iWorld
Voot Studio partners with German Broadcaster Deutsche Welle
KOLKATA: Voot’s brand solutions arm, Voot Studio, has partnered with German international broadcaster, Deutsche Welle, to stream the progressive series ‘HER- Women in Asia’. The series is based on the inspiring real-life transformational stories of women from the Asian sub-continent.
The series will stream exclusively on VOOT from 11 June.
With topics ranging from online dating to beauty, ‘HER- Women in Asia’ comprises six episodes, each 15-minutes long, highlighting the stories of women from different walks of life residing in Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Pakistan, and Taiwan. The series focuses on telling universal and existential stories with each episode showcasing three women who share their experiences about online dating, marriage, career, beauty, and more.
Viacom18 Digital Ventures AVoD head Chanpreet Arora said VOOT Studio has been successful in driving a brand’s message and reach by providing the right platform and relevant audience engagement opportunity. “Our collaboration with Deutsche Welle’s ‘HER- Women in Asia’ is a step further in this direction to bring forth stories that are relevant and have a universal appeal. We are happy to partner with them to showcase an engaging and inspiring series that will strike the right chord with our viewers on Voot,” added Arora.
DW, Asia, distribution manager, Daniel Schulz said, “Our goal is to promote versatility and ensure that real-life stories on important topics like women’s empowerment, cultural diversity, environment, technology, and sustainability are accessible to people across the globe. We are constantly working not only to meet the audience’s expectations of being a credible news destination but also to create motivating stories and educational programs for curious minds.”
According to DW distribution representative for India, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, Jaya Oberoi, said there is demand for high-quality ‘infotainment’ formats which give voice to serious messages. “India is a key market that offers tremendous opportunities. We aim to focus on co-production collaborations to provide digital content which is relevant and to steadily grow in the regional space,” said Oberoi.
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.
