iWorld
Celebrities leverage their online brand value with Twitter’s BlueRoom
Mumbai: Twitter taught us how to spill our hearts online in just 140 characters and now it is teaching celebrities to do the same through one on one interactions with their fans, The social media giant has finally gone public with its much awaited feature, #BlueRoom. Continuing its service of bringing fans and celebrities together, the platform has introduced Blue Room in India that allows fans to interact with their favourite celebs not only through tweets but in real life as well.
“The #BlueRoom is a special spot to host interviews, Q&As, performances and more, so you can expect to see a even more of your favourite sports stars, film and TV talent, and music artists direct from the #BlueRoom,” read twitter India’s official blog announcing the launch.
It’s here! A sneak peek of Twitter India’s #BlueRoom — stay tuned this week as we bring you @video & more…pic.twitter.com/2VrUJpEaQH
In a world which is ruled by likes, favorites and shares, it is essential for celebrities to keep their online popularity up. Blue Room also gives an opportunity to celebrities to increase their online presence and interact with their fans in a more connected way.
“Any kind of initiative is good news for celebrities as it puts them directly in accessible range of audiences, which is extremely important in this digital age. Whether it is music album launches or any kind of announcements, we see more and more celebrities choosing social media and other digital platform to relay such informations to their fans. If you are not interacting with your fans through facebook or Twitter you are losing out on a lot of fanbase,” shared popular celebrity management agency CAA Kwan founding partner Indranil Das Blah.
In terms of brand value as well, it is important for celebrities to maintain their online presence and leverage it with fan engagements. “More and more brands are looking at the digital space for marketing themselves. And therefore naturally looking out for a digital footprint to grow. It helps to have a brand ambassador who has a digital footprint in place already,” pointed out Blah.
Blue Room may have gone public only now but several actors, musicians, chefs, CEOs and sports stars have already tried out the Blue Room at twitter’s office in India. Actors Kalki Koechlin (@kalkikanmani) and Karan Tacker (@karantacker) kicked off some of the first @video Q&As in the #BlueRoom using #AskKalki and #AskKaran.
Several excited fans sent out questions to the actress, some even asking her to carry out funny challenges as well:
Look who’s joining us in the #BlueRoom very shortly! Tweet your questions to #AskKalki & @kalkikanmani will reply https://twitter.com/kalkikanmani/status/735353594875105280 …
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.
