It’s a new week, FutureParty people… and a new era in retail trading. In 2021, during the first meme-stock craze that turned GameStop and AMC Entertainment into the hottest stocks around, retail traders had a little extra spending cash thanks to federal stimulus checks, low inflation, and zero inflation. These days, budgets are tight, meaning people have far less money to spend on stocks. The result: despite GameStop and AMC surging when the infamous Roaring Kitty returned to social media, their gains have already cooled. Short-sellers must be breathing a sigh of relief.

In other news… Microsoft releases Call of Duty from the cloud, OpenAI deletes its top safety team, and Martin Scorsese releases fresh cinema.

We hope you enjoy this and all upcoming issues, but we have one request: please share your feedback. If you have any thoughts at all about our new look, format, and direction, please reply to this email. It’ll go straight to us. Do not hold back.

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• YouTube – “LUNCH” - Billie Eilish

• X (Twitter) – Selena Gomez

• Google – Sabrina Carpenter 

• Reddit – Dabney Coleman

• TikTok – “blue” - stars

• Spotify – “Oh No!” - The Decemberists

.GAMING.

Microsoft plans to debut the next Call of Duty online

The Future. Microsoft is set to release the next Call of Duty game on the Xbox Game Pass and via a la carte disc sales. It’s a development that many in the gaming industry, including former Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, say will hurt overall revenue. So, the game’s release could be a transformational moment for both Game Pass and the cloud-gaming industry, just like Netflix’s takeover of Hollywood… for better or worse.

Streaming warfare
Call of Duty is coming from the cloud.

• The move is a major shakeup because releasing games via a subscription service (in this case, Game Pass) inherently brings in less money than through individual sales.

• That’s especially true for Call of Duty, which is the best-selling game franchise of the past 14 years, selling 25 million copies annually at $70 a pop.

• Meanwhile, Game Pass costs $9.99 to $16.99 per month, depending on the tier.

Microsoft hopes that all the people who sign up to play the game will bring in more revenue in the long run, pointing to how putting its popular Starfield game on Game Pass led to a record number of new subscriptions. It currently has 34 million subscribers.

Ironically enough, the federal government’s concern over Microsoft’s $75 billion takeover of Activision Blizzard (the company behind Call of Duty) hinged on the tech giant’s ability to maybe one day unfairly monopolize the cloud-gaming market by withholding Call of Duty from competing consoles. If Microsoft ever discontinues the discs, those fears may be realized.

65% of you voted No in Friday’s poll: Are you a gamer?

“My kids tell me it’s good for my brain, but I’d rather read.”

“Mostly casual games at this point, but I play something at least 10 to 15 minutes a day.”

“Technically, yes, I play a lot of games, but the gamer identity is a toxic trainwreck, so I avoid using it.”

.A WORD FROM OUR FRIENDS AT BRANDED BILLS.

Personality hats are in

Fashion has spoken, and the personality hat is all the rage these days.

You know what that means? It’s a great time to put your logo on a hat.

And you want to make it a Branded Bills hat. They make quality merch people actually want to wear.

Don’t just take it from us; see what a happy consumer has to say about the branded hats they just ordered: 

“They’re wearing them to bowling alleys, sporting events, etc.” — Rebecca Ferguson, Empire CAT

If you want to make a statement with your company merch, hit up Branded Bills.

Media, Music, & Entertainment

• Paramount watch: Paramount Global and Sony Entertainment have officially signed an NDA to dig into each other’s financial books, showing that Paramount is seriously considering Sony and Apollo’s takeover bid. [Read More]

• Take-Two Interactive announced that Grand Theft Auto 6, the next installment in the best-selling franchise, will be released in the fall of 2025. [Read More]

• Cannes is very much paying attention to FAST services since data shows that movies and movie channels drive immense viewership. [Read More]

Fashion & E-Commerce

• The high-profile, Martin Scorsese-directed, Timothée Chalamet-starring ad for Bleu de Chanel has officially dropped. [Read More]

• Forget method acting — method dressing is very in right now, fueled by the public appearance outfits from actors like Anya Taylor-Joy, Zendaya, and Margot Robbie. [Read More]

• BMW made a car fit for the runway — its very purple XM Mystique Allure is inspired by the looks of human supermodel Naomi Campbell. [Read More]

Tech, Web3, & AI

• TikTok and the DOJ requested that the US appeals court make an expedited decision on the legality of Congress’ divest-or-ban TikTok law. [Read More]

• Honda is expanding its testing of hydrogen power with a new long-haul truck. [Read More]

• Engineers at MIT are developing a robotic exoskeleton for astronauts that can help them get up if they fall over on the Moon, where gravity is low. [Read More]

Creator Economy

• Reddit is going back to its old user-reward system (with some tweaks) after admitting that its golden upvote system was a flop. [Read More]

• MrBeast is collabing with chicken-focused, fast-food chain Zaxby’s on a Feastables-sponsored meal box. [Read More]

• Elon Musk has finally killed the twitter.com URL, officially moving the platform to the x.com domain. [Read More]

.ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.

OpenAI deletes dedicated super-safety team

The Future. OpenAI is reportedly shuttering its “superalignment” team — the safety team in charge of figuring out safeguards for future AI that’s more intelligent than humans. Considering OpenAI’s rapid expansion and quest to build artificial general intelligence, the news may put extra pressure on Congress to pass safety-focused AI regulations as soon as possible.

Out of alignment
OpenAI’s decision to shut down its superalignment team is raising a lot of eyebrows.

• Superalignment team heads Ilya Sutskever (OpenAI’s chief scientist who previously clashed with CEO Sam Altman) and Jan Leike both departed last week, and many other team members were either fired, or they resigned in recent months.

• Insiders report that the team, which was created last July to provide safety checks on both OpenAI’s systems and those of competitors, has been on life support for a while… especially as it fought for promised resources that were never delivered.

• That made many on the team believe that the support of the superalignment team was nothing more than PR, leading Leike to pronounce in his resignation that OpenAI’s “safety culture and processes have taken a backseat to shiny products.”

Moving forward, OpenAI’s safety-focused researchers will be spread across different departments. Only time will tell if that’s the safest choice.

.A WORD FROM OUR FRIENDS AT CORNBREAD.

Meet the world’s first USDA Certified Organic CBD sleep gummies

Many sleep aids, including melatonin, promise better sleep but often leave us groggy the next day.

Why not opt for the oldest herb in the book for a healthier sleep routine?

Introducing Cornbread Hemp, the brand that developed the world’s first USDA Certified Organic CBD sleep gummies. Each crafted with a blend of full-spectrum CBD extract, lavender, chamomile, and valerian root. All natural ingredients working in perfect unison to guide you into a peaceful slumber and keep you there, just as nature intended.

Plus, TFP readers can get 30% off their first order with the code CBDSLEEP30 with a minimum purchase of $55.

• Read: In honor of Columbia Pictures’ centennial celebration, Deadline interviews Sony Motion Pictures Group chairman Tom Rothman about how Hollywood has evolved… and how, in many ways, the fundamentals have stayed the same.

• Listen: The Deal with Alex Rodriguez and Jason Kelly chats with Endeavor and TKO president and COO Mark Shapiro about modern sports dealmaking and how sports never seem to lose their luster amid changing media habits.

• Watch: WSJ breaks down how China has cornered the global EV market by supercharging production.

Come to think of it, maybe these portals were a bad idea…

LATEST PODCAST EPISODE

Today we get into the rise and controversies of virtual influencers, how people are traveling abroad to see their favorite artists, and how Wall St is betting on content creators.