iWorld
Netflix strikes first-look deal with BOOM! Studios
MUMBAI: Netflix has inked a first-look deal for live-action and animated series with BOOM! Studios, the publisher behind best-selling Eisner Award-winning and fan-beloved comic book franchises, including Lumberjanes, Something is Killing the Children, Once & Future, and Mouse Guard.
BOOM! Studios CEO and Founder Ross Richie and President of Development Stephen Christy will produce all shows developed through the pact.
This marks a brand new partnership between the two companies, though Netflix and BOOM! have always been close collaborators, including partnering on the upcoming feature film The Unsound directed by David F. Sandberg, based on the graphic novel by Cullen Bunn and Jack T. Cole. BOOM! also debuted a graphic novel series in 2019 tied into Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.
“BOOM! characters are innately special, they’re colourful, diverse and varied and their stories have the power to ignite something in all of us,” said Netflix Original Series vice president Brian Wright. “We can’t wait to bring these stories from the page to the screen to fans in every corner of the world,” he added.
“We generate 20+ new original series a year and are thrilled to partner with a company that is as prolific as we are,” Richie said. “BOOM!’s unique partnership model of controlling the media rights to our library benefits creators by positioning them to be packaged with high-end directors, screenwriters, and producers. We’re thrilled to continue our track record of translating our best-selling award-winning library with the best TV talent in the business but now with the undisputed leader of the new streaming era,” he added.
Gaming
Sony raises PS5 prices for second time in under a year
US disc edition jumps $100 to $649.99 as memory costs surge.
MUMBAI: Sony just hit the pause button on affordable gaming because when memory prices skyrocket, even the Playstation has to pay the premium. Sony has announced its second price increase for the Playstation 5 range in less than a year, citing pressures in the global economic landscape and a sharp rise in memory component costs driven by AI demand.
In the US, the PS5 disc edition will rise from $549.99 to $649.99, a $100 hike while the digital edition increases to $599.99. The more powerful PS5 Pro will jump $150 to $899.99. The Playstation Portal remote player will also rise by $50 to $249.99. The new prices take effect on 2 April 2026.
Similar increases have been applied in the UK (£90 per model), Europe and Japan. Sony last raised PS5 prices in the US in August 2025.
“We know that price changes impact our community, and after careful evaluation, we found this was a necessary step to ensure we can continue delivering innovative, high-quality gaming experiences to players worldwide,” Sony said in a blog post.
The hikes come amid an unprecedented surge in memory prices, as manufacturers prioritise supply for AI data centres. Analysts say Sony had likely secured price protections for components that have now expired, forcing the company to protect its hardware margins.
Ampere Analysis research director of games Piers Harding-Rolls told CNBC that further increases from Microsoft and Nintendo would not be surprising, though Nintendo may hesitate to raise the price of its recently launched Switch 2 while establishing the new platform.
The increases arrive eight months before the highly anticipated release of GTA 6, which is expected to drive strong console sales. However, early reactions online have been a mix of disappointment and resignation, with growing concern that premium gaming is increasingly becoming a hobby for higher-income players.
In a sector already grappling with tariffs, inflation and component shortages, Sony’s move underscores a tough reality: even the most popular consoles are not immune to the rising cost of keeping up with the latest technology.
