Almost any feud is distasteful and full of resentment. But who is to blame for the current crisis Sony has put themselves in, and will it all end in tears?

 This all started when Sony stated it was not going to produce hard media after 2027. No more DVDs, just downloads of your favourite software games.

Sony argues that there are more people downloading digital content than people buying disc games. Sony also says it’s a natural progression moving to digital-only media.

When people bought the PS5, you had digital-only, disc drive and PRO versions. Now maybe it would have been a good time to introduce digital-only at the PS5’s launch.

If the PS5 had no disc versions at the start, it maybe would have been expected. Like any other company, sales of the PS5 were important at the beginning.

Due to a shortage of components, though, sales of the PS5 were slow for a while, and people had to wait months to get their hands on one.

So, we come down to why now?

One reason could be the imminent release of the game GTA6. This game has been in development for a year or so.

But this game will be digital only, and maybe Sony has looked at this format and made a decision. But there is more to it than meets the eye, and that’s MONEY.

If you buy the program or game digitally, the license is for one PlayStation username. Yes, the game is identical to the disc version, but the license is nontransferable.

This means when you buy a game, you cannot sell it. A non-transferable license is for the purchaser only.

So, looking at Rockstar Games and GTA 6, their quids in.

But look beyond GTA6, and you have the PlayStation Network, which has its own shop to sell digital downloadable games.

Here you can buy games, but some are expensive. Let’s look at an example. PlayStation Store sells Gran Turismo 7 for £69.99, yet on eBay a new disc version costs £31.90.

This is where the rip-off starts to show. It’s not even a few pence; it’s pounds.

But think of it. As soon as Sony makes all sales digital, the prices could rise, and there’s nothing you can do about it.

Owning a disc feels like you own the game. It gives you the opportunity to do as you wish, i.e. keep it, sell it or swap it.

All through life, we have seen mega corporate companies bully their clients just to make an extra buck.

But the most dangerous part of all this is that your digital game could be pulled by Sony at any time. They have done things like this before with the TV.

Our opinion is that this is down to greed over convenience or slimming down. The software houses beware, though, because the public are not going to buy rubbish games and be stuck with them. They just won’t buy them.

A temporary ridge of high pressure will build across southern and central parts of the UK on Saturday, bringing a window of settled, drier weather and lighter winds. However, an incoming Atlantic low-pressure system and associated cold front will move into the northwest by late Saturday and into Sunday. This front will drag warm, humid air across England and Wales on Sunday before bringing wet and windy conditions to the north and west, eventually sweeping rain southeastward overnight into Monday.

Saturday Forecast

• England & Wales: A largely dry, fine, and bright day for most areas with lighter winds and spells of sunshine. Temperatures will feel pleasant, reaching 20°C to 24°C in southern and eastern regions.
• Scotland & Northern Ireland: A cloudier picture overall. Blustery showers are likely across northern and western Scotland, with a few light patches of rain possible across Northern Ireland before drying out later in the day. Highs in the mid-to-high teens.

Sunday Forecast

• London, South & East England: Very warm, dry, and sunny for most of the day as warm air pulls up from the south. Winds will pick up, but temperatures could reach 25°C to 27°C in local spots in the Southeast.
• Midlands & Wales: Dry and bright to start with warm sunny spells. Turning increasingly breezy through the afternoon, with cloud building ahead of rain arriving from the west by late evening.
• Northern England, Scotland & Northern Ireland: Wet and windy weather will push in from the northwest. A band of rain will move across Northern Ireland and Scotland, accompanied by strong, gusty winds, before reaching Northern England later in the day. Highs around 16°C to 19°C.

The El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) remains one of the most powerful natural climate drivers on Earth. Characterised by the periodic warming of central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean waters, El Niño alters global weather patterns, shifting rainfall, driving extreme heat, and interrupting agricultural cycles thousands of miles away from its ocean basin.

While El Niño is a naturally occurring cycle, its interaction with baseline climate change creates severe challenges for economic stability, food security, public health, and infrastructure worldwide.

What Drives El Niño?

Under neutral climate conditions, strong trade winds blow westward across the tropical Pacific. This pushes warm surface waters toward Asia and Australia while pulling cold, nutrient-rich water up along the South American coastline—a process known as upwelling.

During an El Niño phase, these trade winds weaken or reverse direction entirely. As a result:

• Warm water shifts east: Warm surface waters pool off the western coast of the Americas.
• Upwelling stalls: Cold deep-sea nutrients are blocked from reaching the surface.
• Atmospheric jet streams shift: Altered heat release disrupts high-altitude wind patterns, re-routing storm systems across the globe.

Primary Global Problems Caused by El Niño

1. Extreme Weather Dichotomy: Floods vs. Severe Droughts

El Niño acts as a global weather redistributor, causing extremes on opposite sides of the spectrum depending on geographical location:

• Excessive Rainfall & Flooding: Coastal areas of South America (such as Peru and Ecuador) and parts of the southern United States often experience torrential rainfall. This leads to flash flooding, severe coastal erosion, and landslides.
• Severe Droughts & Heatwaves: Conversely, Southeast Asia, Australia, southern Africa, and northern Brazil frequently face record rainfall deficits. Prolonged dry spells dry up reservoirs, trigger water rationing, and spark catastrophic wildfire conditions.

2. Global Food Insecurity and Agricultural Disruptions

Agriculture relies heavily on predictable seasonal rainfall, making it exceptionally vulnerable to ENSO shifts.

• Crop Loss: Staples such as rice, corn, wheat, and sugarcane suffer yield losses when monsoon rains fail in Asia or when fields flood in South America.
• Economic Inflation: Lower crop production strains global supply chains, leading to food shortages and driving sharp price increases on basic commodities.
• Fishery Collapses: The loss of upwelling off South America reduces marine plankton, causing fish stocks (such as anchoveta) to migrate or collapse. This impacts both local fishing communities and global fishmeal markets.

3. Energy Grid and Infrastructure Strain

Extreme weather events put immediate pressure on public utilities and critical infrastructure:

• Hydroelectric Shortages: Nations relying on river systems for hydropower (such as Colombia, Ecuador, and parts of Central Africa) encounter major power deficits when rainfall drops, forcing reliance on costlier fossil fuels or causing rolling blackouts.
• Physical Damage: Flash floods, rising sea levels near coasts, and mudslides damage highways, bridge networks, and residential areas.

4. Spikes in Vector-Borne and Waterborne Illnesses

Shifted rainfall and temperature spikes create ideal breeding conditions for pathogens and vectors:

El Niño and Climate Change: A Compound Risk

El Niño is a natural cycle, but human-induced climate change alters its baseline background. As background global ocean temperatures hit historic highs, El Niño events layer additional heat into the atmosphere.

This compounding effect creates warmer global averages and intensifies storms, extending the reach and duration of climate disruptions.

Mitigation Strategies and Solutions

Addressing the vulnerabilities brought on by El Niño requires structured adaptation policies at local and international levels:

1. Early Warning Systems: Expanding climate monitoring networks gives farmers and local governments advance notice to adjust planting calendars and manage water storage.
2. Climate-Resilient Crops: Investing in drought-resistant and flood-tolerant seed varieties helps protect crop yields during abnormal weather seasons.
3. Diversified Energy Sources: Reducing sole dependency on hydroelectric power by expanding solar and wind generation helps prevent power shortages during droughts.
4. Water Management Infrastructure: Implementing rainwater harvesting, improving canal networks, and updating urban drainage minimises both drought impacts and flood risks.