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Control Resonant Developer Announces Last-Minute Delay For Physical Edition
Control Resonant has been hit by a last-minute delay that will impact the launch of its physical editions.
Longtime GOP aide defects to Dem rising star as Texas Senate battle for Cornyn's seat heats up
A former John Cornyn staffer joins James Talarico's Democratic campaign against Ken Paxton in a Texas race that could flip Republican Senate control.
Walter’s insurer to slash scrutinized loans by $6.5 billion
The move whittles down the more than $20 billion of loans that insurers controlled by Walter previously said should have been labeled as affiliated but weren’t.
Could GLP-1s help treat opioid use disorder? Vanderbilt Health study now enrolling
The study, Evaluation of Tirzepatide as an Adjunct to Buprenorphine for the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder (TAB), is a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial conducted through the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s Clinical Trials Network.
Coming to XBOX Game Pass: Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy, Vapor World: Over the Mind, Blood Dungeon, and More
We have more games coming your way on day one (including one you may have seen in our XBOX Games Showcase this summer)! Go grab your controller or mouse and let’s get to the games.
CDC’s new director is pressed to do something about its zombie programs
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has several programs funded by Congress that lack staff to operate them.
Redistricting scrambles Florida primary as Alaska awaits Dan Sullivan v Dan Sullivan
Today’s contests will help shape the fiercely contested midterms this fall to determine control of Congress
Kelsey Cook bets on herself with Netflix 'Happy Hour' that turns grief into joy
With “Happy Hour,” her self-financed Netflix debut, comedian Kelsey Cook moves from comedy clubs to a historic Twin Cities theater, betting on herself and reclaiming creative and business control.
Political dirty tricks upend midterm races across the country
Each one of these schemes could have an outsized impact on control of Congress.
‘One person kind of controls our fate’: Republicans confront growing midterm peril due to Iran war
‘One person kind of controls our fate’: Republicans confront growing midterm peril due to Iran war
Live Results: California special election to replace former Rep. Eric Swalwell
With two Democrats competing on the ballot, the seat in California’s 14th Congressional District is guaranteed to remain under Democratic control and further narrow an already fragile Republican majority in the chamber.
Sonos Put Speaker Controls On Your iPhone's Lock Screen (Again)
Sonos released an app update that takes advantage of Apple's Live Activities system.
Police, Gambling Control Unit conduct raid at Lisbon, Maine, business
Police from Gardiner, working with the Maine Gambling Control Office, conducted a raid at a business in Lisbon on Monday morning. Crews were seen using a forklift to remove boxes.
macOS 27 Golden Gate beta 6 features redesigned traffic light window controls
macOS 27 Golden Gate beta 6 introduces redesigned traffic light window controls. The new look resembles older Mac OS X...
Police, Maine Gambling Control Unit raid Lisbon business
The investigation is ongoing and police say no other information can be released at this time.
Sonos finally added Live Activities controls for your iPhone lock screen
Sonos finally put controls on your lock screen.
Why women with ADHD feel overwhelmingly 'controlled' by their hormones
People with ADHD are unusually sensitive to hormone shifts. Psychiatrists have started to pay attention, creating strategies to address the intense emotions and cognitive challenges caused by these changes
US prosecutors focus on four businesses tied to billionaire Mark Walter, WSJ reports
U.S. federal prosecutors looking into billionaire Mark Walter's empire are focused on four businesses that served as intermediaries between insurance companies he controlled, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.
Less Inflammation, Lower Blood Pressure and Cholesterol: Science Says Drink a Glass of Orange Juice Every Day
Orange juice influences genes that control inflammation, blood pressure, metabolism, and blood sugar.
Health Alliance Plan: Helping businesses build stronger, healthier teams
Learn how smarter employee health benefits, preventive care and coordinated healthcare help Michigan employers control costs.
Health Alliance Plan: Helping businesses build stronger, healthier teams
Learn how smarter employee health benefits, preventive care and coordinated healthcare help Michigan employers control costs.
Cialis is an erectile dysfunction drug. Could it also help you live longer?
In some wellness circles, tadalafil is promoted as a longevity drug. There is evidence showing a link between it and a lower risk of death in men, but there are no well-controlled trials in humans.
Linux 7.2 debuts, Linus Torvalds says ‘new normal’ means he had to do it now ... or never?
Say hello to smarter use of caches to speed things up, and a very odd gaming controller. Say goodbye to some PCMCIA support
In control, Guadalajara beat Santos for another AP26 win
Guadalajara made the most of the superiority it showed on the field at TSM and claimed a 1-0 win over Santos on Matchday 4 of the 2026 Apertura. With this victory, the Rojiblancos picked up 3 importan...
Whimsical Wavelengths: Sweet science of ice cream
Take a moment to appreciate the microscopic fat networks and crystal-control chemistry working behind the scenes.
Spain beat Ireland in five-goal thriller at World Cup
Ireland miss an opportunity to seize control of their World Cup future after losing 3-2 to Spain in a thrilling opening World Cup Pool C game in Wavre.
Exclusive | Prosecutors Focus on Four Businesses Tied to Dodgers Owner Mark Walter
Proceeds from loans made by Walter’s insurers passed through firms purportedly controlled by each of these four entities.
The ninety minutes! Moving day comes early in gloomy Galle
A rain-hit Day 2 in Galle turned into a frantic 90 minutes as Sri Lanka's bowlers struck in quick succession, dismissing India's overnight batters and bringing the hosts back into the contest. Devdutt Padikkal's 167 and a crucial lower-order stand kept India in control, but the pitch is beginning to offer the turn and bounce expected in Galle.
Republicans won the redistricting competition. Don't tell that to this California congressman
President Donald Trump last year told GOP-controlled states to redraw their maps before this year's midterm elections to increase the number of winnable seats for Republicans in order to help the party hold onto the U.S. House.
Dan Campbell Refuses to Hand Off New NFL Responsibility
The NFL gave Dan Campbell the option to surrender one game-day responsibility. The Lions coach rejected it immediately and explained why Detroit’s challenge process will stay under his control.
9 simple, science-backed changes that can reverse your biological age
Science says it’s time to rethink – and take control – of ageing. Here’s how to slow, halt and potentially turn back your biological clock
Rogue AI aren’t science fiction anymore
For years, fears about AI systems slipping human control were dismissed as speculative.
You Can Use Your Old Android Phone As A Universal Remote - Here's How
Looking for a way to control your devices without buying an expensive new remote control? You may be able to use an old Android phone instead.
Castro-style capitalism: Havana promises economic changes without relinquishing political control
Economists and business leaders argue that Cuba cannot build a new economy without institutional reform, something the island’s government appears unwilling to negotiate
Zelensky regains control after a month of political crisis
After dismissing his popular defense minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, and sparking anger in the streets and within the opposition, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky appears to have contained the unrest, but has emerged weakened.
‘Am I losing my mind?’: the science behind why psychedelic trips can feel like you’re going insane
Neuroscientist Michal Dubrovinsky studies challenging psychedelic experiences and the moment people fear they are losing control, while exploring how psilocybin may affect brain flexibility and movement learning
An AI running an SF store fired an employee for the first time
Andon Labs, which is experimenting with letting an AI have majority control over a retail store, said that it fired an employee with good reason.
'Incredibles 3' puts superkids Dash and Violet in control
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Pixar is still embracing sequels, giving a first look at "Incredibles 3," "Coco 2" and more on Friday, Aug. 14 during D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event.
Vulnerability giving attackers full control of Macs is under active exploitation
Screen-sharing bug lets remote hackers log in without a password.
Google Health 5.06 rolling out to control the Coach in Today tab
Google Health 5.06 is rolling out on Android and iOS to let you control what Health Coach guidance appears in the Today tab.
Google Health 5.06 rolling out to control the Coach in Today tab
Google Health 5.06 is rolling out on Android and iOS to let you control what Health Coach guidance appears in the Today tab.
8BitDo just turned your iPhone into a perfect retro handheld with this clever controller
Your phone is now a Game Boy.
A stress hormone may help the brain repair itself
A surprising stress-related signal may help the brain repair itself after injury. Researchers found that myelin-producing precursor cells rapidly release the stress hormone CRH near damaged brain tissue, helping control how those cells mature and rebuild protective nerve insulation. The same system also influences brain development and the thickness of myelin later in life. The findings could offer new clues about how early-life stress contributes to psychiatric disorders.
What's Coming in September: New iPhones, Apple Watches and More
Apple will introduce at least five new devices at its iPhone-centric event next month, and it's also possible we'll get devices waiting on Siri AI like the Apple TV. iPhone 18 Pro The iPhone 18 Pro is going to look like the iPhone 17 Pro, but with a smaller Dynamic Island. It's getting some internal updates, including a new Wide camera with a variable aperture for more control over lighting and a faster A20 Pro chip built on a new 2nm process.
BREAKING: Netflix to shut down two more game studios
Netflix is sticking with video games but once again reducing the number of studios it owns making games. The streaming giant is closing Los Angeles-based Night School studio, which it acquired in 2021 and plans to close Helsinki-based Moonloot, which was founded in 2022. Just six weeks ago, Night School had released Unhinged, a novel 30-minute first-person horror game, streamable on TVs to Netflix users. The game was hailed by Netflix co-CEO Greg Peters in a call with investors. Six weeks later, Night School is closing. Prior to its Netflix tenure, Night School had developed the award-winning supernatural thriller Oxenfree. A second Oxenfree game followed after the purchase, as well as a mobile game designed to tie in to an episode of the Netflix show Black Mirror. Netflix attributed the studio closures to a prioritization around kids gaming, party games, story-driven fare and games with mainstream hooks, such as a recently released FIFA game. “We see an opportunity to be more focused in our execution, so we are making organizational changes to the business to match those priorities,” a Netflix spokesperson told Game File. Netflix is also cutting jobs from its internal games team. A rep declined to say how many jobs were being lost by these cutbacks. “We are incredibly grateful to the talented colleagues we’re saying goodbye to today. We thank them for all their contributions to Netflix, and wish them the best,” the rep said. Netflix started releasing video games, initially on mobile as a free bonus to subscribers, in 2021. By 2023, Mike Verdu, then the head of Netflix’s game operations, was telling me that the company was committed to growing carefully, as it offered more games and built up internal game studios. At the time, it hadn’t made any gaming job cuts. Since then, Netflix has altered its approach. In 2024, it shut down Team Blue, a start-up studio led by ex-Call of Duty and Halo developers that was exploring making a high-end first-person game for the service. Last October, Netflix shut down another studio, Boss Fight, shortly after Peters praised the team’s Squid Game game to investors. (One of Boss Fight’s main developers now works on the Netflix FIFA game for outside studio Delphi.) And in December, Netflix sold cozy game studio Spry Fox back to its founders. Amid all of this, Netflix has shifted from emphasizing mobile games to offering games through TVs and PCs, via streamed connections, with phones used as controllers. That’s how Night School’s Unhinged worked, along with games such as Boggle and Party Crashers that have collectively helped the Netflix game controller app chart well on mobile app stores. The studio cuts leave Netflix with a central gaming team that works with external developers, and a dedicated first party studio in, Helsinki-based Next Games, which produced many of the company’s couch-centric party games. The move away from having a roster of internal game studios aligns with Netflix’s own approach to shows and movies, which are largely produced externally. The company owns few TV/film production studios of its own. The gaming industry overall is seeing large holders of multiple studios cut back, with Sony, Ubisoft, Embracer, Microsoft and other giants closing or selling off studios. Cuts in California-based studios, where costs often run relatively high, have been particularly acute. Netflix has faced skepticism about its gaming plans for years. The moves today are likely to fuel them, and the company has few upcoming projects to counter the narrative. Among the few hinted, acclaimed independent studio Don’t Nod said last year it was working on a game tied to a major Netflix franchise.
Business Spotlight: San Diego Solar helps people take control of their energy future
As solar energy becomes more accessible to more residents and business, San Diego Solar has been there to meet customer needs and help shape the future of energy. In a Q&A, CEO Curtis Williamson discussed trends in solar over the years,…
How CFOs Keep The Business Running While They Rebuild Finance
Finance transformation cannot stop the monthly close. Learn why sequencing, governance, and control are essential to successful change.
Switch 2 Mouse Controls Get Weird in 'Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave'
'Fortune’s Weave' is a massive game that pushes the Switch 2 hard, just not in its controls.
Only 12% of family businesses stay in the family by the third generation. A Goldman Sachs chairman says optimism is the reason
François-Xavier de Mallmann steers Goldman's relationships with many of the world's largest family-controlled enterprises.
Mamdani promotes budget; spending critiqued by Financial Control Board
The board is made up of the mayor himself, Gov. Kathy Hochul, the city and state comptrollers, and other appointees.
Building Science fellowships give UMaine students real-world experience engineering solutions for Maine companies
Under a microscope at TimberHP’s manufacturing plant in Madison, Maine, Brian Waterbury studied plant fibers used to make insulation for homes while learning how engineers solve problems. Waterbury, a University of Maine senior from Topsham, Maine, who is majoring in chemical engineering, works as a quality control and process engineer…
Opinion: AI isn’t the business
AI will transform how businesses operate without replacing what makes them valuable.
Xbox officially reveals its limited edition Gears of War E-Day controller, plus new Design Lab options
The controller and Design Lab update will both launch on September 30…
Xbox Reveals Stunning 3D-Moulded Gears of War: E-Day Limited Edition Controllers
Microsoft has announced a pair of highly-detailed Gears of War: E-Day Limited Edition Xbox controllers, which look just as gruff and grizzled as you'd expect.
Xbox unveils two awesome limited-edition Gears of War: E-Day controllers
With the launch of Gears of War: E-Day ebbing ever closer, Microsoft has now announced two limited-edition Xbox controllers to celebrate the shooter.
Ozempic may have revealed the brain’s hidden “craving center”
Ozempic-like drugs appear to weaken more than hunger—they may also reduce cravings for alcohol and other addictive substances. Scientists are increasingly tracing this effect to the lateral septum, a brain region that helps connect memories and surroundings with rewarding experiences. Packed with GLP-1 receptors, it may act as a crucial control point between thinking about a reward and feeling compelled to pursue it. The discovery could open new approaches to treating addiction as well as obesity.
Purported Xbox Elite Series 3 Controller Prototype Somehow Ends Up in a Customer's Hands
The Xbox Elite Series 3 Wireless Controller hasn't even been officially announced yet, but a purported prototype has seemingly found its way into the hands of someone who thought they were buying an Elite Series 2 controller on the retail website OfferUp.
NASA Swift Boost Spacecraft Prepares to Continue Mission
Katalyst Space uploaded a flight software update that reestablished attitude control of its LINK spacecraft, which is set to boost NASA’s Swift observatory.
Pinellas County increases mosquito control in Palm Harbor following Department of Health-Pinellas Dengue Fever alert
Pinellas County Mosquito Control is ramping up efforts to reduce mosquito populations and urging residents to take actions to protect themselves in...
Lenders urged to solve business problems before adopting AI
HW AI Summit panelists said AI needs human oversight, vendor controls and monitoring to meet fair lending requirements.
Trump declines to rule out declaring a national security emergency to control the 2026 election
President Donald Trump in a new interview declined to rule out declaring a national security emergency as a means to try to assert more control over the 2026 midterm elections.
The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Nintendo Switch 2 Console Images Reportedly Leak
Leaked images of a The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Nintendo Switch 2 console and Pro Controller appear to be circulating online.
Playstation Announces 'Marvel's Wolverine' Limited Edition PS5 and Controller
Here's when you can pre-order the Marvel's Wolverine PS5 and DualSense controller
Control Resonant Wants 'To Challenge' What’s Come Before In Action Games — A Deep Dive Into Remedy's First Full Swing at Melee Combat
Control Resonant wants 'to challenge' what’s come before in action games. We take a deep dive into Remedy's first full swing at melee combat.
Zelda-themed Nintendo Switch 2 console and Pro Controller leaked
Nintendo is reportedly planning to launch a new limited-edition Zelda-themed Nintendo Switch 2 console and a matching Pro Controller to celebrate the series' 40th anniversary. And a new leak has now given us our first look at the hardware.
Zelda Nintendo Switch 2 system and Pro Controller leaked, first images
Get a first look at the brand new Nintendo Switch 2 system and Pro Controller based on The Legend of Zelda with this new leak.
Razer Unveils the Naga V3 Pro MMO Gaming Mouse
Razer, the leading global lifestyle brand for gamers, today announced the Razer Naga V3 Pro, the latest evolution of its iconic MMO gaming mouse. Built to adapt across game genres and playstyles, it features three swappable magnetic side plates, more ways to customize controls, upgraded...
Marvel's Wolverine Limited Edition PS5 Consoles, Controllers Announced, Pre-Orders Next Week
Nice PS5, bub
Why Family Businesses Lose Control
Family businesses often fail to prepare the next generation for their most important role—not as executives, but as owners. As a result, families can gradually lose the ability to direct the enterprise, not because of a single crisis but because ownership capability erodes across generations through predictable governance and succession mistakes. To preserve long-term control, family businesses must deliberately develop owners who can exercise sound judgment, govern effectively, and hold management accountable.
ATG Entertainment, Owner of 7 Broadway Theatres, Acquired by MARI
The group will control a global fleet of theatres including Broadway's Lyric, Hudson, Al Hirschfeld, and more.
The U.S. Healthcare System is Already Mostly Socialized
Now that Abdul El-Sayed is the Democratic nominee for Michigan’s open Senate seat, the outcome of this crucial race will depend mainly on two things: Whether Republicans succeed in demonizing El-Sayed because he’s brown and a Muslim, and whether they succeed in demonizing him as a left-wing radical. I will defer for the now the question of whether bigotry will be effective this year, although I will address it another day. What I want to address instead is El-Sayed’s signature issue — healthcare. Yes, El-Sayed advocates Medicare for All, a position the usual suspects denounce as “socialism.” I will get to the politics of his stance soon. Today, however, I want to talk about the substance. We should be clear that El-Sayed doesn’t even call himself a socialist. On the contrary, he explicitly disavows the label, saying “I’m a capitalist who just knows about capitalism”. In fact, as I explained in a previous post, the policies that El-Sayed advocates qualify him as a social democrat, not a socialist. Still, El-Sayed advocates a system under which the government would pay almost all medical expenses. Isn’t that socialism? Well, if that is the criterion then much of U.S. healthcare is already socialist. In fact, the government’s role is so large that U.S. healthcare is better described as partially privatized socialism than as anything resembling a free market. Let’s start with the raw numbers on health insurance, which pays the bulk of Americans’ medical expenses. Americans receive health insurance either from private companies or from public programs, overwhelmingly Medicare and Medicaid. Here’s what the breakdown of coverage and spending between private and public looked like in 2024: While a majority of Americans with health insurance get it from private companies, well over 100 million of us are covered by government programs instead. And these government programs pay more total dollars for medical bills than the private insurers do. Why do government programs that cover a minority of the population account for a majority of health insurers’ outlays? Mainly because Medicare covers seniors, and we’re expensive. Also, while Medicaid covers many younger Americans, disabled and elderly beneficiaries account for most of its spending. Even by the raw numbers, then, U.S. health insurance looks as much public as private. But that understates the government’s role: Private health insurance in the U.S. is both highly regulated and heavily subsidized. This is obviously true for the insurance coverage purchased by tens of millions of Americans through the exchanges established by the Affordable Care Act. But employment-based health insurance, which covers 161 million Americans, is far more of a government creation than most people realize. For employment-based insurance exists largely because of huge implicit government subsidies that come with major strings attached. Here’s how that works. If your employer pays you $10,000, that’s taxable income. But if your employer pays $10,000 toward a company health insurance plan that meets certain criteria, it isn’t taxable. That’s a huge effective subsidy, running at more than $300 billion a year. Take that subsidy into account, along with the more than $100 billion per year spent subsidizing policies purchased under the ACA, as well as the outlays on Medicare and Medicaid, and net effect is that the government pays for more than two-thirds of Americans’ health insurance. Granted, there are strings attached. Roughly speaking, employment-based health plans can’t discriminate based on medical history — that is, they can’t deny coverage to employees with pre-existing conditions — and they also can’t offer the plans only to highly compensated employees — a health plan that is only for the C-suite is considered taxable income. So given the restrictions of the federal tax code, employer-based health insurance is a lot like Obamacare, which also prohibits discrimination based on medical history and provides subsidies to make insurance affordable to lower-paid workers. The fact is that virtually all of private healthcare insurance is already well under some form of government control through regulation and tax subsidies. How should we think about this system? First of all, is Medicare socialist? Don’t tell anyone, but the way Medicare operates — it covers every senior’s medical expenses, whatever they turn out to be, while being funded by taxes that depend on one’s income — could be summarized by the old Marxist slogan “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.” And back in 1961, when Ronald Reagan was the face of a last-ditch effort by the American Medical Association to block the creation of Medicare, he denounced Medicare as “socialized medicine” and warned that it would destroy our freedom. In reality, American freedom survived until Jan. 20, 2025, while Medicare is immensely popular, with an 82 percent favorable rating in the most recent KFF survey. Medicaid, government health insurance for lower-income Americans, comes in at 73 percent. This is in sharp contrast to public views about private insurers, who are widely disliked if not hated and accused of denying essential care. Furthermore, if Medicare is socialism, then the whole U.S. health insurance system, with the government paying most of the bills and placing conditions on private insurers, is almost equally socialist. If you insist on calling any program the government pays for and regulates socialist, then U.S. healthcare would best be described as a partially privatized form of socialism. And one must ask, what is the point of the part that is privatized? Do private insurers add anything positive? Or are they simply parasites, skimming off money that could have been paying for care? The case for viewing insurers as parasites is strong. Many Medicare benefits are now delivered via Medicare Advantage, that is, plans paid for by the government but run through insurance companies. MedPAC, an independent advisory commission, estimates that last year Medicare Advantage plans were overpaid by $84 billion, thanks to practices such as “upcoding,” in which patients’ health problems are overstated to get larger sums from Medicare. Assessing the waste from employer-based insurance is harder, but most evidence suggests that private insurers have substantially higher administrative costs than Medicare does. Furthermore, the complexity of private insurance, with multiple payers all trying to deny care when they can, is a huge burden both on providers — doctors, nurses, and hospitals — and on patients. What do private insurers offer to compensate for these costs? One must go through intellectual contortions to avoid the conclusion that they are, in fact, parasites. Which brings me back to El-Sayed. In supporting Medicare for All, he’s basically calling for an end to the partial, parasitic privatization of a healthcare system that is already hugely dependent on public funding. When one looks at it that way, it’s not at all a radical proposal. Admittedly, the political lift requires overcoming the opposition to higher taxes to pay for Medicare for All. Political realism rather than economics was the reason I and many other progressives supported Obamacare, with all its complexities, rather than demanding an immediate move to Medicare for All. But the political calculus may very well have shifted since the 2000s, as Americans are fed up with a system of unaffordable premiums, rampant claim denials, and byzantine claim administration. Moreover, funding healthcare insurance through taxation would allow for a much more progressive distribution of the cost. That is, compared to the present system, middle-income households would pay less as high-income households would pay more. And the U.S. would stop wasting large sums on pointless administrative costs. So let’s be clear: El-Sayed’s healthcare platform is perfectly reasonable on the merits of cost, fairness and health efficacy. And with private insurers never more hated, while millions of Americans are losing their health insurance, 2026 may be its time. MUSICAL CODA
'A Must-Have Day 1 Purchase': Remedy Bets Big on Control Resonant, as Alan Wake 2 Passes 3 Million Sold
Alan Wake and Control developer Remedy is betting big on Control Resonant, as Alan Wake 2 finally passes 3 million copies sold.
Blue Jays Provide Latest Health Update on Spencer Arrighetti
The Toronto Blue Jays have provided the latest health update on starting pitcher Spencer Arrighetti, who came over at the trade deadline. The Blue Jays traded center fielder Daulton Varsho and cash to the Astros for Arrighetti, a young, controllable starting pitcher who had fallen out of favor in Houston. He was on the IL […] The post Blue Jays Provide Latest Health Update on Spencer Arrighetti appeared first on HEAVY.
Saber's newest game trailer takes a shot at Gearbox's CEO, if you look closely
The first hint that something might be up with the recent debut trailer for Saber Interactive’s Rideshare Stimulator is an unusual choice of words—aside from that second one in the game’s title. “Don’t take your passengers too seriously,” the trailer’s narrator says, as he describes this upcoming game. It a car game about the gig work of driving eccentric people to their destinations, a riff on Crazy Taxi. And then, he says: “When I think I’ve met the randiest of passengers, someone even stranger gets in.” “Randiest”? That suggests “randy,” which usually means having strong sexual desire. Yet none of the oddball backseat occupants featured in the trailer seem particularly lustful. One is an old man who considers his grandson a failure, another shares the theory that birds might control traffic lights, another says he’s banned from an aquarium. A little later, there’s a license plate, shown 63 seconds into the trailer, on the front of an SUV: USB DRV It’s a Texas plate. The symbol between those letters is a cog wheel. If you know, you know. That’s a reference to Texas-based Borderlands game development studio Gearbox Software (their logo features a cog wheel). More specifically, it’s a reference to Gearbox’s CEO Randy Pitchford, who in 2018 found himself explaining the nature of video he’d saved on a USB drive that was found at a Medieval Times restaurant before being returned to the studio: “It was ‘barely legal’ porn. This girl’s handle was ‘Only 18.’” The “girl” in the video had committed a solo sex act that Pitchford, an avid practitioner of magic, found remarkable. “I realized, this is not a sex worker…This is a fucking magician.” Back then, the USB drive was central to competing lawsuits against Gearbox by the studio’s former lawyer and by Gearbox against him. A settlement in late 2019 “exonerated” Pitchford, per the Hollywood Reporter. The USB story has resurfaced at times, now in a trailer from a company that not long ago was corporate brethren with Gearbox. Saber vs. Gearbox The head of Saber told Game File that the reference is payback. “The dig is because Randy took shots at Embracer in Borderlands 4,” Saber CEO Matt Karch told me when I asked him about the license plate. “Without Embracer, Randy is performing magic tricks at birthday parties for a living.” Having interviewed Karch during a cross-country flight in late 2024, I can confirm that Karch was unimpressed with Pitchford during their time both working in the Embracer group. I’d approached him not out of surprise that there was animosity but that it was manifesting publicly now. Gearbox was founded in 1999, worked on a port of Halo early on, and developed hit series such as the loot-based sci-fi shooter Borderlands before it was purchased by The Embracer Group in early 2021 for $363 million (with a possible earn-out of over $1 billion, if certain targets were hit by 2027). Saber was founded in 2001, worked on a remaster of Halo early on, had a big hit with zombie shooter World War Z and was purchased by Embracer in early 2020 for $150 million, with a potential earn-out of up to $375 million. For a few years, the Embracer group was a voracious acquirer of game studios. Then, as investment dried up, it choked. In March 2024, Embracer sold Saber to an investment company controlled by Saber CEO Matt Karch, and it sold Gearbox in an all-stock deal to long-time Borderlands publisher Take Two Interactive. Other studios were shut down. Hundreds of developers were laid off. Gearbox didn’t say much about their Embracer experience, nothing too direct, at least. In the summer 2024, Pitchford told reporter and occasional Game File contributor Nicole Carpenter that Borderlands 4’s story was in some way thematically connected to Gearbox’s experience at Embracer: “There’s this cultural and emotional shift in me, personally, and at the studio. What does it mean to trade some autonomy for organization?” When Borderlands 4 came out, there was something stranger: the matter of “Embracer’s Bluff,” a location in the game featuring an AI-powered toilet and a large trash dump, according to a detailed Kotaku account of the place. Gearbox never commented on it; Take Two never got back to me about it when I asked them last year. By contrast, since Saber exited Embracer, Karch has been one of Embracer’s biggest defenders, casting their management as well-meaning and supportive despite the layoffs and studio closures that resulted from their excessive expansion. Like others, Saber’s Karch saw Embracer’s as a shot. With Rideshare Stimulator’s trailer, he’s returned fire. “It’s amazing to me how fast people forget those who went above and beyond for them,” Karch told Game File. A rep for Gearbox did not comment by press time. Game File is a reader-supported publication. Your backing makes my reporting—including any coverage of trailer-based beefs—possible. Good news! I’m currently running Game File’s first big sale of 2026. You can get a one-year subscription for 23% off. Click here to take advantage of the limited-time offer. And thank you for your support! Item 2: In brief… 🚫 Wal-Mart has laid off the staff of Restart, a games media outlet launched in 2024, Aftermath reports. 🟥 A GTA VI preview is on the way, at last, via an “extended look” that will premiere, unusually, on Netflix at 3pm ET on August 27, then officially go live elsewhere six hours later. Last week, Game File noted that Take Two label Rockstar Games is overdue for showing off GTA VI, based on the timing of the initial hands-off previews of GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2. During a call with investors, Take Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said pre-orders for GTA VI were “unprecedented and astonishing,” but added the company can’t predict how many of those pre-orders represent bonus sales vs. sales that otherwise would have been made at launch. During the same call, Zelnick was noticeably bullish on the future of playing games over streaming cloud connections (predicting wider adoption in three or so years). He sounded unbothered by Sony’s plans to stop making discs for new games (he said the business is 90% digital already and predicted that there could still be limited edition physical editions of games “in the same way there’s still vinyl in the recorded music business.”) 👀 Take Two wrote off $43 million in their spring quarter after deciding “not to proceed with further development of an unannounced title in its pipeline from a third-party developer.” 🤔 Some rare age-demographics from a big publisher: Capcom recently told investors that “users in their 20s account for approximately half of the users of both Pragamata and Resident Evil Requiem.” Item 3: The week ahead Tuesday, August 11 Game releases: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered (Switch 2; already out for PC, PS5, Xbox) continues the Bethesda strategy of putting Elder Scrolls games on everything; Royalty Free-For-All is a Smash Bros.-style fighting game featuring public domain characters such as Mother Goose brawling with Oliver Twist in a stage based on the original Little Shop of Horrors movie. Wednesday, August 12 Game release: Pro Jank Footy (PC, console) is an arcade-style Australian Rules Football game with increasingly ridiculous rules, the more you play (I enjoyed the Steam demo) Thursday, August 13 Game release: Super Mario Sunshine (Switch 2, originally released in 2002 on the GameCube) is released for Switch 2’s Nintendo Switch Online service. This game is the black sheep of 3D Mario games. It’s the successor to the breakthrough Super Mario 64 and the rare Mario game built around a single (vacation resort) theme. Mario’s got a water-spraying backpack, a Yoshi pal and a lot of blue coins to collect.
Sanders Calls on A.I. Companies to Pause Development to ‘Avoid Disaster’
Senator Bernie Sanders warned that corporations have already lost control of technology that could cause “potentially cataclysmic results” for millions of people.
Someone Made a Terrific Deal in the Peacock/YouTube Premium Partnership…But Who?
(Welcome to the “Most Important Story of the Week”, my bi-weekly strategy column analyzing the most important (but often not buzziest) news story of the last two weeks. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. Please subscribe.) I hope everyone around the world suffering from record heat waves is doing okay. The temperature is already up in Southern California, but obviously not nearly as bad as parts of Europe. With a super El Nińo coming this year, I worry it will get even worse. Yes, we know what’s causing this heat—it’s the carbon, duh—but we really aren’t making enough progress. I’m not “environmental strategy guy”, but if I were, I’d have some ideas of what I’d try. Honestly, for years I’ve been intrigued by the work of the folks at MEER—whose plan, super simply, is to put up mirrors to reflect heat (while continuing the important work of decarbonization)—but I’m frustrated this idea hasn’t made more progress. (Other geo-engineering groups seem to get better press.) With heat like this—cancelling events, hurting economies and, most importantly, killing people—it seems like the time to push solutions! The “mirrors on the ground” solution has barely been tried.1 While entertainment companies may not “feel the heat”, lots of outdoors/experiential industries—concerts, theme parks and so on—will. Even movie theaters could benefit, since mirrors could help lower AC costs, which I imagine is not an insignificant expense, especially in the hotter areas of the country. So I do think the entertainment industry should prioritize this issue. Anyways, let’s get back into the entertainment strategy. I was about to write, “Hey, this week we don’t have any mergers and entertainment news to dive into,” but that’s not really true, since we had more updates on Paramount-Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery. But the big story of the week involves a streamer and a Big Tech platform bundling their respective streamers. So I’ll write about the updates on Paramount buying Warner Bros., Versant making some moves, and a whole lot more. But we start with a surprising deal: Peacock licensing their content to YouTube Premium. Let’s dive in! Subscribe Most Important Story of the Week - Peacock’s Pricey Premium Partnership The story of the week is Comcast’s2 NBC-Universal’s Peacock making a deal with Google’s YouTube’s YouTube Premium subscription product to embed their content. And I’ll say this up front: Someone made a terrific deal. The question is who. And I’ll be honest: I don’t know. Let me explain why, including why this deal exists, the pros and cons for each side, the biggest unknown, and what that says about the streaming wars. Customers Love Bundles (But YouTube Has Its Own Issues) We’re just getting started with this issue, but the rest is for paid subscribers of the Entertainment Strategy Guy, so if you’d like to find out… Why customers love bundles… But why I’m worried about YouTube’s integration... How Peacock is trading scale for control… And the reason they likely made this deal... The odd budget math for this deal... Whether or not I think the Paramount-Skydance/WBD deal is more likely after the latest settlement... Versant making moves and why that’s good for Hollywood… Another distributor going out of business… ...and a whole lot more! ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support.
I Watched My Startup's Hidden Weaknesses Surface Overnight — Here's the 4-Part Stress Test Every Founder Should Run Before a Downturn Hits
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Speeding driver plows through South St. Louis County sidewalk, foot from crashing into a business
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Athletics Part Ways With Former General Manager
The Athletics have parted ways with former general manager David Forst after a season in which the team has struggled to win games.With a 45-70 record this season, the Athletics have been one of the biggest disappointments in all of MLB. Armed with a load of young, talented, and controllable players, things have seemingly fallen […] The post Athletics Part Ways With Former General Manager appeared first on HEAVY.
Onimusha: Way of the Sword gets first Nintendo Switch 2 gameplay
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Mosquito Street Spraying Monday, August 10, 2026
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