The president took to social media on Friday and Saturday to criticize the choice of Navi Pillay and disparage the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

© Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times

There was a time that alcohol flowed freely at the Iranian Embassy, and celebrities like Frank Sinatra and Elizabeth Taylor were among the guests.

Historically a new Grand Theft Auto game inspired controversy around violence – but this time people are getting exercised about its romance

There was never any doubt that Grand Theft Auto VI’s extended look would elicit a viral reaction from the internet. Having won the Game Awards’ Most Anticipated award twice consecutively, Rockstar’s forthcoming crime opus is one of the most frothed-over games in recent memory, or indeed ever. It’s nothing short of a cultural phenomenon.

One aspect of the game has provoked an unexpectedly vehement response on social media: not violence, but romance. Protagonists Lucia and Jason are in love, you see, and as a player, part of your job is keeping their spark alive and their relationship strong, so that their criminal escapades are underpinned by a strong connection to one another. Holding hands, enjoying a date at the beach, spontaneously texting one another when apart – all of these interactions will strengthen their bond. You’ll be putting in a lot of work to ensure this couple thrives, which is why some people have come to believe that playing GTA VI counts as micro-cheating.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Rockstar Games

© Photograph: Rockstar Games

© Photograph: Rockstar Games

As Rockstar’s blockbuster prepares to dominate the headlines, it’s time for the mainstream media to stop treating video games as a novelty that needs explaining

Predictably, the Grand Theft Auto VI “extended look” which premiered on Netflix last week was a success for all involved. The 30-minute preview scorched to No 1 on the viewing chart and even brought the site down for a few minutes as millions of gamers tried to watch what was, effectively, a very long teaser trailer. According to data collated by Eurogamer, more than 9,000 Twitch streamers covered the show leading to 5,227,798 hours of viewing there alone. And this was just the beginning of what will surely be two months of escalating hype – and unprecedented media attention.

Call me cynical, but I suspect the coverage of GTA VI in the media over the next few weeks will follow a familiar pattern. Mostly, it will be five-minute slots wedged in near the end of news bulletins in which games journalists, industry analysts and other pundits will be asked why the game is such a big deal, how much it cost to make and how much revenue it will generate. Perhaps a few will try to reignite the hoary old “violence in video games” debate, there will be presenters laughingly admitting they’ve not touched a game since Pac-Man, rolling their eyes and wallowing in their ignorance, in a way they never would while discussing any other art form. Somebody will venture the subversive view that “games are no longer just for kids”; somebody else will say “games make more money than films and music put together”. And that will be that, job done for another decade … or until there’s a funny story about Pokémon.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Rockstar Games

© Photograph: Rockstar Games

© Photograph: Rockstar Games

Under some strange circumstances, Rockstar broadcast the first (official) gameplay footage of Grand Theft Auto VI, the most-anticipated game of the year. Here’s everything you need to know.

Ah yes, it’s a drug den. We’re in familiar GTA territory here: narcotics, smart phones, tattooed gangsters and a police raid. The duo shoot their way out of the room – the gunplay is very familiar to the series – third-person over the shoulder. I’m getting a distinct True Romance/Leon vibe to this chaos.

These closeup slow-motion kill shots are giving me flashbacks to Fallout 3 and its slightly sickening VATS violence.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Rockstar Games

© Photograph: Rockstar Games

© Photograph: Rockstar Games

Big developers are discovering that the technical progress of photorealism doesn’t always translate into the creative spark that gives gamers joy – and keeps them playing

• Don’t get Pushing Buttons delivered to your inbox? Sign up here

Last week, Asha Sharma, the new head of Xbox, laid out her vision for the future of the console and interestingly, the two titles she picked out as potential areas of growth were Minecraft and Candy Crush Saga – games that don’t exactly scream next-generation entertainment. Neither relies on hyper-realistic visuals, which is the north star that games consoles and gaming PCs have been aiming at for the past 40 years. They are, instead, well-designed, well-loved franchises that you can play and enjoy on almost any PC, console or phone.

The fact is, the quest for visual hyperrealism is breaking the games industry. It’s becoming more and more expensive to put high-end graphics hardware into machines thanks to demand from the AI sector; at the same time, creating superrealistic visuals is an incredibly expensive and complex part of game development, leading to longer development periods. GTA VI, for example, has taken at least eight years to develop and is rumoured to have cost between $1bn and $2bn. By my back-of-an-envelope calculations, that’s around four times more than GTA V. Admittedly, the detail on everything, from the characters’ faces, to the cars, to the cityscapes, is astonishing. But will it be four times better than GTA V? Will it be four times more fun?

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Rockstar Games

© Photograph: Rockstar Games

© Photograph: Rockstar Games

On this episode of Stock Movers: - PepsiCo (PEP) shares are higher as it reported core earnings per share for the second quarter that beat the average analyst estimate. - Levi Strauss (LEVI) shares are lower as its full-year forecast boost underwhelmed, despite its earnings beating the average analyst estimate. - Costco (COST) shares are moving as reported total comparable sales for June that missed the average analyst estimate. (Source: Bloomberg)

With the much-anticipated release of Grand Theft Auto VI only available as download, Sony is following suit

Sony said on Wednesday that it would stop releasing new video games for the PlayStation console on disc in January 2028 following a shift in consumer preferences.

“Following this date, new games will be available on PlayStation Store and at retailers in digital formats only,” the company said on its official PlayStation blog.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Francois Greuez/SIPA/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Francois Greuez/SIPA/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Francois Greuez/SIPA/Shutterstock

Pontiff warns that defiance by Society of Saint Pius X would be ‘schismatic act’

Pope Leo has made a last-ditch attempt to persuade a rebel group of ultra-conservative Catholics to abandon plans to ordain its own bishops without Vatican approval, calling the “schismatic act” a “sin of extreme gravity”.

The Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX), founded in the Swiss village of Ecône in 1970 to oppose liberalising reforms in the Catholic church, plans to ordain four new bishops at its seminary there on Wednesday.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images

© Photograph: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images

The blockbuster launch is expected to dwarf the box office takings of the year’s biggest movies with one industry analyst predicting it could make $1bn within an hour

It is, quite simply, the most anticipated piece of entertainment since the Star Wars prequels and now, at last, you can reserve a copy. At midnight last night, Rockstar opened preorders on Grand Theft Auto VI, the latest title in the epic open-world gangster adventure series, five months before its 19 November release date on PS5 and Xbox Series S/X.

Prices have also been confirmed, with the standard edition costing $80 in the US, £70 in the UK, and €80 in Europe. An Ultimate Edition (£90/€100/$100) will include exclusive in-game cars, clothes and weapons – the developer has confirmed that there will also be in-game stores that are only open to Ultimate owners. Anyone who pre-orders the game will get a Vintage Vice City pack filled with 80s apparel and other nostalgic items, which look to be straight out of Don Johnson’s Miami Vice wardrobe.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Nintendo

© Photograph: Nintendo

© Photograph: Nintendo

Bank details at risk as criminals use AI to create fake sites and emails offering pre-release beta test version

Like millions of gamers around the world, you have been waiting years for Grand Theft Auto VI to be released. Now you have the opportunity to play the much-anticipated game before everyone else.

An email has arrived inviting you to play a pre-release “beta” version of the game so that you can alert the makers to any bugs before its official release later this year.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Rockstar Games

© Photograph: Rockstar Games

© Photograph: Rockstar Games

Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated in pointed testimony to senators that he was reclaiming control of the U.S. relationship with Gavi, an international vaccine alliance.

© Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times

Mayor Vi Lyles did not fully explain why she would leave office early, saying only that she wanted to spend more time with family.

© Nell Redmond/Associated Press

Was heute wichtig war.

Amazon.com Inc. coerced Levi Strauss & Co. and other prominent brands into an alleged price-fixing scheme that influenced costs for a wide variety of goods on retail websites operated by Walmart Inc., Target Corp., Home Depot Inc., Chewy Inc. and others, according to court documents unsealed Monday.

Levi Strauss CEO Michelle Gass discusses the company's strong start to the year, reporting growth across multiple geographies, categories, genders and sales channels. She attributes this momentum to the strength of the Levi's brand, product innovation and effective execution by the team. She speaks on Bloomberg Television. (Source: Bloomberg)

Levi's CEO Michelle Gass said that both celebrity ad campaigns and organic pop culture moments have contributed to Levi's boosted outlook as the jeans brand collaborated with Beyonce and were featured on the fashion forward FX series 'Love Story.' Gass also discussed supply chain consideration as US-based companies face higher transportation costs and tariffs on manufacturing. (Source: Bloomberg)

Comprehensive cross-platform coverage of the U.S. market close on Bloomberg Television, Bloomberg Radio, and YouTube with Romaine Bostick, Katie Greifeld, Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec. (Source: Bloomberg)

Film to cover early years of rockers and their breakout with hits like Livin’ on a Prayer and You Give Love a Bad Name

A Bon Jovi biopic is in the works from Universal Pictures, Deadline has confirmed.

The feature film will focus on the early years of the rock band, tracing their rise from modest beginnings in New Jersey to selling out stadiums as one of the 1980s’ most defining rock bands.

Continue reading...

© Photograph: Anthony Harvey/PA

© Photograph: Anthony Harvey/PA

© Photograph: Anthony Harvey/PA

Wie unterschiedlich Iraner auf den Krieg reagieren – und auf Chameneis Tod. Ein Gespräch mit der WDR-Journalistin Isabel Schayani.