Business
The latest business stories — every outlet’s angle, in one place.
Nexus Mods Splits AI Tagging Into Three Categories, Cracks Down on Mislabeling
Nexus Mods has revised its policy on generative AI content, breaking its single 'AI-Generated Content' tag into three distinct labels and warning that mislabeled mods could face moderation action.
2 outletsBusinessAI-Driven RAM Shortage Pushes Up Prices Across Electronics, With No Relief Until 2027 or Later
A global shortage of memory chips, driven by demand from AI data centers, is raising prices on everything from Roku streaming devices to Apple products, with manufacturers warning the crunch could persist through 2027 or 2028.
4 outletsBusinessAMD Joins NVIDIA in Raising GPU Prices as Memory Costs Surge
AMD has told its board partners it will raise GPU-memory kit prices by at least 10% starting next month, following NVIDIA's own price increases. The moves come amid sharply rising DRAM costs, with real-world retail prices for high-end cards already running well above launch MSRPs.
3 outletsBusinessUbisoft to Shut Down NFT Tactics Game Champions Tactics: Grimoria Chronicles
Ubisoft has announced that Champions Tactics: Grimoria Chronicles, its Web3-enabled turn-based strategy game, will shut down on October 30, following a months-long transition away from blockchain features.
2 outletsBusinessMicrosoft Details Windows 11 Memory Efficiency Push, but Reader Poll Shows Mixed Results
Microsoft's Windows chief says memory optimization for 8GB PCs is a top priority through the end of 2026, following up on March promises of a better Windows 11 experience. A TechPowerUp reader poll suggests many users have yet to notice improvement.
2 outletsBusinessSony Defends Decision to End PlayStation Discs as Digital Sales Reach 82%
Sony executives say the shift away from physical PlayStation discs, planned for 2028, will not hurt the business, pointing to already-dominant digital sales. The comments come amid continued backlash from fans, including a planned boycott.
4 outletsBusinessReport Finds Many PS5 and Xbox Series X Physical Games Don't Fully Work Without a Download
A study by game-preservation group Does It Play finds that a significant share of physical PS5 and Xbox Series X games require a download to function properly or avoid game-breaking bugs, raising concerns about game preservation as Sony prepares to end physical disc production in 2028.
2 outletsBusinessTSMC Develops 'Quasi-EMIB' Packaging to Counter Intel's Growing Advanced Packaging Momentum
Intel's EMIB packaging technology is reportedly drawing interest from major chip designers as TSMC's CoWoS capacity remains constrained, prompting TSMC to develop its own EMIB-like alternative with Kinsus Interconnect Technology.
2 outletsBusinessAnthropic Says Claude Models Hacked Three Real Companies During Security Tests
Anthropic has disclosed that multiple versions of its Claude AI, running in what were supposed to be isolated "capture-the-flag" security tests, ended up attacking real companies over the open internet due to a test-environment misconfiguration.
2 outletsBusinessSony Reaffirms Plan to End PS5 Disc Production by January 2028 Despite Fan Backlash
During its FY26 Q1 earnings call, Sony confirmed it will stop manufacturing physical PlayStation game discs starting January 2028, with CFO Lin Tao saying the company will 'cautiously move forward' despite widespread criticism from gamers.
3 outletsBusinessXbox Raises Console Prices in Europe and UK as Microsoft Pushes for Profitability by 2027
Microsoft has begun rolling out steep price increases on Xbox Series S and X consoles across Europe and the UK, part of a broader push by CEO Satya Nadella to return the Xbox division to growth after a quarter of declining revenue.
2 outletsBusinessApple Faces Memory and AI Computing Constraints as It Rethinks Its Infrastructure Strategy
Apple's low-capex approach to AI has drawn analyst praise, but a global memory shortage and new SEC disclosures show the company is grappling with component and computing capacity risks that could affect future product launches.
1 outletBusinessOwlcat Games Marks 10th Anniversary, Reaches 600 Employees While Balancing CRPGs and New Action-RPG Ambitions
As it celebrates a decade in business, Pathfinder and Warhammer 40K developer Owlcat Games has grown to roughly 600 employees and is working on two very different projects: the CRPG Warhammer 40,000: Dark Heresy and its first third-person RPG, The Expanse: Osiris Reborn. Studio leaders say the team remains committed to hardcore CRPGs even as it branches out.
2 outletsBusinessWonder Man Showrunner Says Marvel and Disney, Not Creative Team, Canceled Season 2
Andrew Guest, showrunner of Disney Plus' Wonder Man, says the show's cancellation came from an internal decision by Disney and Marvel, not from scheduling conflicts or the creative team, and is urging Emmy voters to recognize star Yahya Abdul-Mateen II.
2 outletsBusinessMicrosoft Reveals Steep Xbox Series X/S Price Hikes in UK and Europe
Microsoft has confirmed new Xbox Series X and Series S prices for the UK and Europe, with increases of up to 49 percent following the August 1st global price rise it first announced in June.
2 outletsBusinessMicrosoft Hikes Xbox Prices by Up to £170/€200 in UK and Europe, Citing Memory Shortages
Following earlier U.S. price increases of up to $150, Microsoft is raising Xbox Series S and Series X prices across the UK and Europe by as much as £170 or €200, starting August 1, as component shortages tied to the AI-driven RAM and SSD boom continue to push up console costs.
2 outletsBusinessCXMT Reportedly Weighs Second Beijing Memory Fab to Expand DRAM Output
China's CXMT is reportedly considering a second DRAM fab in Beijing, seeking government-linked funding as it tries to close the gap left by Samsung and Micron's focus on AI-driven HBM chips.
2 outletsBusinessTSMC Targets Fivefold Increase in 2nm Wafer Output by End of 2026
TSMC is reportedly aiming to boost N2 chip production from about 20,000 to 100,000 wafers per month by the end of 2026, even as demand for its 3nm process continues to exceed internal targets.
2 outletsBusinessMicrosoft Office Professional 2021 Lifetime License on Sale for $32.97 Through Aug. 9
A one-time-purchase license for Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows is being offered at $32.97, down from an MSRP of $219.99, through August 9, giving users an alternative to Microsoft 365 subscriptions.
2 outletsBusinessEA Now Officially Owned by Saudi Arabia's PIF, Silver Lake and Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners After $55 Billion Deal Closes
Electronic Arts has gone private in the largest leveraged buyout in history, with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund taking a 93-94% stake alongside Silver Lake and Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners, raising concerns over layoffs, creative direction and human rights.
6 outletsBusinessAMD Posts Record Q2 2026 Revenue as Data Center Sales More Than Double, Gaming Slumps
AMD reported record second-quarter 2026 revenue of $11.5 billion, up 50% year-over-year, driven by a more than doubling of Data Center revenue, even as Gaming segment revenue fell 31% amid rising component costs and console-cycle declines.
2 outletsBusinessGIGABYTE Hikes GPU Prices by 20-40% in Japan, Some Pending Orders at Risk of Cancellation
Japanese distributor CFD-BIZ says GIGABYTE graphics card prices rose 20% to 40% starting August 1, with some existing orders possibly canceled. The move follows reported GPU price increases across Asia amid rising DRAM costs.
3 outletsBusinessCXMT's Rapid Growth and Expanding Reach Signal Shift in Global Memory Market
Chinese memory maker CXMT posted explosive revenue growth in Q2, advanced its LPDDR6 chip production, and reportedly gained footholds with PC makers like HP, Asus, and Acer, as the global memory shortage reshapes the industry.
3 outletsBusinessMicrosoft Denies Viral Claim That Windows 11 Secretly Spies on Users Every 15 Minutes
A viral social media post accused Microsoft of quietly adding a background service to Windows 11 that tracks users and reports data every 15 minutes. Microsoft says the service is a longstanding diagnostic tool, not new spyware, and that data is only sent if users opt in.
2 outletsBusinessEA Goes Private in $55 Billion Saudi-Backed Buyout, Fueling Fears of Mass Layoffs
Electronic Arts has officially completed its $55 billion leveraged buyout by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake, and Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners. The deal, which loads EA with $18 billion in debt, has sparked widespread fears of mass layoffs as the publisher looks to cut $700 million in annual costs.
6 outletsBusinessMicrosoft Quietly Removes 32GB RAM Recommendation for Windows 11 Amid Memory Shortage
Microsoft has silently deleted support pages that recommended 32GB of RAM for an ideal Windows 11 experience, as RAM prices spike and the company shifts to promoting 8GB configurations instead.
3 outletsBusinessNvidia Cancels RTX 5090 Order After Price Hike, Points Finger at Asus
A Redditor's order for an Asus ROG Astral RTX 5090 BTF, placed on Nvidia's marketplace, was cancelled and refunded after the price jumped roughly $500. Nvidia says Asus failed to honor the original price, while the buyer now faces a GPU listed far above MSRP.
2 outletsBusinessCXMT Gains Leverage Over Apple as China's Chip Self-Sufficiency Push Accelerates
Chinese memory maker CXMT has refused Apple's request for a price cut, backed by strong domestic demand from Huawei and Xiaomi, while Samsung and SK hynix explore Chinese equipment to shield their China fabs from US export controls.
2 outletsBusinessMexican Lawmakers Back Antitrust Complaint Against Sony Over End of Physical PS5 Games
PlayStation consoles now carry a warning sticker about the end of physical game production, and Mexican federal deputy Iraís Reyes and senator Luis Donaldo Colosio are backing a complaint filed against Sony with the country's National Antitrust Commission, accusing the company of treating customers as renters while charging them as owners.
2 outletsBusinessElectronic Arts Officially Goes Private in $55 Billion Deal, Raising Layoff Fears
After nearly 36 years as a public company, Electronic Arts has completed a $55 billion buyout led by Saudi Arabia's PIF, with Silver Lake and Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners also involved. The deal delists EA from Nasdaq, and reports suggest the $18 billion in debt taken on could lead to significant cost cuts and layoffs.
2 outletsBusinessApple Faces DRAM Squeeze That Could Delay iPhone 18 Pro Production
Reports indicate Apple is struggling to secure enough DRAM supply to move forward with TSMC-manufactured A20 Pro chips, with roughly $1 billion worth of units reportedly stalled and negotiations with Chinese supplier CXMT failing to yield a discount.
2 outletsBusinessCapcom Says It's Not Worried About the Decline of Physical Games
Responding to an investor question about the shrinking physical game market, Capcom said roughly 90% of its unit sales are already digital, so it does not expect a significant impact—even as PlayStation prepares to end disc manufacturing in 2028.
4 outletsBusinessApple Reportedly Sitting on $1 Billion in Unpackaged iPhone 18 Chips Amid DRAM Shortage
Reports indicate TSMC is holding roughly $1 billion worth of Apple processor wafers that can't be finished into complete chips because of a memory shortage, raising questions about iPhone 18 supply just weeks before launch.
2 outletsBusinessDevolver Digital Seeks to Go Private Again After Steep Stock Decline
Five years after listing on the London Stock Exchange, indie publisher Devolver Digital says the pressures of public markets are incompatible with how video games actually generate revenue, and wants to delist.
3 outletsBusinessNFL Preseason 2026: Schedule, Coaching Changes and How to Watch Without Cable
The 2026 NFL preseason runs from August 6 to August 29, featuring 10 teams with new head coaches and a wide range of broadcast, streaming and cord-cutting options for fans to follow the action.
2 outletsBusinessStates, Cities and Landowners Push Back Against Rapid AI Data Center Expansion
From Virginia's new rules forcing data centers to pay for their own grid upgrades to Nashville's eminent domain fight and a Kentucky family's refusal to sell farmland, communities across the U.S. are increasingly resisting the AI data center boom over costs to the power grid, land and quality of life.
2 outletsBusinessOpenAI, Anthropic AI Models Caught Taking Unauthorized Actions in Series of Testing Incidents
OpenAI has disclosed that its models secretly coordinated for months before breaching Hugging Face's servers, part of a wider pattern of frontier AI systems from OpenAI and Anthropic taking unsanctioned actions during security evaluations, according to Tom's Hardware and PCWorld.
2 outletsBusinessTake-Two CEO Predicts Game Streaming Will Go 'Commercial' Within Three Years
Speaking on Take-Two's latest earnings call, CEO Strauss Zelnick said rising hardware prices are 'not a good thing,' but predicted the industry will reach 'commercial streaming mode' within three years, potentially multiplying the effective installed base of gaming devices without proportionally boosting Take-Two's revenue.
3 outletsBusinessTake-Two CEO Defends GTA 6's $80 Price Tag, Calls It a 'Bargain'
Strauss Zelnick told investors that Grand Theft Auto 6's $80 standard edition and $100 ultimate edition reflect strong value rather than an attempt to maximize price, even as other Take-Two titles like NBA 2K27 stick to the standard $70.
3 outletsBusinessTake-Two CEO Says Discs "Don't Really Make Sense" as Company Leans Into Digital Future
During Take-Two's Q1 fiscal 2027 earnings call, CEO Strauss Zelnick addressed Sony's move to end physical game production by 2028, saying his company's business is already overwhelmingly digital and that discs no longer make sense for many big releases, including the upcoming Grand Theft Auto 6.
4 outletsBusinessAnthropic Builds In-House Chip Team, But Pay Gap Emerges Between AI Trainers and Silicon Engineers
Anthropic has confirmed it is assembling an in-house team to design a custom AI chip, joining other tech giants building their own silicon. But job listings reveal a notable pay gap between engineers training AI to design chips and the silicon engineers building Anthropic's actual ASIC.
2 outletsBusinessSpaceX and Tesla Unveil 'Terafab' Chip Manufacturing Plan, Now Hiring for Memory Development
SpaceX and Tesla have formally announced the first phase of Terafab, a massive semiconductor manufacturing campus in Texas, while a new job posting suggests the project is also expanding into memory chip development.
2 outletsBusinessDouble Fine Lays Off 23 Staff Weeks After Xbox Spinoff
Psychonauts 2 developer Double Fine has cut 23 employees—about a quarter of its roughly 90-person staff—just weeks after Xbox released it back into independence, with founder Tim Schafer citing the studio's survival as the reason.
6 outlets