Daily Archives: March 5, 2021

Its A New Hedonism: Dolce & Gabbana On Their Hi-Tech AW21 Collection And New Ambassador Kitty Spencer – British Vogue

Posted: March 5, 2021 at 5:30 am

Last month, Dolce & Gabbana debuted a radical change of direction with a mens show devoted to the crazy and colourful wardrobes of TikTok kids and cyber-subculture. Their autumn/winter 2021 womens show followed suit, channelling digital dressing in a conversation between technology and the young generations nostalgia for the 90s. With references to their tight, black corseted dresses from the decade, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana injected their collection with all the augmented silhouettes, outlandish colours and techy textures of the digital world, bringing virtual reality one step closer to real life. Anders Christian Madsen spoke to Stefano Gabbana about the collection and the designers announcement of Kitty Spencer as brand ambassador.

Its not the first time! I love coloured hair. My first time was 30 years ago when I bleached it. Then I went orange, then I went blue, and now Im blue again. I take inspiration from the young generation! Next, I want to go green.

We worked with the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia: artificial intelligence. Remember when we presented the show with the drones? The season after, we started to look into artificial intelligence. The idea is to take influence from technology, but the most important thing about technology is humans. Humans make technology. Its handmade.

It influenced the fabrics, the colours, the attitude. Weve tried to do something different, mixing sponging with wool, wool with plastic, vegan fabric with mohair. Weve tried to do experimental things. Our job is like a mirror that reflects the present. And today, everything is about technology especially in this moment with the pandemic. Social media, new attitudes, new approaches This is the most interesting development to us.

Dolce & Gabbana autumn/winter 2021.

The future, I dont know, but what I know for sure is that artificial intelligence is a good thing for humanity. It can create help for healthcare, for politics, for nature. I dont know the future of fashion but were starting to do something new. More than the future, we are interested in today.

Its human to be scared about the future. The new is scary. But the future is now. We dont know whats going to happen tomorrow. Domenico and I are not afraid because we are curious, and that helps a lot.

For Domenico and me, freedom is the most important word. We are designers sketching collections in Milan. Sometimes people say, Where are we going with this? Its impossible to wear this! But the world is big. If its not okay for me, maybe its okay for you, or another person. Maybe its not okay immediately, for now, maybe itll be okay in two or three years time. Thats our reflection on today.

Dolce & Gabbana autumn/winter 2021.

Half of the silhouettes come from social media: the structured things, the exaggerated volumes. The other half is very Dolce & Gabbana: tight, sartorial, slim, sexy. For many years, young people have been asking us, Ah, why dont you make the clothes you made in the 90s? The 90s, 90s, 90s

We werent 100 per cent comfortable with the idea because, you know, when youve done something before its very difficult to redo it in the same way. Youve changed your mind, mentality, age, and today is a different time. Its not the 90s. So, weve tried to do some 90s: embroidery, corsetry, sexiness. But the starting point is different.

Dolce & Gabbana autumn/winter 2021.

Today, young guys and girls dress up for themselves, for selfies, for the mirror; today sexy is the same word but with another value. The new generations approach to sexy is totally different. In the 90s, youd dress sexy for other people. In this moment, the young generations dress sexy for themselves, because they love it. Its kind of a new hedonism.

Weve been friends with Kitty (the niece of the late Diana, Princess of Wales) for a long time. We feel very comfortable in her company; talking, eating, spending time together. It was spontaneous to ask her to become the image of Dolce & Gabbana. And we love British beauty. Weve been attracted to Britain since our early beginnings. Its the most extravagant culture in the world. She walked two or three times for us. Maybe shell walk next time, when its possible to do a real show again.

Kitty Spencer walking a Dolce & Gabbana show in 2018.

Victor VIRGILE

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The Rise and Fall of 80s Glam Metal – The Wall Street Journal

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The glam-metal music of the 1980s is known for its over the top style and sound: the teased hair, heavy makeup and spandex; prodigious pyrotechnics and bombastic power ballads; lightning-fast guitar solos.

But as journalists Tom Beaujour and Richard Bienstock recount in their new book Nthin But A Good Time, the genrewhich is alternatively called hard rock or hair metal, depending on whether youre a fanmade rock n roll bigger in the U.S. than ever before. The hedonism of bands like Mtley Cre and Poison made headlines, but its their single-mindedness, showmanship and melodies that ultimately yielded multi-platinum albums and sold-out arenas. Messrs. Beaujour and Bienstock conducted more than 200 new interviews with acts such as Ratt and Lita Ford and industry insiders like Spencer Proffer, who championed Quiet Riot, the first metal band to score a No. 1 album.

Nthin But A Good Time, out March 16, chronicles how 80s hard rock, initially shunned by record labels, triggered a music-industry gold rush. But despite a reputation as slick corporate rock, many early glam-metal bands plugged away for years without record deals, investing their own money and employing do-it-yourself strategies.

Mr. Beaujour, 49, and Mr. Bienstock, 45, are both long-time musicians and rock and guitar-magazine journalists. Their book is the latest in a string of rock oral histories, including Lizzy Goodmans popular 2017 history of 2000s rock, Meet Me in the Bathroom.

The authors recently talked to the Journal about the 80s hard-rock explosion and how the music industrys repetition of the same formula helped bring it all down. An edited transcript:

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My life in sex: the woman who lost her virginity twice – The Guardian

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I had gender reassignment surgery in the late 2000s, and while I had been sexually active prior to this, I had always imagined what it would be like to have sex as a woman for the first time. I had pictured a whirlwind romance or a hotel room, or maybe even a seedy club. What actually happened was altogether more intriguing.

At the time I was a keen photographer, and was also beginning to explore the kink scene. These interests intersected when a couple asked if I wanted to photograph their new dungeon equipment for them. At this point no sexual high jinks were on my mind, just a two-hour train journey across a sodden Lancashire and a warm cup of tea at the end. But when I arrived, the man and woman were charming and interesting, and ended up asking if Id be keen to try the equipment.

Things progressed and I lost my second virginity in the course of two hours of blissful hedonism. How did it compare with losing my first virginity? It was certainly more memorable. As a man, I found sex to be very urgent, almost like scratching an itch. Having sex as a woman felt more all-encompassing. Not really knowing my sexual self in my reconfigured body should have set me on edge, but the couple were kind, patient and very good at what they did. More than a decade later, I still look back on the memory with fondness.

Each week, a reader tells us about their sex life. Want to share yours? Email sex@theguardian.com. All submissions are published anonymously, and subject to our terms and conditions.

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How to keep your brand and venue marketing ‘reopening safe’ – BeverageDaily.com

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The words 21st June had barely been uttered last week when the memes started. Summer plans shared online, jokes about booking the day off, jokes about getting really, really drunk.

Theres a big theme emerging for the summer already: a long-planned release of pent up hedonism. And its going to be a challenge for drink brands to find a route through this and get the tone right - celebratory, but responsible.

And for venues - how should they plan to communicate this summer?What does the reopening roadmap mean for the industry from a comms and planning point of view?

Here are our five tips to help make a realistic plan for reopening comms and marketing as we head into summer 2021, with whatever it might bring.

'Building your comms plan around a fixed idea or date is a risk. Taking a more measured, flexible approach is essential'

1. Dont try to own reopening. If 2020-21 has taught us anything, its that we need to be prepared to be flexible. While we all hope that this summer will see the back of Covid, its entirely possible that restrictions might not disappear completely, or not on the planned date (or even, hell, come back again).

Building your comms plan for the year around a fixed idea or date is a risk. Taking a more measured, flexible approach that doesn't focus on the timeline from the start is essential.

Plus, as a practical point, though production and supply will likely increase, lets not forget all the wastage from the last big opening. If we rush to supply pubs with car parks full of kegs and lockdown rears its ugly head again it could cost pub owners a lot. So lets be ready to supply with caution!

2. Consider practical and design-led ways to keep drinkers and customers safe - for brands and bars. Venues might be really busy but its likely well still need to socially distance. If you have an RTD version of your drink or can be reformatted into a faster serve, for example, start training your biggest distribution channels now. Train staff, rejig venues - and make sure all of these things are communicated to customers ahead of time and in-venue.

3. Keep an eye on social platforms. While were sure that every brand and venue is cautious and responsible, its easy to be distracted by memes and for shaky content to creep onto social pages, either from fans or junior team members. Its tempting to promote countdowns, partying hard and similar, but its vital to proceed with caution, to keep that duty of care for customers in mind.

4. Remember to keep prioritising those who interact with the public - and to communicate this too. In this case, this means both hospitality staff (bartenders etc) and hospital staff (doctors and nurses). We're all excited! But bartenders have likely been out of work, furloughed or on reduced wages for a long time now. Suddenly placing a huge amount of stress on them is not good. Your brand can be the voice to remind people to be respectful. If they got your order wrong, be cool, calmly order another, be courteous - or just drink it, there's no need to start berating people. And as for the doctors and nurses who have already worked insane hours and in awful conditions, they don't need an A&E filled with drunks. So be careful! And be sure to thank and respect the people that have got us out of this mess in your comms and actions.

5. Getting the tone right will be a challenge, but, focusing on the things that are close to certain, and that we have all really missed, will be a safe bet. We will be, in some way, starting to reconnect - the dates may change, the format may differ - and some people may have come out of lockdown having reevaluated their relationship with alcohol altogether. Your venue might have families nearby, desperate to have a Sunday lunch together, just as much as young people who really want to see their mates en route to a club.Comms need to be inclusive and make space for everyone to come and be together again.

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The Best TV Shows and Movies Leaving Netflix in March 2021 – /FILM

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Another month, another collection of movies that will soon be leaving Netflix even if it feels like they just arrived on the streamer. But its the way of the world, for these movies and TV shows to make way for new arrivals in March. Here are the best TV shows and movies leaving Netflix in March 2021.

Vanessa Hudgens, Selena Gomez, Ashley Benson, and Rachel Korine star as a group of teenage friends who join a life of crime after a run-in with James Francos aspiring rapper.Spring Breakerswas marketed mostly as the Disney girls go bad movie, but the Harmony Korines special brand of scumbag chic cinema is an ode to hedonism that is as foul as it is fascinating.

David O. Russells romantic-comedy teeters dangerously between twee and glib, butSilver Linings Playbook is still a fantastic showcase for Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper as two mentally unstable soulmates who join a dance competition.

The movie that kicked off the global martial arts movie craze and turned Bruce Lee into a legend,Enter the Dragonretains a bittersweet place in pop culture history it would be the second to last film Lee would make before his untimely death during the making ofGame of Death. But Lees swaggering charisma and that mirror scene makesEnter the Dragon still as dazzling as ever.

One of the all-time great martial arts comedies,Kung Fu Hustle is like aLooney Tunes cartoon crossed with an operatic Chinese melodrama. Stephen Chow directs and stars asbumbling thief and aspiring gangster who finds himself in the middle of a conflict between the Axe Gang and the residents of the rundown Pig Sty Alley, where three kung fu masters secretly live.

Robert De Nirostars in Martin Scorseses early-career masterpiece,Taxi Driver, as a mentally unstable cab driver whose late-night job wandering the seedy streets of New York feeds his delusions of grandeur, driving him to take up a vigilante mission toclean up the trash of the city.

Leaving 3/3/21

Rectify: Seasons 1-4

Leaving 3/7/21

Hunter X Hunter (2011): Seasons 1-3

Leaving 3/8/21

Apollo 18 (2011)

The Young Offenders (2016)

Leaving 3/9/21

November Criminals (2017)

The Bosss Daughter (2015)

Leaving 3/10/21

Last Ferry (2019)

Summer Night (2019)

Leaving 3/13/21

Spring Breakers (2012)

The Outsider (2019)

Leaving 3/14/21

Aftermath (2017)

Marvel & ESPN Films Present: 1 of 1: Genesis

The Assignment (2016)

The Student (2017)

Leaving 3/15/21

Chicken Little (2005)

Leaving 3/16/21

Deep Undercover: Collections 1-3

Love Dot Com: The Social Experiment (2019)

Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

Leaving 3/17/21

All About Nina (2018)

Come and Find Me (2016)

Leaving 3/20/21

Conor McGregor: Notorious (2017)

Leaving 3/22/21

Agatha and the Truth of Murder (2018)

I Dont Know How She Does It (2011)

Leaving 3/24/21

USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage (2016)

Leaving 3/25/21

Blood Father (2016)

The Hurricane Heist (2018)

Leaving 3/26/21

Ghost Rider (2007)

Leaving 3/27/21

Domino (2019)

Leaving 3/30/21

Extras: Seasons 1-2

Killing Them Softly (2012)

London Spy: Season 1

The House That Made Me: Seasons 1-3

Leaving 3/31/21

Arthur (2011)

Chappaquiddick (2017)

Enter the Dragon (1973)

Gods Not Dead (2014)

Hedgehogs (2016)

Inception (2010)

Killer Klowns from Outer Space (1988)

Kung Fu Hustle (2004)

Mollys Game (2017)

Money Talks (1997)

School Daze (1988)

Secret in Their Eyes (2015)

Sex and the City: The Movie (2008)

Sex and the City 2 (2010)

Sinister Circle (2017)

Skin Wars: Seasons 1-3

Taxi Driver (1976)

The Bye Bye Man (2017)

The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)

The Prince & Me (2004)

Weeds: Seasons 1-7

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Dua Lipa is pop’s new superstar and a bit of a mystery – Los Angeles Times

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When Dua Lipa was 15 years old, she left her parents and two younger siblings behind in the familys native Kosovo and moved more or less on her own to London.

The plan, at least as understood by her mom and dad (whod only agreed to it because shed be rooming with the older daughter of a family friend), was to finish high school and then enter university. By the time Lipa graduated, though, shed turned her focus to music, posting covers online and recording hooky originals she co-wrote while supporting herself as a hostess at a Mexican joint in Londons Soho neighborhood.

I kept telling my parents, if I take a gap year, then I dont have to pay off my university debt, the singer says today with a laugh.

Asked how long she was willing to stretch that gap year how long she was prepared to grind in the hopes of becoming a pop star she smiles as though amused by the misconception that shed been struggling.

That was a great life I was working in a restaurant, I was partying all night, then Id wake up in the morning and go to the studio, she says. I had so much fun.

But also: A struggle suggests she might have accepted anything less than success.

Ive always been persistent, and Ive always fought for the things that Ive wanted, Lipa, now 25, says in her crisp English accent. So as much as this was my passion, I feel like it was also my destiny.

A decade after she set out from home, its tempting to think she was right. Last year, Lipas Future Nostalgia a sophomore LP full of sticky vocal melodies, shimmering guitar licks and crazy-funky bass lines topped the U.K. album chart and was certified gold in the U.S. Dont Start Now, the projects disco-throwback lead single, has been streamed nearly 2 billion times on Spotify and YouTube.

In November, more than 5 million people tuned into an elaborate, Studio 54-inspired livestream that featured cameos by Elton John, Bad Bunny and Kylie Minogue, the last of whom praised Lipas clever songwriting and instantly recognizable voice in a tribute she wrote when Time magazine put Lipa on its Next 100 list of young influencers.

Massive icon, Lipa says, returning the favor, of Minogue. For her to even know who I am is mad.

Now Lipa, named best new artist at the Grammy Awards in 2019, is among the most-nominated acts at this months 63rd Grammys ceremony, where shes up for six prizes, including album, record and song of the year. (Only Beyonc has more nods.) Though the Recording Academy has yet to detail plans for the show, set to take place March 14 in Los Angeles, Lipa is widely expected to perform on the CBS telecast.

Says Tom Corson, cochairman of Lipas label, Warner Records: What were seeing is the dawning of a new superstar.

Ive always been persistent, and Ive always fought for the things that Ive wanted, says Dua Lipa.

(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)

According to Grammy oddsmakers, Future Nostalgia trails Taylor Swifts rootsy Folklore for the highly coveted album award, which Swift has won twice since 2010. Yet academy members have demonstrated a soft spot for the kind of crafty, intricate, hand-played dance music that Lipas disc represents: In 2014, Daft Punk upset expectations when the French duo beat their highly favored competitors (including Swifts blockbuster Red) to take album of the year with Random Access Memories.

Lipa says the beautifully rendered Future Nostalgia is meant to evoke memories of music by swank 70s and 80s acts like Blondie and Chic the latter of whose Nile Rodgers featured prominently on Random Access Memories and to put across a more unified vibe than her grab bag of a self-titled 2017 debut.

Lipas album spawned a couple of monster streaming hits in IDGAF, a tart kiss-off with marching-band drums, and New Rules, which layers her low, husky singing over a sleek, EDM-ish beat. But the only thing that connected each song was my voice, as Lipa puts it in a video call from her place in L.A.

A reliably glamorous presence on magazine covers and in music videos, the singer is low-key this morning in a baggy tie-dyed top and purple beanie as her dog, a black Lab mix named Dexter, clambers onto the couch beside her. Lipa, who lives with her boyfriend of nearly two years, model Anwar Hadid (younger brother of fashionistas Bella and Gigi), gladly splits her time between here and London, though she admits she didnt warm right away to L.A. in part, perhaps, because her first crash pad was a random Airbnb in the depths of Hollywood with bars across the door.

It said Santa Monica Boulevard, and I was like, Oh, Ive heard of that street, she recalls of the listing. Little did I know. Now I love it here.

Producer Stephen Koz Kozmeniuk, who helped build both of Lipas albums from the ground up, says the singer wanted Future Nostalgia to reflect her buoyant mood. She was happy, feeling good like, I just wanna dance, Koz says. It was also a bit of a reaction to the fact that all the other music in the world was quite down at the time the Billie Eilishes and all the trap stuff.

Lipa, of course, didnt know that COVID-19 was looming as she completed her big feel-good statement in early 2020. But when it came out last March, the album ended up offering a welcome escape from a quickly darkening reality. Whats more, Dont Start Now touched off a plague-times disco revival that yielded pleasure-obsessed hits by the likes of Lady Gaga, Harry Styles and Doja Cat, whose Say So is nominated against Dont Start Now for record of the year.

Something this pandemic has taught us, I think, is to live in the moment, Lipa says.

Dua Lipa at the 61st Grammy Awards, where she won best new artist.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

If space got crowded under the glitter ball, Lipa still stands out. For starters, theres the exceptionally wide range of her appeal, which in recent months has led to both a collaboration with the hip-hop boy band Brockhampton and a country-fied cover of Dont Start Now by Nashvilles Ingrid Andress. (Among Lipas other duet partners of late are Miley Cyrus, J Balvin, DaBaby and Andrea Bocelli.)

Dua is super-cool, says Brockhamptons Kevin Abstract, a hero to Supreme-clad kids more attuned to Camp Flog Gnaw than to the Hot 100. What did his fans make of Lipas appearance on a remix of Brockhamptons song Sugar? They were probably like, Whoa, I didnt expect this but why does it kind of work? Abstract says.

Theres also Lipas unique handling of her celebrity. At a moment when music by many female pop stars is scrutinized for insight into their private lives be they established A-listers like Swift and Ariana Grande or up-and-comers like Olivia Rodrigo of Drivers License fame Lipas songs resist a closely personal read. Its not that theyre unfeeling; bangers such as Levitating and Hallucinate combine whooshing grooves with words about bodies in motion to create something downright ecstatic.

But the music tends proudly toward abstraction; its seeking to embody the emotional experience of love or sex or adventure, rather than inviting you to ponder any given episode between her and Hadid. And because shes such an expressive singer, with loads of texture in her voice, she pulls it off.

Dua brings a real star quality to her songs, says Sarah Hudson, a veteran songwriter whos worked with Katy Perry and Camila Cabello and who wrote Levitating with Lipa, Koz and Clarence Coffee Jr. But shes slightly mysterious. At the same time, shes so genuine that you feel close to the music. Hudson is right: You feel close to the music, if not necessarily to Dua Lipa herself.

Polished but forthright in conversation, Lipa cops to a certain self-protective instinct after a few years in the limelight. Ive grown to be more private because so much of my life is public, and I probably censor myself more than I used to, she says. I also dont love the idea of making music for headlines or for controversy. Shes seen Framing Britney Spears, the much-discussed documentary about the teen pop stars treatment in the tabloid economy of the mid-00s, and says she can relate to a sense of being violated by paparazzi.

The feeling of going down the street and theyre trying to catch you in this very awkward picture it can be anxiety-inducing, honestly, she says. And Britneys time was pre-Instagram when everything was purely about the tabloids, and there were no laws in place about what paparazzi were allowed to do. She was being harassed thats exactly what it was.

Though paparazzi shots can still circle the internet you looking nuts after youve just woken up trying to get to the gym, as Lipa puts it with a shudder Instagram has fundamentally changed the way we see pop stars. Yet curating her presentation hasnt prevented her from being called out online by fans whove questioned her need to travel to so many exotic locations during a pandemic.

There are a lot of eyeballs on my social media, she says, somewhat philosophically, of being judged on occasion by some of her 61 million followers. But Im very much the same person onstage as I am at home. Her point seems to be that she never puts on the persona of a jet-setting glamazon; the reality can seem more like she never takes it off.

Im very much the same person onstage as I am at home, says Dua Lipa.

(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

Indeed, theres a let-them-eat-cake quality to her stream of carefully styled photos that, along with her aversion to oversharing, registers as another difference between Lipa and her ostensibly relatable American counterparts. The singers European-ness more Posh Spice than Amy Winehouse feels essential to her identity, which hasnt been true of a breakout female act in this country for ages.

Lipa was born in London but moved to Kosovo at 11 when her parents, whod emigrated during the Balkan conflicts, deemed it safe to come back. In Pristina, the countrys capital, she learned about my roots, she says, played basketball at school (she stands a willowy 5-foot-8) and perfected her Albanian, which she still uses daily with her family and in text messages with her old friends.

Returning to London as a teenager was a product of her need to be in a place where everything was happening, she says, including the club culture she soon discovered. Future Nostalgia showcases Lipas earnest embrace of dance music and its rich history; she even released a companion remix album, Club Future Nostalgia, with new versions of the songs by house and techno O.G.s such as Moodymann, Larry Heard and Masters at Work.

Her investment is totally legit, says the Blessed Madonna, the respected DJ and producer who oversaw the remix set. To me Dua is the pop girl who really gets it.

The Blessed Madonna worked with Lipa again on last falls splashy livestream, which they called Studio 2054. For the singer, it was a place to pour all the energy and ideas and all the costumes and choreography she had for the Future Nostalgia tour, which has been postponed twice due to the pandemic but which she hopes finally to launch later this year.

I woke up this morning to news about measures being lifted in the U.K., she says. By September it might be looking good.

Asked what she finds so intriguing about Studio 54, Lipa who says shes been reading scripts for a move into acting that seems all but inevitable replies, I love the spectacle of what was basically a theater production in a nightclub. But she also describes the elevation of hedonism to a kind of fine art.

Ive spoken to Elton John all about it. And Chic wrote a song about not being allowed into the place, she says, referring to the bands classic Le Freak. That was inspiring to them. So you can only imagine what it was like being inside.

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What To Expect From Cyberpunk 2077 Multiplayer (& When) – Screen Rant

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CD Projekt Red hasnt said much about Cyberpunk 2077's multiplayer, but a recent data leak offers some insight into what fans can expect.

CD Projekt Red has promised fansCyberpunk 2077 will get some form of multiplayer, but details so far have been sparse. The launch of Cyberpunk 2077 was rocky, to say the least, and CD Projekt Red has faced many issues in the meantime, from hacks and data leaks to class-action lawsuits. This may leave fans feeling uneasy about the developer's ability to deliver aCyberpunk 2077 multiplayer mode.

CD Projekt Red has released some information about multiplayer itself, andmore detailshave beenleaked by anonymous data miners. What can players expect fromCyberpunk 2077 multiplayer, and when will it be launched? Heres a rundown of all the information thats been released so far.

Related:Cyberpunk 2077 Hack Locked Devs Out Of Their Workstations For Weeks

In January 2021, anonymous data miners reportedly leaked information about two multiplayer modes for Cyberpunk 2077. One appears to be a "Heists" mode, in which multiple players can cooperate to complete quests, similar to single-player quests in the main game. The other looks like a "Deathmatch" mode, though most of the information about this one was limited to text players would see on the kill feed. The supposed leaked files also contained information about peer-to-peer connections, a four-class selection system, and other dedicated multiplayer functions.

The official information released by CD Projekt Red about Cyberpunk 2077 multiplayer has been fairly sparse. Back in November 2020, it was announced thatCyberpunk 2077 multiplayer will be a standalone game, not a mode within the main game. Fans neednt worry about purchasing a separate product, though, because CD Projekt Red has confirmed multiplayerwill be free.

Despite the data leak, CD Projekt Red still has not set a release date forCyberpunk 2077 multiplayer. In a January 2020CD Projekt investor call, the company stated Cyberpunk 2077's multiplayer would not be ready until "after 2021." This means players could see the multiplayer release by early 2022, though the many issues faced by CD Projekt Red since the release of Cyberpunk 2077- including hacks, data leaks, and multiple class-action lawsuits - might delay that launch a little further.

Overall, the multiplayer version of Cyberpunk 2077 is still somewhat shrouded in mystery. CD Projekt Red hasn't released many concrete details, and the release window is very vague. The developer has been struggling to release patches and bug fixes on time, so it seems likely fans could be waiting quite a while forCyberpunk 2077 multiplayer to launch.

Next: Why Cyberpunk 2077 Patches & Fixes Are Being Delayed

Source: CD Projekt

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Nicole Rennolds is a writer and biology student from Baltimore, Maryland. Her writing can be found on Instagram @nicolerennwrites.

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10 Completely Ridiculous Cyberpunk 2077 Mods That You Need To Install ASAP – Screen Rant

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CD Projekt's Cyberpunk 2077 launched in an incredibly rough state, but some of these radical mods can drastically overhaul the game for the better.

Cyberpunk 2077 is a game that, despite its iconic film and TV show influences, immersive world-building, the inclusion of Keanu Reeves, is often plagued by negative perceptions and derisive criticisms. The major reason behind such criticisms stems from the fact that the game often suffers from glitches and bugs that often border on game-breaking.

RELATED:Cyberpunk 2077 & 8 Other Awesome Video Games Keanu Reeves Appears In

These limitations have resulted in players looking for ways to customize the playing experience and rid the game ofits most frustrating faults. With official mod support from CD Projekt Red, moddingCyberpunk2077 will continue to be a pretty common thing.While some of the mods are quite utilitarian, there exist some which can be safely regarded as extremely ridiculous, yet extremely enjoyable at the same time. These mods rank high with gamers owing to their ridiculousness and should be installed as soon as possible to get the most and the unexpected out of Cyberpunk 2077.

The various NPCs in Cyberpunk 2077 all flaunt different futuristic skin textures, but doing the same when creating a custom character would prove to be pretty irritating in-game.

However, modder Crazy Potato has solved this frustration with the Chrome Female V Mod, which allows V to flaunt futuristic chrome skin that looks not only crazy, but quite appealing, as wellin a weird, far-future way, that is. The only downside to this mod is that Vs breasts seem to pop out of her clothes whenever this mod is activated,though weird issues like that are more-or-less par for the course for the game.

Cyberpunk 2077 is a game that is full of glitches and bugs, so much so that PlayStations CEO has even called out CD Projekt Reds attempt to launch the game in such a broken state. The bugs and glitches can become increasingly frustrating when players get stuck in game-environment components like walls and corners. Being stuck in a glitch is never a fun experience, and, therefore, a mod like Ghost Forward helps immensely.

Allowing players to teleport ahead a little distance can help them in getting unstuck and can also come in handy when wanting to infiltrate places that do not seem to have an entry in sight. It also has a neat feature of sliding the camera forward to look at what lies beyond the wall, thereby saving the player from landing himself/herself in an ambush or hurling himself/herself from the thirtiethfloor of a high-rise building.

The weather in Night City has a number of different variations, but, for the most part of the game, it is a bright, sunny with no trace of clouds. The Climate Change Mod by Essenthy makes up for this monotony by allowing the players to choose from fog, toxic fog, rain, overcast skies, and pollution as the default climate of the game.

RELATED:Cyberpunk 2077: 10 Things Fans Need To Know About The Original Board Game

The player still gets to experience other weather conditions, but the chosen climate remains the default. Although there are problems with this mod working perfectly when activated in the Badlands or the North Side, it is an issue that Essenthy promises to fix, and it hardly impacts the efficacy of this cool and weather-based mod.

There has been a constant debate surrounding whether Cyberpunk 2077 is a better game or whether it is Fallout 4. Irrespective of which game delights the modern player, it cannot be denied that both support some brilliant mods. One such ridiculous mod, specific to Cyberpunk 2077,is I2ahmans Netwatch Cyberware mod.

An appearance mod that allows V to sport the cyberware that players can see on the faces of Netwatch agents, this mod might not do anything crazy in the gameplay but is a damn good facial enhancement to have.

Cyberpunk 2077 is a hugely demanding game that strains the gamers system extensively. Therefore, in order to make the playing experience smoother, a mod called Disabled Crowd exists that makes the crowd in Night Citynonexistent.

While this may seem like a lonely game, with V completing his/her story through deserted lanes and empty intersections, it improves the game's performance exponentially owing to the lesser number of components the system has to render. Furthermore, the look is quite dystopian and makes for a slightly ridiculous mod that gamers looking for efficiency might prefer.

The NPC behavior in Cyberpunk 2077 is quite frustrating, with the characters disappearing if adequate attention is not given to them. The botchy behavior by such NPCs is courtesy of the games unpolished release, an aspect that Take-Two owner Strauss Zelnick has hugely criticized. However, with the existence of the Alternate Crowd Behavior and Other Tweaks mod by TemplarGFX, this frustrating aspect can be somewhat managed.

RELATED:10 Movies Cyberpunk 2077 Fans Need To Watch

What this mod allows players to do is select the appropriate crowd behavior that he/she would prefer. Players can either choose a dynamic collection of NPCs or a more consistent collection. Other customizations that this mod can aid include asset streaming, the traffic, as well as the general behavior by the AI. However, it must be noted that using this mod might affect the FPS of the game and put a major strain on performance.

There are a lot of things, including the game's gangs, that do not make any sense in Cyberpunk 2077. One other thing that is just as nonsensical in the game is the handling of vehicles, which seems to be overpowered at best and rusty at worst.

The Better Vehicle Handling mod by RB allows the players to somewhat compensate for the ridiculous handling of vehicles that the game has to offer. While the mod in itself is not ridiculous, it is splendid in the sense that it tames vehicular control to a brilliant degree, an aspect that is over-the-top for anybody playing the un-modded version of the game.

There are many hidden gems in the massive user-generated lineup ofCyberpunk 2077 mods.One such mod that takes players out on a stroll through memory lane is a reshading mod that is basedon the iconicDoomgames of 1993.

TheDOOM Reshade mod basically allows players to reshade the game byrecreating the pixelated look of the FPS classic and implementing the same on the graphically exquisite Night City. Although in-game text and HUD elements are going to be completely unreadable, it is a ridiculously cool mod to have, and, in a weird way, it fits the game's retrofuturist aesthetic.

For lovers of RPG, the Unlock Night City mod is the perfect ridiculous mod to install right away. Allowing players to unlock cordoned-off areas in the city, this mod is brilliant in the sense that it allows access to places that most players cant enter while enabling them to enjoy the interior design of these areas.

This mod makes Night City a lot more interesting, and, as new places including Delamain HQ, Voodoo Boys Underground Base are added, this mod will be all the more impressive.

Many players have constantly complained that Cyberpunk 2077 would have been a whole lot better had it beenin third-person instead of first-person. As players dedicate an insane amount of effort in building the perfect version of V, many yearn to behold their creation as he/she walks around Night City in unabashed glory.

The JB - TPP MOD WIP Third Person mod achieves exactly this, allowing players to toggle between first-person and third-person views, adjust the angle as they desire, and even find hidden places that do not expose themselves at first glance when playing the gamein the first person. While this mod is still buggy at times, it is sure to improve in the coming months, especially with mod support from CD Projekt Red becoming official.

NEXT:10 Cyberpunk TV Shows To Watch If You Play Cyberpunk 2077

Next Ranking The 10 Most Important Weddings In Marvel Comics

Arnab Rakshit is an avid reader, writer, movie-buff, and comics fanatic residing in Kolkata, India. He is a graduate of Asutosh College, Calcutta University, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature. Having worked in the field of content development for myriad clients for the last three years, he is confident about creating meticulous and informative content for ScreenRant readers, He also enjoys a competitive game of Table Tennis once in a while.

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10 Completely Ridiculous Cyberpunk 2077 Mods That You Need To Install ASAP - Screen Rant

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Cyberpunk 2077: Does the game meet its hype? – Prothom Alo English

Posted: at 5:28 am

The performance issues with cyberpunk are absurd. This game is borderline unplayable on PlayStation four and just consoles in general. Considering CD Project made cyberpunk themed collector's edition PS4 an Xbox Ones when it barely gets above 20 fps in either of those consoles. The bugs are outrageous, not just tacky glitches, but actual game breaking bugs where missions will just not work and you have to go reload or even relaunch to try and make the game work. I had to save and reload saves multiple times just attempting to make a single NPC spawn so I could start a side quest. It is a disaster. In terms of its performance, it is the buggiest game at launch. Even with a tank of a pc, thereve been records of fps drops. It doesn't really run that well, even on like the best settings on the best PC, you're still going to have FPS drops, you're still going to encounter so many glitches. For me a midbudget gamer it was a nightmare.

Aside the game breaking bugs and glitches, the game very immersive. The characters are very well written and very interesting. The universe of Cyberpunk 2077 is not only visually breathtaking and one of the best-looking games I've ever seen in terms of its graphics and its art style and just visuals in general. You play as V, a cybernetically enhanced street hustler returning to Night city to make their name on these squalid, vicious streets, taking about any job even infiltration and assassination jobs for the gangs whove carved up the criminal underworld. You happen to get a job to steal a biochip from world leading industrialists Arasakas son. Circumstantially you put the biochip in your head and managed to get away but infecting yourself with the digital ghost of dead rocker and anarchist Johnny Silver hand. If you dont get him out of your brain, youll both die.

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Games Inbox: Will Rockstar make a GTA 3 or San Andreas remaster? – Metro.co.uk

Posted: at 5:28 am

Should Rockstar skip straight to San Andreas? (pic: Rockstar)

The Friday Inbox tries to imagine what Playground Games Fable will be like, as one reader learns the horrors of Senran Kagura.

To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@ukmetro.co.uk

Skip to the thirdIm really in two minds about the idea of a GTA remake or remaster. To be honest, I think Rockstar has left it so late now that its not really going to work. Assuming they start with GTA 3 I think its just going to come across as a simplified version of GTA 5 with no real benefit to playing it.

GTA 3 didnt really have many proper characters, as I remember your character was never named and didnt speak, and both it and Vice City were, in terms of the story, just an excuse to recreate a bunch of scenes from movies like Goodfellas and Scarface. Everyone loves the soundtrack to Vice City but I really dont think it has anything else going for it.

The only remaster that makes sense to me, from the classic era, is San Andreas. The map is a bit too similar to GTA 5, its true, but it was the first time the games had a proper, coherent story and CJ is still my favourite protagonist. Maybe theyll try and do all three, but if its just going to be one Id say San Andreas is all you need.Arno

Showing its ageRemastering the older GTA games certainly seems more likely than remaking them. But the thing is, GTA 3 and Vice City would probably feel very confined compared to GTA 5. I havent played either for a while but I bet just a lick of paint wont hide the fact that the gameplay feels very dated at this point. San Andreas would benefit most, as that map felt huge (Im sure its really not by todays standard) but GTA 5 is basically an improved San Andreas anyway.

Of course, theyll sell because its GTA and nostalgia is a thing, but Id much rather they work on GTA 6. Maybe theyll add in an online mode didnt the PC version of San Andreas have online multiplayer?Matt

GC: Were pretty sure it didnt, but theres certain to be some fan-made mods.

Seasonal FableSo, Ive been thinking a lot about the new Fable and what Playground Games could potentially bring to the game from their prior games. As all the games they developed were Forza Horizon its a difficult task, but one thing Forza Horizon 4 did that could be a really interesting addition to a role-playing game is seasons.

It could really add to the quest design that some quests might only be available in certain seasons, such as crossing a big lake that freezes over in winter or a drought in summer where you have to help a village obtain fresh water. Whether Playground does anything like this is complete guess work but it could be pretty unique. Does any other game have anything like it?Jay Johnson

GC: Animal Crossing and farming games like Stardew Valley do, as did Pokmon Black/White. Theres also Zelda: Age Of Seasons, although thats more for the sake of puzzles. Games like Bully and Persona certainly show the passage of time, since theyre tied to the school year, but we cant think of any modern role-player that has dynamic seasons.

E-mail your comments to: gamecentral@ukmetro.co.uk

VR visionRegarding the news about Sony releasing and staying with their VR technology, I really think this is positive news and its just not a fad/flash in the pan technology like the 3D tellies of before. I honestly think the whole VR experience, since the original PlayStation VR days, have now changed dramatically and definitely moved onto the next level, especially when Facebook have only just released the awesome Oculus Quest 2 last year for just 299.

It is truly a game changer because you get all the latest tech crammed into one piece of kit at a ridiculous 100 cheaper than its predecessor, that was only released the year before. If Oculus can produce a high-quality wireless headset just imagine the possibilities Sony could achieve with their next gen VR unit and the power of the PlayStation 5 at its back!

I have every faith in Sonys continuing vision with their next VR project and I just hope that this will be the very next level of gaming and who knows, just maybe the start of our gaming standard habits for the future and beyond!JAH

Russian rouletteDont know if Im stating the obvious here but Ratchet & Clank is free on the PS Store right now. I happened upon it whilst browsing.

I also took a punt on Senran Kagura (paid) that was discounted. Wasnt sure what to expect as there were no screenshots. Thought it sounded quite intriguing by the description. Bought it for that reason. There were no thumbnails as to the actual look or theme of it. Now I know and so does the missus. I feel dirty. Im sleeping in the kennel tonight I think!D Dubya

GC: Couldnt you have just looked up a review? We played one of the Senran Kagura games on the 3DS and it was mind-bogglingly awful.

Battlefield balanceTo present an alternative view on the series, weve been put off recent Battlefields because of the implementation of vehicles, destruction, and player numbers, and the impact they have had on game balance and map design.

Some modes, particularly Rush, simply dont work with higher numbers (and while Im not averse to other modes with larger numbers it needs to work with mode and level design). Often in Conquest levels with higher numbers its hard to feel you are having any meaningful impact.

Vehicles are great, but recent Battlefields have made vehicles stronger at the same time as being less integral to playing the objective. Compare the Amtrac of previous Battlefields. You couldnt drive and shoot but it was a durable vehicle ideal for tactical positioning to help deal with an objective. Recent vehicles, particularly air vehicles, are mostly designed to rack up enormous amounts of kills for very little risk. In previous games a single canny opponent with C4, mines or a rocket launcher could deal with an overexposed tank. Not so much now.

Destruction is great, in theory, but it needs to be managed. Too often the careful level design is flattened, leaving the game to play out on a far less interesting battlefield, with nowhere to hide from long range sniping and vehicle kills. It actually makes the game less tactically interesting rather than more.

Numbers, vehicles, and destruction all have a place but recently theyve been embraced without much consideration for balance and level design. Id advocate more thought and consideration, but not more of everything.Matt (he_who_runs_away PSN ID)

A month of SundaysAny idea when Cyberpunk 2077 will be back on the PS store? Saw that the patch had been delayed but didnt know if once the patch was implemented the game would be back on the market or if it required even more fine tuning?Michael, Crawley

GC: There doesnt seem to be any clue. Sony were clearly furious about the way CD Projekt handled things, especially offering refunds without checking with them first.

Gaming unpluggedGreat to see HeroQuest mentioned this week, but for those who are new to modern board gaming I would strongly recommend care over nostalgia when choosing where to invest your 100 or more. Gloomhaven is the obvious first consideration, as its gaming system has moved with the times to incorporate superb euro-style card play, which genuinely blows most of the competition out of the water especially those that still rely on monotonous dice throwing to decide every move, combat, and skill test.

For gamers who are happy with more complexity I would then definitely recommend checking out Mage Knight and War Of The Ring two quite different games but with adventure and battles and miniatures at heart and, again, both with powerful card play as well as some clever dice use. Runebound Third Edition is an interesting new twist on adventure games, which uses a novel disc-flipping system to decide your fate. Extra discs can be added to your pool as you upgrade and progress, exploring the lands of Terrinoth. This really is a clever new game and a great example of how the genre can move forward with great design.

A handful of quick suggestions for video gamers who might want to own one or two board games only: Eldritch Horror is an easier, abstracted version of the huge Arkham Horror games, and very good with it; Lords Of Waterdeep is a fantastic adventure Dungeons & Dragons game but SUPER light and therefore a great starting point for new and younger board-gamers; and then I would recommend Legends Of Andor which offers something in-between Gloomhaven and HeroQuest a light, story-laden adventure game with plenty of instructions and hand-holding to get you up to speed with the game system, which uses an easy and clever dice system. And then for something totally different, more puzzle game with adventure flavour, my family has enjoyed Kingdom Builder and Adventure Land (published by Queen Games and HABA, respectively).

Like anything today, you can see excellent video playthroughs of all these games if you search YouTube.

Happy gaming, on screen and off.Will Sargent

Inbox also-ransI wouldnt normally say this about anything but Elden Ring is one game I would buy/pre-order the second it became available, no questions asked, no reviews read. Id probably even buy the collectors edition if it had a good one, FromSoftware are that good.Taylor Moon

So apparently theyre going to make levelling up in Avengers harder/slower. Thats an interesting idea. First Anthem and very soon to follow I would imagine Avengers. Who wouldve guessed!Capsicum

This weeks Hot TopicThe subject for this weekends Inbox was inspired by reader David, and asks what is your experience with PC gaming and do you think its better or worse than consoles?

Do you own a gaming PC and if so how much did you pay for it and how well does it run modern games? What do you see as the pros and cons of PC gaming and do you feel either option has got more or less appealing in the last few years?

If you dont own a gaming PC what would make you consider it and what has put you off so far? Overall, do you think PC gaming will become more popular in the future or less?

E-mail your comments to: gamecentral@ukmetro.co.uk

The small printNew Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.

You can also submit your own 500 to 600-word Readers Feature at any time, which if used will be shown in the next available weekend slot.

You can also leave your comments below and dont forget to follow us on Twitter.

MORE : Games Inbox: Losing faith in PS5, Fantasian on consoles, and Splatoon realism

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Games Inbox: Will Rockstar make a GTA 3 or San Andreas remaster? - Metro.co.uk

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