This Week in Gaming: From Wacky Protests to Price Hikes, a Look at the Week’s Biggest Stories

The world of gaming is always in motion, and this week was no exception. From a new, and characteristically absurd, protest from an animal rights group to a significant and surprising price hike for one of the most popular gaming consoles, the news was full of twists and turns. Here’s a look at the week’s biggest stories, what they mean for the industry, and what it’s like to be a gamer in 2025.

PETA Sets Its Sights on a Cow in Mario Kart

In a move that has been met with a combination of laughter and head-shaking, the animal rights organization PETA has launched a protest against Nintendo’s new game, Mario Kart World. The group is demanding that Nintendo remove the nose ring from a new, breakout character named “Cow,” arguing that the accessory “glosses over real-world violence” against animals in the meat and dairy industries. In a letter to Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa, PETA’s Senior Vice President of Marketing Engagement, Joel Bartlett, explained that nose rings are “forcibly pierced through one of the most sensitive parts of a cow’s body” and are “a tool of cruelty.”

This is not the first time PETA has targeted a Nintendo game. In the past, the group has protested against Super Mario 3D Land for its “Tanooki Suit” and Pokémon for its “cockfighting-like” gameplay. The organization’s latest protest has been met with a wave of ridicule on social media, with many users pointing out the absurdity of protesting a fictional, pixelated cow. However, as some have noted, the protest is a familiar and strategic move for PETA, which uses viral stunts to draw attention to its broader message. While it’s highly unlikely that Nintendo will change the design of its character, the protest has succeeded in one thing: it has put the issue of animal cruelty back into the mainstream conversation, which is, and always has been, PETA’s primary goal.

Sony Raises the Price of the PlayStation 5, Again

In a much more significant and sobering piece of news, Sony has announced a surprising price increase for all three of its PlayStation 5 consoles in the United States. The company’s blog post cited a “challenging economic environment” as the reason for the price hike, which takes effect on August 21, 2025. The new prices are:

• PlayStation 5 (Disc Edition): $549.99 (up from $499.99)
• PlayStation 5 Digital Edition: $499.99 (up from $449.99)
• PlayStation 5 Pro: $749.99 (up from $699.99)

This is the second time in a year that Sony has increased the price of its console, and it is a major blow to players who have been waiting for a price drop. The announcement has been met with disappointment from the gaming community, with many pointing out that the move is an “anti-consumer” practice that will further raise the barrier to entry for new players. The price hike is particularly frustrating for players who have already invested in a PS5 Pro, which launched at a hefty $699.99. This move, which comes on the heels of other price increases from Nintendo and Xbox, is a grim reminder that in an age of inflation and economic uncertainty, gaming, which was once a relatively affordable hobby, is becoming a much more expensive one. For now, players will have to decide if a new console is worth the ever-increasing price tag, a decision that is getting harder to justify with every new hike.