432 Park Avenue | © Halkin Mason Photography, Courtesy of Rafael Viñoly Architects Located in Midtown Manhattan, 432 Park Avenue is a prominent figure in the evolution of supertall residential towers. Completed in 2015, this 1,396-foot-high building by Rafael Viñoly Architects asserts a commanding presence over the city’s skyline. Its minimalist form and rigorous geometry have sparked considerable debate within the architectural community, marking it as a significant and controversial addition to New York City’s built environment. 432 Park Avenue Technical Information Architects1-8: Rafael Viñoly Architects Location: Midtown Manhattan, New York City, USA Gross Area: 38,344 m2 | 412,637 Sq. Ft. Project Years: 2011 – 2015 Photographs: © Halkin Mason Photography, Courtesy of Rafael Viñoly Architects It’s a building designed for the enjoyment of its occupants, not for the delight of its creator. – Rafael Viñoly 432 Park Avenue Photographs © Halkin Mason Photography, Courtesy of Rafael Viñoly Architects Courtesy of Rafael Viñoly Architects Courtesy of Rafael Viñoly Architects Courtesy of Rafael Viñoly Architects Courtesy of Rafael Viñoly Architects Design Intent and Conceptual Framework At the heart of 432 Park Avenue’s design lies a commitment to pure geometry. The square, an elemental form, defines every aspect of the building, from its floor plate to its overall silhouette. This strict adherence to geometry speaks to Viñoly’s rationalist sensibilities and interest in stripping architecture to its fundamental components. The tower’s proportions, with its height-to-width ratio of roughly 1:15, transform this simple geometry into a monumental presence. This conceptual rigor positions the building as an object of formal clarity and a deliberate statement within the city’s varied skyline. The design’s minimalism extends beyond the building’s shape, reflecting Viñoly’s pursuit of a refined and disciplined expression. Eschewing decorative flourishes, the tower’s form directly responds to programmatic needs and structural imperatives. This disciplined approach underpins the project’s ambition to redefine the experience of vertical living, asserting that luxury in residential design can emerge from formal simplicity and a mastery of proportion. Spatial Organization and Interior Volumes The interior organization of 432 Park Avenue reveals an equally uncompromising commitment to clarity and openness. Each residential floor is free of interior columns, a testament to the structural ingenuity of the concrete exoskeleton. This column-free arrangement grants unobstructed floor plans and expansive panoramic views of the city, the rivers, and beyond. Floor-to-ceiling windows, measuring nearly 10 feet in height, accentuate the sense of openness and lightness within each residence. The tower’s slender core houses the vertical circulation and mechanical systems, ensuring the perimeter remains uninterrupted. This core placement allows for generous living spaces that maximize privacy and connection to the urban landscape. The interplay between structural precision and panoramic transparency shapes the experience of inhabiting these spaces. The result is a sequence of interiors that privilege intimacy and vastness, anchoring domestic life within an architectural expression of purity. Materiality, Structural Clarity, and Detailing Material choices in 432 Park Avenue reinforce the project’s disciplined approach. The building’s exposed concrete frame, treated as structure and façade, lends the tower a stark yet refined character. The grid of square windows, systematically repeated across the height of the building, becomes a defining feature of its visual identity. This modular repetition establishes a rhythmic order and speaks to the building’s underlying structural logic. High-strength concrete enables the tower’s slender profile and exceptional height while imparting a tactile materiality that resists the glassy anonymity typical of many contemporary towers. The restrained palette and attention to detail emphasize the tectonic clarity of the building’s assembly. By treating the structure itself as an architectural finish, Viñoly’s design elevates the material expression of concrete into a fundamental element of the building’s identity. Urban and Cultural Significance As one of the tallest residential buildings in the Western Hemisphere, 432 Park Avenue has significantly altered the Manhattan skyline. Its unwavering verticality and minimal ornamentation create a dialogue with the city’s diverse architectural heritage, juxtaposing a severe abstraction against a backdrop of historic and contemporary towers. 432 Park Avenue occupies a distinctive place in the ongoing narrative of New York City’s architectural evolution. Its reductive form, structural clarity, and spatial generosity offer a compelling study of the power of minimalism at an urban scale. 432 Park Avenue Plans Floor Plans | © Rafael Viñoly Architects Floor Plans | © Rafael Viñoly Architects Floor Plans | © Rafael Viñoly Architects Floor Plans | © Rafael Viñoly Architects 432 Park Avenue Image Gallery © Rafael Viñoly Architects About Rafael Viñoly Architects Rafael Viñoly, a Uruguayan-born architect (1944–2023), founded Rafael Viñoly Architects in New York City in 1983. After studies in Buenos Aires and early practice in Argentina, he relocated to the U.S.. He established a global firm with offices in cities including London, Palo Alto, and Abu Dhabi. Renowned for large-scale, function-driven projects such as the Tokyo International Forum, Cleveland Museum of Art expansions, and 432 Park Avenue, the firm is praised for combining structural clarity, context-sensitive design, and institutional rigor across six continents. Credits and Additional Notes Client: Macklowe Properties and CIM Group Design Team: Rafael Viñoly (Architect), Deborah Berke Partners (Interior Design of residential units), Bentel & Bentel (Amenity Spaces Design) Structural Engineer: WSP Cantor Seinuk Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing Engineers: Jaros, Baum & Bolles (JB&B) Construction Manager: Lendlease Height: 1,396 feet (425.5 meters) Number of Floors: 96 stories Construction Years: 2011–2015

Insights Learning to Lead in the Digital Age: The AI Readiness Reflection As the race to integrate generative AI accelerates, organizations face a dual challenge: fostering tech-savviness across teams while developing next-generation leadership competencies. These are critical to ensuring that “everyone” in the organization is prepared for continuous adaptation and change. This AI Readiness Reflection is designed to help you assess where your leaders stand today and identify the optimal path to build the digital knowledge, mindset, skills, and leadership capabilities required to thrive in the future. Take the assessment now to discover how your current practices align with AI maturity—and gain actionable insights tailored to your organization’s readiness level. To download the full report, tell us a bit about yourself. 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To opt-out, please visit our Privacy Policy. Digital Intelligence Share this resource Share on LinkedIn Share on Facebook Share on X Share on WhatsApp Email this Page Connect with us Change isn’t easy, but we can help. Together we’ll create informed and inspired leaders ready to shape the future of your business. Contact us Latest Insights Strategic Alignment Harvard Business Publishing Unveils Harvard Business Impact as New Brand for Corporate Learning and Education Units Harvard Business Publishing announced the launch of Harvard Business Impact, a new brand identity for… Read more: Harvard Business Publishing Unveils Harvard Business Impact as New Brand for Corporate Learning and Education Units News Digital Intelligence Succeeding in the Digital Age: Why AI-First Leadership Is Essential While AI makes powerful operational efficiencies possible, it cannot yet replace the creativity, adaptability, and… Read more: Succeeding in the Digital Age: Why AI-First Leadership Is Essential Perspectives Digital Intelligence 4 Keys to AI-First Leadership: The New Imperative for Digital Transformation AI has become a defining force in reshaping industries and determining competitive advantage. 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Insights Leadership Fitness Behavioral Assessment In our study, “Leadership Fitness: Developing the Capacity to See and Lead Differently Amid Complexity,” we identified four dimensions of leadership fitness that reframe how leaders see their environment as well as how they can lead differently through it. To help you evaluate your organization’s leadership maturity, we’ve created a tool to measure your leaders’ leadership fitness. Download the assessment today to uncover your score, and if desired, connect with one of our experts for personalized insights based on your results. To download the full report, tell us a bit about yourself. First Name * Last Name * Job Title * Organization * Business Email * Country * — Please Select — United States United Kingdom Afghanistan Aland Islands Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia Comoros Congo Congo, The Democratic Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica Cote d’Ivoire Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Heard Island and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea, Democratic People’s Republic Korea, Republic of Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao People’s Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macao Macedonia The Former Yugoslav Republic Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands Netherlands Antilles New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestinian Territory,Occupied Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Reunion Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Saint Helena Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia & Sandwich Islands Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Svalbard and Jan Mayen Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United States Minor Outlying Islands Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Viet Nam Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, U.S. Wallis and Futuna Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe I’m interested in a follow-up discussion By checking this box, you agree to receive emails and communications from Harvard Business Impact. To opt-out, please visit our Privacy Policy. Talent Management Share this resource Share on LinkedIn Share on Facebook Share on X Share on WhatsApp Email this Page Connect with us Change isn’t easy, but we can help. Together we’ll create informed and inspired leaders ready to shape the future of your business. Contact us Latest Insights Strategic Alignment Harvard Business Publishing Unveils Harvard Business Impact as New Brand for Corporate Learning and Education Units Harvard Business Publishing announced the launch of Harvard Business Impact, a new brand identity for… Read more: Harvard Business Publishing Unveils Harvard Business Impact as New Brand for Corporate Learning and Education Units News Digital Intelligence Succeeding in the Digital Age: Why AI-First Leadership Is Essential While AI makes powerful operational efficiencies possible, it cannot yet replace the creativity, adaptability, and… Read more: Succeeding in the Digital Age: Why AI-First Leadership Is Essential Perspectives Digital Intelligence 4 Keys to AI-First Leadership: The New Imperative for Digital Transformation AI has become a defining force in reshaping industries and determining competitive advantage. To support… Read more: 4 Keys to AI-First Leadership: The New Imperative for Digital Transformation Infographic Talent Management Leadership Fitness Behavioral Assessment In our study, “Leadership Fitness: Developing the Capacity to See and Lead Differently Amid Complexity,”… Read more: Leadership Fitness Behavioral Assessment Job Aid The post Leadership Fitness Behavioral Assessment appeared first on Harvard Business Impact.

In my last Fast Company column, I shared my reasons for manufacturing my electric trucks in the U.S. I’m not alone. While near-shoring to North America has been underway for several years, the current tariff shifts and shipping complexities make U.S. manufacturing a higher priority still. However, there were 292,825 factories in the U.S. as of 2021. Of those, 846 employ 1,000 people or more. Some of these are my engineering firm’s clients, giving us a front row seat to the complexity of retrofitting an existing factory to full U.S. manufacturing. While building a new factory is expensive and lengthy, these companies’ tasks are more difficult still. There are good reasons for making the shift as quickly as possible. Moving to most or fully U.S. manufacturing brings higher visibility, faster response time, and higher resilience to supply chain disruption, as well as greater protection from tariff shifts and geopolitical change. But if you’re early in the process, here’s my advice for your transition: Determine a priority ranking for the refining and raw materials you shift to in-country and North American sourcing. Give highest ranking to categories including defense, high value items (such as steel, aluminum, and rare minerals, etc.), and consumer safety items (such as pharmaceutical components, etc.). Be more strategic in the offshore suppliers you continue using for non-advanced manufacturing by prioritizing closer and more geographic-friendly locations for production and shipment such as Mexico and Argentina. Utilize government-backed capital, where possible, for extracting/mining minerals and metals such as lithium, red mud, magnesium, etc. Beyond the high-ranking product categories, move to domestic suppliers for primary materials such as steel, aluminum, cement, and plastics. Likewise, reduce offshoring of technical staff as well as raw materials, where possible. Use all means possible to become power independent through solar production, micro-grids, and nuclear power production. Consider creating a 4-year completion bonus for military vets. Hire vets wherever possible, as they make great workers and entrepreneurs. Likewise, we can press for future policy changes that best support Made in America manufacturing, as follows: Encourage ship building in the U.S., as well as creating new means of automated freight transit. Work towards transformation plans for government-funded R&D to include more attractive loans, rebates, and grants, as well as programs for tax-free status for intellectual property during commercialization, to incent and support organizations making the shift. Consider energy rebates to U.S. manufacturers and distributors to make American manufacturing more cost-effective and viable.   Create policies to include the cost of offshore staff in tariff calculations. Expand trade relationships with Caribbean nations for products such as sugar, avocados, bananas, etc. Avoid or even ban foreign ownership of the food supply chain. Create fair competition for government contracting. Make health supplements and homeopathic medicines tax deductible, to promote a healthy workforce. While it may not be readily evident, these policy changes are related to successful reshoring. In all, we need larger scale, lower costs, and more automated and simplified mechanisms for product manufacturing. These issues, in my experience, are as equally important as the raw materials we require. We need increased support for niche manufacturing. In my opinion, we also need deregulation, and increased access to land (particularly in the west; the federal government owns great quantities of the available land, which is choking available supply). I believe we need better education, self-reliance, health, and incentive structures to get the capital, entrepreneurs, and workers for Made in America manufacturing. Who’s with me? Matthew Chang is the founding partner of Chang Robotics.

Insights Succeeding in the Digital Age: Why AI-First Leadership Is Essential While AI makes powerful operational efficiencies possible, it cannot yet replace the creativity, adaptability, and contextual understanding that humans bring to strategic decision making. Effective AI integration requires leaders who can act as bridges between organizational goals and AI capabilities and then inspire their teams to trust and adopt AI tools to help achieve those goals. To download the full report, tell us a bit about yourself. 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To opt-out, please visit our Privacy Policy. Digital IntelligenceLeadership Development Share this resource Share on LinkedIn Share on Facebook Share on X Share on WhatsApp Email this Page Connect with us Change isn’t easy, but we can help. Together we’ll create informed and inspired leaders ready to shape the future of your business. Contact us Latest Insights Strategic Alignment Harvard Business Publishing Unveils Harvard Business Impact as New Brand for Corporate Learning and Education Units Harvard Business Publishing announced the launch of Harvard Business Impact, a new brand identity for… Read more: Harvard Business Publishing Unveils Harvard Business Impact as New Brand for Corporate Learning and Education Units News Digital Intelligence Succeeding in the Digital Age: Why AI-First Leadership Is Essential While AI makes powerful operational efficiencies possible, it cannot yet replace the creativity, adaptability, and… Read more: Succeeding in the Digital Age: Why AI-First Leadership Is Essential Perspectives Digital Intelligence 4 Keys to AI-First Leadership: The New Imperative for Digital Transformation AI has become a defining force in reshaping industries and determining competitive advantage. To support… Read more: 4 Keys to AI-First Leadership: The New Imperative for Digital Transformation Infographic Talent Management Leadership Fitness Behavioral Assessment In our study, “Leadership Fitness: Developing the Capacity to See and Lead Differently Amid Complexity,”… Read more: Leadership Fitness Behavioral Assessment Job Aid The post Succeeding in the Digital Age: Why AI-First Leadership Is Essential appeared first on Harvard Business Impact.

Xando Member Oct 28, 2017 38,006 With the launch of Call of Duty Season 4, Activision quietly put adverts inside loadouts for Black Ops 6 and Warzone, sparking a backlash in the process. Activision already has a bad reputation for the aggressive monetization of the premium Black Ops 6 and its free-to-play battle royale Warzone, but this latest move may have tipped some players over the edge. Following the launch of Season 4, adverts for weapon bundles can be seen in the build and weapon menus. These are unavoidable for players as they tinker with their loadouts. Elsewhere, Activision has added bundle and Battle Pass advertisements to the Events tab, another controversial change that has caused complaints. Here's a snippet of the response, sourced from across Call of Duty subreddits, Discords, and social media: I wouldn't even be mad if this was just in Warzone, a free game, but putting it in a pay-to-play premium title, with how expensive they're getting? F**k off. This game is still 80€ I get that they make most of their money from the store, but I feel like the bare minimum for a premium product would be to not have ads clogging the menus right? At this point it really feels like opening up a mobile game with how much more you see an option to buy anything in this game. Anyone who wanted this bundle would've checked the store and bought it. Putting it here isn't gonna make more people buy it, its justannoying. Just wait until they add pop up ads for bundles while you are playing the game. Click to expand... Click to shrink... More including some examples here: Activision Quietly Force Adverts into Call of Duty Black Ops 6 and Warzone Loadouts and Players Absolutely Hate It: 'At This Point It Really Feels Like Opening Up a Mobile Game' - IGN With the launch of Call of Duty Season 4, Activision quietly put adverts inside loadouts for Black Ops 6 and Warzone, sparking a backlash in the process. www.ign.com   Gaspode Member Jan 17, 2025 152 gross   MarcosBrXD Member Aug 28, 2024 1,779 Crazy one of the biggest IPs doing this   Wallace Member Oct 25, 2017 28,182 Midwest What a shit franchise.   Shirkelton Member Aug 20, 2020 6,976 Fuck that.   MinerArcaniner Uncle Works at Nintendo Member Oct 29, 2017 7,473 The revenue line has to keep going up. There's no such thing as "enough" with corporations.   Kinthey Avenger Oct 27, 2017 25,551 Poor Cod really needs the money to keep the lights on   skullmuffins Member Oct 25, 2017 7,615 oh, ads for in-game microtransactions. guess i'm not surprised. that's where all the money is these days.   Remark Member Oct 27, 2017 4,184 Yeah the ads are so bad this season. When you boot up the game in CoD HQ, theres a big ass button for Blackcell and BO6 and WZ are all the way on the right side of the menu. It's so annoying. Huge disrespect to the people who actually bought the game. I wish CoD HQ would go away, it doesn't even actually help with anything and actually hampers the UX experience in a lot of ways especially on PC.  Last edited: Today at 10:14 AM LiquidDom Avenger Oct 27, 2017 2,730 Wait it's just ads for the in-game purchases? Not outside ads that have nothing to do with the game? I don't have that much of an issue with it, still shit though.  Richietto One Winged Slayer Member Oct 25, 2017 26,147 North Carolina Lmao what a joke   Loxley Prophet of Truth Member Oct 25, 2017 10,702 We're inching closer and closer to this scene from Ready Player One. "We estimate we can sell up to 80% of an individual's visual field before inducing seizures" View: https://youtu.be/KpPE85Jogjw?si=Di0mlmiF27KidwWs  Fabs Member Aug 22, 2019 2,780 This doesn't seem that different than like Fortnite advertising the shop updates in the main menu. It's fairly harmless.   Noisepurge Corrupted by Vengeance Member Oct 25, 2017 9,775 Fabs said: This doesn't seem that different than like Fortnite advertising the shop updates in the main menu. It's fairly harmless. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Fortnite doesn't cost 80$  OP OP Xando Member Oct 28, 2017 38,006 LiquidDom said: Wait it's just ads for the in-game purchases? Not outside ads that have nothing to do with the game? I don't have that much of an issue with it, still shit though. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Considering half of the in-game purchases are basically ads for some brands or characters that have nothing to do with COD it's basically the same thing   Remark Member Oct 27, 2017 4,184 Noisepurge said: Fortnite doesn't cost 80$ Click to expand... Click to shrink... To be fair, Warzone is F2P but that shit should be in there. Whether you buy the game or not, you have to go through CoD HQ which is so annoying.   Doskoi Panda One Winged Slayer Member Oct 27, 2017 17,314 CoD is so fucking trashy lmao. I will never understand how it remains so popular. It just gets worse year over yesr, even Warzone.   SunBroDave "This guy are sick" Member Oct 25, 2017 15,148 How else is COD supposed to make money   Decarb Member Oct 27, 2017 9,264 Fabs said: This doesn't seem that different than like Fortnite advertising the shop updates in the main menu. It's fairly harmless. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Not only is it in a full priced mode, but its also in the weapon customization menu where you least expect it.   Agni Kai Member Nov 2, 2017 10,037 Only Battlefield 6 can save us now. Hold the line, my friends. Hold the line.   jroc74 Member Oct 27, 2017 34,177 Yeah I dont think it needs to be this aggressive. LiquidDom said: Wait it's just ads for the in-game purchases? Not outside ads that have nothing to do with the game? I don't have that much of an issue with it, still shit though. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Fabs said: This doesn't seem that different than like Fortnite advertising the shop updates in the main menu. It's fairly harmless. Click to expand... Click to shrink... While trying to play the game tho? "Following the launch of Season 4, adverts for weapon bundles can be seen in the build and weapon menus. These are unavoidable for players as they tinker with their loadouts." Imagine getting hit with Shark Card ads while browsing the in game stores in GTA Online....please Rockstar dont do this. Noisepurge said: Fortnite doesn't cost 80$ Click to expand... Click to shrink... Also this.  BradleyLove Member Oct 29, 2017 1,661 Doesn't surprise me. I bought Forza Horizon for PS5 a few days ago and was shocked to encounter unskippable ads for DLC. The American obsession with forcing ads everywhere they can is horrible. This reply was brought to you by NEW Mountain Dew—new look, same bold refreshing flavour.  TransEuropaExpress Member Dec 6, 2017 11,420 US They should go all in and start doing random 5-minute commercial breaks in the middle of rounds.   Pyro God help us the mods are making weekend threads Member Jul 30, 2018 18,922 United States Really fucking gross.   Vourlis Member Aug 14, 2022 5,911 United States I...where are the ads? edit: Oh like advertising the bundles or whatever. Okay.  jroc74 Member Oct 27, 2017 34,177 BradleyLove said: Doesn't surprise me. I bought Forza Horizon for PS5 a few days ago and was shocked to encounter unskippable ads for DLC. The American obsession with forcing ads everywhere they can is horrible. This reply was brought to you by NEW Mountain Dew—new look, same bold refreshing flavour. Click to expand... Click to shrink... I either forgot how it was or just didnt know, because I played it on XSX when it launched. But I was and am shocked at the mtx in FH5.  shadowman16 Member Oct 25, 2017 41,804 I feel like this has already become too normalised because I honestly assumed we were talking about unrelated product ads... Meanwhile the examples above... honestly I kinda expected. Granted the article also points it out perfectly that if it were just in Warzone (free) it'd be... less bad, but charging however much for COD THEN pushing those ads on you... you just know people will crack. Not the worst example of ads in games though, I still give that to SFVI's Turtles costumes, aside the cost, having that damn song playing constantly in the battle hub for month(s) on end drove me nuts at the time.  Papaya The Fallen Oct 25, 2017 2,735 California The financial model for CoD is awful and lacks any sort of creativity. They just copied fortnite even though it doesn't work for a military shooter. They rarely release any good content because it either doesn't match the game's tone, or it sucks. It just doesn't lend itself well to skins, and other visual customization options. Or maybe they just don't know how to make good. Either way, I've never seen a more boring battlepass in my life. CoD can be a super fun action game, but it's never felt more hollow and lifeless. The best counter-example to "games are art" I've ever seen.  BestBrand Member Mar 5, 2025 457 Call of duty is the worst man. I may not even buy another COD again.   MerluzaSamus Member Dec 3, 2018 1,471 Argentina Agni Kai said: Only Battlefield 6 can save us now. Hold the line, my friends. Hold the line. Click to expand... Click to shrink... The game published by EA to gather obscene money on the fps market? That one Battlefield? Jokes aside, 'fraid this is going to be the norm long term, Fortnite normalized it and publishers with less restraint are going wild, same with AI. At least on the AAA market.  Lumination Member Oct 26, 2017 16,064 Who could have expected them giving the game away would have affected the revenue stream and business model of the game itself.   Geeko Member Oct 27, 2017 1,413 San Jose, CA Lame as hell. The problem is that the masses won't care about it and will still spend crap tons of money on this game thus continuing this constant bombardment of ads.   shadowman16 Member Oct 25, 2017 41,804 Agni Kai said: Only Battlefield 6 can save us now. Hold the line, my friends. Hold the line. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Gameplay wise, Hopefully Dice will take the time and make something truly special. However... I wouldnt expect much better from EA of all publishers. They are every bit as summy...  OP OP Xando Member Oct 28, 2017 38,006 My guess is this is only going to get worse as MS tries to make up the lost revenue from people playing via GP instead of buying   SP. Member Oct 27, 2017 8,578 I guess I thought it would be worse than the reaction seems to suggest… They're in-game micro transaction ads and for the most are for weapon skins which naturally don't seem that out of place in a weapon selection menu. It's not like they're advertising a Burger King Whopper in here. Obviously it'd be better if they weren't there at all but honestly if I played the game and saw these I wouldn't think it's anything out of the ordinary.  Ravelle Member Oct 31, 2017 20,432 Noisepurge said: Fortnite doesn't cost 80$ Click to expand... Click to shrink... It doesn't spam you with multiple windows to buy something either  Rosebud Two Pieces Member Apr 16, 2018 51,386 Wallace said: What a shit franchise. Click to expand... Click to shrink... .   Kyokanto Member Mar 4, 2025 493 For a second I thought this was going to be McDonald's ads or something lol. I wonder how far off that is… Still scummy as is.  Pop-O-Matic Avenger Oct 25, 2017 14,007 MarcosBrXD said: Crazy one of the biggest IPs doing this Click to expand... Click to shrink... Not really. CoD might move more money than most of the rest of the industry put together, but capitalism (especially at publicly traded mega corps like MS and ActiBlizz before them) demands that the line must always be going up, and there isn't really much CoD can do to grow the player base in any significant way in the short-to-medium term, so they're going to start trying out shit like this to get even more money out of the existing players so the line goes up and the shareholders can be happy.   Fabs Member Aug 22, 2019 2,780 Noisepurge said: Fortnite doesn't cost 80$ Click to expand... Click to shrink... Decarb said: Not only is it in a full priced mode, but its also in the weapon customization menu where you least expect it. Click to expand... Click to shrink... jroc74 said: Yeah I dont think it needs to be this aggressive. While trying to play the game tho? "Following the launch of Season 4, adverts for weapon bundles can be seen in the build and weapon menus. These are unavoidable for players as they tinker with their loadouts." Imagine getting hit with Shark Card ads while browsing the in game stores in GTA Online....please Rockstar dont do this. Also this. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Full priced games advertise their dlc in menus all the time. Is it because it's in a new place? Is this that different than having the paid operators in the menu for selection like they have in past CoD? Or when I play Street Fighter and I can't pick Akuma because he costs money? I get it if it was for McDonalds but this seems like rage bait.  Plexas Member Jan 24, 2025 289 Several trillion dollar company needs some money to survive, please understand.   Twister Member Feb 11, 2019 6,692 This franchise peaked with BO3. Everything after has been a disaster   Vertigo1 Member Jun 30, 2023 1,093 CoD will never be as good as it was in the 360 era, ever again.   Sordid Plebeian Member Oct 26, 2017 19,955 Yeah I remember seeing that AI store slop when I booted up S4, and they wonder why they're driving players away   Tommy Showbiz Member Jul 20, 2022 3,727 This is pretty corny, but I was honestly expecting ads for like Dr. Squatch and not just prodding you to buy in-game bundles.   Apathy Member Oct 25, 2017 13,538 So the biggest game, created by the biggest publisher, paced by the riches company in the world needs to slide ads into their paid games. Lovely   DarkJ Member Nov 11, 2017 1,918 Ai slop? Ads in the menus? In a fully priced game? Really just making sure I don't even look at the next game.  T88heon Member Aug 26, 2024 1,042 This is a profitability issue coupled with horrendous stewardship of the ip. If the retail side was profitable would they need to stealthily run ads in "COD" of all ip? 😬  DSync Member Oct 27, 2017 884 Black Ops 6 in 2025 after the most recent update for Season 4 > £70 for the base game > £100 for the "Vault Editon" > £50/60 for a year of PS Plus to play the game online > £10 for the Battlepass > £15 for the Battlepass plus tier skips > £25 for the "Blackcell" Battlepass > Free and Premium (Costs money) Battlepasses for the Seth Rogan Operator Weed event > £16-25 Weapon and Operator bundles > AI art in the emblems, calling cards, posters in certain levels > Ads for bundles in creating a Loadout > Server instability issues > Whole game crashes to desktop/homescreen when editing your loadout during a match > UI Menu lagging > Cheaters, hackers run rampant > Store will 100% work no matter what (Prices for everything may not be exact)  Pai Pai Master Member Oct 25, 2017 37,298 Atlanta GA AI crap and ads, yet people will still buy this shit in record numbers every year  

MegaSackman Member Oct 27, 2017 20,786 Argentina I've noticed many streams where all the lumina and overall builds went towards three members, or even just one and the rest were support. I've personally kept everything at the same lvl at all times, same lumina distribuition, same effort on builds (except for the last super boss that I "cheesed" with Maelle). When one or two characters got underleveled they were brought to the main team until they catched up. How did you play it?  Son of Sparda "This guy are sick" says The Wise Ones Member Oct 25, 2017 17,334 Tried to balance them as much as I could for the majority of the game. But in the end Maelle got most of the stuff since she is pretty OP. I think Verso got the least amount of stuff in the end tho. Just didn't really use them that much.  SimplePorter1 Member Dec 3, 2024 115 Currently in act 3 and pausing the main story to go around the map and side-quest as much as possible since for once in a game side questing does not feel like a chore. I have three members that are my main lineup but I keep everyone as balanced as possible, many times I won battles thanks to my reserve duo  Patitoloco Member Oct 27, 2017 28,279 Everything extremely balanced. Using the entire party worked wonders for many fights.   Agent Icebeezy Member Oct 27, 2017 2,898 MegaSackman said: I've noticed many streams where all the lumina and overall builds went towards three members, or even just one and the rest were support. I've personally kept everything at the same lvl at all times, same lumina distribuition, same effort on builds (except for the last super boss that I "cheesed" with Maelle). When one or two characters got underleveled they were brought to the main team until they catched up. How did you play it? Click to expand... Click to shrink... I'm currently still playing and my distribution is the same to yours. I've started to look at builds for beating some of the overpowered enemies in the game. My starting three is Verso, Sciel and Lune. Monoco and Maelle if they die. I have Maelle on the second team, even though she's currently the second strongest person I have, for balance.   Khanimus Avenger Oct 25, 2017 46,600 Greater Vancouver I just got my last party member. I already hadn't been using Sciel very much and now that I've got this new person, I'm wondering how I should mix it up.   Ravelle Member Oct 31, 2017 20,414 everyone leveled and specced because dugout gang came in clutch and saved my bacon multiple times.   Bran Member Oct 25, 2017 562 Leveling was an even split between Agility and Vitality until both got to 99. At that point, Recoat then dump into the stats for everyone's best weapons. Lumina points were distributed evenly among each character. It was super useful having everyone set up to fight because some characters work better for certain situations.  EduBRK Member Oct 30, 2017 999 Brazil Main party was Verso, Maelle and Monoco, but everyone was equal leveled. Stats: Agility up till 99, then luck 99, then might. All luminas distributed equally.  Lotus One Winged Slayer Member Oct 25, 2017 124,379 Khanimus said: I just got my last party member. I already hadn't been using Sciel very much and now that I've got this new person, I'm wondering how I should mix it up. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Don't sleep on Sciel  Kill3r7 Member Oct 25, 2017 29,150 Everything balanced. Especially since they are all useful.   GameAddict411 Member Oct 26, 2017 10,155 I have 3 characters maxed out and two are at level 96 so not horrible.   hydruxo ▲ Legend ▲ Member Oct 25, 2017 22,775 Maelle >>> Verso > Lune >>> Sciel > Monoco But later on you get way more lumina so I balanced them out closer  Adryuu Master of the Wind Member Oct 27, 2017 6,525 Voted and finished the game equally balanced over all characters. But now I'm doing endgame things after seeing credits and I've successfully done a Lune killing machine build with over 400 lumina points that destroyed all endless tower almost by herself. Also the Flying Manor end boss was finally managed by her solo (with Roulette lol). Now I'm going for the Maelle build just for the well known "hardest boss" but honestly if it takes too much work I may just watch the remaining journal in youtube and call it a day. Lune was entirely my build and while the things I'm seeing for Maelle are similar, it's not the same and not mine, so it's ok to just quit here, especially as there's not much more game for me. I was just doing this while postponing starting a new game but that time has come now.  Khanimus Avenger Oct 25, 2017 46,600 Greater Vancouver Lotus said: Don't sleep on Sciel Click to expand... Click to shrink... I used her a bit up until the big ending of Act 1. Since then, it'd been mostly Lune and Maelle backing me up.   Ouroboros Member Oct 27, 2017 16,219 focused on 3 main. towards endgame I worked on the backup 2 when Expedition 33 took their last stand (fucking love this game's details like that)   YozoraXV Member Oct 30, 2017 3,807 EduBRK said: Main party was Verso, Maelle and Monoco, but everyone was equal leveled. Stats: Agility up till 99, then luck 99, then might. All luminas distributed equally. Click to expand... Click to shrink... This is pretty much me as well. Lune and Sciel are my fallback party who can pretty much sustain themselves with healing and damage output.  Lotus One Winged Slayer Member Oct 25, 2017 124,379 Khanimus said: I used her a bit up until the big ending of Act 1. Since then, it'd been mostly Lune and Maelle backing me up. Click to expand... Click to shrink... I was ready to not engage with her because it felt too annoying, but that one weapon she gets that sets her up with 10 foretell on any sun-based move made me see the vision lol EduBRK said: Stats: Agility up till 99, then luck 99 Click to expand... Click to shrink... Agility is one thing, but I love how this is an RPG where everyone is a crit warrior and you're just better off tailoring towards that lol  BennyWhatever Member Oct 27, 2017 5,524 US Maelle, Verso, Lune only. I gave nothing to Sciel and Monoco lol. Distributed all Lumina points equally among the 3 mains. I basically had my end-game weapons about 10 hours in and would max those out and build around them. I did replace one or two with post-game weapons. Stat distribution for every levelup was 2 Vitality (until 99) then 1 in whatever the weapon stats were.  NightShift Member Oct 25, 2017 10,353 Australia I liked playing as everybody so I tried to keep it even but... yeah, Maelle and Verso were definitely above the rest most of the time.   Khanimus Avenger Oct 25, 2017 46,600 Greater Vancouver Lotus said: I was ready to not engage with her because it felt too annoying, but that one weapon she gets that sets her up with 10 foretell on any sun-based move made me see the vision lol Click to expand... Click to shrink... Oh I got that weapon and absolutely used it a ton with her, she just fell out of conversation with the story turn. Maelle had to be in the party from then on lol   Akiba756 Member Oct 1, 2020 1,634 Sao Paolo, Brazil Kill3r7 said: Everything balanced. Especially since they are all useful. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Everyone but (act 1 spoilers) Gustave, I kept forcing myself to use him when I noticed his damage output was falling behind everyone else, my thought was "I hope the rest of his skill tree opens up soon, and he gets weapons with perks"   closer Member Oct 25, 2017 5,647 i just played 3 chars the entire game, stat leveling seemed superfluous but I was only playing on normal   chanman Member Nov 9, 2017 1,727 I experimented with different teams but fell on Lune, Maelle and Monoco as my favorite team. Sometimes I swap Verso or Sciel with Lune.   Lotus One Winged Slayer Member Oct 25, 2017 124,379 Khanimus said: Oh I got that weapon and absolutely used it a ton with her, she just fell out of conversation with the story turn. Maelle had to be in the party from then on lol Click to expand... Click to shrink... I was using her before said turn because she was the first to reach the Act 1 damage cap 🤣 Only got a little into Act 2 though, so still plenty of story to go through  Agni Kai Member Nov 2, 2017 10,029 I went with Maelle, Lune, and Sciel for my main party. I used Monoco occasionally because he's groovy as fuck. Verso got the scraps.  Kill3r7 Member Oct 25, 2017 29,150 Akiba756 said: Everyone but (act 1 spoilers) Gustave, I kept forcing myself to use him when I noticed his damage output was falling behind everyone else, my thought was "I hope the rest of his skill tree opens up soon, and he gets weapons with perks" Click to expand... Click to shrink... Interesting because Gustave's overcharge is rather good at dps but he is a support character priming enemies for the rest of the team to shine. Maelle is ridiculously OP pretty early on, as long as you get good at counterattacking. Sciel is the best support from Act 2 onward.  TripleBee Prophet of Truth Member Oct 30, 2017 7,536 Canada Kept it pretty balanced.   Yurei Member Feb 28, 2023 1,321 For most of the game I used Sciel, Lune, Verso then towards the end I went with a Break build using Sciel, Verso and Monoco. I never switched out characters so it took a sec to get Monoco up to Sciel and Vero's level lol.  Renteka-Bond Chicken Chaser Member Dec 28, 2017 6,071 Clearwater, Florida Balanced for most of the game, but my Primary party was Lune / Sciel / Monoco, with Lune being my "Main" and getting the lion's share of Lumina in the endgame. Went with a fun Heal-Buff / DOT Nuke Team by basically using Typhoon as an AP / Buff Battery for the Squad, then Stacking Storm Caller and Terraquake for Passive Damage, then Elemental Genesis and Hellfire for big Damage nukes. Was a lot of fun having access to so much damage per turn for big waves and required a bit of Stain management to keep me awake.  watching alice Member Oct 5, 2024 48 Everyone leveled the same way until act 3 20 vit 45 agility 35 luck no points in other stats. When I got into act 3 and I had good weapons I respect-ed basing stats on weapons' scalings  Adryuu Master of the Wind Member Oct 27, 2017 6,525 Agni Kai said: I used Monoco occasionally because he's groovy as fuck. Click to expand... Click to shrink... Owowow!  NabiscoFelt One Winged Slayer Member Aug 15, 2019 8,691 I always try to level party members equally in RPGs Though yeah Maelle did end up getting a couple extra Lumina points towards the end of the game (like 10 ahead of the rest)  NotVeryFriendly Member Oct 27, 2017 4,228 I was mainly balanced, with the exception that I gave Maelle got 20/30 more Lumina points than the rest of the cast. My primary characters were Luna, Maelle, Monoco (I had wanted to use Verso instead of Monoco, but the risk of losing any missable skills forced me to use Monoco), with Verso and Sciel as my backup. My backup team were at a slightly lower level then my primary characters. For most of the game, I primarily levelled Vitality, Agility, and Luck, and ignored the other stats.  Nameless Member Oct 25, 2017 17,283 Maelle, Lune, and Sciel split everything more or less evenly(some slight, occasional build/situational favoritism aside). The others are basically ignored. I don't even bring in the bench players when the A-Team falls.   Sephiroth Member Oct 26, 2017 7,164 All you need is Maelle   dralla Member Oct 27, 2017 3,336 I used all the characters and leveled them up equally. Stat distribution was based on weapon scaling. You get plenty of re-spec items so changing weapons and stats was never an issue.   Sirank Member Oct 27, 2017 1,620 By the end I had Maelle and Lune 500+ lumina. Monoco was around 280. Really sorry Sciel and GustaveVerso, they only had 120ish.   Diogo Arez One Winged Slayer Member Oct 20, 2020 20,339 All in on Maelle, Verso and Lune, the rest got the leftover scraps   Prinny Member Oct 25, 2017 277 Moon, Clive, Maelle only.  

Argentina Was as Rich as America | What Happened?

The author (right) and her grandmother. Courtesy of the author 2025-05-24T17:29:01Z Save Saved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now. Have an account? In 2002, I moved in with my grandmother while going to college. She was 81 and I was 19, and it was the perfect setup for both of us. We loved having each other to have dinner with and chat with at the end of the day. When I told my parents that I had been accepted to Bath University in the UK, they quickly said there was no way I was going.Their logic was simple: They knew I was chasing after a high school boyfriend who wasn't right for me and that I wouldn't love living in Bath by myself.Knowing I needed a little freedom from living in São Paulo, they suggested I move to Argentina, where I'm originally from, for college. After that, I could decide what to do next. There was only one caveat — I had to live with my 81-year-old grandmother. They didn't think I was ready to live by myself in a big city, and I also had no way of paying for rent. I was already close to my grandmotherMy maternal grandmother and I were already pretty close. My grandfather died months after I was born (my family says he waited to meet me), and so my grandmother dedicated her time to helping my parents raise me. The author as a child with her grandmother. Courtesy of the author She would stay at our apartment when my parents had to travel for work, teaching me how to walk and talk. When my dad was moved to a different country for his job, she came for a year to help us settle in.I moved in when I was 19 and she was 81My grandmother lived in a two-bedroom apartment when I moved in with her. Besides a computer and a desk, I only had to bring my clothes. I paid her for my parking spot in the building and helped keep the place tidy.Because we were so close and had lived together before, there wasn't much adjusting for us to do. The one issue we had was with me going out at night; she couldn't understand how I could be out until the early hours of the morning and still make it to class on time.But the setup was beneficial for both of us. Even though I was born in Argentina, I hadn't lived there for over a decade. Having a safe place to land helped me focus on studying and making friends.When I came home, my grandmother had dinner ready, and we would spend time catching up and talking. When she needed to go to the doctor, I would go with her to ensure she understood everything they were telling her.People in my life thought it was weird at firstAt first, not everyone understood my decision. My uncle told my mother that it wasn't "natural" for a teenager to live with their grandparents. My friends, who still mostly lived with their parents, also thought it was a bit weird. As the years went by, people in my life started to see how beneficial it was for both of us.One time, my grandmother confused her pills and took the wrong amount of her blood pressure medication. She called for me, dizzy, saying something was wrong. I rushed her to the hospital, where we were told it was just a scare and that her symptoms would subside once the medicine left her system. When my college boyfriend broke up with me out of the blue, she held me while I sobbed into her shoulder. She scratched my back until I fell asleep, just like she did when I was a little girl.I moved out after collegeAfter graduation, I moved out to live by myself, not far from her. I still took her to lunch with our family and made sure to be as present as I could be in her life. Years later, I moved to the US but still called her weekly to chat.My grandmother died when she was 97, seven years ago. I knew it was coming, so I flew from New York to say goodbye in person and thank her for everything she did for me.My grandmother's love and care in such formative years, when I was trying to figure out who I was, had a huge impact on my life. If I were given the choice, I would move in with her again.