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Then, as you bathe in the glow of self actualisation, achieving true happiness for maybe even the first ever time, read Bryant Francis’ Game Developer article titled 'Everything hurts and no one knows when the pain will end.'

Not all of those who doomed their companies behaved in this way - but for those who did, the connection is obvious. If you're in a position of power and have no regard for the people around you, why would you care what happens to the hundreds or thousands of people you're responsible for?

To hold these truths in your mind is to know sorrow and anger, especially if you've lived them firsthand. It's traumatic for some, and an overdose of information for those not as close to the blast zone.

In happier news, that Jeremy Peel lad gets everywhere, popping up in The Guardian to tell the tale of how former Gears of War man Cliff Bleszinski found himself funding and producing the Tony-winning musical Hadestown.

Boss Key Productions shut down in the summer of 2018. "It ultimately broke me, and it made it even worse that the internet thought the entire thing was hilarious," Bleszinski says. "I was just like: 'You know what, I’m taking my ball and I’m going home.'"

Then he struck up a social media friendship with Alex Boniello, the actor who played Connor Murphy in the Tony award-winning musical Dear Evan Hansen. "I’m a big Broadway fan," says Bleszinski. "I was a drama nerd in high school." Lifting his right arm, he reveals a tattoo that reads 'comedy and tragedy', in tribute to the dramatic genres first invented by the ancient Greeks.

Eurogamer’s Pride Week returned, its highlights including Kelsey Raynor on Elden Ring’s queerness and my personal favourite, Khee Hoon Chan’s piece on how queer games play with time.

The game's sci-fi subplot amplifies the emotional stakes, with a reveal that places Kasio at the heart of this earth-rending disaster. And when her emotional collapse culminates with the lines, "Time doesn't exist in a black hole. Every moment crushed together, past and present and future, in one endless scream," it's another example of how damaging hegemonic constructions of time have been for Kasio. Like gender and race, time is a social construct built from a series of agreed upon conventions.

For Unwinnable (which just hit 200 issues – nicely done, Unwinnable gang!), Maddi Chilton considers how the Disco Elysium-ness of Zero Parades’ voice does the latter a disservice.

All this is to say, I am not convinced that Hershel’s similarities should simply be written off to this being the ZA/UM house style. Aside from any speculation of how much Disco's style of writing was specific to the Kurvitz-et-al. pre-London move cohort of writers (I do not think that is a productive train of thought, or any of our business) it just seems like a lazy choice for such a text-heavy game to make. Does it not matter how the games are written? Was Disco not doing something with its language on purpose? What is it saying about Zero Parades' intent, or lack thereof, that it thought doing basically the same thing a second time would work fine?

Bit of not-games to finish: Letterboxd’s Robert Daniels on A.I.. The Spielberg film, not the modern, earthboiling shitheap. Well, maybe a little of both.

"Every robot story is a story of workers, of labor, of slavery, as Joe reminds us that David, no less than he, has been made to service a want," observes New Yorker critic Lauren Michele Jackson. "Outside of domestic human life, we see the dark underbelly of society in A.I.: Commodified cruelty; The slave raiding in the junkyard forest. All for the people’s entertainment. In reality, they are just clankers but what really gets us is the inhumanness of slavery. Also their plight for survival implies that there is a soul there," argues shaman_ultra. Gigolo Joe, consequently, tries to open David’s eyes to the truth: "They hate us, you know…. [Monica] loves what you do for her. As my customers love what I do for them," he says. "You are alone now only because they tired of you or replaced you with a younger model or were displeased with something you said or broke." Considering Spielberg’s work on Amistad,where he thoughtfully depicted enslaved Black folks fighting for their humanity during a slave-ship revolt, and later in the court of law, it’s not surprising that thoughts about labor and freedom would unconsciously make their way into this film.

Music this week is the bass solo from Nightshift Superstar, one of the best songs on the best Muse album since 2006, repeated over and over again. %!s()

The 36-year-old has overseen 13 defeats in 16 Tests since taking over from Azam in December 2023.

Pakistan finished ninth and bottom of the 2023-25 World Test Championship cycle and lie ninth in the current cycle after a 2-0 series defeat in Bangladesh in May.

Speaking as the new Pakistan Test squad was announced, selector Aaqib Javed said on Sunday: "Baber will be our new Test captain as we feel that Masood could not lead as desired.

"The selection committee discussed who could be the best player to lead Pakistan and Baber is the best option."

Babar resigned as Pakistan captain in all formats following a disappointing World Cup campaign in 2023.

He returned as skipper for the men's T20 World Cup in 2024 before stepping down as limited-overs captain for a second time in October 2024 to focus on his playing role.

Pakistan's two Tests against the West Indies are from 25 July and 2 August, before they play three Tests in England - at Headingley (19 August), Lord's (27 August) and Edgbaston (9 September).

Fast bowlers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Hasan Ali have been left out after being part of the squad in Bangladesh.

In comes uncapped 20-year-old fast bowler Ubaid Shah, the younger brother of Naseem, who missed out. Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas and Mohammad Ali are the three other fast bowlers selected.

Uncapped middle-order batsman Awais Zafar and left-arm spinner Ali Usman have been called up for the first time.

Babar Azam (c), Aamer Jamal, Abdullah Fazal, Ali Usman, Azan Awais, Imam-ul-Haq, Khurram Shahzad, Mohammad Abbas, Mohammad Ali, Mohammad Rizwan, Awais Zafar, Ghazi Ghori, Sajid Khan, Salman Agha, Shan Masood, Ubaid Shah, Saud Shakeel (subject to fitness for England) %!s()

If Serena decides to play the US Open next month, as I hope she will, then I think her first singles match since 2022 showed more than enough to suggest she can win matches on the WTA Tour and at Flushing Meadows over the coming weeks.

Although she lost to Australia's Maya Joint at Wimbledon - where she picked up a knee injury that denied her a doubles appearance with her sister Venus - I actually thought she played well enough to leave us wondering if there's more to the comeback.

Watching Serena reminded me of seeing a legendary footballer like Ronaldinho. The movement might not be quite what it once was, but the talent and natural skill is unmistakable.

Elite talent doesn't simply disappear, and Serena's timing and shot-making remain exceptional.

She's spoken openly about coming back to play for her family, but Serena is a fierce competitor.

I can't imagine she would keep playing simply for appearances if her body isn't allowing her to compete or if the results aren't there. That's not how she's built.

I think the North American hard-court season is going to give a clearer indication of where she stands physically, just in terms of the conditions they play in.

Events such as Washington or Cincinnati are incredibly hot and incredibly humid. The US Open can be the same as well.

Does the knee set her plans back?

Serena has kept her cards so close to her chest in terms of what her plans are, so this is assuming that she does want to play in the States.

If that is something that she wants to do, the fitness will start to return naturally as you get back into training with the hours that you're putting in.

Of course, we don't know exactly what the knee injury is yet or whether it is going to impact her plans.

But she'll likely to need to take some time out - at least for a few more days - and allow the swelling to subside.

Presuming she's fit enough to play soon I'd expect she would like at least one tournament before New York and have a little more time out on the match court to get those feet moving.

A few more competitive matches could make a significant difference.

Nobody would pick to play Williams at the US Open

Serena hasn't played tennis for four years so she isn't physically where she was when she last played Wimbledon in 2022.

But what stood out for me was her ball-striking. That, and the natural timing, was excellent against Joint.

I don't think that can be taught. It feels like it's a God-given talent rather than simply having spent thousands of hours on the courts from a young age.

She wasn't where she was in the past but I don't think anyone expected her to be.

The footwork and fitness predictably needs improvement if she is going to win matches in the future.

Her court positioning was also interesting. She spent much of the match working through the middle of the court, rather than opening up wider angles.

It was a stark comparison to when she last played at Wimbledon in 2022 - a first-round defeat by Harmony Tan.

That may have been a tactical choice, or it may simply reflect a player who isn't yet completely confident in her movement. Either way, it's something that could change with more match practice.

Another telling statistic was that her serve has barely dropped in terms of speed. That's stayed up right up there from 2016, when she won the last of her seven Wimbledon singles titles.

The serve will never leave her. Watching her on the practice courts, and even in the warm-up, there was something so nostalgic about the Serena Williams serve.

It was the same during the match against Joint. It has to be one the cleanest serving techniques in tennis history. It's a thing of beauty.

The groundstrokes have dropped off a tiny bit, but only by four or five miles an hour, so it's not very much at all. They're still right up there.

It will again be interesting to see when she gets more matches under her belt if she's playing closer to the lines as she grows with confidence.

I've not heard a single person say Serena should not have been given a wildcard and I think she showed a good enough level to justify it.

If you could pick someone in the draw to beat, nobody is looking at Serena and saying 'she's the sure thing to beat'.

Seeing Serena on court in New York - and potentially with Venus in the doubles - would be so special.

But I think there is surely more to this comeback than just this summer.

I hope the end goal is the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, where they grew up.

That would be the fairytale finish to the careers - if Serena's body allows it.

Naomi Broady was speaking to BBC Sport's Jonathan Jurejko at Wimbledon. %!s()

With Russell nursing a calf problem, Tom Jordan started at 10 in Cordoba and turned in an impressive performance, as did his replacement, Fergus Burke.

Both men kicked three conversions in the 47-38 victory and both pulled the strings effectively in a largely controlled display, skewed by two late scores for the hosts.

"Tom Jordan did really well in terms of his calmness," former Scotland captain Lisa Martin told BBC Radio Scotland. "It was a really mature performance.

"Then Fergus Burke comes on and is spotting gaps and using his pace to get to those edges.

"It was really good to see we have another way of playing.

"There was maybe a bit more structure, less of the Finn-esque play. It's good that we don't have to be so heavily reliant on that one player in that linchpin position."

Of course, the 33-year-old Russell remains a key creative force for Scotland, having scored 505 points in 94 appearances and bewildering opponents with off-the-cuff moments of magic.

"If he's fit, he's going to be involved," former prop Wright said of Russell while looking forward to the challenge of the Springboks in their own backyard.

"I'd start Jordan and bring him on with 30 minutes to go when defenders are tired. That would be a curveball.

"In the World Cup, South Africa focused on Finn and stopped him from playing and we didn't have another answer."

In that 2023 encounter in Marseille, Scotland trailed 6-3 at half-time after a Russell penalty, but two quick tries took the game away from Townsend's side, who were suffocated by pressure and did not get on the scoreboard again.

Russell kicked all of Scotland's points in the 32-15 loss to South Africa at Murrayfield in November 2024, with the visitors pulling away in the last half hour.

The world champions were at their formidable best as they ran in seven tries against England on Saturday, but Scotland can take heart from matching that tally in Argentina.

There were seven different scorers, with Sione Tuipulotu, Pierre Schoeman, Rory Hutchinson, Gregor Brown, Scott Cummings, debutant Gregor Hiddleston and Kyle Rowe all crossing the line.

After an encouraging Six Nations, which featured victories over England and France, Townsend hailed his players for demonstrating growth from November's painful loss to the Pumas in Edinburgh, when a 21-0 lead was botched.

"Looking back, we're very grateful for that defeat," Townsend said.

"The week after, I felt that we became a much better team, we had more honest conversations and then during the Six Nations we were more prepared for momentum swings.

"Sometimes your biggest growth comes from adversity and I've seen that with the team. Today was another step forward, coming to Argentina, who were playing so much good rugby and winning away from home, but I know there's a lot more to come from the team.

"I was so proud of some of the individual performances, but just the team too.

"Argentina dominated possession for the first 10 minutes. Then, in the second half, they came right back into the game. We were able to change both scenarios around and really impose our game on them and get the points on the board."

Wright, who earned 21 caps between 1992 and 1996, agreed, saying: "For 30 minutes in the first half and 30 minutes in the second half, they did the right things at the right time. They knew how to wrestle the momentum back.

"They were making good decisions while still playing exciting rugby, which is in the DNA of this team.

"When you're planning a defensive strategy against Scotland, it's tough because they can score from anywhere, from multi-phases, from pick-and-goes, from mauls."

Martin picked up on the same theme, saying: "Yes, there were drop-offs in both halves, but it didn't snowball. Scotland were able to reset and put the pressure back on to Argentina.

"That's an important learning from previous games. Gregor Townsend should be a very happy coach.

"That's going to be massive against South Africa because we know there will be moments when things don't go to plan." %!s()

Cifaldi opens the statement by acknowledging how this is a hit for those that like buying their games physically, is a knock on consumer rights, and obviously detrimental to the resale market. But he also notes that "from the perspective of professional preservationists, this doesn't have as much of an impact as you might expect. The reality is that the vast majority of video games produced over the last two decades were not made for dedicated home video game consoles, let alone pressed to physical media. And even when they were released on physical media, a day-one digital patch was all but guaranteed, meaning it may not represent the game that people actually played."

Statement from VGHF director Frank Cifaldi on the discontinuation of physical PlayStation media, and the closure of the PS3 and PSP digital storefronts.

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— Video Game History Foundation (@gamehistoryorg.bsky.social) July 1, 2026 at 7:47 PM

There's further issues in the fact that, especially with early access releases, there might be multiple versions of a game that people play that are also worth preserving. Remember when Hades 2's ending changed post its 1.0 release? We should have easy access to that previous version too, as plenty enough people will have experienced it. For Cifaldi, what it comes down to is wondering when the ESA, a trade association in the US that represents massive studios that has actively lobbied against preservation efforts, will help archives and museums legally preserve digital-only games.

"Everyone agrees this is a serious problem, but the ESA has repeatedly opposed the efforts of cultural heritage institutions to reform digital copy protection laws to make it easier to do this work," the statement reads. "The industry needs to meaningfully come to the table on this issue, because asking museums to download a copy of Grand Theft Auto VI and hope it'll run in 50 years is not a preservation solution."

It's that last line that feels particularly pertinent, given that alongside the end of physical games announcement, Sony also shared that the PS3 and PS Vita stores are closing (for good, this time). Sure, games will apparently be available for download for the foreseeable future, but that's not exactly much of a reassurance. Doesn't feel ideal that, as Cifaldi notes himself, that piracy is currently the reliable method of preservation for things like games we have right now. %!s()