Abhishek Bachchan’s film ‘I Want To Talk‘ directed by Shoojit Sircar released in cinemas on November 22. The movie though has been getting good reviews unanimously and people have also called this Abhishek’s career best, or one of his most stellar acts, it was obviously meant for a very niche audience. The promotions of the film have also been very quiet, depending on the whole feel of the movie.Not to mention, it was meant for a niche, multiplex audience, as a lot of the dialogues are in English and the subject is also not something which will reach out to a mass audience. A good quality film, though, largely would do a lot better on OTT, hence also wasn’t released in large number of screens. The film opened at about Rs 25 lakhs and saw a slight growth on Saturday and Sunday. It made Rs 55 lakhs on Saturday and Rs 50 lakhs on Sunday. Thus, the total collection of the movie so far is Rs 1.30 crore. On the other hand, the earlier releases are still dominating at the box office. The Diwali releases – ‘Singham Again’ and ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3’, still continue to generate numbers in the range of Rs 1-2 crore as they enter their fourth weekend. Though, one does hope that ‘I Want To Talk’ picks up due to the rave reviews and positive word of mouth over the next few days. Meanwhile, Vikrant Massey starrer ‘The Sabarmati Report’ which has entered its second week now, has begun to pick up due to positive word of mouth and tax-free status and finally begun to generate numbers in the range of ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3’. This happened on Saturday. So, that’s a good sign for the film, if it continues that over the coming days.
Microsoft recently detected a security exploit that could allow attackers to bypass a core security feature on computers running on macOS. Dubbed “Migraine”, the vulnerability can be used to sidestep Apple’s System Integrity Protection (SIP) on macOS — a feature that protects parts of the operating system related to system integrity by restricting access to certain files — and install malware on a victim’s computer. Microsoft warned Apple about the security flaw and the Cupertino company has patched the flaw with its latest security update.
According to details shared by Microsoft in a blog post, the “Migraine” security exploit relies on Migration Assistant, a tool provided by Apple to allow users to transfer files from one Mac to another or from a Windows PC to a Mac. The Migration Assistant app from Apple has unrestricted root access that allows it to perform its data transfer function, and security researchers at Microsoft leveraged the special ‘entitlement’ given to the tool, for the exploit.
After modifying the Migration Assistant to run without logging off a user, Microsoft was able to run the tool in debug mode to bypass a signature check. The company used a 1GB Time Machine backup with malicious software, using a script to cause Migration Assistant to import the backup and infect the host system. The entire process bypassed the System Integrity Protection feature that was first introduced on macOS in 2015.
Microsoft’s modified Migration Assistant can function without signing out Photo Credit: Microsoft
It is worth noting that the Migration Assistant is typically available during user setup, which means that an attacker would need to have local access to a machine. Microsoft says that the arbitrary system bypasses like Migraine could create files that are protected by SIP, the same mechanism that it bypasses, making deletion very difficult. Attackers can also run arbitrary kernel code and tamper with the system to enable rootkits. Microsoft adds that these exploits can also be used to gain access to private data as well as computer accessories and devices.
Users who have updated their computers to macOS 13.4 after it was rolled out on May 18 should be safe from the exploit, which has been patched by Apple. Microsoft disclosed the security flaw to Apple, allowing the firm to roll out a fix for the issue. Meanwhile, the company has thanked Microsoft’s Jonathan Bar Or, Anurag Bohra, and Michael Pearse for identifying the exploit.
Google I/O 2023 saw the search giant repeatedly tell us that it cares about AI, alongside the launch of its first foldable phone and Pixel-branded tablet. This year, the company is going to supercharge its apps, services, and Android operating system with AI technology. We discuss this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
Affiliate links may be automatically generated – see our ethics statement for details.
New Delhi: The internationalisation of the unified payments interface (UPI) is progressing rapidly, as India emerges as a world leader in leveraging digital technologies for transformative change, according to a Reserve Bank of India (RBI) report.
The UPI hit a milestone of 16.6 billion transactions in a month in October, with improvements in its capabilities like successful instant debit reversals at 86 per cent (77 per cent in the same month last year).
“India’s UPI, an open-ended system that powers multiple bank accounts into a single mobile application of any participating bank, is propelling inter-bank peer-to-peer and person-to-merchant transactions seamlessly,” said RBI Deputy Governor Michael Debabrata Patra in the report.
According to Patra, innovations in the digital credit landscape such as Account Aggregators, OCEN, and financial services on ONDC have also contributed to productivity gains. As of March 2024, ONDC operates in over 720 cities, with orders at 49.72 million. The Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS) addresses the credit gap of MSMEs estimated at around Rs 52.2 trillion by connecting them with banks, and clients, with a reduction in funding costs up to 2.5 percentage points.
“The value of invoices financed through TReDS have surged more than 23 times. As of October 2024, around 5,000 active FinTechs are involved in providing various financial and technical solutions to businesses, including MSMEs, helping businesses better manage their operations and improve supply chain finance,” wrote Patra.
Around 40 per cent of the rural population and 78 per cent in the 20-30 years age group in the overall population use internet in India, with approximately one-third of households engaging in online purchases of consumables and services, one-fourth in buying of consumer durables, and nearly one-tenth in food purchases.
The rising importance of embedded financing is reflected in its share in FinTech funding, which has grown from two per cent in 2020 to nine per cent in 2024, wrote Patra. Taking these developments into account, a summary measure of digitalisation for India has been constructed by using a dynamic factor model (DFM).
“The index has been rising, reflecting the ongoing digital revolution. The spread of digitalisation has spurred research on assessing the effects of digitalisation on the economy and the transmission of monetary policy,” said Patra.
India is uniquely positioned to unlock new growth avenues and optimise existing ones with its digital public infrastructure (DPI), a vibrant information technology (IT) sector and a burgeoning youth population, including one of the largest AI talent bases, noted the RBI Deputy Governor.
Google is reportedly working on a new button on Android lock screen which might trigger a Gemini function. As per a report, the button appears to be similar to the Gemini icon, but could also relate to artificial intelligence (AI) in general. The new feature was spotted in the latest beta version of Android 15, however, it is not currently accessible to testers. The button could reportedly trigger the Gemini virtual assistant and offer a newer way to activate the AI-powered chatbot.
A New Gemini Button Reportedly Spotted on Android Lock Screen
According to an Android Authority report, the button was spotted in the Android 15 QPR1 Beta 2 update. It was found as a flag and is not an implemented feature that beta testers will be able to see. However, triggering the flag enables a lock screen button with a single sparkle icon, which the Mountain View-based company exclusively uses with Gemini.
Based on the screenshot shared by the publication, the button is placed towards the bottom of the lock screen, just underneath the fingerprint sensor. It is a pill-shaped button and is larger than the fingerprint scanning area as well as the quick action buttons placed on the two bottom corners. The button reportedly did not do anything when tested by the publication, but it is expected to be activated with future updates.
As per the report, the button might trigger the Gemini virtual assistant. While that is a possibility, currently users can already invoke the assistant in three different ways including the power button, long pressing the home button or swiping up from the corner, as well as the verbal “OK Google” or “Hey Google” command. Adding another way to open up the same functionality might be unnecessary.
Instead, it could be that the button triggers a new AI feature which is powered by Gemini. The timing of the feature highlights that it is unlikely to be part of the Android 15 update. Meanwhile, Android 16 is not expected to be unveiled till the middle of 2025, which is when this button’s use case could be unveiled. As such, it could activate an altogether new functionality, similar to the iPhone 16 series’ Camera Control button.
It should be noted that the feature could not be verified by Gadgets 360 staff members and it was not confirmed by Google in any capacity. As such, the information regarding the Gemini AI button should be taken with a pinch of salt. If the company is indeed planning such a feature, it should be revealed in next year’s I/O event.
The Amazon Great Indian Festival sale, which began 7 October for Prime Members, is in its final phase. Bringing deep discounts on wide range of products, the sale is winding down in its Finale Days phase. Amazon is offering lucrative deals on smartphones, laptops, tablets, PC accessories and more. The sale features great deals for gamers as well, bringing gaming consoles, controllers and other gaming peripherals at a discounted price. Gaming laptops from top brands like Acer, HP, Lenovo and others are also available at great prices in the sale.
The Asus ROG Strix G17 gaming laptop, which features a 144HzFHD display, an AMD Ryzen 7-6800HS processor, and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 graphics, is available for Rs. 85,990 in the sale after a 25 percent discount on its listed price. The HP Victus gaming laptop, on the other, comes in at Rs. 68,990. It features 12th Gen Intel Core i5-12450H processor, Nvidia Fe Force RTX 3050 graphics, and a 15.6-inch FHD IPS display with 144Hz refresh rate. It’s worth noting that these deals will be available till tomorrow as the Finale Days phase of the Amazon Great Indian Festival sale ends on November 10. So, this could be the last chance avail these deals this festive season.
Amazon is also offering several bank discounts to provide additional price cuts over the discounts. During the Finale Days phase of the sale, ICICI Bank customers will get an additional 10 percent discount of up to Rs. 6,500 on credit card, debit card, and EMI transactions. Amazon Pay ICICI Bank credit card holders, meanwhile, will receive a five percent instant discount, plus a 5 percent unlimited cashback on select products. Bank of Baroda customers, on the other hand, will receive a 10 percent discount of up to Rs. 5,000 on credit card purchases. IDFC First Bank credit card holders also get a 10 percent discount of up to Rs. 6,500. Finally, OneCard customers receive 10 percent additional discount of up to Rs. 8,250.
Amazon Great Indian Festival Finale Days Sale: Best deals on gaming laptops
Kolkata’s night skyline has changed over the past year, with 50 heritage buildings now bathed in warm yellow light, giving the entire city a mesmerizing glow. Iconic landmarks such as the General Post Office, Chowringhee Mansion, the Old Mint and the Queen’s Mansion have been illuminated, bringing their architectural grandeur to life after dark.
The illuminated Reserve Bank of India Museum building in Kolkata. (Sameer Jana/HT Photo)
This amazing transformation has been made possible through a crowdfunding initiative led by a citizens’ group, Kolkata Restorers. The group aims to light up 50 more buildings by next year, adding even more sparkle to the City of Joy’s nighttime glory.
“The project started with painting the dome in Maniktala market and repairing the clock with my own money. But when I realized that it would not be visible at night, I asked the owner for permission to burn it. When I got the cost estimate from a lighting designer, I realized I would need some crowdfunding for its lighting,” says Mudar Patheria, who anchored the project and was instrumental in starting the crowdfunding initiative.
Patherya sent a few WhatsApp messages to some high-net-worth individuals in his circle and managed to secure his required amount of money. “With the money I got, I managed to light two buildings. I was amazed to see that Kolkata has some of the most magnificent buildings that can be transformed with light,” he says.
So, he sent another message to 15 people, telling them how he had lit up two buildings. Patheraya asked for Rs 5 lakh. By the next morning, he was up 55 lakhs. So far, he has collected 90 lakhs for the ongoing project.
Patheria believes that illuminating these buildings will highlight their historical importance and redefine their neighborhood. “Lighting up these landmarks creates a sense of identity and pride for the community. We have established trust and credibility, so it will be easy to raise funds for the remaining buildings. When people see tangible results, they are willing to contribute. This crowdfunding model for urban regeneration can be easily replicated in other cities,” he said.
untapped potential
Globally, this approach has funded public art, parks, playgrounds, and heritage conservation efforts, directly engaging communities. Indian cities, most of which are constrained by tight municipal budgets, have not yet explored the potential of crowdfunding for urban rejuvenation. The success of Kolkata’s citizen-driven initiative to illuminate heritage buildings underlines the untapped opportunities offered by crowdfunding to transform urban spaces in India.
A November 2022 World Bank report estimates that India needs to invest $840 billion over the next 15 years in urban infrastructure to effectively meet the needs of its rapidly growing urban population, or an average of $55 billion per year. Will be required. Currently, the central and state governments finance over 75% of city infrastructure, while urban local bodies (ULBs) contribute 15% through their own surplus revenue. Currently only 5% of the infrastructure needs of Indian cities are being financed from private sources.
“Crowdfunding has immense potential, especially for small-scale projects like restoring heritage sites or creating public spaces that connect deeply with people. This approach has its roots in India’s cultural traditions – think of community-driven efforts to build a temple or school through ‘chanda’. I believe that crowdfunding can significantly complement traditional financing mechanisms,” says Dikshu Kukreja, urban designer and principal architect at CP Kukreja Architects.
He says crowdfunding presents a mix of challenges as well as opportunities for shaping urban spaces in India. “Building trust among contributors is a big challenge, especially in a country where people are often skeptical about how funds are used. Therefore, it is important to ensure transparency in resource allocation and impact. Integrating crowdfunded resources into formal urban planning involves administrative complexities that need to be handled carefully,” he says.
Encouraging community participation
Urban finance expert Ravikant Joshi says crowdfunding has great potential to encourage community participation and collaboration with the government to finance local projects such as community gardens, playgrounds, libraries and community centres. “When local bodies work with citizens on a project, it helps build trust and cooperation between the two, which is often lacking in governance today,” he says.
“In any crowdfunding campaign, a hybrid model combining direct citizen contributions with government funds will work best. However, officials have to give up the ‘mai-baap’ (patriarchal) attitude and involve people in decision making,” says Joshi.
However, he expresses doubt as to whether municipalities – most of which, he says, have not already made efforts to secure available CSR funds – will take the initiative to create and support such campaigns.
“This crowd-sourcing initiative needs to be government-led as such projects require multiple permissions,” says KK Pandey, who teaches urban management and finance at the Indian Institute of Public Administration. “However, citizens should be involved in monitoring to ensure transparency. The government can run campaigns, provide match funding. In many cities, residents’ welfare associations (RWAs) have already taken up the responsibility of maintaining parks and lakes. This model just needs to be taken forward,” he added.
Kukreja says crowdfunding provides an opportunity to engage India’s diaspora, whose emotional ties to their cities make them potential contributors to such efforts. “Digital platforms can play a vital role by simplifying outreach and making it easier to raise funds from contributors around the world.”
global success
Crowdfunding has fueled a number of successful urban rejuvenation projects around the world, including the High Line in New York City, where an abandoned railway was transformed into a vibrant urban park, and Finsbury Park in London, which was built using community contributions. Was restored with. Another extraordinary thing is the Luchtsingel pedestrian bridge in Rotterdam, a 400 meter long structure that reconnects three city districts.
In recent years, online platforms such as Spacehive in the UK and IOB in the US have transformed the funding of civilian projects. On any given day, Spacehive organizes several campaigns daily for projects such as parks, gardens, playgrounds, road infrastructure, public artwork and the revitalization of city centers and local markets. Similarly, IOB focuses on supporting efforts in grassroots initiatives, urban gardening, safe streets and public art.
But in India, crowdfunding platforms like Keto are mainly used to raise funds for patients with serious illnesses who do not have access to adequate health care financing. Despite being highly effective in this sector, their potential to transform urban spaces in India is yet to be explored.
“So far, we have seen few drives for civic projects, including cleaning the lake or repairing potholes on roads. But I think our platform has huge potential in funding small civic projects for which people currently approach local municipal councilors and MLAs for funding, which doesn’t always work,” said Founder and CEO of Ketto. Varun Seth says. “Most of our donors are in metro cities, so I believe crowdfunding campaigns on our platform will be more successful for projects in these cities. Such projects should be divided into milestones with funding in phases.
“To make an impact, crowdfunding needs to be done on a large scale and it needs to be sustainable,” says Milan Mhaske, CEO of Praja Foundation, which works to promote accountability in urban governance. There needs to be a clear model with proper guidelines and norms on how to use the money and acknowledge people’s contributions. I think true acknowledgment is an important incentive for people.”
But some people may question why they should contribute when they are already paying taxes. “Mandatory tax payments and voluntary donations to projects are different. Taxes fund many public services while crowdfunding for projects is an individual choice, often driven by a community’s desire to improve local infrastructure or meet specific needs. So, I don’t think it could be a challenge,” he says.
Indore, a city at the forefront of innovative fundraising methods including an oversubscribed green bond for the construction of a solar plant last year, has also experimented with crowdfunding in some areas of the city. “In industrial areas and illegal colonies, when people asked us to give priority to roads, we asked them to collect funds, in which we had a major contribution. And people have contributed. We will also explore crowdfunding for other projects,” says Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava.
iQOO 13 is set to launch in India next month, and the company has started to reveal details of its upcoming high-end smartphone that is powered by a Snapdragon 8 Elite chip and a customisable Halo Light feature. The iQOO 13 was launched in China last month, and the handset is expected to debut with the same specifications in global markets. Now, the company has revealed that the iQOO 13 will be available in India in two colour options.
iQOO 13 Colour Options Revealed
On Tuesday, the company revealed that the iQOO 13 will be available in a Nardo Grey variant in India. The Chinese smartphone maker previously announced that the iQOO 13 would arrive in India on December 3 and would be available in the Legend Edition colourway, which features a white rear panel with three colour accents. It sports a design that is identical to the model that was launched in China last month.
iQOO 13 will be launched in India in Nardo Grey (left) and Legend Edition colourways Photo Credit: iQOO India
As of now, the company has confirmed that the iQOO 13 will be available in India in Nardo Grey and Legend Edition colourways. In China, the smartphone is also available in two other colourways — Isle of Man and Track Edition (translated from Chinese) — but it is currently unclear whether these colour options will make their way to global markets, including India.
iQOO 13 Specifications (Expected)
iQOO 13 is expected to debut in India with the same specifications as the model that was launched in China last month, with a Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, a dedicated Q2 gaming chipset, and up to 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM. It features a 6.82-inch 2K (1,440 x 3,168 pixels) BOE Q10 8T LTPO 2.0 OLED screen with up to 144Hz refresh rate.
For photos and videos, the iQOO 13 is equipped with a triple rear camera setup, comprising a 50-megapixel primary sensor, a 50-megapixel telephoto camera, and a 50-megapixel ultrawide camera. On the front, you get a 32-megapixel selfie camera.
The iQOO 13 is equipped with up to 1TB of UFS 4.0 storage. It has a customisable “Energy Halo” LED light around the rear camera island, with support for multiple dynamic effects and colour combinations. The phone has IP68 and IP69 ratings for dust and water resistance.
Connectivity options include 5G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, GPS, and a USB Type-C port. Connectivity options on the iQOO 13 include 5G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, GPS, and a USB Type-C port. The phone also has an in-display fingerprint scanner for security, and packs a 6,150mAh battery with 120W wired fast charging support.
Microsoft said on Monday that it had restored its online services after an outage affected thousands of users of its 365 software suite, including Teams and Outlook, for more than two hours.
Access to its productivity software such as Word and Excel was down for nearly 18,000 users at its peak before easing to 906 at around 12:57 p.m. ET, according to Downdetector.com, which tracks internet outages.
“We have resolved an issue preventing users from accessing some of our services,” a Microsoft spokesperson said.
Microsoft flagged the outage earlier by saying it was investigating an issue with accessing Outlook on the web and later added that Microsoft Teams, SharePoint Online and OneDrive for business were also impacted.
The tech company said it had rolled back a system update to resolve the outage, without providing any detail.
Several Twitter users complained about the outage and shared the issues faced by them due to the disruption.
Microsoft’s services have been hit by at least three outages since the beginning of the year.
In January, the company was hit with a networking outage that took down its cloud platform Azure along with services such as Teams and Outlook, potentially affecting millions of users globally.
Azure’s status page showed services were impacted in the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa. Only services in China and its platform for governments were not hit.
An outage of Microsoft’s cloud computing platform Azure can impact a variety of services and create a domino effect as almost all of the world’s largest companies use the platform.
Outages of Big Tech platforms are not uncommon as several companies ranging from Google to Meta have seen service disruptions. Azure, the second largest cloud services provider after Amazon, faced outages last year.
However, with increased dependence on online platforms due to more employees working from home in the last three years any outage has a greater impact.
The Motorola Edge 40 recently made its debut in the country as the successor to the Edge 30 that was launched last year. Should you buy this phone instead of the Nothing Phone 1 or the Realme Pro+? We discuss this and more on Orbital, the Gadgets 360 podcast. Orbital is available on Spotify, Gaana, JioSaavn, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and wherever you get your podcasts.
Affiliate links may be automatically generated – see our ethics statement for details.
Honor X7c 4G’s launch is yet to be confirmed officially by Honor, but ahead of it, renders and key specifications of the 4G phone have surfaced online. The renders suggest black, green, and white colour options for the handset. It is said to have a Snapdragon 685 SoC under the hood. The smartphone is tipped to pack a 108-megapixel primary sensor and a 5,200mAh battery. The Honor X7c is believed to come as a successor to the Honor X7b.
91Mobiles has shared alleged renders and specifications of the Honor X7c. As mentioned, the leaked renders show the handset in black, green, and white finishes. The green and white colour variants appear to have textured back panels. It is seen with a punch-hole display with flat edges.
The alleged renders further show a square camera unit arranged in the upper left corner of the Honor X7c. The renders also suggest that the right spine of the handset houses the power and volume buttons.
Honor X7c Specifications (Expected)
As per the report, the Honor X7c will run on Andorid 14-based MagicOS 8.0 and feature a 6.77-inch IPS display (720×1,610 resolution) with a 120Hz refresh rate, 261ppi pixel density, and a 20.1:9 aspect ratio. It is tipped to run on a Snapdragon 685 chipset like last year’s Honor X7b. It could come with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of onboard storage.
The Honor X7c could carry a dual rear camera unit, comprising a 108-megapixel primary sensor and a 2-megapixel secondary sensor. For selfies, there could be an 8-megapixel front camera. It is said to boast a side-mounted fingerprint sensor for authentication.
The report further claims that Honor X7c 4G will pack a 5,200mAh battery with 35W fast charging support. It is likely to have an IP64-rated build for dust and water resistance. Connectivity options on the phone are likely to include NFC, Bluetooth 5.0, Wi-Fi 5, USB Type-C, and a 3.5mm audio jack. It could measure 166.9 x 76.8 x 8.1mm and weigh 191 grams.
Affiliate links may be automatically generated – see our ethics statement for details.
Sony is gearing up to launch the PS5’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III bundle in India. The cross-gen package will be available from November 10 onwards, but unlike in the US, the publisher isn’t selling the new slim version of the console here yet. Players will receive the standard 4K Blu-ray drive-equipped PS5, alongside a voucher code for Activision’s upcoming marquee shooter, at Rs. 49,390. This is part of an ‘introductory offer’ running until November 23, during which the bundle’s price has been slashed by Rs. 10,000 — after which, it will cost Rs. 59,390, which is the base price for any PS5 game bundle.
PlayStation has been ramping up marketing in India recently by offering numerous discounts on the PS5 and bundling it up with on-demand games like God of War Ragnarök, Spider-Man 2, EA Sports FC 24, and even Cricket 24 (to coincide with the ICC World Cup). It’s interesting to note, however, that the Modern Warfare 3 bundle available in the US is reportedly including the game worth $70 (about Rs. 5,830) for free with the PS5 Slim variant at a gross total of $499.99 (about Rs. 41,640). Meanwhile, players in India get treated to the same old version of PS5, where technically speaking, the game isn’t included for free in the bundle.
You see, a PS5 disc variant costs Rs. 54,990 in India, while the upcoming Call of Duty game is priced at Rs. 5,599 on the PlayStation store — totalling Rs. 60,589. Sure, the limited-time sale makes it way cheaper — at Rs. 49,390 — but once it’s over, you’re paying the full price. As usual, it will be available to buy from the usual Indian retailers like Amazon, Chroma, Flipkart, GamestheShop, Reliance Digital, ShopatSC, and Vijay Sales.
For now, it’s unclear when the slimmer version of the PS5 will arrive in India and if so, whether it will be priced similar to the current version. Sony previously suggested that once it manages to sell off the older models, only the new slim ones will be made available to purchase. It’s simply 30 percent smaller than the original version and comes with a detachable disc drive, which requires an internet connection to register/ bind it to the console. Hardware is all around the same, but the internal storage has been upgraded from an 825GB to a 1TB SSD. A digital PS5 slim variant is also available at $449.99 (about Rs. 37,400), albeit it’s more of a marketing gimmick since one can buy the Blu-ray drive separately and install it themselves.
Elsewhere, Sony has delayed half the total live service games it had planned to launch by March 2026 — down from 12 to six titles. During an earnings call, Sony PlayStation COO Hiroki Totoki said (via VGC), “We are reviewing this… we are trying as much as possible to ensure [that these games] are enjoyed and liked by gamers for a long time. [Out of] the 12 titles, six titles will be released by FY25 — that’s our current plan.” He further added that the remaining six will be evaluated further to see their potential — possibly another meeting with Destiny 2 maker Bungie to review the live service portfolio. It’s also worth mentioning that The Last of Us multiplayer game, which was allegedly put ‘on ice,’ is still in active development — as confirmed by its director Vinit Agarwal.
Both the PS5 Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 bundle and the game itself launch November 10.
Affiliate links may be automatically generated – see our ethics statement for details.
