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PS5 Pro Shortage Hits Japan As Sony Limits Console Purchases To Active Playstation Users Ahead Of GTA 6
A lottery system has been introduced in an effort to counter shortages while alleviating scalper concerns ahead of GTA 6
Amid PlayStation 5 Pro Shortages, Sony Implements Lottery System Based on Playtime
No one is exempt from the global DRAM shortage, and today Sony confirmed there might be a way for enthusiastic gamers to purchase the PlayStation 5 Pro console at MSRP. In Japan, Sony is running a lottery system that explicitly allows gamers with 60 hours of playtime to purchase the console....
Sony to skip CES 2027 for first time since expo's inaugural event in 1967
Decision made as Sony shifts focus to "entertainment, intellectual property, and technology geared to support creators"
Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet to be fully revealed in 2027
Publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment and developer Naughty Dog will lift the veil on science-fiction adventure game Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet in 2027, Naughty Dog studio head Neil Druc…
How Much Would It Cost To Build A PC Equivalent To The PlayStation 5 Pro In 2026?
The cost of Sony's top-of-the-line PlayStation 5 Pro has risen significantly over the past year, but how does it stack up to a PC with similar specs?
Sony Quits CES in 2027 as It Continues Transition to Entertainment
Has attended US event for 60 years
In brief: '9 to 5' headed back to theaters and more
Pour yourself a cup of ambition and head out to your local movie theater. 9 to 5 is headed back to movie theaters for a special, weeklong run starting on Oct. 9. This will be a newly restored version of the classic satirical workplace comedy starring the late Dolly Parton. Additionally, Disney is set to donate net proceeds from each ticket purchased for the rerelease in the U.S. to the Dollywood Foundation in support of its flagship program, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Disney is the parent company of ABC News ...Off Campus star Ella Bright has found her next gig. The actress confirmed she will star opposite Mason Thames in the movie Narcs in a post shared to her Instagram Story. This marks Bright's first major studio feature role. The upcoming coming-of-age comedy will be made for Sony Pictures. While the movie's plot is being kept under wraps, it will serve as the directorial debut of John Phillips, the writer of No Hard Feelings, Good Boys and Dirty Grandpa ... TNCMS.AdManager.render({region: 'fixed-big-ad-top-asset', slot: 1, fold: "above"}); Did you miss Evil Dead Burn in theaters? Not to worry. The film is set to make its global streaming debut on HBO Max on Oct. 2. Souheila Yacoub, Tandi Wright, Hunter Doohan, Luciane Buchanan, Erroll Shand and Maude Davey star in the film that was directed by Sébastien Vaniček ...Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Thank you for reading kmaland.comAt KMA, we attempt to be accurate in our reporting. If you see a typo or mistake in a story, please contact us by emailing kmaradio@kmaland.com.
Sony details God of War Laufey’s Digital Deluxe Edition contents and pre-order bonus
Pre-orders for the next God of War game start on Tuesday…
God of War Laufey pre-orders open September 29, editions detailed
Physical and digital pre-orders for God of War Laufey will begin on September 29 at 10:00 a.m. local time, publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment and developer Santa Monica Studio announced.
'Sony's Hearing a Lot of the Feedback from Customers': NIS America Boss Weighs in on PS5 Disc Debate
"We'll have to see what happens"
Experimental Emulator Brings Nintendo Switch Games to Jailbroken PS5 Consoles
An unofficial port of the Eden Nintendo Switch emulator is now running natively on jailbroken PlayStation 5 consoles. Developer BlackBearReloaded released ProsperoEden, which adapts Eden, itself a fork of the now-defunct Yuzu project, to run directly on Sony's hardware as homebrew rather than...
Xbox is reportedly paying a "fraction" of the $400 million Kojima quoted Sony for Physint
Xbox is reportedly paying far less than the $400 million Kojima quoted Sony for Physint, after Sony dropped it over cost and delays.
PlayStation Plus Free Games October 2026: Reveal Date, Rumors, Predictions And More
he PS Plus October 2026 free games are coming soon. Here’s when Sony will reveal the Essential lineup, when the games release, plus leaks, rumors and predictions.
“Resident Evil” (2026) Review and Film Franchise Retrospective
After years of poorly made adaptations, “Resident Evil” (2026), directed by Zach Cregger, attempts a new approach to a story that fans have witnessed many times. From 2002 to 2017, Sony released six action-horror movies based on the game series. Mostly directed by Paul W. S. Anderson, the films would create new characters and seemed...
Sony may reconsider plans to phase out physical discs for PlayStation.
The management of Japanese company Nippon Ichi Software and its Western publishing division NIS America announced that they are holding direct consultations...
Long-Time PlayStation Publisher Says "The Discussion May Change" Around Physical Media
Rumors recently appeared about Sony potentially delaying its digital-only future due to pressure from Microsoft's Xbox Helix, although they were promptly shot down by industry insiders and frequent leakers who said that Sony was dead-set on killing its physical media production—despite data...
PlayStation's Newest Survey Sparks Community Pushback Against Sony's Plans to End Physical Game Discs
PlayStation has released a survey that any member of the public can fill out, as long as they’re an adult — and players are using the opportunity to push back on Sony’s plans to end the production of physical game discs.
PS5 Fans Encouraged to Give Feedback on Discs in New Sony Survey
And any other pressing concerns
NISA CEO Says He's Having 'Discussions' With Sony About Discs
'It's possible that the discussion may change in the future'
Apple Watch Ultra 4 vs Apple Watch Series 12: Every Difference Detailed!
Every feature compared between the Apple Watch Series 12 & Apple Watch Ultra 4 - side-by-side in real life!
Sony reportedly surveying developers about PlayStation disc-ending decision - is it having second thoughts?
Sony's decision to end PlayStation disc production has been hugely controversial, seemingly even among developers. A rumoured survey suggests Sony has noticed.
Sony, A24 and the New York Times Company Circle Letterboxd
A24, Sony and The New York Times Company all registered their interest in acquiring the cinephile’s paradise.
Sony Allegedly Surveyed Game Developers on its Disc-Killing Plan for 2028, Hinting at a Possible Reversal amid Fan Boycotts
According to leaker MLID, Sony has surveyed game developers on its disc-killing plan, suggesting they may consider a shocking reversal.
'Toy Story 5' comes to Disney+
"Toy Story 5," the final season of "Outlander," and crime-comedy "I Love Boosters” head to streaming. (Source: WALT DISNEY STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAINMENT, NEON, SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT, CNN via CNN Newsource)
'Toy Story 5' comes to Disney+
"Toy Story 5," the final season of "Outlander," and crime-comedy "I Love Boosters” head to streaming. (Source: WALT DISNEY STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAINMENT, NEON, SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT, CNN via CNN Newsource)
'Toy Story 5' comes to Disney+
"Toy Story 5," the final season of "Outlander," and crime-comedy "I Love Boosters” head to streaming. (Source: WALT DISNEY STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAINMENT, NEON, SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT, CNN via CNN Newsource)
'Toy Story 5' comes to Disney+
"Toy Story 5," the final season of "Outlander," and crime-comedy "I Love Boosters” head to streaming. (Source: WALT DISNEY STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAINMENT, NEON, SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT, CNN via CNN Newsource)
'Toy Story 5' comes to Disney+
"Toy Story 5," the final season of "Outlander," and crime-comedy "I Love Boosters” head to streaming. (Source: WALT DISNEY STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAINMENT, NEON, SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT, CNN via CNN Newsource)
'Toy Story 5' comes to Disney+
"Toy Story 5," the final season of "Outlander," and crime-comedy "I Love Boosters” head to streaming. (Source: WALT DISNEY STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAINMENT, NEON, SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT, CNN via CNN Newsource)
'Toy Story 5' comes to Disney+
"Toy Story 5," the final season of "Outlander," and crime-comedy "I Love Boosters” head to streaming. (Source: WALT DISNEY STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAINMENT, NEON, SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT, CNN via CNN Newsource)
'Toy Story 5' comes to Disney+
"Toy Story 5," the final season of "Outlander," and crime-comedy "I Love Boosters” head to streaming. (Source: WALT DISNEY STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAINMENT, NEON, SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT, CNN via CNN Newsource)
'Toy Story 5' comes to Disney+
"Toy Story 5," the final season of "Outlander," and crime-comedy "I Love Boosters” head to streaming. (Source: WALT DISNEY STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAINMENT, NEON, SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT, CNN via CNN Newsource)
'Toy Story 5' comes to Disney+
"Toy Story 5," the final season of "Outlander," and crime-comedy "I Love Boosters” head to streaming. (Source: WALT DISNEY STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAINMENT, NEON, SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT, CNN via CNN Newsource)
'Toy Story 5' comes to Disney+
"Toy Story 5," the final season of "Outlander," and crime-comedy "I Love Boosters” head to streaming. (Source: WALT DISNEY STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAINMENT, NEON, SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT, CNN via CNN Newsource)
'Toy Story 5' comes to Disney+
"Toy Story 5," the final season of "Outlander," and crime-comedy "I Love Boosters” head to streaming. (Source: WALT DISNEY STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAINMENT, NEON, SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT, CNN via CNN Newsource)
Sony appears to be testing PlayStation Store credit offers when you buy certain games
What looks to be an unannounced PlayStation loyalty programme of some kind has seemingly gone live for some, offering store credit.
PS Wallet Credit program is live, offering $10 credit on game purchases
Sony was expected to replace its PlayStation Stars program with a Wallet Credit program that now seems to be live. There are a handful of games that have been listed on the PS Store with a limited-time store credit offer.
Sony officially announces a new limited edition PS5 DualSense controller based on K-pop star Lisa
The Blackpink singer’s controller is coming next month…
Hideo Kojima doesn't know if Physint will be released on PS5, and he hasn't decided if it's going to use Sony's Decima game engine
Sony's sudden decision to drop Hideo Kojima's Metal Gear successor Physint has raised many questions about the game's future.
Hideo Kojima claims Sony dumped him in a Zoom call with no reason
Not even the creator of "Metal Gear" is safe from the dreaded video call layoff.
Hideo Kojima claims Sony dumped him in a Zoom call with no reason
Not even the creator of "Metal Gear" is safe from the dreaded video call layoff.
Hideo Kojima Says Sony Dropped PHYSINT During a Zoom Call and Gave No Reason
In a new interview with IGN, Hideo Kojima says PlayStation ended its involvement in PHYSINT during a Zoom call in June. He says Sony gave no reason, though he also admits he didn't ask many questions during the meeting, and that Sony hasn't been in touch since. Kojima stressed the two are "not in...
'Resident Evil' tops box office with franchise best debut of $60 million
Zach Cregger’s “Resident Evil” gave the North American box office a shot in the arm in its first weekend in theaters. The Sony Pictures release earned $60 million in ticket sales from 3,684 locations in the U.S. and Canada, according to studio estimates Sunday. That’s a best for the video…
Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls' Future Already Looks Bleak
Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls' has dipped into three-figure player counts on Steam, and it's less-than-impressive sales numbers are likely to blame
Box Office: \'Resident Evil\' tops box office with franchise best debut of $60 million
Zach Cregger’s “Resident Evil” is giving the North American box office a boost in its first weekend. Sony Pictures says Sunday that the film has earned an estimated $60 million
‘Resident Evil’ Scores a Bloody Good $60 Million Box Office Opening
Zach Cregger sets a franchise and personal opening weekend record with his gory Sony video game adaptation
Hideo Kojima explains the surprise split with Sony
Celebrated game director Hideo Kojima wrestled with Sony’s surprise cancellation months before it went public, he said in an interview, fearing “our studio could collapse.”
Former Sony Suits Recreate Infamous PS4 Game Sharing Skit, Only without the Disc
Hits different these days
Former PlayStation Execs Recreate Iconic Disc-Sharing Xbox Diss — Without the Physical Games This Time
Former PlayStation executives Shuhei Yoshida and Adam Boyes have recreated their iconic game-sharing instructional video as Sony helps the industry barrel toward a discless future.
PS5 Linux dev quits after "the only hypervisor bug left" was reported to Sony
The developer behind the PS5 Linux project is stepping away, after getting frustrated with AI LLM Slop kiddies threw a spanner in the works.
Popular PlayStation Hacker Calling It Quits Due To AI-Using 'Slop Kiddies' Reporting Important Bug To Sony
An anticipated open source Linux mod for newer PS5 consoles might now be in jeopardy of never happening
Steamboat Ironman survives sepsis, organ failure and emergency brain surgery
After sepsis, organ failure and emergency brain surgery, a Steamboat Ironman defied the odds and returned to the life he loves.
PS5 Linux developer drops project after "last" hypervisor bug is reported to Sony
TheFloW is leaving the PS5 development scene after a dispute over disclosure of a hypervisor vulnerability. His unfinished PS5 Pro Linux support was planned for 2027.
PlayStation 5 System Software Update 14.0 Is Now Live, Yet Only PlayStation 5 Pro Users Will See A Real Improvement
Sony's PS5 system software update 14.0 turns on Enhanced PSSR image quality by default on PlayStation 5 Pro
PS5 Update Lets You Turn on Display Names, Adds Trending Now and Top 10 Views, and More
Sony has released a fresh system software update for the PS5 that makes a number of interesting changes. Check out the version 26.06-14.00.00 patch notes.
PS5 Update 26.06-14.00.00 Released on September 16 Turns on Enhance PSSR Image Quality
Sony has released the latest PS5 system update on September 16, and this one adds more than just your standard stability improvements. The biggest feature in PS5 system update 26.06-14.00.00…
New PS5 Pulse Headsets Revealed by Sony with Better Sound and Comfort
Pulse headset this year, Pulse Edge headset in 2027
KJ Apa & Nadia Parkes To Lead Sophie Kargman Horror Film ‘Obey’ For Waypoint Entertainment, Spooky Pictures; Sony’s Screen Gems Distributing
EXCLUSIVE: KJ Apa (The Map That Leads to You) and Nadia Parkes (HBO’s Youth) have inked deals to star in Obey, a new horror film from Waypoint Entertainment (Project Hail Mary, Cuckoo) and Spooky Pict...
Sony Pictures Entertainment Taps Jamie Kampel To Head Consumer Products & Licensing
Sony Pictures Entertainment has set former Amazon-MGM Studios executive Jamie Kampel as EVP, Head of Consumer Products & Licensing,
Last Of Us Part 2 Multiplayer Mod Shut Down By Sony
Naughty Dog canceled its own Last Of Us multiplayer game in 2023
XBOX CEO Message is Salt in Sony's Wound at Kojima Productions
XBOX CEO Asha Sharma has left a message on Kojima Productions wall that fans are taking as a shot against Sony, which tried to cancel PHYSINT.
Hackman Loses Culver City Office Campus
Troubled studio owner Hackman Capital Partners has lost control of the former Sony Pictures Animation campus in Culver City. The 198,000-square-foot
The Last of Us Part 2 Multiplayer Mod Cancelled at Sony’s Request
A PvP multiplayer mod for The Last of Us Part 2 on PC is no longer going to be released after the mod maker says it was contacted by Sony Interactive Entertainment and asked not to release the project to the public.
Sony Shuts Down The Last of Us 2 PC Multiplayer Fan Mod
Nine months of work down the drain
Last of Us Part 2 multiplayer mod ‘canceled by Sony’
Multiplayer mod team say they’re cancelling its release due to a request from PlayStation…
Anthropic selects Nasdaq for IPO, Business Insider reports
Sept 13 (Reuters) - U.S. tech startup Anthropic has selected Nasdaq for its potential initial public offering, Business Insider reported on Sunday, citing a person familiar with the company's plans. (Reporting by Ananya Palyekar in B...
Sony’s Now Making Decisions Specifically To Avoid Another ‘Concord’
Sony's big cancellations and cost-cutting moves are reportedly inspired by 'Concord' as the company cannot afford another flop at that level.
After Sony tells fans they don't own digital games, one Consumer Rights group is tracking all the times PlayStation said the opposite
PlayStation previously argued "reasonable consumers" know they don't own digital goods. One Consumer Rights group is now pulling out receipts.
Bloomberg states reasons why Sony decided to cancel Physint, Hideo Kojima's newest IP and Metal Gear Solid successor that's coming soon to Xbox and PC
Going over budget, not meeting deadlines, and fear of investment are the major reasons why Sony has recently tried to cancel Hideo Kojima's new IP, 'Physint',
Sony DWX Gen 4 Wireless System Detailed – 32-Bit Float Recording, 1.1ms Latency, and a 30% Price Cut
Sony DWT-B40 brings 32-bit float recording to DWX Gen 4. Markus from Sony on latency, compatibility, channel count and price.
Sony introduces the WH-1000XM4C, its new wireless noise-cancelling headphones inspired by its most popular over-ear model
Your headphones game just got an upgrade with Sony’s brand new WH-1000XM4C, which builds on its popular WH-1000XM4; combining the legendary 1000X Series noise cancellation, trusted premium sound in its beloved timeless design. Image courtesy of Sony. Ideal for everyone from the frequent travellers to students and commuters, the WH-1000XM4C is able to deliver rich […]
Sony Loses Hideo Kojima To Xbox In Its Latest Disaster
In a dramatic series of announcements, Hideo Kojima claimed that Sony was on the verge of canceling his new game, PHYSINT, and he's now left the brand for Xbox.
Sony’s Limited-Edition GTA 6 DualSense Controller Preorders Are Finally Live in the UK, but Stock Is Expected to Sell Out Fast
Secure your GTA 6 DualSense controller in the UK. Preorders are live for both Vice City-themed PS5 controllers starting at £74.99.
Xbox picks up Kojima’s Physint after PlayStation dropped it
Sony’s loss is Microsoft’s gain.
Anthropic researcher's resignation sends warning about the dangers of AI development
Jacob Coxon, who said he spent three years doing research at both Anthropic and OpenAI, said Tuesday on the social platform X that the two AI companies are more focused on beating each other and global competitors in developing the most advanced model possible than they are on safety.
Sony Pictures Entertainment CEO on Success of 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day'
Sony Pictures Entertainment CEO Ravi Ahuja said the box-office success of 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' stems from the movie's emotional resonance with audiences that's unlike other recent superhero movies.
Sony Music Japan President Atsuhiro Iwakami: Interview
Sony Music Japan President Atsuhiro Iwakami shares his thoughts on what it will take for Japanese content to score hits abroad.
Sony is reportedly preparing a big update for the PS5 and PS5 Pro with improvements to PSSR 2.0 upscaling
Sony is reportedly getting ready to release a major new system update for the PS5, with firmware version 14.0 currently is beta.
Award-Winning Photographers Give Newhouse Students Up-Close Look at Covering Sports
Sony Artisans of Imagery Jean Fruth and Patrick Murphy-Racey provide advice, lead workshops at Syracuse football, Syracuse Mets games.
Sony WH-1000XM4C launch for $299 alongside two more affordable headphones
As rumored, Sony is reviving its WH-1000XM4 headphones with a new WH-1000XM4C reboot, bringing some new colors to a much...
Obsession Was A Huge Success. I Just Found Out Another Studio Totally Lost The Film
Sony Pictures just wanted Obsession to love them more than anything in the world.
Back with a bang! Sony has resurrected a classic pair of wireless headphones by launching the WH-1000XM4C
Welcome back, old friend...
Six years later, Sony revisits its legendary XM4 headphones
The Sony XM4C look just like the XM4 from 2020.
Sony Is Reportedly Bringing Killzone Back Over A Decade Later
But what form it will take is still unclear
Sony's Tom Rothman on 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day' Blockbuster Success, Being Outbid for 'Obsession' and More
Sony's Tom Rothman took a victory lap with the studio's boffo success of 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day,' speaking at the Lumiere Summit in France.
Sony Reportedly Greenlights Killzone’s Return after over a Decade in the Grave, Even Ahead of Horizon 3
Guerrilla is reportedly working alongside another studio on a Killzone remaster/remake, which will be prioritized even against Horizon 3.
Sony Can't Hide Forever
In contrast to Xbox, PlayStation is trying to keep calm and carry on. It's not working.
Video game makers really don't want to give customers tariff refunds
Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo are all arguing in court that they don't have to the pass tariff refunds they've received to their customers.
Video game makers really don't want to give customers tariff refunds
Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo are all arguing in court that they don't have to the pass tariff refunds they've received to their customers.
Sony is preparing limited edition PlayStation 5 consoles in the style of GTA 6.
The gaming community is buzzing with discussions about possible limited edition versions of the PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 5 Pro consoles, timed to coincide with...
Sony clarifies PlayStation disc production is dropping by 10 percent in 2028, not to 10 percent
Sony has clarified that PlayStation disc production is dropping 10 percent in 2028, not to 10 percent, after reports misread comments from a Sony DADC exec.
Rohit Sharma show on Sony: Trailer, start date, show timings and how to watch
With Rohit Sharma's TV show finally about to air on the Sony Network, here's everything you will need to know about the timings and where to watch it.
15 discouraging hours with Onimusha: Way of the Sword, and 10 brilliant ones with He Who Watches
In the last few weeks, while playing some video games that I might review, I emailed two cries for help. I sent the first to a rep for Capcom, confessing that the company’s samurai game Onimusha Way of the Sword (out today for PC and console) was crushing me. “Feels like I’m playing ‘hard’ mode, not ‘normal,’” I wrote. “And I don’t want to have to knock it down to “story”. I’m exploring, trying to level my gear, but these two-phase boss fights with no mid-fight checkpoints are brutal.” I wagered I was only about halfway through the game, if that. I wasn’t sure I could keep up with the steepening difficulty curve. Was I missing something? Then, on Monday, I took some photos of some puzzles that were baffling me in the mind-bending He Who Watches (out now on PC), wrote out lengthy descriptions of how I’d been trying to solve them and asked Bobby Vanden, the game’s solo developer, for a nudge in the right direction. I told Vanden I’d spent hours on these puzzles. “I’m stuck in triplicate,” I told him. Could he tell me if the solutions I was attempting were even on the right track? I didn’t mention that the puzzles—coupled with major time pressures from other work—were stressing me out so much that playing the game was giving me headaches. This double dose of panic was unusual. I’m used to managing a workload full of reporting and reviewing, used to a crowded schedule and the need to stay calm amid the bustle. But I was stressed about these games. No one was forcing me to review them, nor even play them. I’d simply found them interesting enough to start, hoped they’d be interesting enough to write about and I’d sunk hours into them assuming I’d made the right call. Suddenly, however, I felt trapped. I was emailing for a way out. Above: This guy took me about an hour to beat. The feedback I got from Capcom confirmed my fears. They didn’t say it, but I will: Onimusha Way of the Sword is not for me. It’s a brutally hard game in need of a normal difficulty level. It’s a game that spikes so severely during its abundant boss fights—yet offers such flawed ways to improve when outside of them—that it feels like a bait-and-switch. In the new Onimusha, you play as famed samurai Musashi Miyamoto, aided by a magical soul-absorbing gauntlet that is possessed by a lady who offers advice. (Way of the Sword is a continuation of Capcom’s long-dormant Onimusha series, but that set-up had me wondering if the company was cribbing from their ill-fated Bionic Commando reboot; read about “wife-arm” when you get a chance). Way of the Sword is partially set in 17th century Kyoto, an explorable city where Miyamoto can fight demons, help civilians and eventually rescue ghostly dogs. The city evolves over time, with new mini adventures and obtainable loot on offer, all feeding into systems that promise to upgrade your gear and sword-fighting skills. Upgrades, however, are so incremental as to be imperceptible, causing the exploration of Kyoto to feel like inconsequential busywork. From that hub, players can go on linear missions into forests and old temples, where they will encounter many of the game’s tough bosses. Combat in Way of the Sword is akin to many modern melee games. Players are asked to mix attacks with dodges and parries. They’re encouraged to deplete an enemy’s stamina bar in order to do greater damage to its health bar. The old Onimusha games’ signature move was the issen, a counter-attack so sudden it’s all but pre-emptive. You strike just as they begin to strike toward you, beating them to the cut. By definition, the issen is a high risk move, leaving you wide open to pain. It feels risky in the game, especially against bosses, who can maul you in just a few blows. A game might train you to perform an issen well by offering a variety of lesser enemies who are not as tough as the boss but get close. Or it might offer a toehold against bosses by saving or checkpointing the player’s progress when a boss’ first health bar has been destroyed and before the second health bar appears. It might offer the less skilled player a chance to over-level their character, should the player simply commit to playing through its optional sidequests. Way of the Sword does none of this. Fighting its trivially easy grunt enemies and then its ferociously adept bosses is like playing a game of chess where I’ve got a rook, while the opposing side is all pawns and five queens. Bosses simply don’t checkpoint. You may be able to clear a boss’ first phase without taking much damage. Good for you. Do it again, every time you fail the second phase. As for the the central Kyoto hub, I kept pace with all of its added side activities and never felt like I was overpowered. Bosses could still easily buckle me. The new Onimusha, I concluded, is just too discouraging to keep playing. The advice I got from Capcom had been well-intentioned. They reminded me of the game’s various systems. They alerted me to an optional assist that flashes recommended button inputs (basically: counter this move; dodge that move). It was a little helpful. So was dropping down to “story mode,” which I tried last night. Story mode turns on those button prompts by default. It makes countering and dodging way too easy, nearly automatic. I don’t consider myself a master of action games like these, but I’ve cleared the likes of God of War, Stellar Blade, Star Wars Jedi and others of sub-Sekiro difficulty and had a fun time doing so. Not here. Not yet. Unless they patch Onimusha: Way of the Sword and add a middle difficulty or just checkpoint the damn bosses when they’re between health bars, my streak of loving Capcom games released in 2026 will likely end at two. It’s a shame, because I was having a good time finding those ghostly dogs. And then there’s He Who Watches, a phenomenal first person puzzle game with Portal vibes, except instead of a portal gun you’ve got a magical bow that shoots one arrow that can activate switches or be used to drag blocks. The twist is an actual twist: you can also walk on walls and the ceiling, reorienting gravity as you do, thereby placing blocks onto those other surfaces. Walking on walls and ceilings to solve problems is really the best thing. Would that I could in reality. He Who Watches consists of locked-room challenges, each brief enough to only require about a minute to actually solving, though it will take five, 10, eventually 30 minutes to figure out said solutions. They are not obvious! It’s a game of layered mechanics and shocking solutions. For example, see if you can follow this: You can drag a block to a wall. Then you can walk on the wall, which now feels like the floor, and drag that block across the wall. Later, back on the floor, you might realize you can look up. The block is still on the wall, stuck to it. You can shoot your magic arrow to its underside. Doing so creates a tether, so that you can yank the block off the wall and carry it, as if it were a balloon, into the spot where you need it to be to solve the puzzle. Here, watch Vanden explain some of the game’s basics in this launch trailer: As with any great puzzle game, the solutions to He Who Watches’ puzzles elicit relief and amazement. Oh my god, that worked! I didn’t even think that could be possible! Learning to solve the game’s puzzles feels like learning magic. But, oh, does the game get hard. Its Steam reviews, mostly glowing, are full of players remarking how quickly He Who Watches made them sweat. Wrote one: “loving this one already although my brain is hurting!” Wrote another: “As you get further in the game it feels like you need an IQ level of at least 120+.” Vanden has shown some mercy. Each locked room puzzle includes an optional junior version of the puzzle, meant to teach you. Difficulty nevertheless ramps severely. By the time I was emailing Vanden for help, I was struggling to even clear one of the hint puzzles. When I messaged him, my stress was exacerbated by strange things I’d found in the game’s various hubs: suspicious passageways, odd blocks and some intriguing locked doors. These were hints of secrets, I realized, yet I sensed I needed to play further into the game to understand them. I was stuck, but I wanted to see the rest. Vanden offered to give me the exact solutions, to solve those three puzzles for me, but first he gave four nudges. Three were for the specific puzzles, but his best hint was for all and ultimately proved to be a terrific life lesson: go back a bit, he suggested. Do the puzzles right before those. They were teaching you something. Focus on what their lesson was. Don’t rush, in other words. Recognize what you’ve accomplished. Build off of that. I did so. I absorbed the lessons. I saw those three tough puzzles in a new light. I solved one the night after he wrote back, another the morning after. I left a third for another time. I didn’t need it and I wanted to plunge deeper into the game, closer to the moment when I was sure I could start unlocking those secret doors. My head stopped hurting, too. He Who Watches feels special. It’s got more challenges, and I’m undeterred. It’s also nice that its puzzles don’t have a surprise second health bar. Game File is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe Item 2: In brief… 🎮 Ilari Kuittinen, co-founder of Helsinki-based Housemarque (Super Stardust HD, Resogun, Returnal) has stepped down from his studio, after a 31-year run, saying he’s “ taking a rare and well-deserved breather.” Sony purchased Housemarque in 2021, and the studio released its newest game, Saros, earlier this year. Trend-watch: Sony-owned Insomniac saw its founder Ted Price retire in early 2025, after a 30-year run. Sony-owned Sucker Punch saw its co-founder Brian Fleming step down in late 2025, after a 28-year run. 👀 Savvy Games Group chief Brian Ward is stepping down from the Saudi-government-backed games conglomerate, Bloomberg reports. No word on a long-term successor yet, nor if this augurs any closer integration between Savvy and Electronic Arts. EA was purchased by a consortium led by Saudi’s sovereign wealth fund, in early August. 💿 Square Enix has denied a Japanese media report that the company was planning to go private. In very different Square Enix news, the company revealed that the physical version of Final Fantasy VII: Revelation, the April 2027 finale of its radical remakes of FFVII, will include just one disc in its case, requiring a download for the rest. The first two FFVII remakes in the trilogy shipped on two discs apiece. While Square hasn’t commented on the reason why, a feature here in Game File last month broke down the processes and costs for physical games. The expense of a second disc comes out of the game publisher’s cut of each copy. Square could be saving in excess of a dollar a copy with this move. 🟥 Grand Theft Auto IV’s 26-minute ’‘extended look” gameplay showcase that premiered on Netflix last week—and was exclusive to the platform for six hours—drew 31.1 million views in its first four days, the streamer announced. (Netflix calculates views as total viewed hours divided by runtime; excludes replays). Compared to YouTube: The version that later premiered on Rockstar Games’ YouTube channel is sitting at 22.6 million views after seven days (YouTube’s more liberal counting system tallies anyone who viewed even just the first few second.) Compared to other Netflix mega-events: Last year, Stranger Things season 5’s first four episodes, which debuted together, drew a record 59.6 million views in their first few days on Netflix. For more of a live event type of comparison, in 2024, the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson boxing match drew 65 million concurrent streams as it happened; Netflix didn’t release live numbers for the GTA premiere. ☁️ Microsoft is changing the way it charges for cloud gaming, from an all-you-can-play offer for Xbox Game Pass subscribers, to caps for the subscription’s tiers (15 hours per month at the Ultimate tier), with the option to buy more hours in bulk beyond that. The company also said it will sell batches of cloud gaming time to non-Game Pass subscribers, details TBA. Microsoft does not release figures for cloud game usage, but said its changes would impact 4% of Game Pass subscribers. That implies a small portion of its subscribers exceed the 15-hour monthly mark. Cloud gaming offers the promise of playing games without the need for console or PC hardware, as the graphics, sound and controls are all transmitted via a streaming connection. Microsoft notes that its cloud gaming service can be used for a range of things, including Xbox One players using it to play newer-gen Xbox Series games via streaming; and people playing games via streaming, sans any console, “in markets where consoles are less available or affordable.” (That latter use case could even be relevant in Xbox’s home market soon, as console prices keep rising.) Take Two Interactive chairman Strauss Zelnick recently told investors he expects game-streaming tech, which has been only lightly adopted by gamers for over a decade, to be widely used within three years. 🇺🇸 The Trump administration has published multiple agenda-driven web video games to the White House’s website. One called Build The Wall partially clones Tetris as it asks players to build a wall to stop a “zombie border siege.” While actual Tetris involves clearing lines and basically not building a wall, the Trump-backed game omits the line-clearing aspect (and omits the fun as well). On Instagram, Tetris’ official license holders reacted by stating: “At Tetris we believe in the power of connection and bringing people together, not dividing them. To our fans everywhere: we love you, we see you, and we’re grateful to have you in our community. P.S. The Tetris Company was not involved in the creation of ‘Build the Wall.’ P.P.S.: We take copyright infringement very seriously.” Item 3: The week ahead: Tuesday, September 8 Game releases: Mewgenics (consoles; already out on PC) is an engrossing tactical combat game (with cats). It is getting its console port right after the release of a Star Wars tactics game and ahead of the late September launch of a Fire Emblem–a bumper crop for the genre. Wanderburg (PC) is an auto-shooting game like Vampire Survivors, but you’re a castle on wheels Event: Nintendo airs a 30-minute Nintendo Direct (10am ET) focused on The Legend of Zelda’s 40th Anniversary. A full unveiling of the upcoming remake of The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time is expected. Will they also show footage from next year’s live action movie? Tease the next big 3D Zelda? Add Link to Mario Kart World? Shadow-drop a new Tingle game? Wednesday, September 9 Event: Nintendo again! On this day, they’re planning to air a 45-minute Nintendo Direct (10am ET) focused on games heading to Switch 2 this winter. Followed by about an hour of gameplay demoed by the company’s Treehouse team. The September Nintendo Directs are always some of the year’s biggest. The 2025 edition included announcements of several major 2026 Switch/Switch 2 games: Pokémon Pokopia, Mario Tennis Fever, Yoshi and the Mysterious Book, Fire Emblem Fortune’s Weave. Plus the return of the Virtual Boy. Friday, September 11 Game release: EA Sports NHL 27 (PlayStation, Xbox) is a hockey game. There are so few that an indie studio that had been making wacky sci-fi first-person shooters just announced that, hey, we’re going to fill a void and make a hockey game for PC.
‘Wheel of Fortune’ announcer fired after airline laptop incident
Sony Pictures Television has fired Wheel of Fortune announcer Jim Thornton over an incident on a Los Angeles-bound flight involving his participation in an online chatroom, TMZ reported Friday. “Following a thorough investigation, Jim Thornton’s employment with Wheel of Fortune has been terminated, effective immediately,” a studio spokesperson told TMZ. The incident unfolded in May […]
The Fierce Battle For Kids’ Eyeballs...Plus Two “Devils” Face Off
(Welcome to my weekly streaming ratings report, the single best guide to what’s popular in streaming TV and what isn’t. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. If you were forwarded this email, please subscribe to get these insights each week.) During the week of this report, Spider-Man: Brand New Day hit theaters and went on to become one of the biggest films of all time. So, you know what that means! It’s time for a poll! Recently, Project Hail Mary came to Prime Video and became a top five film for them, but didn’t smash streaming records, a feat I cautiously thought it could accomplish. Can Spider-Man 4 do better? To set the stakes, some of the biggest films of all time do just okay on streaming. Wicked, Top Gun: Maverick, and Barbie come to mind... But unlike those films, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is a Sony film which means it’s headed to Netflix, the world’s largest streamer. Now, per friend of the newsletter and my go-to Netflix expert, Kasey Moore of What’s on Netflix, Sony films usually appear on Netflix 120 days after they premiere, which means Spidey 4 would land on Netflix on, checks notes, 28-November, one of the two biggest streaming weekends of the year! But Sony occasionally delays its biggest hits for a bit longer, to give them more time to make money on PVOD, so Spider-Man: Brand New Day might not swing onto Netflix until late December or even February 2027. Loading... Okay, on to this week’s issue. Since The Super Mario Galaxy Movie made its way to Peacock, I’m looking at the true workhorse of streaming viewership: kids films. And the surprising film that bested most Netflix animated movies. All that, plus Hulu has a new show that might be a hit (for them…?), two “Devils” square off on streaming, Zendaya tries to find some streaming magic, Netflix’s I Will Find You continues to do well, House of the Dragon tries to break into the season three top ten, some big NBC sports and summer programs, what friendly neighborhood Spider-Man character actually generates the most viewership on streaming, all the flops, bombs and misses, and a whole lot more. Let’s dive right in! (Reminder: The streaming ratings report focuses on the U.S. market and compiles data from Nielsen’s weekly top ten viewership ranks, Luminate’s Top Ten Data, JustWatch and Reelgood interest data, Samba TV household viewership, company datecdotes, Netflix hours viewed data, Google Trends, and IMDb to determine the most popular content. While most data points are current, Nielsen’s data covers the weeks of July 27th to August 2nd, 2026. You can find a link to my terminology here.) Subscribe Film - As The Super Mario Galaxy Movie Hits Peacock, How Have Kids Films Fared in 2026? Like Mario hopping on a Koopa, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie landed on Peacock on 30-July. (Yeah, I kinda forced that Mario reference.) How did it do? Great, just like the first film. It got 13.0 million hours on its opening, and that’s good enough to take second place among Peacock films on the Nielsen charts all time: As I mention all the time, Peacock just isn’t the world’s biggest streamer—in fact, nowhere close—so its films struggle to put up numbers like Netflix (or even Prime Video and Disney+). So this is a solid debut for that streamer. And as we saw last time, The Super Mario Bros. Movie had a HUGE second life on Netflix when it moved streamers. This chart doesn’t even show how long the first Mario lasted on Netflix: a whopping, KPop-esque 31 weeks. For NBCUniversal, though, the big win was the second Mario movie grossing $429 million in America and over $1 billion globally. But yeah, to add a very strong streaming performance only makes its success even greater. Illumination pretty clearly has another hit franchise on their hands. This is a good time, though, to check in on kids films so far in 2026. We’ve had a few big, big titles, a rare Netflix success, and some disappointments. Let’s start with the top animated films since November of 2025, over their first four weeks on the charts, along with a few of the “best all time” animated films: (As a reminder, if a film doesn’t make the Nielsen top ten lists, I don’t have data for it, so it gets a “zero” in terms of viewership. Now, it had some viewership, but I don’t know what it is, so it gets a zero.) I added a few titles to get an idea of what the best of the best looks like in terms of animation. And you can see, through four weeks, Zootopia 2 can now claim “one of the biggest streaming films of all time” titles. GOAT too did surprisingly well, besting Netflix’s biggest films (Swapped and In Your Dreams) through four weeks. When I’ve talked about how films can have varying performances on streaming compared to their box office, this is what I mean. Goat just managed to gross even $103 million at the box office—so it’s popular, but just barely—but did very well on streaming. Of course, what set Encanto and KPop Demon Hunters apart from the rest was their absolutely insane longevity. Here are the kids film charts through eight weeks to show that: And really KPop Demon Hunters just kept going, and no 2025 or 2026 kids films have had that sort of longevity. I can’t wait to see the sequel in theaters. Film - Two Devils and a Drama As I wrote last week, in the past, theatrical-first film flops weren’t eligible for “Miss of the Week” or “Miss of the Year” honors/dishonors, but since so many more films go to theaters first these days, I’ve made them eligible now! But it’s complicated. You see, this is a Streaming Ratings Report, emphasis on streaming, which makes analyzing this week’s two biggest streaming misses—The Drama on HBO Max (A24’s dramedy starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson) and Prime Video’s The Devil Mouth (a killer shark movie starring young attractive people)—somewhat tricky. The Drama isn’t eligible for Luminate, but The Devil’s Mouth only had 1.5 million hours in its first week: The Devil’s Mouth notched 5.2 million hours according to Nielsen. Meanwhile, The Drama missed the charts entirely. Not great! But Prime Video is a much bigger streamer than HBO Max. That said, HBO Max titles are on Prime Video, but I think Prime Video prioritizes their original/exclusive titles, which helps boost their viewership. Complicating this further, The Drama made $48 million in the US—while A24 sells foreign distribution; the $57 million of overseas grosses helps A24 sell overseas rights for money in the future—off of a $28 million budget (which seems low for Zendaya and Pattinson, so they might have backend). The Devil’s Mouth, though, had zero dollars at the box office. The other stats for The Devil’s Mouth are bleak, and by “bleak”, I mean horrendous: a 4.7 on 15K reviews on IMDb (yikes) and a 46 on Metacritic (double yikes). The Drama, though buzzy online, only has a solid (but far from elite) 7.1 IMDb score on 121K reviews and a 59 on Metacritic (which is far, far lower than I’d have guessed). So which film is the “Miss of the Week”? I’m giving it to The Devil’s Mouth for one simple reason: it’s a horror film. And almost all horror films, even poorly reviewed horror films, should get a shot in theaters to at least try to recoup some of their budgets. The Drama made money at the box office and The Devil’s Mouth didn’t. It’s just like the situation last issue with Obsession and Masters of the Universe. Sure, Obsession didn’t pop on the streaming charts, but at least it already made it money at the box office. And as we’ve been seeing for years now and we’ll see all fall, theatrical films just do better on streaming. After all, the big “devil” winner this week was actually The Devil Wears Prada 2 with 14.8 million hours according to Nielsen. That’s right, The Devil Wears Prada 2—one of the box office success stories of May—came to streaming and parlayed its $220 million box office into 14.8 million Nielsen hours. Disney also put out a datecdote that it had 15.2 million “views” globally in five days, but again we don’t have a lot of great context for what that means. Here’s how it stacks up to other Hulu films, since I’m categorizing this mainly as a Hulu title (though it was also on Disney+): Share Quick Notes on Film 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… Whether Hulu has a new hit show on its hands... The top first and third seasons of all time and which shows are climbing those charts… What version of Spidey is the most popular... What sport and TV show are performing better on NBC than the NBA... All the flops, bombs and misses... ...please subscribe! We can only keep doing this great work with your support. Coming Soon! Next week, wow, things stay so busy. One of streaming’s biggest shows of all time, Ted Lasso, returns along with new YA-ish shows from Hulu (The Shards, from Ryan Murphy) and Prime Video (Sterling Point). The Challenge moves to Paramount+, plus My Life with the Walter Boys returns to Netflix and Futurama returns to Hulu. And Netflix has a new horror film, The Last House. Lots to talk about! All month, things stay busy. We’re talking Reacher on Prime Video! Outer Banks and Tires on Netflix! Lanterns on HBO Max! UFC 330 on Paramount+ and the MLB Field of Dreams game on Netflix. And a ton of smaller films come to streaming. Long term, the VMAs are back on 27-Sep! I feel like I haven’t heard much about this show in past years, but I’m seeing more news coverage and buzz for this show than in past years. I’m curious to see how it does.
Hype for GTA 6 is giving PS5 and Xbox console sales a much needed 30% boost
The GTA 6 Extended Look on Netflix was huge - so much so that it caused a sales spike for both Sony's PlayStation 5 and Microsoft's Xbox Series X/S.