Playstation Plus Price Rise

 

PlayStation Plus subscribers will be hit with price rises in some regions, the gaming company has said, citing "market conditions". A basic monthly subscription to the gaming service will rise by £1, $1 (75p), and €1 (87p) to £7.99, $10.99, and €9.99 respectively. Meanwhile, a basic three-month subscription will go up by £3, $3, and €3 to £21.99, $27.99, and €27.99 respectively. PlayStation did not specify where the rises would apply, but said they do not apply to current subscribers, except in Turkey or India, unless the existing subscription changes or lapses. The video game industry has been hit with supply problems due to the US-Israel war with Iran and the price of memory chips has skyrocketed because of the artificial intelligence (AI) boom. In March, PlayStation, which is owned by Sony, the PlayStation 5's price would rise by £90 in the UK and by $100 in the US due to "continued pressures in the global economic landscape" PlayStation's rival Nintendo also announced this month that it will hike the price of its Switch 2 console $449.99 to $499.99 in the US, and €469.99 to €499.99 in most European countries. For the year to March 2027, the game division is expected to enjoy higher profits despite falling sales, Sony said in its results.

BBQ - Will a price rise cause Playstation to lose any customers?

Playstation Plus

Robo Top

 

They assemble cars, perform surgery and even handle cargo at airports. But give most robots a needle and thread, and they would probably come undone. That's why practically all the clothes sold in the world today are still made by hand, often by very low-paid workers in Asia. Those workers may use tools such as sewing machines, but fully automating such labour is difficult. "You have a problem if it's sewing," says Cam Myers, founder and chief executive of California-based CreateMe, a robotics company. "You have to keep [two pieces of fabric] in alignment under motion." His company takes another approach. Forget sewing – glue the pieces of fabric together instead. "Once the adhesive is laid down, you simply line something over it and stamp." CreateMe has designed robots that do this and the firm is already making women's underwear this way. It will begin producing t-shirts, too, in the coming months. Mass production could follow next year. Roboticists have eyed the garment manufacturing industry for decades. If machines could ever take over such work, clothes-making could come back to countries in the West, and the environmental footprint of garments might be slashed in the process. But millions of textile workers could also be out of a job.

BBQ - Would the impact of these machines be overall positive on the planet?

CreateMe - Robot T-Shirt

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The Royal Pop Frenzy

The launch of an exclusive pocket watch has sparked a frenzy that forced stores worldwide to close and in some cases saw police officers and security deal with huge unruly crowds. The Royal Pop watch collection, a highly anticipated collaboration between Swatch and luxury brand Audemars Piguet (AP), went on sale on Saturday in selected stores around the world. Similar to past sales of its kind, some people queued for days to get their hands on one of the eight models. But the ferocity of interest in the product, both online and on the high street, has split opinions about responsible marketing and whether the watches are even worth it. Better known for its colourful watches from the 1980s, AP Swatch has described the Royal Pop collection as "a disruptive collaboration between two icons of Swiss watchmaking". While original sales of the collection were exclusively in selected stores - with people only able to buy one £335 (€385; $448) watch per person - they have been driven by an online campaign that has lasted months. The company has been criticised by some people, who say the watches should be available on its website and police resources had been unnecessarily diverted. While there have been reports of Royal Pop watches being resold for huge sums online, the UK watch business magazine WatchPro cautioned that some of these were fake.

BBQ - Is this unethical marketing from Swatch to drive so much hype?

Royal Pop

Mars £80 Factory Investment

 

Mars is investing £80m into its factory in the home of its confectionery business in the UK. Up to five million chocolate bars a day can now be made in Slough, Berkshire, after a major upgrade in production lines and facilities – double what the business did in 2025. Mars Wrigley UK & Ireland General Manager, Adam Grant, said: "That's enough to stretch all the way from Slough to Edinburgh." The firm said it is the single biggest investment ever made at its site and is paying for new technology - including robots - to move large boxes of chocolate around the factory floor. It is the second largest Mars factory in Europe, behind Belgium. The first ever Mars bar was created in Slough in 1932 when Forrest Mars Sr set up a small kitchen on the Slough Trading Estate. Before entering the production area, there are reminders of the history of the past 94 years with photos of memorable moments on the walls. The multi-million pound investment at the factory will pay for advanced manufacturing processes, digital innovation and workforce development. It includes major upgrades to production lines, infrastructure improvements and the introduction of new digital systems designed to improve efficiency, quality and sustainability. The firm says it will help it to deliver the "perfect" Mars bar every time. Alongside factory renovation, new training and development programmes are being introduced to upskill the workforce in automation, digital and AI-enabled roles.

BBQ - How important is investment to improve quality?

Mars Factory

Honda Makes First Loss in 70 Years

 

Japanese car giant Honda made its first annual loss in 70 years as its investments in the electric vehicle (EV) market failed to pay off. Demand for EVs has not been as strong as the company forecast, with Honda reporting a total operating loss for the year ending March 2026 of ¥423bn ($2.68bn: £1.99bn.). The firm said it was scrapping some of its EV production targets and would source parts from China, where prices are lower, to keep costs down. It cited changes in US policy as adding to its losses, including tax incentives having been taken away for US consumers purchasing EVs, and the imposition of tariffs. US consumers could previously receive up to $7,500 (£5,500) in tax credits if they purchased a new EV, but this was scrapped by President Donald Trump in September 2025. His tariffs on imported cars and auto parts in 2025 also bruised profits at several major auto manufacturers, despite a reduction in the tariffs from 25% to 15%. Honda, which was first listed on the stock market in 1957, has grown over the years to become Japan's second largest car firm. Analysts said its huge size and legacy nature make it difficult to adapt quickly to fast dips and rises in EV demand. Honda said it was now going to focus on growing its successful motorcycle business, its financial services and its hybrid vehicle manufacturing.

BBQ - What is the biggest factor influencing car purchases?

Honda Loss

Back To Black & White

 

Japanese snack giant Calbee says it will temporarily switch to black and white packaging for some of its best-known products as supplies of an ingredient used in ink have been disrupted by the Iran war. The firm says new-style packets for 14 of its products, including crisps and prawn crackers, will start to appear in shops in Japan from 25 May. In recent weeks, companies around the world have warned that supply disruptions to things like fuel, plastics and helium are pushing up costs for their businesses. Calbee said in a statement that the design change is a response to "supply instability affecting raw materials amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East." "This measure is intended to help maintain a stable supply of products," said Calbee. Oil and gas prices have surged since the conflict started on 28 February as shipments through the Strait of Hormuz halted. Supplies of naphtha, a byproduct of oil refining used in ink and plastics, have also been hit hard. Naphtha prices in Asia have almost doubled since the conflict started, pushing up costs for businesses in the region. Before the war, around 40% of Japan's naphtha was imported from the Middle East, Japan's deputy chief cabinet secretary Kei Sato told reporters on Tuesday. Asian countries have been hit particularly hard by disruptions to shipping through the Gulf as they are heavily reliant on the Middle East for energy and other oil-related products.

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BBQ - Why does this show why it is so important to carefully manage your supply chains?

Black & White Packaging

First Amazon Drone Delivery in UK

 

Amazon has become the first retailer in the UK to start a drone delivery service with a limited launch in Darlington, County Durham. Packages weighing less than 5lb (2.2kg) and containing everyday items such as beauty products, batteries and cables are now being delivered within a 7.5 mile (12km) radius of Amazon's fulfilment centre. The tech giant is convinced there is demand for ultra-fast deliveries and hopes to slowly expand the service. In the UK, Amazon's drones currently deliver within two hours, but Carbon says the current average delivery time in the US is 36 minutes. Amazon will carry out a maximum ten flights an hour, or up to a hundred deliveries a day on weekdays. In Darlington, eligible customers will need a garden or yard for a drone delivery. Drones are already being trialled by the NHS to deliver blood supplies in London, and Royal Mail is using them to send packages to remote communities in Orkney. Amazon is using its most modern drone, the MK30, in Darlington. It has sensors to avoid any obstacles in its path - from trampolines and washing lines to people and other aircraft.

BBQ - Do you think the drone delivery will catch-up?

Amazon Drone