And employees who say that their managers are performance-first report higher overall satisfaction with their employee experience.
Sony is killing all physical PlayStation game discs
New games released after January 2028 will be digital-only.
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.
What to know about the US supreme court’s ruling on trans athletes
Decision upholding bans on trans girls in women’s sports in two states is narrow, but could be broadly weaponized for anti-LGBTQ+ efforts
Sony will cease production of discs for new PlayStation games in 2028
New games sold for PlayStation consoles will only be available digitally and won’t be sold on discs effective January 2028, Sony has announced. The move applies to all PlayStation games released from that point on, including those made by Sony and those released by third parties. The PlayStation group calls the change “a natural direction for Sony Interactive Entertainment to adapt to consumer trends as the general preference for digital media significantly outpaces physical discs,” according to a PlayStation blog post reviewed by Game File in advance of its publication. As movies, TV and music have shifted from physical media to an age of downloads and streaming, Sony’s move could speed the demise of physical media in a gaming. The industry has offered consumers games via cartridges, cassettes, floppy discs, CDs, DVDs and Blu-Rays across a 50-year stretch. Sony has been reporting to investors in recent years that PlayStation games have been increasingly purchased as downloads, not as discs. The most recent figures show nearly four in five purchases of full games for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 were purchased digitally in the past year. Stats like that may cause today’s news to carry an air of the inevitable. But Sony’s declaration for 2028 is still likely to produce a shock, as the biggest gaming platform on the planet that uses game discs leaves them behind. Discs going away, but the fate of game boxes is unknown Sony is committing to still selling games in physical retailers even after they drop discs in 2028. Just how those games will be sold—in boxes with codes inside, as cards marked with digital redemption codes—is unclear. Digital games will also continue to be sold in the online PlayStation Store. New games released for PlayStation consoles prior to January 2028 will be unaffected by the policy change, Sony says. That means the PS5 games of 2027, be they a new Madden, a new God of War, a new Call of Duty, a new Sly Cooper (one can dream?), would still potentially be offered on disc. PlayStation 6 implications Sony’s timeline for a transition to a no-disc era will also spin up more speculation about the timing and configuration of Sony’s next-generation console, the probable PlayStation 6. “This pretty much guarantees that PS6 won’t arrive until 2028 at the earliest,” Piers Harding-Rolls, senior games research analyst at Ampere Analysis tells Game File. Harding-Rolls also concludes from today’s news that “the base version of a PS6 will not include a physical media drive,” as Sony looks to keep costs down on the device. Sony itself is saying nothing about the PS6 today: not its timing, nor how it might or might not support internal or external disc drives in order to run disc-based PS4 and PS5 games, should the console be backwards compatible. The many signs this was coming Industry support for games being released on physical media has been waning. As has consumer interest in them. PC games effectively went all-digital years ago, thanks to the popularity of playing games through Steam and other digital storefronts. The Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdowns that kept much of the global population home helped shift shopping patterns toward downloads. Sony’s own data shows PlayStation game downloads being an uncommon consumer choice a decade ago and now becoming the norm. On consoles, physical media has been in such decline that Sony and Microsoft both launched their current gen Xbox Series and PS5 consoles in 2020 with cheaper versions that lacked disc drives. In early 2024, Phil Spencer, then head of Xbox, told me that ““[w]e ship games physically and digitally, and we’re really just following what the customers are doing.” He added that the game industry had become an outlier in still supporting disc-based entertainment, even as movies and TV have bailed on discs in favor of downloads and steaming: “Gaming consoles themselves have kind of become the last consumer electronic device that has a drive. And this is a real issue, just in terms of the number of manufacturers that are actually building drives and the cost associated with those. And when you think about cogs that we’re going to go put in a console—and as you have fewer suppliers and fewer buyers—the cost of the drive does have an impact.” Last year, the Nintendo’s Switch 2, which uses cartridges rather than discs, introduced the concept of game-key cards, which are physical media that contain no game, just a prompt for a download. Even disc-based games aren’t what they once were, now frequently containing just stubs of games rather than the whole thing. The website Does It Play has tested over 3000 games and found that, for example, that the disc version of this year’s hit 007: First Light, only contained the game’s first mission, with the rest needing to be downloaded. Beyond all that, last week brought the news that Grand Theft Auto VI, likely the biggest game launch this decade, will debut for PS5 and Xbox Series without a disc-based version. Today’s big news comes to you for free. Game File is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and ensure more of my work is possible, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe Discs helped define PlayStation However the trends in entertainment may be going, it is still remarkable to see PlayStation ditch discs given their importance in PlayStation history: In the late 1990s, the first PlayStation’s support for games on relatively cheap CD-ROMs instead of traditional game cartridges allowed the upstart console to outmaneuver cartridge-based systems from Nintendo and Sega, as it drove down game prices down in the process. (The cheaper disc format even prompted Final Fantasy VII maker Square to taunt Nintendo in a magazine ad, saying that if the game was “available on cartridge, it’d retail for around $1200.”) PlayStation devices often doubled as machines for watching movies and TV on the latest disc-based formats. In the late 2000s, for example, Sony’s pricy PS3 gained traction as a go-to device for playing then-novel Blu-Ray discs. In 2013, Sony effectively roasted the digital game-sharing restrictions proposed by rival Microsoft for its upcoming Xbox One console by showing how games could be shared for the then-upcoming PS4. In a 21-second clip that has over 20 million views on YouTube, one PlayStation executive simply handed a game box—presumably with disc inside—to another, who said “thanks.” Sony’s possible motivations The PlayStation announcement today cites “consumer preferences” and a shift away from discs among “the broader entertainment industry,” but does not delve into the decision-making process that brought Sony to this point. Sony is not discussing the economics of this move (I asked!), but there are a number of potential factors: Abandoning discs will spare Sony the cost of manufacturing and shipping them, which analysts and industry veterans I spoke to said could account for $1 or so of a game’s retail price. For first-party games, that’s direct savings for Sony, though the amount is limited by the winnowing percentage of people who were even buying the disc-based versions. For third-party games, Sony could pass the savings on to partners or just retain the better profit margin for themselves. As the 2024 comments from Phil Spencer alluded to, leaving discs behind could mean leaving disc-drives behind, allowing Sony to produce consoles more cheaply. Switching to digital-only for games could diminish the risks of copies of new games leaking. It would also seemingly make second-hand sales of used games impossible, pushing more people to buy their own copies of games. These economic benefits for Sony could be boons for the games industry overall, Ampere analyst Piers Harding-Rolls tells Game File. Among other things, it could free publishers and retailers from having to worry about securing an inventory of game discs when trying to sell games, he noted. “If there is a way to streamline the business of games retail, I generally think it’s a good thing for the industry as it removes unnecessary costs,” Harding-Rolls said. “This will help offset pressure on margins from other directions – development and staffing costs for example.” Should the industry shift from game boxes that contain discs to smaller, cheaper game cards, Harding-Rolls said, that reduces pressure on publishers and retailers. “The advantage of everything going digital for the industry is that sales can be tracked much more easily and there is less commercial risk for publishers wanting to continue selling via retail,” he said. The shift to no discs will also likely impact game development timelines, as developers will no longer face the same urgency to have a build ready to submit to PlayStation for the production of a disc, as industry experts noted around GTA VI’s no-disc news last week. Instead, projects may gain weeks of development time, in the event delivery deadlines for platform approval move closer to release date. Preservationists’ likely worries While millions of gamers have shifted to digital, there are still people who associate game discs—and only game discs—with actual ownership of PlayStation games. That portion of the gaming community spoke up last week about wanting to buy a version of GTA VI that they could hold in their hands, could lend to a friend and could potentially pop into a well-preserved PS5 console three decades from now and still see it run. Such gamers didn’t want to worry that they’d merely purchased a digital copy that could lose access to the game if, say, the company behind the game someday turns of the servers that transmit downloadable copies. Digital copies of games are inherently less long-lasting, because consumers aren’t actually buying a game (on a disc), just buying access to the game. The fine print in online gaming shops notes this, as does a recent law that went on the books in California in 2025. That lasw requires game publishers doing business in the state to refrain from words like “sell” when offering digital copies of games, unless they explicitly tell consumers that what’s being sold isn’t the game itself but a potentially revocable license to access it. A Sony spokesperson noted to Game File that “[w]ith all digital content, including games, movies, and music, players are purchasing a personal license for non-commercial use.” Regarding the fears of PlayStation games being lost to time in an all-digital era, the rep also noted that Sony remains “committed to delivering experiences from past generations to the new platforms our players are using.” They noted that PlayStation has used emulation and remasters to keep offering its classic games to modern gamers. It’s true that many consumers have become accustomed to not having physical copies of new music albums or movies, but the relative precariousness of digital copies of games is in fact being highlighted today by…. Sony’s other big announcement: the upcoming closure of the PS3 and PS Vita online stores Sony said today that it will be closing the online marketplaces for its PlayStation 3 console and PS Vita handheld in most countries in July 2027 (sooner elsewhere: August 2026 for the PS3 store Mexico, Honduras and Nicaragua; late 2026 for PS3 in other Latin American countries and the Middle East). “We know this news may be disappointing to PS3 and PS Vita players who hold a special place in their hearts for this generation of gaming,” Sony said in its announcement, saying the move “was not an easy decision for us to make.” Sony said that PS3 and Vita marketplaces “are no longer able” to support modern commerce systems, prompting a “need” to close the shops and focus on more modern PlayStation platform stores. The news may spark some deja vu. Sony announced back in March 2021 that it planned to take the PS3, Vita and PlayStation Portable marketplaces offline that summer. The move would have caused some 2,000 digital-only games to become unavailable for new purchasers, according to a VGC analysis at the time. Fans complained loudly. By April 2021, Sony walked back the PS3 and Vita shop closures, with then PlayStation boss Jim Ryan saying “it’s clear that we made the wrong decision here.” This time around, Sony is giving a longer notice period in most regions. The closure of those stores is still likely to cut off access to new purchases of digital-only PS3 and Vita games. The current PlayStation 5 marketplace sells PS5 and PS4 games, as well as a selection of PS1 and PS2 games. It does not sell PS3 games, because games for that platform can’t run on the system (some are offered via a PlayStation Plus streaming option). Vita games also aren’t sold via PS5. Sony says digitally purchased PS3 and Vita games will be downloadable after the stores’ shutdowns “for the foreseeable future.” Sony’s move contrasts with Microsoft’s Xbox platform, which continues to sell and support games from all four Xbox console generations. But it puts it in line with Nintendo, which disabled purchases in the marketplace for its Wii console (a contemporary of the PS3) in 2019. Nintendo discontinued purchases in the online shop for its 3DS portable (a contemporary of the Vita) in 2023. The big questions about Sony’s 2028 post-disc era Will Microsoft follow suit, ending support for new disc-based games on Xbox platforms and therefore all game consoles, too? Whether Microsoft does or not, will third-parties that can no longer release games on discs for PlayStation, simply ditch the disc options across the board? Given the GTA VI no-disc experiment launching this November, will more game publishers decide to forgo disc-based offerings even in 2027? How will no-disc PS5/6 games be packaged and sold in brick-and-mortar retail stores? What becomes of game sharing in an all-digital era? Will Sony modify its current set-up, which currently allows some sharing of digital games across a pair of consoles, to allow more casual lending? (See for example, Nintendo’s year-old system of letting players lend a digital game to another player in a “family group” for up to 14 days.) Will there be a version of a PS6 with a disc drive? Or will a drive be offered as an add-on? And how will gamers who want to retain access to PS4/PS5 disc-based games react to whichever configurations Sony chooses to offer? What will the final disc-based PlayStation game be?
Batten University Acquires Sentara College of Health Sciences
Virginia Wesleyan University is Coastal Virginia's premier university of the liberal arts and sciences, annually enrolling 1,600 students in undergraduate, graduate, and online programs.
The PlayStation Stores On PlayStation 3 And Vita Are Shutting Down
Starting this year and into 2027, Sony is sunsetting the digital storefront for two of its oldest online store platforms.
Zelda: Ocarina Of Time Remake Pre-Order Price Appears Online
Zelda Ocarina of Time Remake Price: Fans Shocked
Food science sector warns proposed US grant rules could weaken research independence
As the deadline for public comment approaches, a proposed overhaul of the rules governing federal financial assistance is drawing increasing attention from research institutions, universities, and industry organizations, with implications that could extend across the US F&B sector.
Expansion clock is ticking. Do Big Ten, SEC make final move?
Big Ten and SEC have a shrinking window to expand before new federal legislation could force media rights pooling.
Environmental artist talks science comics, the Gulf of Maine and animal sexuality
In her debut work of nonfiction,‘Poking the Squid,’ Perrin Roosevelt Ireland, artist-in-residence at the New York Aquarium, looks at animal life with a feminist lens.
Local business owner and legal expert weigh in on Supreme Court ruling that could impact NY's gun laws
A recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling could affect gun laws in New York State. We spoke with legal experts about what could be coming.
Ways and Means in early stages of tackling sports taxation
Republican and Democratic tax writers are interested in changing how collegiate and professional athletics are handled in the tax code — but they’re in the early stages of discussing what those changes might look like. Members of the House Ways and Means Committee during a nearly four-hour hearing Tuesday expressed a desire to come to […]
West Virginia’s youngest children are losing health care coverage
A troubling new report suggests that health insurance coverage is slipping away from too many of our youngest children.
Two siblings joined forces for pest control. Business is booming in CT as bugs bedevil residents
“Locally, ticks are the most dangerous pest for us. Mosquitoes certainly carry diseases, but when people call about nuisance pests, they call with a little more urgency,” Joe Clark said.
Rockstar accused of ignoring pay inequity and mandating crunch
Multiple current Rockstar employees and union members based in the UK claim the Grand Theft Auto maker is failing its workforce.
Weather Delays Launch of Mission to Boost NASA’s Swift
The launch of Katalyst Space’s LINK, designed to boost the orbit of NASA’s Swift observatory, was postponed again Wednesday due to unfavorable weather conditions.
Control of the Senate Is Up for Grabs, Times/Siena Polls Find
Republicans are defending seats in Alaska, Iowa, Maine, North Carolina, Ohio and Texas as they try to maintain their majority. Democrats are competitive in all six states — but not leading in enough to take the chamber.