More than a century ago, the Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung made introversion and extraversion central to his theory of psychological types.

Today, we tend to use “introvert” and “extrovert” as shorthand for how sociable someone is. Jung’s preferred spelling was “extravert”, and his distinction went considerably further than whether someone enjoys a party or likes to be around others.

Jung’s original distinction raises a question in the age of generative AI. If people differ in how they naturally orientate themselves towards their inner and outer worlds, should they also use AI differently?

In Psychological Types, published in 1921, Jung described introversion and
extraversion as different orientations. He distinguished them by the direction of our interest: towards the subjective, inner world or towards objects and events outside ourselves.

Contemporary personality research does not simply reproduce Jung’s types. Recent
studies examining personality and AI generally measure extraversion as one of the
Big Five personality traits: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. This means that they should not be read as direct tests of Jung’s original theory.

For someone who tends towards introversion, generative AI may provide a useful bridge between private reflection and outward expression. For example, an introvert might feel that an idea feels very clear in their head, but when they try to explain it to someone else, the other person doesn’t get it. For some introverts, this can lead to frustration.

This is because people with this personality type sometimes have trouble moving from private thought to outward expression.

With AI, an idea does not have to arrive fully formed. Someone can give the AI model fragments, contradictions or half-developed thoughts and ask it to question them.

This is good for the introvert because the idea can be explored and externalised gradually in a relatively low pressure space. The AI can ask questions, request examples or challenge them before the idea is shared with another person.

This does not mean introverts “need” AI, or that extraverts do not reflect deeply.
Personality and people are much more complex.

For someone who tends towards extraversion, the more useful role of AI might be almost the reverse. AI can supply more conversation, ideas and feedback. An extravert might gather opinions from colleagues and friends first, before sifting through the information to work out what they think. For people who tend towards this personality type, it may be about separating the signal from the noise.

Yet, AI, rather than clearing things up, may actually provide an externally orientated person with more noise. A better way might be to instruct the AI to stop generating ideas and create space for reflection, for instance: “Ask me questions that help me explore my own thoughts, rather than telling me what to think.”

Moving beyond

The same technology can reinforce our habitual way of thinking or help us move
beyond it. This matters because emerging research suggests that we often like AI that resembles us.

A 2026 study published in Communications Psychology found that extraverted participants reported greater affiliation with an AI that used extraverted language.

In a separate experiment that was part of the same study, 64% of participants felt more engaged with an AI that mirrored their wider Big Five personality profile than one designed to display the opposite profile.

There is an important wrinkle. The researchers did not find equivalent evidence that introverted participants preferred an introverted AI. Moreover, they suggest that introversion may be harder to communicate through a short text conversation.

It is a useful reminder that personality matching is unlikely to be as simple as giving everyone an AI system that communicates like them.

Affirming behaviour

Other recent research further complicates the picture. A study presented at CHI 2026, an international conference on human-computer interaction, found that after people discussed personal topics with an AI, their reported self-concepts became more aligned with personality characteristics exhibited by the AI system.

Longer conversations were associated with greater alignment with the AI. Greater alignment was also associated with greater enjoyment of the conversation. Enjoyment, however, does not necessarily tell us whether an interaction is helping us.

Research published in Science in 2026 examined sycophantic AI: systems that excessively affirm the user’s views or behaviour, even when challenging them would be more appropriate.

When people discussed interpersonal conflicts with these systems, they became more convinced that they were right and less willing to take steps to repair the conflict.

Yet they also trusted the more agreeable responses, rated them more highly and were more willing to use the AI again. The troubling part is that the less helpful interaction may also be the more appealing one.

That creates a problem for the growing push towards personalised AI. If personalisation is primarily designed around what feels comfortable or validating, we may end up creating increasingly sophisticated psychological mirrors.

But which side of the mirror are we on? Does the AI become more like us, do we
become more like the AI, or do we gradually meet somewhere in the middle?

Jung was not arguing that one orientation – introversion or extraversion – was better than the other. His concern was with psychological one-sidedness and what can happen when one psychological orientation becomes too dominant.

Perhaps personalised AI should not simply accommodate whichever tendencies come most naturally to us. For the introvert, it might sometimes provide a bridge from reflection to expression. For the extravert, it may be more useful as a way of slowing things down and creating space for reflection.

If AI can both adapt to our tendencies and subtly influence how we see ourselves, it has deeper implications for what personalisation actually means.

Perhaps the question is not simply what kind of AI suits us, but what our repeated interactions with it might encourage us to become.

By ALISON BOSHOFF, EDITOR AT LARGE and LILY JOBSON, SHOWBUSINESS REPORTER

Published: 00:36 BST, 3 September 2026 | Updated: 03:46 BST, 3 September 2026

How do you celebrate when you’re given a lifetime achievement award for your work in front of the camera? Well, if you’re George Clooney, you get behind the camera instead.

The actor, 65, was honoured with the prestigious Golden Lion award as the Venice Film Festival opened last night.

But he swapped his film award for a film camera, borrowing a photographer’s lens to take his own pictures instead.

Tiziana Fabi, a photographer with news agency Agence France-Presse, posed for Clooney while holding the actor’s trophy.

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Accepting the award, Clooney said it was an ‘incredible honour’ before joking: ‘Do [the award committee] know something I don’t?’

In a politicised speech, the star said we are ‘living through a moment in time where people in charge… are telling us to fear one another’.

He continued: ‘The first people that authoritarians try to shut down are not politicians. They’re journalists who ask questions. 

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George Clooney was honoured with the prestigious Golden Lion award as the Venice Film Festival opened last night but he swapped his award for a film camera, borrowing a photographer’s lens to take his own pictures instead

Clooney appeared on the red carpet with his wife Amal for the premiere of Danny Boyle’s film Ink

Tiziana Fabi, a photographer with news agency Agence France-Presse, posed for Clooney while holding the actor’s trophy

‘They’re the artists who refuse simple answers. They’re the filmmakers, writers, actors and musicians who insist that someone you have never met is deserving of your empathy. Stories are always dangerous to people who peddle in fear.’

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Back on the other side of the lens, Clooney also appeared on the red carpet with his wife Amal for the premiere of Danny Boyle’s film Ink. The actor dressed in a Giorgio Armani tuxedo, while Amal, 48, wore an elegant, black Tom Ford gown.

Ink, based on the 2017 play by James Graham, follows Rupert Murdoch’s takeover of The Sun in 1969.

It stars Guy Pearce as Murdoch, Jack O’Connell as the paper’s editor Larry Lamb and Claire Foy as a fictional executive

Ms Foy said she found the world ‘really intoxicating’, adding: ‘They had power at their fingertips. They knew what they wrote would be… what people believed.’

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There has been no extensive research in Britain on why school absence might be causing obesity, but doctors who have spoken to the BBC have their theories.

One factor is diet. Since the 2000s – when all four UK governments passed laws to make school lunches healthier – it’s become much harder to find high-sugar or high-fat foods in most canteens. At home, those restrictions don’t apply. By 2010, a few years after the new laws were introduced, a study from the University of Leeds found that only 1.1% of home-packed lunches met the nutritional requirements that would apply to a meal bought by a child at school.

And a US study from earlier this year found that child obesity rose in states where a universal free school meal programme was withdrawn in 2022 (presumably because it prompted children to eat unhealthy food at home).

“While school food is not as good as it should be, there are some regulations around it,” says Keith Godfrey, an epidemiology professor at the University of Southampton. “Whereas in the home environment, it’s much more variable in terms of what children receive.”

Exercise also matters. A British study from 2014 looked at step counts measured with electronic sensors, and found that most children are more active on school days than weekends.

After two years away, San Miguel is back in Wetherspoons — following a wave of demand from drinkers who made it clear they wanted their favourite Spanish beer brand back.

And to celebrate its return, San Miguel is bringing one of Britain’s most familiar summer holiday rituals to the local: the great towel dash.

Because nothing says British holiday quite like the race to reserve a sunbed. The towel over the lounger. The strategic early alarm. The unspoken battle for the best spot by the pool.

Wait is over: Sam Miguel is back in Wetherspoons – just in time to keep summer going (Image: Wetherspoons)

Now, San Miguel is giving the ritual a Spanish Summer twist — bringing it out of the resort and into the pub.

Enter the Great San Miguel Towel Dash.

From Thursday 3rd September, the first customers through the doors at selected Wetherspoons pubs will be met by holiday-style attendants ready to hand out limited-edition San Miguel towels and complimentary ice-cold San Miguel pints.

The towel dash will take place across three cities:

·       Thursday 3 September – London: The Sir Alexander Fleming

·       Friday 4 September – Birmingham: Figure of Eight

·       Saturday 5 September – Manchester: Paramount

Each activation will run from midday, on a first-come-first-serve basis. There’ll be a limited number of San Miguel towels up for grabs, but if you miss out, don’t panic. Bring your own towel and you’ll still have the chance to bag a free pint, but just like on holiday, there are only so many prime spots.

The mission is simple: get there first, grab your towel and claim your spot with a refreshing San Miguel.

Just like on holiday, there are only so many prime spots — and only the quickest will get their hands on the coveted towel and free San Miguel pint.

It’s a playful nod to a ritual that millions of Brits know all too well, turning the familiar sunbed scramble into a reason to make the most of San Miguel’s long-awaited return.

And that’s exactly what the Spanish summer is all about.

San Miguel believes summer shouldn’t be confined to a few weeks of annual leave or a flight to Spain. It’s a feeling you can bring into everyday life — whenever, wherever and however you choose.

The campaign encourages us to hold on to that holiday attitude for longer: turning an after-work pint into a long evening, stretching a catch-up with friends into the night, or simply choosing to stay out a little longer.

Throughout September, San Miguel is on a mission to keep the Spanish Summer spirit going. With San Miguel back in Wetherspoons, that Spanish Summer feeling is now closer to home — at the local, whenever you’re ready for it. And San Miguel isn’t stopping there. Spanish Summer celebrations will culminate with San Miguel Day on 29 September.

Full details on ticketing and the line-up will be shared via San Miguel’s social channels. For more information, please contact sanmiguel@wcommunications.co.uk.

Ed Hussey, Senior Brand Manager at San Miguel UK, said: “When San Miguel left Wetherspoons, Britain made it pretty clear that they wanted us back. So, we wanted to make our return feel like something worth celebrating. The towel dash felt like the perfect way to do it. It’s one of those brilliantly British holiday rituals that everyone knows — and we’re bringing it to the local, with a San Miguel in hand. Because Spanish Summer doesn’t have to end just because the holidays do.”

One last taste of Spanish summer.

On 29 September, San Miguel Day will give Britain one more reason to keep summer going, with the brand’s annual celebration of Spanish summer attitude, anytime, anywhere.

To mark the occasion, San Miguel will take over the popular Queen of Hoxton in London for a true Spanish Summer rooftop party. Guests arriving with their San Miguel towel in hand will receive complimentary entry and a free ice-cold San Miguel — giving summer one final hurrah before autumn takes over.

Sabalenka’s pace and power was too much for world number 160 Iatcenko, who managed just three winners compared to the 24 put away by the top seed.

Iatcenko looked a bundle of nerves in the biggest match of her career, but composed herself to get on the scoreboard for 5-1 and immediately broke out into a relieved smile.

It was merely respite as Sabalenka held to love in less than 90 seconds to clinch the opening set.

Despite only being on court for 24 minutes, Iatchenko decided she wanted a bathroom break to change her kit – but more likely for a mental reset than anything else.

Sabalenka kept loose while she waited by practising her serves and maintained her rhythm as she surged a double break ahead for 3-0 in the second set.

It was not all plain-sailing for Sabalenka as she lost serve in a sloppy fourth game, but reasserted her authority with two more breaks as Iatchenko was taught a harsh lesson.

The Russian can console herself with the knowledge she has gained valuable experience against the world number one on the biggest court on the planet – and a bumper paycheck.

Coming into the US Open, she had earned $300,000 (£220,000) in her career but takes another $190,000 (£140,000) home from New York to reinvest into her future.

Earlier on Wednesday, third seed Pegula continued her quest for a maiden Grand Slam singles title with a comfortable victory over fellow American Sofia Kenin.

Pegula also has a shot of replacing Sabalenka as world number one if she wins the title, as does fourth seed Coco Gauff, and kept her dream alive with a 6-3 6-1 win.

There were also straight-set wins for Wimbledon runner-up Karolina Muchova, two-time major semi-finalist Marta Kostyuk and teenage American sensation Iva Jovic as the patten of few shocks in the women’s draw over the opening two rounds continued.

An MS has demanded action saying pupils and parents deserve better as ‘significant concerns’ raised in troubled Flintshire

An entire education authority has been placed into the highest level of Estyn monitoring after a dire report from inspectors. Since the last inspection in 2022 the majority of secondary schools in Flintshire have been placed in Estyn follow-up and almost half the authority’s schools are in deficit or close to deficit, the watchdog said.

MS demands action saying pupils and parents deserve better as education service put into highest level of Estyn monitoring

Inspectors detailed failings in safeguarding and leadership. School deficits are now so bad that the situation now threatens the authority’s financial sustainability as a whole, inspectors warn.

The authority’s approach to this “has had limited impact in preventing schools from moving into deficit or supporting them to recover,” the report warns. On top of this, over the last four years 10 of Flintshire’s 11 secondary schools have been inspected, with two being put into special measures, two judged to need significant improvement and two needing Estyn reviews. Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here

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Leadership and self evaluation are also not working as well as they should, Estyn added as it labelled Flintshire LEA as “causing significant concern”. There are only two outcomes of for a local education authority Estyn inspection – not in follow up, or causing significant concern, the watchdog confirmed.

On deficits, the report does not give a figure but warns: “The authority views the financial viability of schools as its highest corporate risk. With almost half of schools in deficit and many others close to that position, this issue has the potential to affect the authority’s overall financial sustainability.

“Although addressing this is a priority, the authority’s approach has had limited impact in preventing schools from moving into deficit or supporting them to recover. This heightens the significance of this issue.

Nigel Williams MS, Reform Party member of the Senedd for Fflint Wrecsam, demanded “urgent action”. He said that “complete transparency, and root-and-branch accountability” was needed following Estyn’s “damning assessment” of Flintshire’s education services.

Mr Williams, who grew up locally and is a former pupil of Flint High School, which was recently placed into special measures. The other secondary in special measures is St David’s High in Saltney.

“This is not just an administrative failure; it is a systemic betrayal of pupils, parents, and hardworking teachers across Flintshire,” Mr Williams said.

“As someone who grew up in Flintshire and went to Flint High School, seeing our schools in this state is deeply personal.

“This is not an isolated problem. When six out of 10 inspected secondary schools require formal follow-up, the rot runs straight to the core of the local authority. For years, councils and the Welsh Government have hidden behind glossy self-evaluations and endless committees while standards fell, school deficits mounted, and neurodiverse children were left without timely support.

“Reform’s stance is straightforward: public services must deliver real results, not warm words and bureaucratic excuses. Parents deserve to know their children are safe, teachers deserve the leadership and backing to maintain discipline, and pupils deserve a quality education. We will not let this report be swept under the carpet.”

Mr Williams said he will be raising the findings in the Senedd. He has also written to Flintshire’s Chief Executive Neal Cockerton demanding a timetable for action to improve education in the county and for Flintshire High specifically.

On a more positive note Estyn’s report also says: “Flintshire’s education services are led by committed senior officers who have maintained a strong focus on supporting schools and vulnerable learners during a period of considerable financial and organisational pressure.”.

Schools and partners value officers’ accessibility, professionalism and willingness to work constructively with them. The authority has also made “purposeful changes” to strengthen its work in recent years, including establishing its own school improvement service, expanding specialist provision and developing wider approaches to inclusion and belonging.

“These developments are beginning to improve aspects of provision and support. The new school improvement service is strengthening relationships with schools and provides regular advice and challenge,” the report adds.

Inspectors detail how the authority also has a strong commitment to inclusion. Specialist and outreach services provide valued support for pupils with additional learning needs, including many neurodivergent learners, although provision for neuro divergent Welsh speaking pupils needs improvement.

There is also a broad range of work to support learners affected by poverty, including early years, youth, family engagement and community-based provision, but measures to support attainment of less well off children need strengthening.

Responding to the inspection report Flintshire County Council Chief Executive Neal Cockerton said: “The Estyn report on the council’s education service specifically makes five recommendations, acknowledges the pressurised environment the service is working in and the steps being taken to continue to deliver high quality education services to our schools.

“The five recommendations set out in the report by Estyn have already started to be built upon and the areas strengthened. I, and officers in the service, take seriously the matters raised in the report and are fully committed to taking action to address them as we work closely with Estyn.

“Staff within both services have and continue to work incredibly hard and this has been noted within both reports. I take this opportunity to thank them for the work they continue to carry out with our children and young people.”

Councillor Dave Hughes, Council Leader, said: “While the report identifies areas where we need to improve, it also recognises the many strengths within the service which give us a solid foundation on which to build.

“We are committed to learning from these findings and driving forward the changes needed.”

The council said it will draw up an action plan setting out how it will address inspector’s recommendations. Estyn will monitor progress during regular follow-up visits.

The five recommendations Estyn makes are:

• Address the safeguarding concerns identified during the inspection at both corporate and service level
• Strengthen strategic planning to address risks posed by school deficits and improve the financial sustainability of schools
• Improve effectiveness of scrutiny so that elected members focus consistently on strategic risks, learner outcomes and the long-term improvement of education services
• Strengthen strategic leadership and improve the quality and consistency of self evaluation and improvement planning
• Strengthen collaborative working across portfolio and service areas to ensure more effective support and challenge for schools

A child who snores loudly every night might seem like a funny sight. But if that snoring accompanies repeated narrowing or blockage of the airway, the effects can reach far beyond a noisy night.

Obstructive sleep apnoea is often associated with adults who snore and struggle to stay awake during the day. Children can develop it too. Its prevalence is difficult to pin down: a 2024 systematic review of 30 studies found that recent estimates in preschool children ranged from 12.8% to 20.4%, but definitions and testing methods varied considerably. Only two population studies used a full overnight sleep study, so the true figure remains uncertain.

In children, habitual loud snoring is an important warning sign. Parents may also notice mouth breathing, restless sleep, pauses followed by gasps or snorts, or the chest and abdomen working hard to draw breath. Not every child who snores has sleep apnoea, however, and symptoms alone cannot confirm it.

Daytime symptoms

The daytime signs can be less obvious. Rather than appearing sleepy, some children become irritable or unusually active, struggle to concentrate or develop behavioural and learning difficulties. These problems can resemble or worsen symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The conditions can also occur together, so this should not be treated as a simple either-or diagnosis.

During sleep, the muscles that help keep the upper airway open relax. In obstructive sleep apnoea, the passage behind the nose and mouth repeatedly narrows or closes. The child then has to work harder to breathe. These episodes can lower blood oxygen and briefly disturb sleep, even when the child does not appear to wake fully.

Repeatedly disrupted sleep is associated with poorer behaviour, learning and quality of life. Research also links childhood sleep apnoea with changes in blood-pressure control and metabolism, including how the body regulates blood sugar, although the severity of these effects varies between children.

In younger children, enlarged tonsils and adenoids are a leading cause. The tonsils sit at the back of the throat; the adenoids are similar tissue behind the nose. Because a child’s airway is narrow, enlarged tissue can leave too little room for air to pass comfortably.

Obesity, differences in the shape of the skull or jaw and allergic rhinitis, which is inflammation inside the nose caused by an allergy, are also associated with greater risk. Research has additionally found associations with asthma and premature birth. Children with some genetic conditions, particularly Down syndrome, have a much higher prevalence. Globally, obesity among five to 19-year-olds rose from about 2% in 1990 to about 8% in 2022, according to a large analysis of population studies.

Air pollution may contribute too, but the evidence requires caution. Observational studies have linked exposure to fine airborne particles with habitual loud snoring and other breathing problems during sleep. Such studies cannot establish that pollution causes obstructive sleep apnoea.

A child who regularly snores loudly, has pauses or gasps, breathes through their mouth or seems to struggle for breath during sleep should be assessed by a doctor. A GP may refer the child to a paediatrician, sleep service or ear, nose and throat specialist.

The reference test is polysomnography, usually called an overnight sleep study. Sensors record brain activity, airflow, breathing effort, heart rate and blood oxygen, allowing clinicians to see whether breathing is repeatedly obstructed and how severely sleep is affected.

A short video of the child sleeping may also help. Preliminary research on smartphone recordings suggests that they could help clinicians screen and prioritise children, although they cannot diagnose sleep apnoea or replace a sleep study.

Treatment

Treatment depends on the cause and severity. When enlarged tonsils and adenoids are obstructing the airway, removing them is often the first treatment offered. In a randomised trial involving 464 children, surgery improved symptoms, behaviour, quality of life and sleep-study findings compared with watchful waiting. It did not produce a significantly greater improvement on the trial’s main objective test of attention and the mental skills used to plan and control behaviour.

An operation does not always resolve the condition. Up to 40% of children may have persistent sleep apnoea after surgery, with higher rates among those with obesity, severe disease or other medical conditions.

For mild cases, a clinician may recommend monitoring or treating nasal inflammation. Anti-inflammatory steroid nasal sprays may help selected children, but the evidence is mixed. Mouth and facial muscle exercises are sometimes considered, although the supporting studies are small and inconsistent. Evidence for orthodontic devices in children also remains limited.

If surgery is unsuitable or sleep apnoea persists, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) can hold the airway open by delivering gently pressurised air through a mask during sleep.

Some mild cases resolve as children grow, but others persist or worsen. Follow-up is therefore important. Routine child health checks should include a question recommended in paediatric guidance: “Does your child snore?”

Obstructive sleep apnoea is treatable but easy to miss. When a child is restless, unusually active or struggling to concentrate, asking what happens after bedtime may reveal an important part of the picture.

Former NFL star Alphonso Smith Jr. has reportedly died by suicide at the age of 40.

The former Detroit Lions cornerback passed away at a housing community in Florida on Wednesday, according to TMZ. 

A chilling final Facebook post that appeared on Smith Jr.’s account earlier in the day referenced ‘demons’ and concluded by saying: ‘THIS IS IT!’

‘I tried everything in my power to fight the demons behind the ones that someone put into ME!’ he wrote.

‘To my family, BABY, my MOM, my siblings, things happened to your boy, your brother while I was little that an older lady did onto me,’ he wrote. ‘As a result guys, I did the same onto others!’

Smith did not go into further detail about what happened to him or what he did to others, but did describe himself as someone who ‘needed help & did not get it.’

A chilling Facebook post appeared on Smith Jr.’s account on Wednesday referencing ‘demons’

Smith Jr. played college football at Wake Forest before being drafted by the Denver Broncos

He went on to blast himself as a ‘coward’ while apologizing to his children, parents, and friends. 

‘I am the WORST & I pray my soul rest in heaven for my heart is pure, but my BRAIN & experience is MESSED UP,’ he added. 

A Florida native, Smith Jr. played college football at Wake Forest from 2004 to 2008 before being selected by the Denver Broncos with the 37th overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft.

During his college career at Wake Forest, Smith amassed 188 total tackles over four seasons to go with 21 total interceptions. 

The Broncos traded him to the Lions in 2010 and he went on to play three seasons in Detroit before his NFL career ended after the 2012 season.

In total, Smith Jr. played in 42 NFL games and recorded 88 tackles and eight interceptions. 

His death comes just over a month after Super Bowl champion Jordan Devey also died by suicide at the age of 38.

Devey’s wife, Lindsey, shared the news in an emotional Instagram tribute posted on what would have been the couple’s 15th wedding anniversary.

Former NFL star and Super Bowl champion Jordan Devey has died by suicide at 38 in July

‘We have filled the walls of our homes and hearts with countless memories, joys, struggles, and triumphs,’ Lindsey wrote alongside photos of the couple.

‘We brought 4 beautiful children into this world that have your eyes, freckles, and compassion. You were our hero and our hearts ache in your absence. We love you. We miss you. And as you said in your last words to me, “we’ll talk soon.”‘

A GoFundMe campaign launched on behalf of the family confirmed Devey died by suicide, leaving behind his wife and four young children.

‘Tragically, Jordan took his own life, leaving his family to navigate an incredibly difficult and heartbreaking time,’ the page reads.

‘As they face overwhelming emotional and financial challenges, including mounting medical expenses, the community is coming together to support Lindsey and their children.’

Devey, who went undrafted out of Memphis in 2013, spent eight seasons in the NFL, playing for the Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, Oakland Raiders and Buffalo Bills before retiring in 2021. 

Over the course of his professional career, he appeared in 44 regular-season games and made 21 starts across stints with the Patriots, 49ers, Chiefs and Raiders.

If you or someone you know needs help, please call or text the confidential 24/7 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the US on 988. There is also an online chat available at 988lifeline.org. 

Thursday’s Inbox is not convinced about the changes in Tomb Raider: Legacy Of Atlantis, as a reader hopes for more Commodore retro compilations.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

The next big thing
I hate to be a typical gamer and immediately start asking about the next thing but now that we’ve had the Netflix show do you think we’ll get a Trailer 3 for GTA 6? Whatever you want to call the Netflix thing it definitely wasn’t a trailer, which means the last one we got was a year ago.

We’ve still got over two months until the game’s out, so surely that’s not going to be it in terms of trailers and footage? If this was any other company I’d definitely expect a second proper trailer and maybe even a Netflix follow-up.

But because this is Rockstar Games I really don’t know. It’s not that I’m not already sold on the game but I just like the hype and excitement of it all. Ignore everything else and you’ve got to admit those trailers so far are really well made mini-movies.
Wonader

GC: There’s no way to know for sure, but a third trailer is very likely. We’d be surprised if there was another one like the Netflix show though.

Accidental troll
I don’t think Nintendo is trolling anyone on purpose but their priorities since the very start of the Switch 2 has been absolutely bizarre to me. Eight-player Mario Kart 8 is great and all but, like you said, was that really the most important thing they had to be working on right now?

I mean seriously, DLC for a nine year old (older if you count the Wii U version) Switch 1 game, while you completely ignore making any for the brand new sequel that everyone complains hasn’t got enough combat.

I take it back. They are trolling fans. I can believe they don’t realise they are but the end result is the same, whether they meant to or not.
Trepsils

Too new
I’m not sure I like the idea of the Tomb Raider remake adding all these new features and options that the original didn’t have. Surely the point of doing a remake is that you want to recreate the original game but with modern graphics? I suppose you could argue that you should also add modern gameplay techniques as well, but only to a degree. Adding crafting, especially, is not something I enjoy in most games and I don’t see why it needs to be in a Tomb Raider game.

It all depends on the way it’s handled but the fact that we’ve had two previews now and still nobody’s been allowed to play it is getting me very suspicious. That usually means only one thing. I’m beginning to think that maybe Crystal Dynamics has been working on Tomb Raider for too long and it needs a fresh pair of eyes on it.
Darcy

Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk

DualSense nonsense
Does anyone else think that the touchpad on the PlayStation 5’s DualSense controller is underused?

Apparently Astro Bot made use of the feature but mostly, in the games that I’ve played, the touchpad has served as a big button. You could generate a breeze with the touchpad in Animal Well, but that breeze did nothing much for me personally. I can’t help but think that this widespread touchpad neglect is a missed opportunity.

I detest graffiti in real life, so I’m not going to suggest that the touchpad could be used to put illegal scrawl onto walls in Grand Theft Auto 6, but what about an art creation mission, or the player could use the touchpad to forge signatures? Jason and Lucia could visit a graphologist, and by using their actual handwriting a player could receive interesting feedback on their personality. Maybe the touchpad isn’t that sensitive. I’ve never tried to write on it. No game has ever asked me to.

Mostly, in games, the touchpad just seems to sit there, ready, waiting and capable but broadly ignored. Since every PlayStation 5 owner has access to the feature this situation seems like a waste.
Michael Veal

GC: You’re not wrong but it’s the lack of motion controls that frustrates us. It’s maddening that Onimusha: Way Of The Sword doesn’t use them, as it would work perfectly for the bow.

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Commodore Breed
Great to hear about the return of Alien Breed, even if being 35 years old is a bit depressing for those of us that remember it. I never played any of the 3D games, or Tower Assault, so I’m looking forward to experiencing those, even if the graphics look really rough.

I’m also very excited at the idea of Commodore releasing a bunch of these sort of compilations, especially if they include similar behind the scenes stuff. My picks for next would be Speedball (or just Bitmap Brothers in general), Sensible Software, Worms, and X-COM. But I’d get anything they put out, if they’re decent ports.
Columbo

Identifying Platinum
On the theme of PlatinumGames, it will be interesting to see where they go from here, especially since, unless I’m mistaken, none of their critically acclaimed titles – aside perhaps from the first Bayonetta instalment, which has appeared on various formats – have been commercial successes.

Handling big outsourced projects like Ninja Gaiden 4 and Metal Gear Rising might have sounded exciting on paper but in reality it put them in an impossible position, between a rock and a hard place. Without full reins, they were unable exploit these projects to make them truly their own and yet by taking the games in a new direction they deviated from the formula that made the originals hits with fans.

It’s a studio whose wild creativity would have been ripe for success and thrived in the 90s and 00s when production costs were smaller and the market more forgiving to new ideas. I’d love to see a sequel to Vanquish and Sega team up to give them opportunities to revive some of their older franchises.
Sam

GC: In theory you’re right but we had a reader only the other day complaining, understandably, that Ninja Gaiden 4 is nothing like the other games; Metal Gear Rising is the most Platinum thing ever.

I am not Turok
I’ll be honest, that new Turok game looks rubbish. All these years later and they still can’t just make a normal sequel to the first two games. They were great but everything else has barely had any connection to them.

I don’t mean the story, because who cares about that with Turok, but it just being a fun first person shooter, with a lot of exploration and dinosaurs. This new game doesn’t seem to be anything like that.
Tim Rogers

Disc philosophy
Sony’s argument that nobody really owns a digital game because there is supposedly only ‘one copy’ got me thinking…

Think of it like a human being: the body is the physical vessel – the ‘meat suit’ – while the soul is what makes you you.

A physical game disc is the meat suit. The game itself – its code, world, story, and possibilities – is the soul.

But then there’s the player. The person interacting with that game influences what actually happens within it: the choices they make, where they go, how they play, what they build, win, lose or discover – almost God-like. And there are potentially infinite variations of that experience.

So millions of identical discs can contain the same underlying game, yet no two playthroughs necessarily have to be identical.

The physical vessel isn’t what makes the game the game – and removing that vessel shouldn’t magically turn something you bought into something you can never own.

Digital shouldn’t mean: ‘You paid for it, but it’s still ours.’
Scott Jenkins

Inbox also-rans
If anyone reading is 40+ like myself, get a PlayStation Classic and install Pro Evolution Soccer 2. I brought mine into work and demolished all of the 20+ year olds. Talk about a boost to the ego. Seems to be an issue with no sticks that throws them off.
Bobwallett

GC: That’s a modded PlayStation Classic, presumably.

Sounds about right for Sony that the one thing that would actually make people want to pay for a PS5 Pro comes out and they don’t have enough to sell them. They’re going to kick themselves later, because that’s only going to happen once.
Liger

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