X says that this feedback will help develop an open source algorithm that can identify posts liked by people with different perspectives.

A film adaptation of hit video game “Split Fiction” starring Sydney Sweeney and directed by Jon M. Chu has landed at Amazon MGM Studios, Variety has confirmed. As Variety first reported last month, along with the news of Sweeney’s casting (the actress signed on to the project March 6, the day the game launched) and Chu directing, the script for the movie is being written by “Deadpool & Wolverine” screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. Related Stories From developer Hazelight Studios and publisher Electronic Arts, “Split Fiction” blends fantasy and science fiction, following a pair of authors, Mio and Zoe, who become trapped in the worlds they wrote. Written by director and Hazelight studio chief Josef Fares and Sebastian Johansson, “Split Fiction” is a co-op adventure game that features gameplay mechanics involving split-screen combat, platforming challenges and differing abilities for each character. Popular on Variety The “Split Fiction” film will be produced by Mike Goldberg and Dmitri M. Johnson’s Story Kitchen (formerly dj2 Entertainment) and Chu’s Electric Somewhere. Sweeney, Story Kitchen’s Timothy I. Stevenson, and Hazelight Studios’ founder Josef Fares and COO Oskar Wolontis are executive producing. “Even in early development here at Hazelight, it was clear how much potential ‘Split Fiction’ had to become a kick-ass movie,” Wolontis told Variety Monday. “We now know it’s got a shot at becoming something truly special with such an amazing creative team behind it. Jon M. Chu, Sydney Sweeney, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, together with Story Kitchen, have all been champions and true fans of this project since day one, and we can’t wait to see their vision for this movie come to life! Amazon MGM has shown intense interest in this project and we’re happy to see them show both confidence and clear intent to bring this movie to all current and future fans of ‘Split Fiction’ out there. We look forward to holding them to that and working together to bring Mio and Zoe to screen.” It has yet to be decided whether Sweeney will be playing Zoe or Mio, and the film is actively looking to cast her co-star. Released March 6, “Split Fiction” quickly became a hit with players and critics alike, receiving positive reviews and massive sales. According to Hazelight, the game sold more than two million copies in the first week following its launch, and that number continues to rise at a rapid clip. Variety first reported the “Split Fiction” film was in the works, and attracting top Hollywood studios for a bidding war, during the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco in March. “Split Fiction” marks the third film adaptation Hazelight has set up with Story Kitchen, following projects in development based on games “It Takes Two” (also at Amazon MGM Studios and counting Dwayne Johnson’s Seven Bucks as producer) and “A Way Out.”

Speculation swirls around a possible July 10 launch for Samsung's next generation of foldables.

Microsoft and Google are taking distinctive approaches with AI agents in their productivity suites, and enterprises need to account for the differences when formulating digital labor strategies, analysts said. In recent months, both companies have announced a dizzying array of new agents aimed at extracting value from corporate documents and maximizing efficiency. The tech giants have dropped numerous hints about where they’re headed with AI agents in their respective office suites, Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace. Microsoft is reshaping its Copilot assistant as a series of tools to create, tap into, and act on insights at individual and organizational levels. The Microsoft 365 roadmap lists hundreds of specialized AI tools under development to automate work for functions such as HR and accounting. The company is also developing smaller AI models to carry out specific functions. Google is going the opposite way, with its large-language model Gemini at the heart of Workspace. Google offers tools that include Gems for workers to create simple custom agents that automate tasks such as customer service, and Agentspace in Google Cloud to build more complex custom agents for collaboration and workflow management. At the recent Google I/O developer conference, the company added real-time speech translation to Google Meet. “For both, the goal is to bring usable and practical productivity and efficiency capabilities to work tools,” said Liz Miller, vice president and principal analyst at Constellation Research. But the differing AI agent strategies are heavily rooted in each company’s philosophical approaches to productivity. Although Microsoft has long encouraged customers to move from its traditional “perpetual-license” Office suite to the Microsoft 365 subscription-based model, M365 notably retains the familiar desktop apps. Google Workspace, on the other hand, has always been cloud-based. Microsoft users are typically a bit more tethered to traditional enterprise work styles, while Google has always been the “cloud-first darling for smaller organizations that still crave real-time collaboration,” Miller said. When it comes to the generative AI models being integrated into the two office suites, “Google’s Gemini models are beating out the models being deployed by Microsoft,” Miller said. “But as Microsoft expands its model ‘inventory’ in use across M365, this could change.” Microsoft has an advantage, as many desktop users live in Outlook or Word. The intelligence Copilot can bring from CRM software is readily available, while that integration is more complex in the cloud-native Google Workspace. “Microsoft still has an edge in a foundational understanding of work and the capacity to extend Copilot connections across applications as expansive as the Office suite through to Dynamics, giving AI a greater opportunity to be present in the spaces and presentation layers where workers enjoy working,” Miller said. Microsoft’s Copilot Agents and Google’s Gems and Agentspace are in their early stages, but there have been positive developments, said J.P. Gownder, a vice president and principal analyst on Forrester’s Future of Work team. Microsoft recently adopted Google’s A2A protocol, which makes it easier for users of both productivity suites to collaborate and unlock value from stagnant data sitting on other platforms. “That should be a win for interoperability,” Gownder said. But most companies that are Microsoft shops have years or decades of digital assets that hold them back from considering Google, he said. For example, Excel macros, pivot tables, and customizations cannot be easily or automatically migrated to Google Sheets, he said. “As early as this market is, I don’t think it’s fair to rank either player — Microsoft or Google — as being the leader; both of them are constructing new ecosystems to support the growth of agentic AI,” Gownder said. Most Microsoft Office users have moved to M365, but AI is helping Google is making inroads into larger organizations, especially among enterprises that are newer and less oriented toward legacy Microsoft products, said Jack Gold, principal analyst at J. Gold Associates. Technologies like A2A blur the line between on-premises and cloud productivity. As a result, “Google Workspace is no longer perceived as inferior, as it had been in the past,” Gold said. And for budget-constrained enterprises, the value of AI agent features is not the only consideration. “There is also the cost equation at work here, as Google seems to have a much more transparent cost structure than Microsoft with all of its user classes and discounts,” Gold said. Microsoft does not include Copilot in its M365 subscriptions, which vary in price depending on the type of customer. The Copilot business subscriptions range from $30 per user per month for M365 Copilot to $200 per month for 25,000 messages for Copilot Studio, which is also available under a pay-as-you-go model. Google has flat subscription pricing for Workspace, starting at $14 per user per month for business plans with Gemini included.

The Fearsome Megalodon Ate Basically Whatever It Wanted to Reach Its Daily 100,000-Calorie Need, Study Suggests Scientists previously assumed the giant, prehistoric sharks mostly feasted on whales, but it turns out they probably weren’t so picky An artistic reconstruction of the extinct megalodon. Scientists' ideas about how the megalodon looked are based on its fossilized teeth. Hugo Saláis via Wikimedia Commons under CC BY 4.0 Between 3 million and 20 million years ago, the largest predatory fish ever known hunted in Earth’s oceans. Called theOtodus megalodon), this giant shark grew up to 79 feet long, had teeth the size of human hands and could bite with the strength of an industrial hydraulic press. But what scientists know about the extinct creature has been almost entirely determined from fossil teeth—since paleontologists have yet to discover a complete megalodon, and the animals’ cartilaginous skeletons don’t preserve well. Now, new research on the mineral content of their teeth suggests megalodons ate pretty much whatever they wanted. Until recently, scientists assumed that megalodons satisfied their estimated 100,000-calorie daily needs by mostly eating whales. A study published Monday in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters, however, suggests the prehistoric shark had a much more diverse diet than previously thought—akin to the great white shark’s “if it moves, it’s food” hunting strategy of today, writes Vice’s Ashley Fike. Jeremy McCormack with a fossilized megalodon tooth. Uwe Dettmar for Goethe University An international team of researchers reached this conclusion after analyzing the ratio of different variants, called isotopes, of the mineral zinc in 18-million-year-old megalodon teeth. Animals absorb zinc only through food, so this could offer a hint to their diets. Muscles and organs absorb more of the isotope zinc-64 than zinc-66, meaning that the higher up the food chain an animal is—or the more meat and fish it eats—the less zinc-66 it absorbs, and its ratio of zinc-66 to zinc-64 is lower, in turn. “Since we don’t know how the ratio of the two zinc isotopes at the bottom of the food pyramid was at that time, we compared the teeth of various prehistoric and extant shark species with each other and with other animal species. This enabled us to gain an impression of predator-prey relationships 18 million years ago,” Jeremy McCormack, a scientist from Goethe University Frankfurt and lead author of the study, says in a statement. Unsurprisingly, the isotope ratios in the teeth put the megalodon at the top of the food chain, alongside close shark relatives such as Otodus chubutensis. At the same time, however, the scientists noticed there wasn’t a huge difference between the megalodon and the lower-tiered animals, suggesting the sharks feasted on creatures from all rungs of the ladder. “They were not concentrating on certain prey types, but they must have fed throughout the food web, on many different species,” McCormack tells CNN’s Jacopo Prisco. “While certainly this was a fierce apex predator, and no one else would probably prey on an adult megalodon, it’s clear that they themselves could potentially feed on almost everything else that swam around.” The results also indicate that megalodon populations living in different habitats had slightly contrasting diets, potentially because of differing prey availability. More broadly, the study invites comparisons between the megalodon and its iconic extant relative, the great white shark. These comparisons, however, may have previously led to some overreaching assumptions. “Previous studies simply assumed that megalodon must have looked like a gigantic version of the modern great white shark without any evidence,” Kenshu Shimada, a vertebrate paleontologist at DePaul University and co-author of the new study, told National Geographic’s Jason Bittel back in March. He and colleagues had just published a different paper that reassessed the prehistoric shark’s size, suggesting that it had a more slender body than its smaller, modern cousin. The new study thus joins a host of research challenging widely held ideas about megalodons and their relatives, says Alberto Collareta, a paleontologist at the University of Pisa in Italy who was not involved in the research, to CNN. “These have led us to abandon traditional reconstruction of the megatooth sharks as ‘inflated’ versions of the modern white shark. We now know that the megalodon was something else—in terms of size, shape and ancestry, and of biology, too,” he adds. In fact, with both species eating generalist diets, great white sharks might have outcompeted megalodons for food and ultimately played a role in their demise. “Even ‘supercarnivores’ are not immune to extinction,” Shimada says in the statement. Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.

To match or not to match? That is the question that plagues homeowners the world over. A certain degree of matching is expected and should be prioritized for a cohesive palette—designers always emphasize that a home should be “in conversation” with itself. But how far does that matchy-matchy mentality really need to go? Recently, homeowners and design lovers on Reddit have debated one specific match, and it has the internet divided: Should you match the tile of your kitchen backsplash to your bathroom tile? To get to the bottom of it, we spoke with designers and, well, the answer might surprise you. For More on Kitchens:Should Your Kitchen and Bathroom Tile Match?In short, probably not. While there is no hard-and-fast rule, all the designers I spoke with said they would not match them unless they were intentionally going for a wholly cohesive look. “Rarely would I match a kitchen and bathroom tile, or use the same tile in both places,” says designer and pro-renovator Christina Salway. “There are just too many beautiful options to do the same thing twice.” Designer Amanda Lantz echoed Christina’s sentiment: “The options of tile are so endless that I love giving each room its own character by changing it up in some way.” For More on Bathrooms:What Should You Do Instead?If you like a cohesive look but don’t want to match, take Amanda's advice: “Lean into the differing textures, but stay in the same color palette,” she says. “It brings enough variation to make it interesting and give each space some personality.” If you prefer something that feels more organic, focus on crafting a diverse palette. “Frequently, people think of a room as an isolated experience, but I like to think about how a person moves through a house,” says Christina. “You have to weave the colors from one room into the next.” Designer Annie Downing agrees, suggesting that you shouldn’t get too hung up on exact matches and instead focus on the common language they share. “Tile [all through a house] should feel like it’s from the same family, even if the patterns, colors, or materials vary slightly,” she says. This can feel like pulling at threads, but it’s ultimately the most rewarding way to craft a colorful home that feels wholly unique to you. If you’re worried about the space feeling overwhelmed with color, don’t. There’s an easy fix. “You can always tone a bathroom down with white paint and a white shower curtain, but tile is a marvelous opportunity to choose something that really enlivens the space and makes it yours,” says Christina. “Don’t panic and just go all white unless that’s what makes your heart sing!” For More on Tile:Anna LoganSenior Homes & Style EditorAnna Logan is the Senior Homes & Style Editor at Country Living, where she has been covering all things home design, including sharing exclusive looks at beautifully designed country kitchens, producing home features, writing everything from timely trend reports on the latest viral aesthetic to expert-driven explainers on must-read topics, and rounding up pretty much everything you’ve ever wanted to know about paint, since 2021. Anna has spent the last seven years covering every aspect of the design industry, previously having written for Traditional Home, One Kings Lane, House Beautiful, and Frederic. She holds a degree in journalism from the University of Georgia. When she’s not working, Anna can either be found digging around her flower garden or through the dusty shelves of an antique shop. Follow her adventures, or, more importantly, those of her three-year-old Maltese and official Country Living Pet Lab tester, Teddy, on Instagram.  

Don't Feel Like Fighting? Check Out These Other Terrific PC Games Brawlhalla Brawlhalla (for PC) 3.5 Good The Blue Mammoth Games-developed Brawlhalla is a free-to-play fighting game—available on PC, console, and mobile—that builds upon Smash's wild, character-focused gameplay by introducing unlimited wall-jumps and various other movement options that facilitate fun combat.The expanding character roster also features the likes of G.I. Joe's Snake Eyes, WWE's Randy "Macho Man" Savage, Tomb Raider's Lara Croft, and Street Fighter’s Chun-Li. Many of these licensed fighters require spending cash, but that's fine; it's worth spending $20 for all current and future characters, because this platform-fighter is just that exciting. Capcom Fighting Collection 2 Capcom Fighting Collection 2 (for PC) 4.0 Excellent Capcom continues resurrecting its classic titles for modern audiences with Capcom Fighting Collection 2. This compilation features cool deep cuts not found in previous entries, including Power Stone and Project Justice. Along with the nostalgia, you'll enjoy new upgrades like online multiplayer (but no crossplay) and revamped display options. If you've had your fill of Street Fighter, this is a great way to broaden your fighting game horizons. Capcom Fighting Collection 2 (for PC) review Dead or Alive 6 Dead or Alive 6 (for PC) 3.5 Good Dead or Alive 6, much like its immediate predecessor, is one part fighting game, one part fashion show, and one part schlocky action movie. Individually, each of the game's widely differing elements might not stand up to scrutiny. After all, DOA 6 isn't the best fighter, doesn't offer the deepest character customization, and doesn't quite reach the Tekken series' level of story insanity.Still, Dead or Alive 6 is a fun and surprisingly strategic PC game that offers enough freshness to warrant playing with its new Break Blow and Break Hold tools. Plus, the game's familiar Triangle System and Danger Zones are highly entertaining, too. Divekick Divekick (for PC) 3.5 Good Iron Galaxy Studios' Divekick is the most hipster fighting game ever created. It's the product of the indie scene that mercilessly parodies fighting games and their die-hard community, yet demands that you be part of the underground circle to fully get all of the references and in-jokes.It's an odd game, but an interesting one if you open your mind to the insane concept of a two-button fighter based entirely on the idea of jumping and kicking. And 20-second rounds. And one-hit kills. And a line of scrimmage. Yes, Divekick is a fighting game freak show, but one worth checking out. Dragon Ball FighterZ Dragon Ball FighterZ (for PC) 4.0 Excellent Beside Fist of the Northstar and Jo Jo's Bizarre Adventure, there are few anime properties that are as intrinsically suited to the fighting-game treatment as the Dragon Ball series. Spanning multiple series, movies, and generations of characters, Akira Toriyama's manga-turned-anime-turned-game series is all about buff monkey men, humans, aliens, and androids trading blows in actual earth-shattering battles.The series' latest video game adaptation, Dragon Ball FighterZ, ditches the Xenoverse games' arena-brawling model in favor of 3-vs.-3, tag-team fighting on a 2D plane. The gameplay shift is just one of the many reasons Dragon Ball FighterZ is being held aloft as one of 2018's notable titles. Its beautiful design, intense combat, and accessible control scheme add up to a game that anyone can jump into for Super Saiyan thrills.Plus, you can kick Cell through a mountain. Dragon Ball FighterZ (for PC) review Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves (for PC) 4.0 Excellent The King of Fighters series is great, but Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves resurrects the SNK fighter that started it all. Familiar faces like Terry Bogard and Mai Shiranui battle real-life guest characters like DJ Salavatore Gannaci and soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo gather for this excellent take on fundamental, 2D fisticuffs. Rich mechanics add depth to both offensive and defensive play, while comic book-inspired graphics give brawls a distinct visual identity. Crossplay multiplayer shines with rollback netcode. Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves (for PC) review Garou: Mark of the Wolves Garou: Mark of the Wolves (for PC) 4.5 Excellent Upon its 1999 release, Garou: Mark of the Wolves—a surprisingly deep and visually stunning entry in the long-running Fatal Fury series—was hailed as SNK's wondrous response to Capcom's Street Fighter III. Nearly 20 years later, SNK has finally given the fighting game the proper PC treatment by releasing it with numerous additional graphics options, leaderboards, and rollback, online versus play.Despite removing and downplaying some series-specific elements, Garou doesn't feel any less of a Fatal Fury game, however. It's set in the Southtown, and it features multiple fighters with classic Fatal Fury lineages, whether it's blood relationships to, or martial-arts tutelage from, older characters. Kim Kaphwan isn't in the game, for example, but his sons continue his legacy of swift, combo-heavy tae kwon do kicks.The result is an excellent game that boasts beautiful animation, Just Defend parries, and the strategic T.O.P. system that delivers increased attack damage, limited health regeneration, faster super-meter build up, and an exclusive special attack when your activate the mode. Guilty Gear Strive Guilty Gear Strive (for PC) 4.0 Excellent The Guilty Gear series reigns as the king of anime-style fighting games due to its gorgeous art style, and a rich, demanding, and lighting-quick combat system. Unfortunately, its oceanic depth and mountainous skill ceiling proved inaccessible to the causal player—until now. With Strive, developer Arc System Works streamlines the series’ unique combat mechanics to make them more newcomer-friendly, while retaining the older games' creative richness. Strive comes with fewer extra modes than its predecessors, but there is a lot to love in this PC game, including astounding visuals, impressive character play styles, and snappy, lag-free online play courtesy of top-tier, rollback netcode. Strive is an approachable series entry that shakes up the Guilty Gear formula in the best ways possible. Guilty Gear Xrd -Sign- Guilty Gear Xrd -Sign- (for PC) 3.5 Good Guilty Gear is a niche series within a niche genre, one that's enjoyed a cult following since its first appearance in 1998. With Xrd -SIGN-, developer Arc System Works ditches the series' 2D sprites in favor of 3D cel-shaded graphics in an attempt to expand its audience. Likewise, series creator Daisuke Ishiwatari sought a more approachable play style that maintains the depth and high skill ceiling that long-time Guilty Gear fans love.Still, Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN- keeps the series familiar fighting action (Roman Cancels, Bursts, and Dusts) that enables creative offensive and defensive play. Guilty Gear Xrd -Sign- (for PC) review Killer Instinct Killer Instinct (for PC) 4.0 Excellent When Killer Instinct debuted for Windows 10 in March 2016, it represented the latest chapter in the continued PC fighting game renaissance. With its arrival, Microsoft's one-on-one game of fisticuffs joined the likes of Guilty Gear, The King of Fighters, Street Fighter, and other high-profile series that now grace the personal computer.Killer Instinct has a combo-heavy engine that caters to both novices and pros, incredibly detailed graphics that boast ridiculous particle effects (everything explodes!), and an over-the-top, NBA Jam-like announcer who screams your accomplishments ("C-c-c-combo Breaker!") at the top of his lungs.Killer Instinct is part of Microsoft's Play Anywhere initiative. So, if you buy Killer Instinct from the Microsoft Store, you'll also be able to play it on Xbox One at no additional cost. It has cross-platform play with Xbox One, too, thus expanding the online player base. There's a Steam version, too. Even better, the game's ridiculously good netcode ensures smooth play across the globe. Killer Instinct (for PC) review The King of Fighters '98: Ultimate Match Final Edition The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match Final Edition (for PC) 5.0 Outstanding The King of Fighters '98—with its hops, rolls, blowback attacks, and meter-filling Advance and Extra modes—is one of the best fighting games ever made, so it's no surprise that developer SNK has returned to the title many times since the game's original release.In 2008, SNK celebrated the game's tenth anniversary by porting the team-based fighter to the PlayStation 2 as The King of Fighters '98: Ultimate Match, a game loaded with extra characters (including the almighty '96 Boss Team!), stages, moves, and gameplay modes. Now, a tweaked Ultimate Match is available for purchase under the title The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match Final Edition.This version adds numerous graphics options and good, but not great, online connectivity that lets you battle other KOF fans around the globe in 3-vs.-3 action. The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match Final Edition (for PC) review The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match (for PC) 4.0 Excellent Like The King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match Final Edition, The King of Fighters 2002 Unlimited Match is a dream match that eschews a storyline so that developer SNK could include as many characters as possible—even some that are canonically dead, like crime boss Geese Howard. As a result, Unlimited Match boasts one of the largest fighting game rosters of all time, with a 66-character strong lineup.King of Fighters 2002 Ultimate Match continues the series tradition of excellent combat. Although it lacks KOF '98 UMFE's three radically different fight mechanics (Advanced, Extra, and Ultimate), Unlimited Match has a lone system that resembles Advanced Mode. This fighting style gives you plenty of offensive (Dash, Run, Hops, Super Jumps) and defensive (Guard Cancel Strike, Guard Cancel Roll Throw) options for setting up or evading traps. Excellent rollback netcode lets you play people around the world without hiccup. The King of Fighters XIII: Steam Edition The King of Fighters XIII: Steam Edition (for PC) 4.0 Excellent The King of Fighters XIII: Steam Edition brings SNK's incredibly dense, 3-vs.-3, team-based fighter to the PC via Valve's video game marketplace. It's an all-around excellent fighting game, and one of the best in SNK's rich catalog.If you've rumbled with friends and foes in the version that appeared on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, you'll feel right at home here: The intricate combat mechanics, meter management, and the best sprite-based graphics ever seen in a fighting game are brought over successfully in this Steam port.Even better, The King of Fighters XIII: Steam Edition contains all the console DLC and the King of Fighters XIII: Climax arcade features. Similar to The King of Fighters '98: Ultimate Match Final Edition, The King of Fighters XIII: Steam Edition has decent online play, but you can expect some hiccups. The King of Fighters XIII: Steam Edition (for PC) review The Last Blade The Last Blade (for PC) 4.0 Excellent SNK put weapons-based, 2D fighting on the map with 1993's delightful Samurai Shodown, but the developer went on to refine the idea of sword-based combat four years later in a somewhat lesser-known Neo Geo title: The Last Blade.Released to the Steam platform with several contemporary bells and whistles, The Last Blade boasts excellent swordplay, a dozen exquisitely designed characters, and a gorgeous anime- and manga-style presentation that make its 19th-century Japanese setting one of the most beautiful in fighting-game history. Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite (for PC) 3.5 Good Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite has taken its fair share of flack since its reveal, and the venom is not at all unwarranted. The initial trailer for the tag-team fighting game featured dull, washed-out graphics, and Capcom highlighted the new novice-friendly, auto-combo options that are designed to help casuals bust out cool-looking moves in an otherwise hardcore genre. As a result, fight fans were highly skeptical of the game, as was I.Fortunately, my Infinite sentiments changed upon logging several hours with the game. The Infinity Stone hook and the move to 2-vs.-2, tag team action make Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite an incredibly fun PC game to play in both casual and hardcore sessions.Still, Infinite has presentation and MCU-focused roster issues that prevent it from rising to the very top of the fighting game elite. Mortal Kombat XL Mortal Kombat XL (for PC) 4.0 Excellent When NetherRealm Studios released the blood-drenched Mortal Kombat X to consoles in 2015, the one-on-one fighting game continued to evolve via free and paid updates that added characters, balanced the roster, and improved online play. However, the High Voltage Studios-ported PC version of the game received zero post-launch support, much to the dismay of hardcore Mortal Kombat fans.Thankfully, that changed with the Mortal Kombat XL update, a version of MKX that finally gives PC gamers all the extras that console-based fight fans have enjoyed for some time now. I dislike the idea of paying more money for PC content released long after the console version, but it's hard not to love the additions, which include even more fighters, stages, costumes, and gore.Paid DLC added plenty of guest fighters, which has becoming commonplace in the fighting game circle. They include the Predator and Friday the 13th's Jason Vorhees. The King of Fighters XV The King of Fighters XV (for PC) 4.0 Excellent Developer SNK took KOF XIV's core, revamped the MAX meter, added the Shatterstrike counter system, and gave the character models an eye-catching redesign to create one of the best fighting games in recent history. KOF XV features an updated fighting engine that facilitates fast-paced, creative combat, and near-flawless rollback netcode that will keep you knuckling up with online rivals for hours on end.The game's dense with options. You can play the narrative-driven Story mode, use DJ Station to listen to more that 300 music tracks culled from SNK's rich, decades-long game library (many compositions unlock as you play Arcade mode), engage in casual and ranked online battles, view leaderboards, and check out match replays. In a community-fostering move, SNK included an esports-friendly tournament mode tailor-made for locals and majors like Evo. You can save 15 custom teams, set up brackets and rulesets, and register up to 32 entrants. It's a great touch. In addition, KOF XV lets you join online lobbies to play against others or simply spectate. Mortal Kombat 11 Mortal Kombat 11 (for PC) 4.5 Excellent Mortal Kombat 11 is far more than the guts and gore titles on which the series built its fame. The narrative sequel to Mortal Kombat X, Mortal Kombat 11 uses time travel to pit characters against their rivals in the past in order to alter the present. Whatever.Mortal Kombat 11 continues the series tradition of chop-socky action and otherworldly mysticism to lay the foundation for military operatives, ninjas, gods, and monsters to punch each other squarely in the face. With its character customization, HDR10 support, smooth animations, and new offensive and defensive meters, MK11 is the best Mortal Kombat game to date. Mortal Kombat 11 (for PC) review Samurai Shodown Samurai Shodown (for PC) 3.5 Good Clashing swords, blood spurts, and tense, measured play define Samurai Shodown, SNK's beloved weapons-based fighting game series. This series refresh, the simply named Samurai Shodown, carries those elements to PC after the game first appeared on console. If you've waited this long in hopes that Samurai Shodown would add many PC-exclusive extras, you may be disappointed; this is largely the same game that appeared elsewhere. Still, Samurai Shodown's unique, defense-orientated gameplay makes it a fighting game to check out for sword-swinging, blood-letting action. Prep for lengthy load times, though. Samurai Shodown Neo Geo Collection Samurai Shodown Neo Geo Collection (for PC) 4.0 Excellent Samurai Shodown Neo Geo Collection, SNK and Digital Eclipse's follow up to the delightful SNK 40th Anniversary Collection, contains all the SamSho games that appeared on the original Neo Geo, plus production art, SNK staff interviews, and a true surprise—an unreleased title that only briefly saw a location test. Overall, Samurai Shodown Neo Geo Collection is a wonderful piece of playable history, with the only blight against the PC game being its mediocre online components. Skullgirls 2nd Encore Skullgirls 2nd Encore (for PC) 4.5 Excellent Skullgirls 2nd Encore, the update to Reverge Labs's critically acclaimed original game, takes cues from many highly regarded fighting titles and blends it with the series' unique, cartoony, art deco-influenced visual style.However, Skullgirls 2nd Encore's graphics aren't all that separate it from the competition. The indie fighter boasts a Capcom vs. SNK-style ratio system that lets you select up to three characters to battle up to three rival characters, as well as a Marvel vs. Capcom-style assist system. The fighter also has a built-in system that automatically stops infinites, those annoying and abusive combos that never end. SNK vs. Capcom: The Match of the Millennium SNK vs. Capcom: Match of the Millennium (for PC) 4.5 Excellent With Match of the Millennium's rerelease, the secret best fighting game in the SNK vs. Capcom crossover series finds a new audience. Featuring an 18-character default roster (Athena, Chun-Li, Dan, Felicia, Guile, Haohmaru, Iori, Ken, Kyo, Leona, Mai, Morrigan, Nakoruru, Ryo, Ryu, Sakura, Terry, and Zangief), and three deep groove systems that replicate beloved the companies' beloved fighting game engines, SNK vs. Capcom: Match of the Millennium sees two fighting game universes collide in marvelous fashion.That would be more than enough variety, but Match of the Millennium offers additional goodies. It features standard Sparring, Survival, and Time Attack fighting modes. Olympics, however, is the most intriguing mode, as it lets you indulge in several non-fighting game minigames. For example, you can blast Metal Slug's Mars People in a first-person shooting mode or guide Ghost 'N Goblins' Arthur across pits to snatch up treasure. The Versus points that you earn here unlock extra super moves for the default and secret characters. These contests have the depth of early mobile phone games, but they're a nice diversion from the standard fighting game action.Match of the Millennium is a genuinely entertaining and rich fighting game that combines challenge and strategy with a hefty helping of lighthearted humor. SoulCalibur VI SoulCalibur VI (for PC) 4.0 Excellent The weapons-based combat series has seen its ups and downs over the years, but with SoulCalibur VI, developer Bandai Namco has taken what's worked in the past—swift, strategic combat and robust character customization—and paired it with the new Reversal Edge and Soul Charge battle mechanics to create an engaging PC fighting game that'll shine in all sorts of battles, whether they're between buddies or on big esports stages like Evo.Combat is crisp and rewarding, with a universal control scheme that makes it a breeze to pick up a new character. Each fighter has a horizontal attack, vertical attack, kick, block, parry, sidestep, guard-crushing Break Attack, and Critical Edge super attack. This control scheme will feel familiar to anyone who's played recent SoulCalibur titles, and it leads to some tense combat moments as you attack and defend. Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection (for PC) 4.0 Excellent Film aficionados rely on The Criterion Collection to take vital classic and contemporary movies and present them in thoughtful, information-filled packages for modern audiences. Until very recently, the 40-year old video game industry lacked its own Criterion Collection, letting important pop culture contributions slip into oblivion due to incompatible hardware and software formats, expired licenses, and plain neglect. Thankfully, the games preservation experts at Digital Eclipse have taken up the task, blessing gamers with titles that celebrate classic titles via accurate emulation and a bounty of production-related extras and modern touches. The company's first foray into the fighting game genre is Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection.This collection doesn't include Street Fighter: The Movie, the Street Fighter EX titles, or X-Men vs. Street Fighter, but you will find all the core arcade releases. The lineup includes Street Fighter (1987), Street Fighter II (1991), Street Fighter II: Champion Edition (1992), Street Fighter II: Hyper Fighting (1992), Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers (1993) Super Street Fighter II Turbo (1994), Street Fighter Alpha (1995), Street Fighter Alpha 2 (1996), Street Fighter III: New Generation (1997), Street Fighter III: 2nd Impact Giant Attack (1997), Street Fighter Alpha 3 (1998), and Street Fighter III 3rd Strike: Fight For The Future (1999).Even better, you don't just get the games. This collection includes a sprite/animation view, design documents, a historical timeline, and a jukebox. In short, Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection is a love letter to one of the most important video game franchises of all time. Street Fighter V: Champion Edition Street Fighter V: Champion Edition (for PC) 3.5 Good In February 2016, Street Fighter V arrived on PC with many flaws that detracted from the stellar gameplay, including awful server instability, no true single-player mode, and a surprisingly limited multiplayer Battle Lounge. However, over the course of the last few years, developer Capcom released several updates that addressed (most of) those issues while also adding new stages and playable characters.Street Fighter V: Champion Edition, with its fresh and returning characters, new fight systems (like the cool V-Skills and V-Triggers mechanics), interactive stages, Cinematic Story Mode, and cross-platform play with PlayStation 4 owners, finally makes the one-on-one fighting game a title to pick up even for gamers who don't have Evo dreams. Street Fighter V: Champion Edition (for PC) review Street Fighter 6 Street Fighter 6 (for PC) 5.0 Outstanding Following Street Fighter V's lukewarm reception, Capcom had much to prove with Street Fighter 6. Thankfully, the developer not only righted the previous title's wrongs, but exceeded expectations by including nearly everything that fans would want in a contemporary fighting game.The title's powered by the new Drive Gauge, a meter that's full and ready for action at the beginning of each round. With the Drive Gauge, you can unleash the Drive Impact, Drive Parry, Drive Reversal, Drive Rush, and Overdrive moves (read our review for a breakdown of each one). It, along with the Dynamic and Modern control schemes, gives you more combat flexibility than any previous Street Fighter game. The result is one of the best fighters ever crafted, one that enables hype-fueled moments in casual and competitive play. Street Fighter 6 (for PC) review Tekken 7 Tekken 7 (for PC) 4.5 Excellent Tekken 7, like the main-line Tekken games that came before it, is a tale of fathers and sons attempting to murder each other to purge the Mishima clan of the Devil Gene, a magical bit of DNA that transforms certain people into hell spawn.The excellent combat accentuates the narrative ridiculousness. Like its predecessors, Tekken 7 is a fighting game that features simple, limb-mapped controls, massive character move sets, and numerous juggles that let you keep a combo flowing, if you're skilled enough to input the correct move at the right moment. With Tekken 7, the series receives super moves (Rage Arts) and enhanced, special attacks that can blow through an opponent's attack (Power Crush).Tekken 7 is an incredibly tense game of jabs, feints, and sidesteps, because any hit may lead to a long combo sting. Factor in characters with move sets that emulate real martial arts, interactive stages that let you knock people through floors and walls, and terrific slowdown effects that happen when both fighters' health bars are in the red and they perform close-quarter melee attacks, and you have a fighting game that's essentially an interactive martial arts flick. Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (for PC) 3.5 Good Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 pits Marvel's superheroes against Capcom's video game characters in a frantic 3-vs.-3, tag team brawl. The 48-character headcount is impressive, but it's the individual characters and visual aesthetic that truly make the game shine (unlike its Infinite sequel).Marvel's side has several popular and obscure characters, including Captain America, Iron Man, Iron Fist, and She-Hulk, and Spider-Man. Capcom's side mainly comprises characters from the company's fighting and action games, including Final Fight's Mike Haggar and Street Fighter's Ryu. The comic book-style graphics, with their bright colors and heavy black lines, gives Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 an eye-popping look.In terms of gameplay, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 builds upon its Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds predecessor by including a three-button control scheme, the momentum-changing X-Factor mechanic, and retooled aerial combat. Ultra Street Fighter IV Ultra Street Fighter IV (for PC) 4.5 Excellent Ultra Street Fighter IV marks Capcom's fourth version of Street Fighter IV and the third version available on the Steam platform. Like vanilla Street Fighter IV and Super Street Fighter IV, Ultra's combat is centered on Focus Attacks, a move that lets your character tank a blow and unleash a counterattack.This final iteration adds five new characters (Decapre, Elena, Hugo, Poison, and Rolento), six new stages, a YouTube upload option, Edition Select (which lets you pick different versions of characters, based on their past Street Fighter IV iterations), and Double Ultra (which makes a character's Ultra Combos available simultaneously, in exchange for reduced damage).It's Street Fighter IV's best and meatiest update, though some balance issues prove a bit irritating in play. Still, Ultra Street Fighter IV is an excellent, competitive one-on-one fighting game.

The US House of Representatives just narrowly passed a budget bill, which has been referred to by President Trump and others as "one big, beautiful bill." Hidden amongst the cuts to health care, debt add-ons and tax breaks for the rich is a ten-year ban of state AI laws. You read that right. States would be banned by the federal government from enforcing laws that regulate AI for the next decade.The vote fell largely along party lines, with nearly every Republican member of the House approving the bill. This marks one of the most significant federal actions on technology policy in decades and it was buried in a budget bill that has nothing to do with AI.This isn't law just yet. The budget bill has to pass through the Senate and it could have a difficult road. It's expected that Democratic lawmakers will challenge the AI regulation ban under what's called the Byrd Rule, which prohibits "extraneous" provisions to the federal budget during the reconciliation process.To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so.Even some Senate Republicans seem wary of the ban. Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee expressed concern that it would override state legislation that protects artists from deepfakes in her state. Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri has also pushed back on the idea on the grounds that it could "tamp down on people's efforts to address" issues posed by AI.ADVERTISEMENTAdvertisementSupporters of the ban argue that it would stop a potentially confusing patchwork of differing state AI laws until Congress can craft its own federal legislation. This is pretty odd coming from the "states' rights" crowd, but whatever.Opponents, like many Democratic lawmakers and advocacy organizations like the Electronic Frontier Foundation, call it a dangerous giveaway to big tech firms, as these companies stand to benefit the most from a completely unregulated market. They also say it poses a serious danger to Americans, as it would leave the citizenry unprotected from any associated risk. Current state laws address issues including deepfakes and discrimination in automated hiring.“Make no mistake, the families who have come to this committee and begged for us to act won't benefit from this proposal,” said Democratic Rep. Lori Trahan during a subcommittee hearing on the matter. “But you know who will? The big tech CEOs who are sitting behind Donald Trump at his inauguration."To view this content, you'll need to update your privacy settings. Please click here and view the "Content and social-media partners" setting to do so.The budget bill, as passed by the House, also includes cuts to Medicaid totaling an estimated $625 billion and cuts to SNAP, otherwise called food stamps, totaling $300 billion. It could also force $500 billion in cuts to Medicare, which serves senior citizens, as a byproduct of adding nearly $4 trillion to the national deficit. It also ends the EV tax credit. All of this pays for an extension and expansion of previous tax cuts that disproportionately favor high-income earners.If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission.

Who gets hired as an NBA coach? How long does a typical coach last? And does their coaching background play any part in predicting success? This analysis was inspired by several key theories. First, there has been a common criticism among casual NBA fans that teams overly prefer hiring candidates with previous NBA head coaches experience. Consequently, this analysis aims to answer two related questions. First, is it true that NBA teams frequently re-hire candidates with previous head coaching experience? And second, is there any evidence that these candidates under-perform relative to other candidates? The second theory is that internal candidates (though infrequently hired) are often more successful than external candidates. This theory was derived from a pair of anecdotes. Two of the most successful coaches in NBA history, Gregg Popovich of San Antonio and Erik Spoelstra of Miami, were both internal hires. However, rigorous quantitative evidence is needed to test if this relationship holds over a larger sample. This analysis aims to explore these questions, and provide the code to reproduce the analysis in Python. The Data The code (contained in a Jupyter notebook) and dataset for this project are available on Github here. The analysis was performed using Python in Google Colaboratory.  A prerequisite to this analysis was determining a way to measure coaching success quantitatively. I decided on a simple idea: the success of a coach would be best measured by the length of their tenure in that job. Tenure best represents the differing expectations that might be placed on a coach. A coach hired to a contending team would be expected to win games and generate deep playoff runs. A coach hired to a rebuilding team might be judged on the development of younger players and their ability to build a strong culture. If a coach meets expectations (whatever those may be), the team will keep them around. Since there was no existing dataset with all of the required data, I collected the data myself from Wikipedia. I recorded every off-season coaching change from 1990 through 2021. Since the primary outcome variable is tenure, in-season coaching changes were excluded since these coaches often carried an “interim” tag—meaning they were intended to be temporary until a permanent replacement could be found. In addition, the following variables were collected: VariableDefinitionTeamThe NBA team the coach was hired forYearThe year the coach was hiredCoachThe name of the coachInternal?An indicator if the coach was internal or not—meaning they worked for the organization in some capacity immediately prior to being hired as head coachTypeThe background of the coach. Categories are Previous HC (prior NBA head coaching experience), Previous AC (prior NBA assistant coaching experience, but no head coaching experience), College (head coach of a college team), Player (a former NBA player with no coaching experience), Management (someone with front office experience but no coaching experience), and Foreign (someone coaching outside of North America with no NBA coaching experience).YearsThe number of years a coach was employed in the role. For coaches fired mid-season, the value was counted as 0.5. First, the dataset is imported from its location in Google Drive. I also convert ‘Internal?’ into a dummy variable, replacing “Yes” with 1 and “No” with 0. from google.colab import drive drive.mount('/content/drive') import pandas as pd pd.set_option('display.max_columns', None) #Bring in the dataset coach = pd.read_csv('/content/drive/MyDrive/Python_Files/Coaches.csv', on_bad_lines = 'skip').iloc[:,0:6] coach['Internal'] = coach['Internal?'].map(dict(Yes=1, No=0)) coach This prints a preview of what the dataset looks like: In total, the dataset contains 221 coaching hires over this time.  Descriptive Statistics First, basic summary Statistics are calculated and visualized to determine the backgrounds of NBA head coaches. #Create chart of coaching background import matplotlib.pyplot as plt #Count number of coaches per category counts = coach['Type'].value_counts() #Create chart plt.bar(counts.index, counts.values, color = 'blue', edgecolor = 'black') plt.title('Where Do NBA Coaches Come From?') plt.figtext(0.76, -0.1, "Made by Brayden Gerrard", ha="center") plt.xticks(rotation = 45) plt.ylabel('Number of Coaches') plt.gca().spines['top'].set_visible(False) plt.gca().spines['right'].set_visible(False) for i, value in enumerate(counts.values): plt.text(i, value + 1, str(round((value/sum(counts.values))*100,1)) + '%' + ' (' + str(value) + ')', ha='center', fontsize=9) plt.savefig('coachtype.png', bbox_inches = 'tight') print(str(round(((coach['Internal'] == 1).sum()/len(coach))*100,1)) + " percent of coaches are internal.") Over half of coaching hires previously served as an NBA head coach, and nearly 90% had NBA coaching experience of some kind. This answers the first question posed—NBA teams show a strong preference for experienced head coaches. If you get hired once as an NBA coach, your odds of being hired again are much higher. Additionally, 13.6% of hires are internal, confirming that teams do not frequently hire from their own ranks. Second, I will explore the typical tenure of an NBA head coach. This can be visualized using a histogram. #Create histogram plt.hist(coach['Years'], bins =12, edgecolor = 'black', color = 'blue') plt.title('Distribution of Coaching Tenure') plt.figtext(0.76, 0, "Made by Brayden Gerrard", ha="center") plt.annotate('Erik Spoelstra (MIA)', xy=(16.4, 2), xytext=(14 + 1, 15), arrowprops=dict(facecolor='black', shrink=0.1), fontsize=9, color='black') plt.gca().spines['top'].set_visible(False) plt.gca().spines['right'].set_visible(False) plt.savefig('tenurehist.png', bbox_inches = 'tight') plt.show() coach.sort_values('Years', ascending = False) #Calculate some stats with the data import numpy as np print(str(np.median(coach['Years'])) + " years is the median coaching tenure length.") print(str(round(((coach['Years'] <= 5).sum()/len(coach))*100,1)) + " percent of coaches last five years or less.") print(str(round((coach['Years'] <= 1).sum()/len(coach)*100,1)) + " percent of coaches last a year or less.") Using tenure as an indicator of success, the the data clearly shows that the large majority of coaches are unsuccessful. The median tenure is just 2.5 seasons. 18.1% of coaches last a single season or less, and barely 10% of coaches last more than 5 seasons. This can also be viewed as a survival analysis plot to see the drop-off at various points in time: #Survival analysis import matplotlib.ticker as mtick lst = np.arange(0,18,0.5) surv = pd.DataFrame(lst, columns = ['Period']) surv['Number'] = np.nan for i in range(0,len(surv)): surv.iloc[i,1] = (coach['Years'] >= surv.iloc[i,0]).sum()/len(coach) plt.step(surv['Period'],surv['Number']) plt.title('NBA Coach Survival Rate') plt.xlabel('Coaching Tenure (Years)') plt.figtext(0.76, -0.05, "Made by Brayden Gerrard", ha="center") plt.gca().yaxis.set_major_formatter(mtick.PercentFormatter(1)) plt.gca().spines['top'].set_visible(False) plt.gca().spines['right'].set_visible(False) plt.savefig('coachsurvival.png', bbox_inches = 'tight') plt.show Lastly, a box plot can be generated to see if there are any obvious differences in tenure based on coaching type. Boxplots also display outliers for each group. #Create a boxplot import seaborn as sns sns.boxplot(data=coach, x='Type', y='Years') plt.title('Coaching Tenure by Coach Type') plt.gca().spines['top'].set_visible(False) plt.gca().spines['right'].set_visible(False) plt.xlabel('') plt.xticks(rotation = 30, ha = 'right') plt.figtext(0.76, -0.1, "Made by Brayden Gerrard", ha="center") plt.savefig('coachtypeboxplot.png', bbox_inches = 'tight') plt.show There are some differences between the groups. Aside from management hires (which have a sample of just six), previous head coaches have the longest average tenure at 3.3 years. However, since many of the groups have small sample sizes, we need to use more advanced techniques to test if the differences are statistically significant. Statistical Analysis First, to test if either Type or Internal has a statistically significant difference among the group means, we can use ANOVA: #ANOVA import statsmodels.api as sm from statsmodels.formula.api import ols am = ols('Years ~ C(Type) + C(Internal)', data=coach).fit() anova_table = sm.stats.anova_lm(am, typ=2) print(anova_table) The results show high p-values and low F-stats—indicating no evidence of statistically significant difference in means. Thus, the initial conclusion is that there is no evidence NBA teams are under-valuing internal candidates or over-valuing previous head coaching experience as initially hypothesized.  However, there is a possible distortion when comparing group averages. NBA coaches are signed to contracts that typically run between three and five years. Teams typically have to pay out the remainder of the contract even if coaches are dismissed early for poor performance. A coach that lasts two years may be no worse than one that lasts three or four years—the difference could simply be attributable to the length and terms of the initial contract, which is in turn impacted by the desirability of the coach in the job market. Since coaches with prior experience are highly coveted, they may use that leverage to negotiate longer contracts and/or higher salaries, both of which could deter teams from terminating their employment too early. To account for this possibility, the outcome can be treated as binary rather than continuous. If a coach lasted more than 5 seasons, it is highly likely they completed at least their initial contract term and the team chose to extend or re-sign them. These coaches will be treated as successes, with those having a tenure of five years or less categorized as unsuccessful. To run this analysis, all coaching hires from 2020 and 2021 must be excluded, since they have not yet been able to eclipse 5 seasons. With a binary dependent variable, a logistic regression can be used to test if any of the variables predict coaching success. Internal and Type are both converted to dummy variables. Since previous head coaches represent the most common coaching hires, I set this as the “reference” category against which the others will be measured against. Additionally, the dataset contains just one foreign-hired coach (David Blatt) so this observation is dropped from the analysis. #Logistic regression coach3 = coach[coach['Year']<2020] coach3.loc[:, 'Success'] = np.where(coach3['Years'] > 5, 1, 0) coach_type_dummies = pd.get_dummies(coach3['Type'], prefix = 'Type').astype(int) coach_type_dummies.drop(columns=['Type_Previous HC'], inplace=True) coach3 = pd.concat([coach3, coach_type_dummies], axis = 1) #Drop foreign category / David Blatt since n = 1 coach3 = coach3.drop(columns=['Type_Foreign']) coach3 = coach3.loc[coach3['Coach'] != "David Blatt"] print(coach3['Success'].value_counts()) x = coach3[['Internal','Type_Management','Type_Player','Type_Previous AC', 'Type_College']] x = sm.add_constant(x) y = coach3['Success'] logm = sm.Logit(y,x) logm.r = logm.fit(maxiter=1000) print(logm.r.summary()) #Convert coefficients to odds ratio print(str(np.exp(-1.4715)) + "is the odds ratio for internal.") #Internal coefficient print(np.exp(1.0025)) #Management print(np.exp(-39.6956)) #Player print(np.exp(-0.3626)) #Previous AC print(np.exp(-0.6901)) #College Consistent with ANOVA results, none of the variables are statistically significant under any conventional threshold. However, closer examination of the coefficients tells an interesting story. The beta coefficients represent the change in the log-odds of the outcome. Since this is unintuitive to interpret, the coefficients can be converted to an Odds Ratio as follows: Internal has an odds ratio of 0.23—indicating that internal candidates are 77% less likely to be successful compared to external candidates. Management has an odds ratio of 2.725, indicating these candidates are 172.5% more likely to be successful. The odds ratios for players is effectively zero, 0.696 for previous assistant coaches, and 0.5 for college coaches. Since three out of four coaching type dummy variables have an odds ratio under one, this indicates that only management hires were more likely to be successful than previous head coaches. From a practical standpoint, these are large effect sizes. So why are the variables statistically insignificant? The cause is a limited sample size of successful coaches. Out of 202 coaches remaining in the sample, just 23 (11.4%) were successful. Regardless of the coach’s background, odds are low they last more than a few seasons. If we look at the one category able to outperform previous head coaches (management hires) specifically: # Filter to management manage = coach3[coach3['Type_Management'] == 1] print(manage['Success'].value_counts()) print(manage) The filtered dataset contains just 6 hires—of which just one (Steve Kerr with Golden State) is classified as a success. In other words, the entire effect was driven by a single successful observation. Thus, it would take a considerably larger sample size to be confident if differences exist. With a p-value of 0.202, the Internal variable comes the closest to statistical significance (though it still falls well short of a typical alpha of 0.05). Notably, however, the direction of the effect is actually the opposite of what was hypothesized—internal hires are less likely to be successful than external hires. Out of 26 internal hires, just one (Erik Spoelstra of Miami) met the criteria for success. Conclusion In conclusion, this analysis was able to draw several key conclusions: Regardless of background, being an NBA coach is typically a short-lived job. It’s rare for a coach to last more than a few seasons. The common wisdom that NBA teams strongly prefer to hire previous head coaches holds true. More than half of hires already had NBA head coaching experience. If teams don’t hire an experienced head coach, they’re likely to hire an NBA assistant coach. Hires outside of these two categories are especially uncommon. Though they are frequently hired, there is no evidence to suggest NBA teams overly prioritize previous head coaches. To the contrary, previous head coaches stay in the job longer on average and are more likely to outlast their initial contract term—though neither of these differences are statistically significant. Despite high-profile anecdotes, there is no evidence to suggest that internal hires are more successful than external hires either. Note: All images were created by the author unless otherwise credited. The post What Statistics Can Tell Us About NBA Coaches appeared first on Towards Data Science.

As the second largest retail event in the U.S. after the holiday season, back-to-school shopping represents a crucial opportunity for brand advertising. And this year, the path to reaching parents clearly leads to one place: their mobile devices.Between March and April 2025, Unity surveyed 1,234 parents in the U.S. with children under 18 through Qualtrics to uncover how they're using mobile apps and games during this critical shopping season*. Our research uncovers specific insights into their shopping behaviors, ad engagement patterns, and preferred retail channels that can help marketers create more effective mobile strategies. Let's take a closer look at the key data and takeaways from our survey.Mobile meets back-to-schoolParents are embracing mobile as a primary path to purchase, with the majority using apps to research and buy back-to-school items.68% of parents use mobile apps for back-to-school shopping48% download new apps specifically for the back-to-school shopping seasonDads are more app-curious with 55% downloading new apps vs. 44% of moms46% complete purchases directly through mobile appsNot only are parents using apps for shopping, generally, they are logging serious screen time:22% spend 1–2 hours/day33% spend 3–4 hours/day on their phones35% spend 5+ hours on their phones58% of parents say they’re likely or very likely to engage with rewarded ads offering back-to-school savingsDads (59.6%) are slightly more responsive than moms (58.4%)Only 11.9% of parents are unlikely or very unlikely to engageMost parents are deal-driven, with coupons and limited-time offers leading their purchase decisions:Coupons/deals: 32% overall (35% of moms, 28% of dads)Limited-time offers: 14% of parents overall, with dads more responsive (17.4%)Cost and variety matter while proximity, bundles/packages and customer service ranked lowestRecommendation: Prioritize in-app advertising with deal-focused creatives, combined with rewarded ad formats that highlight limited-time urgency.School’s in (early) sessionWhen looking at timelines – our survey data indicates that parents are early planners, with the majority of shopping activity kicking off in June (or earlier!), with dads being more likely to get an early jump on back-to-school shopping.Nearly 1 in 5 parents (21%) are early planners, starting their shopping before June.Dads are more likely to start early — 29% shop before June vs. 16% of moms.Nearly half of parents (46%) kick off shopping in June or July, with July alone driving the biggest surge (29.6%)—the peak of back-to-school season.24.8% wait until August, likely driven by last-minute needs or school start dates.Recommendation: Consider launching your awareness campaigns in mid-late Q2 to engage early planners while they’re still in research mode.Spend-ready parentsParents that we surveyed indicated they are ready to spend when it comes to back-to-school shopping, with moms being the primary purchasers. Advertising also plays a large role, with the majority of parents citing it as influential in the purchase-making process.42% of parents plan to spend over $150 on back-to-school clothing alone.Another 20% plan to spend between $100–$150, showing that back-to-school is a high-intent, high-investment moment for many families.63% say advertising somewhat or significantly influences their back-to-school purchase decisions.Moms drive the majority of back to school purchases, with 86% identifying as the primary household shopper.Recommendation: Target mobile ad placements that reach moms - who likely drive the majority of purchase decisions - especially through mobile gaming where women outpace men (73% vs. 65%). With 63% of parents somewhat or significantly influenced by advertising and most planning substantial budgets, mobile campaigns during this high-intent period can help you reach your target audience.What’s in their cartParents that we surveyed indicated they have distinct preferences when it comes to both what they're buying and where they're shopping for back-to-school items, with notable differences in shopping behavior between moms and dads.Classroom supplies (33%), clothing (24%), arts and crafts supplies (9%) and electronics (8%) top the shopping listParents surveyed shop, or would consider shopping, at familiar favorites for back-to-school supplies:Walmart (39%)Amazon (17%)Target (12%)Staples (8%)Retailers vary by parent: While both moms and dads shop at mass retailers, dads are more likely to favor tech and office supply stores than moms.Dads were 2x more likely to shop at Staples (12%) vs. moms (6%)Dads were 2.4x more likely to shop at Office Depot (12%) vs. moms (5%)Dads were 3.3x more likely to shop at Best Buy (10%) vs. moms (3%)Moms were 1.6x more likely to shop at Walmart (46%) vs. dads (28%)Recommendation: Align your messaging with top retail destinations and tailor creative and app lists by parent type.Turn these back-to-school insights into conversions: Launch awareness campaigns by mid-Q2 to capture early planners, meet parents where they spend significant time—in mobile apps and games—and craft messaging that emphasizes urgency and deals. By implementing these data-driven strategies, your brand can earn an A+ this back-to-school season while increasing your advertising ROI potential.Learn more about Unity’s Programmatic solutions.*Disclaimer: Findings are based on survey responses from groups of differing sizes (755 mothers, 441 fathers, 38 not specified). While each group was large enough to identify directional patterns, differences in sample size may affect comparability.Qualtrics. "Survey Data Collected Using Qualtrics Software." Qualtrics, March-April 2025, https://www.qualtrics.com.