title: Volkswagen Polo

text: In 1977, the Derby saloon was released, which was simply a Polo, identical to the hatchback from the C-pillar forward, with a large boot attached.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: The Mark 1 Polo and Derby were facelifted in 1979 (unofficially referred to as the Mark 1F) with plastic bumpers, a different front grille, and a revised dashboard. The round headlights of the Derby were replaced with square ones, bringing it in line with the similar Golf-based Jetta saloon.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: The Polo Mk2 (or "Typ 86C") was introduced in October 1981, with the major change being the introduction of a third body style with a steep (almost vertical) rear window, in addition to a version resembling the original Mk1 shape with a diagonal rear window. These two body styles were called the Wagon (in some markets) and Coupé, respectively, although in fact both were three-door hatchbacks, and in some markets the Wagon designation was not used, with that car being simply called the Volkswagen Polo without a suffix. The saloon version received the name Volkswagen Derby. Production was expanded to Spain in the mid-1980s following Volkswagen's takeover of SEAT. By 1983, the one-millionth Polo was produced. The second million were produced by 1986.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: The Polo competed in the supermini sector with its new rivals such as the Austin Metro and Ford Fiesta, and it was one of the largest superminis in production at this time, meaning that it was close to larger cars, including the Ford Escort in terms of size, space, and price. Within two years of its launch, however, it was faced with competition from a wave of new rivals, particularly the Fiat Uno and Peugeot 205.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: The Polo Mk2 was used extensively by Volkswagen to develop future innovations, for example supercharging with a 40-mm G-Lader supercharger in the GT G40 version. A 60&-mm G-Lader would later be used on the larger and more technically challenging G60 engine used in the Golf and Corrado.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: A fuel-efficient two-cylinder diesel was prototyped in the mid-1980s with a G40 supercharger to overcome its small capacity, although this did not enter production. A high fuel-efficiency model that did make production was the petrol-engined "Formel E" (E for economy), introduced at the launch in 1981 with a 1.1-litre engine and from 1983 with a 1.3-litre engine, overdrive top-gear ratio and an early stop-start ignition system (called "SSA"), which would cut the engine when idle for more than two seconds to save fuel whilst temporarily stopped in traffic, and restart the engine on moving the gear lever to the left in neutral.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: Similar systems were later used on the Volkswagen Golf Mk3 and various systems from other car manufacturers.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: It was a popular import in the UK, competing with the likes of the Peugeot 205, Fiat Uno, and Nissan Micra. Its reliability and build quality were among the best to be found on a small car of this era, and in the years since then, it went on to achieve a higher survival rate than many of its competitors.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: However, some engines were only available on certain markets. For example, the British market never received any diesel-engined versions of the Polo, though the diesel engine was already available on many similar cars by the end of the 1980s, namely the Ford Fiesta, Vauxhall Nova, and Peugeot 205.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: The Mark II Facelift (referred to as the Mark IIF, also erroneously known as the "Mark 3") was a far-reaching facelift of the MkII, including a reskin of the bodywork, launched in the autumn of 1990. The new look had square headlights, enlarged and reshaped tail-lights, bigger bumpers, and a new interior (dashboard and door trim). The three different body styles were maintained. Under the skin, the car received modifications to the chassis, suspension, and brakes, as well as the cosmetic differences. The new Polo retained the previous four-cylinder engines, but now as well as the carburetted 1.0-litre, a fuel-injected model was available with single-point injection, and all engines came with a catalytic converter as standard to combat tightening European emissions regulations. The saloon was only produced in Spain, and production ceased in 1992 due to disappointing sales.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: At the time of launch of the Mark IIF Polo, the highest-performance model was the Polo GT. This featured a multipoint fuel-injected version of the 1272-cc engine, and a top speed more than 100 mph. This produced and had a quoted top speed of . Times for 0–60 stood at 11.1 seconds. The defining features of the GT include red piping in the bumpers, black overhead cloth, a tachometer, and a red "GT" badge in the grille. This was succeeded by the launch of the G40 in May 1991, displacing the GT as the most powerful Polo at the time, with a top speed around 120 mph – rivalling the likes of the Ford Fiesta XR2i, Peugeot 205 GTI, and Renault Clio 16v. The GT squareback was discontinued in 1992 due to poor sales in comparison with the coupé version.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: Soon after the launch of the Mark IIF, another sporting model was added to the range — a new version of the supercharged G40, now as a full production model in all markets rather than the limited batch of Mark II G40s. As with the previous model, Volkswagen Motorsport modified G40 Cup cars were sold for racing in a one-make series, the Volkswagen Polo G40 Cup. Features that define the G40 from other Polo models at the time (on top of the GT) include a bee-sting aerial, BBS cross-spoke alloy wheels, Le Mans interior trim, and front and rear red "G40" badges.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: The Mark III Polo or "Typ 6N", (sometimes referred to as the "Mark 4" by enthusiasts as it is the Polo's fourth guise) appeared in 1994, and was a completely new model (on a new chassis), available as three- and five-door hatchback versions, the latter making VW the last major European manufacturer to finally offer rear side doors in this class. It shared its platform with the SEAT Ibiza Mark 2. This platform actually used the floorpan of the Volkswagen Golf Mk3 (a multitude of mechanical parts and all of the suspension components were interchangeable among the three models). Although the dashboard and a number of mechanical components, including engines, were shared with the Ibiza, outwardly the two cars were different, with no shared body panels.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: An all-new 1.0-litre petrol engine was added to the range from launch, while the 1.3-litre petrol engine from the MK2 was briefly carried over. Also new to the range were 1.4- (8-valve or 16-valve) and 1.6-litre petrol engines, as well as a 1.9-litre diesel (with or without a turbocharger).


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: The saloon and estate versions of the Mark III, which debuted in 1995, were essentially rebadged version of the SEAT Córdoba, which were launched early in 1994. They were referred to internally by Volkswagen as the "Typ 6KV", and shared body panels with the SEAT model rather than the Polo hatchback models, with some cosmetic alterations such as new rear and front bumpers and headlights. The Volkswagen Caddy 9K van also shares the same platform and front-end styling as the 6KV models.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: The later Volkswagen Lupo and SEAT Arosa city cars were based on a shortened version of the Typ 6N platform, and shared many components.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: The Volkswagen Polo Playa was a model for the South African market. It was sold instead of the European Polo Mark III from 1996 until 2002, and was effectively a rebadged SEAT Ibiza Mark II. In 2002, the Mark IV Polo was adopted in South Africa, and the separate Polo Playa model was dropped.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: Unveiled in September 2001, the all-new Mark IV (or "Typ 9N", sometimes erroneously referred to as the "Mark 4") model was put on sale in early 2002. It shares its platform with the SEAT Ibiza Mk3, Škoda Fabia Mk1, and Škoda Fabia Mk2. The car is all new compared to the Mark III/F, and bears structural resemblance to Golf MK4 (1J). The rear tail-lights resemble those of the B5.5 Passat. Outwardly, the most recognisable change is the use of quadruple round headlights similar to the Lupo's.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: Volkswagen Racing rallied a Polo S1600 in the 2003 Junior World Rally Championships, winning the Turkish round. The Super 1600 developed /215 to its front wheels.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: This version of the Polo was a mixed success in the United Kingdom. It sold reasonably well (though not as well as some earlier Polos), but several customer-satisfaction surveys by high-profile motoring magazines such as "Top Gear" gave the Polo a very low rating.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: "Top Gear"'s 2005 survey rated the Polo as the third-least satisfying supermini to own, with only the Fiat Punto and Rover 25 receiving worse ratings. It fell behind most of its crucial rivals, namely the Ford Fiesta, Vauxhall Corsa, Citroën C3, and Peugeot 206.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: A saloon version of the Mk4 Polo was produced for markets outside Europe, including most Latin American countries, South Africa, China, and Australia.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: The Polo Classic for the Australian market was sourced from China, making it the first Chinese-built car to be exported to a right-hand drive country.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: Volkswagen launched the fifth generation Polo (internal designation "Typ 6R") at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2009. For the first time in Polo's history, the car was declared European Car of the Year, for 2010. The Polo was also declared 2010 World Car of the Year at the New York International Auto Show in April 2010. It also won What Car? Supermini of the Year 2010, as well as being awarded Japan Import Car of the Year for 2010–2011.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: It shares its platform with the SEAT Ibiza Mk4 and the Audi A1. Production for the UK market started in August 2009, with first deliveries beginning in October 2009. The Polo Mark V is 44 mm longer, 32 mm wider, and sits 13 mm lower to the road than the previous generation Polo. Boot capacity is increased by 10 L to 280 L of storage space with 952 L with the seats folded down. The car is 7.5% lighter than its predecessor. The Polo has thorcic airbags and has been awarded a five-star Euro NCAP crash impact rating.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: In 2010, a saloon based on the Polo Mk5 platform was developed for launch in India and Russia. This saloon is known as the Vento or Polo Sedan, depending on the country. It has a length of 4,384 mm, increased wheelbase (2,552 mm) and ground clearance (168–170 mm), and had one petrol engine (1.6-litre, four-cylinder, 105 PS; coupled with either five-speed manual or six-speed automatic gearbox) and one diesel engine (1.6-litre, turbocharged four-cylinder common-rail, 105 PS; only five-speed manual gearbox) options available.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: In several markets, it is succeeded by the Virtus, while some markets such as Mexico offered the Virtus alongside the Vento for the purpose of keeping a budget-friendly option. In Russia, the Polo Mk5-based Polo Saloon is succeeded by the Škoda Rapid-based Polo liftback.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: The Ameo is another saloon based on the Polo Mk5 which was released in June 2016. It was specifically developed for the Indian market which offers lower excise tax for vehicles shorter than 4 meter in length. The Ameo is more heavily derived from the hatchback body of the Polo, retaining its shorter wheelbase and the rear doors, unlike the larger Vento/Polo Saloon. It was discontinued in 2020 due to low demand.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: The sixth-generation Polo was first unveiled in Berlin on 16 June 2017, and launched in late 2017. Based on the Volkswagen Group MQB A0 platform, it is claimed to carry improvements in cabin space, engines, and interior technology. It is the first Polo generation that is not available with a 3-door body style, in order to cut costs.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: Boot space has increased by about 25% from 280 to 351 L. Optionally, it now features the second-generation version of the Active Info Digital Display Cockpit, a first in its class. As standard, the car comes with front collision detection, blind-spot assist, and emergency stopping. The car is said to be extremely customizable, available in 14 exterior colours and 17 dashboard colours.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: Production for all right-hand drive markets are allocated to the Volkswagen plant in Uitenhage/Kariega, South Africa. The South African plant is also the sole producer of the Polo GTI.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: In Europe, the car comes with a range of 1.0-litre, three-cylinder engines with various outputs; 1.0-litre and naturally aspirated versions, a natural gas-powered 1.0-litre TGI producing - as well as TSI. The GTI model gets a 2.0-litre TSI engine. The 1.6-litre TDI engine was also available with and outputs.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: The Latin American-spec Polo debuted in Brazil in September 2017. At the time of its introduction, the Polo was positioned between the Fox and Golf in the Brazilian market, and marks the reintroduction of the nameplate in the country since the discontinuation of the fourth-generation Polo in 2015. Some changes were made compared to the European version, including a reworked suspension to provide higher ground clearance, a different headlight assembly and a revised front bumper design.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: Engine options available are the basic 1.0-litre MPI petrol engine producing , 1.6-litre MSI rated at , and the top-spec 1.0-litre TSI with marketed as '200 TSI', referencing its maximum torque.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: In Mexico, the Brazilian-imported, facelifted Polo will be released in 2023, six years after the Brazilian model's launch, sharing the same engines and specification with the Virtus saloon. It will replace the Indian-made Polo Mk5.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: Announced in November 2022 as a replacement for the Gol, the Polo Track is a low-cost version of the Mk6 Polo that will be produced in Brazil in 2023 as the cheapest model in the range. It is powered by a 1.0-litre MPI petrol flex engine producing .


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: The Polo in its most basic version for Latin America received 5 stars for adult occupants, 5 stars for toddlers, and "Advanced Award" from Latin NCAP in 2017.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: The facelifted Polo was reassessed by Latin NCAP in 2022, and achieved a three-star safety rating against more demanding Latin NCAP assessment protocols than the original 2017 test. Latin NCAP noted that since the original test, the car had lost a manual passenger airbag disconnection switch that allows for safe installation of a rearward-facing child restraint on the front passenger seat.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: In April 2021, the restyled version of the sixth-generation Polo was revealed for the European market. It gained a redesigned front end, featuring reshaped headlights and an LED light bar on the grille. A matrix LED setup is optional for the first time in a Polo. The rear end now adopts wider LED taillights extending onto the tailgate. With the facelifted version, the Polo comes with a fully digital instrument cluster as standard. The dashboard also received a redesigned touch climate control.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: Volkswagen developed the sixth-generation Polo in a saloon body style badged as the Volkswagen Virtus, which is produced in Brazil and exported to most Latin American countries. It is also produced in India since 2022. It is marketed as the Polo Sedan in South Africa since September 2022.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: In Russia and the neighbouring CIS countries, a separate Polo model was released in 2020 to replace the Polo Mk5 saloon. Unrelated to the Mk6 Polo, the model heavily based on the Škoda Rapid liftback to cut costs instead of having to produce the MQB A0-based Volkswagen Virtus. The Russian-market Polo features a Jetta-like front fascia, and a unique rear fascia to differentiate it from the Rapid, while sharing the front bumper and hood panel with the Jetta VA3. As it is based on the Rapid, it is based the A05+ (PQ25) platform and has a liftback tailgate instead of a conventional saloon trunk opening.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: It is offered with a 1.6-litre MPI four-cylinder, naturally aspirated engine with with a five-speed automatic gearbox, and also with a six-speed automatic transmission, and a 1.4-litre TSI four-cylinder with , only with a seven-speed DSG dual-clutch transmission.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: The Volkswagen Polo GTI can trace its roots back to the original hot Polo, the supercharged 1.3-litre G40. It was sold in the United Kingdom between 1990 and 1994 in the form of the Mk2F Polo, but was available during the late 1980s in limited numbers in Europe in the form of the Mk2 Polo GT G40. The car was expensive compared to its rivals of the time, so did not sell in vast numbers. This makes it highly collectible today, and according to "Top Gear", "a potential future classic". If kept in good condition, this lightweight and small-engined car will keep up with much larger rivals due to its supercharger.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: After production of the G40 ended in 1994, Volkswagen decided to release the first GTI-branded Polo in a limited batch of just 3000. It was released in 1995 and available only in left-hand drive. It featured a 1.6-litre, 16-valve engine. The GTI was not available in the UK at any stage during its limited production, so as of 1994, the UK only had the 1.4-litre, 16-valve as a model with any sporting intent. This was the case until 2000, when the Polo Mk3 model range was finally revamped and the first GTI-branded Polos arrived in the UK.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: Between 2000 and 2002, Volkswagen offered two sporting models — the 16V and GTI. The 16V came with the 1.4-litre, 16-valve (V), engine, and had options such as 15-in Spa alloys and air conditioning. However, the GTI – available only in three- or five-door hatchback body styles in three colours being red, silver, and black, used a 1.6-litre 16-V engine with variable valve timing. External changes included a deeper front splitter with honeycomb mesh grilles, lowered sports suspension (by 10 mm), a subtle rear spoiler, deeper side skirts, fog lights, and 15" BBS RXII split rims for the wheels, bearing 195/45/15 tyres. There were also standard extras such as Climatronic fully automatic air conditioning, xenon headlights with a headlight washer system, a six-disc CD autochanger with a GAMMA head unit, exclusive sports interior with leather steering wheel, handbrake and gearstick, chrome inserts, and driver aids such as ABS with EBD and an EDL (a system to aid traction). Leather and satellite navigation were also optional extras. The Polo GTI Mk3F, however, never got the new six-speed gearbox that was introduced in the smaller Volkswagen Lupo GTI, which shared the same engine. Many of the Polo GTI five-speed gearboxes failed due to faulty differential rivets and bearings, which can only be rectified through a rebuild.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: With the introduction of the 2002 Polo, the GTI model was discontinued and was given no direct replacement. A GT model, though, was produced, featuring the same 1.9-litre TDI, engine found in the popular Škoda Fabia vRS and SEAT Ibiza FR TDI, as well as a six-speed gearbox. Although this model had a relatively slow 0–100 km/h (62 mph) time over 9 seconds, it did have impressive midrange clout with torque figures of 310 Nm (228 lb-ft). This gave the GT very impressive in-gear acceleration, meaning it could make light work of overtaking, as well as pulling itself out of corners on twisting B roads with ease whilst returning fuel economy over 50 mpg.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: The GTI was not released until late 2005, after yet another Polo revamp was reintroduced. This time it boasted a 1.8-litre, engine, which had been used in models from the Mk4 Volkswagen Golf GTI to the Audi A6. Despite the impressive figures, this new model lacked the standard features of the Polo GTI Mk3, with xenon headlights not even on the options list, and fully digital climate control only being an expensive option. Although faster than the 2000–2002 Polo GTI, the newer model was also seen as being off the pace when compared to its rivals, most of which are now nudging . In Europe, this led to VW quickly beefing up the Polo further to create the Polo GTI Cup Edition, which was tuned to around and featured more aggressive styling. The Polo GTI Cup Edition has 177 bhp, 29 bhp more than both the standard Polo GTI. The standard Polo GTI model completes 0–100 km/h in 8.2 seconds, but in the Cup Edition completes 0–100 km/h 7.5 seconds This model was also featured in 'Mighty Car Mods', the famous YouTube car show, where it is quickly sold as it was described as not having any 'soul'.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: The Mk5 Polo GTI was launched at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. The new GTI is powered by VW's award-winning 1.4-litre TSI engine (adapted from that used in the current Scirocco), which uses both a supercharger and turbocharger to provide torque throughout the revolution range. The Mk5 Polo is also 7.5% lighter than its predecessor and with a increase in power over the previous generation Polo GTI it accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 6.9 seconds. The Mk5 Polo also includes features not found on previous generation Polos, such as touch-screen satellite navigation and a seven-speed version of VW's DSG gearbox as standard.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: The Mk5 Polo GTI facelift was launched in 2015. It featured a new 1.8-litre turbocharged engine, which had been developed by Audi. It produced 190 bhp and was capable of sprinting from 0-60 mph in 6.4 seconds (real world test). It came standard with a six-speed manual gearbox, unlike its predecessor, which was only available with a seven-speed DSG.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: The Mk6 Polo GTI was launched in 2017. It features a slightly detuned version of the 2.0-litre turbocharged engine from the Mk7 Golf GTI. It produced 197 bhp and was capable of getting to 60 mph in under 6.7 seconds. It was launched with only a six-speed DSG dual-clutch transmission available. Along with the engine, the GTI version came standard with lowered suspension, GTI badges, GTI bumpers, 17-in wheels, sill extensions, bigger brakes, red brake calipers, twin exhausts, tartan seats, sport steering, red stitching, and a roof spoiler. Options include GTI LED headlights, 18-inch wheels, and adaptive dampers.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: Volkswagen helped consolidate the pre-eminence of the so-called hot hatch genre of high-performance hatchbacks with their Golf GTI in 1975, and has produced a number of performance versions of the Polo. The first of these was the Polo "GT" version of the Polo Mk1F.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: The Polo Mk2 and Mk2F were available as supercharged G40 models. The GT G40 with its 1.3-litre engine could reach in 8.1 seconds from standstill and had a maximum speed of . It was used by Volkswagen to set a number of world endurance speed records, such as the 1.3-litre class records for speed over 24 hours and speed over a distance of .


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: The fastest version of the Polo Mk3 on the United Kingdom market was the 1.6-litre, 16-V, model. A Polo GTI model was also produced, but only in a limited edition in Germany, and this was the first time the GTI label had been used for a Polo. A GTI version of the Polo Mk3F, with a 1.6-litre petrol engine was also produced.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: In 2004, Volkswagen Individual, a specialist division of Volkswagen, produced a limited number of (Polo Mk4) Club Sports with a 1.8-litre, turbocharged engine producing . Available only in Germany, this was based on the one-make racing series Polo Cup Racer hatchback. The Club Sport came with a roll cage inside the vehicle and Recaro racing seats as standard.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: A GTI version of the Polo Mk4F was launched in 2006. This features styling similar to that of the contemporary Golf GTI and a turbocharged 20-V, , 1.8-litre petrol engine. It has a 0–100 km/h time of 8.2 seconds and a top speed of .


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: Volkswagen Individual have also engineered an even faster Polo called the Polo GTI Cup Edition. Available with the same 1.8-litre, turbocharged engine, albeit with , its claimed 0–100 km/h is 7.5 seconds and it has a claimed top speed of .


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: Volkswagen Racing in South Africa rallied a four-wheel drive Polo Mk4F that shared some components with its sister World Rally Championship Škoda Fabia; the S2000 has a 2.0-litre, engine. Mk4 Polos have been entered into the Junior World Rally Championship. The Polo also competed in the Russian Touring Car Championship.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: A number of one-make race series were made of the Polo, starting with the G40 Cup for Polo Mk2 and Mk2F G40 versions. The current Polo Cup championship for cars is a support race at rounds of the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: Sébastien Ogier won the FIA World Rally Championship for Drivers in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 driving a Volkswagen Polo R WRC.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: The sales of Volkswagen Polo set a benchmark for Volkswagen, which sold more than 12 million cars globally so far; in February 2010 Volkswagen produced the 11,111,111th Polo worldwide at the celebration event of its first production anniversary in Pune, India. In 2010, its first full year on sale in the United Kingdom, more than 45,000 units were sold. It was the UK's sixth-best selling new car.


title: Volkswagen Polo

text: 11 years later, in 2021, the Polo has maintained consistent sales figures with it being the fifth best-selling car in the UK in 2021 having had 30,634 new registrations throughout the year.


title: Role-playing game

text: A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting or through a process of structured decision-making regarding character development. Actions taken within many games succeed or fail according to a formal system of rules and guidelines.


title: Role-playing game

text: There are several forms of role-playing games. The original form, sometimes called the tabletop role-playing game (TRPG), is conducted through discussion, whereas in live action role-playing (LARP), players physically perform their characters' actions. In both of these forms, an arranger called a game master (GM) usually decides on the rules and setting to be used, while acting as the referee; each of the other players takes on the role of a single character.


title: Role-playing game

text: Several varieties of RPG also exist in electronic media, such as multiplayer text-based Multi-User Dungeons (MUDs) and their graphics-based successors, massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs). Role-playing games also include single-player role-playing video games in which players control a character, or team of characters, who undertake(s) quests and may include player capabilities that advance using statistical mechanics. These electronic games sometimes share settings and rules with tabletop RPGs, but emphasize character advancement more than collaborative storytelling.


title: Role-playing game

text: This type of game is well-established, so some RPG-related game forms, such as trading/collectible card games (CCGs) and wargames, may not be included under the definition. Some amount of role-playing activity may be present in such games, but it is not the primary focus. The term "role-playing game" is also sometimes used to describe games involving roleplay simulation and exercises used in teaching, training, and academic research.


title: Role-playing game

text: Both authors and major publishers of tabletop role-playing games consider them to be a form of interactive and collaborative storytelling. Events, characters, and narrative structure give a sense of a narrative experience, and the game need not have a strongly-defined storyline. Interactivity is the crucial difference between role-playing games and traditional fiction. Whereas a viewer of a television show is a passive observer, a player in a role-playing game makes choices that affect the story. Such role-playing games extend an older tradition of storytelling games where a small party of friends collaborate to create a story.


title: Role-playing game

text: While simple forms of role-playing exist in traditional children's games of make believe, role-playing games add a level of sophistication and persistence to this basic idea with additions such as game facilitators and rules of interaction. Participants in a role-playing game will generate specific characters and an ongoing plot. A consistent system of rules and a more or less realistic campaign setting in games aids suspension of disbelief. The level of realism in games ranges from just enough internal consistency to set up a believable story or credible challenge up to full-blown simulations of real-world processes.


title: Role-playing game

text: Tabletop role-playing games may also be used in therapy settings to help individuals develop behavioral, social, and even language skills. Beneficiaries commonly include young people with learning difficulties such as Autism spectrum disorders, attention-deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD), and dyslexia.


title: Role-playing game

text: Role-playing games are played in a wide variety of formats, ranging from discussing character interaction in tabletop form, physically acting out characters in LARP to playing characters virtually in digital media. There is also a great variety of systems of rules and game settings. Games that emphasize plot and character interaction over game mechanics and combat sometimes prefer the name storytelling game. These types of games tend to reduce or eliminate the use of dice and other randomizing elements. Some games are played with characters created before the game by the GM, rather than those created by the players. This type of game is typically played at gaming conventions, or in standalone games that do not form part of a campaign.


title: Role-playing game

text: Tabletop and "pen-and-paper" (PnP) RPGs are conducted through discussion in a small social gathering. The GM describes the game world and its inhabitants. The other players describe the intended actions of their characters, and the GM describes the outcomes. Some outcomes are determined by the game system, and some are chosen by the GM.


title: Role-playing game

text: This is the format in which role-playing games were first popularized. The first commercially available RPG, "Dungeons & Dragons" ("D&D"), was inspired by fantasy literature and the wargaming hobby and was published in 1974. The popularity of "D&D" led to the birth of the tabletop role-playing game industry, which publishes games with many different themes, rules, and styles of play. The popularity of tabletop games has decreased since the modern releases of online MMO RPGs.


title: Role-playing game

text: This format is often referred to simply as a "role-playing game". To distinguish this form of RPG from other formats, the retronyms "tabletop role-playing game" or "pen and paper role-playing game" are sometimes used, though neither a table nor pen and paper are strictly necessary.


title: Role-playing game

text: A LARP is played more like improvisational theatre. Participants act out their characters' actions instead of describing them, and the real environment is used to represent the imaginary setting of the game world. Players are often costumed as their characters and use appropriate props, and the venue may be decorated to resemble the fictional setting. Some live-action role-playing games use rock paper scissors or comparison of attributes to resolve conflicts symbolically, while other LARPs use physical combat with simulated arms such as airsoft guns or foam weapons.


title: Role-playing game

text: LARPs vary in size from a handful of players to several thousand, and in duration from a couple of hours to several days. Because the number of players in a LARP is usually larger than in a tabletop role-playing game, and the players may be interacting in separate physical spaces, there is typically less of an emphasis on tightly maintaining a narrative or directly entertaining the players, and game sessions are often managed in a more distributed manner.


title: Role-playing game

text: Tabletop role-playing games have been translated into a variety of electronic formats. As early as 1974, the same year as the release of Dungeons & Dragons, unlicensed versions of it were developed on mainframe university systems under titles such as "dnd" and "Dungeon". These early computer RPGs influenced all of electronic gaming, as well as spawning the role-playing video game genre. Some authors divide digital role-playing games into two intertwined groups: single-player games using RPG-style mechanics, and multiplayer games incorporating social interaction.


title: Role-playing game

text: Single-player role-playing video games form a loosely defined genre of computer and console games with origins in role-playing games such as "Dungeons & Dragons", on which they base much of their terminology, settings, and game mechanics. This translation changes the experience of the game, providing a visual representation of the world but emphasizing statistical character development over collaborative, interactive storytelling.


title: Role-playing game

text: Online text-based role-playing games involve many players using some type of text-based interface and an Internet connection to play an RPG. Games played in a real-time way include MUDs, MUSHes, and other varieties of MU*. Games played in a turn-based fashion include play-by-mail games and play-by-post games.


title: Role-playing game

text: Massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) combine the large-scale social interaction and persistent world of MUDs with graphic interfaces. Most MMORPGs do not actively promote in-character role-playing, however, players can use the games' communication functions to role-play so long as other players cooperate. The majority of players in MMORPGs do not engage in role-playing in this sense.


title: Role-playing game

text: Computer-assisted gaming can be used to add elements of computer gaming to in-person tabletop role-playing, where computers are used for record-keeping and sometimes to resolve combat, while the participants generally make decisions concerning character interaction.


title: Role-playing game

text: One common feature of many RPGs is the role of a gamemaster, a participant who has special duties to present the fictional setting, arbitrate the results of character actions, and maintain the narrative flow. In tabletop and live-action RPGs the GM performs these duties in person. In video RPGs, many of the functions of a GM are fulfilled by the game engine. However, some multi-player video RPGs also allow for a participant to take on a GM role through a visual interface called a "GM toolkit", albeit with abilities limited by the available technology.


title: Role-playing game

text: Another standard concept in RPGs is the player character, a character in the fictional world of the game whose actions the player controls. Typically each player controls a separate player character, sometimes more, each of whom acts as a protagonist in the story.


title: Role-playing game

text: In contrast to player characters, non-player characters (NPCs) are controlled by the gamemaster or game engine, or by people assisting the gamemaster. Non-player characters fill out the population of the fictional setting and can act as antagonists, bystanders, or allies of the player characters.


title: White Men Can't Jump

text: White Men Can't Jump is a 1992 American sports comedy film written and directed by Ron Shelton. It stars Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson as streetball hustlers. The film was released in the United States on March 27, 1992, by 20th Century Fox.


title: White Men Can't Jump

text: living by hustling streetballers who assume he cannot play well because he is white. Sidney Deane is a talented but cocky player who is twice beaten by Billy, once in a half-court team game and later in a one-on-one shootout for money.


title: White Men Can't Jump

text: Billy and his live-in girlfriend, Gloria Clemente, are on the run from the Stucci brothers, mobsters to whom he owes a gambling debt. A voracious reader, Gloria makes note of obscure facts. Gloria's goal in life is to be a contestant on the television game show "Jeopardy!" and make a fortune. Sidney wants to rent a house for his family outside the rough Baldwin Village neighborhood. He proposes a business partnership with Billy where they will hustle other players by deliberately setting them up to pick Billy as Sidney's teammate. At first, their system is very successful, but when they unexpectedly lose a game, it turns out that Sidney had double-crossed Billy by deliberately playing badly to avenge his earlier loss to him, causing Billy to lose $1,700 to a group of Sidney's friends.


title: White Men Can't Jump

text: Gloria, who wants Billy to find a stable job, is incensed at Billy for blowing his money again, but realizes he was hustled after Billy tells her how it happened. They go to Sidney's apartment and appeal to his wife Rhonda. The women agree to share the money, provided Sidney and Billy team up for a major two-on-two outdoor tournament. Despite their constant bickering, Sidney and Billy win the tournament and the grand prize of $5,000, largely due to Billy's ability to disrupt his opponents' concentration. Billy's most notable claim is that he is "in the zone", a state of mind in which nothing can distract him. Sidney is pleased with the outcome, but he cannot help mocking Billy about his inability to slam dunk.


title: White Men Can't Jump

text: Billy insists that he can indeed dunk, and after Sidney disagrees, Billy offers to bet his share of the $5,000 on his ability to dunk. Sidney gives him three chances, telling him "white men can't jump". Billy fails and squanders his share. When he tells Gloria, she leaves him. Desperate to get her back, Billy goes to Sidney for help. Sidney reveals that he has a friend who works as a security guard at the TV studio that produces "Jeopardy!" His friend, Robert, agrees to use his connections to get her on the show if Billy can sink a hook shot from beyond the half-court line, which he does. Gloria initially stumbles over sports questions (such as naming Babe Ruth as the all-time NBA rebound leader), but makes a comeback with a pet topic, "Foods That Begin With the Letter Q". She wins $14,100 on her first episode.


title: White Men Can't Jump

text: Billy sings Gloria a song he has composed and wins her back. As Billy and Gloria discuss their new future, Sidney is desperate for Billy's help. His apartment was burglarized and his winnings were stolen. He and Rhonda are desperate for money so they can move to a better neighborhood. Gloria is expecting Billy to get a steady job and settle down, but Sidney informs him that two hoops legends of the L.A. streetball scene, "The King" and "The Duck", are playing at the courts downtown. Sidney asks Billy to partner with him to play against them. Billy enthusiastically agrees, offering to gamble his share of Gloria's take. Gloria warns that if Billy gambles with her money, they are through, regardless of the outcome. Billy sides with Sidney, feeling he must honor the obligation he owes Sidney for getting Gloria on "Jeopardy!". They play a final game against King and Duck. In a very tight game, Sidney and Billy prevail, the winning point coming when Sidney lobs an "alley-oop" pass to Billy, who dunks it.


title: White Men Can't Jump

text: Returning home happy for having doubled the share that Gloria gave him of her winnings, Billy is crushed to find that Gloria has kept her word and left him for good. The mobsters who are after Billy track him down, and he pays off his debts. Billy then asks Sidney to set him up with a real job, and Sidney remarks that Billy and Gloria may be better off without each other. The film ends as Billy and Sidney launch into yet another basketball argument and return to the court where they first met to play a one-on-one game, this time as friends.


title: White Men Can't Jump

text: Bob Lanier, Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks player and Hall of Famer, was hired as basketball coach for the film. Lanier was impressed with Harrelson and Snipes, suggesting both reached a Division II college basketball skill level. He also noted that between the two of them, Harrelson was the better player.


title: White Men Can't Jump

text: The original music soundtrack and song "If I Lose" were composed by saxophonist and composer Bennie Wallace, who also scored Shelton's film "Blaze".


title: White Men Can't Jump

text: The musical R&B quintet Riff recorded a song and accompanying music video called "White Men Can't Jump" for the movie. The music video featured Harrelson, Snipes and Perez. It can be seen on the DVD release with bonus features.


title: White Men Can't Jump

text: Marques Johnson has a supporting role as Raymond, who loses a game to Snipes and Harrelson. Johnson was a star player for UCLA's 1974–75 national championship team coached by John Wooden and later played for the NBA's Bucks, Clippers, and Warriors.


title: White Men Can't Jump

text: Freeman Williams, who played "Duck" Johnson, also had a distinguished NBA career, playing for the Clippers, Jazz, and Bullets from 1978–86.


title: White Men Can't Jump

text: The category "Foods that start with the letter 'Q was an actual category on an October 1997 episode of "Jeopardy!"


title: White Men Can't Jump

text: To introduce a new basketball shoe, Nike teamed up with the makers of "White Men Can't Jump" to assemble the package of shoes inspired by the characters Billy Hoyle and Sidney Deane.


title: White Men Can't Jump

text: Two soundtracks were released by Capitol Records. The first soundtrack using the film title was released on March 24, 1992, and consisted mostly of R&B. The soundtrack peaked at number 92 on the "Billboard" 200 and number 48 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and features the single "White Men Can't Jump" by Riff, which peaked at number 90 on the "Billboard" Hot 100. "AllMusic" rated it two and a half out of five stars.


title: White Men Can't Jump

text: The second "White Men Can't Rap" was released on April 7, 1992, and consisted entirely of hip hop. It reached number 79 on the "Billboard" Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. "AllMusic" rated it two out of five stars. The only single coming out of the EP soundtrack was "Fakin' the Funk" by Main Source.


title: White Men Can't Jump

text: "White Men Can't Jump" grossed $14,711,124 in 1,923 theaters in its opening weekend, with a total gross of $76,253,806 in the U.S. and $90,753,806 worldwide and was the 16th highest-grossing movie of 1992.


title: White Men Can't Jump

text: The film received positive reviews. Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a rating of 77% based on 56 reviews and an average rating of 6.4/10. The site's consensus reads: ""White Men Can't Jump" provides a fresh take on the sports comedy genre, with a clever script and a charismatic trio of leads."


title: White Men Can't Jump

text: Roger Ebert of the "Chicago Sun-Times" gave the film three and a half stars, saying it was "not simply a basketball movie", praising Ron Shelton for "knowing his characters". Janet Maslin from "The New York Times" praised Wesley Snipes for his "funny, knowing performance with a lot of physical verve". The film was a favorite of director Stanley Kubrick.


title: White Men Can't Jump

text: In January 2017, Kenya Barris was developing a "White Men Can't Jump" remake with NBA star Blake Griffin and NFL player Ryan Kalil producing. In March 2022, rapper Jack Harlow was cast in the film.


title: Rasputin (song)

text: "Rasputin" is a song by Germany-based pop and Eurodisco group Boney M. It was released on 28 August 1978 as the second single from their third studio album "Nightflight to Venus" (1978). Written by the group's creator Frank Farian, along with George Reyam and Fred Jay, it is a song about Grigori Rasputin, a friend and advisor of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and his family during the early 20th century. The song describes Rasputin as a playboy, mystical healer, and political manipulator.


title: Rasputin (song)

text: The core of the song tells of Rasputin's rise to prominence in the court of Nicholas II, referencing the hope held by Tsarina Alexandra Fyodorovna that Grigori Rasputin would heal her hemophiliac son, Tsarevich Alexei of Russia, and as such his appointment as Alexei's personal healer. Rasputin gained tremendous influence from this position, particularly with Alexandra. This is also retold in the song: "For the queen he was no wheeler dealer". It also claims that Rasputin was Alexandra's paramour: "Ra Ra Rasputin, lover of the Russian queen, there was a cat that really was gone". This was a widespread rumour in Rasputin's time, with which his political enemies intended to discredit him. It stemmed from Rasputin's closeness to the Tsarina. "Rasputin" starts to retell contemporary accounts of his powerful personality: "He was big and strong, in his eyes a flaming glow...""He could preach the bible like a preacher, full of ecstasy and fire..." The song depicts Rasputin as being extremely popular with the Russian elite, something that is historically supported: "to Moscow chicks he was such a lovely dear". The song also depicts Rasputin as being sexually promiscuous, another contemporary rumour: "..But he was real great when he had a girl to squeeze." "..though she'd heard the things he'd done...""Russia's greatest love machine". The song claims that Rasputin's political power overshadowed that of the Tsar himself in "all affairs of state", which was one of the main arguments of his contemporary rivals. The bridge of the song states that when his purported sexual escapades and political acts became intolerable, "men of higher standing" plotted his downfall, although "the ladies begged" them not to. Although the song states "he was a brute", it claims that the ladies "just fell into his arms."


title: Rasputin (song)

text: The end of the song recounts a modified version of a popular description of the events that culminated in Rasputin's assassination, as perpetrated by Felix Yusupov, Vladimir Purishkevich, and Dmitri Pavlovich, on 16 December 1916 (O.S.). The song accurately states that the conspirators asked him "Come to visit us", and then recounts a widely popular account of the assassination in Yusupov's estate: that Rasputin's assassins fatally shot him after he survived the poisoning of his wine.


title: Rasputin (song)

text: While the song accurately re-tells many of the unfavorable contemporary rumours that damaged Rasputin's reputation and led to his assassination, there is no verifiable evidence to suggest that he had an affair with Alexandra. Frank Farian's American friend Bill Swisher, who was a soldier in Germany at the time, provides spoken vocals at the bridge in the form of a newsreader. Swisher has also guested on Boney M. singles such as "Ma Baker" and "El Lute".


title: Rasputin (song)

text: AllMusic journalist Donald A. Guarisco described it as "a tribute to the legendary Russian historical figure that uses balalaikas to create its textured rhythm guitar hook." Its melody has been compared to that of the traditional Turkish song "Kâtibim", but the band denied any similarity.


title: Rasputin (song)

text: The song rose to the top of the charts in Germany and Austria and went to No. 2 in the United Kingdom and Switzerland. It was also another No. 1 hit for Boney M. in Australia, giving them their second (and last) chart-topper in that country (the other one being "Rivers of Babylon").


title: Rasputin (song)

text: AllMusic's Donald A. Guarisco called the track "the oddest and most unusual and interesting combination of musical elements" from "Nightflight to Venus", then picked it as one of his "track picks" from the album.


title: Rasputin (song)

text: Although the song was written and performed in English, with single German and Russian words – "But the kasatschok he danced really wunderbar!" – it enjoyed great popularity in the Soviet Union, and is credited with reviving the fame of Rasputin there. The song was omitted, however, from the Soviet pressing of the album and Boney M. were barred from performing the song during their ten performances in Moscow in December 1978. During their visit to Poland in 1979, the band performed the song despite being asked not to by government officials. The show in Sopot was broadcast on national TV the next day after the song was edited out of their performance, but it was broadcast on the radio live and in full.


title: Rasputin (song)

text: The song has been covered by several other bands in varying musical styles. Finnish band Turisas recorded a folk metal version, while American band Boiled in Lead covered it as a folk punk song. The British comic book "Nikolai Dante" cited a lyric from the song for the title of its story called "Russia's Greatest Love Machine" in the 1997 issue of "2000 AD". The Washington, D.C.-based dance/rock band Ra Ra Rasputin takes its name from the song. A Spanish version by Fangoria was included on their compilation album "Dilemas, amores y dramas" (2003).


title: Rasputin (song)

text: The album pressings of "Nightflight to Venus" feature the title track segued into "Rasputin". Initial LP pressings included the full-length, 6:26 version of "Rasputin", most notable for an instrumental interlude in the third verse between the lines "though he was a brute, they just fell into his arms" and "Then one night some men of higher standing ..." that was later cut out. The second LP pressing featured a 6:03 version, subsequent pressings a 5:51 version. Boney M.'s single edit is completely different from the edit used for Frank Farian's Gilla recording in German that followed in November 1978 (without success).


title: Rasputin (song)

text: The German and Benelux pressings were backed with "Painter Man"; for most other territories the B-side chosen was "Never Change Lovers in the Middle of the Night". The UK pressings had a 5:32 version; most countries faded it to 5:02, while the French Carrere Records release had a 4:45 version. In the United Kingdom, "Painter Man" was issued as an A-side single in February 1979, giving the group a No. 10 hit. In Canada, "Rasputin" was the A-side and became a major hit, topping the Canadian "RPM" magazine's Adult Contemporary singles chart for two weeks beginning 24 March 1979, and peaking at No. 7 on "RPM"'s Top 100 pop singles chart that same week. Despite the Canadian success, the song failed to chart in the United States.


title: Rasputin (song)

text: In late January 2021, over 40 years since it was released as a single, the song went viral on TikTok, also appearing on Spotify's "Viral Hits" playlist. The accompanying dance originated from the 2010 video game, "Just Dance 2".


title: Rasputin (song)

text: Finnish folk metal band Turisas recorded a cover of Rasputin, released on 21 September 2007 through Century Media. The band played the cover live for a few years and finally decided to record a studio version of it because of positive feedback from fans. A music video was shot as well.


title: Rasputin (song)

text: On 26 February 2021, and after the resurgence of the song on TikTok, the North London DJ and producer Majestic released a revamped remix of the song credited to Majestic x Boney M. It has charted on the UK Singles Chart, US "Billboard" Hot Dance and Electronic Songs chart and across Europe. This version only contains lyrics from the first verse and first chorus of the original track.


title: Rasputin (song)

text: Jatin–Lalit sampled "Rasputin" for the song "Sachi Ye Kahani Hai" from "Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa" (1994).


title: Rasputin (song)

text: In the 2003 Malayalam film "Balettan", the song "Baletta Baletta" was inspired by "Rasputin". The song was composed by M. Jayachandran.


title: Rasputin (song)

text: The 2012 Indian film "Agent Vinod" feature a Hindi-language song titled "I'll Do the Talking Tonight" which features a similar tune to that of "Rasputin".


title: Rasputin (song)

text: The song is heard in the 2022 "Doctor Who" special "The Power of the Doctor", in which the Master (Sacha Dhawan), posing as Rasputin, dances to it.


title: Lady Gaga discography

text: American singer Lady Gaga has released five solo studio albums, two collaborative studio albums, two film soundtracks, three remix albums, two compilation albums, four EPs, two live albums, 39 singles (including three as a featured artist), and 14 promotional singles. Gaga made her debut in August 2008 with the studio album "The Fame", which peaked at number two in the United States, where it was subsequently certified triple Platinum, while topping the charts in Austria, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Its first two singles, "Just Dance" and "Poker Face", were both successful worldwide, reaching number one in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The album spawned three more singles: "Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)", "LoveGame" and "Paparazzi". The latter reached the top ten in many countries worldwide, and number one in Germany.


title: Lady Gaga discography

text: Gaga later released "The Fame Monster" in November 2009, as a deluxe edition or reissue of "The Fame", which was ultimately released also as a standalone EP. It reached number one in Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, as well as number five in the United States, where it was certified Platinum. Its lead single, "Bad Romance", became an international hit and reached number one in twelve countries while peaking at number two in the United States. Subsequent singles, "Telephone" and "Alejandro", were top ten hits in many countries. Consisting of various remixes of songs from both "The Fame" and "The Fame Monster", Gaga's first compilation album "The Remix" was released in 2010. It peaked at number six in the United States while reaching the top five in Canada and the United Kingdom. The remix album has sold 500,000 copies worldwide, therefore making it one of the best-selling remix albums of all time.


title: Lady Gaga discography

text: The singer's second studio album, "Born This Way", was released in May 2011 and reached the number-one spot in the United States along with twenty other countries. Its eponymous lead single was an international success, peaking at number one in nineteen countries including the United States, where it became her third number-one single. The other singles from the album were "Judas", "The Edge of Glory", "You and I", and "Marry the Night". Gaga's third studio album, "Artpop", was released in November 2013 and includes the singles "Applause" and "Do What U Want". In September 2014, Gaga and Tony Bennett released the collaborative album "Cheek to Cheek", which debuted at number one in the US, becoming Gaga's third consecutive number one album. Her fifth album, "Joanne", was released in October 2016. Its lead single, "Perfect Illusion", debuted at number one in France, while second single "Million Reasons" reached number four in the US. When "Joanne" reached number one in the US, Gaga became the first woman to have four number-one albums in the nation during the 2010s. She extended the record in 2018 with the release of the soundtrack to "A Star Is Born". The soundtrack and its lead single, "Shallow", were international hits, reaching number one in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Her sixth studio album, "Chromatica" (2020), similarly topped the charts in numerous countries around the world, and also featured the single, "Rain on Me", which topped the charts in the US, Canada, the UK and several other territories. In September 2021, she released another collaborative album with Bennett titled "Love for Sale". Gaga subsequently recorded "Hold My Hand" for the 2022 film "" and composed its alongside Lorne Balfe, Harold Faltermeyer, and Hans Zimmer.


title: Lady Gaga discography

text: Gaga is one of the world's best-selling music artists, with estimated sales of 170 million records as of 2018, and has produced some of the best-selling singles of all time. She has also sold around 7.25 million singles in the United Kingdom, and 11.46 million albums in the US; in the latter country she is the first and only artist to have two songs pass 7 million downloads sold ("Poker Face" and "Just Dance"). According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), as of October 2022, Gaga is the fourteenth top digital singles artist in the United States, with cumulative single certifications of 85.5 million digital downloads and on-demand streaming, being the first woman to receive the Digital Diamond Award certification from RIAA, one of three artists with at least two Diamond certified songs ("Bad Romance" and "Poker Face"). By the end of 2020, with "Just Dance", "Poker Face", "Bad Romance" and "Shallow", she also became the first female artist to achieve four singles that sold at least 10 million copies globally.


title: James Francis Edward Stuart

text: James Francis Edward Stuart (10 June 16881 January 1766), nicknamed the Old Pretender by Whigs, was the son of King James II and VII of England, Scotland and Ireland, and his second wife, Mary of Modena. He was Prince of Wales from July 1688 until, just months after his birth, his Catholic father was deposed and exiled in the Glorious Revolution of 1688. James II's Protestant elder daughter (the prince's half-sister) Mary II and her husband (the prince's cousin) William III became co-monarchs. The Bill of Rights 1689 and Act of Settlement 1701 excluded Catholics such as James from the English and British thrones.


title: James Francis Edward Stuart

text: James Francis Edward was raised in Continental Europe and known as the Chevalier de St. George. After his father's death in 1701, he claimed the English, Scottish and Irish crowns as James III of England and Ireland and James VIII of Scotland, with the support of his Jacobite followers and Louis XIV of France, a cousin of his father. Fourteen years later, he unsuccessfully attempted to gain the British and Irish thrones during the Jacobite rising of 1715. A final attempt at restoration, the Jacobite rising of 1745, was led by his elder son Charles Edward Stuart (the Young Pretender).


title: James Francis Edward Stuart

text: Following James's death in 1766, Charles Edward Stuart continued to claim the British and Irish crowns as part of the Jacobite succession.


title: James Francis Edward Stuart

text: James Francis Edward was born on 10 June 1688, at St. James's Palace. He was the son of James II of England and Ireland (VII of Scotland) and his second wife, Mary of Modena, both Roman Catholics. As first son of the reigning monarch he was automatically Duke of Cornwall and Duke of Rothesay, among other titles.


title: James Francis Edward Stuart

text: The prince's birth was controversial and unanticipated, coming five years after his mother's last pregnancy and three years since his father's reign started. His mother (then aged 29) had been considered past child-bearing age. The birth reignited controversies of religion, as the new son would be raised Catholic. Wild rumours spread among British Anglicans: that the child had died stillborn, and that the baby feted as the new prince was an impostor smuggled into the royal birth chamber in a warming pan. Protestants found it suspicious that everyone attending the birth was Catholic. Another rumour was that James II had not been the father; he was said to be impotent after a bout with venereal disease years earlier. In an attempt to quash these rumours, James published the testimonies of over seventy witnesses to the birth. Centuries later, genetic testing of James Francis Edward's descendants confirmed he was indeed a Stuart. The line of succession to the throne was thrust into doubt. James II's eldest legitimate daughters, Mary and Princess Anne, had been raised as Protestants. British Protestants had expected Mary, from his father's first marriage, to succeed their father. This possibility had kept Protestants somewhat content, with his rule a temporary inconvenience. Now that Mary or Anne's succession was in doubt with this new Catholic son and heir, discontent grew, already stoked by James II's actions which had alienated Tory Anglicans who had previously been inclined to honour him as sovereign even if they differed in religion. This movement would become the Glorious Revolution; Mary's husband William of Orange landed in England, backed by an army of English and Scottish exiles, as well as Dutch soldiers. Much of the English army promptly defected to William's cause, causing James II and his family to flee rather than stay and fight.


title: James Francis Edward Stuart

text: On 9 December, Mary of Modena disguised herself as a laundress and escaped with the infant James to France. Young James was brought up at the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, which Louis XIV had turned over to the exiled James II. Both the ex-king and his family were held in great consideration by the French king (who was his first cousin), and they were frequent visitors at Versailles where Louis XIV and his court treated them as ruling monarchs. In June 1692 his sister Louisa Maria was born.


title: James Francis Edward Stuart

text: His military education was overseen by Richard Hamilton and Dominic Sheldon, two veterans of his father's old Irish Army.


title: James Francis Edward Stuart

text: On his father's death in 1701, James was recognised by King Louis XIV of France as the rightful heir to the English, Irish and Scottish thrones. Spain, the Papal States, and Modena also recognized him as king of England, Ireland and Scotland and refused to recognise William III, Mary II, or Anne as legitimate sovereigns. As a result of his claiming his father's lost thrones, James was attainted for treason in London on 2 March 1702, and his titles were forfeited under English law.


title: James Francis Edward Stuart

text: Though delayed in France by an attack of measles, James attempted invasion, trying to land at the Firth of Forth on 23 March 1708. The fleet of Admiral Sir George Byng intercepted the French ships, which, combined with bad weather, prevented a landing.


title: James Francis Edward Stuart

text: James served for a time in the French army, as his father had done during the interregnum. Between August and September 1710, Queen Anne appointed a new Tory administration led by Robert Harley, who entered into a secret correspondence with de Torcy, the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, in which he claimed to desire James's accession to the throne should James convert to Protestantism. A year later, however, the British government pushed for James's expulsion from France as a precondition for a peace treaty with France. In accordance with the Treaty of Utrecht (1713), Harley and Lord Bolingbroke, the Secretary of State, colluded with the French in exiling James to the Duchy of Lorraine.


title: James Francis Edward Stuart

text: Queen Anne became severely ill at Christmas 1713 and seemed close to death. In January 1714, she recovered but clearly had not much longer to live. Through de Torcy and his London agent, Abbé François Gaultier, Harley kept up the correspondence with James, and Bolingbroke had also entered into a separate correspondence with him. They both stated to James that his conversion to Protestantism would facilitate his accession. However, James, a devout Catholic, replied to Torcy: "I have chosen my own course, therefore it is for others to change their sentiments." In March came James's refusal to convert, following which Harley and Bolingbroke reached the opinion that James's accession was not feasible, though they maintained their correspondence with him.


title: James Francis Edward Stuart

text: As a result, in August 1714, James's second cousin, the Elector of Hanover, George Louis, a German-speaking Lutheran who was the closest Protestant relative of the now deceased Queen Anne, became king of the recently created Kingdom of Great Britain as George I. James denounced him, noting "we have beheld a foreign family, aliens to our country, distant in blood, and strangers even to our language, ascend the throne". Following George's coronation in October 1714, major riots broke out in provincial England.


title: James Francis Edward Stuart

text: The following year, Jacobites started uprisings in Scotland and Cornwall aimed at putting "James III and VIII" on the throne. On 22 December 1715, James reached Scotland after the Jacobite defeats at the Battle of Sheriffmuir (13 November 1715) and Battle of Preston (1715). He landed at Peterhead and soon fell ill with fever, his illness made more severe by the icy Scottish winter. In January 1716, he set up court at Scone Palace.


title: James Francis Edward Stuart

text: Reputedly Jane Stuart, a half-sister, came from Wisbech in England to visit him. Learning of the approach of government forces, he returned to France, sailing from Montrose on 5 February 1716. The abandonment of his rebel allies caused ill-feeling against him in Scotland; nor was he welcomed on his return to France. His patron, Louis XIV, had died on 1 September 1715, and the French government found him a political embarrassment. When France, hitherto his main protector, allied with Britain, this effectively secured the Hanoverian dynasty's monarchy over the Kingdom of Great Britain.


title: James Francis Edward Stuart

text: After the unsuccessful invasion of 1715, James lived in Papal territory, first at Avignon (April 1716 – February 1717), then at Pesaro (1717) and Urbino (July 1717 – November 1718). Pope Clement XI offered James the Palazzo del Re in Rome as his residence, which he accepted. Pope Innocent XIII, like his predecessor, showed much support. Thanks to his friend Cardinal Filippo Antonio Gualterio, James was granted a life annuity of 12,000 Roman scudi. Such help enabled him to organise a Jacobite court at Rome, where, although he lived in splendour, he continued to suffer from fits of melancholy.


title: James Francis Edward Stuart

text: Further efforts to restore the Stuarts to the British throne were planned. In 1719 a major expedition left Spain but was forced to turn back due to weather. A small landing took place in the Scottish Highlands, but the Jacobite rising of 1719 was defeated at the Battle of Glen Shiel. James had gone to Spain in the hope he could take part in the invasion, but following its abandonment was forced to return to Italy. A further attempt was planned in 1722, but following the exposure of the Atterbury Plot it came to nothing.


title: James Francis Edward Stuart

text: In exercise of his pretended position, James purported to create titles of nobility, now referred to as Jacobite Peerages, for his British supporters and members of his court, none of which have ever been recognized in Britain.


title: James Francis Edward Stuart

text: The court-in-exile became a popular stop for English travellers making a Grand Tour, regardless of political affiliation. For many, it functioned as an unofficial consulate. Those in need of medical attention preferred being treated by one of their own countrymen. In 1735 court physicians tended to Edmund Sheffield, 2nd Duke of Buckingham and Normanby, and thirty years later to James Boswell.


title: James Francis Edward Stuart

text: James remained well-treated in Rome until his death. He was allowed to hold Protestant services at Court, and was given land where his Protestant adherents could receive a public burial.


title: James Francis Edward Stuart

text: Louise Adélaïde d'Orléans (), daughter of Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, was at one time suggested as a wife for James, but nothing came of it. In March 1717, while James was visiting Modena, he became engaged to his cousin Benedetta d'Este, but her father Rinaldo III put an end to the engagement to preserve his relations with Hanover and Great Britain.


title: James Francis Edward Stuart

text: On 3 September 1719, James married Maria Clementina Sobieska (1702–1735), granddaughter of King John III Sobieski of Poland. The wedding was held in the chapel of the Episcopal Palace in Montefiascone, near Viterbo. By his wife he had two sons:


title: James Francis Edward Stuart

text: Following James's failure, attention turned to his son Charles, "the Young Pretender", who led the major uprising of 1745. With the failure of this second rebellion, the Stuart hopes of regaining the British throne were effectively destroyed. James and Charles later clashed repeatedly, and relations between them broke down completely when James played a role in the appointment of his son Henry as a cardinal. Henry then took holy orders, which required him to maintain celibacy, ending the possibility that he would produce a legitimate heir, infuriating Charles, who had not been consulted.


title: James Francis Edward Stuart

text: After the 1745 rising, there were no other plots to restore the Stuart dynasty except for when, in 1759, the French government briefly considered a scheme to have James (then aged 70) crowned King of Ireland as part of their plans to invade Britain, but the offer was never formally made to James. Several separate plans also involved Charles being given control of a French-backed independent Ireland, though that too was aborted after Charles showed up at a meeting with the French to discuss the plan late, argumentative, and idealistic in expectations, so that the French dismissed the possibility of Jacobite assistance.


title: James Francis Edward Stuart

text: After a lingering illness, James died aged 77 on 1 January 1766, at his home, the Palazzo Muti in Rome, and was buried in the crypt of St. Peter's Basilica in present-day Vatican City. His grave is marked by the Monument to the Royal Stuarts. His claimed reign had lasted for 64 years, 3 months and 16 days, longer than any British monarch until Queen Elizabeth II's reign surpassed it on 23 May 2016.


title: James Francis Edward Stuart

text: Following James's death the pope refused to recognise the claim to the British and Irish thrones of his elder son Charles, which had severely exacerbated the hostility between England and the Catholic Church. Instead, from 14 January 1766, in stages over the next decade, Rome accepted the Hanoverian dynasty as the legitimate rulers of Britain and Ireland, accompanied by a gradual relaxation and reform of the anti-Catholic "penal laws" in Britain and Ireland. Two months after James's death, on March 14, the royal arms of England were removed from the doorway of the Palazzo Muti. In 1792, the papacy specifically referred to George III as the "King of Great Britain and Ireland", which elicited a protest from James's younger son Henry, who was by then the Jacobite claimant.


title: James Francis Edward Stuart

text: As Prince of Wales, James bore a coat of arms consisting of those of the kingdom, differenced by a "label argent of three points".


title: DAZN

text: DAZN ( "da zone") is a global sports entertainment platform. Different to traditional linear and satellite broadcasting, DAZN is an over-the-top (OTT) streaming service meaning that it is delivered directly to viewers via the internet.


title: DAZN

text: The DAZN service streams live and on-demand sports content in more than 200 countries and territories. It holds the domestic broadcasting rights for top professional football leagues in its main markets – Italy's Serie A, Spain's La Liga and Germany's Bundesliga and Japan's J League – as well as global boxing rights through its partnership with Matchroom, Golden Boy, Anthony Joshua, and Misfits Boxing.


title: DAZN

text: Shay Segev, former CEO of FTSE 100 sports betting and gaming company Entain, became CEO of DAZN in January 2021, having been co-CEO with DAZN founder James Rushton for the previous six months.


title: DAZN

text: In July 2022, Shay Segev announced plans to diversify DAZN's business model adding features to the service that allow viewers to chat with each other, choose alternative commentators (such as YouTube personalities or former players), view in an online 'watch party' with friends as well as play games and bet while viewing live sports.


title: DAZN

text: Kevin A. Mayer, the former chairman of direct-to-consumer and international at The Walt Disney Company and former CEO of TikTok, became DAZN's chairman in March 2021.


title: DAZN

text: DAZN was established in 2016 by Perform Group, a sports media company majority-owned by Access Industries that also owns Deezer and Warner Music Group. In September 2018, Perform Group spun out its sports data businesses, and renamed the remainder of the company DAZN Group.


title: DAZN

text: In December 2018, DAZN was estimated to be worth £3 billion: it was described by the "Evening Standard" as one of the United Kingdom's few tech "unicorns".


title: DAZN

text: In October 2019, mobile analytics firm SensorTower listed DAZN as having overtaken Major League Baseball as the highest-grossing sports-related mobile app in the first half of 2019 in terms of worldwide revenue on application storefronts.


title: DAZN

text: Prior to its launch, Perform Group announced its acquisition of exclusive worldwide media rights to Japanese J.League football under a 10-year, ¥210 billion (US$2 billion) contract, succeeding a ¥5 billion deal with SKY Perfect. Under the contract, all matches from the three J.League divisions (J1, J2, and J3) would be broadcast by DAZN beginning in 2017. The league described the contract as being the largest broadcast rights deal in the history of Japanese sport.


title: DAZN

text: DAZN first launched in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland on 10 August 2016, closely followed by Japan on 23 August 2016.


title: DAZN

text: In February 2018, DAZN sub-licensed Japanese rights to the B.League, Nippon Professional Baseball, La Liga, and the Premier League from Softbank, after the company announced that it would shut down its Sportsnavi Live service at the end of May. As part of the arrangement, DAZN offered a promotional offer for former Sportsnavi customers.


title: DAZN

text: In July 2017, DAZN announced that it would expand into Canada, after having acquired OTT streaming rights to the National Football League in Canada, including NFL Game Pass and access to NFL RedZone; as a result of the deal, television providers would no longer sell the out-of-market sports package NFL Sunday Ticket to residential customers. The DAZN deal does not affect the NFL's newly extended linear television rights deal with Bell Media. On 8 August 2017, DAZN reached a deal to sublicense content from beIN Sports Canada, including selected UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League matches (themselves sub-licensed from TSN), as well as other international sports rights.


title: DAZN

text: The Canadian launch was met with technical issues; DAZN apologized for the "inadequate service" that it delivered, and stated that it was working to rectify them. However, users still reported problems, including inconsistent stream qualities, buffering, and latency between the streams and television broadcasts. As a result, DAZN began to distribute NFL Sunday Ticket to television providers in October 2017, as had been the case before. On 20 November 2017, DAZN acquired Canadian rights to FIBA events.


title: DAZN

text: In February 2018, DAZN acquired Canadian broadcast rights to the 2018 Commonwealth Games (later sub-licensing portions of the coverage to CBC Sports), and subsumed Major League Soccer's digital out-of-market service MLS Live — with live and on-demand streaming of matches featuring U.S. teams (matches with Canadian teams will only be available after a 48-hour delay to protect the league's main rightsholders TSN and TVA Sports). Roku support was also added that month. In March, DAZN reached a syndication deal to carry content from Pac-12 Network (namely Pac-12 Conference college sports events) on the service in Canada.


title: DAZN

text: On 25 May 2018, DAZN announced that it had acquired exclusive Canadian rights to the UEFA Champions League and Europa League, beginning in the 2018–19 season and replacing TSN. In April 2019, DAZN announced that it had acquired Canadian rights to the Premier League, replacing Sportsnet and TSN, under a three-year deal.


title: DAZN

text: On 8 May 2018, DAZN announced that it had hired former ESPN president John Skipper as executive chairman. Skipper stated that he eventually wanted DAZN to compete directly with traditional U.S. cable sports networks (such as ESPN).


title: DAZN

text: Two days later, DAZN announced that it would launch in the United States, and that it had reached a major broadcasting deal with Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Sport. Under the deal, DAZN streams 32 cards per-year, including 16 British Sky Sports Box Office cards, as well as 16 held in the United States (described by Hearn as being "twelve massive shows and four absolute monsters"). Hearn claimed that the deal, which would last for at least two years, with an option for a six-year extension (totalling US$1 billion over the life of the contract if realised), was a "groundbreaking deal in the history of boxing".


title: DAZN

text: On 26 June 2018, DAZN announced a five-year streaming rights deal with the Viacom-owned mixed martial arts promotion Bellator, which began with Bellator 206 on 29 September 2018, and includes the U.S. and all other regions currently served by DAZN. The rights include seven exclusive events per-year, as well as all events televised by Paramount Network.


title: DAZN

text: DAZN officially launched in the U.S. in September 2018, ahead of its first boxing event—Anthony Joshua vs. Alexander Povetkin, on 22 September. Its launch content also included the World Boxing Super Series, as well as the AFC Champions League, the Chilean Primera Division, J-League and other content. DAZN's broadcast team for its U.S. boxing events is led by "Sugar" Ray Leonard and Brian Kenny on play-by-play, with LZ Granderson as ringside reporter, and Michael Buffer as ring announcer. Buffer appeared in a U.S. marketing campaign for the service, which contrasted DAZN's subscription model to traditional pay-per-views.


title: DAZN

text: In September 2018, DAZN's parent company Perform Group underwent a reorganization, with its sports data business spun into a second company known as Perform Content (which was later sold to Vista Equity Partners and merged with STATS LLC in 2019 to form Stats Perform), and its consumer properties (including DAZN itself, as well as several co-owned sports news websites) retained as DAZN Group.


title: DAZN

text: On 17 October 2018, DAZN announced that it had signed a five-year, 11-fight deal with Mexican boxer Canelo Álvarez valued at a minimum of $365 million, beginning with his then-upcoming bout against Rocky Fielding in December for the WBA super middleweight title. Álvarez was previously aligned with HBO, which had announced that it would discontinue boxing broadcasts. The contract overtook Giancarlo Stanton's $325 million contract with the Miami Marlins as the highest-valued contract with a single athlete in sport known at the time (since overtaken by Mike Trout's 10-year, near-$430 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels in 2019, Patrick Mahomes' 12-year, near-$503 million contract with Kansas City Chiefs in 2020, and Lionel Messi's 4-year, near-$673 million contract with FC Barcelona in 2017, revealed in 2021).


title: DAZN

text: In November 2018, Major League Baseball announced a three-year content partnership with DAZN, which includes on-demand highlights, and "ChangeUp"—a live nightly studio program featuring look-ins and analysis. Hosted by former ESPN "Baseball Tonight" anchor Adnan Virk. it was described by executive producer Logan Swaim as stylistically mixing elements of NFL RedZone and his previous role "Good Morning Football", and considered part of a goal to offer more content relating to mainstream, non-combat sports. Just before the start of the 2020 season, DAZN canceled MLB-related programming due to financial stresses caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.


title: DAZN

text: In June 2022, DAZN announced a new deal with British boxer Anthony Joshua. The deal will see DAZN stream the two-time heavyweight champions fights worldwide. Under the terms of the new agreement Joshua will become a shareholder and brand ambassador for DAZN, in a deal that is reportedly worth £100 million. The deal came as prior to his rematch with Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk in Saudi Arabia on the 20th of August.


title: DAZN

text: DAZN launched in Italy in August 2018, with an acquisition of exclusive rights to 114 Serie A matches beginning in the 2018–19 season (with Sky Italia holding rights to 266), and other domestic rights on launch including the European Rugby Champions Cup, "Showtime Championship Boxing", UFC programming, and the World Rally Championship, alongside DAZN's global rights portfolio. The following September, DAZN announced that in order to improve the accessibility of its Serie A rights (especially in regions where internet service quality is insufficient for using DAZN), it would begin to offer a subscription-based linear channel on Sky Italia's satellite service, carrying selected content from the service (including its Serie A rights).


title: DAZN

text: In January 2019, DAZN acquired the rights to broadcast the 2019 AFC Asian Cup in Canada and the United States, beginning with the quarter-finals. In March 2019, DAZN doubled its U.S. monthly cost, but also introduced a new yearly option at a discount.


title: DAZN

text: DAZN launched in Spain in February 2019, becoming its eighth market. The service went live with a roster of exclusive premium sport content including MotoGP, Moto 2 and Moto3 (2019–2022), EuroLeague (2019/20–2022/23), EuroCup and Premier League (2019/20 to 2024/25). Other rights included FA Cup, EFL Cup, Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana, EFL Championship, UFC, Golden Boy, Matchroom Boxing, and PDC Darts.


title: DAZN

text: On 8 March 2019, DAZN signed a three-year, six-fight deal with Gennady Golovkin, under which it would broadcast two fights per-year. The contract also includes two cards per-year from Golovkin's GGG Promotions beginning in 2020. The deal began with his June 2019 bout against Canadian boxer Steve Rolls: Golovkin's promoter explained that the choice of a Canadian boxer was intended to help encourage DAZN subscriptions in the country. Golovkin cited the broadcaster's "global vision" as an influence on the decision.


title: DAZN

text: In May 2019, former ESPN and Fox Sports executive Jamie Horowitz (who was known for having placed a large focus on debate-driven studio programs during his tenures at both networks) became DAZN's head of content. Also that month, the service announced an expansion into Brazil as its ninth market (and first in South America), acquiring rights to the Copa Sudamericana and Campeonato Brasileiro Série C, and other international football competitions among other properties.


title: DAZN

text: In July 2019, DAZN's then CEO Simon Denyer told "Bloomberg News" that the company was interested in pursuing rights to the NFL in the United States to some degree (the NFL Sunday Ticket out-of-market package is currently exclusive to DirecTV). That month, DAZN also reached a syndication deal with Eurosport in Austria, Germany, Italy, and Spain, allowing DAZN subscribers to access live and on-demand sports programming from Eurosport in these regions. In addition, DAZN sub-licensed 45 Bundesliga matches from Eurosport in Germany and Austria over the next two seasons — with 39 exclusive to the service.


title: DAZN

text: On 2 March 2020, DAZN announced that it would expand into 200 additional countries worldwide, with an initial focus on giving wider distribution to its boxing and original content portfolio. The launch was originally scheduled for 2 May 2020, but was rescheduled to 24 July, before ultimately launching on 1 December (coinciding with Ryan Garcia vs. Luke Campbell. DAZN EVP of Global Brand Joe Markowski told "Finder" that the global launch was about "getting a foot in the door", and that further investments (such as domestic broadcast rights) would depend on the service being "taken up in high numbers, and exceeding our expectations. Then [when] we have local content opportunities that make sense for us and our board economically, we're going to really get started."


title: DAZN

text: With the COVID-19 pandemic resulting in widespread suspension of international sport, DAZN stated in late-March 2020 that it would not pay rightsholders for content that had not been delivered under their contracts.


title: DAZN

text: In September 2020, DAZN extended their carriage agreement with Eurosport through August 2023, and added Switzerland to the agreement.


title: DAZN

text: In March 2021, senior adviser to Access Industries and former Walt Disney Direct-to-Consumer & International executive Kevin A. Mayer became the chairman of DAZN, replacing John Skipper.


title: DAZN

text: In June 2021, DAZN announced a five-year agreement with Matchroom Boxing in the UK and Ireland beginning 31 July, ending the promotion's long-term association with Sky Sports. It also announced a four-year global broadcasting deal for the UEFA Women's Champions League (outside of China, the Middle East, and North Africa) under which it will partner with YouTube to simulcast 61 matches during the 2021–22 and 2022–23 seasons (after which YouTube will stream 19 matches per-season, with the remainder exclusive to DAZN).


title: DAZN

text: In February 2022, DAZN began a foray into non-fungible tokens (NFTs) in partnership with Mixi, known as "DAZN Moments", in partnership with the J League. In July 2022, DAZN expanded this operation into a global "DAZN Boxing" NFT marketplace, which is based on highlights from DAZN boxing matches.


title: DAZN

text: In April 2022, DAZN announced a partnership with Pragmatic Group to operate sports betting services under the DAZN Bet banner..


title: DAZN

text: In May 2022, DAZN signed a deal to carry action sports channel Red Bull TV worldwide. DAZN also signed a four event deal with KSI's promotion company 'Misfits Boxing' to distribute influencer boxing matches under the billing "MF & DAZN: X Series" with their first event marked 001 airing on 27 August 2022 exclusively on DAZN PPV.


title: DAZN

text: In September 2022, after an attempted pursuit of British sports network BT Sport, DAZN announced that it would acquire sports broadcaster Eleven Group, expanding its position in parts of Asia and Europe, and in global sports streaming rights and technologies.


title: DAZN

text: DAZN supports online streaming on personal computers, as well as mobile apps on Android and iOS, digital media players and smart TVs, and video game consoles.


title: DAZN

text: In September 2019, Comcast reached a deal with DAZN to offer an app for the service its Xfinity X1 cable boxes, becoming the first U.S. television provider to offer support for the service within their platform.


title: Westworld (season 3)

text: The third season of the American science fiction dystopian television series "Westworld" (subtitled "The New World") premiered on HBO on March 15, 2020, and concluded on May 3, 2020, consisting of eight episodes.


title: Westworld (season 3)

text: The television series was created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, and it is based on the 1973 film of the same name, written and directed by Michael Crichton. The third season stars an ensemble cast led by Evan Rachel Wood, Thandiwe Newton, Jeffrey Wright, Tessa Thompson, newcomer Aaron Paul, and Ed Harris. Vincent Cassel is introduced as the main antagonist.


title: Westworld (season 3)

text: The third season initially received positive reviews from critics, though reception became mixed during the second half. Reviews praised the performances, visuals and change in tone from the first two seasons, but criticized the story, dialogue and pacing, as well as the perceived lack of thematic depth.


title: Westworld (season 3)

text: The third season takes place three months after the events of the second season, with Dolores having escaped Westworld along with a few processing cores ("pearls"), including Bernard's. Taking residence in neo-Los Angeles in 2053, Dolores develops a relationship with Caleb and comes to learn how artificial beings and lower-class humans are treated in the real world. Meanwhile, Maeve finds herself in another part of the Delos park, one based on Fascist Italy during World War II. William, who also left Westworld at the end of the second season, is now haunted by visions of his daughter Emily and Dolores.


title: Westworld (season 3)

text: A third season of the series was announced on May 1, 2018. Production began on April 13, 2019. Parts of filming took place in Downtown Los Angeles and Singapore during June 14, 2019.


title: Westworld (season 3)

text: Additional filming took place over a ten-day period in Singapore around July 2019, which was used to present a version of Los Angeles about 40 years out from the time of the production of the show. Showrunners Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy had considered how they would introduce the "real world" outside of the park in the early days of developing "Westworld". They wanted to go in the opposite dystopian direction that the 1982 film "Blade Runner" had gone and instead show a more optimistic view. The two had seen how Spike Jonze had filmed "Her" in Shanghai as a future Los Angeles, and took inspiration from many of Shanghai's designs. Joy, who had been suggested to shoot in Singapore by her friend and architect Bjarke Ingels, said the city was apt for the show as "It's the ways in which nature entangle with modernity here". The show's main cast, including Wood, Newton, Wright, and Paul had been spotted at several Singapore locations during the shooting period across Pulau Ubin, Chinatown and the Central Business District (CBD) within the city, and included specific landmarks such as the National Gallery Singapore, Esplanade Park, School of the Arts, the Helix Bridge, Marina One, the Parkroyal Hotel, LASALLE College of the Arts, and the Oasia Hotel Downtown. Additional filming took place at the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, Spain.


title: Westworld (season 3)

text: Filming also took place in Los Angeles, using computer-generated imagery to fill in actual buildings from Shanghai, futuristic buildings inspired by those from Shanghai, as well as those from Ingels' unused portfolio. The production team collaborated with Jon Favreau who led the advances in the special effects filming for "The Mandalorian" on how they combined full exterior filming with on-set filming and digital post-production to create virtually expandable sets at these sites as needed. When filming interior shots that took place in Los Angeles, the production team had a mandate to try to show as much of the city skyline as possible through windows or other features. Much of the city's brutalist architecture was also features given how frequently these buildings were repurposed from their original function.


title: Westworld (season 3)

text: While they had been able to film in the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Millard House in Pasadena, as Arnold's home in the second season as it was available on the market, by the time they started filming season three, the home had been sold and they could not arrange filming rights. Instead, they opted to rebuild the home on set for this season. With Ingels' help to negotiation with Ricardo Bofill's son, they were also able to obtain rights to film one day at Bofill's La Fábrica near Barcelona, which stood in for Serac's laboratories and home, though they had to later build additional sets with the building's design principles for later filming. According to production designer Howard Cummings, they wanted to focus on concrete buildings that could look like the result of 3D printing.


title: Westworld (season 3)

text: The structure of the third season is more linear than past seasons, which "Variety" Adam B. Vary said was a "sleek, fleet, "Heat"-style-crime-thriller-with-robots" rather than a "time-twisting structure" from the second season. Nolan and Joy stated that season 3 would have a much more comprehensible story line, with Nolan stating "This season is a little less of a guessing game and more of an experience with the hosts finally getting to meet their makers." However, they also said that they were able to take a more direct narrative approach as, according to Nolan, "We're very lucky in that we're at a place with HBO where they let us make the show we want to make" without having to "dumb the show down".


title: Westworld (season 3)

text: Ramin Djawadi returned as the series composer. An orchestral cover of Guns N' Roses' "Sweet Child o' Mine" was featured in the main trailer and released as a single on February 21, 2020. An orchestral version of Moses Sumney's "Doomed" was featured at the end of the episode "The Absence of Field", alongside the original song. An orchestral version of The Weeknd's "Wicked Games", featured in the episode "The Mother of Exiles", was released as a single on April 5, 2020. The soundtrack album for season 3 was released on May 4, 2020. An orchestral version of "Brain Damage" from Pink Floyd's "The Dark Side of the Moon" was featured at the end of "Crisis Theory", alongside the original song; the song was also used in the first trailer for the season.


title: Westworld (season 3)

text: A first teaser trailer was presented at the 2019 San Diego Comic Con on July 20, 2019. A teaser for season 3 was released on November 9, 2019, presented as a video advertisement for the fictional company Incite, Inc. At the Consumer Electronics Show on January 9, 2020, HBO held a special event hosted by Incite, with "hosts" attending the invited guests' needs.


title: Westworld (season 3)

text: The premiere date for the third season was announced on January 12, 2020, alongside a teaser trailer for the season. The full season's trailer was released on February 20, 2020. Additional teaser videos were found through an alternate reality game via the Incite website that was updated on February 22, 2020.


title: Westworld (season 3)

text: The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports an approval rating of 73% for the season based on 222 reviews, with an average rating of 7.05/10; the average episode score is 76%. The website's critical consensus reads: ""Westworld" succeeds in rebooting itself by broadening its scope beyond its titular amusement park while tightening its storytelling clarity – although some may feel that the soul has been stripped from this machine in the process." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 64 out of 100 based on 22 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".


title: Westworld (season 3)

text: Reviews became increasingly mixed as the season progressed, with the episodes "Genre", "Passed Pawn" and "Crisis Theory" receiving the lowest Rotten Tomatoes approval ratings for the series to date. Reviewers criticized the season for its dialogue, thin characterization, and depiction of the real world, which was said to lack the vastness and depth of the park.


title: Westworld (season 3)

text: CNNs Brian Lowry wrote that "the show has become increasingly incomprehensible, at least for anyone not willing to put in the work trying to remember all the assorted connections, further complicated by the fact that dying in "Westworld" is often not a permanent state of affairs, amid the questions about who's truly human and who actually isn't." Writing for "Entertainment Weekly", Kristen Baldwin gave the series a "B−" and said: "After spending three seasons struggling through maddeningly complicated time-loops, it's time the writers let Dolores, Maeve, and Bernard control-alt-delete themselves" while Darren Franich wrote that series had "lost its way" and gave the season a "C". Reviewing the season finale for IndieWire, Ben Travers said: "Season 3 made a point of stripping away the rest of "Westworld"s building blocks: The park? Left behind. The maze? Gone. But the moral questions meant to keep you invested in the characters largely disappear, too. Season 3 doesn't bother developing its characters because it refuses to let them question the nature of their own reality."


title: Westworld (season 3)

text: For the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards, Thandiwe Newton was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series and Jeffrey Wright was nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. The series received nine additional nominations in creative and technical categories.


title: Sith

text: The Sith are the main antagonists of many works in the fictional universe of the "Star Wars" franchise. They are the antithesis and ancient enemies of the Jedi. The Sith Order is depicted as an ancient monastic and kraterocratic cultist organization of supernaturally gifted Force-wielders driven by a machiavellian-imperialist agenda of galactic domination and revenge against the Jedi Order. The various antagonistic factions in the franchise, namely the Separatist Alliance, the First Galactic Empire, the Imperial Remnant, and the First Order, all originated, either directly or indirectly, from the Sith.