The price of a PlayStation is going up by another $100, the second time in less than a year that Sony has upped the price tag on its popular gaming console. Global trade has been upended by U.S. tariffs imposed on all of the nation’s trading partners and Sony bumped up the price for the PlayStation by $50 just last August. The war in Iran has created a massive bottleneck of energy and manufacturing supplies, creating more price pressures for everyday goods, including electronics. By the end of next week, the cost of a Sony PlayStation will be about about 30% more than it was at this time last year.
Hopes for a possible end to the war with Iran pushed stocks higher on Wall Street, while oil prices eased. The S&P 500 rose 0.5% in its latest flip-flop after the United States delivered a plan to pause the war to Iran. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.7%, and the Nasdaq composite gained 0.8%. But the moves were shaky, and the S&P 500 briefly came close to erasing all of its jump, which maxed out at 1.2% during the morning. Stock indexes rose more than 1% across Europe and Asia. Gold's price also climbed after Treasury yields eased in the bond market.
Fortnite publisher Epic Games said Tuesday it is laying off 1,000 employees to save money as it grapples with industry-wide and company-specific challenges. The North Carolina video game publisher said in a memo to employees that the job cuts are not related to AI. Rather, they stem from industry-wide challenges such as slower growth, weaker spending, and tougher cost economics. Games like Fortnite are also competing for people's attention with social media and other forms of online entertainment.
Amazon says it has started offering faster U.S. deliveries of selected products for a fee. The e-commerce colossus said Tuesday that customers in more than 2,000 cities, towns and suburban areas can now get orders from among 90,000 items delivered in three hours. They include pantry staples, clothing, over-the-counter medications, cleaning supplies and electronics. The charge is $4.99 for Amazon Prime members and $14.99 for nonmembers. One-hour delivery slots also are available in hundreds of places, including major metropolitan areas like Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington, and smaller cities such as Des Moines, Iowa and Boise, Idaho. Amazon says Prime members will get charged $9.99 for the one-hour service, which costs nonmembers $19.99, Amazon said
Two major Caribbean newspapers are shutting down as readers shift to social media and ad money dries up. On Sunday, Guyana’s Stabroek News printed its final edition and stopped publishing online. In January, Trinidad and Tobago’s Newsday ended its print and digital operations. Media leaders say the closures hurt democracy, since both outlets were independent and trusted. They warn that smaller countries struggle more with misinformation and have fewer fact checkers. Stabroek News built a reputation for tough reporting and open debate. Newsday gained loyalty with local scoops and community-focused coverage.