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Republicans have taken the historic step of changing US Senate rules in order to ram through confirmation of President Trump's Supreme Court pick. They invoked the "nuclear option" after Democrats used a tactic known as a filibuster for the first time in half a century to block the nominee. Denver appeals court judge Neil Gorsuch is now set to be approved on Friday. The move will leave Congress even more plagued by gridlock. Republican John McCain said: "Bad day for democracy." At stake is ideological control of the nation's highest court, which has the final say on some of the most controversial US legal issues, from gun control to abortion to election financing to workers' and LGBT rights. After falling five votes short on Thursday of the 60 needed to confirm Mr Gorsuch, Republican Senate leader Mitch McConnell retaliated by ordering a vote to rewrite the chamber's rules. It passed by 52-48 along party lines. The legislative manoeuvre - called the nuclear option because it is so extreme - enables Mr Gorsuch to be approved by a simple majority in the 100-member Senate, where Republicans control 52 seats. The fall of bipartisanship - Anthony Zurcher, BBC News, Washington With the bang of a gavel, the nuclear option - that dramatic term for doing away with the ability of a minority of senators to block confirmation of a Supreme Court nominee - has been exercised. Pundits and politicians may lament that Thursday's actions mark the end of comity and bipartisanship in the Senate. The reality, however, is that the Supreme Court nominee filibuster power was already dead and vigorous partisanship reigns supreme. This week just made it official. That's why both sides long ago began apportioning blame for this move. Democrats point to the Republican Party's unprecedented decision last year to refuse to consider Barack Obama's court nominee, Merrick Garland. Republicans counter that the Democrats struck the mortal blow by abandoning the filibuster for lower court and executive nominees in 2013. Given the sweeping power of the Supreme Court - it touches on every facet of American life - the stakes have become too high for little things like tradition and consensus-building to merit consideration. Thursday was about the exercise of raw power. Republicans had the votes, and they wanted - they needed - their man on the high court to preserve their conservative majority. On Friday they will get him there. The political nuke means that all future Supreme Court nominations can also be approved by simple majority, which lawmakers on both sides agree will erode minority-party rights in the Senate. Senator Jeff Merkley, an Oregon Democrat, tweeted: "The dark deed is done. McConnell has just put a knife into the heart of our We the People republic." Even top Republicans have misgivings about the move. "I fear that someday we will regret what we are about to do. In fact, I am confident we will," said Mr McCain, an Arizona senator, as he entered the chamber on Thursday morning. "It is imperative we have a functioning Senate where the rights of the minority are protected regardless of which party is in power at the time." Democrats said they opposed Mr Gorsuch, 49, because they felt he had shown favour to corporations ahead of workers. But they are also resentful that Republicans refused last year to even consider former President Barack Obama's choice for the high court. Mr McConnell instead left open the seat to replace the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia in the hope of filling it with a conservative nominee after the election. Democrats also used the "nuclear option" in 2013, when they removed filibusters against executive branch and judicial nominees for lower courts. That followed what the Democrats complained was unprecedented obstruction by Republicans against Mr Obama's appointments. However, they left the filibuster in place for Supreme Court nominees

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MLB The Show 17 is a Major League Baseball (MLB) video game developed by Sony San Diego and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It is the twelfth entry of the MLB: The Show franchise, and was released on March 28, 2017, exclusively for the PlayStation 4. The American cover features Ken Griffey Jr..[1] Aaron Sanchez is the cover athlete for the Canadian version, and Wei-Yin Chen is on the Taiwanese cover.[2] While Matt Vasgersian returns for The Show 17, commentary from Harold Reynolds and Dan Plesac replaced Eric Karros and Steve Lyons. MLB The Show 17 features three presentation themes: MLB Network, which features similar presentation to actual MLB Network broadcasts, Theme 1, which is used for other MLB games, and Theme 2, which is used primarily for Minor League Baseball games.[3] Gameplay MLB The Show 17 is a baseball simulation video game based on Major League Baseball. Like past games in the series, The Show 17 simulates the experience of MLB.[4] The Show now has a "Retro Mode", which is gameplay inspired by 1990s classic retro-sims baseball games. This mode features custom audio, Ken Griffey Jr. commentary, and an 8-bit throwback pause menu.[5] New features include MLB 17’s Road to the Show story called Pave Your Path in which you’ll have the ability to control the progression of your career. The mode will include cutscenes that present the player with decisions that affect the storyline.[6] Release On December 3, 2016 MLB The Show 17 was announced with a trailer for the game that showed the games release date along with new features.[7] MLB The Show 17 was released worldwide on March, 28, 2017 for the PlayStation 4. This was the first time since MLB 06: The Show that the game was not released for the Playstation 3. There were four different versions of the game to purchase. Standard Edition, MVP Edition, Hall of Fame Edition, and Digital Deluxe Edition. If players purchase the Hall of Fame Edition of the game, they receive the Steel Book case cover, several physical items, such as a limited edition New Era Hat, and many in-game bonuses.[8] Reception "MLB The Show 17" was well received by critics upon release. Metacritic gave the PS4 version an 86/100 aggregate score. Caley Roark gave the game a positive review for IGN. He scored it a 9.5/10, praised the overall presentation and gameplay, and stated: "Overall, MLB The Show 17 builds on last year’s version, which many cited as the best in the series, by adding some key features and improvements. Most notable are increased hit variety, MLB Network integration, and the RTTS documentary. All of these additions make the game feel more like real baseball. This authenticity makes games more fun to play, as it’s easier than ever to become invested in every pitch."[10] Polygon's Owen S. Good awarded the game a 8 out of 10, concluding: 'MLB The Show 17 continues one of the longest-running successes in sports video gaming, and it’s not a regression. But its advances sound a lot bigger on paper than they are in practice.". Good praised the gameplay calling it "wonderfully varied" with pitching mechanics that "just feels stronger". One negative aspect of his review involves repetition in its presentation, saying its "MLB The Show’s biggest weakness".[11] Andrew Reiner of Game Informer gave the game an overall score of 9 out 10 saying "MLB The Show 17 is an ambitious game that tries to dazzle players with new avenues of play and a story, but is at its best on the field, where the action has never looked or played better."[12] Richard Wakeling from Gamespot gave the game a positive review. He scored the game a 8 out of 10 and praised the gameplay stating "the action on the field has never been better, with smarter fielding AI, and enhanced ball physics that bring the hitting to life." Richard did have some issues, pointing out that the commentary was "still a little too stilted for my liking" and the game had a few "blemishes lurking throughout" but those problems didn't take much away from the overall experience saying the product overall "is America's National Pastime at its best". [13]

Sea of Thieves is an upcoming action-adventure video game developed by Rare and published by Microsoft Studios for Microsoft Windows and Xbox One,[3] set for release in 2017.[4][5] The game is purported to have elements of first-person gameplay[5] and features user-generated content, in which players have the ability to craft their custom stories by using in-game tools.[6] The game will feature co-op gameplay, and is set in an open world multiplayer environment.[7] The game is currently being tested in closed alpha sessions through the Sea of Thieves Insider Program. Sea of Thieves Insider Program Rare is developing the game in an open approach with the community. To underline that approach Rare introduced the Sea of Thieves Insider Program. Interested community members can apply to become a part of the initiative and gain a chance to take part in early development play sessions of the game. Community feedback and game suggestions directly impact the development of the game. Every early play session will include new features to the game.[8] Features and gameplay The game is set in a pirate world. A player joins a crew, (either via matchmaking or by inviting friends) and sets sail on a pirate ship to experience different kinds of adventures and activities together. Some key features and gameplay elements include: Strong focus on cooperative gameplay mechanics. Manoeuvre your ship around the sea by working together as a team (co-ordinate elements like sails, steering wheel, anchor etc.). Treasure hunting for gold. Collecting resources (wood etc.) to craft equipment. Player-versus-player moments in a shared world-map. Proximity voice chat with other players. Dynamic day-and-night cycle. Real-life simulated water rendering and physics. Scurvy.

The first victims of the St Petersburg metro explosion have been named, as investigators continue to piece together the identity of the attacker. Monday's blast between two stations killed 14 people and injured almost 50. Investigators say it may have been a suicide bomb set off by a Kyrgyzstan-born man, Akbarzhon Jalilov. Reports in Russia say one of the victims, Irina Medyantseva, died as she tried to shield her daughter from the explosion. Ms Medyantseva, a 50-year-old doll-maker, reportedly died in an ambulance. Her daughter Yelena, 29, was treated for her injuries in hospital and her condition is said to be stable. Others victims include Dilbara Alieva, 20, from Azerbaijan, who was taken to hospital but later died from her injuries. The oldest victim was Yuri Nalimov, 71, and one of the youngest was Ksenia Malyukova, 18, Russia's investigative committee reports (in Russian). Kazakhstan's foreign ministry said one of its nationals, Maksim Aryshev, a 20-year-old student, had died. He was wrongly named as the bomber on social media on Monday.

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2016 and 2017 have given us some top class game releases so far and the rest of 2017 promises to bring us some more epic titles! We've compiled a list of our Top 10 Best PC games right here. Whatever you like, from Strategy titles all the way to the biggest AAA games, these new PC games are definitely something to be excited about. This awesome games list will be sure to keep you busy! If you're looking to build that all important wish list or looking for some great titles to get excited about over the next few months, then look no further! #10: Syberia 3 Syberia 3 PRE-PURCHASE Platform: Steam Release Date: April 20 2017 Genres: Adventure The next instalment in the point-and-click adventure series, Syberia 3 follows Kate Walker and her adventure with the nomadic people after escaping a grisly fate in the previous game. An enchanting and mystical expedition that is full of wonderful story moments and an array of interesting characters. Related Products: Syberia II #09: Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III Platform: Steam Release Date: April 27th 2017 Genres: Action After a catastrophic weapon is found in the mysterious land of Acheron, it’s your job to face your foes and take on the war between factions. In this strategy-tactical RPG, take control and build up an epic army, forge battle plans and conquer the battlefield. Related Products: Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide #08: Yooka-Laylee Platform: Steam Release Date: April 11th 2017 Genres: Adventure Explore huge, beautiful worlds, meet (and beat) an unforgettable cast of characters and horde a vault-load of shiny collectibles as buddy-duo Yooka (the green one) and Laylee (the wisecracking bat with the big nose) embark on an epic adventure to thwart corporate creep Capital B and his devious scheme to absorb all the world’s books… and convert them into pure profit! Related Products: Deluxe Edition PREY Platform: Steam Release Date: May 5th 2017 Genres: Action A cinematic prison which will encapsulate the fear of what it really means to live your nightmare. A combination of tantalising tech and old school monsters, reminding us of the days that aliens burst from stomachs and onto screens. Not for the faint hearted, this story campaign is enticing turmoil, also set in space, so there really is no place to hide. Related Products: Alien Isolation #06: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 SNIPER GHOST WARRIOR 3 Platform: Steam Release Date: April 4th 2017 Genres: Shooter The 3rd installment in the epic Sniper Ghost Warrior franchise throws players into the middle of a modern day civil war in Georgia. Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 is an open world first-person tactical shooter where players must keep their wits about them. The game has been described as a less linear experience from its predecessors as it’s the first game to feature an open world setting. We cannot wait to give this a shot. Related Products: SNIPER GHOST WARRIOR 2 #05: Dragon Quest Heroes II Dragon Quest Heroes II Platform: Steam Release Date: April 25th 2017 Genres: Action A once peaceful world, now infested with relentless monsters, Dragon Quest 2, is a free-roaming hack and slash, where players take on a new world full of mysterious enemies. Play with your friends, play as a range of unique heroes and even play as one of the monsters and defeat the threat that looms over the Seven Realms. Related Products: Dragon Quest Heroes Slime Edition #04: Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood Platform: Steam Release Date: June 20th 2017 Genres: RPG The next expansion for the wildly po[CENSORED]r MMO, Final Fantasy XIV Stormblood, is now available for pre-purchase with a June release. The epic next chapter for Final Fantasy XIV fans is packed full of new quests and challenges, set across unexplored new lands in the magical world, Eorzea. Related Products: Digital Collector's Edition #03: Middle-Earth: Shadow of War MIDDLE-EARTH: SHADOW OF WAR Platform: Steam Release Date: August 25th 2017 Genres: Action The sequel to the critically-acclaimed Middle-earth Shadow of Mordor – Winner of over 50 industry awards – arrives this August, continuing the original story of Talion and Celebrimbor, who must now go behind enemy lines to forge an army and turn all of Mordor against the Dark Lord, Sauron. Related Products: Middle-Earth: Shadow of War (Gold Edition) #02: Tekken 7 Tekken 7 Platform: Steam Release Date: June 2 2017 Genres: Action Round 1: Battle your way through the next extreme fighting game as your favourite characters. Round 2: Learn all the special moves and different styles of gameplay. Round 3: Play as new characters, including Hadoken master, Akuma! K.O! Related Products: Deluxe Edition #01: The Elder Scrolls Online - Morrowind Upgrade The Elder Scrolls Online - Morrowind Upgrade Platform: Other Release Date: June 6th 2017 Genres: RPG This is the update that Elder Scrolls fans have been looking for. The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind, transports fans back to the fabled land of Vvardenfell where the po[CENSORED]r Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind was set. Players will be able to experience Vvardenfell 700 years before the events of The Elder Scrolls III and will also be treated to over 30 hours of brand new story content, the brand new Warden Class, the new Battlegrounds PvP mode and so much more. Related Products: Tamriel Unlimited

The Iraqi army is making progress in its fight against the Islamic State group in its one-time stronghold of Mosul. As the battle continues in the residential parts of western Mosul, one of the challenges is stopping the group's car bombs. The BBC's defence correspondent Jonathan Beale reports from the city.

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At least 18 people were injured when a bonfire exploded at a carnival held in northern France, French media say. The blast occurred at the end of the Yellow Carnaval in Villepinte, north-east of Paris, on Saturday afternoon. Video posted on social media showed the bonfire blowing up seconds after being ignited, sending debris flying. A mother and her child are among those seriously injured and the town's mayor was also hurt, Le Parisien newspaper reported. Agence France-Presse reported that five people were seriously injured, and that a number of people suffered facial wounds. It added that an initial investigation has been opened by prosecutors, but the cause of the explosion is not yet known. A police source told the BFM news network that the explosion may have been caused by the petrol used to help start the fire, which marks the end of the annual carnival in Villepinte.

Nier: Automata (Japanese: ニーア オートマタ Hepburn: Nīa Ōtomata?, stylized as NieR:Automata) is an open-world action role-playing video game developed by PlatinumGames and published by Square Enix for PlayStation 4 and Microsoft Windows. The game released worldwide in 2017: it released in Japan in February, and in North America and Europe the following month. Nier: Automata is a sequel to the 2010 video game Nier, a spin-off of the Drakengard series. Set in the midst of a proxy war between machines created by otherworldly invaders and the remnants of humanity, the story follows the battles of a combat android, her companion, and a fugitive prototype. Gameplay combines role-playing elements with action-based combat and mixed genre gameplay similar to that of Nier. Production began in 2014, with series creator Yoko Taro, producer Yosuke Saito, and composers Keiichi Okabe and Keigo Hoashi returning to their respective roles. Regular Square Enix artist Akihiko Yoshida designed the main characters. The story was based around themes similar to Yoko's earlier works, such as people's impulse to kill, while also incorporating issues such as confronting of prejudice and escaping difficult situations. The goal was to make a Nier game true to the spirit of the original, while simultaneously crafting better gameplay combat. As a project entirely new to the developers, the staff at PlatinumGames faced multiple challenges when developing its gameplay and open world environment. Upon release, Nier: Automata was given highly positive reviews, with critics praising the game's narrative, characterization, music design, combat system and usage of different gameplay genres. Criticism was leveled at the game's technical problems. Gameplay Nier: Automata is an open-world action role-playing game set on a post-apocalyptic Earth thousands of years after the events of the original Nier.[1] The player takes the role of combat androids from the YoRHa units across an open world environment. In addition to standard navigation on foot, using a special item can summon a wild animal the player character can ride, and in some scenarios a flying mech is available for fighting enemies.[2][3] As with the previous game, during navigation in some environments, the camera shifts from its standard third-person view to an overhead or side-scrolling perspective.[4] Some areas also include platforming puzzles requiring the character to navigate via jumping between platforms or over obstacles. The player can complete side quests for non-playable characters found in hub locations, where the player can also purchase items and consumables which recover health.[3] Combat is action-based, with the player characters fighting enemies in real-time in a variety of in-game environments. During battle, the character can use light attacks—which are fast but weak—and heavy attacks—slow and more powerful. During combat, the player character can evade enemy attacks, and if a button press is timed right that character can gain temporary invulnerability and launch a counterattack which deals heavy damage. The character is also assisted by their Pod, a flying robot assistant which launches ranged attacks which can be customized, varying from simple gunfire to a heavy-hitting hammer attack. Characters can access four different weapon types in battle: short swords, long swords, bracers, and spears. When attacking, the character can alternate between both weapon types and attacks to create combination attacks. Attacks with different weapon types can also be charged up and launched for higher damage.[2][4] Weapon Stories, a recurring element in both Nier and the Drakengard series, where weapons found around the world have stories attached to them, are also planned.[5] As the player characters progress, they gain experience levels, increasing their health, defense, and attack power.[2] Character customization is handled through Chips, items installed into the player characters that adjust some of their attributes; these chips can do thing such as alter the HUD to show enemy health and damage and grant status buffs to the player characters. The number of Chips that can be installed at any one time are limited by how many slots a character has. Chips can either be purchased at shops or picked up from defeated enemies.[3][6] If the player character dies, they respawn at their previous save point. The player character can then find their original body and either retrieve items and experience left with it to gain a bonus, or attempt to repair it. If successful, the body is resurrected as a temporary ally, but if unsuccessful, it becomes an enemy the player can defeat for an extra bonus.[2] Synopsis Setting and characters Nier: Automata shares the post-apocalyptic setting of the original Nier, taking place after the game's fourth ending.[1] While carrying over the Drakengard series' tradition of a dark atmosphere and branching storylines, no direct narrative connection is shared between Nier: Automata and the rest of the series.[7][1][8] Set an unknown time after the events of Nier, the story revolves around a war between the remnants of humanity and the machine army of invaders from another world. The initial invasion forced humanity to flee to the Moon.[9][10] Humanity eventually sends down combat androids dubbed "YoRHa" to fight the invaders in a proxy war. While denied emotions and lacking true names, they have particular attitudes that distinguish them from their fellows.[9][10][11] The YoRHa are commanded from the Bunker, a reconnaissance base in orbit above Earth, and establish a self-sufficient Resistance on Earth to drive back the Machines.[12] The main protagonist is YoRHa No. 2 Model B, or "2B" for short, a female-model YoRHa android whose main traits are being calm and composed.[9][10][11] She is accompanied by "9S" (YoRHa No. 9 Model S), a reconnaissance android who displays more emotion than other YoRHa units; and observed by "A2" (YoRHa Model A No. 2), an obsolete prototype android of 2B's line with a taciturn personality who often chooses to act alone.[11] Other characters include the Commander, an android in command of the Bunker; Adam and Eve, twin brothers whose motives are unknown; Pascal, a machine who dislikes conflict and wishes for peace; Devola and Popola, androids who aid the Resistance and descended from similar beings that went berserk during the events of Nier; the various Operator androids who act as overseers for the YoRHa; Anemone, a resistance leader who helps the YoRHa; the Pods that accompany YoRHa units and act as combat support and communicators with the Bunker; and original Nier protagonist Emil, who has lost his memories in the intervening years.[5][6] Other characters from both Nier and Drakengard 3 are mentioned.[12] Plot Nier: Automata opens with 2B and 9S opening the way for a future incursion into machine territory, working to clear out machine threats for the local Resistance. With help from Anemone and later Pascal, 2B and 9S defeat multiple machine threats. During their missions, they witness the birth of and later fight Adam and Eve, physical manifestations of the machine network who reveal that their creators were destroyed centuries ago. 2B and 9S also encounter A2, who is on the run from YoRHa. It is revealed that the machines are beginning to feel emotions and gather in groups, and some like Pascal's group have grown tired of fighting. 9S is eventually captured by Adam, who is killed by 2B. Deprived of his brother, Eve goes mad with grief and drives the machines under his command into a frenzy. 2B and 9S kill Eve, but 9S is infected with the machine's logic virus, forcing 2B to kill him. Despite his body dying, 9S's personality is saved in the local machine network, allowing his transfer into a new body. The second playthrough follows the opening narrative from the perspective of 9S, offering new insight into the machines and Adam and Eve. 9S also learns that humanity has been extinct since the events of Nier aside from a server on the moon holding humanity's DNA and history. YoRHa and its mission were created to keep the androids from losing morale. He also encounters a glitch when performing a standard server sync, and halts the procedure for both himself and 2B. The apparent deaths of Adam and Eve throws the machine network into chaos, prompting YoRHa to launch a full-scale invasion. 2B and 9S form part of the vanguard, but a logic virus attack turns every YoRHa unit aside from 2B and 9S hostile. The two retreat to the Bunker, which is subsequently overrun—the "glitch" 9S encountered was in fact a hole opening in YoRHa's virus defenses, leaving the entire squadron vulnerable. Infected herself, the Commander orders 2B and 9S to the surface then self-destructs the Bunker. 2B and 9S are forced to separate on the descent when attacked by rogue YoRHa, and 2B ends up infected with a logic virus. Saved from rogue YoRHa by A2, 2B uploads her memories into her sword and tasks A2 with completing her mission. 9S sees A2 kill 2B, and ignorant of their interaction swears revenge against A2. Alongside this, a structure called the Tower created by the machines rises above the land. The story then divides between A2 and 9S, with their respective Pods 042 and 153 interacting with each other. A2 continues 2B's missions against the machines. During her story, Pascal's village is attacked when machines begin going berserk, and when A2 and Pascal fight off a machine attack the "children" of his village commit suicide in fear of being killed. A2 has the option of either wiping Pascal's memory or killing him at his request. Meanwhile 9S investigates the Tower and its purpose: he learns that androids and machines are constructed from the same materials, and the Tower is preparing to launch something he assumes is a missile directed at the server on the moon. During his quest, 9S is tormented by the loss of YoRHa and 2B, and becomes emotionally and mentally unstable. 9S eventually gains access to the Tower with help from Devola and Popola, who sacrifice themselves to fend off the attacking machines—they are revealed to be the last surviving versions of the android type that triggered the end of humanity, thus suffering persecution by other androids and programmed to feel perpetual guilt and atone for their actions. A2 follows 9S inside, where the machines' controlling artificial intelligence confronts them both—A2's backstory as the survivor of a precursor unit to the YoRHa that was designed to be destroyed is revealed, and 9S learns that the logic virus attack on YoRHa was part of the plan to perpetuate the ruse of humanity's survival and trap both machines and androids in a repeating cycle of war. When they meet at the top of the Tower, A2 reveals the truth about 2B; her real designation was "2E", a YoRHa unit designed to repeatedly kill 9S whenever he discovered the truth about humanity and YoRHa—2B suffered greatly from her role, and wanted to help 9S through A2. 9S, by now driven insane and infected with the logic virus, challenges A2 to a fight. The player then selects which character to control. In the third ending, should the player choose A2, 9S is defeated and A2 first cures him of the logic virus, then sacrifices herself to destroy the Tower while Pod 042 takes 9S to safety. In the fourth ending, should the player pick 9S, the two kill each other, and in his final moments the machine artificial intelligence tells him that the Tower has changed its function due to the machines' evolution and is instead firing an ark containing the essence of machine kind—including the still-living Adam and Eve—to find a new world. During the credits, Pods 042 and 153 speak to the player upon finding that the data for 2B, 9S and A2 are still intact. If the player agrees to save the data, this triggers the fifth ending: Pods 042 and 153 reconstitute the androids' memories and experiences and reconstruct their bodies—despite the possibility that the three would simply repeat everything, the Pods hold faith that they will forge a new future. Development After the release of Nier, both director Yoko Taro and Square Enix producer Yosuke Saito wanted to create a sequel. When Saito spoke to assistant producer Yuki Yokoyama, Yokoyama was unwilling due to the original game's low sales.[13] After the positive fan reception of the original Nier, however, both Square Enix and the lead staff who worked on the original game were willing to continue the Nier IP, but also wanted to create a better, more action-oriented gameplay experience. As a result, they contacted PlatinumGames, which had developed a reputation for high-quality action games such as Bayonetta and Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance.[7][14] The collaboration was agreed upon on two conditions: that Yoko become director, and that he be present to help with production. The latter condition necessitated a move by Yoko from Tokyo to Osaka where PlatinumGames was located.[13] Although Taro was initially uneasy about the collaboration, the staff at PlatinumGames had been wanting to work on a Nier game since its release, and their enthusiasm and wish to remain faithful to the original assuaged his doubts.[8] Designer Takahisa Taura also wished to create a sequel to Nier prior to Square Enix approaching the company.[15] The original plan was to make the game for mobile platforms or PlayStation Vita—Yoko claims that they intended for it to be similar to farming simulator Farmville—but it was soon decided to develop the game for PlayStation 4 instead.[1][16] The game was co-produced by Saito and Eijiro Nishimura.[17] Production for the game began in 2014, including six months of pre-production. It included many of the staff from the original Nier.[1][14][18] During production, the team took both fan and critic feedback on Nier and their later opinions on the game into account. The points they felt needed addressing ranged from character designs to gameplay to graphics. While improving on these points, they also carried over aspects that were well-received, such as the complexity of story and the game's music.[19] The majority of development was handled by PlatinumGames at their offices in Osaka and Tokyo, while outside staff such as Yoko were also brought in.[15] As Nier: Automata was a role-playing action game as opposed to Taura's previous pure action games, the development presented new challenges for him.[8][15] While Taura handled the action combat system, designer Isao Negishi created the RPG elements.[20] According to Negishi and programmer Ryo Onishi, a major difficulty was creating a title faithful to Nier, which required a shift away from the style of their earlier titles.[20] While designing the game's RPG elements, the staff at PlatinumGames was at least partially inspired by The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt in the design of their sidequests, which they felt they would never be able to match.[16] For the combat system, the team took the systems used in Nier and infused elements from other titles by PlatinumGames. Taura's main concept was that the combat system improve on the original and weave into the story.[8][15] An additional consideration was the inclusion of mechanics that would allow both casual and hardcore action gamers to enjoy playing.[21] It was also the studio's first attempt at an open world game: while their previous titles had used a story-driven linear structure, Nier: Automata boasted large environments linked by seamless transitions. A particular element noted by Negishi was the lower concentration of enemies in the world compared to that usually found in their other titles, as the open nature of the game required this. This was part of their efforts to fulfill Yoko's creative vision: by including less enemies, the team gave players the opportunity to "enjoy the still beauty of the game's desolate world". Required inclusions were the shooting elements, compared by staff to bullet hell titles, and combat which switched between top and side camera views.[20][21] Scenario and art design Yoko was the primary writer of the game's scenario.[19] Two subwriters were Haha Kikuchi, who worked on the scenarios of Nier and Drakengard 3,[17][22] and Yoshiho Akabane of external company Highestar.[17] The team defined the game's central theme as "agaku", a Japanese word meaning to struggle out of a bad situation.[23] Another theme Saito pointed out was "love", which he stated was unusual given that all the central cast were robots, which were not normally associated with emotions. According to Saito, a lot of time and effort went into creating the story and character interactions so they would match up to the original Nier.[24] When creating the story, Yoko was hesitant about adding Devola and Popola to the story due to their integral role in the original game, but eventually decided to feature them.[25] According to Yoko, while the scenario of Nier was "wet" in its emotional content, for Nier: Automata he aimed for a "dry" narrative concerning the world's inherent unfairness and the prejudices the characters are forced to confront.[26] A recurring element from Yoko's earlier work was his examination of why people kill, and the impact of killing on others—this stems from his observation of people coming to enjoy killing enemies encountered in games, which suggested to him that something was wrong or missing inside them.[27] As with the original Nier, multiple endings were created, but the conditions for reaching them were not as stringent as the first game.[24] Yoko's desire for the game's conclusion was to make it "happy", which prompted skepticism from other staff members when reviewing his story.[7] The happy ending from Yoko's perspective was the fifth and final ending. According to Yoko, the fifth ending did not come to him for some time as he was focusing on other aspects of the story. He felt that the characters he was developing were naturally leading him towards that ending rather than him designing it for them. The final ending featured a shooting sequence where the player literally fought their way through the closing credits; this was symbolic of the player and characters breaking out of a known system to find the hope of a new future. Yoko said this was representative of the story's focus on the future and systematic elements. The team also included the option for players to delete their save data, a mechanic used in the original Nier. This feature, which allowed players to send messages of encouragement to other players around the world, was implemented midway through development.[28] Using feedback about the original characters, Akihiko Yoshida was brought on as main character designer. While the team thought he would refuse due to his busy schedule, Yoshida was willing to join the project as a number of staff members at his company CyDesignation were fans of Nier. Yoshida joined a little later than usual in the process, so Taro gave him a general guideline of sleek designs with black as the dominant color.[7][1] As opposed to the original Nier, which was released in two versions with a different version of the main protagonist for western tastes, the team decided to have the game feature the same protagonist in all versions, focusing on creating a high-quality Japanese role-playing game rather than making adjustments for its western release.[8][19] This wish for a uniform international appearance was another reason why the team brought in Yoshida.[20] The Commander, Adam, and Eve were designed by Yuya Nagai.[29] Square Enix artist Toshiyuki Itahana handled the redesigns for Devola and Popola.[30] The enemy concept art was handled by Hisayoshi Kijima, while environmental artwork was done by Kazuma Koda, Yasuyuki Kaji, and Shohei Kameoka: environmental design was a collaborative effort with Yoko, and the team strove to make the environments appear like places players would visit in the real world. One of the challenges faced when creating the character models was making them seem alive despite their mechanical nature.[21][31] Audio Composer Keiichi Okabe, who worked on both Nier and Drakengard 3, returned as composer with his studio band Monaca, creating the music alongside fellow member Keigo Hoashi.[19][32] Additional composers were Kuniyuki Takahashi and Shotaro Seo, newcomers to Monaca.[33] The score for Nier: Automata was influenced by classical music, while recalling elements used for Nier such as the overall sense of melancholy. A change from the previous score was a shift to portraying a more mechanical and brutal theme and environment than Nier, which had focused on grasslands and villages. Another factor was the open world environment: rather than a single looping track, Okabe created multiple hard and soft tracks that transitioned into each other depending on situation and environment. Balancing of the music was carried out using Pro Tools.[32] Another prominent return was Emi Evans, who provided vocals for the first game's soundtrack. Additional male vocals were provided by Shotaro Seo.[32][34] In addition, a theme song was created for the game, with versions sung by both Evans and new singer J'Nique Nicole. Nicole and Nami Nakagawa joined with Evans to form a three-part chorus for some of the musical work, including a boss theme featured in the game.[32] Several songs from the Nier soundtrack were arranged for Nier: Automata.[35] The general sound design was handled by Masato Shindo, who was faced with a challenge new to the PlatinumGames staff: in their previous projects sound echoes had been handled by individual settings created by the team, but that would not work properly in an open world setting due to its scale. Instead, Shindo designed a realistic soundscape using a system to manage echoes in real time, determining how much reverberation to generate based on current surroundings.[31] Sound implementation was handled by Masami Ueda, and it was a greater amount of work than he had experienced on any previous project. One of the factors that helped with the smooth implementation was Ueda's previous encounters and good working relationship with Okabe.[21] A concert in Tokyo, called "Nier Music Concert & Talk Live", was held at the Ex Theater Roppongi on April 16, 2016, with performances of various musical pieces from Nier and Nier: Automata.[36] An official soundtrack album was released on March 28, 2017.[33] An additional sixteen-track album subtitled Hacking Tracks, containing musical variations for hacking segments, was bundled with first-print copies of the soundtrack.[37] Release In January 2014, after the release of Drakengard 3, Yoko expressed an interest in making a second spin-off from the Drakengard series, but did not specify whether it would be related to Nier.[38] Taro later confirmed in December of that year that he was working on a new game, but did not reveal any more details.[39] Nier: Automata was first announced at Square Enix's press conference at the 2015 Electronic Entertainment Expo under the provisional title Nier New Project.[14] Its official title was kept secret at the time as it would have spoiled aspects of the game's plot.[7] At the time it was announced, the game was apparently 10% complete.[5] Its official title, along with a gameplay trailer and prospective year of release, were revealed at the 2015 Paris Games Week trade show.[9] Initially planned for release in November 2016, Square Enix delayed release as there were concerns about its commercial performance against other prominent titles: it was decided that a Q4 or Q1 release would give Nier: Automata more of a chance for commercial success. The delay gave the developers additional time to improve the quality and gameplay balance.[40] The game released in Japan on February 23, 2017.[41] A limited Black Box Collector's Edition was created, featuring the game, a figurine of 2B, a special release of the Nier: Automata live concert, an artbook, a download code for a special item, and a special prequel novella.[42] The novella, which retells the events of Nier from the perspectives of characters Devola and Popola, was written by Jun Eishima, a regular collaborator for supplementary material related to the Drakengard series, in collaboration with Taro.[43] In the West, the PS4 version released in North America on March 7, and in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand on March 10.[44][45] In addition to the standard version, there was a Day One edition which featured reversible cover art featuring artwork by Yoshida, and a version of the Black Box Collector's Edition featuring the Day One edition with added accessory content, the 2B figurine, an artbook, and a 13-track soundtrack including tracks from both Nier and the earlier Drakengard games.[46] The game was announced for a digital release on Microsoft Windows platforms through Steam.[47] A concern for both Square Enix and PlatinumGames with the PC version was potential piracy, which was expected to delay its release. When handling this problem, the teams considered using Denuvo digital rights management.[48] The PC version was released on March 17, 2017.[49] In November 2016, Saito stated that an Xbox One version was up for consideration, and announced that the game would support the enhanced PlayStation 4 Pro model.[50] Saito later confirmed that an Xbox One version would not be developed due to low sales of the console in Japan, in addition to focusing on a single console so as not to compromise the game's quality.[51] Reception Nier: Automata received generally favorable reviews, according to video game review aggregator Metacritic, with an average score of 88 out of 100 for the PS4 version[52] and 82 for the PC.[53] Famitsu gave the game extensive praise, with multiple reviewers noting the story's melancholy tone. It praised the environments as "desolate but beautiful", and gave general praise to the audio and gameplay, in particular the dodge mechanic and pod functions. One reviewer felt that the customization functions were "cumbersome", while another noted overly long load times.[56] Sales The game sold 198,542 copies during the first week after its release in Japan, topping the charts and significantly exceeding the sales of the original Nier game in 2010.[64][65]

Red Dead Redemption 2 is an upcoming open world western action-adventure video game developed by Rockstar Studios and published by Rockstar Games for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in Q3/Q4 2017. The sequel to 2010's Red Dead Redemption, it will be the third entry in the Red Dead series. Gameplay Red Dead Redemption 2 is an open world action-adventure game played from a third-person perspective,[1] featuring single-player and online multiplayer components.[2] Development Red Dead Redemption 2 is developed by Rockstar Studios.[3] Rockstar Games announced the game on October 18, 2016, with the first trailer being released on October 20.[4][5] In the two days prior, the company had used various social media platforms as well as their own website to release two teaser images in the color and theme of Red Dead Redemption.[6][7][8][9] The teaser images led to considerable attention and raised the stock price of its distributor Take-Two Interactive nearly six percent.[10][11] On the day of its announcement for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, some fans started petitioning Rockstar for the game to be made available on Microsoft Windows as well.[12] Per an exclusivity agreement with Sony Interactive Entertainment, certain online game content will be timed exclusives for the PlayStation 4.[13] Macquarie Securities analyst Ben Schachter projects the game will sell 12 million copies during Take-Two Interactive's second fiscal quarter in 2017.[14]

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like smoothies. Truly, I do. Left to my own devices, I’ll whizz up a green juice in a Nutribullet along with the best of them. So when, having just moved to Los Angeles in the summer of 2015, I was invited to the Beverly Hills home of a successful female television executive for “an afternoon smoothie”, I thought little of it. I’d met the executive through work. We’d got on well and, hearing that I didn’t know that many people in this new city, she’d taken pity on me and told me to come round. I drove to her house in my beaten-up rental car and parked it on the kerb, alongside a perfectly manicured lawn. A gardener was tending to the flowerbeds. My new friend opened the door in yoga pants and a sweater that managed to look both casual and impeccably sculpted. She ushered me into a large, bright kitchen of marble and chrome where she started throwing chopped-up bananas and dates into a juicer. She added milk (almond, naturally) and then, almost as an afterthought, asked if I’d like her to put a Xanax in my smoothie. “I’m sorry, what?” I spluttered. “Or if you’d rather something else - ” At this point, she opened a drawer packed with medicinal-looking bottles and zip-loc bags filled with unidentifiable tablets. To this day, I’m not entirely sure whether she was joking or not (and, for the record, I went for the Xanax-free option) but I thought of this incident recently while watching the HBO series, Big Little Lies, currently airing on Sky Atlantic. Big Little Lies stars Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman and Shailene Woodley as three restless mothers living in the wealthy enclave of Monterey, California. These women appear to have it all. Their husbands are handsome and successful. Their homes are white clapboard palaces with fire-pits and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the beach. Their kitchens come complete with top-of-the-range cookers and free-standing island units. They have perfectly blow-dried hair and cutesy children called things like Amabella [corr] and Ziggy. On the surface at least, their lives appear to be one long advertisement for a high-end lifestyle brand: Goop by way of Elle Decor. But what makes Big Little Lies so compelling is that the truth behind closed doors is far darker. One character is shown to be the victim of domestic abuse. Another has to contend with the realisation that her young son might be a bully. And the whole series kicks off with a murder having been committed at a school fundraising event. When I was in LA, there was a similar tension at play. No murders, thankfully, but I got to know a certain cadre of well-heeled, beautiful women who lived expensive lifestyles in the most exclusive areas of the city. These women seemed to have it all. They ate vegan food, had domestic staff and sent their kids to progressively minded schools. I would see them in spin classes in Larchmont Village or working out with celebrity trainer Tracey Anderson in Brentwood or sipping matcha lattes in West Hollywood, eyes shielded by oversized shades, mouths puffed up with lip filler injections. They were always smiling, displaying teeth of dazzling whiteness courtesy of repeated cosmetic dentistry appointments and, when I met them, they were unfailingly friendly. They would hear my accent and want to know where I was from and what I was doing in California and eventually we would exchange numbers and there would be a flurry of promises to meet up that rarely came to fruition. When they did follow through with an invitation, I was always struck by how imperfect their perfect lives actually were. I met one screenwriter who kept telling me how content she was with her lot and how she had truly “found herself” through years of therapy and regular spiritual retreats to Big Sur. When we ran into each other at a dinner party some weeks later, this same screenwriter got messily drunk and passed out on a beanbag in the corner of the host’s sitting room where she muttered darkly about the unhappy state of her marriage. Everyone else carried on as if nothing were awry, as if the most polite thing to do were simply to ignore her presence. My British friends with kids would tell me similar stories of life behind the school gates: “The parents all pretend they want this hippy education with baby yoga lessons or whatever, but actually they’re massively competitive and have tutors at home,” said one. At a particularly fashionable kindergarten in East LA, misbehaving children who push each other in the sandpit are encouraged to apologise for violating “personal space” and failing to “respect each other’s bodies” but often, continued my friend, “the kids can be so badly behaved because they’re copying their parents’ behaviour. They’re repeating what they see at home.” In California, there’s an expectation of happiness because the sky is blue and it’s sunny 360 days of the year. Los Angeles, home to the movie industry, has long been founded on the notion that dreams can be fulfilled - that waiters can become film stars and Uber drivers can sell a multi-million dollar script that will change their life. In a place where optimism is the prevailing currency, no-one likes to admit to being unhappy, unless it’s to their therapist. As a result, happiness is pursued with the obsessiveness of an addictive drug. And often with the aid of actual drugs. Antidepressants are popped with unthinking frequency and medical marijuana is legal here. I spent one Thanksgiving in a beautiful, architect-designed home in Laurel Canyon being told earnestly by the assembled LA professionals that they’d vote for any President who legalised weed. Then everyone drank Martinis before driving home (that’s another thing: drink driving happens all the time). “They’re all incredibly insecure,” says one friend who used to live in West Hollywood. “These women you see driving sleek black Range Rovers and living in their Pacific Palisades mansions? Well, the cars are rented and so are the houses. It’s all about appearance and the neuroses get passed on to their children. You’ll hear kids ask for gluten-free options in cafes and the minimum age to go to SoulCycle is 11, which I think is way too young.

Vladimir Putin has visited a chain of Arctic islands as part of Russia’s efforts to reaffirm its hold on the oil-rich region. The Russian President arrived for the tour of the Franz Josef Land archipelago with Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu. Speaking during the visit, he said: "Natural resources, which are of paramount importance for the Russian economy, are concentrated in this region." The Arctic is thought to hold one-quarter of the planet's undiscovered oil and gas and is the subject of increasing rivalry between countries as the melting of the polar ice caps open up more of the region for exploration. he United States, Canada, Denmark and Norway have also tried to assert their claim over parts of the Arctic. Mr Putin said current estimates suggest the value of the Arctic's mineral riches could be as much as $30 trillion and that protecting Russia's economic and security interests in the region were a priority. He said Russia has remained open to a "broad partnership with other nations to carry out mutually beneficial projects in tapping natural resources, developing global transport corridors and also in science and environment protection". The Russian military has recently built a new runway on the archipelago and has been working to establish a permanent base there. In 2015 the country submitted a revised bid for part of the Arctic to the United Nations, claiming over 463,000 square miles of sea shelf extending 350 nautical miles from the shore. During the visit Putin met with ecologists ahead of the Artic Forum in Arkhangelsk, which is being held for the first time in three years, and visited a cavity in a glacier used by scientists to study permafrost.

State of Decay 2 is an upcoming survival video game developed by Undead Labs and published by Microsoft Studios. It is a sequel to the 2013 video game State of Decay. The game is scheduled to be released in 2017 for Windows 10 and the Xbox One video game console. Gameplay State of Decay 2 is a zombie survival game in which gameplay is experienced from a third-person view.[1] The game is set in an open world environment and features cooperative gameplay with up to three other players.[1] Development and release State of Decay 2 is being developed by Undead Labs and published by Microsoft Studios.[1] The game is being developed using Unreal Engine 4.[2] The game was announced on June 13, 2016, at Microsoft's E3 Xbox briefing.[1] The game is scheduled to be released in 2017 for Windows 10 and the Xbox One video game console.[1] References Reynolds, Matthew (June 13, 2016). "State of Decay 2 is coming to Xbox One and Windows 10 in 2017". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Retrieved June 15, 2016. McCaffrey, Ryan (June 13, 2016). "E3 2016: State of Decay 2 Is 4-Player Co-op, Isn't an MMO". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved June 15, 2016.

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Injustice Returns Injustice 2 is the super-powered sequel to the hit game Injustice: Gods Among Us that allows players to build and power up the ultimate version of their favorite DC characters. Featuring a massive selection of DC Super Heroes and Super-Villains, players can personalize iconic DC characters with unique and powerful gear earned throughout the game. Additionally, for the first time, gamers can take control of how their characters look, fight and develop across a variety of game modes. Every Battle Defines You Injustice 2 expands on the previous title’s larger-than-life showdowns. With every match, players earn gear to equip, customize and level-up their favorite DC Super Heroes and Super-Villains that meaningfully impacts not only how they look, but also how they fight. Massive Roster of DC Characters Players can choose from the biggest DC roster ever offered in a fighting game, from classic fan favorites such as Batman, Superman, Supergirl, The Flash, Aquaman, Wonder Woman and Blue Beetle, to astonishing new villains like Atrocitus, Gorilla Grodd and Deadshot. Epic, Cinematic Storyline Injustice 2 continues the story set in motion in Injustice: Gods Among Us as Batman and his allies work towards putting the pieces of society back together, but struggle against those who would restore Superman’s Regime. In the midst of this chaos, a new threat appears that will put Earth’s very existence at risk. Built by NetherRealm Studios Developers of the best-selling and critically acclaimed Mortal Kombat franchise, NetherRealm Studios brings unrivaled storytelling, robust content, and best-in-class fighting mechanics to the DC Universe.

Everyone from Harry Potter to Frodo Baggins has already got an invisibility cloak. But scientists have now figured out how to make an entire car disappear. Using optical camouflage technology boffins at Mercedes Benz created the illusion that their new zero emissions F-Cell car is not even there at all. Taking the principal that to see through something you need to see what's behind it, they covered the driver's side of the car in mats of LEDs, and mounted a digital SLR camera on the opposite side of the vehicle. The camera shoots video on the passenger side of the car and the video is displayed in real time on the driver side of the automobile. This ingenious approach, originally pioneered by scientists at the University of Tokyo, works on the same principles of the blue screen used by TV weather forecasters and Hollywood filmmakers. The idea also mimics the iPad 2 Halloween costume that seems to displays a gaping hole in the human body. The next conundrum-what to do with an invisible car ? Take it on a week long tour of Germany, obviously. In Mercedes' promotional video, stupefied Muggles stare and fall about in shock as the team put the car through its paces along the highways of Hamburg and the bridges of Bavaria. Meanwhile online. while some pessimistic YouTube users were wary, anticipating that invisible cars would no doubt lead to brutal crashes, others fantasised about bring able to park anywhere at all, without getting a ticket.

Russia's main opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, has been arrested at an anti-corruption protest he organised in the capital, Moscow. Thousands of people joined rallies nationwide, calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev over corruption allegations. At least 500 other protesters were detained in the capital and across the country. Most of the marches were illegal, organised without official permission. TV pictures showed demonstrators chanting "Down with [Russian President Vladimir] Putin!", "Russia without Putin!" and "Putin is a thief!". Correspondents say the marches appear to be the biggest since anti-government demonstrations in 2011/2012. Alexei Navalny was detained as he arrived to join the rally in central Moscow. Protesters then tried to prevent a police van from taking him away. In a tweet after his detention, he urged fellow protesters to continue with the demonstration. "Guys, I'm fine. No need to fight to get me out. Walk along Tverskaya [Moscow main street]. Our topic of the day is the fight against corruption," he said in (Russian) He later said police stormed the office of his foundation and detained its staff, who were broadcasting the protests live. Demonstrations were also held in Saint Petersburg, Vladivostok, Novosibirsk, Tomsk and several other cities, where arrests had also been reported. Why the protests? Alexei Navalny called for the nationwide protests after he published reports claiming that Mr Medvedev controlled mansions, yachts and vineyards - a fortune that far outstripped his official salary. Mr Medvedev's spokeswoman called the allegations "propagandistic attacks", but the prime minister himself has not commented on the claims. The reports included the accusation that Mr Medvedev had a special house for a duck on one of his properties - and on Sunday, some demonstrators held up images of yellow rubber ducks. Others showed up with their faces painted green, a reference to a recent attack in which Mr Navalny was hit with green liquid. In Moscow, protesters filled Pushkin square and some climbed the monument to poet Alexander Pushkin shouting "impeachment". Turnout was estimated to be between 7,000 and 8,000, according to police. The police said 500 protesters had been arrested in the capital alone, but a rights group, OVD Info, put that number at at least 700. The Kremlin has not commented on the demonstrations. It had said on Friday that plans for an unauthorised protest in central Moscow were an illegal provocation. State TV channels did not cover the demonstrations. Local media reports suggested the authorities pressured students not to attend. In some cities, exams were scheduled on Sunday. Alexei Navalny announced his intention to run for president in 2018 against Vladimir Putin. But he is barred from doing so after being found guilty in a case he said was politicised. He said on his website that protests were planned in 99 cities, but that in 72 of them authorities did not give permission.

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v1 blur ,texture text, v3 also nice

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Bentley Motors Limited (/ˈbɛntli/) is a British manufacturer and marketer of luxury cars and SUV's as a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG.[12] Headquarted in Crewe, England, the company was founded as Bentley Motors Limited by W. O. Bentley in 1919 in Cricklewood, North London, making a name for itself sports-racing cars and winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1924, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, and 2003. Prominent models extend from the historic sports-racing Bentley 4½ Litre and Bentley Speed Six; the more recent Bentley R Type Continental, Bentley Turbo R, and Bentley Arnage; to its current model line — including the Continental Flying Spur, Continental GT, Bentley Bentayga and the Mulsanne — which are marketed worldwide, with China its largest market as of November 2012.[13] Today most Bentleys are assembled at the company's Crewe factory, with a small number assembled at Volkswagen's Dresden factory Germany,[14] and with bodies for the Continental manufactured in Zwickau and the Bentayga manufactured at the Volkswagen Bratislava Plant. The joining and eventual separation of Bentley and Rolls-Royce follows a series of mergers and acquisitions, beginning with the 1931 purchase by Rolls-Royce of Bentley, then in receivership. In 1971, Rolls-Royce itself was forced into receivership and the UK government nationalised the company — splitting into two companies the aerospace division (Rolls-Royce Plc) and automotive (Rolls-Royce Motors Limited) divisions — the latter retaining the Bentley subdivision. Rolls-Royce Motors was subsequently sold to engineering conglomerate, Vickers and in 1998, Vickers sold Rolls-Royce to Volkswagen AG. Intellectual property rights to both the name Rolls-Royce as well as the company's logo had been retained not by Rolls-Royce Motors, but by aerospace company, Rolls-Royce Plc, which had continued to license both to the automotive division. Thus the sale of "Rolls-Royce" to VW included the Bentley name and logos, vehicle designs, model nameplates, production and administrative facilities, the Spirit of Ecstasy and Rolls-Royce grille shape trademarks (subsequently sold to BMW by VW) — but not the rights to the Rolls-Royce name or logo. The aerospace company, Rolls-Royce Plc, ultimately sold both to BMW AG. Cricklewood Before World War I, Walter Owen Bentley and his brother, Horace Millner Bentley, sold French DFP cars in Cricklewood, North London, but W.O, as Walter was known, always wanted to design and build his own cars. At the DFP factory, in 1913, he noticed an aluminum paperweight and thought that aluminum might be a suitable replacement for cast iron to fabricate lighter pistons. The first Bentley aluminum pistons were fitted to Sopwith Camel aero engines during World War I. In August 1919, W.O. registered Bentley Motors Ltd. and in October he exhibited a car chassis, with dummy engine, at the London Motor Show.[15] Ex–Royal Flying Corps officer Clive Gallop designed an innovative 4 valves per cylinder engine for the chassis. By December the engine was built and running. Delivery of the first cars was scheduled for June 1920, but development took longer than estimated so the date was extended to September 1921.[15] The durability of the first Bentley cars earned widespread acclaim and they competed in hill climbs and raced at Brooklands.[16] Bentley's first major event was the 1922 Indianapolis 500, a race dominated by specialized cars with Duesenberg racing chassis. They entered a modified road car driven by works driver, Douglas Hawkes, accompanied by riding mechanic, H. S. "Bertie" Browning.[17] Hawkes completed the full 500 miles and finished 13th with an average speed of 74.95 mph after starting in 19th position.[18] The team was then rushed back to England to compete in the 1922 RAC Tourist Trophy.[17][19] Captain Woolf Barnato In ironic reference to his heavyweight boxer's stature, Captain Woolf Barnato was nicknamed "Babe". In 1925, he acquired his first Bentley, a 3-litre. With this car he won numerous Brooklands races. Just a year later he acquired the Bentley business itself. The Bentley enterprise was always underfunded, but inspired by the 1924 Le Mans win by John Duff and Frank Clement, Barnato agreed to finance Bentley's business. Barnato had incorporated Baromans Ltd in 1922, which existed as his finance and investment vehicle. Via Baromans, Barnato initially invested in excess of £100,000, saving the business and its workforce. A financial reorganisation of the original Bentley company was carried out and all existing creditors paid off for £75,000. Existing shares were devalued from £1 each to just 1 shilling, or 5% or their original value. Barnato held 149,500 of the new shares giving him control of the company and he became chairman. Barnato injected further cash into the business: £35,000 secured by debenture in July 1927; £40,000 in 1928; £25,000 in 1929. With renewed financial input, W. O. Bentley was able to design another generation of cars. The Bentley Boys Main articles: Bentley Boys and Blue Train Races 1929 Blower Bentley The Bentley Boys were a group of British motoring enthusiasts that included Woolf Barnato, Sir Henry "Tim" Birkin, steeple chaser George Duller, aviator Glen Kidston, automotive journalist S.C.H. "Sammy" Davis, and Dr Dudley Benjafield. The Bentley Boys, favored Bentley cars. Many were independently wealthy and often had a military background. They kept the marque's reputation for high performance alive; Bentley was noted for its four consecutive victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans from 1927 to 1930. In 1929, Tim Birkin developed the 4½ litre, lightweight Blower Bentley at Welwyn Garden City and produced five racing specials, starting with Bentley Blower No.1 which was optimised for the Brooklands racing circuit. Birkin overruled W.O. and put the model on the market before it was fully developed. As a result, it was unreliable. In March 1930, during the Blue Train Races, Woolf Barnato raised the stakes on Rover and its Rover Light Six, having raced and beaten Le Train Bleu for the first time, to better that record with his 6½-litre Bentley Speed Six on a bet of £100. He drove against the train from Cannes to Calais, then by ferry to Dover, and finally London, travelling on public highways, and won. Barnato drove his H.J. Mulliner–bodied formal saloon in the race against the Blue Train. Two months later, on 21 May 1930, he took delivery of a Speed Six with streamlined fastback "Sportsman Coupé" by Gurney Nutting. Both cars became known as the "Blue Train Bentleys;" the latter is regularly mistaken for, or erroneously referred to as being, the car that raced the Blue Train, while in fact Barnato named it in memory of his race.[20][21] A painting by Terence Cuneo depicts the Gurney Nutting coupé racing along a road parallel to the Blue Train, which scenario never occurred as the road and railway did not follow the same route. Cricklewood Bentleys Bentley 8 Litre 4-door sports saloon 1921–29 3-litre 1926–30 4½-litre & "Blower Bentley" 1926–30 6½-litre 1928–30 6½-litre Speed Six 1930–31 8-litre 1931 4-litre The original model was the 3-litre, but as customers put heavier bodies on the chassis, a larger 4½-litre model followed. Perhaps the most iconic model of the period is the 4½-litre "Blower Bentley", with its distinctive supercharger projecting forward from the bottom of the grille. Uncharacteristically fragile for a Bentley it was not the racing workhorse the 6½-litre was, though in 1930 Birkin remarkably finished second in the French Grand Prix at Pau in a stripped-down racing version of the "Blower Bentley", behind Philippe Etancelin in a Bugatti Type 35. The 4½-litre model later became famous in po[CENSORED]r media as the vehicle of choice of James Bond in the original novels, but this has been seen only briefly in the films. John Steed in the television series The Avengers also drove a Bentley. The new 8-litre was such a success that when Barnato's money seemed to run out in 1931 and Napier was planning to buy Bentley's business, Rolls-Royce purchased Bentley Motors to prevent it competing with their most expensive model, Phantom II. Performance at Le Mans Bentley Speed Six 24 hours of Le Mans Grand Prix d'Endurance 1923 4th (private entry) (3-Litre) 1924 1st (3-Litre) 1925 did not finish 1926 did not finish 1927 1st 15th 17th (3-Litre) 1928 1st 5th (4½-litre) 1929 1st (Speed Six); 2nd 3rd 4th: (4½-litre) 1930 1st 2nd (Speed Six) Bentley withdrew from motor racing just after winning at Le Mans in 1930, claiming that they had learned enough about speed and reliability.[22] Liquidation The Wall Street Crash of 1929 and the resulting Great Depression throttled the demand for Bentley's expensive motor cars. In July 1931, two mortgage payments were due which neither the company nor Barnato, the guarantor, were able to meet. On 10 July 1931 a Receiver was appointed.[23] Napier offered to buy Bentley with the purchase to be final in November 1931. Instead, British Central Equitable Trust made a winning sealed bid of £125,000.[24] British Central Equitable Trust later proved to be a front for Rolls-Royce Limited. Not even Bentley himself knew the identity of the purchaser until the deal was completed.[15] Barnato received £42,000 for his shares in Bentley Motors. By coincidence, he had bought a sizable stake in Rolls-Royce not long before Bentley Motors was liquidated.[citation needed] In 1934 he was appointed to the board of the new Bentley Motors (1931) Ltd. In the same year Bentley confirmed that it would continue racing. The attempted total obliteration of Bentley Motors and its founder was an outcome of a long-standing vendetta between Hives and Bentley. The two engineers had completely opposing natures. The conflict begun in 1914 when Bentley was made official liaison between Government and aero engine manufacturers.[citation needed] Bentley may have been the better engineer,[citation needed] but his weaknesses were poor personal relationships and his inability to curb spending on development. The 8-Litre was acknowledged[by whom?] to be the better if more expensive car. He became patron of the Bentley Drivers' Club when Woolf Barnato's term as its president ended. Derby and Rolls-Royce "The silent sports car" 1935 3½-litre cabriolet by unknown coachbuilder Rolls-Royce took over the assets of Bentley Motors (1919) Ltd and formed a subsidiary, Bentley Motors (1931) Ltd. Rolls-Royce had acquired the Bentley showrooms in Cork Street, the service station at Kingsbury, the complex at Cricklewood and the services of Bentley himself. This last was disputed by Napier in court without success. Bentley had neglected to register their trademark so Rolls-Royce immediately did so. They also sold the Cricklewood factory in 1932. Production stopped for two years,[25] before resuming at the Rolls-Royce works in Derby. Unhappy with his role at Rolls-Royce, when his contract expired at the end of April 1935 W. O. Bentley left to join Lagonda. When the new Bentley 3½ litre appeared in 1933, it was a sporting variant of the Rolls-Royce 20/25, which disappointed some traditional customers yet was well received by many others. W. O. Bentley was reported as saying, "Taking all things into consideration, I would rather own this Bentley than any other car produced under that name".[15] Rolls-Royce's advertisements for the  3 1⁄2 Litre called it "the silent sports car",[26] a slogan Rolls-Royce continued to use for Bentley cars until the 1950s.[27] All Bentleys produced from 1931 to 2004 used inherited or shared Rolls-Royce chassis, and adapted Rolls-Royce engines, and are described by critics as badge-engineered Rolls-Royces.[28] Derby Bentleys 1933–37 3½-litre 1936–39 4¼-litre 1939–41 Mark V 1939 Mark V Crewe and Rolls-Royce In preparation for war, Rolls-Royce and the British Government searched for a location for a shadow factory to ensure production of aero-engines.[29][30] Crewe, with its excellent road and rail links, as well as being located in the northwest away from the aerial bombing starting in mainland Europe, was a logical choice. Crewe also had extensive open farming land. Construction of the factory started on a 60-acre area on the potato fields of Merrill's Farm in July 1938, with the first Rolls-Royce Merlin aero-engine rolling off the production line five months later. 25,000 Merlin engines [29] were produced and at its peak, in 1943 during World War II, the factory employed 10,000 people.[31] With the war in Europe over and the general move towards the then new jet engines, Rolls-Royce concentrated its aero engine operations at Derby and moved motor car operations to Crewe.[29] Standard Steel saloons Bentley Mark VI standard steel saloon, the first Bentley supplied by Rolls-Royce with a standard all-steel body. Until some time after World War II, most high-end motorcar manufacturers like Bentley and Rolls-Royce did not supply complete cars. They sold rolling chassis, near-complete from the instrument panel forward. Each chassis was delivered to the coach builder of the buyer's choice. The biggest specialist car dealerships had coachbuilders build standard designs for them which were held in stock awaiting potential buyers. The assembled pressings from Pressed Steel To meet post-war demand, particularly UK Government pressure to export and earn overseas currency, Rolls-Royce developed an all steel body using pressings made by Pressed Steel to create a "standard" ready-to-drive complete saloon car. The first steel-bodied model produced was the Bentley Mark VI: these started to emerge from the newly reconfigured Crewe factory early in 1946.[29][32] Some years later, initially only for export, the Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn was introduced, a standard steel Bentley but with a Rolls-Royce radiator grille for a small extra charge, and this convention continued. Chassis remained available to coachbuilders until the end of production of the Bentley S3, which was replaced for October 1965 by the chassis-less monocoque construction T series. Bentley Continental Bentley Continental, fastback coupé body by H J Mulliner The Continental fastback coupé was aimed at the UK market, most cars, 164 plus a prototype, being right-hand drive. The chassis was produced at the Crewe factory and shared many components with the standard R type. Other than the R-Type standard steel saloon, R-Type Continentals were delivered as rolling chassis to the coachbuilder of choice. Coachwork for most of these cars was completed by H. J. Mulliner & Co. who mainly built them in fastback coupe form. Other coachwork came from Park Ward (London) who built six, later including a drophead coupe version. Franay (Paris) built five, Graber (Wichtrach, Switzerland) built three, one of them later altered by Köng (Basel, Switzerland), and Pininfarina made one. James Young (London) built in 1954 a Sports Saloon for the owner of James Young's, James Barclay. The early R Type Continental has essentially the same engine as the standard R Type, but with modified carburation, induction and exhaust manifolds along with higher gear ratios.[33] After July 1954 the car was fitted with an engine, having now a larger bore of 94.62 mm (3.7 in) with a total displacement of 4,887 cc (4.9 L; 298.2 cu in). The compression ratio was raised to 7.25:1. Crewe Rolls-Royce Bentleys Bentleys made by Rolls-Royce Ltd. in Crewe "The silent sports car" 1952 4¼-litre 2-door by H J Mulliner Bentley S-series Standard Saloon Bentley T-series Standard Saloon (l.w.b.) Standard-steel saloon 1946–52 Mark VI 1952–55 R Type Continental 1952–55 R Type Continental S-series 1955–59 S1 and Continental 1959–62 S2 and Continental 1962–65 S3 and Continental T-series 1965–77 T1 1977–80 T2 1971–84 Corniche 1975–86 Camargue Crewe and Vickers The Bentley logo on a 1998 Arnage The problems of Bentley's owner with Rolls-Royce aero engine development, the RB211, brought about the financial collapse of its business in 1970. The motorcar division was made a separate business, Rolls-Royce Motors Limited, which remained independent until bought by Vickers plc in August 1980. By the 1970s and early 1980s Bentley sales had fallen badly; at one point less than 5% of combined production carried the Bentley badge.[15] Under Vickers, Bentley set about regaining its high-performance heritage, typified by the 1980 Mulsanne. Bentley's restored sporting image created a renewed interest in the name and Bentley sales as a proportion of output began to rise. By 1986 the Bentley:Rolls-Royce ratio had reached 40:60; by 1991 it achieved parity.[15] Crewe Vickers Bentleys 1984 Bentley Mulsanne Turbo Bentley Brooklands 1984–95 Continental: convertible 1992–95 Continental Turbo 1980–92 Bentley Mulsanne 1984–88 Mulsanne L: limousine 1982–85 Mulsanne Turbo 1987–92 Mulsanne S 1984–92 Eight: basic model 1985–95 Turbo R: turbocharged performance version 1991–2002 Continental R: turbocharged 2-door model 1994–95 Continental S: intercooled 1996–2002 Continental T 1999–2003 Continental R Mulliner: performance model 1992–98 Brooklands: improved Eight 1996–98 Brooklands R: performance Brooklands 1994–95 Turbo S: limited-edition sports model 1994–95 Continental S: to order only version of Continental R with features of Turbo S incorporated 1995–97 New Turbo R: updated 96MY Turbo R with revised bumpers, single front door glazing, new door mirrors, spare in trunk, engine cover, new seat design, auto lights, auto wipers etc. 1995–2003 Azure: convertible Continental R 1996–2002 Continental T: short-wheelbase performance model 1997–98 Turbo RL: "new" Turbo R LWB (Long Wheel Base) 1997–98 Bentley Turbo RT: replacement for the Turbo RL 1997–98 RT Mulliner: Ultra exclusive performance model Volkswagen This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) Volkswagen AG vs. BMW AG In October 1997, Vickers announced that it had decided to sell Rolls-Royce Motors. BMW AG seemed to be a logical purchaser because BMW already supplied engines and other components for Bentley and Rolls-Royce branded cars and because of BMW and Vickers joint efforts in building aircraft engines. BMW made a final offer of £340m, but was outbid by Volkswagen AG, which offered £430m. Volkswagen AG acquired the vehicle designs, model nameplates, production and administrative facilities, the Spirit of Ecstasy and Rolls-Royce grille shape trademarks, but not the rights to the use of the Rolls-Royce name or logo, which are owned by Rolls-Royce Holdings plc. In 1998, BMW started supplying components for the new range of Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars—notably V8 engines for the Bentley Arnage and V12 engines for the Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph, however, the supply contract allowed BMW to terminate its supply deal with Rolls-Royce with 12 months' notice, which would not be enough time for Volkswagen to re-engineer the cars. Bentley Azure Mulliner 2003 Final Series BMW paid Rolls-Royce plc £40m to license the Rolls-Royce name and logo. After negotiations, BMW and Volkswagen AG agreed that, from 1998 to 2002, BMW would continue to supply engines and components and would allow Volkswagen temporary use of the Rolls-Royce name and logo. All BMW engine supply ended in 2003 with the end of Silver Seraph production. From 1 January 2003 forward, Volkswagen AG would be the sole provider of cars with the "Bentley" marque. BMW established a new legal entity, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited, and built a new administrative headquarters and production facility for Rolls-Royce branded vehicles in Goodwood, West Sussex, England. Modern Bentleys The Bentley line-up from late 2000s (from left): Flying Spur, Continental GT, and Arnage Queen Elizabeth II's Bentley State Limousine After acquiring the business, Volkswagen spent GBP500 million (about US$845 million) to modernise the Crewe factory and increase production capacity.[34] As of early 2010, there are about 3,500 working at Crewe, compared with about 1,500 in 1998 before being taken over by Volkswagen.[35] It was reported that Volkswagen invested a total of nearly US$2 billion in Bentley and its revival.[36] As a result of upgrading facilities at Crewe the bodywork now arrives fully painted at the Crewe facility for final assembly, with the parts coming from Germany—similarly Rolls-Royce body shells are painted and shipped to the UK for assembly only. In 2002, Bentley presented Queen Elizabeth II with an official State Limousine to celebrate her Golden Jubilee. In 2003, Bentley's two-door convertible, the Bentley Azure, ceased production, and Bentley introduced a second line, Bentley Continental GT, a large luxury coupé powered by a W12 engine built in Crewe. Demand had been so great that the factory at Crewe was unable to meet orders despite an installed capacity of approximately 9,500 vehicles per year; there was a waiting list of over a year for new cars to be delivered. Consequently, part of the production of the new Flying Spur, a four-door version of the Continental GT, was assigned to the Transparent Factory (Germany), where the Volkswagen Phaeton luxury car is also assembled. This arrangement ceased at the end of 2006 after around 1,000 cars, with all car production reverting to the Crewe plant. In April 2005, Bentley confirmed plans to produce a four-seat convertible model—the Azure, derived from the Arnage Drophead Coupé prototype—at Crewe beginning in 2006. By the autumn of 2005, the convertible version of the successful Continental GT, the Continental GTC, was also presented. These two models were successfully launched in late 2006. A limited run of a Zagato modified GT was also announced in March 2008, dubbed "GTZ". A new version of the Bentley Continental was introduced at the 2009 Geneva Auto Show: The Continental Supersports. This new Bentley is a supercar combining extreme power with environmentally friendly FlexFuel technology, capable of using petrol (gasoline) and biofuel (E85 ethanol). Bentley sales continued to increase, and in 2005 8,627 were sold worldwide, 3,654 in the United States. In 2007, the 10,000 cars-per-year threshold was broken for the first time with sales of 10,014. For 2007, a record profit of €155 million was also announced.[37] Bentley reported a sale of about 7,600 units in 2008.[38] However, its global sales plunged 50 percent to 4,616 vehicles in 2009 (with the U.S. deliveries dropped 49% to 1,433 vehicles) and it suffered an operating loss of €194 million, compared with an operating profit of €10 million in 2008.[34][39] As a result of the slump in sales, production at Crewe was shut down during March and April 2009.[40] Though vehicle sales increased by 11% to 5,117 in 2010, operating loss grew by 26% to €245 million.[41] In Autumn 2010, workers at Crewe staged a series of protests over proposal of compulsory work on Fridays and mandatory overtime during the week.[42] Vehicle sales in 2011 rose 37% to 7,003 vehicles, with the new Continental GT accounting for over one-third of total sales. The current workforce is about 4,000 people. The business earned a profit in 2011 after two years of losses as a result of the following sales results:[43]