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What it means for Social Security benefits What it means for Social Security benefits Frank Bisignano testifies before the Senate Finance Committee on his nomination to be Commissioner of the Social Security Administration, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, March 25, 2025. Saul Loeb | AFP | Getty Images The Senate has voted to confirm Frank Bisignano as the new commissioner of the Social Security Administration, ushering in new leadership at a federal agency that has already undergone many changes this year under the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency. Bisignano, the chairman and CEO of payments and financial technology company Fiserv Inc., was nominated to serve as Social Security commissioner in December by then President-elect Donald Trump. Trump started his second term on Jan. 20. The Social Security Administration, which provides monthly benefit checks to more than 73 million beneficiaries, is currently operating under temporary leadership. Acting commissioner Leland Dudek took the helm in February, replacing Michelle King, who stepped down from the temporary role due to concerns about DOGE’s access to sensitive data. A federal judge has since granted a preliminary injunction that prevents DOGE from accessing personally identifiable information including Social Security numbers, medical records, addresses, bank records, tax information and other sensitive data. Bisignano’s confirmation vote on Tuesday was divided by party lines. Prior to the vote, Republicans had expressed support for Trump’s nominee, while Democrats raised concerns about Bisignano’s prospective leadership and his alleged ties to DOGE. More from Personal Finance: Social Security reduces benefit clawback rate Trump administration restarts student loan collections What experts say about claiming Social Security benefits early On the eve of the Senate confirmation vote, Democrats including Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Ron Wyden of Oregon held a rally outside the Senate building to oppose Bisignano’s nomination. “We want Donald Trump to stand with working families and seniors and stop the attack on Social Security once and for all,” Wyden, ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, said at the Monday event. Following the Tuesday Senate vote, advocacy groups expressed concern about the new agency leadership. “This vote was an opportunity for the Senate to reject the decimation of Social Security, and demand that Trump nominate a commissioner who will stop the bleeding,” Nancy Altman, president of Social Security Works, said in a statement. “Instead, every Senate Republican just signed off on the DOGE destruction of Social Security.” Neither Fiserv nor the White House responded to CNBC’s requests for comment by press time. Who is Frank Bisignano? Bisignano currently serves as chairman and CEO of Fiserv, which processes more than $2.5 trillion in payments per day, according to his Senate testimony. Bisignano came to that role after serving as chairman and CEO of First Data Corp., which went public in 2015 and combined with Fiserv in 2019. Before that, Bisignano was co-chief operating officer for JPMorgan Chase and CEO of its mortgage banking unit. Prior to JPMorgan Chase, he held several roles at Citigroup. Bisignano was raised in a working class, multigenerational immigrant household in Brooklyn, New York, according to his Senate testimony. Bisignano’s father was a 46-year Department of Treasury employee who worked in customs enforcement. “He was the hardest working person I’ve known,” Bisignano said in his Senate testimony. “I view federal workers from that vantage point.” What lawmakers said about Bisignano’s nomination During the consideration of Bisignano’s nomination, Democrats repeatedly raised concerns about his viability to lead the agency. Warren and Wyden sent a letter to Bisignano ahead of his March confirmation hearing to ask about his views on privatizing the agency. The efforts by DOGE to “hollow out” the agency and “deprive Americans of Social Security benefits they earned and need” may pave the way for a “private sector fix,” the Democratic leaders said. In his Senate testimony, Bisignano said he did not intend to privatize the agency. “I’ve never thought about privatizing,” Bisignano said. “It’s not a word that anybody’s ever talked to me about. I don’t see this institution as anything other than a government agency that gets run for the American public.” During the Senate hearing, Bisignano also faced questions about his involvement with recent changes at the Social Security Administration and with DOGE. Wyden introduced an anonymous whistleblower letter from a “senior Social Security Administration employee who recently left the agency,” who said Bisignano had been briefed on “key SSA operations, personnel and management decisions.” In response to a question about whether he would “lock DOGE out,” Bisignano promised to protect personally identifiable information. “I am going to do whatever is required to protect the information that is private,” Bisignano said. However, during a February CNBC interview, Bisignano said he is “fundamentally a DOGE person.” While Democrats have cast doubt on Bisignano’s nomination, the Fiserv CEO has received praise from Republicans and former Citigroup CEO Sandy Weill. In a March CNBC interview, Weill praised Bisignano as a “great manager” and “terrific person.” “He used to work for me, and I think he’s the best operations person I’ve ever met in my life,” Weill said, adding we would be “very lucky to have him in that job.” What Bisignano has said about Social Security During a March Senate confirmation hearing, as he fielded questions from senators on a host of issues facing the Social Security Administration, Bisignano said it will be important to “put the beneficiaries first.” “The ability to receive payments on time and accurately is job one,” Bisignano said. Among the priorities Bisignano said he would emphasize if confirmed include bringing the Social Security’s error rate down, citing an Office of the Inspector General report that put it at around 1%. “That’s a very high payment processing error rate,” Bisignano said, calling it “five decimal places too high.” Reducing the agency’s error rate will help eliminate overpayment issues, where beneficiaries receive too much money in their benefit checks. Those errors, which may take months or years to catch, typically leave beneficiaries owing large sums to the Social Security Administration. From fiscal years 2015 through 2022, the Social Security Administration paid about $71.8 billion in improper payments out of almost $8.6 trillion in benefits, representing about 0.84%, according to a 2024 Office of the Inspector General report. The agency is currently in the process of adjusting the default withholding rate to 50% for certain benefits affected by overpayments, such as retirement, survivors and disability insurance. Under President Joe Biden, the default rate had been lowered to 10% of monthly benefits or $10, whichever was greater. “I’m going to make sure that we recover all the money we should recover, but on the other hand we have to be humans in the process, too,” Bisignano told the Senate about overpayment clawbacks. Bisignano also said he planned to reduce the chronically long wait times Americans face when seeking help from the agency, including when calling its 800 number or when applying for disability benefits. Having to wait for more than 20 minutes on the phone is not acceptable, Bisignano said. Social Security Administration data shows only about 46% of calls get answered, likely because people get discouraged and hang up, he said. “I think we could get that to under a minute,” Bisignano said of the agency’s phone wait times, in part by making AI available to people answering the phones to more quickly prompt them with the information they need to answer individuals’ queries. Bisignano also promised to investigate why it takes so much time to process disability applications. Initial eligibility determinations currently take around seven months, a wait time that has doubled since prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the Urban Institute. Source link #means #Social #Security #benefits Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Inter Milan vs Barcelona, Champions League: TV & Streaming, Live Thread – Barca Blaugranes Inter Milan vs Barcelona, Champions League: TV & Streaming, Live Thread – Barca Blaugranes Inter Milan vs Barcelona, Champions League: TV & Streaming, Live Thread Barca BlaugranesInter vs Barcelona live updates: Italians reach Champions League final with sensational 7-6 aggregate win The New York TimesInter Milan 4-3 Barcelona (May 6, 2025) Game Analysis ESPNLIVE: Inter Milan vs Barcelona – UEFA Champions League semifinal Al JazeeraInter vs. Barcelona: Preview, Predictions and Lineups Sports Illustrated Source link #Inter #Milan #Barcelona #Champions #League #amp #Streaming #Live #Thread #Barca #Blaugranes Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Where does Inter v Barca rank among best ever semi-finals? Where does Inter v Barca rank among best ever semi-finals? Inter Milan’s stunning 7-6 aggregate win against Barcelona was one of the all-time great Champions League semi-finals, but where does it rank? Source link #Inter #Barca #rank #among #semifinals Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Unfiltered: Calsher Dear opens up on remarkable journey from draft hopeful to shock AFL debut Unfiltered: Calsher Dear opens up on remarkable journey from draft hopeful to shock AFL debut Hawthorn young gun Calsher Dear has revealed he never thought he was going to get drafted, let alone make his AFL debut in his first season. Dear was selected by Hawthorn with pick No.56 in the 2023 AFL draft as a father-son selection, following in the footsteps of Paul Dear, who played 123 games for the club, including winning the Norm Smith Medal in the 1991 grand final. Paul tragically died in 2022 after a two-year battle with pancreatic *******. Calsher played his junior football for the Sandringham Dragons, but wasn’t expected to be drafted until he blitzed the finals series. “My best three games were in finals and I have a lot of people tell me that’s what got me drafted,” he told Hamish McLachlan on Unfiltered. Despite impressing in those three games, the 195cm prospect received little interest. Only one other club besides Hawthorn spoke to him and the Hawks were also non-committal on nominating him as a father-son selection until late in the piece. “Spoke to GWS a little bit and that was really the only other club that was interested in me and for a little bit, I thought I was going to end up there and then Hawks nominate me as father-son,” he said. Calsher also says he was “nowhere near AFL standard” in his first year at the club, but still managed to make his debut in Round 8 and play 17 games, including both of the Hawks’ finals. He finished the season with 25 goals, highlighted by a three-goal haul in the win over the Western Bulldogs in the elimination final. “I find it easy to not put a lot of pressure or expectations on myself and especially going into that level because I thought I was so far of it,” he said. In the full episode, Calsher discusses the details and impact of his father’s death and the resilience of his family, especially his mother. Unfiltered with Hamish McLachlan featuring Hawthorn young gun Calsher Dear, 9.30pm straight after The Front Bar on Seven and 7plus Sport. Source link #Unfiltered #Calsher #Dear #opens #remarkable #journey #draft #hopeful #shock #AFL #debut Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

India says it attacked Pakistan, Pakistani Kashmir India says it attacked Pakistan, Pakistani Kashmir MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan/NEW DELHI (Reuters) -India said it attacked nine sites in Pakistan and Pakistani Kashmir on Wednesday where strikes against it had been planned, and Pakistan reported at least three people died and 12 were injured, according to an initial assessment. The offensive occurred amid heightened tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours in the aftermath of an attack on Hindu tourists in Indian Kashmir last month. Pakistan said India launched missiles at three places, but an Indian government statement did not detail the nature of the strikes. “A little while ago, the Indian armed forces launched ‘OPERATION SINDOOR’, hitting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed,” the Indian statement said. “Our actions have been focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature. No Pakistani military facilities have been targeted. India has demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and method of execution,” it said. A Pakistani military spokesman told broadcaster Geo that Pakistan’s response was under way, without giving details. The spokesman said five places were hit including two mosques and reported three deaths and 12 people injured. After the explosions, power was blacked out in Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani Kashmir, witnesses said. Witnesses and one police officer at two sites on the frontier in Indian Kashmir said they heard loud explosions and intense artillery shelling as well as jets in the air. India blamed Pakistan for the violence last month in which 26 men were killed and vowed to respond. Pakistan denied that it had anything to do with the killings and said that it had intelligence that India was planning to attack. After India’s strikes, the Indian army said in a post on X on Wednesday: “Justice is served.” (Reporting by Asif Shahzad, Gibran Peshimam, Ariba Shahid in Pakistan; Writing by YP Rajesh; Editing by Cynthia Osterman) Source link #India #attacked #Pakistan #Pakistani #Kashmir Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

India launches missile attacks on Pakistan – NPR India launches missile attacks on Pakistan – NPR India launches missile attacks on Pakistan NPRLive updates: India launches military operation against Pakistan CNNIndia says it attacked Pakistan, Pakistani Kashmir USA TodayIndia says it has launched strikes on Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir BBCIndia Strikes Pakistan Two Weeks After Kashmir Terrorist Attack The New York Times Source link #India #launches #missile #attacks #Pakistan #NPR Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Why physicists keep trying to get rid of space-time entirely Why physicists keep trying to get rid of space-time entirely Space-time is considered the fabric of physical reality Science Photo Library/Alamy The first time a physicist told me they wanted to get rid of space-time, on a cold January morning earlier this year, I stopped typing my interview notes and clutched my New Scientist mug of tea. Space-time is the very fabric of physical reality – the four-dimensional framework that holds everything in the universe. But now the expert on my computer screen was telling me: “The idea of space-time somehow has to go. The notion of space-time can’t really be a totally fundamental one, and has to be… Source link #physicists #rid #spacetime Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

You can now edit images in Gemini directly You can now edit images in Gemini directly Google’s Gemini can now edit both AI-generated and personal images using text prompts The editing tools allow for precision changes using AI Gemini also now supports uploading up to 10 images or files at once Google’s Gemini AI is taking out a canvas and palette for your AI-fueled image creation in a couple of major upgrades. Gemini can now edit images directly within its chat interface, and you can send a bunch of images (or other files) for it to examine at the same time. The new editor can work AI magic on any image you upload or that Gemini produces. You simply ask Gemini to make the changes you want. You can change the backdrop of your vacation photo to put your sad Airbnb kitchen on a Santorini cliff, get rid of that mustard stain on your jacket, and even put a funny hat on your dog despite her refusal of all headwear in real life. You can apply multiple edits through your conversation with Gemini, stacking changes as you go. And each modification keeps earlier changes, so you don’t have to start from scratch when you decide the last couple of edits made things worse. You may like Under the hood, Gemini’s editor is running a combination of tools that work together so you don’t end up with a visual Frankenstein’s monster stitching together conflicting textures, lighting, angles, and other aspects of the image. Gemini promises to keep things grounded in reality even when your imagination goes off the rails. Google claims the editor will have many positive uses for a range of professions. Teachers could quickly build illustrated storyboards, designers could make a portfolio of product photos, and architects might visualize tweaks to building designs mid-meeting. The editor pairs nicely with Google’s move to blow up the single-file upload limit for Gemini. Now you can upload up to ten images, PDFs, or other files all at once and ask Gemini to make sense of the mess. AI image imagination You may be wondering how Gemini’s editor will prevent people from leveraging its abilities to make deepfakes of real people or events for less than benign reasons. Google is keen to show that the company has thought of that. That’s why every AI-edited image gets not one but two watermarks. One is visible, and one uses Google’s SynthID, which can only be detected with software. There are also filters powered by human feedback that block ethically dicey requests. Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. The editor and expanded upload option are not breaking new ground, but they add depth to Gemini. It’s not just about what Gemini can tell you, it’s about what it can help you make. Google is investing a lot of effort in building Gemini into the kind of well-rounded, versatile toolkit that people are comfortable relying on. Instead of thinking of Gemini as a mere digital notetaker or search engine with a sense of humor, Google wants people to view Gemini as a partner in creative and productive tasks. We’re still a ways off from a world where you ask Gemini to “design a birthday card and bake the cake,” but it’s closer than you might think. Until then, being able to throw ten files at Gemini and have it respond with something coherent while also placing a hat on your dog is a pretty good start. You might also like Source link #edit #images #Gemini Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Hayne finally set to make return after hamstring issues Hayne finally set to make return after hamstring issues Jarryd Hayne is set to play his first rugby league game since September 2018, after being named to play for Wentworthville in the third-tier Ron Massey Cup. Source link #Hayne #finally #set #return #hamstring #issues Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The 5v5 hero-based FPS “FragPunk” is now available for consoles The 5v5 hero-based FPS “FragPunk” is now available for consoles “The Hangzhou-based video games publisher and developer NetEase Games and indie games developer Bad Guitar Studio, are today very proud and glad to announce that their 5v5 hero-based FPS “FragPunk”, is now available for consoles (PS5 and Xbox Series X) via digital stores.” – Jonas Ek, TGG. Source link #5v5 #herobased #FPS #FragPunk #consoles Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Delta must face passenger lawsuit over massive computer outage Delta must face passenger lawsuit over massive computer outage By Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) -Delta Air Lines must face a proposed class action by passengers who said it refused to offer full refunds after delaying or canceling their flights following a massive computer outage last July, a federal judge ruled on Tuesday. U.S. District Judge Mark Cohen in Atlanta said five of the nine plaintiffs may pursue breach of contract claims based on Delta’s failure to refund. The judge allowed a different group of five plaintiffs to pursue claims related to delayed and canceled flights under the Montreal Convention, a multilateral treaty. Cohen dismissed the remaining claims, including those he said were preempted by federal law. The July 19, 2024 outage stemmed from a flawed software update from cybersecurity company CrowdStrike that crashed more than 8 million computers and affected many Microsoft customers. Disruptions eased the next day for many U.S. airlines but lasted longer at Delta, which canceled about 7,000 flights. “This ruling is a major step forward for Delta passengers seeking accountability,” Joseph Sauder, a lawyer for some of the plaintiffs, said in an email. Neither Delta nor its lawyers immediately responded to requests for comment. The Atlanta-based carrier had sought the dismissal of all claims, aside from one refund claim and international travelers’ claims under the Montreal Convention. Passengers accused Delta of failing to provide automatic refunds following the outage, and providing partial refunds only if they waived further legal claims. One plaintiff, John Brennan of Florida, said he and his wife missed a $10,000 anniversary cruise after Delta stranded them in an Atlanta layover, yet the carrier offered just $219.45 in compensation. Another plaintiff, Vittorio Muzzi of the Netherlands, said he spent 5,000 euros ($5,685) and his luggage was delayed 15 days after Delta scrapped his flight to Florida from Amsterdam, yet the carrier offered just 588 euros ($669) in compensation. Delta has estimated that the outage cost $550 million in lost revenue and added costs, while saving $50 million of fuel. The case is Bajra et al v Delta Air Lines, U.S. District Court, Northern District of Georgia, No. 24-03477. (1 euro = $1.137) (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New YorkEditing by Bill Berkrot) Source link #Delta #face #passenger #lawsuit #massive #computer #outage Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Are You ‘Upper Class’? Here’s The Net Worth You Need In Your 50s Are You ‘Upper Class’? Here’s The Net Worth You Need In Your 50s “Upper class” is one of those terms that everyone seems to aspire to, but there’s no clear, one-size-fits-all definition. While it often gets thrown around in conversations about wealth and success, it usually comes down to how you compare with others your age. By most measures, “upper class” typically refers to households in the top 20%—whether by income or net worth. For income, Pew Research sets the upper class income threshold at $169,800 for a three-person household in 2025. But income is just one piece of the puzzle. Your net worth—what you own minus what you owe—often tells a much fuller story. Don’t Miss: Net Worth Needed To Be Upper Class in Your 50s According to the Federal Reserve’s 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances, here’s how net worth breaks down for people in their 50s aiming for the top 20%: Since the Federal Reserve groups ages by decades, someone around 50 would likely fall somewhere between these figures—closer to the middle, depending on whether you’re early or late in the decade. And as you age, the bar naturally rises because assets like home equity and investments tend to grow over time. Trending: Are you rich? Here’s what Americans think you need to be considered wealthy. If your net worth isn’t where you’d like it to be, the good news is that there are still plenty of ways to boost your financial standing in your 50s: Maximize retirement contributions: Take advantage of catch-up contributions for 401(k)s, IRAs, and similar accounts. Once you hit 50, the government allows higher limits to help late savers bulk up their retirement funds. Pay down debt aggressively: Reducing high-interest debt can free up cash flow for saving and investing. Focus on income growth: Whether through salary increases, side businesses, or passive income sources, increasing your income can speed up wealth building in this decade. Consider downsizing or adjusting expenses: Some choose to reduce housing or lifestyle costs to redirect money into savings or investments. Story Continues See Also: If You’re Age 35, 50, or 60: Here’s How Much You Should Have Saved Vs. Invested By Now If you’ve already hit or surpassed the top 20% net worth benchmark, maintaining that position requires thoughtful planning, especially as retirement approaches. Max out all available tax-advantaged accounts: This includes catch-up contributions but also extends to health savings account, deferred compensation plans, and ********* Roth IRAs where eligible. Diversify investments: Avoid over-concentration in any single asset class, especially if much of your wealth is tied up in real estate or a business. Plan for wealth transfer: High-net-worth individuals should consider estate planning tools like trusts and gifting strategies to efficiently pass assets to heirs or charitable causes. Reassess risk tolerance: As you get closer to retirement, adjusting your investment strategy to preserve capital while still aiming for growth is essential. The good news is that financial growth doesn’t have an expiration date. Wealth—and even economic class—can shift over time, often more than people expect. If you’re serious about accelerating your progress or protecting what you’ve built, this is also the stage where consulting a financial advisor can really pay off. Whether it’s fine-tuning your investments, maximizing tax strategies, or simply creating a plan that fits your goals, smart guidance can help make the next chapter your strongest yet. Read Next: Image: Shutterstock UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? This article Are You ‘Upper Class’? Here’s The Net Worth You Need In Your 50s originally appeared on Benzinga.com © 2025 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Source link #Upper #Class #Heres #Net #Worth #50s Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Revenge of the Savage Planet Review – Vengeance Worth Pursuing Revenge of the Savage Planet Review – Vengeance Worth Pursuing In 2020, Journey to the Savage Planet offered enticing exploration and inventive combat as you scoured an unaccommodating alien planet for resources and catalogued its inhabitants. Five years later, Revenge of the Savage Planet delivers the same basic concept, but thanks to a new third-person perspective, multiple planets, and a more thoughtful world design, it offers players a more consistent and enjoyable experience. Stepping into the spacesuit of a hapless corporate employee tasked with exploring planets in remote corners of the galaxy, you immediately get to work scanning every object, creature, and plant. I loved activating my visor and seeing a ton of previously unscanned items around me. As you explore, you encounter several different beasts, ranging from cute ball-like raccoons to flaming birds that will not hesitate to spew lava at you. Armed with an upgradeable pistol, I always felt well-equipped to handle the encounters I was thrust into. Add various peripheral weapons like bait that distracts enemies or causes them to attack each other, a hose that can spray everything from lava to conductive goo, and a magnetic fork that lets you turn metal objects into projectiles, and Revenge of the Savage Planet offers engaging combat encounters throughout. You’ll need all these weapons at your disposal for the times when you stumble upon nests or find yourself the subject of an ambush. On multiple occasions, I struggled to keep up with the chaos onscreen, as wasps fired projectiles, exploding monsters sprinted towards me, and tongue-lashing beasts tried to rope me in for dinner. In those instances, I relied heavily not only on those secondary weapons, but on my character’s mobility, which is also upgradeable. However, some enemy types, like small bees that teleport around and poke at you from multiple directions, were more annoying than challenging. Upgrades are well-paced as you explore and gather resources, find blueprints, and complete quests to unlock new upgrade branches. While defeated creatures drop resources, few feelings surpassed the joy of watching a resource cache you found pop like a piñata. Those resources are essential for upgrading every part of your weapon and suit. Early on, I loved adding more oomph to my pistol, gaining a double-jump, or removing fall damage, while later upgrades fundamentally changed exploration through abilities like attaching a grapple beam anywhere, including mid-air. Though I loved adding that grappling ability to my arsenal late in the game, I was glad it came later, as it flips my favorite part of the game, exploration, on its head. Revenge of the Savage Planet gives you multiple planets, each with distinct biomes and myriad secrets to uncover, either alone or with a friend, throughout its 12-plus hour campaign. Thanks to this entry’s shift from the first-person gameplay of its predecessor to third-person gameplay, jumping from cliffside to floating platform is much more intuitive and reliable. From the lush rainforest environment of the starter planet to the icy peaks, sandy dunes, and volcanic craters of subsequent worlds, I relished finding every secret I could and scanning every creature to add them to my catalog. Revenge of the Savage Planet succeeds where many exploration-based open-world games fall short: It offers compelling discoveries nearly everywhere you go. Because of this, I often veered off the golden path to see what was nestled on the cliffside above my objective. Its Metroid-like world design dangles enticing secrets over your head, only to make you realize you don’t have the appropriate gear to reach it. I lost count of the number of times I excitedly returned to a previous planet with my new upgrade to finally access an area I learned about hours prior. Though it falls more into the background than the gameplay elements, Revenge of the Savage Planet offers mostly enjoyable satire of corporations and the act of working for one, including a customizable habitat that you can use proprietary corporate currency to decorate. Though I was always more compelled by the checklist nature of my quest log than I was by the narrative’s core mystery, I was glad to see the story through. Developer Raccoon Logic lays the humor on thick, particularly in the habitat, where you can watch satirical commercials. The jokes didn’t always land for me, but a few elicited more than a chuckle. Revenge of the Savage Planet is an upgrade over its predecessor in nearly every way. Consistently rewarding exploration pushed me to poke around every corner of the worlds I visited, and often-fun combat encounters kept the experience fresh and engaging. The first game was a fun one-off experience, but its sequel is a far more complete and rewarding package that left me hungry for more savage planets to explore. Source link #Revenge #Savage #Planet #Review #Vengeance #Worth #Pursuing Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Government industrial strategy will back cyber tech in drive for economic growth Government industrial strategy will back cyber tech in drive for economic growth The government will prioritise cyber security and cyber technology in its forthcoming industrial strategy as it looks for ways to boost the economic growth of the ***. The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden will use a speech to announce that the cyber sector will be a “prime target for economic growth” in Labour’s industrial strategy – expected to be published next month. The minister will tell business leaders and technology experts at a cyber security conference on Wednesday 7 May that investment in the cyber sector will deliver a “double dividend” – generating jobs in the *** while at the same time “protecting growth” in other sectors by improving cyber security. McFadden’s intervention comes as *** retailers, including Marks & Spencer, the Co-op and Harrods face fall out from ransomware attacks that have seriously damaged their IT systems and disrupted day to day operations. McFadden is expected to attribute the attacks to “serious organised crime” warning that the incidents should serve as a “wake-up call” for businesses and organizations across the *** and that they should regard cyber security as “an absolute necessity”. *** to fund Ukraine cyber defence The minister will also announce plans for the *** to invest £8 million in Ukrainian cyber defences, more than £1 million to protect Moldovan elections, and an extra £7 million for AI security research. The minister is due to tell the audience at the National Cyber Security Centre ‘s CyberUK’s conference in Manchester that digital technology also presents a “huge economic opportunity” for the whole country including the regions. He will say that the government will “turbo charge” the cyber sector in Labour’s upcoming industrial strategy, as part of a drive to “kick start” economic growth in the *** and to put more money in working people’s pockets. “There is enormous potential for cyber security to be a driving force in our economy – creating jobs, growth and opportunities for people. It’s already a sector on the up – with over 2,000 businesses across the ***,” he will say. “We want the benefits of the cyber industry to reach into communities all across the country. And that is why cyber will be a prime target for economic growth in the upcoming industrial strategy, as the Government secures Britain’s future. It is going to be a significant commitment,” he will add. More support for Ukraine The government will also announce plans to spend £8 million supporting the Ukraine to defend itself against Russian cyber-attacks over the next 12 months. “Ukraine has put up an incredibly brave fight against Putin’s cyberwarfare, and we have vowed to stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine for as long as it takes to defend their sovereignty,” he will say. Support for Ukraine comes on top of a £1.1 million investment to give the Moldovan Government tools to protect the country’s upcoming parliamentary election against Russian disinformation campaigns. Russia was accused of “massive” election manipulation in Romania leading to the annulment of elections in March after Russia supported a pro-Moscow populist candidate Cǎlin Georgescu. Cyber security growth in *** regions In the ***, according to the Cabinet Office, cyber technology is contributing to growth across the *** regions The sector holds 67,000 jobs, up 6,600 in the last year, and revenues now top £13bn, up by 12% year-on-year, McFadden will say. The North West of England is one of the regions that has seen a big upswing in cyber security.# The area has benefited as the intended home of the National Cyber Force in Salmesbury, Lancashire, the ***’s offence cyber operation, which aims to counter threats from terrorists, criminals and states, and has prompted collaborations between universities and high-tech businesses in the region. According to figures released today 8% of *** cyber security firms and 10% of *** cyber security employment is based in North West England, with the average cyber security salary in the region reaching £54,600. For the first time last year, the highest proportion (49%) of external cyber security investment was in the North West, following six investments worth over £100m in 2024. This was followed by the South East (21%), and London (14%). Retail hackers are ‘wake up call’ McFadden will also urge businesses and organisations in the *** to take cyber security seriously following ransomware attacks on retailers in recent weeks, which the minister described as an “old fashioned shakedown”. “Cyber attacks are not a game. Not a clever exercise. They are serious organised crime. The purpose is to damage and extort,” he will say. “What we have seen over the past couple of weeks should serve as a wake-up call for businesses and organisations up and down the ***, as if we needed one, that cybersecurity is not a luxury but an absolute necessity,” he will add. More funding for AI security research lab The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster will also give a progress report on the Laboratory for AI Security Research (LASR) he launched last November. The artificial intelligence (AI) cyber lab was to be backed with £8.22m of public money to give the *** an advantage in the “AI arms race”, McFadden said last year. LASR has now funded 10 PhDs at the University of Oxford; 9 researchers at The Turing Institute and “pioneering research” through 8 leading *** universities including Queen’s University Belfast and Lancaster University. The minister will announce an additional £7 million of government funding and a partnership between the AI lab and Cisco. “Cisco will work with LASR, and in particular the NCSC (National Cyber Security Centre), to run challenges across the *** and build a demonstrator here in the North West to showcase how our scientists and entrepreneurs can work together to manage the risks, build the skills and grasp the opportunities of AI security,” he will say. “This is the first collaboration of its kind with LASR, and will be a trailblazer where others can follow to help LASR drive cutting-edge research into the impact of AI on national security”. Cyber protection initiatives Feryal Clark MP, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for AI and Digital Government, at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology will use the conference to launch a series of initiatives to boost cyber protection for individuals and businesses. They include a Software Security Code of Practice” promoting “essential steps” to secure software sold by suppliers or developed internally. The guidance will mirror an earlier AI Security Code of Practice, which will today be adopted by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute. The government will also “drive investment” in the development of a secure chip technology, CHERI, that protects memory in microprocessors against cyber-attacks. Some £4.5 million will be spent helping firms bring the chips to market, find customers and encourage their use, Clark will announce. Source link #Government #industrial #strategy #cyber #tech #drive #economic #growth Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Electronic Arts (EA) Q4 earnings fiscal 2025 Electronic Arts (EA) Q4 earnings fiscal 2025 Visitors play the EA Sports FC 25 game in front of a placard with England’s midfielder Jude Bellingham at the Electronic Arts booth during the media day at the Gamescom video games trade fair in Cologne, western Germany, on Aug. 21, 2024. Ina Fassbender | AFP | Getty Images Electronic Arts shares rose more than 5% after the company topped fiscal fourth-quarter bookings estimates and issued upbeat guidance. Here’s how the company did versus LSEG consensus estimates: Earnings per share: 98 cents. This figure is not comparable to analysts’ estimates.Revenue (bookings): $1.80 billion vs. $1.56 billion expected The video game maker said it expects bookings to range between $7.60 billion and $8 billion for fiscal 2026, ahead of a StreetAccount estimate of $7.62 billion. Net bookings for fiscal 2025 totaled $7.355 billion. First-quarter bookings guidance came up short of analysts’ expectations. EA expects the figure to range between $1.175 billion and $1.275 billion, versus a $1.275 billion projection from analysts. CEO Andrew Wilson said the company’s FC and College Football games contributed to a strong year of bookings. “As we look to the future, we’re confident in our ability to execute across a deep pipeline — beginning this summer with the highly anticipated reveal of ‘Battlefield,’ a pivotal step in delivering on our next generation of blockbuster entertainment,” he wrote. Net income for the fourth-quarter of 2025 grew nearly 40% to $254 million, or 98 cents per share, from $182 million, or 67 cents per share, in the fourth quarter of 2024. For the year, net income totaled $1.12 billion, or $4.25 per share, down from $1.27 billion, or $4.68 per share, last year. The company also announced a dividend of 19 cents per share. Don’t miss these insights from CNBC PRO Source link #Electronic #Arts #earnings #fiscal Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Ranking Every Single Rockstar Game Ranking Every Single Rockstar Game Introduction Over the past two decades, Rockstar Games has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the games industry. Rising up from quirky Scotland-based developers with a taste for pulp and crime fiction, Rockstar evolved radically, shifting into innovators and provocateurs, creating some of the industry’s most influential and blockbuster titles. In the lead up to the eagerly anticipated Red Dead Redemption 2, we came together as a staff to rank every single game that Rockstar developed (this means we excluded published titles like L.A. Noire and Smuggler’s Run). From the humble top-down beginnings of Grand Theft Auto to the blood-soaked streets of Manhunt and the beautiful jaw-dropping vistas of Red Dead Redemption, you’ll find every single title put in its proper place in terms of influence, importance of innovation, and just plain fun. With all that in mind, let’s steal a ride and roar down this road to hell. Update (02/4/19): Now that Red Dead Redemption II has been out for a few months and we’ve had time to analyze and discuss its achievements, we’ve added it to the rankings below. 24-17 24. Wild Metal Release: 1999 Platforms: PC, Dreamcast Wild Metal is technically Rockstar’s first game, but the company wasn’t Rockstar yet. Released under the label DMA Design back in 1999, Wild Metal has aged terribly. The game pits tanks against one another on various planets, which just isn’t much fun to play. However, you can see the developer’s interest in vehicular carnage budding here, something that would come to define much of its catalog. 23. Midnight Club: Street Racing Release: 2000 Platform: PS2 Midnight Club is probably best known as the Other Rockstar Series With Cars, which is a shame since these racing games are so well done and enjoyable. The original Midnight Club is the weakest in the series, as future implementations and visual upgrades would make the series a critical darling. 22. Manhunt 2 Release: PS2, PSP, Wii Platform: 2007 Manhunt is one of the best and morally interesting stealth games ever made, with a gripping taut story starring a disgusting yet somehow sympathetic *********. Its sequel threw out everything that made the first game special and focused instead on the gory kill cams the original game caught so much controversy for, with decapitation, castration, and skull-popping all being things you could do on the regular thanks to stealthy executions. Couple that gleefully shock jock approach to violence with a terrible story about multiple personality disorder, and you have a sequel that falls well short of the original but is still a fun time (if you’ve got a strong stomach). 21. Rockstar Presents Table Tennis Release: 2006 Platform: Xbox 360, Wii Considered a bit of a joke on its announcement (“Why the hell are the Grand Theft Auto people make a table tennis game?”), Table Tennis nevertheless emerged as an enjoyable sports title respected for its smart A.I. and simplistic but addicting gameplay. It’s also the first Rockstar game to be developed on the Rockstar Advanced Game Engine (RAGE), which would go on to be used in Grand Theft Auto IV and subsequent titles. 20. Midnight Club II Release: 2003 Platform: PS2, Xbox, PC Midnight Club Racing II represented a substantial improvement over the first game thanks to a visual boost and the addition of solid online play. Midnight Club’s biggest and best games were still years out, however. 19. Grand Theft Auto Release: PC, PSOne Platform: 1997 As Michael Fassbender once said in that movie that we all pretend never happened, “Big things have small beginnings.” Grand Theft Auto would eventually go on to be the biggest selling games franchise in the world, with GTA V still showing up in the NPD Top 10 list consistently more than five years after its original release. However, the original GTA didn’t make much of a splash. It sold well but both critics and players weren’t endeared to the 2D graphics and the game doesn’t play particularly well today. Still, Grand Theft Auto is a fascinating prototype, packing in staples that we’d still see in entries to come, including radio stations and a small version of the open-world freedom that has come to define the series. 18. Red Dead Revolver Release: 2004 Platform: PS4, PS2, Xbox Oh yeah, there was a Red Dead game before Redemption! Initially a Capcom-funded title, the publisher abandoned the game after it showed poorly at several shows. Rockstar had acquired Revolver’s developer Angel Studios in 2002 and eventually purchased the rights to Revolver so that Angel, now Rockstar San Diego, could finish and release the game. The final release was interesting thanks to many quirks that piqued the interest of players, including well-done animations (like holstering your pistol instead of it just magically disappearing), leaning in and out of cover, and a dead-eye system that slowed down time and let you target specific points of a foe’s body. 17. Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories Release: 2005 Platform: PSP, PS2, Mobile Liberty City Stories was a technical revelation when it came out, proving that you could take something as huge as Grand Theft Auto III’s open-world experience and pack it down so it could still work on a portable device. Yeah, the story’s weak compared to later games in the series, but it’s still a fun little romp in the GTA verse. 16-12 16. Grand Theft Auto 2 Release: 1999 Platform: PSOne, Dreamcast, PC Grand Theft Auto 2 wisely built on the elements that made the original game enjoyable while trimming down its flaws. True 3D graphics wouldn’t arrive until GTA III, but this game is much easier on the eyes. ******* improvements included the player working for multiple factions instead of one, a stronger police response to crime (including SWAT), and the most important one: NPCs weren’t just mindless drones, but actual characters that would interact with the world, using cars and getting into fights with gang members. This helped create the illusion of a living world in a way that few games, if any, were doing at the time. Grand Theft Auto’s big moment was still four years away, but GTA 2 showed that the series was capable of becoming something truly special. 15. Midnight Club: Los Angeles Release: 2008 Platform: PS3, Xbox 360, PSP Los Angeles marks one of the best moments of the Midnight Club series thanks to a bevy improvements and additions, including a day/night cycle, realism tweaks, gorgeous visuals, and a police force that will hunt you down in this open-world version of Los Angeles if you so much as speed or run a red light. Los Angeles may have shrunk down the multi-city focus of III, but that doesn’t mean its setting is any less compelling or impressive. 14. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories Release: 2006 Platform: PS2, PSP Unlike Liberty City Stories, its Vice City counterpart had more than impressive tech on its side. Focusing on Vic Vance, the brother of Lance Vance, and a character unceremoniously killed in the opening of Vice City, Vice City Stories not only let us roam around what is arguably Grand Theft Auto’s best setting on the go, but also gave us new stories featuring fan-favorite characters from the origins game and helping set the stage for the eventual rise of Tommy Vercetti. 13. Midnight Club III Release: 2005 Platform: PS2, Xbox, PSP The open-world street racing genre may have been a small one in the early 2000s, but let there be no doubt: Midnight Club was the king of it. Before Midnight Club III, the series was regarded as one of Rockstar’s lesser passion projects. The third game mixed a bit of Grand Theft Auto’s ambitions and polish into its street racing focus and the series is that much better for it. With three big cities (Atlanta, Detroit, and San Diego) to roam, a huge collection of great music to listen to, and enhanced vehicle customization, Midnight Club III is easily the apex of the series. 12. Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars Release: 2009 Platform: Nintendo DS, PSP, Mobile The best of the portable Grand Theft Autos. Sure, it lacks the 3D visuals of the City Story counterparts and the writing is iffy at best, but the minigames for stealing cars and a surprisingly detailed drug-dealing system focused on systems that GTA hadn’t really bothered with before make it a standout entry. Chinatown Wars’ approach to the series staple Wanted level, requiring the player to destroy a certain number of police vehicles to lower the level, was also novel and is frankly a little missed. Chinatown Wars still doesn’t hold a candle to the main entries of the game, but we wish future GTAs would take a little more inspiration from the best portable spin-off when it comes to making interesting systems that help you immerse yourself in the world. 11-6 11. The Warriors Release: 2005 Platform: PS4, PS2, Xbox, PSP Warriorsssss come out to play-ay. At first glance, The Warriors seems like an odd title for a major game studio to adapt. But then again, Rockstar has always played by its own rules. In the case of The Warriors game, that’s a great thing. Before Rocksteady came along with Arkham Asylum to shake up our idea of what a good video game adaptation could be, The Warriors was one of the best adaptations of a movie thanks to its engrossing, sometimes hysterical combat, bleak but well-done environments, and faithfulness to the source material. 10. Max Payne 3 Release: 2012 Platform: PS3, Xbox 360, PC, Mac Rockstar took over the reins to everyone’s favorite series starring a widowed, drunk cop after Remedy bowed out, and the third entry is a hell of a sequel. Max Payne 3 is a bold game, essentially throwing the closure of the second game’s ending out the window to focus on Max’s time in Brazil working private security for a wealthy family. Our tragic protagonist’s past trails him, causing misery and death to everyone around him, not to mention glorious shootouts. Even if Max Payne 3 didn’t have the series’ renowned bullet-time sequences (it does, thank goodness), which allows you to slow down the world Matrix style, the gunplay would still be fantastic. In 2011, the game’s approach to mixing realism with Michael Mann-like violence was unparalleled. Max always carries his weapons in a believable way, a pistol in one hand, a shotgun gripped by the barrel in the other. Max’s body feels like it has weight as he leaps around, often taking a full second or two to get up once he’s landed, leaving you open to enemy fire. The environment is often shredded to bits, destroying you and your enemy’s cover during the course of a firefight. In the moment-by-moment action (as well as the beautiful setting that balances exotic with despair) Max Payne 3 does so much right it’s easy to overlook the story’s habit of aping Man on Fire‘s plot or the fact that the game might just be a little too long for its own good. Max Payne 3 is easily one of the best third-person shooters ever made, and we’re still waiting on that sequel, Rockstar. 9. Manhunt Release: 2003 Platform: PS4, PS2, Xbox, PC With the likes of Metal Gear Solid, Thief, Tenchu, and Splinter Cell often thought of as the monumental stealth-action titles, it’s a shame that Manhunt has never been regarded in the same way. Rockstar’s first stab at stealth drew attention from major outlets for its gory action, letting you strangle unsuspecting victims with barbed wire and suffocate them with plastic bags. To a degree, that’s fair. Manhunt is grotesque and uncomfortable with its violence even now, with basic household items being used to ******* people while the camera lingers on every moment and detail. Every spurt, every convulsion plays to disgusting effect. However, unlike the sequel, Manhunt’s violence feels thematically apt and like it has a point. You’re a rat in a huge maze, scurrying around to survive, as predators much stronger than you lurk around every corner. The streets and world, presented as a modern take on The Running Man where snuff films are all the rage, are disturbing on a thematic level as much as they are on a visceral one. The tension as you sneak slowly behind a man armed with a shotgun, your only weapon a shard of glass in your hand, has rarely been matched in the genre. At the end of the day, Manhunt feels like a world-class game that’s never gotten its proper due thanks to the controversy surrounding its violence. However, as both a thematically unified interactive story and as a stealth-action game, Manhunt is a gripping thriller and one of Rockstar’s best. For more on Manhunt, check out this opinion piece we wrote on the game’s timelessness. 8. Grand Theft Auto IV Release: 2008 Platform: PS3, Xbox 360, PC The ****** sheep of the 3D Grand Theft Auto main entries. The fourth entry was universally beloved on release, but when presented against the other entries in the series, most people seem to think it never matches up to the lively settings of San Andreas, Vice City, or Los Santos or the importance of III. However, Grand Theft Auto IV remains a frankly amazing title that marries a bleak, beautiful story about losing yourself in The American Dream to a combat system that made fantastic use of effects and a cover system. You’d frequently end up in intense gunfight moments where glass would shatter above you or you’d nail an enemy from around a corner in a slum with a lucky blind fire shot from your pistol. On the design front, this was also the first time Rockstar played with offering players choices that affected the narrative. Three Leaf Clover, one of the best missions in the whole series, also planted the seeds for the complex heists that we’d see in Grand Theft Auto V. A strong supporting cast introduces plenty of laughs and groans, with a great showing from the likes of bumbling but good-hearted Roman Bellic and vicious, loyal Irish gangster Packie McCready. However, it’s the tragedy of Niko Bellic that steals the show, with our protagonist caught between the future that he wants and the past he’s trying to escape, with no way out. Sure, Vice City and Grand Theft Auto V might be prettier than IV’s dreary, perpetually overcast setting, while San Andreas is much *******, but the series has never surpassed the superb, epic storytelling in this entry. GTA IV’s standalone expansions, The Lost And The Damned and The Ballad Of Gay Tony, also added more compelling stories into the mix as well as fun things to do, resulting in a game that you could easily lose a 100 hours in just doing the critical path stuff as well as a few side activities. For more on Grand Theft Auto IV, check out our piece on how it tackles The American Dream. 7. Bully Release: 2006 Platform: PS4, PS2, Xbox, PC, Mobile One of Rockstar’s strangest, most delightful works, Bully proved that the developer could branch out beyond the gritty pulp of its other franchises. Even years later, Bully is a treasure trove when it comes to creativity, letting players use items like marbles and stink bombs as weapons and featuring an amusing storyline about adolescence, social groups, and rebelling against authority. The level of attention to detail is also still impressive, with every student at Bullsworth having their own model and personality. Protagonist Jimmy Hopkins/the player being expected to attend classes, presented as minigames, is also a surprisingly fun activity, and the small open-world of Bullsworth is still a fun place to explore years later. For all of Rockstar’s image and marketing being tied to games with adult themes, there is perhaps no stronger showcase of the developer’s talents for building systems and games that are just fun to play regardless of tone than Bully. 6-1 6. Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Release: 2004 Platform: PS4, PS3, PS2, Xbox, PC, Mobile Years before Oblivion and Skyrim set general audience expectations of getting lost in a massive world for hundreds of hours, San Andreas took GTA’s immensely popular sandbox design, blew it up to frankly ridiculous proportions, and even mixed in some RPG-lite mechanics for good measure. Following in the wake of Vice City’s embrace of the ’80s, San Andreas did the most natural thing in the world, paying homage to ’90s gang films like Boyz In The Hood as it followed protagonist CJ’s return to his old neighborhood after the death of his mother and subsequent reconnection with his old gang, The Grove Street Families. Even now, San Andreas’ ambitions are impressive, with GTA’s standard city setting expanded into a full state, featuring mini versions of Los Angeles, Los Vegas, San Francisco, and entire wilderness of desert, canyons, forests, and small towns between them. The story mode is equally massive, taking around 30 hours to complete and walking a balancing act between ridiculous laughs and effective tragedy. On how it uses its real estate alone, San Andreas is one of the greatest games of all time. The last Grand Theft Auto game of the PS2 era is also special for letting us mold its protagonist. Literally. CJ has a set personality and story, but you can also define him in a way that you couldn’t with Tommy or Claude (GTA III’s protagonist). You could give him a haircut, buy him a wardrobe, and even define his physicality by having him visit the gym to become leaner or fattening him up with too many burgers. Often considered one of the swan songs of the PS2, San Andreas set a new level of expectation for open-world games on release and still shines brightly today. 5. Grand Theft Auto III Release: 2001 Platform: PS4, PS3, PS2, Xbox, PC, Mobile There are a handful of titles you can say, without hyperbole, changed video games forever. Grand Theft Auto III is one of them. Taking the open-world design principles of the previous two games, Rockstar created an interactive 3D sandbox that cast players as a criminal out for revenge. After escaping from the back of a prison truck, you worked your way up through the crime world, assassinating, transporting ******** materials, and getting up to all sorts of mayhem in your own time. You could taxi NPCs around, play an ambulance worker, or even wage a one-man war against the police by setting the local car dealership on fire with a flamethrower. Games centered on player freedom had been done before mostly on PC (see Ultima and Fallout), but it was a novel concept for the general console audience. It also helped that Grand Theft Auto III married its open-ended design to topics that were scandalous at the time for video games, including prostitution, dealing drugs, and the specifics of organized crime. GTA III sent shockwaves throughout the industry, attracting international attention and creating yet another conversation about violence in video games and the effect on people who play them. More than that though, the game resulted in a huge amount of similar crime-driven sandboxes coming out of the woodwork (True Crime, Saints Row) and a emerging focus in the industry on giving players more control in games. Grand Theft Auto III might be rough to go back to, especially when you look at all the implementations that future entries built on top of the foundation it laid, but the importance of its release and its effect on the industry – and culture at large – cannot be overstated. 4. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Release: 2002 Platform: PS4, PS3, PS2, Xbox, PC, Mobile For all its importance, Grand Theft Auto III is more of a brilliant proof of concept than anything else. Its story was ho-hum, the silent protagonist forgettable, and it didn’t really have any personality outside of its middle-finger-to-taboos tone. Vice City is perhaps the most important game for Rockstar in terms of establishing its reputation because it proved that the studio was more than a fluke, that it could create an interesting story and a world worth inhabiting. Rarely do games ever eclipse Vice City as a setting. Engulfed in a storm of neon lights and brown packages of ********, Vice City exudes personality and storytelling ambitions out of the gate with Tommy Vercetti slowly getting reacquainted to the world of drugs and crime after a stint in prison. Where Claude is silent, Ray Liotta’s Vercetti is constantly angry or amused. Moreover, Vice City is an improvement upon the original when it comes to slowly making you feel powerful, as you take over real estate littered throughout the city to become a business man by day and drug lord by night. Vice City’s grand cast of supporting characters — from cowardly lawyer Ken Rosenberg to wingman Lance Vance and pornographer Steve Scott — is the apex of the series when it comes to characters that are delightfully oddball and a pleasure to interact with. Do we even need to waste your time talking about how good the soundtrack and radio stations are? Mister, Mister, Michael Jackson, Laura Brannigan, Flock Of Seagulls. There is perhaps no licensed soundtrack in games more iconic than Vice City’s. As a put-up-or-shut-up feat, Vice City is infallible, demonstrating Rockstar’s ability to innovate and build upon previous established systems in interesting ways and draw players into a memorable setting. It’s perhaps the greatest bit of irony that for all its nostalgia waxing, people now look to the game with a passionate nostalgia of their own, eager to revisit the PlayStation 2’s flashiest classic. 3. Red Dead Redemption Release: 2010 Platform: PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360 Let’s be real here. Rockstar wouldn’t have had to go too far outside of its wheelhouse to make the best Western game. Beyond a couple decent titles (looking at you, Gun and Call Of Juárez), the genre was mostly abandoned. However, Red Dead Redemption is far better than any of the mocking Grand Theft Horse criticisms that were thrown at the game when it was announced. An adventure epic in scope and ultimately tragic in tone, Red Dead Redemption’s shining achievement is its humanistic angle, painting its hero John Marston as a man taking up arms to try and right an evil past and save his family from destruction. The result is one of the best stories ever told in a game, with a lengthy collection of memorable one-liners as well as an unforgettable final act. Atop of its storytelling achievements, the gunplay is fantastic, successfully setting itself apart from Grand Theft Auto’s gameplay. The activities you can pursue through The Old West (ranging from capturing bounties and rescuing travelers from cannibals to playing five finger knife fillet with folks) helped create an odd but intriguing world. Vistas encompassing snowy mountains and miles upon miles of deserts make Red Dead one of the best-looking games of the last generation. A fun online multiplayer suite filled with varied modes also made revisiting Red Dead Redemption after completing story an intriguing prospect. Undead Nightmare, a goofy but huge expansion pack featuring an all new alternate campaign filled with zombies, gave players even more reason to return. A beautiful world filled with a memorable, zany cast of characters and a nearly flawless story makes Red Dead Redemption one of Rockstar’s best. 2. Grand Theft Auto V Release: 2013 Platform: PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PC For many people at Game Informer, Red Dead Redemption marks the high point of open-world video games thanks to its beauty and blend of brilliant storytelling as well as a gazillion side activities. In the end though, we couldn’t overlook Grand Theft Auto V’s astonishing multi-faceted success. On release, V offered a deep, engaging story mode filled with great missions and sympathetic (if occasionally annoying) characters in gorgeous, glitzy Los Santos. The three protagonists (Trevor, Michael, and Franklin) all have their own stories that are united by a single storyline and each of them has their own character-unique gameplay elements, including clothing that they wear, hideouts they can access, haircuts, and more. The gunplay, driving mechanics, and physics have been retooled since GTA IV to make combat more exhilarating. The heist missions’ customization (letting you choose how you were going to conduct the robberies and letting you pick your accomplices) had engaging consequences for your actions, encouraging you to replay them to see how different choices pan out. At its core, Grand Theft Auto V is a glorious, ambitious interactive television show about robbers and the lives they lead – a mixture of Heat and The Wire. GTA V’s version of Los Santos is also one of the most vibrant and beautiful worlds Rockstar has put together, with literal ocean floors that players can explore, huge deserts, mountains for them to leap off of with a parachute, beaches, as well as the thriving metropolis of the city itself and the small town charm of Paleto Bay. The entire world feels alive and rarely wastes any of its acreage, proving to be a place that’s worth examining every nook and cranny for random events and memorable treasures. However, GTA V’s trump card actually didn’t come out until a month after release: Grand Theft Auto Online. As the name implies, GTAO, taking inspiration from MMOs and the like, allows players to roam Los Santos untethered, letting them run solo or in groups, to take on everything from liquor store hold ups to multi-million dollar heists in order to accumulate cash that they can use to buy cars, houses, clothes, guns — everything. In the years since then, Rockstar has steadily supported its online world, dropping content pack after content pack filled with free missions and items, and even new systems. Over the years, GTAO has grown thanks to influx of content as well as zany events like insane stunt races and PVP modes, giving players new reasons to return to Los Santos. The ongoing support, as well as the quality of the base game (and re-releases) has resulted in GTA V continuing to appear in the NPD’s Top 10 for years. The game’s success has spanned two console generations, leading the series to become the most profitable entertainment media of all time. GTA V is a phenomenon, plain and simple. Its story might not stand up quite as well to Red Dead Redemption, but the combination of a robust, impressive single-player campaign with the innovation (and still supported) online component made the game Rockstar’s boldest and most accomplished work….until a new game galloped over the horizon. 1. Red Dead Redemption II Release: 2018 Platform: PS4, Xbox One The sequel to Red Dead Redemption had a lot to prove. The original boasted one of gaming’s most convincing and enthralling open-worlds as well as one of its best storylines. Players were skeptical from the get-go, with Rockstar revealing that the game was a prequel focusing on the days of the Dutch Van Der Linde gang instead of a chronological sequel that number in the title suggested. However, after a long wait, Red Dead Redemption II finally released and wowed players on all fronts. Featuring a ridiculously complex world filled with intractable NPCs that maintain schedules, realistic ecosystems where animals hunt one another, and a bevy of tactical simulations and realistic touches that dwarfs any other AAA game, Rockstar’s latest features its most exciting world. Given that the developer’s pedigree includes Los Santos, Vice City, and Bullsworth Academy, it’s not an easy feat. And yet there’s so much to do (Don’t believe us? Here’s a list of 101 in-game activities) and so much beauty in Red Dead Redemption II’s snowy peaks, dustbowls, small towns, and most of all its camps, where characters party, mourn, and try their best to make it through the Wild West in one piece. No doubt this world is the perfect playground for those already entering Red Dead Online. So far the multiplayer component is a far cry from the behemoth that is GTA Online but riding across the plains with your pals and working with one another to build a small fortune for your own gang is gripping enough that countless players are just find raising a ruckus in the old west until the content drops arrive. This complexity and allure of this world is only matched by the masterful storytelling in Red Dead Redemption II’s campaign. Replacing fan-favorite and immediately likable John Marston with gruff henchman Arthur Morgan was a hell of a gambit but one that paid off as, over the course of a long story, the real man lurking beneath rough exterior emerged and painted a fascinating portrait of the struggle for decency under harsh conditions. Arthur’s relationship with the gang, particularly with entropic leader Dutch, is incredible to watch unfold, whether he’s comparing one of the camp’s layabouts to parasites, offering words of comfort to someone going through a tough time, or even awkwardly seeking his own measure of reassurance among the people he considers his family. With memorable chapters featuring train robberies and fiery mansion shootouts, Arthur’s story also has more than enough exciting set pieces to keep its lofty character-driven narrative from becoming sluggish. While some players might understandably grow frustrated with its admittedly confusing control scheme or certain realism quirks, like having to constantly fetch weapons from your saddlebag, Rockstar’s executions of its mad ambitions cannot be denied. With a tragic and epic tale, an arresting world, and an online component ripe for creating emergent stories, Red Dead Redemption II is an incredible experience top to bottom and marks the developer’s most stunning achievement yet. Source link #Ranking #Single #Rockstar #Game Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

Columbia University cuts 180 staffers funded by federal grants revoked by Trump administration – NBC News Columbia University cuts 180 staffers funded by federal grants revoked by Trump administration – NBC News Columbia University cuts 180 staffers funded by federal grants revoked by Trump administration NBC NewsPreserving Columbia’s Critical Research Capabilities Columbia UniversityColumbia University lays off around 180 staff after Trump administration revokes grants Fox NewsColumbia Lays Off Nearly 180 People Because of Trump Research Cuts The New York TimesColumbia Cuts 180 Employees After ‘Intense’ Strain of Losing Federal Funding Bloomberg.com Source link #Columbia #University #cuts #staffers #funded #federal #grants #revoked #Trump #administration #NBC #News Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

It was NHS at its worst, ex-ombudsman tells inquiry into mental health services It was NHS at its worst, ex-ombudsman tells inquiry into mental health services Sir Rob Behrens says it was a “disgrace” how mental health services failed two vulnerable men. Source link #NHS #worst #exombudsman #tells #inquiry #mental #health #services Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

The block-dropping strategy/roguelite “Drop Duchy” is now available for PC via Steam The block-dropping strategy/roguelite “Drop Duchy” is now available for PC via Steam “The Paris-based (France) indie games publisher The Arcade Crew and indie games developer Sleepy Mill Studio, today announced with great delight and thrill that their block-dropping strategy/roguelite “Drop Duchy“, is coming to PC (via Steam) on May 5th this Summer (2025).” – Jon as Ek, TGG. Source link #blockdropping #strategyroguelite #Drop #Duchy #Steam Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Just Through Central Park, a Different Gala Celebrates Students’ First Steps Just Through Central Park, a Different Gala Celebrates Students’ First Steps Just a 10-minute walk from the flashing cameras and swarms of crowds outside the Met Gala last night, a very different sort of gala was taking place at the Central Park Boathouse. It was the inaugural iBrain Gala, a runway show dedicated to celebrating the nonverbal and physically disabled students who attend the iBrain school in Brooklyn and on the Upper East Side. On a long red carpet, teenage students wearing tuxedos, glittering spring dresses and superhero costumes were helped out of their wheelchairs and into a pediatric metal exoskeleton that allowed them to walk. Their friends, family and teachers cheered them on with applause. Then they made their way to a small runway stage, where they basked in more applause. The evening’s fashion theme was “Glamorous Superheroes,” and outfits included Aquaman, Superman and Batman. Artworks were auctioned off to bidders, including a painting titled “Transforming Marco” that depicted a wheelchair-using student named Marco Cohen walking for the first time with the exoskeleton device. The painting showed him striding forward alone with majestic purple waves flowing behind him. The school’s founder and chairman, Patrick Donohue, explained his gala’s mission. “The difference between the Met Gala and this gala,” he said, “is that over there, they have George Clooney walking around with a bunch of celebrities, and here, we have students walking for the very first time in their lives, and that is something special.” Mr. Donohue founded the school, which also has a location in Washington, D.C., in 2018. The reason was partly personal: His teenage daughter, Sarah Jane, is severely disabled and brain-injured, and when she was a child he felt that the city’s schools could not adequately accommodate her needs, so he resolved to start his own. As the night grew late, and the school’s students savored their last turns on the runway stage, Mr. Donohue reflected on the gala’s debut. “We picked the Central Park Boathouse because we intentionally wanted to be close to the Met Gala to help bring attention to our inaugural event,” he added. “This event is here to highlight our amazing students and all our hard-working teachers and staff.” “Because they actually are,” he added, “the most beautiful people in New York City tonight.” Source link #Central #Park #Gala #Celebrates #Students #Steps Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Gujarat survive showers in Mumbai to move top of IPL Gujarat survive showers in Mumbai to move top of IPL Gujarat Titans have gone top of the Indian Premier League with a thrilling three-wicket victory over Mumbai Indians amid showers that relented just in time. In a game twice interrupted by rain, Gujarat won on the DLS method off the final ball of what was effectively a super over, reaching the revised target of 147 for the loss of seven wickets. Mumbai had been restricted to 8-155 after losing five wickets for 27 runs in the middle overs. Will Jacks top-scored with 53 after being dropped before he had scored. Suryakumar Yadav was also reprieved on 10 before scoring 35. When rain first intruded, Gujarat were eight runs ahead on DLS, but Mumbai stormed back through their pace bowlers when play resumed. Gujarat lost four wickets in 16 ****** as Jasprit Bumrah clean-bowled Shubman Gill (43) and Shahrukh Khan (6) to finish with 2-19. Sherfane Rutherford smashed a quickfire 28 off 15 ******, but Trent Boult trapped him lbw and Rashid Khan also fell leg before to Ashwani Kumar’s searing yorker, before rain took the players off again. When play resumed well past midnight, the Titans were tasked with 15 runs to win and six ****** in which to get them. Rahul Tewatia smashed Deepak Chahar for a straight boundary off the first ball and Gerald Coetzee smacked a six over long off to bring down the target to four off three ******. After Chahar bowled a no-ball, Coetzee holed out at mid-wicket, leaving the equation one from one, or a real super over contest would ensue. Arshad Khan drove to Hardik Pandya at mid-off and scrambled home when he would have been run out with a direct hit. “There was a little bit of chaos when we came in to bat after the rain,” Gujarat captain Gill said. “But it’s always good to have a W after the match.” Gujarat lead the standings with 16 points ahead of Royal Challengers Bangalore on net run-rate. Mumbai are in the fourth and final play-off spot with 14 points. Source link #Gujarat #survive #showers #Mumbai #move #top #IPL Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Rival Game Studios Are “Breathing a sigh of relief” After GTA 6 Delay, Says Industry Analyst Rival Game Studios Are “Breathing a sigh of relief” After GTA 6 Delay, Says Industry Analyst The Grand Theft Auto series has been one of the most popular and successful video game franchises of all time. With every installment, Rockstar Games has proved that it is capable of pushing the limits, and the same is expected with the next installment, Grand Theft Auto 6. In December 2023, fans got the first trailer for GTA 6, which confirmed that the game would be released in 2025. Unfortunately, the game has once again been delayed, and that’s a good thing for other video game developers. Every time a GTA installment gets released, it sets a new standard and breaks various records, but every other video game that has been released alongside a GTA game has always struggled to generate revenue. Other video game studios are celebrating Grand Theft Auto 6‘s delay With the first Grand Theft Auto 6 trailer, Rockstar Games revealed that the game would be released in Fall 2025. With no official date, other video game studios were worried that GTA 6‘s release date would collide with the release date of their video games. Most major studios are currently not doing too well in terms of sales and revenue, so the last thing developers want is their video game getting overshadowed by GTA 6. Dr. Serkan Toto, CEO of Japan game industry consultancy Kantan Games, recently appeared for an interview with GamesRadar and talked about the impact of GTA 6‘s delay on the industry. He explained, Studios looking to release games in the second half of 2025 are probably breathing a sigh of relief now: No more danger that GTA 6 takes the oxygen out of the room anymore. The second trailer for Rockstar’s GTA 6 is finally here. The trailer unexpectedly dropped shortly after Rockstar released an official statement announcing that the game had been delayed because the studio needed extra time to deliver the game at the quality fans expect and deserve. This time, fans didn’t get a release window; instead, they got an official release date: May 26th, 2026. GTA 6‘s fixed release date will allow industry giants to plan accordingly Rockstar Games needs more time to deliver the experience that fans are expecting (Image via Rockstar Games) Toto further pointed out that Nintendo now has enough time to set up the market, Sony can release Ghost of Yotei without worry, and Xbox can release its first-ever handheld device. Video game studios will now focus on releasing their game before or after May 2026, because no one would like to compete with GTA 6. Rockstar Games has also released a lot of information about its protagonists, maps, and gameplay on its official website. With video games slowly getting more and more expensive, there are speculations that Rockstar could charge $100 for GTA 6, but the game needs to justify this price tag. The delay is indeed disappointing, but diehard fans want Rockstar to take its time. Some leakers have made some bold claims that the budget of GTA 6 is roughly $2 billion, but that is yet to be confirmed. Whatever the number may be, GTA 6 will certainly be Rockstar’s most expensive game till date, so it’s safe to say that it won’t disappoint the fans. Source link #Rival #Game #Studios #Breathing #sigh #relief #GTA #Delay #Industry #Analyst Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

How the U.S. State Department’s Travel Advisory System Works How the U.S. State Department’s Travel Advisory System Works Level 1, labeled Exercise Normal Precautions, means the destination is generally considered safe. Travelers should still be careful, just as they would at home, because there’s always some risk when traveling abroad. As of May, countries such as Canada, Grenada, Zambia and Fiji were in this group. Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution, considers the country to have some safety risks, but it’s still usually safe to visit if you stay alert and follow local advice. Level 2 warnings often arise from concerns about crime, terrorism, protests or illness. For example, the Netherlands is under a Level 2 advisory because, reads the advisory, “[t]errorists continue plotting possible attacks in the Netherlands.” Dutch officials in December 2024 maintained their own terrorist threat assessment level at 4 out of 5, the same level it had been at for a year, because of factors like the war in Gaza, incidents involving the burning of the Quran, and jihadist network activity. Most countries on the U.S. travel advisory list fall under Level 1. Level 3, Reconsider Travel, is used when serious safety concerns like civil unrest, high crime or poor infrastructure are present. For example, Colombia is in this category because some areas of the country are experiencing high rates of crime, terrorism, conflict between armed groups, and the risk of detention by authorities or other parties. The U.S. embassy in Colombia issued an alert on April 28 encouraging Americans to reconsider travel to Valle del Cauca, a coastal area, because of violent crime. Source link #U.S #State #Departments #Travel #Advisory #System #Works Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content] For verified travel tips and real support, visit: [Hidden Content]

India says it attacked nine sites in Pakistan, Pakistani Kashmir India says it attacked nine sites in Pakistan, Pakistani Kashmir Due to the ongoing tension between India and Pakistan, the Indian government ordered various states to conduct mock drills, following which a mock drill was conducted by the Civil Defense at the Reserve Police Lines on May 6, 2025 in Lucknow, India. Deepak Gupta | Hindustan Times | Getty Images Multiple loud explosions were heard in several places in Pakistan and Pakistani Kashmir on Wednesday as India said it had attacked “terrorist infrastructure” in nine sites and Pakistan vowed to respond to the attacks. After the explosions, power was blacked out inMuzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistani Kashmir, witnesses said. It was not immediately clear what the explosions were. “A little while ago, the Indian armed forces launched ‘OPERATION SINDOOR’, hitting terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir from where terrorist attacks against India have been planned and directed,” the Indian government said in a statement. “Our actions have been focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature. No Pakistani military facilities have been targeted. India has demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and method of execution,” it said. A spokesman for Pakistan’s military told broadcaster ARY that India had attacked Pakistan with missiles in three places and that Pakistan would respond. The development comes amid heightened tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours in the aftermath of an attack on Hindu tourists in Indian Kashmir last month. India blamed Pakistan for the violence in which 26 men were killed and vowed to respond. Pakistan denied that it had anything to do with the killings and said that it had intelligence that India was planning to attack. Source link #India #attacked #sites #Pakistan #Pakistani #Kashmir Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]

Microsoft has turned Xbox into just a Game Pass machine, so why should I ever buy a Series X? Microsoft has turned Xbox into just a Game Pass machine, so why should I ever buy a Series X? “The Southern Finland-based indie games developer Gloomsoft are today very happy and excited to announce that their dark sci-fi metroidvania “Moadra” , is coming to PC (via Steam) and consoles (PS5, Xbox Series X, and the Nintendo Switch) via digital stores this year (2025).” – Jonas Ek, TGG. Source link #Microsoft #turned #Xbox #Game #Pass #machine #buy #Series Pelican News View the full article at [Hidden Content]