On Friday, a report came out that PlayStation would be creating a new service to challenge Xbox Game Pass codenamed “Spartacus.” It makes sense why, as the Microsoft exclusive service has been a must-have for PC and Xbox owners for years and is easily the best deal in all of gaming. The problem for PlayStation is that it’s a little late to the game at this point. Game Pass has been active since 2017 and that’s given Xbox years to not only build up the service’s library but also to improve on the service itself. This doesn’t mean that PlayStation is starting from completely nothing, it’s had PlayStation Now even longer than Xbox has had Game Pass, but it’s never taken drastic steps to improve the service until the reported “Spartacus.”

With so much ground to catch up on, PlayStation has a lot of work cut out to not only put its service on the level of Game Pass but to surpass it. Right now, Game Pass is a system seller and that is likely what PlayStation eventually wants Spartacus to become. With supply chain issues making it difficult to get a PlayStation 5, and the differences between console generations not showing through yet, they have an opportunity to make Spartacus a major selling point for Sony consoles.

In order to do that, we have some ideas on what that should look like and what a Game Pass rival will need to do to draw people in.

Day One Games

One of the biggest appeals of Game Pass, and arguably is the part that’s selling consoles right now, is Xbox’s commitment to releasing first-party titles on their service at launch day. That means when a new game releases from a Microsft Studio that game will be available on Game Pass the same day it’s hitting store shelves. Don’t want to spend $60 on the new Forza Horizon game? You don’t have to, because it’s already on Game Pass and there are no plans to remove it from the service anytime soon. Unfortunately, this is a service policy that so far it sounds like Sony has no plans on replicating.

This would be a huge misstep on PlayStation’s end if they don’t try to offer this kind of service for their own games. One of the biggest appeals of having a PlayStation over an Xbox is a very strong list of single player games built around telling a story. However, with some of these games approaching the $70 price tag on PlayStation 5 it’s beginning to price out some players. They’re instead waiting for bundles and price drops before they experience these games. If PlayStation instead made these available day one, the same way Xbox does, it would make their service an immediate get for anyone with a PlayStation while simultaneously pushing it as a console seller.

Steady Releases

Another major plus of Game Pass is that it has a pretty healthy update schedule. Games are constantly moving in and out so there’s always a reason to check in and see what’s new. Xbox took this a step further by announcing that once a quarter it will release a Microsoft Studios project to the service. It’s capable of doing this thanks to the healthy army of studios it has bought up over the recent years, but Microsoft can also do that because of the support it has thrown behind Game Pass.

While expecting a new first-party title from Sony every quarter would be a lot, we can at least ask them to improve their library of options and make a bigger point of advertising them. Did you know that The Last of Us Part II, Final Fantasy IX, and Mafia: Definitive Edition are all currently available on PlayStation Now? These are some big titles that people would love to play, but they don’t get highlighted very much beyond the PlayStation website. Committing to a constant flow of steady releases, both new and retro, would give Sony a strong library to compete with Game Pass.

Have A Flagship Title

The flagship title of Xbox Game Pass is Sea of Thieves. Rare’s pirate game has been receiving active updates since its release in 2018 and is more popular than ever. How does a game’s player base continue to increase like that? Easy, when it’s the flagship title of Game Pass it has plenty of opportunities to bring in new players.

Sea of Thieves has, for a long time, been the title that Microsoft has used to push the service. They wanted people to get Game Pass so they could play Sea of Thieves. While Microsoft’s focus for Game Pass has shifted to other first-party releases, that original model is one that PlayStation can emulate. Find a game that brings people into the service. Make that the poster for the new service and then build around that while creating the foundation for the rest. It sounds very basic, but it’s a model we’ve already seen work and there’s no reason it can’t work again.

Cloud Gaming

One of the newest features on Game Pass and one that’s still in Beta is Cloud Gaming, but it is already looking like a game changer for the service. Being able to try out games without the $60+ price tag is what makes Game Pass a great service, but even having to use up precious hard drive space (and spend hours waiting for a game to download) can be a deterrent to trying out a new game you’re on the fence about. Cloud Gaming is allowing players to dive in and test the waters immediately on Game Pass, which is going to open doors for players to more titles, and Sony replicating that would be huge for their service as well.

Donald Trump is yelling about “witch hunts” again. He’s pulling out that old chestnut of a term, which he seemed to learn existed back in 2017—and has used unceasingly ever since—in discussing the Securities and Exchange Commission’s investigation into the merger between his recently announced Trump Media & Technology Group and the seemingly shady-as-all-get-out Digital World Acquisition Corp.

Questions about the legitimacy of the Trump Media & Technology Group—which will be the home of the former president’s new social media site, TRUTH Social—have been arising since the company was first announced in late October. The biggest red flag, according to people who know about these kinds of things, is that at practically the same time the company was even introduced, it was announced that it would be going public via a SPAC, which stands for “special purpose acquisition company,” but it is better known as a “blank check company” or a shell corporation. In a nutshell: It’s a way for a company to be listed on the stock market and attract money from private investors without having to go through the many hoops and legal benchmarks that come with an IPO.

On Monday, it was noted that the merger was being investigated by several Wall Street regulators, who are suspicious regarding its legality—which probably came as a surprise to no one. Or maybe it did to Trump, who acted like he had no idea what the SEC even was when he called into Newsmax to speak with his old pal/former press secretary/sour puss Sean Spicer to talk about the news that Devin Nunes was leaving congress to work for Trump Media.

As Mediaite reports, the former president played dumb (or really was clueless) when Spicer asked him to share his thoughts about the SEC’s interest in Trump’s latest venture. Trump’s reply:

“I don’t know anything about the SEC. I do know that Devin is fantastic, and I guess we just put out a release and the release says that he’ll be coming on. And you know, this is just a continuation of witch hunts. Anything you do, they want to look at it. They look at it. They don’t look at themselves.”

Then, perhaps forgetting that Republicans have been in control of pretty much everything for the past several years, Trump whined that, “If our side doesn’t have a voice, eventually… you’re going to end up with pure communism. It’s a disgrace what’s going on. But you’re going to end up with a communistic… a communist nation.”

There you have it—straight from the horse dewormer pusher’s mouth.

(Via Mediaite)

This week in pop music, big-name musicians returned to releasing music after the holiday. Ariana Grande and Kid Cudi shared a preview of their joint track for an upcoming film, SZA returned with a new emotional ballad, and Ed Sheeran and Elton John dropped their Christmas collaboration.

Each week, Uproxx rounds up the best new pop releases. Listen up.

Ariana Grande, Kid Cudi — “Just Look Up”

Ariana Grande is set to join the A-list cast for Netflix’s upcoming film Don’t Look Up. Not only is she playing a part in the movie, but she and Kid Cudi also recorded to soaring track “Just Look Up” for the film’s soundtrack. Contrasting the film’s title, the song sees Grande flexing her far-reaching vocals as she reminds listeners to live life to the fullest before it’s too late.

Ed Sheeran, Elton John — “Merry Christmas”

Ed Sheeran and Elton John have been fast friends ever since the two performed Sheeran’s breakout track at the 2013 Grammys. Now, nearly eight years years later, the duo are getting into the holiday spirit with the joint track “Merry Christmas.” The joyous and jingling tune is an ode to letting go of the pain and hardships over the past year in order to celebrate all the good that’s soon to come.

SZA — “I Hate U”

It’s been a while since we’ve gotten a new track from SZA, who’s fans have been begging for a follow up to her 2017 album Ctrl. While she’s dropped off a few singles, projects, and collaborations since, she’s still showing no sign of a new album any time soon. Thankfully, the singer is appeasing fans with the new heartbreak track “I Hate U.” The song gets real about the ways she was wronged by a past partner while also offering a way for SZA to flex her honeyed vocals.

Grimes — “Player Of Games”

Grimes returned this week to announce the official beginning to a new era of music with her single “Player Of Games.” The musician hasn’t said whether or not the synth-heavy song references her breakup with billionaire Elon Musk, but the lyrics do mention someone who’s more interested in jetting off to space than staying to love her and Musk did just launch a high-profile space project.

Shawn Mendes — “It’ll Be Okay”

Shawn Mendes also dropped a breakup track, but this one was a bit more brokenhearted. After calling his relationship with fellow pop star Camila Cabello quits, Mendes shared the lovelorn piano track “It’ll Be Okay.” The song both recognizes Mendes’ pain while also recognizing that moving on is the right (albeit difficult) choice.

Joshua Bassett — “Crisis”

Olivia Rodrigo’s High School Musical: The Musical: The Series co-star and former love interest Joshua Bassett is also well on his way to making a name for himself in the music sector. Following up on the popularity of his recent singles like “Feel Something” and “Lie, Lie, Lie,” Bassett gets a bit more personal with his latest track “Crisis.” The song starts off by addressing how musicians’ trauma can oftentimes be exploited by the industry for the sake of authenticity as he sings, “My label said to never waste a crisis / And here I am, guitar in my hand, in the middle of one.”

Marina — “Happy Loner”

This week, Welsh pop singer Marina followed up her recent album Ancient Dreams In A Modern Land with its deluxe version. The new release gave fans a few bonus tracks, including the song “Happy Loner.” The atmospheric tune takes things in a more downtempo direction and stands as an ode to introverts everywhere as she sings of being perfectly happy being a loner.

Kim Petras — “Coconuts”

Though winter is just around the corner, Kim Petras fired off the sunny tune “Coconuts.” The summery single sees Petras belting out lyrics about her coconuts, which is a euphemism for a certain part of her body. The carefree track is another example of Petras’ effortlessly fun songwriting and how she can turn any subject matter into a revved-up pop banger.

Bakar — “Build Me A Way”

UK artist Bakar emerged as a buzzworthy artist following his 2018 debut mixtape, and he’s been building momentum ever since. Just before heading off on a run of sold-out US shows this month, the singer dropped the inspiring new track “Build Me A Way.” The emotional track walks his listeners through the experience of wavering faith and the importance of relying on community.

Deadmau5 — “This Is Fine” Feat. Portugal The Man

EDM pioneer Deadmau5 teamed up with Portugal The Man this week for the inventive single “This Is Fine.” But it’s not a song you’ll be hearing on streaming services anytime soon. Rather, “This Is Fine” was released as an NFT with the hopes of it being the first-ever NFT single to become Platinum-certified. To prepare, Deadmau5 minted one million copies of “This Is Fine” on the website mintbase and each one can be downloaded for about $1.75 at the time of this writing.

Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

While stripped down to their briefs, Saturday Night Live star Pete Davidson and rocker Machine Gun Kelly took over Calvin Klein’s Instagram account on Monday Night. The two are romantically involved with Kim Kardashian and Megan Fox, respectively, who were not present as Davidson and Kelly began talking about what’s inside their Calvin Klein briefs.

According to Page Six, the two showed mutual appreciation for each other’s, uh, packages during a Live video where Davidson was the first to comment on Kelly’s whole situation. “Nice stuff, by the way,” Davidson said. “I get it now. Good for you. Good for you, dog.”

But soon the conversation moved to the elephant in the room. After a string of high-profile romantic partners including Ariana Grande, a rumored fling with Kate Beckinsale, and his now relationship with Kim Kardashian, there have been persistent rumors that Pete Davidson has that “BDE” as the kids call it, and he leaned into for the Calvin Klein promotion:

“I’m a grower for sure. I’m not really a grower or a shower. It’s actually the same small and hard. It’s actually a scientific wonder.”

While Davidson has been reluctant to talk about his package, he played it up for the video with Kelly and confirmed that Urban Dictionary is correct to say he has BDE. “That’s insanely embarrassing, but it’s true,” Davidson said.

The two then patted themselves on the back for bringing the “horniness” before signing off. Later, they dropped a photo on the Calvin Klein account complimenting themselves on the live event. “Did we nail it or did we nail it,” they wrote in the caption.

(Via Page Six)

The best new hip-hop this week includes albums, videos, and songs from Cordae, Polo G, Tierra Whack, and more.

Friday saw the releases of Cordae (“Sinister” featuring Lil Wayne), Gunna (“Too Easy” featuring Future and Roddy Ricch), Joyner Lucas (“Rambo” featuring Lil Durk), Juice WRLD (“Wandered To LA” featuring Justin Bieber), and Rick Ross (“Little Havana” featuring The-Dream), along with the releases listed below.

Here is the best of hip-hop this week ending December 3, 2021.

Albums/EPs/Mixtapes

Berner — Gotti

Despite being recently diagnosed with colon cancer, the San Franciso native completed this collection with the permission of the Gotti family to sample the late mob boss’ voice. He continues to move quietly and make big moves, tapping unexpected collaborators like Future, Rod Wave, and even El-P alongside surefire fellow mafioso rap lovers Nas, Rick Ross, and the Griselda crew.

Cozz — Fortunate [EP]

Returning from a nearly four-year hiatus, the Dreamville rapper from Inglewood bares his soul on his latest EP, highlighting his growth in the intervening years since 2017’s Effected and revealing his scars. Much like his label brothers, he’s a rapper’s rapper who makes the most of the project’s tight runtime.

MFnMelo & SqueakPIVOT — En Route [Deluxe]

Turning around the deluxe edition of their June release to close out the year, Pivot Gang’s MFnMelo manages to pay fitting homage to the group’s late producer with a handful of new tracks reminiscent of their work on the group’s 2019 project, Don’t Sit With Us, right down to the posse cut highlight track, “Mood Swing.”

Nardo Wick — Who Is Nardo Wick?

Exploding into mainstream attention earlier this year with the breakout single “Who Want Smoke??” Floridian Nardo Wick capitalizes on the momentum with his debut project. He’s a chest-beating, distilled shot of adrenaline for an oversaturated rap scene who prefers to let his music do this talking — and he’s got plenty to say.

Polo G — Hall Of Fame 2.0 [Deluxe]

With 14 new tracks, Polo updates his first-ever no. 1 album while sticking to the formula that has worked so well so far. He even reunites with Lil Tjay, who was critical to his initial breakout thanks to their 2018 hit, “Pop Out,” on one of the new songs, proving that he can remain grounded even as he reaches the heights of success.

Tierra Whack — Rap? [EP]

While a three-song maxi-single may represent a paltry offering to rap fans starving for the follow-up to the paradigm-shifting Whack World, Rap? does enough to sate that hunger for time being — and suggest a more hearty collection is imminent.

Singles/Videos

EST Gee — “Misery Loves Company”

The standout single from Gee’s new mixtape Bigger Than Life Or Death Part 2, “Misery” sees him gloating over those he’s bypassed during his rapid rise to stardom.

BeatKing — “SDAB” Feat. 2 Chainz & Juicy J

It’s BeatKing; turn it up and enjoy the results — which, if you’re unaware, are twerking and a sharp increase in the energy level of any given function. Don’t watch the video on your lunch break — it’s relatively safe for work but you might lose your appetite from the imagery.

Jackboy “What’s Mine Is Yours” Feat. Money Man

Jackboy’s precipitous rise continues as he drops another braggadocious single displaying his snappy cadence over a sparse but catchy beat alongside fellow rising star Money Man. Filmed at the Texas State Fair, the video showcases more of Jackboy’s shockingly down-to-earth personality.

Jay Bezzy — “Overseas” Feat. Sheff G & Sleepy Hallow

Although the two guest rappers are primarily best known for their thunderous drill hits, they slow things down to bring weight to Bezzy’s melodic ode to showing their ladies the finer things in life.

LBP Poody — “I’m The One”

LBP Poody dropped his new mixtape I’m The One on Friday, so it’s only natural to accompany the release with a video for the title track, a propulsive, defiant street stomper that shows off Poody’s relaxed but forceful flow.

ShooterGang Kony — “The Game” Feat. Kalan.FrFr

A warm, upbeat West Coast party jam, the feel-good vibes of the piano-laden beat are perfectly complemented by Kony smirking flow and Kalan’s velvety vocals.

Wiz Khalifa — “Pop The Trunk” Feat. Juicy J

Wiz and Juicy team up again for a return to the era when they ran radio. The song is the first from an upcoming joint project from the duo planned for release in 2022, while Wiz is also a week away from the release of his own new project, Wiz Got Wings.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

A few days ago, Ed Sheeran and Elton John dropped the video for their new collaboration “Merry Christmas,” and the visual is full of classic overblown holiday imagery. It’s a cheery visual, but for a second while making it, Sheeran thought he was going to injure his collaborator.

In a recent interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, Sheeran said,

“We just shot a Christmas music video. Oh, mate. I almost killed him with a bell… On the video. There’s footage of, I’m dressed up as sort of sexy Santa Claus and I kick a present, but the present had a big metal bell on top of it. I showed him the footage of it today, because we slowed it down and the bell flew past his head and would’ve cracked him in the head. I’ll post it. David, Elton’s partner, said that you should post that. So, I will post it eventually, but it was one of these things, I had the video, I was like, ‘I got to show him this.’ But, man, the music video is wild. We’ve parodied all the great British music videos that came at Christmas.”

Then, yesterday, John was the one who shared the video. Sure enough, it is how Sheeran described it, as the bell soars right past his head as people off-camera look on in brief horror. John was a good sport about the whole thing, as he wrote while sharing the video, “Better luck next time, @edsheeran,” along with a laughing emoji. Sheeran shared John’s post and added a laughing emoji of his own.

Ed Sheeran is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

CNN recently fired Chris Cuomo over his involvement in defending his brother, ex-New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, during his sexual harassment scandal. In the aftermath, Chris is said to be “livid,” and the cable news network is poking around for a replacement to fill those primetime shoes.

Former CNN host Brooke Baldwin — who left after a decade of service and following the cable news network’s decision to sideline her for 2020 election coverage — has a suggestion for her former employer. She’d like to finally see a woman on CNN at night, on a regular (not a guest) basis. That’s been the case over at MSNBC for several years (where Rachel Maddow reigns supreme) and at Fox News (where Laura Ingraham rolls with the right wing alongside the dudes). Yet at CNN, strangely, female on-air representation has been confined to daytime hours. So, Baldwin took to Instagram:

“I would like to see CNN put a woman in that 9 p.m. spot. Not me. I’ve moved on. But there are plenty of brilliant women they could choose from… CNN prime time has dominated by male hosts. And ya’ll, it’s nearly 2022. Wouldn’t you like to see a woman successfully lead in primetime?”

Baldwin stressed that she has the “utmost respect” for her former colleagues, and yep, she mades a stark point. Why on earth hasn’t CNN gone there yet? It’s an odd move in terms of inclusivity (and from a left-leaning outlet), but Brianna Keilar more than fits the bill for the somewhat opinionated slant that CNN favors at night. As for Baldwin, she recently penned Huddle: How Women Unlock Their Collective Power and has, as she says, “moved on” from her CNN days.

Adam McKay’s new movie, Don’t Look Up, is about two astronomers (played by Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio) who try to warn mankind about an incoming comet that will destroy Earth. But what they find is no one cares. “There’s a 100 percent chance that we’re all going to die,” Lawrence’s character warns the public on a local news show before storming off the set, as seen in the trailer. Instead of anyone taking her seriously, she’s called a “yelling lady” by the overly cheery anchor, who also hits on DiCaprio.

It’s probably obvious, but Don’t Look Up is about climate change, which posed a dilemma for writer and director Adam McKay: how do you end a movie about something that has a “100 percent chance” of happening? Do you lean into the inevitable, or do you subvert expectations? In an interview with GQ, McKay explained his process.

“Someone asked me why I made the movie. And really, you could almost say it’s one simple reason, which is we’ve watched thousands and thousands of movies, whether they’re Marvel or action films or thrillers, and everything always works out in a nifty bow in the end, time after time, for decade after decade,” he said. “Clearly, [Don’t Look Up] is an analogy or an allegory for the climate crisis. And the idea that it doesn’t end with a nifty bow was the whole drive. I mean, that’s why I wrote the script.” McKay added:

“There was never one moment ever where it was going to end with the hero coming in to rescue the day. I don’t want to give it away, but I knew the nifty bow was never, ever going to be the case. I considered a slightly less definitive ending. I had one that was a little muddier, and it felt wrong.”

Don’t Look Up, which also stars Jonah Hill, Mark Rylance, Tyler Perry, Ron Perlman, Timothée Chalamet, Ariana Grande, Cate Blanchett, Rob Morgan, and Meryl Streep, opens in select theaters on December 10 before hitting Netflix on December 24.

(Via GQ)

In one of the weirdest Beltway criticisms in recent memory, a new article has called out Vice President Kamala Harris for refusing to wear Bluetooth headphones because they’re a “security risk.” After going so far to call Harris “Bluetooth-phobic” in the headline, a real crack team of three Politico writers were required to detail the VP’s insistence on using wired headphones at all times:

In the oft meme-d video of Harris calling JOE BIDEN last November to congratulate him on winning the election (“We did it, Joe!”), she can be seen holding the tangle of wires from her headphones. In television interviews with MSNBC’s JOY REID last December and the co-hosts of ABC’s The VIEW in September, Harris is jacked in with wired headphones, as well. After casting the tie-breaking Senate vote on the American Rescue Plan in March, reporters captured Harris with wired headphones in hand. And during the campaign, she filmed campaign videos with the retro coils falling from her ears.

Here’s the thing though: Kamala is right. Wearing Bluetooth headphones are, in fact, a significant security risk, and her caution is not only warranted but necessary to her duties as vice president. After launching the odd attack, Politico‘s attempt to paint Harris as “Bluetooth-phobic” was not received well on social media where the publication and its writer were thoroughly dragged for completely missing the security angle, but also attempting to shade the vice president over her choice of headphones, which is all kinds of petty.

You can see some of the reactions below, and there was a lot more where these came from:

(Via Politico)

While laughing at Rudy Giuliani’s many, many, many public missteps (see: Four Seasons Total Landscaping… or marrying your cousin) and mortifying gaffes (remember the fart?) seems to almost have become the unofficial American pastime during the Donald Trump years, the man formerly known as “America’s Mayor” may have finally crossed the line from being funny-sad to just plain pathetic-sad. On Sunday, the former New York City Mayor—who is currently barred from practicing law in the Empire State, as well as Washington, DC—was among the esteemed attendees at a New York Young Republican Club gala.

Over the course of the evening, Giuliani became the target of Walter Masterson, a TikTok prankster—the same one who called Matt Gaetz a pedophile while posing with him—who got Rudy to smile at the camera while an edited version of M.C. Hammer’s “U Can’t Touch This” played, but with the lyrics changed to keep repeating the word “pendejo,” Spanish for “idiot,” over and over. Rudy, blissfully unaware that he was being ruthlessly mocked, mugged for the camera.

Sadly, that wasn’t even the worst of it. Ron Filipkowski shared clips of the speech that someone presumably asked Rudy to give at the event, which wandered down several different roads but didn’t seem to have one unifying sentiment.

The Intelligencer’s Shawn McCreesh was on hand at the event, and described the scene as follows:

The crackpot crescendo reaches new decibels when Giuliani takes the stage. The words “NEW YORK YOUNG REPUBLICAN” hang ironically over his head as he whinges on about commies and Truman and Hitler and Stalin and child pornography and mafiosi and Bellevue and Chairman Mao. “THEY KILLED FEMALE BABIES,” he screams, and everyone looks a little confused. He calls the Bidens a “disgusting trailer trash” crime syndicate, and everyone in the room starts chanting “Let’s go Brandon!” He recites lines plucked from Hunter Biden’s hard drive and snarls, menacingly, “The New York Post! Not only did I give it to them, I shoved it down their throats.” He pauses and says again for emphasis: “I SHOVED IT DOWN THEIR THROATS.”

DOWN THEIR THROATS!

(Via The Intelligencer)