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The core anti-Pangram constituency is phony writers

Welcome to The Closing Argument, our verdict on the news, plus everything The Argument published and appeared in this week. The Verdict, by Kelsey Piper A lot of people hate AI for drowning the internet in slop and displacing human creatives. You might think that these people would be thrilled by a program that can identify and flag AI-generated work. But many people who hate AI also hate Pangram, an impressively accurate AI detector that produces very few false positives, according to high-quality independent research. This loathing found its most recent expression in a bizarre Wired article that amplifies a wide range of false arguments from Pangram skeptics: that AI detectors are racist (they’re not) or ableist (they’re not)1 or don’t work (this one does)2. Rather than starting from the premise that it would be really valuable to have a working AI detector and scrutinizing Pangram to make sure it lives up to that promise, the article starts from the premise that Pangram obviously has bad vibes and sets out to discover why. (One answer: The CEO microwaved lunch during an interview!) Why aren’t writers who resent Pangram more eager to distinguish themselves from posters who are having ChatGPT ghostwrite all their work? There are a few different things at play, but I think one key dynamic is this: These are often the same people. A core constituency for arguments like Wired’s is “writers” who are using AI to write their posts but resent this fact being made public. They stand to lose from AI detectors because AI detectors call them out. Share When Substack announced a partnership with Pangram, a sizable fraction of the platform’s authors rose up in outrage. Some people had experience with other AI detectors that didn’t work, and some felt that AI writing ought to be encouraged — both of which are fair enough. But the fury was fueled by authors passionately insisting that Pangram kept wrongly accusing them on almost every post they published. Pangram can be wrong, especially on short passages. But in the overwhelming majority of cases where Pangram looked at a whole blog post rather than a single paragraph, the program correctly detected work as AI. Even if we can’t be 100% sure in any individual case, we can notice the trend in the aggregate. Wired quotes Sam Illingworth, a professor of critical AI literacy at Edinburgh Napier University, who said, “I don’t think [AI detectors] work. … I think that detectors are prejudiced against certain people.” This spring, he said that he used AI for research and editing; this summer he acknowledged that in addition to research and editing, he also uses it “now and then for a turn of phrase I keep.” Pangram informs us that most of his posts are 100% AI-written (some are mixed AI-and-human) and that 100% AI-written posts started appearing last year. The favorable interpretation is that, as someone whose recent work Pangram consistently mistakes for AI, Illingworth sees Pangram’s flaws firsthand. The unfavorable interpretation is that the tool’s credibility trades off against his own, because its account of who writes his posts is not consistent with his. Illingworth is not alone in insisting the detector does not work. “It’s a Monday night in late July, and I’m pasting my own Substack draft into an AI detector for the first time. Not because I’m worried. Because I’m curious. I wrote every word of it myself, the way I write everything, out loud in my head first, in a rhythm that still carries the accent of a language I learned to think in before I learned to write in this one,” begins one Substack post by an author indignant that Pangram flags her writing as AI. “That’s the part I had to sit with before I could write this.” If you, like me, have worked with AIs a lot, you won’t even need Pangram there. The author of that piece is AI. It is obviously AI! I checked 10 other posts on the blog, and they were also obviously AI! “I have spent 22 years as an award-winning author and essayist. And now this bullshit tool that learned from MY writing is going to accuse me of plagiarism,” popular Substack writer Carlyn Beccia wrote in an anti-Pangram post. “For the last and final time, AI DETECTORS DO NOT WORK.” Here’s what her writing sounded like in 2020: “Most success stories revolve around one person who believed enough in you to say — give it a try. We call these people muses, but they are so much more than that. They are the strong man giants whose shoulders we stand on so we can see the horizon. Throughout the editing process, I am sure my editor felt less like a giant of greatness and more like Atlas with the world on her shoulders.” Pangram says it was 100% human-written. (So were other articles of hers in 2020.) And here’s what it sounds like now: “And then there is the reshuffling, which sounds like paperwork until you remember that empires have always loved paperwork. The Trump regime recently moved special education oversight from the Education Department to HHS. That is not a minor bureaucratic transfer. It changes the frame.”3 Pangram says this is mostly AI. I am not convinced that Pangram is wrong. In my own experience, Pangram is very effective on long texts — if it marks a long essay as AI, the essay was either written by AI or deliberately written to sound like AI. On tweet-length or paragraph-length texts, it’s not perfectly reliable. It seems to work just as well for non-native English speakers as for native speakers. While I have seen dozens of claims of pre-2022 text returning a positive result on Pangram, I have tried repeatedly to corroborate those and have never once succeeded. To be clear, I’m absolutely not saying that complaining about Pangram suggests a writer is a cheat. There are plenty of other concerns. Most are mistakenly premised, such as the false claim that Pangram trains on work you put into it, but others are reasonable: It’s unreliable on sufficiently short text segments; it creates an internet witch-hunt mentality when there are defensible uses of AI; people who are open about their AI use are sometimes blamed, when the only people really doing something wrong are the ones who hide it; and it isn’t perfect, so a single positive result shouldn’t be taken as decisive proof of misconduct. I’m happy to concede that Pangram is imperfect and possible to over-rely on. If an author’s posts are mostly non-AI and one scans as partially AI, this could be a mistake. It’s also possible to defeat Pangram with intentional effort. If you think we need something more robust and more reliable, fine! But if you don’t like AI and don’t like Pangram, your attitude really ought to be that it’s a shame that our existing tools for AI detection are imperfect, and it’s important to invent better ones. If your stance is instead that AI is evil and so is looking for AI, then ultimately you’re contributing to the sloppification of the internet. You’re making it harder for people who write their own text to distinguish themselves, and providing cover for authors who are definitely not writing their own text. Subscribe Top stories this week, by Kobe Yank-Jacobs Commentators often worry that the decline of reading could mean the decline of liberal democracy — but deliberative governance actually predated widespread literacy. This week, Maibritt Henkel pointed out that many liberal cultures thrive on a culture of raucous, interactive debate, which can happen in-person as easily, if not more so, than in text. Read on, dear reader, to learn more. It may actually cheer you up: [ ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/reading-wont-save-liberalism) [ Reading won’t save liberalism ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/reading-wont-save-liberalism) Maibritt Henkel · Sep 1 [ Read full story ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/reading-wont-save-liberalism) It used to be bad to downplay climate change (if we mean denying its reality). Today, it’s actually good to downplay climate change (if we mean keeping the issue out of political fights so we can make real progress). This counterintuitive view is called “climate hushing,” and contributor Alex Trembath argued that it’s the key to enacting good policy going forward. Get up to speed on the latest in climate politics: [ ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/we-wont-stop-climate-change-by-talking) [ We won’t stop climate change by talking about it ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/we-wont-stop-climate-change-by-talking) Alex Trembath · Sep 2 [ Read full story ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/we-wont-stop-climate-change-by-talking) Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney is standing up for the forces of liberalism against Donald Trump’s assault on our closest ally. So, why is one prominent left-wing commenter attacking Carney? Columnist Matthew Yglesias explains: [ ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/when-economic-liberty-means-central) [ When "economic liberty" means central planning ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/when-economic-liberty-means-central) Matthew Yglesias · Aug 31 [ Read full story ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/when-economic-liberty-means-central) 🌟Abundance Wins of the Week🌟 Shout out to my home state of California, whose legislature passed two housing bills this week. One requires a housing density minimum in transit-oriented areas of the state’s most transit-rich cities (Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, San Diego, and Long Beach). Another bill closes two common loopholes used by third parties to delay housing projects, including an opportunity to challenge maps of a given lot created by the developer after a project has been approved. Shout out to our big-state rival, Texas, where pro-housing SB 785 took effect this week. The new state law requires municipalities to have at least one district permitted for manufactured housing without a special permit. This will promote zoning changes in 44% of municipalities. The company Fervo Energy signed a deal with Google for what is set to be the world’s largest enhanced geothermal facility, proving a technology can work at a scale that could be crucial to a decarbonized, energy-abundant economy. Share Worth watching… This week, forecasting legend Nate Silver joined Jerusalem, Matt, and Jeremiah on a crowded episode of the pod. It was a party. And speaking of parties, our round table debated the factional lines within the Democratic Party: Is it possible to be center-left and also anti-establishment? Watch or listen to find out: The Rio Grande Valley in Texas is one of the areas that swung hardest toward Trump in 2024, but musician Bobby Pulido is running to flip it back. Right now, The Argument/Split Ticket’s model has him running 1.1 points behind his Republican opponent in a district Trump won by 18 points. Tune in to find out how he differs from national Democrats and what he thinks he can to do win this seat. On Thursday, Bernie Sanders was among the first politicians to call for a ban on superintelligence. My guest this week, Andrea Miotti, has been lobbying to ban superintelligence for several years, most recently in the U.K., U.S., and Canada. I asked him how he gets legislators to take speculative risks seriously, and we dug into what plans might look like to actually pass a ban. Listen to learn more: What’s News with The Argument The Argument recommends, by Kobe Yank-Jacobs If we ever lose track of Justin Zuckerman, I’ll have the team split up and check all the movie theaters in the city. I’m shocked (and a little jealous) at how often he gets out to see good cinema. This week, he brings us It Ends, a “horror-ish movie,” which he described as a “Gen Z Waiting for Godot.” I was intrigued before he added that it was “funny, dark and existential” — at which point I was fully locked in. I guess I also had existential themes on the mind this week. One morning, a single line from a poem I read long ago just came to me: “Is death a stretch of time in which a life is just a flash?” The poem is called “From 20,000 Feet” by Heather McHugh. I suggest the version in The Vintage Book of Contemporary American Poetry, which, by tradition, my best friend and I always bring backpacking, extra weight be damned. We’ll stay thematically dark for just one more rec from senior editor John Robert Thomason, whose upcoming trip to Baltimore reminded him to suggest Michael Clune’s memoir White Out (about being addicted to heroin in Baltimore in the 1990s). Ben Lerner’s blurb called it _“_Disturbing, brilliant, hilarious—it’s as if Proust had written Jesus’ Son.” John told me this “seems accurate, with the caveat that I’ve never read Proust.” I, personally, have also shelved Proust until retirement. At this point, I was a little concerned for the team since all of us tossed out such psychologically grim material — maybe we’re all down about the end of summer — but thankfully, at least a few of us were into more upbeat selections. Milan Singh recommended Made In’s 5-quart stainless clad saucier, suggesting he had some fun in the kitchen. Jeremiah Johnson asked if he could recommend yet more Carly Rae Jepsen. Once denied, he offered up Game Changer instead_,_ calling it “the most wildly creative game show, maybe in the entire history of the genre.” Eli Richman mentioned _Lucky, “_a B-tier show with an A-tier cast and an S-tier theme song.” I suppose he was recommending the song, Horns of a Bull. Still, despite these cheerier recs, I couldn’t help but be concerned that we were subconsciously worried about racing toward summer’s end — the end of swim trunks and splashing around. Then a message landed reminding me of the three-day weekend to come. A whole extra day for sunshine. One more swim in the lake. I was grateful this called to mind yet another line from a poem, one by Mary Oliver, the patron saint of every gorgeous summer day (and about whom a documentary is now out). Speaking to God in the poem “Thirst,” she wrote: grant me, in your mercy,a little more time. Love for the earthand love for you are having such a longconversation in my heart. We have merch! We have quarter-zips, keychains, hats, and stickers. Each one is a great conversation starter in its own way. Buy them here. Subscribe More to read: [ The Opening Argument ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/seeing-like-an-elite)[ Seeing like an elite ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/seeing-like-an-elite) Kobe Yank-Jacobs · Sep 4 What do Americans hear when they watch Sen. Bernie Sanders or Vice President JD Vance rail against the elite? Are they thinking of right-wing tech billionaires? Imperious college professors? Liberal magazine writers? [ Read full story ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/seeing-like-an-elite) [ The Weekly Scroll ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/god-is-back-on-the-timeline)[ God is back on the timeline ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/god-is-back-on-the-timeline) Jeremiah Johnson · Sep 5 This week, we’re talking about Substack’s new religious debates, the continuing MAGA influencer scandal, how to retire from YouTube, and aura battles. [ Read full story ](https://www.theargumentmag.com/p/god-is-back-on-the-timeline) 1 This was a legitimate thing to worry about, but doesn’t seem to be a problem given the actual technology: Marijke Van Vlasselaer, Filip Van Droogenbroeck, and Bram Spruyt’s 2026 paper looks at whether Pangram is less accurate when evaluating the work of non-native speakers of English. It isn’t. That’s because Pangram isn’t really looking at how “unusual” a piece of writing is but whether it has the characteristic patterns of LLMs. The Wired article makes an odd gesture at a different Pangram-is-racist argument. There were several controversies this summer during which upcoming books were canceled after being discovered to be AI-written: “The three novels mentioned earlier — Shy Girl, Daggermouth, and Call Me, easily publishing’s biggest AI-detection scandals — were all written by writers of color.” But come on! As Zvi Mowshowitz put it: “They were not primarily written by people of color. They were primarily written by AIs.” That’s the whole problem! And as my colleague Jeremiah Johnson recently observed with respect to Cambridge’s Arday scandal, a community being unwilling to call out fraud if it’s perpetuated by people of color is not an anti-racist tendency; it is ultimately quite racist. 2 Many non-Pangram detectors don’t work, but many possible airplane designs also don’t work, and no one considers this a general argument against aviation; the thing that matters is whether any detection works. 3 The phrase “empires have always loved” mysteriously became all the rage in the last few years. See here, here, here, here and here. Before 2025, the only use of that phrase I have been able to find is a single Tweet. The logic of the sentence, too, is incoherent in an AI-characteristic way. “...sounds like paperwork, until you remember that empires have always loved paperwork”? Does remembering that make it sound less like paperwork? It’s a craft-ful sentence, but what is it actually saying??

Sep 6 • 6:05 PM EDT • Technology • theargumentmag.com

MSU expanding AI curriculum with new minor and course additions

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Sep 6 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • statenews.com

UK business minister to meet Jaguar Land Rover CEO over job cuts

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Sep 6 • 6:20 AM EDT • Business • reuters.com

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Sep 6 • 6:00 AM EDT • Business • derbyinformer.com

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Sep 5 • 10:00 AM EDT • Health • saratogian.com

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Sep 5 • 9:28 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

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Sep 5 • 7:55 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Explore the Cosmos at Carnegie Science Observatories’ Annual Open House in Pasadena

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Sep 5 • 4:35 AM EDT • Science • coloradoboulevard.net

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Sep 5 • 4:00 AM EDT • Business • businesschief.com

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Sep 4 • 11:00 PM EDT • Business • businessnc.com

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Sep 4 • 7:23 PM EDT • Politics • kqed.org

SAC Health lays off 49 workers to close budget gap of $10M

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Sep 4 • 6:56 PM EDT • Health • sbsun.com

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.

Sep 4 • 6:23 PM EDT • Technology • gamefile.news

Tim Schafer Calls Double Fine Leaving Xbox A 'Creative Awakening': 'Asha’s Not Going To Shoot My Dog'

The CEO said he had a bad feeling once Phil Spencer retired

Sep 4 • 6:00 PM EDT • Technology • kotaku.com

How Alliance Entertainment Is Helping Drive the Physical Music Boom

Alliance Entertainment is the biggest indie physical distribution company in the U.S. and is helping drive the vinyl and CD boom, per CEO Jeff Walker.

Sep 4 • 1:48 PM EDT • Entertainment • billboard.com

AMC CEO Adam Aron blasts Robinhood for 'quasi-fake' tokenized stocks

"I hereby call on you and Robinhood to voluntarily CEASE AND DECIST the trading of AMC stock tokens," Adam Aron said.

Sep 4 • 1:26 PM EDT • Business • businessinsider.com

Adobe's CEO Appointment Could Lead to 'Strategic Messaging' Around Experience Cloud Business, RBC Says

Adobe's (ADBE) appointment of Anil Chakravarthy as its next chief executive could lead to strategic

Sep 4 • 10:47 AM EDT • Business • finance.yahoo.com

PDS Health and United Concordia Launch Saliva Screening Pilot

United Concordia Dental and PDS Health®, leaders in oral health and dental-medical integration, respectively, launched a saliva screening pilot in Southern California earlier this week that aims to improve oral health and overall health by investigating the screening’s impact on periodontal (gum) disease management. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 40% of U.S. adults over the age of 30 have some form of gum disease. Left untreated, this condition can lead to tooth loss and infections and is associated with systemic conditions such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes. “Gum disease is not just an oral health issue. It’s closely connected to a person’s well-being,” said Ed Shellard, DMD, president and CEO of United Concordia. “This partnership with PDS Health underscores our shared commitment to dental-medical integration and allows us to empower patients with on-the-spot data about the current status of their gum health.”…

Sep 4 • 10:08 AM EDT • Health • dentistrytoday.com

Nintendo Confirms 2 Nintendo Direct Broadcasts for Next Week, Including a Dedicated Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Broadcast

Nintendo has announced a pair of Nintendo Direct broadcasts for next week, including a dedicated Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary showcase.

Sep 4 • 9:54 AM EDT • Technology • ign.com

Pinellas Community Foundation CEO speaks at business social

The organization is exploring local impact investing.

Sep 4 • 9:24 AM EDT • Business • stpetecatalyst.com

Sony's PlayStation disc plant is losing 10 percent of its volume in 2028, not 90

Sony’s PlayStation disc plant is losing 10 percent of its volume in 2028, not 90 Sony won’t license disc pressing to anyone else, Microsoft does, and a former PlayStation boss thinks that’s the whole problem. When Sony DADC chief Dietmar Tanzer spoke with an Austrian broadcaster in July about PlayStation disc production at the Thalgau plant, a number of press outlets misunderstood the report, writing that production would fall to a tenth of current levels. It won’t. Sony DADC confirmed to Game this week that the figure is a 10 percent decline, not a decline to 10 percent. “To clarify and avoid any misleading information: in that statement Dietmar anticipated an overall product volume decline by 10 percent, not a decline down to 10 percent,” a spokesperson with Sony DADC told Game. That figure covers 2028. Tanzer didn’t put a number on the years after, and the spokesperson declined to comment further. What we do know is that on July 1, PlayStation announced that physical game disc production for all new games releasing on PlayStation consoles will be discontinued starting January 2028 and that the transition has no impact on games that have already released in disc format or will be releasing in disc format prior to that month. “So, there will be reorders going to the market after January 2028,” the Sony DADC spokesperson said. “For details around that I would ask you to liaise with the PR team from PlayStation, as we can’t speak or comment on their behalf.” PlayStation officials did not respond to questions about reorders or other disc-related matters. But I did recently speak with Shawn Layden, Game Industry Strategic Advisor and former chairman of SIE Worldwide Studios, who called a future without physical PlayStation discs “depressing, but solvable.” then added, “I think.” The chief hurdle to third-party manufacturing of collector’s editions or any other version of a PlayStation game disc is that Sony owns the proprietary process to press those discs, Layden said. “And unless they decide or determine a way to license that to some of these bespoke disc manufacturers, there’s no way to make it happen,” he said. Layden was careful to add that he understands the concept but doesn’t have “line of sight on the particulars.” “Depressing but solvable, I think.” — Shawn Layden Microsoft already licenses replication to outside plants. Xbox discs are pressed by manufacturers Microsoft certifies as Authorized Replicators, a term defined in its publisher agreements, with the approved list set at the company’s sole discretion and Microsoft retaining the right to halt manufacture. The structure is still in place today: publishers select an Authorized Replicator in Partner Center and submit a bill of materials created with a Microsoft representative. Sony, by contrast, presses PlayStation discs through Sony DADC, its own manufacturing subsidiary. No one I spoke with said they were in discussions with Sony about doing that, and PlayStation hasn’t responded to questions about whether it would be open to a licensing deal. There is an obvious reason Sony might not want to. Niko Partners analyst Daniel Ahmad pointed it out on the day of the announcement: it’s a platform-led decision, he wrote, designed to cut costs, eliminate the resale market, and drive all revenue through the PlayStation Store. The math is not subtle. On a $70 third-party game sold through the PlayStation Store, Sony keeps $21. Sold at retail, Ahmad says, it earns about half that. Licensing disc replication to an outside manufacturer might not be worth it. And even if it were, it seems unlikely that such a deal would come from boutique companies like iam8bit, which sells collector’s editions of video games. “We would absolutely love to find a way forward to continue making physical PlayStation games,” said Jon Gibson, co-owner and co-creative director of the company. “We are big believers in giving humans the option to truly own media. If we can play a role in helping make that a reality for the future of PlayStation games, count iam8bit in!” If it were to happen, it would most likely be with a company like Conectiv Supply Chain Solutions, a Memphis-based manufacturer of optical discs and vinyl records that also runs third-party logistics, fulfillment and distribution for packaged media. The company, which was formed in 2025 when Los Angeles private equity firm Variant Equity Advisors purchased Vantiva’s Supply Chain Solutions division, traces its lineage back to Technicolor. When it sold the division, Vantiva described the business as having served video game creators for more than 25 years. Conectiv is also buying, not shrinking. Last month it acquired SDS, the distributor for Universal and Warner Bros. home entertainment, consolidating those studios’ packaged-media pipeline from pressing plant to retail shelf. I reached out to Conectiv and its CEO, but haven’t heard back. Layden pointed to music and books in our discussion about the ongoing value of physical media. “No one ever saw the comeback of cassette tape,” he said. “And vinyl didn’t so much come back. The flame went down, the fire’s dying, but the ember was always there, and it just kind of came back. Much like the book business. We thought we’d all be on Kindles right now. “I believe that physical media is crucial and important. One of the things that makes us gamers, one of the core game mechanics, going back to the beginning of time, is collecting stuff. “Did you get all the diamonds in Crash Bandicoot? Did you get all the stars in Mario? And we like to collect our games. And we have a game shelf. And we put all our boxes up there. And if you’re super hardcore, when you buy a game, you buy two copies, right? One stays in the shrink wrap, and you play the other one. What happens to that important cultural part of the gaming world? You know, we buy the steelbook and the three-disc Final Fantasy set and the figurine and, you know, you can’t download any of that. “What happens to that?” And Layden believes it shouldn’t have been a revenue question for PlayStation. “This was a core thing to the experience of our most devoted fans,” he said. “Yeah, it’s fan service. Why would we take that away? Well, we can’t afford to. It’s already 120 bucks, you know, limited edition special purchase onyx box version of whatever, and those sell at a higher rate than the box selling at $69.99 does. So yeah, the market has said they will continue to buy them. You’re just saying you just don’t want to make them anymore.” Layden said he was recently talking with someone about these sorts of business decisions and how they’re made. Too often, he said, it’s all about the financials and nothing else. “OK, we can do this and save this much money, or we can invest this to look at that outcome, or we can do this and have this happen over there, or move this team to Sri Lanka,” he said. “But each one of those, someone also has to have a ledger there saying, ‘OK, what is the brand impact from that move?’ “Iif you can’t resell it, do you really own it?” — Shawn Layden “If we do that, dollars and cents work out. I get it. That’s just math. But what’s the brand impact? Are people going to say, ‘Good move, you guys?’ Or are they going to say, ‘We hate you guys. Quit doing that.’ And sometimes they say, ‘We hate you.’ Then you take a note and say, OK, how much of that can we live with? How much ‘we hate you’ is OK. And when does it go over the line? “I see a lot of companies making decisions which, objectively speaking, I don’t know what the dollar end of that was for you, Mr. Company, but your brand value just dropped 30 percent. So I hope it was worth it.” Of course, shifting to a digital-only model for games raises other issues beyond simply wanting to collect. The biggest is ownership. Layden pointed out that once you go to a streaming-only or download-only model, it’s just a digital footprint on a hard drive. “What does ownership mean anymore?” he said. “It’s a genuine question. Well, in fact, it’s not even a question anymore. It’s like you are shifting the model from ownership to accessibility. “And what’s always been true, which people forget, is you’ve never been able to sell your iTunes library. And you can’t sell your PlayStation download library. So if you can’t resell it, do you really own it?” The touching tribute found in the credits for Star Wars Zero Company. Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy Interview and Hands-On with a Minoan Masterpiece Star Wars Zero Company hands-on: Attack Astromechs, permadeath, and delightfully fatal Rube Goldberg tactics Control Resonant opens up as you get stronger — and as characters start trusting you

Sep 4 • 7:57 AM EDT • Technology • game.substack.com

What's Going On With AMC Entertainment Stock Friday?

AMC Entertainment gains Friday amid CEO Adam Aron's dispute with Robinhood over stock tokens. Read key technicals and price targets.

Sep 4 • 7:25 AM EDT • Entertainment • benzinga.com

Blackburn transfer window frustrating

Blackburn Rovers CEO Steve Curwood defends the club's summer dealings after four new signings and three failed deals on deadline day.

Sep 4 • 7:19 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Feld Entertainment CEO on prioritizing innovation, challenging assumptions

To foster innovation, Feld Entertainment, under CEO Juliette Feld Grossman, prioritizes creating an environment that allows people to take risks and challenge assumptions.

Sep 4 • 5:00 AM EDT • Entertainment • businessobserverfl.com

Feld Entertainment CEO on prioritizing innovation, challenging assumptions

To foster innovation, Feld Entertainment, under CEO Juliette Feld Grossman, prioritizes creating an environment that allows people to take risks and challenge assumptions.

Sep 4 • 5:00 AM EDT • Business • businessobserverfl.com

Princeton considers AI and data science-focused ‘evolution’ for ORFE department, specifics unclear

The ORFE major could undergo changes in the coming years as a new ad hoc faculty committee considers how the University can strengthen its research and scholarship in AI and data science.

Sep 4 • 1:21 AM EDT • Science • dailyprincetonian.com

Banner flies over Paramount Studios calling CEO David Ellison ‘Trump’s b----’

Paramount’s attempted purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery has recently thrust Ellison into the spotlight.

Sep 3 • 10:54 PM EDT • Entertainment • yahoo.com

Banner flies over Paramount Studios calling CEO David Ellison ‘Trump’s ‘b----’

Amid furor over Paramount’s attempted acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, a plane flew a banner over Paramount Studios in Los Angeles referring to CEO David Ellison as ‘Trump’s b----.’

Sep 3 • 10:54 PM EDT • Entertainment • ew.com

Business leader shares lessons on trust after personal adversity

The CEO of a multi-million-dollar outsourcing firm changed how he led his company after experiencing a family emergency.

Sep 3 • 6:58 PM EDT • Business • abc30.com

Baptist Health scoops up Coconut Creek Kohl’s store for $54M

Baptist Health South Florida dropped $53.5 million on a Kohl’s department store in Coconut Creek. The retailer, led by CEO Michael Bender, sold the 92,700-square-foot stand-alone store at 6950 North State Road 7 for $577 per square foot. Kohl’s acquired the 8.2-acre property for $14.8 million in 2008, soon after the store was built. Last year, the company announced plans to shutter 27 stores in underperforming locations, though no additional closure announcements have been made since then. The store is still open, and plans for the site are being evaluated, a Baptist Health spokesperson told the South Florida Business Journal. […]

Sep 3 • 5:30 PM EDT • Health • therealdeal.com

Longtime Evansville business sells to new owners

According to a letter sent out by the CEO, the new owners will be The State Group.

Sep 3 • 5:09 PM EDT • Business • 14news.com

Good Good Golf leadership collapses following viral Callaway ad backlash

Good Good Golf CEO Matt Kendrick and president Joe Flannery have stepped down from the media company following intense public condemnation over a promotional advertisement for a new Callaway driver, according to multiple reports. The commercial depicted a man pushing a woman to the ground and warning her not to touch the golf club. Good Good co-founder Nahid Giga has been named interim CEO, according to details from an internal memo first reported by Business Insider.

Sep 3 • 4:43 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Why wait? Business grads buying firms to install themselves as CEO

Impatient to be the boss of an established company they are borrowing money to fund their purchases.

Sep 2 • 7:13 PM EDT • Business • bbc.com

Shane Strum appointed permanent CEO of Memorial Healthcare System in Broward

Under Strum, Broward Health and Memorial are aggressively expanding into areas where residents don’t have nearby access to care.

Sep 2 • 6:31 PM EDT • Health • miamiherald.com

Good Good's CEO and president are out after ad debacle

Good Good's CEO and president are out in the latest dramatic twist at the beleaguered YouTube golf collective, read a memo seen by Business Insider.

Sep 2 • 6:20 PM EDT • Business • businessinsider.com

Memorial Healthcare makes Strum president and CEO; he’ll also continue to lead Broward Health

The South Broward Hospital District selected Shane Strum as president and CEO of Memorial Healthcare System, making him the first person to lead both Memorial and Broward Health.

Sep 2 • 5:32 PM EDT • Health • sun-sentinel.com

Microsoft to start disclosing Azure quarterly revenue as company consolidates business units

Microsoft will begin reporting quarterly Azure revenue in dollars for the first time, providing more clarity about its business that competes with AWS.

Sep 2 • 4:30 PM EDT • Business • cnbc.com

Tech parties are becoming major players in the sports ownership industry: Sportscorp's Marc Ganis

Marc Ganis, Sportscorp founder and CEO, joins 'Closing Bell' to discuss the recent spate of sports team sales, the role private equity has played and much more.

Sep 2 • 4:00 PM EDT • Sports • cnbc.com

SM Entertainment and Tencent Music establish Beijing joint venture STE, with Super Junior-M’s Zhoumi as CEO

STE will develop and manage artists for the Greater China market, and says it’s preparing a new Chinese idol group for a debut within two to three years…

Sep 2 • 3:37 PM EDT • Entertainment • musicbusinessworldwide.com

Uber to cut thousands of jobs in sweeping restructuring effort

The ride-hailing giant's CEO said Uber is cutting management layers, consolidating teams and requiring most remote workers to relocate to key office hubs.

Sep 2 • 1:56 PM EDT • Business • foxbusiness.com

Lambeau Field to host Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio State hockey

The Travel Wisconsin Frozen Tundra Faceoff will feature a college hockey doubleheader Feb. 20 with Wisconsin men's and women's hockey, Michigan and OSU.

Sep 2 • 12:17 PM EDT • Sports • espn.com

Monaco CEO explains why Folarin Balogun cancelled Everton transfer

Monaco's CEO said Folarin Balogun felt mistreated by Everton after the Premier League club found issues in his medical.

Sep 2 • 10:42 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Topicals Appoints New CEO From Fenty Beauty

Founder Olamide Olowe has stepped down from her chief executive role and will become chairwoman as Sukiana Chancy joins the company.

Sep 2 • 8:30 AM EDT • Business • businessoffashion.com

Chaos reigns at Everton

As timelines go, turbulent doesn't really do justice to the final days of Everton's transfer window. First, Everton CEO Angus Kinnear declared in an interview with BBC Radio Merseyside on 18 August that the club were in a stable financial position heading towards the end of the transfer window. Two weeks later, and with just two days of the transfer window remaining, the club accepted a £40m bid from Nottingham Forest for highly rated academy graduate Harrison Armstrong, a move that collapsed following fan backlash.

Sep 2 • 7:32 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Berkshire CEO Abel sees opportunity for energy business from AI

Berkshire Hathaway Chief Executive Greg Abel said on Wednesday he sees significant ​opportunities for the conglomerate's energy business ‌from the buildout of AI data centers, after Berkshire made Google parent Alphabet its third-largest common stock ​holding.

Sep 2 • 7:30 AM EDT • Business • reuters.com

Berkshire CEO Abel sees opportunity for energy business from AI

NEW YORK, Sep 2 (Reuters) - Berkshire Hathaway Chief Executive Greg Abel said on Wednesday he sees significant opportunities ​for the conglomerate's energy business ‌from the buildout of AI data centers, after Berkshire made Google parent Alphabet its ...

Sep 2 • 7:29 AM EDT • Business • kfgo.com

Johns Hopkins Health Plans taps interim CEO as it searches for successor

Daniel Chojnowski, JHHP’s current CFO, will provide stability so that the Baltimore-area insurer can recruit full-time for its next chief executive, the company said.

Sep 2 • 5:59 AM EDT • Health • healthcaredive.com

‘Drive to Survive’ made F1 a hit. Sports car racing is cashing in, too

The WEC CEO is clear: F1 docuseries "Drive to Survive" boosted other forms of motorsport and helped attract new fans

Sep 2 • 5:00 AM EDT • Sports • nytimes.com

Welcome to the US Open. Please bring your wallet

The U.S. Open has beceom a bucket-list event. But at what cost?

Sep 1 • 5:34 PM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Tim Cook hands over reins of Apple, keeps political clout

{beacon} Technology Technology The Big Story Tim Cook hands over reins of Apple, but keeps political cloutApple’s Tim Cook handed over the reins as CEO to John Ternus on…

Sep 1 • 5:28 PM EDT • Politics • thehill.com

iPhone 18 Pro 'Surprise and Shine' Event Kicks Off Sept. 9. What We Expect to See

At the first event with John Ternus as CEO, we'll like get a foldable iPhone and new Apple Watch, but here's what's reportedly on tap for the iPhone 18 Pro lineup.

Sep 1 • 5:23 PM EDT • Technology • pcmag.com

Health Right CEO Gets National Award For Charitable Healthcare Work

A West Virginia physician has been named the 2026 Patient Advocate of the Year for the work she does with a prominent free and charitable clinic.

Sep 1 • 5:19 PM EDT • Health • wvpublic.org

Apple Teases 'Huge Launch' Next Week

In his first memo to Apple employees as CEO today, John Ternus teased a "huge launch next week that's going to be phenomenal". In a social media post today, Apple's marketing chief Greg Joswiak teased that Apple has "more to say" on Wednesday, September 9, which is when the company will be holding its next special event, starting at 10 a.m. Pacific Time. Hello, indeed. More to say September 9.

Sep 1 • 2:03 PM EDT • Technology • macrumors.com

Broward’s Memorial Healthcare System board to vote on CEO position this week

During his tenure, interim CEO Shane Strum has pushed for Broward Health and Memorial to work together.

Sep 1 • 11:44 AM EDT • Health • miamiherald.com

Chiefs ownership launches development arm to shape entertainment hubs around team’s facilities

The family of Chiefs Chair and CEO Clark Hunt formed Two-Point Development to plan and build entertainment districts around the team’s forthcoming Kansas City, Kansas stadium and its new headquarters and training facility in Olathe.

Sep 1 • 11:42 AM EDT • Entertainment • sportsbusinessjournal.com

gamescom 2026’s Steam wishlist winners

gamescom wrapped up last weekend, and it was bloody fantastic. It really felt like the industry had a spring in its step again. The show itself was BUZZING, with 368K attendees (+3% over last year), maxed-out exhibit space, and Opening Night Live pulling over 78M online views (+7.5%). Let’s have a look at the games at the event that brought in the most new Steam wishlists between August 23 and 30. One quick thing before we start, and stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but wishlists are NOT a barometer for launch sales (they’re bookmarks, not baskets is what we always say over here at Alinea). With that aside, wishlists are a nice gauge of hype, so let’s dive in. Witche(r)s and Warlocks take the top two spots The biggest game of the event (by new wishlists, anyways) wasn’t a game at all. It was an expansion. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt’s upcoming expansion, Songs of the Past, nabbed 451K Steam wishlists by the end of the weekend. It’s a big example of something we bang on about constantly: proven IP with built-in fandom is the most powerful force in this market. But said IP can also ripple into other external success stories (more on that later!). Anyway, Songs of the Past debuted at Opening Night Live, and it’s the first Witcher 3 expansion in over a decade, landing next year after a full Witcher 3 remaster (free for existing owners!) arrives next month. The Witcher 3 has sold around 66M copies, and I’ll be one of those owners jumping back in to refresh myself on the core game (like there isn’t enough to play!), then play the expansion next year. This is all part of CDPR’s plan. The studio is clearly whetting everyone’s appetite for The Witcher 4 in 2028 via a classic bridge strategy. Want more free estimates and insights in your inbox twice a week? Subscribe below! Subscribe Releasing a free 4K remaster next month – followed by a proper expansion in 2027 – keeps IP top-of-mind across a huge gap between content (games-wise, anyway). It kind of echoes Capcom’s evergreen catalogue strategy. And outsourcing co-development to Fool’s Theory (a studio led by trusted Witcher 3 veterans) keeps CDPR’s internal headcount focused on The Witcher 4. #2 by wishlists between Aug 23 and 30 went to another giant IP: Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons, published by Wizards of the Coast and developed by Invoke Studios (a team of ex-Far Cry, Watch Dogs, and Splinter Cell devs). It’s due to launch in 2027, and it looks brilliant so far. It’s a dark-fantasy open world with third-person spell-slinging. It’s a very Witcher-ish aesthetic. As you might expect, 48% of Warlock’s Steam wishlisters have played Baldur’s Gate 3, and 46% have played The Witcher 3. One to watch. For sure! Mash-ups: Anime GTA (!?) and a city-builder for kids (and adults) Ananta took #3 with 302K new wishlists. It’s an open-world game that looks like GTA and Persona had a baby. It was published by NetEase, developed by Naked Rain, and got a trailer at Opening Night Live. I got hands-on at the show, and it wears its influences openly; there’s literal web-slinging (very Spider-Man) and a LOAD of mini-games (Like a Dragon). It’s free-to-play and out in January. For Ananta, Naked Rain is taking the free-to-play, cosmetics-only route. That’s certainly a choice for a single-player open-world game. Without gacha mechanics driving high ARPU, Ananta is betting purely on top-of-funnel reach and long-term retention. This puts pressure on skin appeal when there’s no multiplayer lobby to flex in (although, co-op is reportedly coming later). Want more free estimates and insights in your inbox twice a week? Subscribe below! Subscribe Then there’s Lego Skylines (273K wishlists between Aug 23 and 30), which does exactly what it says on the tin. It’s a cosy Lego twist on the city-builder genre, as shallow or as deep as you fancy (five min quick sesh or ten-hour no-lifer session; latter for me). There’s some family-friendly stuff in there like couch co-op, which is only really viable on console. Iceflake Studios, which Paradox acquired back in 2020 is developing this one. So Paradox is probably looking for a family-friendly onramp to its rad Cities: Skylines games. The overlap there is plain, with 33% of Lego Skylines wishlisters having played Cities: Skylines and 16% Skylines II. There’s no doubt plenty of parents here (and uncles, ahem) planning to indoctrinate the next gen of city-builders. I’ll definitely be playing with my youngest nephew. This one could be big and educational. I’m very curious to see more. Want more free estimates and insights in your inbox twice a week? Subscribe below! Subscribe Mature IP, new and old, rounds out the list As for the rest of the list of gamescom games by new wishlists between Aug 23 and 30: Heroes of Might & Magic III Remake got 189K new wishlists. It remakes the iconic 1999 turn-based-strategy classic in full 3D and 4K. It follows this year’s Heroes of Might & Magic: Olden Era (~1.8M copies sold, as per our estimates), and around a quarter of the III Remake wishlisters have played Olden Era, including 7% of them this month. Wardogs – a $40 PvP shooter – added another 146K to an already massive pile (nearly 1.6M total). It’s published by Team17 and made by Bulkhead. It plays somewhere between the tactical squad stuff of … Squad and the all-out-chaos battlefield of … Battlefield. It’s up to 100 players, and it’s out in about 10 days. It’s already pre-sold over 500K copies on Steam ($16.6M), boosted by a pre-order-only beta. It sold another 70K copies during gamescom, too. Afterworld managed 121K new wishlists. It’s a Paradox-made post-apocalyptic grand-strategy game, and it was announced at the show. It’s a departure from Paradox’s usual historical stuff, and the studio’s first new setting in over a decade. The Paradox purists are into it, with over half its wishlisters having played Hearts of Iron IV (19% this month) and 41% Crusader Kings III (17% this month). Metro 2039 got 110K during the show, tunnelling its total past 1.3M. Nearly 40% of wishlisters have played 2020’s Metro Exodus, the previous mainline title in the series. The Metro novels are Russian, dev 4A Games is Ukrainian, and it’s set in Moscow, so it’s unsurprising that – after the US (17.3% of wishlisters) – the next two countries are Russia (12.7%) and Ukraine (10.0%). The Blood of the Dawnwalker drew in (the blood of) 108K new wishlisters, now totalling an impressive 1.7M (at a $70 price point, though). It’s an open-world dark-fantasy action-RPG set in 14th-century Europe (with vampires!), made by some former Witcher devs at Rebel Wolves. Again, it shows. Over half of Blood of the Dawnwalker’s wishlisters have played The Witcher 3, and its #2 market is Poland, home of Rebel Wolves. That’s that hometown-hero effect we keep banging on about again! And Blood of the Dawnwalker plays very well, by the way. While it looks like a Witcher clone on the surface, it actually brings a lot to the table mechanics-wise. I love the whole time-as-a-currency spin on RPG gameplay. It gives the game a different, refreshing pace. Essentially, you start Blood of the Dawnwalker with a pool of 480 action points spread across 30 days and 30 nights. As for how the game performs, we’ll be posting some numbers next week, so hit subscribe below to get that in your inbox when it’s ready. Subscribe The Witcher’s legacy ripples Make no mistake: on a high level, this was The Witcher‘s gamescom. The #1 game by wishlisters was a Witcher 3 DLC. Warlock is clearly Witcher-inspired – as is Blood of the Dawnwalker, which was made by ex-Witcher devs. There was a lot of other cool stuff on the floor that we’ll no doubt be covering in subsequent newsletters, though! As always, wishlists went through the roof for sequels, remakes, DLC, and licensed IP. As always, though, these wishlists will likely convert to about 5% to 10% of launch-day buyers, with the probable exception of The Witcher DLC – the exception that proves the rule. Either way, we’ve got a nice, diverse list here – one that is very Witcher-y, Paradox-y, and – if you’re a fan of great games on Steam – a bloody good list. We even got a bunch of new IP to get excited for. Great gamescom! Even if we are still processing that unfathomable number of mini Kölsch beers! One more thing: GTA 6 broke the internet (again) Move aside, Spider-Man and The Odyssey (I love you both, really). But the decade’s defining entertainment zeitgeist is round the corner. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know that Rockstar dropped an extended look at GTA 6 last week. It was INSANE, the most impressed I’ve ever been by a showcase like this. You can see the budget seeping through every second of the extended look, and this level of game is unobtainable for any other publisher. Everyone’s going nuts, and rightly so. GTA 6 is out in holiday 2026, and it’ll be the biggest entertainment release ever, full stop. For those without a PS5 or Xbox Series console, a $500-$900 console is a big ask in this economy, but GTA will pull a lot of last-generation-console fence sitters over the current-gen fence either way: The autumn timing puts GTA 6 on (digital) shelves for the holidays, meaning a PS5 or Xbox (let’s be honest, mostly the former) will be on many a Christmas and Hanukkah list. Demand will outweigh the struggling supply, though, and PS5 Pros are already sold out and being sold at a markup via scalpers. Every console that isn’t on a shelf is a sale deferred or lost, and worse, it hands scalpers the margin. GTA has cultural clout that reaches everyone. It’s been a mainstream fixture since 2001’s GTA III and its clout has only grown exponentially since then. There’s a touchpoint for every generation alive. The FOMO-word-of-mouth double punch does the rest. Loading... It’ll reactivate the lockdown cohort, the millions who picked up gaming in 2020-21 and churned. GTA 6 will bring them back. Remember when College Football 25 brought a bunch of US gamers to current-gen consoles? GTA will do that globally. Once they’re back (or upgraded), and all GTA’d out, the fresh current-gen-console folks will check out the rest of the current-gen catalogue they missed. GTA Online, if not free to play, will also lead to a boost for PS+ and Xbox Game Pass, another boost for the ecosystem players. Want more free estimates and insights in your inbox twice a week? Subscribe below! Subscribe Even some of the smug PCMR 60FPS crew won’t be able to resist their FOMO and will bite the bullet on a console to play this one early (then double dip). The consoles cost the same as a decent stick of RAM these days anyway lmao… Don’t get me wrong, though. GTA 6 is no silver bullet for the mature console market, but it does prime the current gen for a couple of strong swan-song years. And it’ll also give the consoles more users from which to maximise ARPU. ‘’We are in the latter half of the lifetime cycle of [the PS5],’’ said Sony President and CEO Hiroki Totoki in a Wall Street Journal interview. ‘’That means we do not need to aggressively sell the console today; rather than that, we are focusing on the current revenue from the current user base.’’ The biggest, best premium games always arrive late in a console cycle, so getting more players aboard now, ahead of that content storm (the new current-gen-only Call of Duty included), is a clear win for the platforms. On the Netflix thing, though: let’s all chill out a bit, like. Half my LinkedIn feed was going bonkers treating the reveal debuting on Netflix like it’s the future of entertainment. It wasn’t. It was a six-hour head start, and Netflix left that detail out of the “first-of-its-kind partnership” press release. The extended look hit Netflix at 3pm ET on 27 August, then went up on YouTube and Rockstar’s site for everyone six hours later. And it was all over social immediately, anyways. This reveal was going to reach an untold number of people whether it debuted on Netflix, YouTube, a Times Square screen, or a group chat. The last trailer did nearly half a billion views in a day with no gatekeeper at all. Netflix just stood next to that audience for six hours, borrowing it. It’s was a tidy deal for Netflix, sure. But every outlet on earth was breaking the thing down frame by frame by the evening anyway. Anyway. I’m hype. And we’ll be covering some GTA numbers on the newsletter soon. So hit subscribe below to get that in your inbox when it’s ready! Subscribe The last word Reply to this email – or reach out here – if you have any feedback for the newsletter – or want to request a game for us to cover. [Alinea Analytics boasts the most accurate PC and console estimates in the business. Game makers use our platform to understand their audience, keep an eye on the competition, monitor sales trends, and spot new opportunities. We equip game studios and financial institutions with accurate data and the confidence to make smarter, data-driven decisions. Want to talk about all things games market data? We’d love to chat!]

Sep 1 • 10:27 AM EDT • Technology • alineaanalytics.substack.com

Tim Cook is out as Apple CEO, showed us how to succeed a legend

Apple's newly departed CEO, Tim Cook, beat the odds as Steve Jobs' successor by combining his strengths and judgment with Jobs' values.

Sep 1 • 7:36 AM EDT • Business • businessinsider.com

Why A CEO’s Calendar Is A Better Health Assessment Than Their Wearable

Wearable tech offers useful health insights.However, a CEO's calendar can reveal more than meets the eye about their health, performance, and long-term capacity.

Aug 31 • 11:49 PM EDT • Health • forbes.com

Entertainment Look-A-Head: ‘NBA 2K27’, ‘Earle Meets World’, international films

From Sep. 1-7, many films, shows, games and albums will be released. Notably, the hit game series NBA 2K will receive its latest addition.

Aug 31 • 8:00 PM EDT • Entertainment • thepostathens.com

Xbox CEO Reacts To The Irony Of Rising Console Prices Being An Issue That Microsoft Itself Contributed To

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma believes it is "wonderful" that GPUs have use beyond gaming.

Aug 31 • 11:29 AM EDT • Technology • gamespot.com

MAD: Omnicom Combines Mediahub, Hearts & Science

The new agency network operates across 40 markets and represents approximately $9.1 billion in 2025 billings. It will be led in the U.S. by Nicole Estebanell, who previously served as CEO of Mediahub U.S.

Aug 31 • 10:39 AM EDT • Science • mediapost.com

GXO CEO: Better robot hands, not Olympic-level humanoids, are what businesses really need

Also: All the news and watercooler chat from Fortune.

Aug 31 • 5:35 AM EDT • Business • fortune.com

Apple's Tim Cook clears unfinished business ahead of CEO handoff

CNBC’s MacKenzie Sigalos reports on how Tim Cook is using his final days as Apple CEO to make tough personnel and product decisions before John Ternus takes over September 1.

Aug 31 • 12:36 AM EDT • Business • cnbc.com

Banking

CEO AND CHAIR | NAVIENT | HERNDON

Aug 30 • 11:54 PM EDT • Business • virginiabusiness.com

Retail | Wholesale | Food

FOUNDER AND CEO | FIVE GUYS ENTERPRISES | ALEXANDRIA

Aug 30 • 11:42 PM EDT • Business • virginiabusiness.com

Government Contractors | Technology 2026: WILLIAM H. ‘BILL’ DEAN

CEO | M.C. DEAN | TYSONS/MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA

Aug 30 • 11:39 PM EDT • Business • virginiabusiness.com

Alexandria Car and Business Tax Bills Due Oct. 5

ALEXANDRIA, VA — Alexandria has mailed its 2026 personal property tax bills to registered vehicle owners and businesses, with both due Monday, Oct. 5. The

Aug 30 • 3:24 PM EDT • Business • thezebra.org

A look inside a Tarrant ketamine clinic — and where the business plans to go next

NeuroGlow offers IV ketamine and esketamine nasal spray, but CEO aspires to explore the potential of psychedelics to treat mental health.

Aug 30 • 3:00 PM EDT • Business • fortworthreport.org

PlayStation May Delay Digital-Only Shift Following Rumors of "100% Physical Xbox Helix"

We recently reported that Xbox's disc-to-digital entitlement program and the new CEO's refusal to address questions about Helix's disc drive suggested that the gaming giant was moving towards a new all-digital future, starting with Project Helix. However, a competing rumor—via Eurogamer...

Aug 30 • 12:28 PM EDT • Technology • techpowerup.com

University Computer Science department remains hopeful in the age of AI

According to National Student Clearinghouse, undergraduate enrollment in traditional information and computer science degrees at four-year institutions fell by 8.1 percent in the fall of 2025 compared to fall 2024.

Aug 30 • 8:00 AM EDT • Science • cavalierdaily.com

Xbox CEO says next-gen Project Helix will be a “family of devices,” hinting at another Xbox Series S|X-style lineup

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma says the next-generation Project Helix will launch as a “family of devices,” suggesting a tiered lineup similar to the Xbox Series S and X. Microsoft has confirmed AMD-powered hardware supporting Xbox and PC games but has yet to disclose pricing, release timing, or disc-drive options.

Aug 29 • 10:45 PM EDT • Technology • notebookcheck.net

Most Business Advice Is 'Trash,' Says Kalshi CEO. But There’s a Catch

Great leaders know when to trust their instincts and when seeking advice is the smartest move they can make.

Aug 29 • 12:00 PM EDT • Business • inc.com

Project Helix will be a ‘family of devices,’ Xbox CEO confirms

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma says Project Helix will focus on affordability…

Aug 29 • 5:54 AM EDT • Technology • videogameschronicle.com

Siemens CEO Roland Busch's seven rules for getting things done

Roland Busch, the CEO of Siemens, manages work life balance by prioritizing email management and efficient meeting strategies, enhancing productivity.

Aug 29 • 5:05 AM EDT • Business • businessinsider.com

Local rescue holding online sports memorabilia auction

Finding Eden Rescue is holding its first sports memorabilia auction, with more than 25 items up for bid through Sept. 9. The online auction launched Aug. 28 and runs through Sept. 9 at 5 p.m., according to Peyton Olsen, founder and CEO of Finding Eden Rescue.

Aug 28 • 9:00 PM EDT • Sports • weau.com

Xbox CEO calls Project Helix a ‘family of devices’

Lots of Xboxes?

Aug 28 • 6:03 PM EDT • Technology • theverge.com

Politics Unusual: NJ Transit president, NYS Sen. Gournardes

In this special episode of Politics Unusual, FOX 5 NY's Teresa Priolo speaks with NJ Transit President and CEO Kris Kolluri about the $4 million loss during the World Cup. Also, a conversation with State Senator Andrew Gounardes about protecting children from the negative effects of social media.

Aug 28 • 4:53 PM EDT • Politics • fox5ny.com

Inside one behavioral health CEO’s decision to automate revenue cycle operations

There was no single metric that told Dr. Mary Affee her practice had outgrown its operations, and that was the frustrating part. She had built Horizon

Aug 28 • 2:44 PM EDT • Health • beckersbehavioralhealth.com

Healthcare challenges: Why many women struggle to get the care they need

Founder and CEO of Sela Health Kayalin Akens-Irby has more.

Aug 28 • 11:41 AM EDT • Health • abc7ny.com

Good Good's CEO goes nuclear on Callaway after controversial ad

Good Good's CEO blasted the golf equipment company, saying the brand had asked the YouTube group to "take the fall" for a controversial ad.

Aug 28 • 11:05 AM EDT • Business • businessinsider.com

Ford hires power industry exec as president for new energy storage business

Dave Carroll, former CEO of ENGIE North America, will succeed Ford Motor Co. veteran Lisa Drake, who is retiring.

Aug 28 • 10:25 AM EDT • Business • crainsdetroit.com

"Digital Entertainment Leadership Forum 2026" Opens Today

AI Unlocks the Potential of Cultural and Creative Industries, Reshaping Digital Entertainment and Smart Living Experiences

Aug 28 • 9:56 AM EDT • Entertainment • voiceofalexandria.com

MaineHealth CEO warns of ‘huge crisis’ in healthcare

Although MaineHealth announced its decision to close the unit earlier this month, those who live near the hospital asked lawmakers Thursday to force the hospital to keep it open while other options are considered.

Aug 28 • 9:31 AM EDT • Health • spectrumlocalnews.com

Even a Billionaire Critic Likes Mamdani’s Business Council

What the rich and powerful have to say about Mamdani’s 15-member board that includes the Liberty CEO and a yogurt billionaire.

Aug 28 • 9:00 AM EDT • Business • nymag.com

Video: UFC Shanghai full card faceoffs with Nurmagomedov vs. Song

The entire UFC Shanghai card headlined by Umar Nurmagomedov vs. Song Yadong had final faceoffs at official weigh-ins.

Aug 28 • 12:00 AM EDT • Sports • sports.yahoo.com

Exclusive | Corporate America Cut Big Checks to Trump. Now CEOs Fear Subpoenas Are Coming.

Tech firms are courting Democrats and hiring advisers to prepare for potential investigations if Republicans lose control of the House.

Aug 27 • 9:00 PM EDT • Politics • wsj.com

‘Turned upside down’: Lawyer describes impact of FBI raids on Behavioral Health CEO

Aug 27 • 7:44 PM EDT • Health • clickondetroit.com

Pikachu Visits Apple Park, Meets Tim Cook and John Ternus

Tim Cook shared an inside look at the work he is doing behind the scenes as he prepares to step down as Apple's CEO next week. Cook has been preparing incoming CEO John Ternus for the transition over the last several months, and today he introduced Ternus to popular Pokémon character Pikachu. Cook said he and Ternus met with the Pokémon team to talk gaming.

Aug 27 • 6:10 PM EDT • Technology • macrumors.com

Florida Citrus Sports plans to bring future Week 0 games to Orlando

In addition to the bowl games it hosts, CEO Steve Hogan said FCS hopes to attract iconic contests like Army-Navy or college football playoffs.

Aug 27 • 2:27 PM EDT • Sports • mynews13.com

Early Cretaceous Footprints Appear To Come From The Largest Mammal Of The Dinosaur Era

At over 1.5 meters, maybe not all our mammalian predecessors were near the bottom of a dinosaur-ruled food chain.

Aug 27 • 2:25 PM EDT • Science • iflscience.com

Zohran Mamdani’s business council includes the CEOs of Chobani and Etsy. But Wall Street and Big Tech turned him down

The democratic socialist mayor is bringing leaders from Chobani, Etsy, RXR and more to City Hall—but several prominent executives didn’t join.

Aug 27 • 12:03 PM EDT • Business • fortune.com

Mamdani reaches out to CEOs to boost city economy; what it means

Some of the biggest names include Chobani CEO Hamdi Ulukaya, New York Liberty CEO Keia Clarke, Etsy CEO Kruti Patel Goyal and Pat Wang, CEO of Healthfirst.

Aug 27 • 11:31 AM EDT • Business • usatoday.com

Mamdani's government grocery store plan ‘disastrous’ for business owners, chamber of commerce official says

Greater New York Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Mark Jaffe, who is legal counsel and a founder of the Multicultural Business Coalition, says New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's effort will be "disastrous" for business owners.

Aug 27 • 11:16 AM EDT • Business • foxbusiness.com