A concise profile of a public figure in the news
Sony has announced it will stop producing physical PlayStation game discs from January 2028. New titles will be sold via the PlayStation Store or as retailer-issued download codes; games releasing before 2028 remain unaffected. The move follows years of rising digital sales and has provoked consumer backlash over ownership, preservation and the second‑hand market.
Prices for Xbox consoles and various Apple devices have surged as AI-driven demand strains memory and storage components, pushing manufacturers to raise prices by hundreds of dollars. The trend affects consumers globally as memory costs double and memory shortages loom. The changes come as several publishers report price increases from Microsoft, Apple and others amid an AI infrastructure boom.
A panel of judges has found Nadiem Anwar Makarim guilty of abuse of authority in relation to the 2020 procurement of Google Chromebooks for Indonesian schools. He has been sentenced to 10 years in prison, with a fine and restitution totaling over 800 billion rupiah. Prosecution says state losses reached about 125 million, while Google’s investment in Gojek is central to the case. The verdicts from multiple outlets converge, with the defense planning appeals.
Microsoft has launched Xbox Backward Compatibility on PC, bringing four original Xbox games to Windows with added graphical features. The rollout signals a broader push to merge Xbox and PC ecosystems, with access extended to Game Pass and existing licenses. The initial batch includes Blinx: The Time Sweeper, Conker: Live and Reloaded, Crimson Skies, and Fuzion Frenzy, with more titles planned.
EA Sports FC 27 introduces The Grounds, an open-world social hub, with Mbappé on the Standard and Ultimate Covers and Jude Bellingham joining on the Ultimate Plus Edition. The game promises refined gameplay, improved AI defence, new live scenarios, and a refreshed progression system, with release set for 25 September 2026 and early access from 18 September for pre-orders.