In May 2023, Jennifer Kusch relocated to Dubai for a job opportunity.Her teen sons were initially against the move and said she was "ruining" their lives.But she says the experience of living abroad has brought them closer together.This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jennifer Kusch, 47, who works in talent acquisition. Kusch moved from Idaho to Dubai with her kids in 2023. The following has been edited for length and clarity.Early last year, my company approached me about a job opportunity in Dubai.At first, I said no. I had just bought a house in Idaho, where I was raising three kids. As a single mom, moving to the Middle East sounded hard, so I declined. But my boss at the time encouraged me to apply, and I thought, "Fine, why not?"I got the job and was set to start in 30 days. My daughter was 18 then, and my sons were 15 and 13. When they came home from school, I read them the book "Oh, the Places You'll Go!" by Dr. Seuss and then said, "Guys, we're moving to Dubai."My daughter was about to graduate fromThe job commitment was for two years. I said, "We're going to go for two years. We're going to see what happens."I remember crying in my bedroom after thinking, "Oh my gosh, I'm doing this selfishly. I want to do this for my career. Am I ruining my kids' lives?"But then I thought aboutteenagers mustAnd so I had another discussion with my children a week later and said, "I hope that you can look at this as an adventure."It was a big move for all of usI had traveled outside the US but never lived abroad or been to Dubai. I traveled to the city alone lastWhen I arrived in Dubai, I tested out the public transportation so I could teach my kids how to ride the bus, hop on the metro, or take a taxi.I found a townhouse-style villa away from downtown Dubai and spent six weeks furnishing the place so that all the kids would have to do was unpack their suitcases. My company provided an allowance to "settle in." While it didn't cover rent, it helped me set up a home for my family. They also covered the flights and most of my kids' school fees.When I was done, I flew back for my daughter's graduation. I decided to sell everything I owned apart from my house as I didn't want to have to pay loads of money for storage.Although my initial commitment was for two years, I was on a local contract and could stay in Dubai as long as I had a job. It was a calculated risk, selling everything and anticipating my love for living abroad.In May 2023, I flew with my kids to Dubai. We arrived at the beginning of summer when many expats tend to leave the city because of the heat. The high temperatures in Dubai between May and August range from around 100 to 105 F. Kusch and her kids made a bucket list of things to do in Dubai. Jennifer Kusch That summer, my kids didn't have any friends. However, they had one another. I was grateful for that.Before I went to work, I said, "While I'm gone, I want you guys to make your bucket list of things you would like to do in Dubai."When I got home, our wall was full of sticky notes with things to do. We planned fun outings, like visiting Warner Bros. World in Abu Dhabi and having an Emirati dinner. When we were done, we would move the sticky notes on the wall from "to do" to "done."So, instead of sulking and being sad inside, we were excited about what we could discover.My kids have benefited from living in DubaiMy sons now attend a school with an American curriculum, but they are the only American students. ItThey also have independence here that they never had in the US. My 14-year-old son will get in a taxi and go wherever he wants. There's freedom and safety that they have not experienced before.This has all contributed to why they now love Dubai. On Thanksgiving last year, my older son said, "I'm so grateful that you moved us here." That was music to my ears because I've watched them grow up a lot.Nothing is the same here. But they've navigated it with resilience, agility, and grace.The experience brought us closer togetherIt can be lonely to be an expat in a new place.But having to rely on each other and experiencing new things together have made us closer. My kids enjoy my company, and I am so grateful for that.I miss my family and friends, and I know they would like us to come home. At this point, however, I love Dubai and our quality of life here.My daughter has since returned to the US for work, and my sons will soon leave the nest as well.I don't know what the future holds, but for now, Dubai is home.

In a recent Meet the Press interview, President-elect Donald Trump claimed hes open to working with Democrats on legislation that could keep DREAMers undocumented immigrants who came to the US as children in the country. His own track record, however, casts doubt on just how serious this commitment is. I want to be able to work something out, Trump said during an exchange with NBC Newss Kristen Welker, when pressed on if he wanted DREAMers to stay in the US. His most recent remarks stand in stark contrast to his actions as president, though, when he tried to terminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which shields some DREAMers from deportation. (He also called on Congress to act to protect DACA recipients, which it failed to do.) Related:Trumps 2017 effort to end the program threw many DREAMers into legal limbo but the Supreme Court ultimately halted it over procedural failures.Since then, however, multiple Republican-led states have filed a lawsuit thats also working its way through the courts, and thats similarly sought to unravel the program. Currently, that case is in front of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and experts believe it could wind up in front of the Supreme Court as soon as next year if it gets appealed. Previously, a US district court judge determined that former President Barack Obama had overstepped his executive authority by creating DACA without Congress indicating that legislation will likely be necessary to preserve its protections going forward. For more than 20 years, a legislative deal to provide DREAMers a pathway to citizenship has proved elusive, due largely to Republican opposition. In order to bring a bill protecting DREAMers to fruition, Trump would have to pressure his fellow Republicans, who will soon control both the House and the Senate, to back it. Short of doing so, his claims of supporting the group which he also made at times in his first term dont hold much substantive weight. The longstanding fight over DACA, briefly explained Obama first established DACA in 2012 in order to temporarily safeguard hundreds of thousands of DREAMers from deportation, provide work authorizations, and enable access to social benefits like health care. Recipients can renew their DACA status every two years, but the program doesnt offer a path to citizenship or permanent legal status. Because of recent court decisions, existing DACA recipients are still protected from deportation, but new applicants arent able to apply for the program. And due to the terms of the program which require applicants to have been in the United States as of 2007 many immigrants who came to the country more recently dont qualify. Of the estimated 3 million DREAMers in the United States, DACA only protects a fraction around 535,000 of them. The program had previously included tens of thousands more recipients, but some have obtained legal status through other channels, including marriage to US citizens, and others have left the country or declined to renew. Most of these DREAMers, who immigrated when they were children, are now in their 20s and 30s, and have firmly established their lives in the US. We have to do something about the DREAMers because these are people that have been brought here at a very young age, Trump told NBC News over the weekend. Many of these are middle-aged people now. DACA has long had overwhelming public support a 2023 Data for Progress poll found 56 percent of voters support it but Congress has repeatedly failed to pass legislation to enshrine the program into law and establish a path to legal status for DREAMers. This issue has only become more urgent since the program could be unwound in a Supreme Court decision as soon as next year and since a judge has concluded that executive actions arent enough to preserve it. A high court decision could leave hundreds of thousands of current DACA recipients vulnerable to deportation, and deepen the uncertainty that tens of thousands of other DREAMers are navigating when it comes to work permits and social benefits. The DREAM Act, which would grant conditional legal status to millions of DREAMers, was first introduced in 2001, but has faced numerous roadblocks in the last two decades. According to Diana Pliego, a federal advocacy strategist for the National Immigration Law Center, one of the last times this bill was under serious consideration was in 2010, when it failed in the Senate by five votes. That year, 36 Republicans and five Democrats voted against the legislation after it had already passed the House, with conservatives deriding it as a mass amnesty program. Although there have been attempts at resurrecting an immigration deal every congressional term, they have yet to succeed. Partisan divides on immigration have been a major impediment: Republicans generally resist establishing new pathways to citizenship, and Democrats have been troubled by efforts to bundle the DREAM Act with harsher immigration measures aimed at getting GOP members on board. In 2018, Trump urged senators to squash a bipartisan deal that included funding for his border wall in exchange for the DREAM Act because it didnt contain sufficient provisions limiting family-based immigration. Its possible similar efforts to link punitive policies with the DREAM Act could prove an obstacle in the new Congress as well: Would [Trump] again hold it hostage with his long laundry list of horrible anti-immigrant policy? Pliego speculated. Trump has also sought to put the blame for a lack of legislation on Democrats. And while it is true that Democrats briefly had the numbers in the Senate to pass a bill during the Obama administration, they havent had a similar majority since. Immigration legislation needs 60 votes to pass in the Senate. And Democrats had 60 seats for a short period in 2009, though some of the seats were held by relatively conservative senators. The party, however, has had far narrower 50- and 51-person majorities in recent terms, and would have needed significant Republican support to approve an immigration deal during the Biden administration. As a failed border security proposal in February indicated, they havent gotten this degree of GOP support even on harsher immigration measures. What an actual fix would takeFor now, its too early to say whether Trump is actually committed to protecting DREAMers. At the end of the day, he has a history of being against DACA recipients, Pliego says. He tried to end DACA, and we took him all the way to the Supreme Court.She anticipates that a Supreme Court decision on the program in 2025 could potentially spur lawmakers into action, since Congress often waits until a policy is endangered to finally act. Protections for DREAMers have often gotten caught up in broader immigration fights. Republicans have at times signaled openness to them, but only in exchange for anti-immigrant measures including funding for Trumps border wall that Democrats once opposed.Trump could break that deadlock by pushing for a clean DREAMers bill that does not come attached to such measures. Democrats, meanwhile, may be more amenable to a package that both protects DREAMers and includes harsh security measures as the party has shifted to the right on the border in recent months but that remains very much an unknown. With Republicans in control of both the House and Senate starting in January, [the GOP is] likely to continue to oppose helping DACA recipients unless President Trump puts his weight behind any legislation and tells [them] to vote for the bill, Stephen Yale-Loehr, an immigration law professor at Cornell Law School, told Vox. In the past, some Republicans, including Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Lindsey Graham, have backed the DREAM Act, though the majority of the party has voted against it in both the Senate and the House. Yale-Loehr also notes the importance of considering a bill that doesnt contain poison pills, such as money for detention camps, that could undermine Democratic support. Barring these developments, the prospects for legislation addressing DREAMERs still appears likely out of reach in the new term. And Trumps purported backing of the group remains questionable, too. Hes never done anything for DREAMers, Democratic Sen. Brian Schatz told NBC News. He will never do anything for DREAMers. This is bait, and we just have to not take it.Youve read 1 article in the last monthHere at Vox, we're unwavering in our commitment to covering the issues that matter most to you threats to democracy, immigration, reproductive rights, the environment, and the rising polarization across this country.Our mission is to provide clear, accessible journalism that empowers you to stay informed and engaged in shaping our world. By becoming a Vox Member, you directly strengthen our ability to deliver in-depth, independent reporting that drives meaningful change.We rely on readers like you join us.Swati SharmaVox Editor-in-ChiefSee More: Politics

In September 1973, the hi-fi sound equipment mogul Avery Fisher made a massive gift of $10 million (about $70 million in todays dollars) to the New York Philharmonic. In thanks, Lincoln Center renamed the venue where the orchestra performs Avery Fisher Hall. Fisher was reportedly reluctant to agree to have the hall named after him, but nonetheless, the donation specified that his name be used in perpetuity.But in 2015, Lincoln Center wanted more money, and the record company billionaire David Geffen wanted to put his name on some stuff. He wanted that very hall to be renamed in his own honor, despite the Fisher name supposedly being forever.Geffen succeeded with a gift of $100 million to Lincoln Center and perhaps more importantly Lincoln Center paid $15 million to Fishers descendants so they would not sue. What that means is that the most prominent cultural organization in New York City lit $15 million on fire so that Geffens name would be on a concert hall. That $15 million didnt even go to renovating the hall it was just a bribe for Geffens own vanity, taking $15 million away from other things Lincoln Center could have invested in. Dont worry though, the other $100 million reportedly helped with a variety of acoustical shortcomings in the concert hall. Meanwhile, about 586,000 people, most of them children under the age of 5, died of malaria in 2015, a disease that is easily treatable and preventable with inexpensive interventions that Geffen could have funded instead. But he wanted his name on a theater.A piece this week in the New York Times, however, warns that were at risk of giving too much money to malaria and not enough money to less optimized causes, like fixing acoustical shortcomings in concert halls. Author Emma Goldberg laments that effective altruism (EA), which asks us to use reason and evidence to find the charitable causes that can do the most good per dollar, has become the dominant way to think about charity, which argues, essentially, that you do not get to feel good for having done anything at all.The second claim is so bizarre its hard to know where to start: I have been part of the EA community for a decade at this point, and I have never once heard someone argue that you should not feel good for helping others. Most EAs I know have complex and nuanced feelings about how their emotions and their giving relate. In general, if you hear a group described as believing something obviously ridiculous, you should consider the possibility that youre being lied to.But the first claim, that EA has become the dominant way that charity is done in the US, is even more wrong, and more insidious. The best data Ive seen aggregating donations from major effective altruist groups like grants from the Open Philanthropy group, individual donations given through GiveWell, etc. found that a little under $900 million was donated by EA funders in 2022. Those donations were mostly, but not exclusively, made in the US.By contrast, total US charitable donations in 2022 were $499 billion. That means that even if all EA funding were in the US, it would amount to a whopping 0.18 percent of all giving. Giving to the arts alone that year totaled $24.67 billion, or over 27 times more than was allocated based on EA ideas.Put differently: US philanthropy is still much, much, much more about rich guys like David Geffen slapping their names on concert halls than it is about donating to help people dying from malaria, or animals being tortured in factory farms, or preventing deaths from pandemics and out-of-control AI, to name a few EA-associated causes.Pretending otherwise, though, lets more complacent philanthropists off the hook for refusing to think through the consequences of their actions. Goldberg approvingly cites the writer and political philosopher Amy Schiller, arguing that philanthropic funds are better spent on, say, rebuilding Notre Dame than on anti-malarial bednets: She wanted to know, Goldberg writes of Schiller, how could anyone put a numerical value on a holy space?The life you didnt saveWell, heres one way. The Notre Dame restoration cost a reported $760 million. Top anti-malaria charities like the Malaria Consortium and the Against Malaria Foundation can save a life for $8,000, taking the highest estimate for the latter. Lets double that, just in case its still too optimistic; after all, $760 million, even spread over a few years, would require these groups to massively grow in size, and they might be less cost-efficient during that growth stage. At $16,000 per life, the Notre Dame restoration budget could save 47,500 peoples lives from malaria.Effective altruism often involves consideration of quantitative evidence, and as such, proponents are often accused of being more interested in numbers than humanity. But Id like the Notre Dame champions like Schiller to think about this in terms of concrete humanity. 47,500 people is about five times the population of the town I grew up in, Hanover, New Hampshire, which, as it happens, contains the college that Schiller now teaches at. Its useful to imagine walking down Main Street, stopping at each table at the diner Lous, shaking hands with as many people as you can, and telling them, I think you need to die to make a cathedral pretty. And then going to the next town over and doing it again, and again, until youve told 47,500 people why they have to die.Kids over cathedralsEA is in many ways an offshoot of consequentialism, the school of moral philosophy that evaluates moral actions based solely on the goodness or badness of their consequences. One of the major rivals to consequentialism is a theory called contractualism, which asks instead: Are you acting according to principles that no one could reasonably reject? Or, put another way, do you feel you can defend the rule youre following to everyone affected by it?Whatever your philosophical leanings, its a useful thought experiment. And there are some versions of that conversation I can imagine having. I think its okay to tell someone at risk of malaria that theyre not getting pills or bednets to prevent it because the money is going instead to develop a vaccine against tuberculosis so that even more peoples lives could be saved. Thats a reasonable principle to act on.In her piece, Goldberg worries that an effective altruist philanthropic strategy that among other things insists that foreigners lives count equally a foundational part of EA could fray peoples already threadbare ties to local charities like soup kitchens and shelters, worsening civic isolation. I think its worth thinking through the comparison here a bit more carefully. Housing vouchers for people experiencing homelessness in the District of Columbia, where I live now, run up to $30,000 a year. As horrific as conditions for DC-ers experiencing homelessness are, am I willing to let a couple of kids in West Africa die to put up one of my neighbors for a year? Im not.That said, its a harder question than the Notre Dame one. I can imagine explaining to kids waiting for bednets that my tax dollars are going to help people suffering in the US, not Nigeria, because we live in a democracy, and democracies have to respond more to the needs of their citizens, even if the needs in a much poorer country like Nigeria are much greater. I wont feel great, but at least theres some kind of legitimate reason. But can I imagine going down Main Street and telling people they need to die for Notre Dame? Of course not.If I were to file effective altruism down to its more core, elemental truth, its this: We should let children die to rebuild a cathedral is not a principle anyone should be willing to accept. Every reasonable person should reject it. The sight of rich Westerners like David Geffen directing their philanthropy not toward saving lives but toward improving the acoustics of the New York Phil fills me with visceral disgust. There are hard questions in the ethics of philanthropy, but this is simply not one of them. Maybe when the bednets crew amounts to more than 0.18 percent of giving, itll be worth asking if weve gone too far. But if the question is really Notre Dame versus dying kids, there is only one right answer.Youve read 1 article in the last monthHere at Vox, we're unwavering in our commitment to covering the issues that matter most to you threats to democracy, immigration, reproductive rights, the environment, and the rising polarization across this country.Our mission is to provide clear, accessible journalism that empowers you to stay informed and engaged in shaping our world. By becoming a Vox Member, you directly strengthen our ability to deliver in-depth, independent reporting that drives meaningful change.We rely on readers like you join us.Swati SharmaVox Editor-in-ChiefSee More:

EA FC 25's TOTW 13 brings with it a new squad of in-form players, and some of them have fantastic new cards including Antoine Griezmann, Joao Cancelo and Cole PalmerTech18:00, 11 Dec 2024Griezmann had a great weekend for Atletico(Image: Getty Images)It's Wednesday at 6pm and that means there are EA FC 25 players to earn through the Team Of The Week 13 squad.We already predicted we'd see big upgrades for Chelsea star Cole Palmer and Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann, but they're joined by some fantastic new cards that are dropping into packs as we speak.While I'm sad I didn't manage to get last week's Virgil Van Dijk for my Premier League squad, I can definitely see myself grinding for the 87 rated Palmer, with 85 shooting, 86 passing, and 89 dribbling making him a real triple-threat.Here's the TOTW 13 squad for EA FC 25 in full.READ MORE: Secret Level blockbuster voice cast revealed as Amazon Prime show packs star powerREAD MORE: Bloodborne rumours shot down again dashing hopes of Game Awards unveilingCome and join The Daily Star on Bluesky, the social media site set up by ex-Twitter boss Jack Dorsey. It's now the new go-to place for content after a mass exodus of the Elon Musk-owned Twitter/X.Fear not, we're not leaving Twitter/X, but we are jumping on the bandwagon. So come find our new account on https://bsky.app/profile/dailystar.co.uk, and see us social better than the rest.You can also learn more about The Daily Star team in what Bluesky calls a Starter Pack.So what are you waiting for?! Let's M.S.M.F.A (Make Social Media Fun Again)Team of the Week 13 cards are in packs right now, meaning you can start cracking them to your heart's content if you've got plenty of coins.TOTW 13 is full of eye-catching cards from all over the worldHere's the full Team of the Week squad, will their upgraded overall ratings, too.ST- Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid) - 89CAM - Musiala (Bayern Munich) - 88CAM - Cole Palmer (Chelsea) - 87RB - Joao Cancelo (Al Hilal) - 87LB - Janou Levels (Leverkusen) - 86CM - Gaston Brugman (LA Galaxy) - 86ST - Jonathan David (Lille) - 86RW - Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo) - 86GK - Donovan Leon (Auxerre) - 86CDM - Dominique Janssen (Manchester United) - 86CM - Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Inter) - 86CB - Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica) - 85ST - Jonas Wind (Wolfsburg) - 84RB - Sheila Garcia Gomez (Real Madrid) - 84ST - Jamie Vardy (Leicester) - 83CB - Aitor Paredes (Athletic Bilbao) - 83LM - Victor Edvardsen (Go Ahead Eagles) - 83LB - Maxim De Cuyper (Club Brugge)- 83LW - Jeon Jin-Woo (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors) - 83RM - Yunus Akgun (Galatasaray) - 83Article continues belowFor the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.

The full PlayStation Plus Extra and Premium lineup have been revealed, and we've got plenty to play over the Holiday period with Sonic Frontiers, Forspoken and moreTech16:40, 11 Dec 2024Updated 16:40, 11 Dec 2024PlayStation Plus is bringing more new games to Sony console owners(Image: Sony )We've been desperate to find out the PS Plus Extra and Premium titlesJoining the monthly titles, the latest slate of PlayStation Plus titles is absolutely stacked at all levels. Sonic's open world adventure Frontiers headlines the month, as well as Forspoken which fans have been asking for on the prediction subreddit.There's even a Star Wars title for PlayStation VR 2 owners to enjoy.In total 11 games will be joining PS Plus Extra with another four joining the Premium tier.READ MORE: Secret Level blockbuster voice cast revealed as Amazon Prime show packs star powerREAD MORE: Bloodborne rumours shot down again dashing hopes of Game Awards unveilingContent cannot be displayed without consentThe latest line-up of PlayStation Plus has been revealed, and it's pretty packed.Sonic Frontiers (PS4, PS5)Forspoken (PS5)Rabbids: Party of Legends (PS4)WRC Generations (PS4, PS5)F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch (PS4, PS5)Jurassic World Evolution 2 (PS4, PS5)Coffee Talk (PS4, PS5)Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus and Butterfly (PS4, PS5)A Space For The Unbound (PS4, PS5)Phogs! (PS4)Biped (PS4, PS5)Come and join The Daily Star on Bluesky, the social media site set up by ex-Twitter boss Jack Dorsey. It's now the new go-to place for content after a mass exodus of the Elon Musk-owned Twitter/X.Fear not, we're not leaving Twitter/X, but we are jumping on the bandwagon. So come find our new account on https://bsky.app/profile/dailystar.co.uk, and see us social better than the rest.You can also learn more about The Daily Star team in what Bluesky calls a Starter Pack.So what are you waiting for?! Let's M.S.M.F.A (Make Social Media Fun Again)PlayStation Plus Premium subscribers will get access to the following:Article continues belowSly 2: Band of Thieves (PS4, PS5)Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves (PS4, PS5)Jax and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy (PS4, PS5)Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy's Edge (PSVR 2)For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.

Will it be unveiled tonight? (Nintendo)The Thursday letters page hopes for an Xbox vs. PlayStation face-off at The Game Awards, as a reader looks forward to MachineGames Quake reboot.To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.ukPLEASE NOTE: We are currently preparing our content for over the Christmas period and will need a number of Readers Features, so if youve been meaning to write one but never quite got round to it we could do with as many as possible before Monday, December 23.The big nightIm cautiously optimistic about The Game Awards this week but Im not really sure what to expect. All the hints are so vague its kind of annoying that theyre taunting us and yet experience teaches me that it could all amount to nothing. One persons big news is another mans nothingburger, or something.The impression I get is that theyre hinting at something to do with Sony. but I really dont know what? Surely not new hardware but if its a bunch of new single-player games then Ill be very happy. If its just Wolverine and Ghost of Ytei in more detail, thatll be more like a minimum expectation.The other obvious guess as to what theyre hinting at is a Switch 2 reveal, but I just cant picture that happening. Like you say, somethings only a tradition until you stop doing it, but I cannot imagine Nintendo ever unveiling their new console at someone elses event. Metroid Prime 4 maybe, since weve already seen a bit of it, but thats all.Ill settle for a good surprise above all of that though, so heres hoping its all worth staying up for. (Im not staying up for it.)CranstonReturn to warSo its The Game Awards tonight (or Friday morning, its kind of confusing writing this on a Wednesday) and I have no idea what to expect. All the confirmed games so far are kind of boring, except maybe Split Fiction, but hopefully thats just the bottom level of what were going to get.Im not going to try and predict anything but what I hope is that this truly becomes the successor to E3 in the sense that we see Sony and Microsoft trying to outdo each other with big announcements. We gamers always benefit from that kind of competition and with the Xbox Series X floundering we havent really had that much this generation.I dont expect Nintendo to have much or anything to show so this becomes an old school two-way battle, where both companies try and win gamers favours by making really good games, then everyones a winner.NougatThe Marvel factorI cant really see Marvel Rivals being a long-term hit. I played it and its fine, but it is so generic I lost interest after a few hours and have no desire to return, even though its free. The characters might be more appealing than Concord but they dont play any better and the action all feels very floaty and weightless to me, even with big characters like Venom and Hulk.Not to repeat people from earlier in the week but the reason these live service games keep failing is because not only are there too many, but they all play the same. The Marvel theme and constant advertising (which must cost a fortune) will give the game a boost for now but I doubt well be hearing a lot of it by the time next year gets going.TacleEmail your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.ukOut of timeI wondered if youre planning to review the Little Big Adventure remake that was released recently. This game was such a huge part of my childhood back in the mid-90s and the first game Id ever played with an element of freedom and fully voice-tracked (rare at the time for a non-point n click game!).The team behind the remake are hoping to also move onto its brilliant sequel and a new third game if sales enable this and Im hoping some of the GC community remember this gem as well! (Original was on PC and PlayStation back in the day)Have a fab Christmas and new year when it comes.Kanbot (gamertag)PS: Loving the recent in-depth topical gaming articles you have recently been running as well.GC: It was one of our favourites too, back in the day, but we couldnt get hold of the developer or publisher in order to organise the review in time. We might try and come back to it but its kind of missed its slot now.Quake hubIve really been enjoying Indiana Jones And The Great Circle but I have to admit that is basically exactly the same as every other MachineGames game in terms of the way it uses the open world hubs and the dialogue. I like it, but they havent exactly pushed themselves out of their comfort zone.Theyve been hinting about doing a Quake reboot next and Im totally happy to see that but, lets face it, you know exactly what its going to be: lots of shooting and lots of wandering around hubs talking to people. That will be kind of interesting for Quake though as the original idea for it was that itd more of a role-playing type game than what it ended up as.I hope they make it Lovecraftian again though, rather than dumb space aliens, and give it that creepy atmosphere that the original game had but they never really did again. Theres a lot of potential there and Im really looking forwards to seeing it.RatzoMission completeBeen a very prolific gaming year for me, with the Steam Deck helping me get out of a slump which then spurred me to play more games on my home consoles and PC. Finished off these games in the last few weeks:Ghost Of Tsushima (PS4) Gorgeous looking, with fun combat and a decent plot. Too much filler and I hope they make the side quests more unique and engaging in the sequel. (7.5/10)Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 (XSX) Again absolutely stunning, with the best depiction of all-out war Ive seen since the original game. Generally, very fun throughout but a few rough edges with the gameplay hold it back. Looking forward to trying the co-op. (7.5/10)Dishonored (Steam Deck via Epic Games) Loved it, loved it. The open-ended gameplay, the logic in the game world, the novel setting, the Blinky stabbing. Dont know why I didnt play it years ago, just excellent. Holds up very well today (9/10)Ive got Doom Eternal and Stellar Blade lined up for PlayStation 5 and Bayonetta 2 on the Wii U. Im basically Beethoven in the mall in Bill and Teds Excellent Adventure, but with consoles.MagnumstacheRandom ideaHow difficult would it be for FromSoftware to incorporate randomiser lists and maybe bingo rule sets for online players in their next game?I mean from scratch on consoles? The bingo might cause them problems, but I think a randomiser after beating the game would be a nice touch.P.EllaAs in bargain basement Yoda, not the Spanish fish and rice dish.GC: As in changing the position of items and enemies? It should be pretty to easy do; wed be surprised if there wasnt a PC fan mod that already did it for one of their games.The console trapFrom the recent glut of Switch 2 leaks it does look like everything is lining up to the new device being the same but more. Like most handheld PCs and the last decades worth of smartphones Id imagine the huge size has been forced on Nintendo to get a more powerful device with a big battery to run it, while keeping the price competitive.I wonder how an even bigger and heavier console will go down? Especially in Asian markets where there is still a desire for small electronics. A Switch 2 Lite, given the expected power is probably many years away, if at all possible. That is a shame as the original Switch Lite is arguably the perfect size for a portable gaming device. Bring back consoles that you can slip into your pockets I say!Also, I wonder if this will be enough to drive upgraders? What do you do with, say, Mario Kart 9 or the next Smash Bros. to persuade casual Switch owners with the current versions to say, OK Nintendo heres my 400 for the console and 60 for the game? I dont think the same but more is the answer to that quandary. It feels like an awful lot is banking on the rumoured (if not likely) new 3D Mario launch title to showcase what this can do. The pressure is on the little plumber to bring a level of best game ever impact now.In the longer term though I dont see how Nintendo dont fall into the same trap as Sony and Microsoft, of diminishing returns this generation. Market inflation thanks to the pandemic was behind a huge chunk of the original Switch sales after all and a lot of those gamers are happy just playing live service titles with content parity on that old machine.MarcInbox also-ransWhy is it the makers of Days Gone, a game that underperformed in terms of sales and reviews, is still going but Japan Studio got shut down? Doesnt seem fair.MatadorI guess youre probably watching The Game Awards tonight, GC. So thanks for taking one for the team there. Aint no way Im staying up till 4am for a video game trailer.UlioGC: Thanks, weve already got the Red Bull in.More TrendingEmail your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.ukThe 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 via email or our Submit Stuff page, 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.ArrowMORE: Games Inbox: How much will the PlayStation 6 be?GameCentralExclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy

The Game Awards are not very compatible with UK sleeping patterns (The Game Awards)Its the biggest night of the year for video game reveals on Thursday but are rumours of Resident Evil 9 and Tomb Raider likely to prove true?Christmas always comes early for video game fans, thanks to The Game Awards event in early December with this years event taking place this Thursday/Friday. Although its the closest thing gaming has to the Oscars, the real appeal of The Game Awards is the dozens of new game announcements, often including brand new titles, which are made during the ceremony. Some years have more surprises than others (last year was kind of average) but all the rumours so far point towards 2024 being a particularly good one.Unusually, given how almost everything else in the games industry leaks out months in advance, theres often not much in the way of reliable rumours for The Game Awards, and thats the case once again this year. There have been a few hints, that well get into in a minute, but most of the rumours have been simply that that is going to be a very big event for new announcements.Theres no indication of how big very big is going to be but its worth bearing in mind that previous events have included not just new games but even the first announcement of the Xbox Series X, so technically nothing is off the table. Although, while Xbox is happy to use the event for almost anything, Sony, and in particular Nintendo, usually only offer up smaller scale reveals.Confirmed announcements for The Game Awards 2024There are already a few games that have been confirmed as definitely being at The Game Awards, but these are unlikely to be the biggest announcements of the night, even though a couple of them are big deals that have never been seen properly in public up until now.Borderlands 4It got a teaser trailer this summer but nothing of the game was shown and so at the moment there are no details at all about the gameplay or characters. Its going to be an uphill battle getting people interested in it after that movie though.Split FictionAlthough the name is leaked information (and so may not necessarily be correct) the makers of It Takes Two have confirmed that they will be showing off their new game at the event, including gameplay. Apart from the name though nothing else has been leaked about it so far.Hideo KojimaAlthough its not confirmed what hell be talking about, Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima will be at The Game Awards. Whether thats to promote next years Death Stranding 2, horror game OD, or mysterious new stealth game Physint is unknown, but since he is a pal of Game Awards presenter Geoff Keighley it could be all of the above or even something new.Mafia: The Old CountryEssentially Mafia 4, although its actually a prequel to the whole series, set in Sicily during the early 1900s and dealing with the origins of the Mafia. Beyond that though nothing is currently known about the game.Tekken 8As well as triple-A games, The Game Awards is also used to unveil indie titles and DLC, with Bandai Namco promising that a new fighter will be announced for Tekken 8. Since its the franchises 30th anniversary this month there may be more to announce than just that, especially as the current rumour is that Ichiban Kasuga from Segas Yakuza: Like A Dragon will be the next fighter which seems an odd anniversary choice.Dying Light: The BeastAlthough The Beast is a standalone spin-off for Dying Light, DLC for existing games Palworld and Warframe is also going to be announced at some point during the night. Giant robot game Mecha Break is also going to be in attendance, with new game info and hopefully a final release date.Rumoured announcements for The Game Awards 2024Like we said, there are surprisingly few concrete rumours and certainly nothing you can take for granted. The talk of this year being a big year for the event is so vague its not even clear if that refers to hardware or just games.However, Bloombergs Jason Schreier has stated that there are two things that will make you say, Holy s***, I cant believe this thing is here! What that means though, is anyones guess.It seems very unlikely Nintendo would unveil the Switch 2 but its not outside the realms of possibility they could at least offer a tease. Likewise, the next gen Xbox has been announced already but would Microsoft really show it off for the first time this year? The answer is probably not.Microsoft has certainly been the one to make most use of The Game Awards in the past though, so new looks at previously announced games like Fable, Perfect Dark, and Gears Of War: E-Day are all entirely possible.Sony doesnt use it as much but the doomed The Last Of Us Online was announced at the Summer Game Fest, which is also run by Geoff Keighley, so its not inconceivable they could announce new games, including Naughty Dogs next title. A proper first look at Marvels Wolverine and Ghost of Ytei is also entirely feasible and perhaps rumours of a Days Gone remaster will prove to be true too.As for Nintendo, they have certainly turned up in the past, but theyve never made any announcements that are particularly big before. A smaller teaser for the Switch 2 or perhaps Metroid Prime 4, which is likely to be a cross-gen launch title, doesnt seem impossible though.To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a webbrowser thatsupports HTML5videoUp NextWill GTA 6 Trailer 2 be at The Game Awards 2024?When it comes to third party publishers, its possible to make a few guesses based on companies that have been at the event before. That is why, on the face of it, it seems very unlikely that GTA 6 and Rockstar Games will be there.They seemed to purposefully avoid The Game Awards last year, by premiering the first GTA 6 trailer just a few days before, but its more than a year later and there still hasnt been another one. Will Friday morning see Trailer 2s debut? Normally we wouldve said no but its puzzling why Rockstar are waiting this long to release more info and perhaps theres been a thawing in relations with Geoff Keighley.So far theres been no hint from Rockstars X account though, which almost always gives fair warning of when a major new trailer is going to be released. But, well, a tradition can change at any momentHow to watch The Game Awards 2024All you have to do to watch The Game Awards is tune in to the official YouTube channel, with the livestream already set-up via the video above. Alternatively, you can tune in via Instagram, TikTok, Twitch, or Facebook Live. Thats the easy part though.The problem is that while youll see most sites referring to The Game Awards as taking place on Thursday, thats not technically true from a UK perspective. Thanks to the way the time zones work the pre-show doesnt start till 12.30am on Friday morning and the main event is from 1am to 4am (the exact length of the show hasnt been confirmed, so it could be even later than that).Youd have to be pretty hardcore to stay up for the whole thing but dont worry, well have a round-up of all the news waiting for you when you get up in the morning.One other major fan hope is that Resident Evil 9 will be unveiled but theres no evidence for that, its just because it was announced a while back and it seems roughly the right time to learn more now. Capcom certainly has used The Game Awards before but with Monster Hunter Wilds out in March, it may not want to split peoples attentions at the moment.Likewise, its way past time we shouldve heard something about the new Tomb Raider, which has been in development for years at this point, but if it is going to be unveiled on Friday theres been no official hints or even any solid rumours.Something on the recently delayed Assassins Creed Shadows seems like more of a sure bet but that hasnt been rumoured either. Weve also not seen or heard anything on Assassins Creed Infinity the persistent online world that was supposed to connect all the games in ages, but that seems more likely to be something left to a dedicated Ubisoft event.Shadows is out in February and so it and any other game thats due next spring are also very likely to put in an appearance, including Civilization 7, Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, Monster Hunter Wilds, Like A Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, and Avowed. Even if theres not necessarily much more to be learned about those games.More TrendingProject 007 from IO Interactive is another project that seems long overdue a public outing, while Geoff Keighley is also always keen to promote Remedy and they have a number of projects coming up, including FBC: Firebreak, Max Payne 1 and 2 remakes, and Control 2.In terms of less high-profile releases, Hasbro has been at the show a number of times with their Dungeons & Dragons games, and they have recently talked about wanting to make more games. Combine that with rumours of remasters of Activisions Transformers games and you could be onto something.Therere also faint rumours of a new Sonic The Hedgehog racing game and since Sega announced their reboots of classic games like Jet Set Radio and Shinobi at last years event, perhaps well get a proper look at them this year.Apart from what has already been confirmed its all guesswork and conjecture but hopefully the rumours about this years awards ceremony being one to remember prove trueWhat are The Game Awards 2024 Game of the Year nominees?Although its called The Game Awards, and it is the highest profile award ceremony in the industry, announcing the winners takes up only a small part of the overall running time of the event. The one exception is the prestigious Game of the Year award, which always gets a lot of time and attention.This years field is unusually open, with no clear favourite, but the nominations are as follows. The nominees were picked by a wide range of outlets from around the world, including us, while the winners are voted on by the same judges, while also taking into account fan choices as a small percentage of the overall vote.Astro Bot (Team Asobi/SIE)Balatro (LocalThunk/Playstack)Black Myth: Wukong (Game Science)Elden Ring Shadow Of The Erdtree (FromSoftware/Bandai Namco)Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth (Square Enix)Metaphor: ReFantazio (Studio Zero/Atlus/Sega)Emailgamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below,follow us on Twitter, andsign-up to our newsletter.To submit Inbox letters and Readers Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use ourSubmit Stuff page here.For more stories like this,check our Gaming page.ArrowMORE: Heres where to find your PlayStation 2024 Wrap-Up GameCentralExclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. 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Youre not a proper provider for your family unless you care for its online security. pCloud lets you redeem yourself with a staggering Family Lifetime plan. Its not your run-of-the-mill cloud storage. This is a Christmas-exclusive 3-in-1 lifetime bundle with a LOT more!pCloud is 60% off and costs only $799. But what exactly are you getting? Read on for more information this Christmas will be exciting.pCloud Christmas Sale Has BegunpClouds impressive sale ends just before New Years Eve. During this period, this renowned online storage provider offers a time-limited offer on its Lifetime 3-in-1 Family bundle.Get pCloud Family 3-in-1- Bundle At 60% OffAs said, youll pay 60% less, dropping the price to $799. Since its a Lifetime plan, there are no monthly, annual, or biennial charges. You pay now and enjoy it for the rest of your life.Now, this is a Family bundle, which means FIVE family members can use it.The bundle consists of:5 TB of fast, secure, and feature-rich pCloud storagepCloud EncryptionpCloud Pass FamilyObviously, the first one is cloud storage with 5 TB in total. You can manage how much storage each family member will get. Were sure youll figure things out and not end up fighting over pClouds spacious offer.An interesting addition is pCloud Encryption. Its client-side, zero-knowledge encryption. This aids file security and prevents snoopers from accessing them. pCloud would otherwise charge you for this but now, its free.Complementing the entire deal is pCloud Pass Family a password manager. If you often forget your passwords or cant be bothered to enter them with each login, this ones for you and your family, for that matter.Storage Only pCloud DiscountsIf youd rather stick to cloud storage and not explore other features, pCloud offers a few more discounts. They include:2 TB Family Lifetime plan at $399 (55%)5 TB Family Lifetime plan at $589 (60%)10 TB Family Lifetime plan at $1,049 (53%)Bear in mind that all plans, including the 3-in-1 bundle, are covered by a 14-day money-back guarantee. You wont lose a penny if you end up not liking it and obtaining a refund.Features and BenefitsThis exclusive deal or the other three brings so much to the table. As the safest cloud storage, and simultaneously the best overall, pCloud offers:Apps for Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOSDedicated pCloud drive app for file managementAutomatic file backupsSynchronization across all devicesCollaboration featuresFile history of up to 365 daysData centers in the EU and the USAFille redundancy (file copies on different servers)pCloud doesnt mess around. However, these features are usually way pricier, outside occasions like these. If youve been dreaming of pCloud, this is the time to act.Get your 3-in-1 Family bundle and enjoy it for life may it be the longest possible.View at pCloud