Year: 2022

Gran Turismo 7 is considered, as far as car simulations go, an excellent game. It does the job of allowing players the opportunity to drive a car with a relative amount of realism well and gives them a great PlayStation exclusive experience. It also has a gorgeous look to it that shows the power of a console like the PlayStation 5. The problem is that most of the actual game part of it has been ignored due to two main issues: most of the gameplay must be done online and it is plagued with microtransactions.

Since the game is mostly online, players can’t play the game anytime there is an extended hiccup in the servers. So, just as a “hypothetical” if PlayStation Network had an issue where players couldn’t connect because of a possible glitch in the most recent update, they would not be able to play GT7. If this was the only issue then, while annoying, players would simply push on if they liked the game enough. However, with the constant microtransactions, players have gotten even more frustrated with the latest installment of the Gran Turismo franchise.

The microtransactions for this game are arguably out of control. Some of the higher-end cars cost literally millions of credits with many of the lower end cars still in the hundred thousand range. There are two ways players can reach this. Grind it out, or spend money on credits so they can skip ahead and get the car they want. For some quick conversions, the lowest credits pack available on the PlayStation Store right now is $2.50 for 100,000 credits. The most expensive car in the game, the Ford Mark IV Race Car ’67, costs 4.6 million credits. That converts to just under $46 in price, for a fake video game car.

Unsurprisingly, many players frustrated by GT7 are looking for ways to get credits faster without having to spend the price of a video game itself on cars. They appear to have found an exploit that allows the player to quite literally walk away from their PlayStation 5 and let it collect credits for them. (H/t Kotaku)

An exploit like this may sound like it’s taking out the fun of earning a car on the player’s own, but the game as of right now is set up to force the player into spending money on credits or have an unnecessarily long grinding period. This was only compounded when Patch 1.07 went through, which reduced payouts, making it even more difficult for players to grind out credits the old fashion way. This patch also happened to have an error that led to the game’s servers being taken down for over 24 hours. This meant that nobody could play their game because of the error.

The developers of Gran Turismo 7 apologized to players and explained the situation in a blog post. They also doubled down on the cost of the cars and microtransactions.

In GT7 I would like to have users enjoy lots of cars and races even without microtransactions. At the same time the pricing of cars is an important element that conveys their value and rarity, so I do think it’s important for it to be linked with the real world prices. I want to make GT7 a game in which you can enjoy a variety of cars lots of different ways, and if possible would like to try to avoid a situation where a player must mechanically keep replaying certain events over and over again.

We will in time let you know the update plans for additional content, additional race events and additional features that will constructively resolve this. It pains me that I can’t explain the details regarding this at this moment, but we plan on continuing to revise GT7 so that as many players as possible can enjoy the game. We would really appreciate it if everyone could watch over the growth of Gran Turismo 7 from a somewhat longer term point of view.

On one hand, it’s understandable why the developers of Gran Turismo 7 don’t want players to collect all the cars and stop having reason to play their game after two months. This is a game that’s been designed for players to play over the course of years. Since this is a game that’s always going to be online, and the blog post implies future updates are on the way, we need to look at GT7 as a live service game. A live service game is fun for the player when they’re able to play it for months if not years, not put it down after 20 hours.

However, even after looking through that lens, it’s hard to not look at every decision that has been made to the game so far and see it as making everything more difficult for the player. When players get frustrated they look for shortcuts. Exploits like this one are going to keep happening and it’s up to the devs of GT7 to decide if they’re okay with that, if they’re going to push back against it, or if they’re going to relent and reduce prices.

Despite going up against an enormous number of new/popular original series/movies (your Ozarks, your Bad Vegans, your Adam Projects), Netflix‘s latest reality series Is It Cake? has already smashed into the number one spot in the platform’s Most Viewed category. Hosted by Saturday Night Live castmember Mikey Day, the baking show based on the viral meme tasks contestants with making intensely realistic objects out of, you guessed it, cake. Apparently, viewers can’t get enough of it.

Via The Independent:

The reality series, in which contestants bake cakes disguised as everyday objects, was inspired by a popular internet meme from last year. Is It Cake? is hosted by Mikey Day, and currently ranks as the most watched programme on Netflix’s daily rankings in the US. In the UK, the series sits in second place at time of writing (23 March).

After learning that a show based on a meme is dominating Netflix, the reactions started pouring in on social media, where people — lots of them — couldn’t get over the show’s ridiculous premise being a hit. Although, they’re not exactly pretending not to be here for it either.

“Watching Mikey Day wield a knife like a maniac is the exact nonsense I wanted and expected from this show – 10/10,” tweeted a new fan of the show.

“There’s a show on Netflix called “is it cake?” and it’s literally just people guessing if things are cake or not,” tweeted another viewer. “This is the perfect show for where I am two years into the pandemic.”

You can see more reactions to Is It Cake? below:

Is It Cake? is currently streaming on Netflix. The show itself is not cake. Probably.

(Via The Independent)

Atlanta rapper Deante Hitchcock is preparing to release his second album this year after dropping the Valentine’s Day-themed EP, Every Day The 14th, a month ago. To get the campaign started, he shared the first single from the upcoming project, “Alone.” A heartbroken rap ballad, the song features production by Brandon Phillips-Taylor, who crafts a Latin guitar-laden backdrop over which Hitchcock reflects on a failed relationship, deciding that maybe he’s better off alone than with the woman who won’t reciprocate his feelings.

The Clayton County native has been lying relatively low over the past year after making a splashy, impressive debut with Better in May 2020. After dropping both a deluxe version and a live version of the album, he spent much of 2021 releasing discrete freestyles over fan-favorite beats like SpotemGottem’s “Beat Box,” Drake’s “What’s Next,” and Outkast’s “Roses.” He also appeared on a remix of Spillage Village’s Spilligion single “Baptized” along with IDK and Flatbush Zombies, then contributed a verse to “Georgan Favors” from the deluxe version of Isiaiah Rashad’s well-received 2021 album The House Is Burning.

Although it’s been a while since his last proper release, Every Day The 14th helped to kick start his momentum for 2022, and with another album on the way, he looks to build on his breakout year.

Listen to Deante Hitchcock’s new single “Alone” below.

Kristen Stewart was nominated for her first Academy Award for playing Princess Diana in Spencer. Maybe she can get nominated for her second (or third, if her “gay ghost-hunting” reality series gets adapted into a feature-length film) Oscar for another biopic, this time as pop-punk legend Avril Lavigne. Is it any crazier than Rami Malek slapping on some fake Freddie Mercury teeth and winning for Bohemian Rhapsody?

While walking the red carpet before the 2022 iHeartRadio Music Awards, Lavigne was asked who she would want to play her in a movie about her life. The “Complicated” singer took a long pause to think about it before answering. “Like Kristen Stewart would be cool to play me in a film,” she said. “She’s dope, yeah.” At the very least, Stewart needs to be in the “Sk8er Boi” movie. It couldn’t be any more obvious.

“I love how much people still really bring that song up,” Lavigne told us about the legacy of “Sk8er Boi.” “I love how warmly everybody still feels toward it. It’s a really special thing, and unique, to have a song that really stands out. I have a lot of big songs, but that one, everyone seems to resonate with. It’s taken on… it’s insane to see a whole new generation discovering music of mine twenty years later. It’s pretty unbelievable.”

(Via Paper Mag)

Jon Stewart’s making the rounds lately while discussing his semi-weekly topical Apple TV+ show, The Problem With Jon Stewart. The satirist, naturally, included a visit to speak with Howard Stern, which has led to much venting about hypocritical TV news chiefs and random subjects like who he admires in the business. In doing so, Stewart addressed his friendship with Pete Davidson, but above, he discussed the ongoing careers of fellow The Daily Show alums John Oliver and Stephen Colbert. Naturally, Stewart expressed admiration for both of them, but in the case of Oliver, things are staying very familiar (in a literal sense).

Oliver, who (it must be noted) will hopefully be very excited to once again describe Bridgerton soon, is apparently a favorite among the Stewart kids:

“I’ll come downstairs, and my daughter will be watching John Oliver. I’m like, ‘Holy sh*t, Oliver is raising my children. This is awesome!’”

Stern, of course, decided to get punch by asking of Stewart is “envious” of Oliver and Colbert’s successes on late-night TV, and Jon was like nah. “I don’t have regret or envy or any of those things because I’m astonished at how well sh*t has worked out for me,” he responded. “I never had that sense that someone else’s success is to the detriment of mine. It leads to such bitterness.” Further, “I’ve always felt that everybody’s success expands opportunity for you or for anybody.”

Wise words. Stewart also had good things to say about his pal Pete Davidson. “He’s just a kid trying to live his life. He’s one of my favourite people.” In a possible allusion to the Kanye mess, Stewart added, “I think he’s doing as best he can in that situation, when you’re dealing with something that’s so explosive and loaded with all kinds of other things.” Yup, Pete is holding his own in what can only be described as a very strange situation.

Omar Apollo turned some eyeballs in his direction with his 2020 debut full-length project Apolonio, and now he’s getting ready to generate even more attention with Ivory, a new album that’s set to drop in early April. Fans have actually already heard a decent portion of the album, as Apollo has now shared five singles from it. That includes the new one from today, “Tamagotchi.”

If the production style of this one sounds familiar, that because The Neptunes (Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo) produced the song. On the smooth and sensual tune, sung in both English and Spanish, Apollo sings, “You with somebody, or are you cool? / I want your body, you want me too / I see you coming, I come for you / Need you around me, I know you do.”

Preceding “Tamagotchi” as Ivory singles are “Go Away,” “Bad Life,” “Invincible,” and “Killing Me.” Speaking of “Killing Me,” Apollo actually performed the track on The Tonight Show on March 11, the day of its release. He’s also got tour dates coming up this spring and summer.

Listen to “Tamagotchi” above.

Ivory is out 4/8 via Warner Records. Pre-order it here.

Omar Apollo is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

For better or worse, Nicki Minaj has developed a reputation for living up to her married name, being extra petty when it comes to getting credit and attention in the rap game. While it’s likely at least some of that rep derives more from her overprotective fans lashing out at anyone they perceive as a threat, she’s still worked pretty hard in recent years to undo some of the damage.

After nearly a decade of declining collaborations with her fellow women in rap, she’s worked with newer rappers like Doja Cat and Coi Leray (although the Leray one was almost derailed by Nicki’s ego), with a Latto collab rumored to be releasing soon, as well.

However, that doesn’t mean she appreciates being compared and contrasted to the modern generation of women currently running rap — a generation that includes assumed rival Cardi B, City Girls (who, to be fair, dissed her first), and Megan Thee Stallion. Case in point, she recently tweeted a screenshot of an article praising her, but edited a line mentioning some of her collaborators and frenemies by scratching out their names. In its unedited form on HotNewHipHop, the line reads, “Despite the welcomed contributions of women like Cardi B, Megan Thee Stallion City Girls, and Doja Cat over the past few years, female rap still feels incomplete without Nicki Minaj’s presence and output, and that alone illustrates how important she is to Hip-Hop, as a genre, and as a culture.”

The cryptic nature of the edits, presented without comment by Nicki, prompted fans to immediately begin speculating, with results polarized between affirming Nicki’s perceived penchant for drama and crediting her for trying not to draw focus, since her watchdog-like Barbz could perceive even the mention of other female rappers as a slight against their Queen.

Whatever her reason for crossing the names out, it’s a fair bet to say she knew that the move would stir up controversy — which, to be fair, may have been the point of the whole exercise. People are certainly talking about Nicki, something we know she enjoys, and if she really is dropping a new collab with Latto in a few days, the move will certainly result in more eyes on the collab, as well as “Blick Blick,” her recent one with Coi Leray.

Things are moving fast for Pete Davidson, who has been seen out and about with his girlfriend Kim Kardashian and even branded her name on his skin, which is totally normal behavior. Now, it seems like Davidson’s mom wants him to start a family with the mom of four.

On an Instagram post of the couple, a fan commented, “She will be pregnant with his child by the end of the year” to which Davidson’s mom replied “yayyyy!” It seems that the comment has since been deleted after fans flocked the post to be rude to her, as most fans do, or maybe Kris Jenner called up Davidson for some damage control. Neither Davidson nor Kardashian have commented, but the couple did go Instagram official a few weeks ago.

Davidson and his mom Amy seem to have a pretty solid relationship, as she is often posting pictures of her son working behind the scenes. She definitely seems to approve of his relationship with Kardashian, or at least she really wants to be a grandmother.

The two have only been dating a few months, but have remained inseparable. Kardashian insists she is having fun with the Saturday Night Live star, while her ex-husband Kanye West consistently bashes him in his new music videos. Despite this, the couple has been seen globe-trotting and making out all over the country, so maybe there will be kids in their future. Hopefully, he will stay off Instagram if that happens.

For the first time since their long-running primetime soap ended, One Tree Hill stars Hilarie Burton, Sophia Bush, and Joy Lenz will reunite for an upcoming episode of the CBS drama, Good Sam. While all three actresses have remained close friends, and even launched a podcast together, this is the first time they felt the time was right to have an on-screen reunion.

While sitting down to promote the reunion, the three stars also opened up about their 2017 letter which accused One Tree Hill showrunner Mark Schwann of sexual harassment. At the time, Burton revealed that she was the constant target of Schwann’s inappropriate conduct over several seasons, and both Lenz and Bush signed an open letter in solidarity with their co-star. However, five years later, Burton has yet to receive an apology, and she’s done waiting for one. Via Variety:

In my mind, I was like, surely, someone’s going to say something to us. Surely, someone is going to apologize or want to have a conversation or anything and kept waiting for it. It’s crazy to think that you could be disappointed more, but you always can be. This process has been so healing that I don’t need it anymore. I don’t need the “I’m sorry.” I don’t need the contact. We’re so good. That silence has spoken for itself, and what we have is so much better than anything I could have expected that I feel very good about the position we’re in right now.

After Lenz agreed that everything Burton said is “exactly right,” the three returned to the business of just being awesome together and revealed that they’ll be taking their podcast on the road now that COVID is less of an issue. Also, Bush is packing them something called a “wine suitcase,” which sounds like it should cover all of the essentials. You can never be too prepared.

(Via Variety)

Ted Cruz is out here asking the tough questions. Questions like “do you agree… that babies are racist?” during the Supreme Court confirmation hearing for Ketanji Brown Jackson, and pulling a “don’t you know who I am?” during his second airport incident in as many years. Ron Perlman has a question for Ted Cruz, too: “Go f*ck yourself.” (Hm, I guess it’s not so much a question as a command.)

“Dear ⁦@tedcruz,” the Sons of Anarchy and Hellboy actor, who previously challenged Cruz to a wrestling match, tweeted on Wednesday, along with a video directed towards the Texas senator. “Listen, I know how tempting it is to appeal to the real lowest form of humanity here in the United States,” he said. “The bottom feeders, the people who pride themselves on hatred and un-education and inability to read and inability to understand the difference between true patriotism and the bullsh*t you’re selling.”

Perlman continued, “I know how tempting it is to play to those people, because at least you have a base. But Jesus Christ, Ted, for somebody with a really, really small dick, you get to be a bigger prick every f*cking day. Go f*ck yourself.”

What a weird Cameo for Ted to order for himself. Then again, maybe not.

(Via Twitter/Ron Perlman)