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Could a subscription model for health care cure our broken system?
What if, for $100 a month – less than many of us pay for cell service – you could go to the doctor anytime you feel sick?
Matthew Mcconaughey’s New Comedy Show & More Apple TV Releases This Week
Apple TV‘s new TV and movie releases for the week of September 21-27 include Brothers‘ premiere, Ted Lasso Season 4’s upcoming episodes, and more. Brothers is a comedy series that chronicles the ficti...
Sports on TV/radio listings: Sept. 20
Where to watch and/or listen to today's sporting events that will be televised or broadcast on the radio.
One game later, Bills' new stadium finally feels like home
Thousands filled the new Highmark Stadium for the Buffalo Bills' home opener on Thursday, Sept. 17.
Bay Area sports calendar, Sept. 20-21
Fred Warner (54) and the 49ers will face the Dolphins at 1:25 p.m. Sunday. (KTVU 2, KTXL 40)
Texas high school football: Saturday's scores from Week 4
Saturday's Houston-area and statewide scores from Week 4 of the Texas high school football season.
Longtime AP Florida politics reporter Brendan Farrington dies at 60
Brendan Farrington has died at 60. The veteran news reporter was known for covering Florida politics and hurricanes for The Associated Press. Farrington died Friday at his home in Tallahassee
The Last of Us director apologises to God of War Laufey team for citing it while saying AAA experiences are ‘boring’
Bruce Straley says his words about Santa Monica Studio’s game are “being used out of context” online…
Endorsement: Prop 44 uses vulnerable patients as cannon fodder
OPINION: On its surface, everything about Prop 44 on California’s November ballot looks appealing. But you don’t have to dig deep to spot the farce, the Chronicle’s editorial board writes.
National Legal and Business Media Cover Arrival of Chicago Partner Andrew Barrios
Law360, Global Legal Chronicle, Corporate Counsel Business Journal, Benchmark Litigation and Pulse 2.0 were among the legal and business news outlets that covered the arrival of McGuireWoods partner Andrew Barrios,...
Bay Area sports calendar, Sept. 18-20
Coach Natalie Nakase and the Valkyries will host Portland at 7 p.m. Friday. (Ion)
Texas high school football: Thursday's scores from Week 4
Thursday's Houston-area and statewide scores from Week 4 of the Texas high school football season.
FF7 Revelation director Hamaguchi discusses the game’s 200GB size, DLC plans, and a new Tifa detail
Final Fantasy 7 Revelation’s director isn’t concerned it’s too big…
The science of aging skin: What to expect, decade by decade
Aging is something we can see in the mirror, but many of the biggest changes are happening beneath the surface of the skin. Collagen production slows, cell turnover changes, moisture
Braun names 3rd president of Indiana Economic Development Corp. in less than 2 years
Indiana’s state agency for business recruitment will soon have its third leader since Gov. Mike Braun took office early last year.
Regents OK first Augusta University undergrad degree in public health
Augusta University is launching its first undergraduate public health degree to prepare students for health careers.
Regents OK first Augusta University undergrad degree in public health
Augusta University is launching its first undergraduate public health degree to prepare students for health careers.
Roy Orbison Documentary Hits DVD, Digital Oct. 19 from MVD Entertainment Group
Stanza Media, through the MVD Entertainment Group, on Oct. 9 will release Roy Orbison Forever, a documentary about the late rock legend, on DVD and through digital retailers. The 55-minute film, which chronicles Orbison’s career, influence and relationships with other musicians, was produced for Sky Arts in the U.K. and later distributed in the United … Continue reading "Roy Orbison Documentary Hits DVD, Digital Oct. 19 from MVD Entertainment Group"
MindsEye studio Build a Rocket Boy may be closing down, according to reports
An HR employee says he is looking for work but “will be seeing BARB through till the very end”…
The magic of accepting family weirdness
There's good trouble to be had and good magic to be found in "Two Witches, No Waiting," opening Oct. 2 at the Art Center of Citrus County.
Downtown Inverness Art Walk is back this weekend
Downtown Inverness will come alive with creativity, music, food and local shopping on Saturday, Sept. 19, from 3–7 p.m. during the Downtown Inverness Art Walk, sponsored by the Inverness Art
Nature Coast Exhibit No. 1: Call for artists
The Art Center of Citrus County has announced its Nature Coast Exhibit No. 1, the first exhibition of the 2026–27 season. Continuing its mission of promoting and showcasing the work
Red Wings rally falls short as playoff race tightens
Rochester rallied from five runs down in the ninth but left the tying run aboard in a loss to Buffalo.
Bay Area sports calendar, Sept. 16-17
Claire Hutton and Bay FC will visit Denver at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. (NWSL+)
Back to School, Back to Health: Helping Imperial Valley Families Prepare
Written by Sergio Uriarte. Last Updated September 15, 2026 in Healthcare. EL CENTRO — A new school year brings plenty for families to manage: supplies, schedules, transportation, forms and after-school activities. It’s also a
Homewood board approves tax incentive renewal for business park
Homewood Village Board approved the renewal of a Cook County property tax incentive for the Homewood Business Park condominium complex.
Bozeman photographer pitches nonprofit business plan
Bozeman’s building boom means a steady supply of empty walls rising every month. At the same time, some local photographers have plenty of talent, but no easy way to market
An artist captures how summer’s heat waves hit Paris and its homeless so hard
Paris has been grappling with intense heat and illustrator Marina Antonova captures this in her series “Chronicles of a Heating Planet.”.
Bay Area sports calendar, Sept. 15-16
Lawrence Butler and the A's will face the Rays at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. (NBCSCA)
Fan PS5 boycott over discs seemingly has little impact in US
There was “no significant change at all” in player count during PS5 boycott…
Classic Chronicle: Kids take charge of fashion
Parents, retailers and child development experts examined the growing influence of children on fashion buying in this Classic Chronicle segment that originally aired in 1987
Democrats adopting the socialist term may distract voters from the issues these candidates support
The growing focus on adopting socialism terminology could hurt Democrats in the upcoming midterm election cycle
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…
Up, up, and away: Are double-digit health insurance rate increases ahead?
It looks like another round of health insurance premium increases for millions of Floridians who get their insurance through the federal health care makretplaces.
Level 5 boss admits using AI for Professor Layton, Yo-Kai Watch reveals
CEO apologises for using generative AI for recent Level 5 showcase…
Blizzard announced Diablo and StarCraft games that are years away ‘to show confidence’
Blizzard’s president says the company will ship Diablo and StarCraft on time…
Bills vs Texans predictions, picks, odds: Who wins Week 1 NFL game?
The Buffalo Bills take the field Sunday at Reliant Stadium to take on the Houston Texans. Here is what analysts and experts think will happen.
Texas high school football: Saturday's scores from Week 3
Saturday's Houston-area and statewide scores from Week 3 of the Texas high school football season.
Texas high school football: Friday's scores from Week 3
Friday's Houston-area and statewide scores from Week 3 of the Texas high school football season.
49ers' Kyle Shanahan, approaching franchise history, reportedly gets extension
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan was already signed through the 2028 season, but a report emerged that he's now under contract farther into the future.
Canal Street Chronicles: Week 1 Saints at Lions Bold Predictions
Here are some bold predictions from the CSC staff for Week 1 of the Saints 2026 regular season
Canal Street Chronicles welcomes new writer, Andrew Lotz
Get to know the newest member of the CSC team
Life Science Core Day to connect Cornell’s facility resources with researchers
Life Science Core Day, taking place Sept. 22, offers Cornell researchers a chance to explore an extraordinary range of specialized life science core facilities, technologies, and expertise available to them from across campus in one place.
Amazon Prime’s 9 ‘free’ games for September include Doom Eternal and High on Life
Amazon Prime subscribers can claim the games to keep via its Luna service…
Business, builders come together for expo
Residents looking for ideas for their next home project — or simply wanting to learn more about local businesses — will have an opportunity to connect with builders, contractors and
NFL analysts make their picks for Bills vs Texans: 6 early predictions
Will Josh Allen and the Bills win on Sunday? The experts are split.
Little Mercury may be shrinking faster than scientists expected
A new study shows that little, wrinkly Mercury may be shrinking faster than expected. Scientists from the German Aerospace Center reported Thursday that Mercury's shrinkage may be 30% greater than
49ers-Rams roundtable: Whose Australia plan has the edge? Which young Niners will break out?
The Sporting Green staff weighs in as the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams begin their annual duel for NFC West dominance Thursday evening (Friday morning in Melbourne).
The first images of the Lego PlayStation’s free pre-order Lego Astro Bot gift have been leaked
It will reportedly be free with purchases of the PS1 set from the Lego website…
Bay Area sports calendar, Sept. 10-11
Brock Purdy (13) and the 49ers will face the Rams in Melbourne, Australia, at 5 p.m. Thursday. (KNTV 11, Netflix)
Oregon 2028 ballot measure aims to ban corporate campaign contributions
A 2010 U.S. Supreme Court ruling cleared the way for corporations, unions and other groups to spend unlimited money on politics.
Joe’s Parkway Market: ‘It’s just hard to sustain a small business’ as Bozeman grows
The popular Bozeman market will close its doors in early October after nearly 60 years of family operation.
UGA’s Buell Grows Discovery and the Next Generation of Scientists
Not the Plan but the Right Path
Overmars resigns as Royal Antwerp sports director due to health issues
Soccer great Marc Overmars is stepping down as Royal Antwerp's sports director due to health issues. Overmars has explained his decision in a letter to supporters. He mentioned fatigue and
49ers defensive lineman Alfred Collins' injury latest blow to largely unproven unit
San Francisco 49ers second-year defensive lineman Alfred Collins tore his patellar tendon at the team's second practice in Melbourne and will be out for the season, coach Kyle Shanahan said.
Abilities Fine Art Gala celebrates creativity, talent, inclusion
Families & Friends Reaching for Abilities (FFRA), in partnership with the Art Center of Citrus County, will present “A Kaleidoscope of Color,” an Abilities Fine Art Gala, on Friday, Sept.
Lego announces its third Legend of Zelda set, this time featuring Link on Epona
The set will be released next year and is once again based on Ocarina of Time…
Section V's Girls Athlete of the Week for Aug. 31-Sept. 6 presented by Turf Masters: Vote now
Your vote will determine who will be the Turf Builders Girls Sports Athlete of the Week for Aug. 31-Sept. 6.
$68 billion is up for grabs in Medicaid. Who wants it?
What would you do with $68 billion? That is the size of the decision Indiana is about to make.
Rochester man shot inside Lake Avenue business
A 29-year-old Rochester man was shot at Porto Roc Soxial Lounge, formerly Taste of the Bahamas, police said.
Britain Politics
Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer, John Healey, right, Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, left, and MTC CEO Graham Hoare walk together after visiting the UK Manufacturing Technology Centre
Pokémon Champions’ director vows to keep turn-based battles as single-player is ruled out
Masaaki Hoshino reflects on Champions’ launch and discusses the future of competitive Pokémon…
Brand new Smash Bros and Nintendogs games are in development, Nintendo leaker claims
They allege Smash Bros will be an entirely new game, not a remaster of Super Smash Bros Ultimate…
Second warning may cost this Evans business its licenses
Columbia County officials are moving to revoke the licenses of an Evans massage business after repeated violations.
49ers are road team in Melbourne, but seem to own the town ahead of opener
The San Francisco 49ers are officially the road team for their game against the Rams in Melbourne this week, but the actions and apparel choices of local residents indicate they are the fan favorites.
Bay Area sports calendar, Sept. 7-8
Rafael Devers and the Giants will face the Cardinals at 5 p.m. Monday. (KNTV 11, KCRA 3, KSBW 8)
The Weeks | Sept. 6: Racist incident by LWE students at H-F homecoming, Olympia Fields nurses rally, Hidden Gem race Sept. 12, SSPADS moves to Homewood, science center adds new features
Your government | Notices | Stuff to do | Plan ahead | Last week THE WEEK > Your government Monday, Sept. 7 Labor Day. No meetings. Tuessday, Sept. 8 Homewood Board of Trustees will meet at 7 p.m. in village hall, 2020 Chestnut Road. The agenda is available here. The livestream of[Read More...]
Whose names are worth the effort in politics?
From Kamala Harris to Zohran Mamdani, politicians are using name mispronunciation to marginalize their opponents.
Interconnected systems: Heart, kidney, metabolic health
When it comes to protecting your heart, supporting your kidney function and improving your metabolic health, you’ll find the advice for each one looks similar. That’s because your body’s systems
Texas high school football: Friday's scores from Week 2
Friday's Houston-area and statewide scores from Week 2 of the Texas high school football season.
49ers got a 16-hour flight to Australia. Here's how my journey compared
The San Francisco 49ers got a direct flight to Melbourne from SFO with lay-flat seats. For a new reporter flying coach, connecting through New Zealand, it wasn't the same experience.
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.
Rare photos from decades of Section V football history
As a new Section V football season begins, take a look back at the teams, players and moments that helped shape the sport across the Rochester region.
More Georgia jobs as business investment tops record for second year
Georgia reports a record $35.2 billion in business investments and thousands of new jobs for the past fiscal year.
UK PS5 and Xbox sales tripled following GTA 6’s Netflix reveal
PS5 sales were up 33% on GTA 6’s reveal week…
GTA 6 is getting two custom PS5 DualSense controllers
Both GTA 6 PS5 controllers will be available via PlayStation Direct…
PlayStation State of Play: Where to watch today’s presentations
A State of Play and State of Play Japan double-bill is taking place today…
Sony and Microsoft say they’re not obligated to pass U.S. tariff refunds to consumers, echoing Nintendo
Back in July, Sony executives told investors that the company expected to receive $508 million in refunds from the U.S. government, after tariffs that the PlayStation-maker paid were ruled mostly in 2025 were found to be illegal. “Most” of the refund would by recouped by Sony’s gaming division, its chief financial officer said. This week, Sony’s lawyers are arguing that the company is not legally obligated to pass those proceeds on to consumers who paid for recently price-hiked PlayStation consoles. That’s in the face of a lawsuit from gamers calling on them to do exactly that. “Paying fair market price for voluntarily purchased consumer goods is not a legally cognizable injury in fact,” the lawyers wrote in a legal motion filed on Monday, as they asked a judge in California’s Northern District to dismiss a potential class action lawsuit over the tariff refunds. Microsoft made a similar argument two weeks ahead of Sony’s lawyers, in a similar lawsuit brought by a gamer in federal court in Washington State. As Microsoft’s legal team put it on August 21, in their request for a dismissal of that lawsuit: “There is nothing unjust about Plaintiff purchasing an Xbox at an advertised price and getting exactly what he paid for—regardless of whatever theory he devised months later about Microsoft’s cost structure.” Both legal fights are set to go on for some time. How things got to this point U.S. tariffs impacting a wide range of imported goods, including game consoles, had kicked off in early 2025. In May 2025, Microsoft raised the price of its Xbox consoles, citing “market conditions and the rising cost of development.” They raised them again that September. In August of that year, Sony raised the price of PlayStation 5 consoles, citing “a challenging economic environment.” Sony later told investors that its tariff fees for the fall quarter were nearly $200 million. in February of this year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the 2025 tariffs illegal, prompting impacted companies to begin to request refunds. In turn, consumers began suing the likes of Sony and Microsoft to get what they said was their share. The gamers in the Microsoft and Sony lawsuits argue that the 2025 price hikes of PlayStation and Xbox consoles, which added $50 or more to their sticker price, were due to illegal tariffs and should now be returned to consumers. The Sony suit started in May, when a group of gamers sued in federal court in California, saying Sony Interactive Entertainment (PlayStation) would be unjustly enriching itself if it did not pass tariff refunds to its PS5 buyers. “Sony is poised to be paid twice for the same unlawful tariff burden: once by its customers (through elevated prices) and once by the U.S. government (through tariff refunds),” the gamers’ lawyers wrote at the time. They called for Sony to partially reimburse anyone who bought a PlayStation in the U.S. since August 1, 2025. The Microsoft suit, filed by gamer Trevor Hastings against the Xbox giant in July, made similar claims. The console makers push back In late July, Nintendo’s lawyers, facing a similar suit accusing them of double-dipping on tariffs and refunds, replied with arguments that previewed Microsoft’s and Sony’s: “Nintendo or one of its retailers set a price for each product, and consumers decided whether that price was worth paying,” they wrote. Sony has buttressed that Nintendo-style argument this week by saying that the gamers have failed to prove that tariffs were the reason for its August 2025 PS5 price hike. They call thatclaim “speculative and illogical.” Other factors, including “inflation, currency fluctuations, component costs, logistics, competitive dynamics, or demand,” could have played a role. (No, the Sony lawyers do not break down the costs and factors that officially triggered the price increases). Microsoft has also argued that there’s no proof in these lawsuits that tariffs drove all or some of the price increase, as it seeks to dismiss the tariff refund suit it’s facing: “Plaintiff provides no specific allegations that would establish any pricing differential attributable to tariffs or suggest any possibility that Microsoft applied then or could recreate now any dollar-for-dollar calculation of tariff-related pricing—any more than it could any other market factor that affects pricing.” To further skewer the gamer side’s argument in its case, Sony’s lawyers have pointed to what might be a surprising defense: yet another PlayStation 5 price hike from this past spring, after the tariffs were ruled illegal. “If the original price increase were attributable to tariffs, SIE [Sony Interactive Entertainment, aka PlayStation] would have had no reason to raise prices again after the Supreme Court invalidated the IEEPA tariffs.” … “If tariffs were the cause of the price increases, one would expect SIE to lower prices once the tariffs were eliminated—not raise them again. Instead, the timeline confirms that the pricing of PlayStation consoles includes a diverse and dynamic set of input costs.” Judges have not yet ruled on the arguments made by Sony, Microsoft or Nintendo. Last week, Panic, the company behind the small, yellow Playdate handheld said it would be passing its tariff refunds on to consumers. It is the only gaming hardware maker to have made such a pledge. Game File is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my reporting, please consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe Item 2: A reporter’s second Second Life Wagner James Au, who from 2003-2006 was paid by San Francisco-based tech company Linden Lab to be a full-time journalist embedded in their virtual world Second Life, is returning to the company. This time, he’ll be an editorial advisor and business development specialist, he tells Game File. The new role will involve trying to share the stories of people inhabiting Second Life’s ongoing online world with reporters and by extension the public. Au plans to continue to also chronicle some of that through his long-running blog New World Notes. I’ve known Au since the mid-2000s and featured him in a 2007 article for the Columbia Journalism Review about reporters like him opening up virtual news outlets within Second Life. As I wrote at the time: On April 22, 2003, writing as Hamlet Linden for the New World Notes blog on Second Life’s Web site, Au introduced himself. “For the next few months, Linden Lab has invited me to set aside my journalist cap, and instead, don the digital beanie of their in-house virtual correspondent.” He wasn’t paid to keep it positive. He wrote about builders and eccentrics, but then in August of that year, he reported on a tax revolt against Linden Lab (a complaint about the fees it charges users who build stuff) led by a resident whose avatar was a big cat. Second Life has always been less of a video game and more of a virtual world where people can live, hang out, make art, sell virtual items and flirt. Back in 2007, Au described touring it as “sort of like underwater lucid dreaming.” For the past two decades, Au has maintained New World Notes as an independent publication. But he said he’s been drawn back to Second Life and Linden Lab as a place to directly work. The virtual world has around 650,000 monthly active users, he said, “which is actually about what it was during the hype wave.” Au says he’s still finding rich stories in Second Life, the kind that keep him interested 20 years into the beat: “Over the last few months for instance, I wrote about an SL creator in Venezuela whose apartment was destroyed by the earthquakes, so the global SL community rallied to get him back on his feet,” he told me. “Then there’s the woman from a Middle Eastern country who explored her lesbian sexuality in SL, then earned enough from her virtual jewelry to escape her abusive family situation and country.” Au wants to beckon more reporters to give Second Life another look. He argues that it is often ahead of internet trends, noting, for example, an early backlash in the community against AI-made art. Now the platform is drawing curiosity from more of the user-generated content community who’ve grown up with the likes of Roblox, according to Au. “Second Life was too early during its hype wave in 2005-2010, but it now feels right for a new wave of interest,” he told me.
Leak lists Zelda: Ocarina of Time remake developer as Xenoblade Chronicles studio
A retailer may have inadvertently leaked information about the Ocarina of Time remake. Elkjøp specifies Monolith Soft as the lead developer for the Switch 2 game. While the Xenoblade Chronicles studio has supported Nintendo EPD in recent Zelda projects, its leverage over the franchise has grown.
Oregon to launch new Explore Health state health insurance marketplace in coming months
Oregonians who buy their health insurance on a federal website will soon be able to turn to a new state-backed platform to shop for coverage.
Birding takes flight: Four-part library series explores Florida’s feathered friends
From the tiny Chipping Sparrow with its rust-red cap to the loud but beautiful Blue Jay foraging for a snack of unshelled peanuts — and many other feathered species —
Nintendo adds three more NES games to Switch Online, bringing the total to 87 in the West
Ninja Gaiden 3, Ikari Warriors and RC Pro-Am 2 join the Nintendo Classics service…
Nick Bosa's availability remains mystery ahead of 49ers' trip to Australia
San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa hasn't played since tearing his right ACL last September. Whether he will be ready for the team's Sept. 10 opener versus the Rams in Australia is unclear.
Sony says ‘reasonable consumers’ know they don’t own the digital games they buy
It’s “not plausible” to suggest people believe they’re “obtaining ownership”…
Indiana hospitals end routine ambulance diversion
Indiana hospitals and emergency medical providers entered into an agreement with the Indiana Department of Health Monday to stop directing ambulances to other facilities when emergency departments become overcrowded.
Bay Area sports calendar, Sept. 1-2
Lawrence Butler and the A's will face the Rangers at 5 p.m. Tuesday. (NBCSCA)
‘Most’ of Star Wars Zero Company studio Bit Reactor was furloughed ahead of launch
Last week was meant to be a moment of triumph for Bit Reactor, the Maryland-based game studio founded in 2021 with ambitions to create a great new tactical combat game. On Thursday, August 27, Bit Reactor’s debut title, Star Wars Zero Company, released to stellar reviews. And, from the Gamescom show in Cologne, Germany, studio co-founder Greg Foertsch was giving interviews discussing what the studio’s next game may be. But for many developers on the game, launch has been bittersweet. Fans love it. Critics prefer it to most recent Star Wars games. Zero Company, which is out for PS5, Xbox Series consoles and PC, is the top-selling game on Steam. Much of the team that made it, however, is currently going without pay. They were furloughed, just weeks ahead of the game’s launch. A rep for Bit Reactor confirmed to Game File today that the studio had furloughed many of its workers prior to the game’s release. They said it was a difficult decision and one that had been made before it was clear how launch would go. The rep emphasized that the call to do this was Bit Reactor’s alone (meaning not from publisher EA nor Star Wars license holder Disney). While the rep declined to comment on the scale of the furloughs, a previously unreported lawsuit brought by studio co-founder Alison Kelly in 2024 noted in a filing from August 12 of this year that Bit Reactor “has furloughed most of its employees and terminated contractors…” One source told Game File the furloughs impacted 80% of the team; another referred to there only being a skeleton crew left on Bit Reactor’s active payroll, ready to address any of Zero Company’s post-launch bugs. The issue is that Bit Reactor, a studio formed in 2021, had run out of most of its money just ahead of the launch of its first game. Over the weekend, Zachariah Scott, a senior technical artist who worked at Bit Reactor from early 2023 until an acrimonious exit this past May, said on LinkedIn that the studio was “concealing the fact that the team was Furloughed weeks ago.” Reached by phone today, Scott told Game File that he spoke to nearly a dozen Bit Reactor workers over the weekend. “Everybody has essentially the same story, which is, ‘Yeah, I got furloughed three weeks ago.” The Bit Reactor rep told Game File that the studio hoped to bring furloughed workers back, suggesting that a successful launch of the game could be impactful. Scott told Game File that workers he spoke to were less confident that even if there were returns, that all who were furloughed would get their old jobs again. A heated dispute Bit Reactor’s mid-2026 was almost even more tumultuous. The lawsuit by co-founder Alison Kelly that first revealed the furloughs was initially slated to go to trial in June. The suit is a she-said/he-said about whether Kelly, until 2024 the chief operating officer of Bit Reactor, was a co-owner of the studio or whether it was solely owned by Greg Foertsch. In July 2024, Kelly sued, saying she was pushed out by Foertsch. She first sued in federal court and later refiled in Maryland’s Baltimore County, alleging breach of contract and that Foertsch had unjustly enriched himself. Kelly cited damages of over $20 million, on the basis of Bit Reactor allegedly being worth more than double that. Foertsch’s side has said Kelly was never a co-owner and has countered with claims about her job performance (which she has denied). The June trial was postponed until early 2027, as both sides have been deposing witnesses and filing more claims and denials along the way. Amid all of that, filings in the lawsuit reviewed by Game File paint a picture about Bit Reactor’s origins, early aspirations around tactics games, the team’s breakthrough in drawing the attention of Electronic Arts with the help of a pitch tied to one of EA’s non-Star Wars franchises, and early fractures among its co-founders. The real story about the company behind Zero Company
Bills lose rookie cornerback after Browns claim him off waivers
The Browns claimed Bills seventh-round pick Toriano Pride Jr. off waivers while undrafted rookie Kani Walker went unclaimed.
Take-Two says its investigation into the GTA 6 leaker is ‘rapidly evolving’ as it requests another Discord subpoena
It’s also asked for the details to be kept secret so it doesn’t “tip off the alleged infringers”…
Homewood Science Center celebrates new additions
Homewood Science Center Executive Director Edie Dobrez had to speak up to be heard over the sounds of children playing with the center’s educational toys during a celebration Thursday, Aug. 6, of new features. While four youngsters built, traversed and enthusiastically destroyed a modular maze, Dobrez thanked representatives of granting[Read More...]
Project Helix will be a ‘family of devices,’ Xbox CEO confirms
Xbox CEO Asha Sharma says Project Helix will focus on affordability…
Invisors ranks no. 12 on the Atlanta Business Chronicle 2026 Best Places to Work list
Atlanta Business Chronicle revealed that Invisors, a Workday Services Partner, is ranked no. 12 on its 2026 Best Places to Work list in the medium company category. This marks Invisors' sixth consecutive year on the list, which recognizes companies in the metro-Atlanta area that successfully go above and beyond for their employees.
Once Seen as a Sure Thing, Computer Science Has Lost 53,000 Majors
But engineering and health professions saw big enrollment gains last year, according to new data.
The Witcher 3 Remastered features community-made mods, modder speaks about working with CD Projekt Red
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered will incorporate community-made mods…
Utility investment analysts ding Indiana amid 'political intervention,' potential profit cuts
Energy companies warn of the potential impacts of investor distrust as Gov. Mike Braun calls on them to "deliver" to earn higher profits.
Nintendo relaunches Mario Kart World Nintendo Switch 2 bundle at a much higher price
Nintendo Switch 2’s Mario Kart World bundle is returning at a higher price…
This Week: SF Politics, Bike East Bay Volunteer Night, SFMTA Photo Archive
Here is a list of events this week. Tuesday SF Politics 101 with Joel Engardio. SF Politics 101 is a look at how local politics work and the history that shaped San Francisco—brought to life with visuals and narrative storytelling. Tuesday, August 25, 6-7:15 p.m. SPUR Urban Center, 654 Mission Street, S.F. Register to attend. Tuesday Bike East Bay Volunteer Night. Tackle projects while socializing with fellow advocates. Snacks provided. Tuesday, August 25, 6-8 p.m. Bike East Bay Office, 466 Water Street, Oakland. Wednesday SFMTA Photo Archive and Peter Hartlaub. Go back in time for an evening of photos, stories and conversation with the Chronicle, Mayor Art Agnos, and S.F. Muni. Wednesday, August 26, 5:30 p.m. Gray Area Foundation / Grand Theatre, 2667 Mission Street, S.F. Get tickets. Wednesday Smart City Cycling. Join the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition for a presentation for people interested in biking but intimidated by urban traffic plus anyone already riding who wants to hone their skills. Wednesday, August 26, 6-7:30 p.m. Anza Branch Public Library, 550 37th Avenue, S.F. Thursday Member Repair Party. Join the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition and learn how to repair your bike. Thursday, August 27, 5-7 p.m. San Francisco Bicycle Coalition, 1720 Market Street, S.F. RSVP required. Saturday The Bay Ride. Circumnavigate the San Francisco Bay while raising funds for cycling infrastructure that makes streets safer for everyone. Saturday, August 29, 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Starts at Sports Basement Presidio, 610 Old Mason Street, S.F. Saturday Flat Fix Clinic for Students and Families. Join the Safe Routes to School team at the Marina Branch Branch Library for a hands-on flat fix clinic. Saturday, August 29, 2-3:30 p.m. Marina Branch Public Library, 1890 Chestnut Street, S.F. Got an event we should know about? Drop us a line.
Hideo Kojima celebrates 63rd birthday with a pledge to keep making games
2026 marks Kojima’s 40th year in the video game industry…