What links the gramophone and Antoinette Perry? The Saturday quiz
9 Lariat; opera; matinee; princess; choker?10 Olly Alexander; Simon Le Bon; Karen O; Marti Pellow; Katie White?11 A Room of One's Own; The Common Reader; Thoughts on Peace in an Air Raid?12 46656; 3125; 256; 27; 4; 1?13 Image orthicon tube; gramophone; Margaret Herrick's uncle (possibly); Antoinette Perry?14 Viv Anderson, 1978, and Kerry Davis, 1982?15 Buchanan Castle; Tower of London; Spandau prison?
1 Samuel Pepys.2 Dante (Divine Comedy).3 Japan.4 John Surtees.5 Yorkshire shepherdess.6 Danube.7 Brahma.8 Heath Robinson.9 Lengths of necklace.10 Singers in bands with repeated names: Years & Years; Duran Duran; Yeah Yeah Yeahs; Wet Wet Wet; Ting Tings.11 Essays by Virginia Woolf.12 x to the power of x, from 6 to 1.13 Name origins of Egot awards: Emmy; Grammy; Oscar; Tony.14 First black players for senior England men's and women's teams.15 Rudolf Hess housed there after his flight to Scotland.
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Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Emmerdale star reveals scenes were 'cut' at last minute before being brutally killed off
Emmerdale star Simon Haines has exclusively revealed that some of his scenes were 'cut' at the last minute just as he was about to begin shooting. Emmerdale star Simon Haines says some of his scenes were 'cut' before he had even started filming. The actor made three appearances on the ITV soap in July as the character of Owen Michaels and was seen on a date with Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley), but things took a sour turn when he spiked Robert's drink and John Sugden (Oliver Farnworth) intervened. Just days later, paramedic John found Owen unresponsive at his home and instead of choosing to save him, left him to die so he could write up a note on his laptop framing him for the murder of Nate Robinson (Jurell Carter). Simon always knew his stay in the Dales was going to be short, but has now revealed that there were actually more scenes planned, explaining exclusively to the Mirror: "Yeah, we talked about it in advance with casting. Of course, the scripts always change. I think there was more Owen stuff in there, but by the time we came to do the first day shooting, it had been taken out. "I'm not sure, who knows? Probably not a second date with Robert but yeah we always knew it was going to be a sort of quick, impactful mini villain storyline." However, Simon was ultimately happy with his short run on the show, and explained: "It felt really good because I knew that I had other projects that were coming up and was sort of limited with availability and it was just a great chance to be a part of something so iconic, have a big impact and then get out." Fans are now convinced that they know how killer John will get his comeuppance, and even Simon thinks John 'tying himself in knots' now that things are starting to come to a head, but is not convinced that a return for himself is outside of the realms of possibility in soapland, as he teased: "I think so. I think John is tying himself in knots now. Ollie, on my last day, was like 'You never know, there could be a twin brother or something...' So, you never know, that might not be the last you see of me." Fans know that John has been messaging someone at a helpline to offload about his guilt, with him struggling over his actions. What we found out on Wednesday was that the person he's been messaging is none other than village vet Paddy Kirk. Paddy happens to be the father figure of John's husband Aaron Dingle. Fans are now convinced John will let slip everything he has done, after Paddy asked John, unaware it was him, if he wanted to speak on the phone. If Paddy is told anything by John and he recognises his voice, could it be game over for the killer? Fans certainly think so, wondering if Paddy will work it all out and expose the killer. One viewer posted online: "Did everybody see that? Will Paddy put 2+2 together & eventually figure out that he's talking to John on the Guardians helpline?" Another fan said: "Paddy being able to be the one who exposes John is actually a hilarious idea." A third viewer added: "Ahh Paddy is going to be the one to catch John out." Another fan echoed this theory, writing: "Ooo Paddy put it all together mate!" Meanwhile other fans hoped he might team up with John's brother Robert, who is already onto John. One fan suggested more than one character could now team up to take down John. They said: "Robert, Paddy , Cain and Tracy VS John." But other fans were worried about this latest development, sure it could leave Paddy in danger. If John was to find out Paddy was the person he was messaging, surely he would have to cover his tracks if he did confess to a crime. Fans wondered if Paddy would sadly be John's next victim. One viewer commented: "Don't tell me! Paddy's next," as another said: "OMG Paddy," along with a GIF teasing danger ahead for him.A further post said: "If John hurts a hair on Paddy's head, I will riot. He needs to get caught already." Viewers will have to stay tuned to find out if the pair speak and end up realising who each other is, and what this could mean for John.
The Sun
4 hours ago
- The Sun
Millions of PS5 fans receive new console button that instantly saves them money – but think twice before switching it on
2 MILLIONS of PS5 fans are to receive a mysterious new console button that instantly saves them money – but there's a catch. Sony is introducing the setting, which is rolling out in the next PS5 System Beta, in a soft launch. 2 Power Saver, a new PlayStation 5 game setting will reduce your console's overall power consumption – but users are being warned it will also "scale back performance" of supported games. Sony bosses revealed the new option on their website this week. However, it won't actually be available even in beta, at least publicly. Games magazine IGN said the announcement looks to be "more of an acknowledgment that the feature is being worked on, then, ahead of it being spotted by users". In a blog post, PlayStation's VP of Product Management Shuzo Kikuchi said he was delighted to announce the launch. "With this update, you may notice a new option in your settings menu called Power Saver," he said. "While this feature won't be available during the beta phase, once it officially launches, supported PS5 games will scale back performance and will allow your PS5 to reduce its power consumption when the feature is enabled optionally by gamers. "If not enabled, or if games do not support the feature, the performance will not be scaled back and power consumption will not be reduced." Sony did not release any further details of Power Saver other than to also confirm that Power Saver will not be compatible with the console's VR mode That will affect any customer who has bought a PlayStation VR2 headset. Sony said more details on which games will support Power Saver, and how game performance will be degraded should you choose to turn it on, will be announced in the future. "We'll share more details on this new option as we get closer to launch," Kikuchi concluded, "including supported PS5 games and estimated impact, so stay tuned!" Get an inside look at the new PS5 30th anniversary edition Why is Sony doing this? In its blog post, the company highlighted its "Road to Zero" environmental plan that includes a target for the company to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2040. The post added:"At [Sony Interactive Entertainment], we are committed to Sony's 'Road to Zero' environmental plan, launched in 2010, which includes achieving net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2040. " We are always exploring how we can contribute to these goals through our products and services." But the option has also been linked to the continuing rumours that Sony is once again planning a PlayStation handheld device. "The ability for Sony to get some of its PS5 games running at a lower spec on its main home console would be a useful test for a more lightweight handheld," IGN reported. "Whatever the reason, and whether Sony end up launching a PlayStation handheld or not, it's going to be fascinating to compare the performance of PS5 games running with Power Saver enabled, especially with Xbox Series X, and the already lower-power Xbox Series S." Four PS Plus games to be axed – download NOW Four games will be axed from PlayStation Plus as part of a huge shake-up to the digital library. Sony warned gamers that the titles will be removed in days - leaving millions of subscribers with a fast-approaching deadline to download or lose out. Fans have until August 6 to claim this month's PS Plus Essential games before they're replaced. The titles getting the boot are:
The Guardian
5 hours ago
- The Guardian
How video games are keeping romance alive – one level at a time
Last week, Radio 4's Woman's Hour talked about the role of women in the video games industry. It featured interviews with gaming insiders, from esports presenter Frankie Ward to members of the inclusive online community Black Girl Gamers. It was wonderful to hear so many disparate, expert views on games culture being given so much time on the show. One of my favourite moments was when presenter Nuala McGovern read out some listener responses to the question: why do you play video games? 'I don't think there's enough recognition of gaming as an activity for couples,' one replied. 'My husband and I bonded over our shared love of gaming. Our honeymoon was playing Borderlands 2 while we saved for a flat deposit, and now, with a young child, we explore stories, we visit new worlds, we solve mysteries … There is an underappreciated romance to gaming – we communicate, encourage, collaborate and celebrate together. It's a joy.' I found this very moving because I know many friends who met their partners through playing games, and who see the act of gaming together as a much more textured and immersive experience than wallowing in front of a TV series. I've lost count of the number of couples who've told me they especially enjoyed playing survival horror games such as Resident Evil and Silent Hill together – even though they are strictly single-player experiences. Sharing scary games is a way of lessening the terror while exploring an abandoned orphanage or science lab. It introduces an element of physicality – as does taking it in turns to use the joypad, swapping it from hand to hand, like an intimate gift. Playing a video game with someone you're falling in love with, meanwhile, gives you a new perspective on who they are and what they can do. It's helpful to know your partner is brilliant at solving spatial puzzles, or that they're determined and resourceful when faced with tricky tasks. If nothing else, it's a hint at exactly how it's going to go when you end up assembling an Ikea bookshelf together. Recently, I wrote about the use of video games in child therapy, and one of the counsellors I spoke to, Ellie Finch, is looking at doing couples therapy in Minecraft because it's often a space where all the people in the relationship feel comfortable. I suspect that challenging clients to build a simple house together will tell her more about their interpersonal dynamic than two hours of talking. There is a lot of romance in experiencing new places together, getting lost and combining skills to help each other out of calamities. There is sweetness in a shared Stardew Valley or Animal Crossing escapade; there is intellectual challenge in quiet evenings with Blue Prince or Split Fiction. For too long, gaming was seen as the preserve of lonely young men, a hobby too guarded and insular for lovers; now everyone can play and the digital world is opening up. Lots of people are now effectively using online games such as Final Fantasy XIV and GTA Online as highly elaborate dating sites, sometimes meeting and forming relationships in real life. Games remove many barriers – the expense of going out, the vulnerability of meeting strangers – they are test spaces for the romance-curious. I hope that as this generation of gamers age, they will keep playing together. I hope they show their grandchildren the levels they designed in Super Mario Maker, or the beautiful apartment they constructed in The Sims – the digital photo albums of entire lifetimes together. Games have so much to tell us about each other, if we are open to play and being playful. Last year I reviewed the Super Pocket from Blaze Entertainment, a funky little handheld capable of playing a range of cartridge-based retro games. Now there's a new Super Pocket Neogeo edition, inspired by the cult 1990 console by the Japanese manufacturer SNK, in the familiar black and gold colouring. It comes loaded with 14 Neogeo titles and it's a really intriguing selection, from bona fide classics such as side-scroller Metal Slug X and formative fighting game Fatal Fury. There are lesser known gems, too, including luscious beat-'em-ups Top Hunter: Roddy & Cathy and Mutation Nation. The Super Pocket will also run all the other carts designed for Blaze's Evercade consoles, opening a whole galaxy of well-emulated retro delicacies. Available on: Super Pocket console Estimated playtime: countless nostalgic hours VGC has a translation of a recent Japanese interview with Ico and Shadow of the Colossus designer Fumito Ueda, who claimed that 'the age of game mechanics is over'. His assertion was that developers were no longer inventing new mechanics and were focusing on existing design techniques as well as the look and feel of games. It's a provocative assertion, perhaps gaming's equivalent of Francis Fukuyama's The End of History and the Last Man – but I hope he's wrong. Valve has been removing adult games from Steam, reportedly as a result of pressure from credit card companies. An Australian anti-porn group called Collective Shout has claimed responsibility – the organisation recently published an open letter to payment processors such as PayPal and Mastercard claiming that games available on the digital store featured child abuse and incest. Vice has gathered reactions from Steam customers. Somehow, I'm not surprised by the discovery that Nintendo employees rarely leave the company. Games site GoNintendo has shared some employment data from the company showing that staff in Japan stay with the company for 14.4 years on average, with people at offices elsewhere staying between eight and a half and 10 years. It's nice to know that, amid the crisis in the industry, with thousands of staff being laid off, at least one major company apparently knows how to nurture its workforce. Sign up to Pushing Buttons Keza MacDonald's weekly look at the world of gaming after newsletter promotion Donkey Kong Bananza – delirious destruction derby takes hammer to platforming conventions | ★★★★☆ Lawyer argues Call of Duty maker can't be held responsible for actions of Texas school shooter This question came from Jamie, via email: 'I recently visited Orford Ness, the National Trust site in Suffolk that was used for experiments throughout the 20th century by the Ministry of Defence. I was struck by how much it reminded me of games like The Last of Us and Atomfall, with the whole place feeling like being inside a computer game level but minus the zombies. Have you visited somewhere that felt as if you were in a game, and are any of those games worth recommending?' This is such a great question! To start with, the game developer and author Holly Gramazio just recommended Kelvedon Hatch Secret Nuclear Bunker to me – it's a cold war bunker that just screams covert government base or umbrella corp laboratory. Last year, I spent the night at the haunted Shepton Mallet Prison for an article on horror games, and it felt as if I was in a Silent Hill level – it's open to the public and they do regular sleepovers. For something a little more grandiose, I'd recommend Kedleston Hall, in Derby, the inspiration for Croft Manor in the Tomb Raider games, or Milan cathedral, a breathtaking gothic masterpiece, filled with spiral staircases, shadowy corners and elaborate stone carvings. It was a key influence on Dark Souls. I'd also suggest you visit the research library at Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum, which looks like something out of a grandiose historical adventure game. And if you're a fan of GTA V, you have to visit Los Angeles at least once. Seeing the city's looming skyscrapers, mountainous surroundings and sprawling districts under the orange haze of a setting sun will make you feel like the king of your own weird, surreal and mesmerising open world. If you've got a question for Question Block – or anything else to say about the newsletter – hit reply or email us on pushingbuttons@
