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One Of The iPhone's Most Beautiful Games Is Flooded With Terrible Reviews After It Starts Charging $2

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Monument Valley wide

"Monument Valley" is one of the most beautiful iPhone games out there, but its newest expansion has fans up in arms.

The issue isn't with the quality of the game, according to Touch Arcade, but with the game's new expansion, which costs $1.99.

"Monument Valley," which won an Apple Design Award this year, has you responsible for guiding the lost Princess Ida through a gorgeous environment of winding structures filled with impossible geometry and hidden passageways.

Monument Valley GIF

The game has received mostly five-star reviews, but "Monument Valley" fans started freaking out when they learned that the game's expansion, "Forgotten Shores," which offers eight new chapters, cost $1.99, even though the expansion almost doubles the size of the game.

Angry fans began flooding the App Store with one-star reviews.

Monument Valley reviews

This reaction is a bit strong considering that "Monument Valley" never promised the expansion would be free and the new chapters are still half as expensive as the original game, which costs $3.99.

The creators of "Monument Valley," ustwo games, took to Twitter to discuss the odd behavior, which was then picked up by Touch Arcade and Daring Fireball's John Gruber. 

The most confusing part of all of this is the double standard expected by the fans of "Monument Valley."

"Monument Valley" is not free to play, so it doesn't offer microtransactions or other pay-to-win features that can annoy players. Instead, "Monument Valley" relies on sales from its game, which it sells for $3.99, and sales from its first expansion, which costs $1.99.

The double standard comes into play when users expect the game to be free, offer no microtransactions, and release expansions free of charge. Unless "Monument Valley" featured ads or sold customer data, there would be no way for the game's creators to make any money.

Luckily for the developers, the added exposure appears to be slowly turning things around, with other "Monument Valley" fans rallying and adding positive reviews.

 You can purchase "Monument Valley" over at the App Store, or watch a trailer for its new "Forgotten Shores" expansion below.

SEE ALSO: Check Out These Breathtaking ‘Living Photos’ Of Iceland Captured By An Adventure Photographer

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Why Taylor Swift Is Wrong About Spotify

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Taylor

Taylor Swift is doing the music business wrong. 

In an interview published this week, Time asked her why she left Spotify. This is what she had to say (emphasis ours): 

Well, they can still listen to my music if they get it on iTunes. I’m always up for trying something. And I tried it and I didn’t like the way it felt. I think there should be an inherent value placed on art. I didn’t see that happening, perception-wise, when I put my music on Spotify. Everybody’s complaining about how music sales are shrinking, but nobody’s changing the way they’re doing things. They keep running towards streaming, which is, for the most part, what has been shrinking the numbers of paid album sales.

With Beats Music and Rhapsody you have to pay for a premium package in order to access my albums. And that places a perception of value on what I’ve created. On Spotify, they don’t have any settings, or any kind of qualifications for who gets what music. I think that people should feel that there is a value to what musicians have created, and that’s that. I wrote about this in July, I wrote an op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal. This shouldn’t be news right now. It should have been news in July when I went out and stood up and said I’m against it. And so this is really kind of an old story.

This is just wrong (and I say that as a HUGE Taylor fan!). What she seems to be saying is that it doesn't matter who pays what. It matters that every consumer feels like they are paying for her music every time they play it. This seems to be what her defenders are saying, as well.

It seems weird to make a business decision based on a feeling. Particularly since Spotify pays the artist for plays, even on the free version of its service (it's a very small fee per stream, and even smaller on the free version of the service, but it exists and it is paid for by free service users having to listen to ads). This is basically exactly like radio, albeit with smaller licensing fees. There are a couple of things here:

First, the artist does get paid per listen, so why does it matter if the consumer "feels" like they are paying for the music? (When I pay for Spotify premium, I "feel" like I'm paying for the ads to go away, not for the songs.)

Second, when you buy an album, you're basically paying $10 for that first listen. Past that, it's free. The artist doesn't get extra money from the person who listens to the song 1 million times versus the person who only listens to it 10 times. When I go home to my parents' house and pick up my old Britney Spears CD and play it for nostalgic reasons, I definitely don't "feel" like I'm paying for that experience. I (okay, my mom) paid for that CD over a decade ago. That $10 is long gone.

Taylor SwiftRegardless of what silly things Taylor Swift says publicly, though, there's a real question about the viability of streaming as a music revenue stream. Can an artist make more selling albums than on streaming? The quick answer, right now and in the past, is probably yes — particularly for huge stars like Taylor Swift.

But streaming is here to stay whether some major artists decide to pull their albums or not. In the current digital climate, it has replaced illegal downloads, not paid album sales. 

Switching gears a little bit here, I really wonder why we as consumers care about how much Taylor makes on album sales. She's making money either way. Streaming is unambiguously better for the consumer. I listen to 10x more music now that I have Spotify, because I can afford to. As a result, I probably also pay for more live show tickets. Roughly as much of my money is going to artists as it was when CDs reigned. But I get a better experience.

The best thing I've seen on this is the interview Marc Andreessen did with Kevin Roose a few weeks ago:

With Spotify, too, we as consumers have more choice than we’ve ever had, but the producers are feeling a squeeze. Part of what worries me about your vision of the future is that it’s treating people as if they’re only consumers and not producers.

No, no, no, no, no. It’s treating people as consumers and producers. The same technology makes people better producers. Are you a better producer today than you would have been without all these new technologies?

Yes, but am I compensated properly if I’m a musician whose song gets a million hits and he gets a check for $6?

That’s when we get down into the sticky situation, which is, is our work actually worth what we think it is?

And what’s the answer?

The answer is, it depends. You look at most of the successful authors now, and they’re doing paid speaking. For musicians, the live-touring business grew four times in the last 15 years. So as digital music has taken reproduction down, as the reproduced version has become abundant, the live experience has become scarce. So touring revenues are way up.

 The music industry is changing. But in a way that's really great for consumers, and not clearly all that bad for artists like Taylor Swift.

SEE ALSO: TAYLOR SWIFT: My Managers Thought My Best-Selling Record Was Going To Be A Huge Mistake

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Analysts: A DreamWorks Animation Merger Makes No Sense For Hasbro

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penguins madagascar

Hasbro is in talks to acquire DreamWorks Animation, according to reports from Deadline and The New York Times. 

As a result, DWA’s stock is soaring early Thursday. 

A merger with Hasbro would be great for the CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg and the studio — its movies have been on an up-and-down roller coaster at the box office — but it’s not clear how it would aid Hasbro, which has seen profits rise because of its Transformers toys and a lucrative deal with Disney that has resulted in popular Marvel and Star Wars lines. 

The company recently announced a film label named AllSpark Pictures (a nod to "Transformers"), but it already has a big lineup of film adaptations in the works for brands including "My Little Pony," "Monopoly," "Candyland," "Magic the Gathering," and "Jem." 

In a note, media analyst Vasily Karasyov of Sterne Agee writes three reasons rumors of a merger between the two companies makes little sense for Hasbro.  

1. DreamWorks Animation is "facing serious challenges"

mr peabody and sherman 

Three of DWA's past five films — "Mr. Peabody & Sherman," "Turbo," and "Rise of the Guardians," — have been flops. When "Rise of the Guardians" performed worse than expected in 2012, it led to layoffs at the studio. Recently, DWA took a $57 million write-down on "Mr. Peabody & Sherman."

Earlier this year, Katzenberg acknowledged the failures of some of the company's movies. In response, Katzenberg said the studio would start to rely on more sequels to its most successful franchises to help turn the studio around.  

While the studio's latest sequel, "How to Train Your Dragons 2," has made over $600 million worldwide, the film's opening weekend disappointed investors as it performed worse than the debuts of DWA's other sequels like "Shrek 2," "Madagascar 2," and "Madagascar 3." 

Karasyov writes that the company's films continue to disappoint. 

"We don't see a plausible argument for why HAS would pay 41% of its current market capitalization for a company which, according to its CEO is facing serious challenges," Karasyov writes. "Films profitability continues to decline and the ramp in consumer product revenue the bulls hoped for isn't coming: the revenue stream is down 21% so far in 2014." 

2. Consumer product revenue is coming from smaller DWA franchises 

Instead of customers latching on to products of some of DWA's most beloved films, including "Shrek," "Kung Fu Panda," "How to Train Your Dragon," and more recent hit "The Croods," Karasyov writes the top three contributors for consumer product revenue in fiscal year 2013 were "Veggie Tales," "Where’s Waldo," and "Noddy." 

The latter is a long-canceled TV series that ran on PBS for two seasons ending in 2000. 

3. DreamWorks Animation’s next movie looks like a bust

penguins of madagascar

Karasyov writes that DWA's coming film "Penguins of Madagascar," a spin-off of its popular "Madagascar" franchise out Nov. 26, doesn't look as if it will be a hit either. 

"Current industry estimates are well below the consensus US box office," Karasyov says. "The Street is expecting $185 mln; industry estimate are at $135 mln.

"The new release 'The Penguins of Madagascar,' according to the company, [is] expected ‘to generate approximately $8 million in total revenue by the end of 2017,'" Karasyov adds. 

Also, analyst Eric Handler at KM Partners wrote a report titled "Multiple Reasons Why a DreamWorks Animation Acquisition Does Not Make Sense."

From the report via THR: 

There is no doubt that Hasbro wants to turn a number of its franchise properties into feature films, but its risk profile would substantially change entering into the volatile movie production business with a company that has not generated positive FCF [free cash flow] in several years and has had trouble making profitable animated films. In addition, a business transformation of this magnitude could have negative implications for Hasbro in its relationship with Disney.

This isn’t the first time DreamWorks Animation has tried to find a buyer. The Japanese company SoftBank was in talks to acquire the company in September, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Deadline also reports that, in a separate deal, DWA is in talks with Hearst to turn the company’s purchase of YouTube content producer AwesomenessTV into a joint venture. DreamWorks Animation purchased AwesomenessTV in May 2013. 

At this point, it looks as if DreamWorks Animation just wants someone to swoop up the company. 

"It appears that the management is actively looking for a buyer for the company so far (and we think ultimately) unsuccessfully," Karasyov writes. "In the meantime, the upcoming slate [of films from DWA] leaves little hope for improved performance."

We have reached out to Hasbro for comment and will update if we hear back.

SEE ALSO: Why DreamWorks Animation Keeps Failing And How It Plans To Bounce Back

AND: Hasbro Is In Talks To Acquire DWA

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Taylor Swift Explains Why She Left Spotify

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Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift doesn't think music streaming services appropriately value her art.

In an interview for Time magazine's cover story this week, Swift commented on her recent decision to pull all of her songs from streaming service Spotify.

She reiterated opinions she voiced in a Wall Street Journal op-ed in July, saying that artists should value their art and make sure that people are paying enough money for it. 

Swift also notes that Spotify could hurt music sales. Music is available for streaming on Spotify even to those who don't pay for a premium subscription.

"[People] can still listen to my music if they get it on iTunes. I’m always up for trying something. And I tried it and I didn’t like the way it felt. I think there should be an inherent value placed on art," Swift told Time.

"I didn’t see that happening, perception-wise, when I put my music on Spotify. Everybody’s complaining about how music sales are shrinking, but nobody’s changing the way they’re doing things. They keep running towards streaming, which is, for the most part, what has been shrinking the numbers of paid album sales.

"With Beats Music and Rhapsody you have to pay for a premium package in order to access my albums. And that places a perception of value on what I’ve created. On Spotify, they don’t have any settings, or any kind of qualifications for who gets what music. I think that people should feel that there is a value to what musicians have created, and that’s that. I wrote about this in July, I wrote an op-ed piece in the Wall Street Journal. This shouldn’t be news right now. It should have been news in July when I went out and stood up and said I’m against it. And so this is really kind of an old story."

Artists generally don't make nearly as much money putting their music on Spotify as they do selling digital albums and songs on services like iTunes.

Spotify says it pays 70% of its revenue to labels — which will amount to about $1 billion this year — but some artists feel they don't get a big enough cut. The streaming service revealed last year that it paid record labels an average of less than a penny per play, and that's just the money going to labels, not the artists themselves.

Scott Borchetta, the CEO of Swift's record label Big Machine, told Time on Wednesday that the label earned only $500,000 from domestic streaming on Spotify in the past year. Spotify told Time that the amount the service paid for streams of Swift's music in the past year was actually $2 million if you account for global streams as well as domestic.

But it's unclear how much of that money Swift saw herself. Spotify paid the $2 million to Universal, which holds the rights to Swift's music, and then her label Big Machine got a cut.

SEE ALSO: Here's How Much Taylor Swift Made In One Year From Streaming On Spotify

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There's A Kim Kardashian Of France — And She's Been Arrested For Attempted Murder

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Nabilla Benattia

Just down the street from the magnificent Palace of Versailles is a small women’s prison, la maison d’arrêt de Versailles. It began life as a holding house for prostitutes, but soon expanded to include “all types of offenders,” and now counts among its ranks the number-one reality star in France.

Charged this weekend with attempted murder, TV personality and model Nabilla Benattia has a cell in the maison d’arrêt all to herself, after the examining judge deemed the 22-year-old a “sensitive prisoner.”

Benattia reportedly received treatment for shock after the stabbing of her boyfriend, Thomas Vergara, at a hotel outside Paris last Thursday. But perhaps more importantly her beauty and high-flying lifestyle “could awaken jealousies within the establishment,” reported the French outlet RTL, which reminded readers that, “her fellow inmates do watch television.”

That’s because for almost two years now, Benattia has been an inescapable presence in France, where she is widely referred to as la Kim Kardashian française—the French Kim Kardashian. Like Kardashian, Benattia has long, dark hair, is curvaceous, and is utterly inescapable in the media.

RELATED: Amy Poehler on Atticus Finch, her children, and Doritos 

She first shot to fame as a cast member on Les Anges de la téléréalité (The Reality-TV Angels) in early 2013. Then in its fifth season, the show put pretty French millennials into a Florida apartment and charged them with finding stardom in the U.S.A. In a house of aspiring singers, actors, and models, Benattia’s dreams were by far the most modern: “I want to become an ‘It’ girl in the U.S.A.,” she said. She idolizes Kardashian, and as a surprise for Benattia’s birthday, Kardashian dropped by the house briefly to offer some tips. There is filmed evidence of the meet-strange, Benattia towering over the petite and pregnant Kardashian in bright yellow platform heels, tears of joy drying upon her cheeks.

A few weeks later, events conspired to grant Benattia’s wish . . . in France. An episode of Les Anges aired in which Benattia entered into a bizarre monologue about two of her Miami housemates. She berated them for not bringing shampoo to the house while speaking into a pinky-finger telephone. “Non, mais allô quoi,” she said (Valley Girl French for “Um, hel-looo”). “Allô? Ah-llô? You’re a girl and you don’t have any shampoo? I don’t know, are you receiving me? It’s as if I were to tell you, I’m a girl, but I don’t have any hair!”

The segment went viral in France, sparking a meme, as well as trademarks of the phrase “Non, mais allô quoi!,” a move straight out of the smart reality-star’s playbook. IKEA used the phrase (“You’re a chair, and you don’t have any cushions?!”), and there was a parade of magazine covers and talk-show appearances, along with the qualifier la Kim Kardashian française. Benattia even walked the runway for celebrated French fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier.

RELATED: Anne Hathaway Remembers Meryl Streep Icing Her Out on The Devil Wears Prada Set 

Soon, she was given her own reality show, Allô Nabilla, which has filmed in glamorous locations like Los Angeles, Paris, and Tokyo.

The central storyline of Allô Nabilla is Benattia’s relationship with Vergara, a Les Anges cast member she courted during taping, a few months before viral fame hit. As an aspiring model in Miami, Les Anges showed Vergara struggling to make an impression at agency go-sees. But when Benattia’s star began to rise, so did his. Stylish as a Gallic David Beckham, he is constantly photographed at red-carpet events. He recently appeared in a campaign with Benattia for Blooshop, and he has his own line of clothing and accessories. The last season of Allô Nabilla ended with Vergara proposing to Benattia on a romantic evening in Marrakesh.

According to Le Monde, the perfect love story was thrown into chaos around 2:30 A.M. last Friday morning, with a distress call from Benattia’s apartment outside Paris. When firemen arrived, they found Vergara had been stabbed several times in the chest. He was taken to Georges-Pompidou Hospital in a serious condition, where he is still recovering. Some reports say staff said they heard shouting coming from Benattia and Vergara’s room.

Initially, Benattia told police that they had been attacked by three individuals outside the hotel. But video surveillance footage did not back up her story. There was no footage of an attack, and no blood on the pavement. Or in the lobby, for that matter. The couple were separated for questioning, and tested for drugs and alcohol.

RELATED: The One Thing You Won’t See from Jamie Dornan in Fifty Shades of Grey

Benattia claims Vergara had taken cocaine during the evening; she reportedly tested negative for drugs and alcohol. Separated from her lover, Benattia then told police that Vergara had actually stabbed himself in the scuffle, after a reaction to the drugs. But on Sunday November 9, the police department of Nanterre charged Benattia with second-degree attempted murder.

In front of the examining judge, Benattia presented a third version of events. She said that Vergara had hit her, several times, after taking drugs, and that she feared for her life. She is represented by a M Martin Desrues, a lawyer chosen reportedly for his lack of “bling bling,” according to Nabilla’s communications officer, who thought it better for her image. Le Parisien reports that the knife was found with Vergara’s fingerprints on it.

But an incident earlier in the summer complicates things. In August, Vergara presented at a hospital in the south of France with a knife wound to his back. According to Closer, he told staff he had “fallen on a kitchen knife.” Closer, the French gossip magazine best known in the English-speaking world for publishing invasive, nude photographs of the Duchess of Cambridge, obtained photographs of Vergara in the Aix-en-Provence hospital. In one, he can be seen relaxing outside on a balcony with Benattia. In another, he is wearing an open-back hospital gown that reveals a bandage across his lower back. An inquiry into that incident may be opened now.

RELATED: Reese Witherspoon Would Prefer That You Don’t Call Her “Likable” 

In an interview with a Swiss newspaper last January, which has since come back to haunt her, Benattia explained the ups and downs of her relationship with Vergara. “When we fight, it’s explosive,” she said. “Me, I throw vases. There have been breakages in hotel rooms. But if he was violent with me, I would already have left to save myself.” She also answered questions about jealousy and relationships. “I am the worst at being jealous!” she said. “It’s unhealthy.”

“Up to checking his SMS?” asked the interviewer.

“No. But if I caught my dude cheating on me, I would stab him with a knife,” she said.

As l’affaire Nabilla dominates French tabloids, Vergara has still not pressed charges. This may shift in light of Benattia’s claims that she acted in self-defense. Either way, the couple’s coyness and shifting statements sufficiently annoyed the police department of Nanterre to release a public statement. They floated the possibility that “a confrontation between the two protagonists could have been organized,” and that Benattia and Vergara acted in ways to obstruct justice.

Benattia's reality now includes up to 30 years in prison if she is convicted on the attempted murder charge.

 

SEE ALSO: Here's Who's Behind Kate Middleton's Bold New Looks

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How My Coworkers And I Ended Up Trapped In A Room With A Zombie

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trapped in a room with a zombie

I frantically put the final number into the lock combination and pulled the latch free right as a pale hand fatally grabbed my leg. I was dragged to my doom by a ravenous zombie, but the chest was opened for my teammates to inspect, in hopes they could find another clue leading to their freedom. I died a hero's death (at least that's how I like to see it).

This was all part of an unusual team-building exercise seven of my colleagues and I participated in last week in New York, called "Trapped in a Room with a Zombie" and produced by Room Escape Adventures. We were team War Room, inspired by the original name of the Business Insider Strategy vertical.

It ended up being a fun and unique experience that forced us out of our routine, broke down the team's hierarchy, and gave us a great story to tell.

The premise is that your team is locked in a small room with 60 minutes to escape. You need to figure out a way to gather clues from around the room and determine the final five-direction combination that will bring your team to freedom. All the while, an actor dressed up as a zombie is chained at the front of the room, crawling along the floor and growling.

trapped in a room with a zombietrapped in a room with a zombie

Every five minutes the zombie's chain is unraveled a bit more, giving them a better chance to chase you down. If the zombie tags you, you're sent to the "Dead Zone," a corner of the room where you can yell out hints to your team but can't move.

The storyline goes something like this: A doctor became infected with a zombie virus and locked themself in a room to keep humanity safe — except that your team becomes locked in there, too, and you have to solve the puzzles the doctor created to escape the room and avoid the zombie.

The room itself had relatively low production value, consisting of a bunch of old furniture, splattered red paint, and various odds and ends.

Solving the puzzles involved overturning drawers, looking for keys, decoding riddles, and running from the zombie.

It was really anyone's game. Our team manager, senior strategy editor Jenna Goudreau, was the first to fall to the zombie, and our intern Emmie Martin emerged as a leader, solving many of the puzzles. Whenever we struggled, our guide, associate producer Mallory Wu, would give us silent guidance by pointing in the direction we needed to look.

She told us that hosts, like herself, and zombies are trained to adjust how much help to offer depending on how the team is working on its own. The fastest team solved every puzzle and escaped the room in 52 minutes and 38 seconds, and Wu said she barely helped them.

We seemed to have an exceptionally high handicap, and still didn't manage to escape in time.

We were the 150th team to fail; though it was somewhat comforting that only 42 teams have successfully escaped, or about 22% of all participants.trapped in a room with a zombie

Wu told us at the end of the experience that we could have benefitted from a more concrete approach rather than having one or two people take the lead for any given puzzle while others looked on. She explained the remaining steps we needed to take, which I estimate would have taken at least a full 15 minutes more to solve. If our experience is any indication, only Martin would survive a zombie apocalypse.

Our team hasn't used any of our newfound puzzle-solving strategies in the office, but we did have a chance to see that any of us can step up to get things done for each other when the clock is ticking, whether or not the undead are coming for us.

And even though we were a bit dysfunctional as a puzzle-solving unit, it was a pretty great way to spend a Friday afternoon. As we discussed our experience over drinks afterward, we realized that we now all share a ridiculous story to tell, which on its own is worth taking the challenge.

trapped in a room with a zombie

trapped in a room with a zombie

Room Escape Adventures is one of many "real-life room escape" companies springing up in North America, Europe, and Asia, a trend that began in Europe a few years ago.

Marty Parker added Room Escape Adventures to his team-building experience company Bucket List Productions last year in Chicago. He opened the New York location that we visited this past June, and a second Manhattan location in September.

We were provided complementary tickets to Trapped in a Room with a Zombie and asked to refrain from sharing photos of puzzle clues or the zombie. Tickets normally go for $28 per person. Parker says the company has sold about 3,700 tickets to date, which works out to around $100,000 in sales, between the two New York locations.

He says he got the idea for his spin on a room escape production when his mind drifted while driving home after putting on a Bubble Palooza event.

"I laughed so hard at the concept of watching people run around a room like a 'Scooby-Doo' episode trying to communicate with each other while avoiding a zombie, that I almost wrecked my truck!" he says.

SEE ALSO: Billionaire Investor Ray Dalio Explains How To Avoid Micromanaging

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Jerry Seinfeld's One Great Trick For 'Talking To Regular People'

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comedians in cars getting coffee jerry seinfeld amy schumar

In the latest episode of the popular web series "Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee" released today, Jerry Seinfeld takes Amy Schumer for a ride in a Ferrari before settling into some serious conversation at a New York City diner.

When Schumer admits she is sometimes uncomfortable during "meet and greets" with people, Seinfeld gives her one piece of advice.

"Here's my trick for talking to people — numbers!" Seinfeld says seriously, "Ask them questions to which the answer is a number."

When Schumer asks "Why numbers?" Seinfeld explains:

"There's always an answer. This is Seinfeld's secret technique for talking to regular people — 'How long have you lived here? What time do you start work? When did you do that?'"

Schumer, catching on, adds: "How many of your grandparents are alive? What age were you when you lost your virginity?"

Of sometimes feeling socially awkward, Seinfeld explains that, "as a comedian, the world has a transparent quality to you, you see through everything and spend all of your time trying to cogitate."

The two comedians also discussed what it's like dating an alcoholic.

“Have you ever dated an alcoholic?” Schumer asks Seinfeld, who says yes. “Was it fun for a while? And then it’s like, oh, this is actually pretty dark. I’m wondering what it’s like to date me.” She then reveals: “In actuality I will have like two glasses of wine a couple times a week and I feel really bad about it.”

Watch the full webisode here.

SEE ALSO: Jerry Seinfeld Wrote A Great Thank-You Note To Mark Zuckerberg For His Web Show's Surprising Success

MORE: Jerry Seinfeld Gives 2 Smart Pieces Of Career Advice

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The Video Games That Atari Buried In A Landfill Are For Sale On eBay

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atari cartridge.JPG"E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" came out in 1983 for the Atari 2600, and was a total flop.

Legend had it that Atari was so embarrassed by the failure, it went to the New Mexico desert and buried the unsold cartridges there, hopefully erasing the failure from everyone's mind.

But nobody knew for certain that the cartridges were there until in April, Microsoft went to the site and dug them out. Millions of cartridges were unearthed, and the legend was put to rest. 

Now those cartridges are available on eBay.

The city of Alamogordo, New Mexico, is auctioning them off, and if you hurry, you can snag a copy of one of Atari's biggest embarrassments for around $100, all the way up to more than $800

SEE ALSO: Nintendo is making one huge mistake

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One Of The Hottest Video Games Has Some Hilarious Glitches

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The latest game in Ubisoft's flagship "Assassin's Creed" series, "Assassin's Creed Unity," was released this week. And so far, it's been anything but smooth sailing.

Right away players reported a bunch of glitches which almost made the game unplayable. 

The worst part is that a lot of these errors came even after Ubisoft issued a huge 1 GB patch on day 1. The situation is a shame, because the imagery in the game, which is set in Paris during the Revolution, is absolutely stunning if it worked properly.

Ubisoft has since promise to release even more patches to fix a lot of the issues, according to GameSpot. 

But until that happens, players have taken to social media to post some of the horrors they're seeing in the game

And some of them are unbelievably hilarious. 

Check out some of the glitches below (very minor spoilers):

Assassin's Creed glitch

Assassin's Creed glitch

This is what Arno's father is supposed to look like.

Arno's father

Something went terribly wrong here.

Assassin's Creed glitch

That's supposed to be Elise, Arno's adoptive sister. Yikes. 

Elise Assassin's Creed

Assassin's Creed glitch

Assassin's Creed glitch

This seems like a terrible way to die: 

Assassin's Creed glitch

Even young Arno is missing his face in this scene. 

Assassin's Creed Unity glitch

This isn't the first time a game has included some hilarious glitches, of course. Just last month, players found some hilarious surprises when they tried to scan their faces in "NBA 2K15."

(Via Game Informer)

SEE ALSO: Nintendo Is Making One Huge Mistake

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'The Osbournes' Is Back

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The Osbournes

VH1 is bringing back what certainly must be one of the most famous reality shows of all time, "The Osbournes," according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The series featuring Ozzy, Sharon, Jack, and Kelly Osbourne is being revived by VH1. Sharon Osbourne has said the show will most likely come back for six or eight episodes.

"The Osbournes" went off the air a decade ago, so it's a good bet that things have changed significantly in the family. As the Hollywood Reporter notes, the series got an Emmy in 2002 and in its first year it was cited as the most-viewed series ever on MTV at that time.

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'The Onion' Might Be Looking To Sell

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onion cover

Popular satirical news website 'The Onion" has hired a financial adviser for a possible sale, according to Bloomberg.

They're apparently working with investment bank GCA Savvian. Bloomberg reached out to Steve Hannah, "The Onion's" chief executive officer who wouldn't comment on the situation.

As Bloomberg notes, "The Onion" was founded as a magazine by students from the University of Wisconsin at Madison in 1988. Eventually they moved to digital-only, and their satirical news content is spread across several websites and YouTube channels. A fund manager, David Schafer, bought the company in 2003.

 

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12 Movie Sequels That Took 10 Years Or More To Hit Theaters

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Dumb and Dumber To

"Dumb and Dumber To" finally opens in theaters this weekend.

The sequel to the 1994 Farrelly brother's hit reunites original costars Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels on screen 20 after the initial hit.

"Dumb and Dumber" is one of the most recent films to receive the belated-sequel treatment. In the next few years, even more "Star Wars," “Toy Story," and “Terminator” movies will be coming our way.

But just because Hollywood is bringing back a classic, doesn't mean it will be a hit the second (or third or fourth) time around.

We've rounded up 12 other movie sequels that have taken more than a decade to come to theaters, in order from least amount of time between films to most.

This post was originally written by Keertana Sastry with additional reporting by Frank Pallotta.

“The X Files: I Want to Believe” came out 10 years later in 2008.

A decade after the cult success of the first “X Files” movie, creator Chris Carter reteamed with Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny as Scully and Mulder for the sequel.

What should have been an exciting and tense adventure — the plot involved a priest that had visions of grisly crimes — became difficult to understand and ridiculously dull. The only thing it had going for it was the remaining chemistry between its main stars. The movie pulled in $68 million at the box office.



“Men in Black III” came out a decade after the second film in 2012.

It took J (Will Smith) and K (Tommy Lee Jones) 10 years to return to the secret alien fighting division after a lackluster sequel in 2002.

The third film in the series changed up the "MIB" fomula by introducing time travel and a great Tommy Lee Jones impression by Josh Brolin who played a younger version of Jones's character. Reviews were pretty positive and the film became one of the highest-grossing movies of 2012 with over $624 million worldwide.



We had to wait 11 years for “Toy Story 3” to come out in 2010.

"Toy Story 3" was released 11 years after the successful "Toy Story 2." Both Tom Hanks and Tim Allen reprised their roles of Woody and Buzz Lightyear along with the introduction of many new characters.

For fans and critics alike, the film became arguably the best in the series with it becoming one of the highest-animated films of all time and winning Best Animated Feature at the 2010 Academy Awards. Pixar is going to try their luck again with the franchise with "Toy Story 4" in 2017.



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The Iconic Mansion From 'The Godfather' Is On Sale For $2.9 Million

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Don Corleone Godfather house_edited 1

The Staten Island mansion made famous by the Corleone family in "The Godfather" is on sale for $2.9 million.

The mansion was the location for several famous scenes in the 1972 film, like Connie Corleone's wedding and Don Corleone's memorable "You ask me to do murder" scene.

The house was originally built in 1930 for former Staten Island borough president Joseph Palma.
"Godfather" actor Gianni Russo from the film showed the house to producers because he grew up down the street.

The five-bedroom, four-bathroom house has been renovated with more modern furniture and brighter colors, and the backyard now sports a pool. There are custom moldings throughout the house, and the basement now boasts an English pub.

Despite a gut renovation of the property in 2012, the outside of the house still has the English Tudor style with a very green yard.

 



The backyard now has a pool.



The 6,248-square-foot home sits on grounds measuring 24,000 square feet.



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We Asked LL Cool J What He'd Do With $1 Million

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Nearly 30 years since his debut album Radio, entertainer LL Cool J remains one of the most consistently successful multi-hyphenates in the industry. In 2009, he joined the cast of the CBS drama NCIS: Los Angeles, which is now in its fifth season. The show also runs in syndication on the USA Network, which provides the star with another substantial source of income.

We interviewed LL Cool J in his Hollywood production office and asked him how he'd invest a check for $1 million.

Produced by Graham Flanagan

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'Whiplash' Is So Good Audiences Are Giving It A Standing Ovation

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whiplash jk simmons miles teller

From the very opening shot, as the camera tracks forward towards our young drummer, "Whiplash" thrusts the audience right into its world without any formal introductions. When an imposing figure enters the space and tests the young man's skill, his comments quickly become sarcastic and critical, and the young man is left to question whether he blew it or not. 

The young man is aspiring drummer Andrew Neyman (Miles Teller) and the imposing figure is Mr. Fletcher (J.K. Simmons), a notoriously harsh but well-respected, world-renowned music teacher at the (fictional) Shaffer Conservatory of Music. We soon learn that Fletcher's harsh dismissal featured in the opening scene was no fluke; it's all a part of his teaching style. As the film progresses, we get an in-depth look at the complicated relationship between the student and his teacher and learn what it takes to become the best at something.

"Whiplash" is a simple and familiar story elevated by two spectacular performances and the sheer energy and immediacy of the film's editing. The camerawork is lively and the way the film is cut to the beat of its own drum (quite literally) essentially screams at the audience that its not to be ignored. The tension between Fletcher and Andrew throughout is expertly handled; we aren't quite sure whether to praise Fletcher's approach or chastise him for it. 

By the end credits, you'll want to stand up and cheer, and the packed house I saw it with at Regal Union Square on a Sunday night did just that — almost everyone in the theater stuck around through the end credits to give the film a proper ovation. 

whiplash posterJ.K. Simmons has always been one of my favorite character actors, and it's amazing to see him finally step into such a commanding leading role. As soon as he steps into a scene, all eyes would be on him if they weren't glued to the floor in fear. His on-screen presence is the very definition of intense, yet there are still tons of laughs to be had via his unorthodox MO. I can only picture one or two scenes in the entire film where he's not screaming horrible insults at Andrew or one of his bandmates, but it's all for the greater good. Simmons is vicious, unapologetic, inspiring and effortlessly hilarious all at once in the role, and it has Oscar gold written all over it.

I've been a huge fan of Miles Teller ever since 2010's "Rabbit Hole" and he completely blew me away in last year's "The Spectacular Now." "Whiplash" gives Teller his best shot at stretching his proverbial muscles yet, and he delivers. His performance as Andrew is everything it needs to be as he toes the line between confidence and total insecurity. His artistic drive shows through, and when Andrew tells his soon-to-be-ex-girlfriend that he must leave her because he wants to be "one of the greats" and she will only slow him down, we believe him. While he certainly gets fed up with Fletcher's methods, it doesn't take him long to realize that Fletcher is only pushing him so hard because he wants him to succeed. It's a brave performance that is the best of his young career, proving that this is just the beginning for Teller.

Early on in the film, Fletcher tells the story of legendary jazz musician Charlie Parker and how Jo Jones once threw a cymbal at his head when he made a mistake, nearly decapitating him. Fletcher's entire demeanor seems to be a direct response to this legend, as he hurls furniture, violently curses and otherwise gets into his student's heads through borderline inappropriate means. 

jk simmons whiplashThe audience is left to ponder what makes somebody a master of their craft; is it inherent, or do barbaric techniques like those employed by Fletcher really make the man? While the question is up to the audience to answer, it's hard to walk away from the film feeling anything but inspired and ready to take on the world. 

The most impressive thing about "Whiplash" is that it takes a story that could have been boring (an exploration of the relationship between mentor and mentee) and makes it one of the most intense, compelling, and visceral experiences of the year. Simmons, Teller and director Damien Chazelle have crafted something special that has to be seen to be believed. 

"Whiplash" is now playing in theaters nationwide.

SEE ALSO: 'Birdman' Starring Michael Keaton Is The Best Movie Of The Year

MORE: Bill Murray Is The Only Redeeming Factor In His New Movie 'St. Vincent'

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MTV Star Diem Brown Dead At 32

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Diem BrownMTV reality star Diem Brown, who rose to fame on "Real World/Road Rules Challenge," died Friday morning in New York City surrounded by loved ones after a long battle with cancer. She was just 32.

Brown first battled ovarian cancer in 2003, at age 23, and suffered a recurrence in 2012. Last month, she revealed the news that the cancer that had been found in her stomach and colon and had spread to her liver and lymph nodes. 

Despite her brutal battle, Brown always remained extremely positive and documented her journey on Instagram for her nearly 145,000 followers.

In her Instagram bio, Brown wrote: "God keeps testing my strength, MTV gave me a platform & my heart found it's calling MedGift.com."

Just three days ago, Brown was still fighting for her life, asking for prayers and advice:

 

"I want people to know that the fight is worth it," she told People in October. "And that's something that's so important for me." 

"It's my personal perspective that you live as hard and as vigorously as you can," she said last month. "My goals are something I believe in, because I believe I'm going to make it. I'm going to have a family and get married and the whole American, 2½ kids, white-picket fence dream. It's something that's really important to me, because it means a long-term future." 

SEE ALSO: 'The Big Bang Theory' Actress Dies At 62

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The Top 50 Video Games Of All Time — RANKED

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It's hard to pick favorites when it comes to video games. As with movies and books, one's preference for video games is deeply personal. 

But that didn't stop us from rounding up the top 50 video games of all time.

We did have some parameters, however, when choosing the games: This list includes console video games, spanning from the 1980s to today, and includes only games from more-modern consoles (sorry, Atari and ColecoVision fans!). In most instances, we chose an entire franchise or series of games, rather than just one, as our favorite. 

We also took into consideration Metacritic scores, user reviews, as well as our own personal experience to choose the games on this list. 

The good news is that many of these games were either re-released or are still around in some form, whether on eBay, Amazon, or through virtual consoles like that of the Wii U. 

50. "Disney Infinity"

Release date: Aug. 18, 2013

Platforms: Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation 3, Wii, Wii U, Xbox 360

Buy it here.

"Infinity" isn't just an action-adventure game. It incorporates actual figurines from Disney and Pixar movies that interact with what's on the screen. There's a linear storyline, as well as an "open sandbox" environment, where all the different figures can play at the same time. And with the release of "Disney Infinity 2.0," Marvel comic superheroes have been added to the mix.

"Disney Infinity" is also responsible for resurrecting Disney's dying video game unit, Disney Interactive. 



49. "Star Fox 64"

Release date: 1997

Platform: Nintendo 64

This scrolling shooter was one of the top-selling games of 1997, and it's easy to see why. Players took on the role of Fox McCloud over 15 levels, with multiplayer support. It was the first game to support the Nintendo 64's Rumble Pak accessory. 

For those missing the action, a Nintendo 3DS version was released in 2011, called "Star Fox 64 3D." You can buy it here. 



48. "Silent Hill" (franchise)

Original release date: Jan. 31, 1999

Platform: PlayStation, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, XboxXbox 360, Wii, PlayStation Vita

Buy it here.

Unlike so many horror games that try to make you jump out of your seat, Konami's survival horror series has long relied on psychological terrors to keep gamers coming back. Each game of the franchise is set in the foggy, fictitious American town of "Silent Hill," where players are often forced to face monsters that are actually real-world manifestations of the unconscious mind. The next game in the series, called "Silent Hills," will be out next year, but you can check out the game's playable teaser on the PlayStation 4 now.



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'Batman V Superman' Will Reportedly Include This One Iconic Batman Scene

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ben affleck batman vs superman bat symbolWarning: There are potential spoilers ahead about "Batman V Superman."

If there's one thing most people know about Batman, it's the Caped Crusader's origin story.

For those who may not be familiar, *mini-spoiler* a young Bruce Wayne's parents are murdered point blank in front of him in a dark alleyway after attending a screening of "The Mask of Zorro." *mini-spoiler*

Naturally, every time a new incarnation of the Caped Crusader comes to screen, whether on TV or in movies, there's always the opportunity to film this monumental scene over again. We've seen it revisited and reimagined so many times that when Fox's TV show "Gotham" premiered, Vulture put together a supercut of all the times we've watched Batman's origin story on screen.

Well, it looks like we'll be seeing the scene once again in "Batman V Superman." 

Comicbook.com noticed fan Dan Marcus has been posting photos and videos on Instagram from the film's Chicago set and it looks like we're in for a flashback to another young, teary-eyed Bruce Wayne.

Sorry Batfans, nothing is sacred.

Here are a few of the photos below. You can check a lot more photos from the set on Marcus's Instagram, here.

They are actually using "The Mark of Zorro"! #BatmanvSuperman #bvschicago

A photo posted by Dan Marcus (@danimalish) on Nov 11, 2014 at 12:08pm PST

Filming resumes tonight. #BatmanvSuperman #bvschicago

A photo posted by Dan Marcus (@danimalish) on Nov 11, 2014 at 2:48pm PST

The Wayne's. #batmanvsuperman #bvschicago

A photo posted by Dan Marcus (@danimalish) on Nov 11, 2014 at 7:50pm PST

One interesting takeaway is the use of "The Mask of Zorro." 

Comic fans will notice it's the same film that shows up in Frank Miller's classic graphic novel "The Dark Knight Returns," revolving around an older Bruce Wayne who comes out of retirement to don the cape and cowl once again.

the dark knight returns batman zorro

Director Zack Snyder has previously said he will not adapt the four-part graphic novel but he has reportedly met up with Miller previously to discuss "The Dark Knight Returns."

When the film was first announced at San Diego Comic-Con in 2013, Snyder said the graphic novel “will help tell that story.”

"Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice" will be released in theaters March 25, 2016.

SEE ALSO: The first "Batman V Superman" trailer is coming soon

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Kim Kardashian And Kanye West Are Already Flipping Their New $20 Million LA Mansion

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That was fast.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are selling the 8,000-square-foot French country-style home they purchased for a reported $19.75 million in August, Curbed LA reports.

The mansion just reappeared on real estate listing site Zillow with a $19.99 million price tag.

The home, which was formerly owned by Lisa Marie Presley, includes eight bedrooms, 10 bathrooms, two swimming pools, two spas, and even a vineyard on its three acre property.   

"I am so ready to be out of my mom's house, you have no idea," Kim told People magazine in August. "We wanted to be away and have more privacy ... but it will be nice to still be close." 

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West bought an $11 million mansion last year in Bel-Air — but decided to sell it because they wanted more space. Apparently their $20 million Hidden Hills estate wasn't spacious enough.

 

 



The 8,000-square-foot estate is located on 3 acres of land right down the street from Kim's mom's house, where the couple had previously been staying with baby North.



The home — which boasts a very grand entrance —was previously owned by Elvis' daughter, Lisa Marie Presley.



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'A Most Violent Year' Is A Gripping Take On The American Dream

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"A Most Violent Year" may be slow, but it's never dull. With his third feature, J.C. Chandor has crafted a beautiful, subtle film that functions both as an absorbing drama and a thoughtful examination of the adage "desperate times call for desperate measures."

The film is quite deliberately set in New York City, 1981, allegedly the most brutal year on record for violent crimes in the city. It follows Abel Morales (Oscar Isaac doing his best "Young Al Pacino" impression) and his wife Anna (Jessica Chastain, who is excellent but mostly relegated to the sideline here) through the toughest month of their lives.

Abel is a budding entrepreneur and the owner of a heating oil company, and the film opens with Abel striking a lucrative deal for a property that has the power to take his business to the next level. The deal, however, is contingent on Abel coming up with the $1.5 million in 30 days, which may not have been a problem at a different time but is a huge threat now considering Abel's drivers are getting robbed like clockwork and the city's DA is actively bringing charges against his business for corrupt practices. 

While Abel isn't exactly innocent, he's a truly honorable man doing the best the can. His wife is a gangster's daughter, and ever since Abel took over the company from her corrupt family, the DA can't seem to keep his nose out of their operation. Abel's philosophy, as he so deftly puts it, is that "the result is never in question, just the path you take to get there."

Abel believes there are always two paths that lead to the same result, and one of those paths is "most right." Despite his wife's insistence to continue cooking the books (she has an "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mentality regarding organized crime), Abel is resolute in making it to the top of his industry through his own hard work and determination. Despite the constant hardships thrown his way, Abel consistently does all he can to excel and be successful.

a most violent year 2The film's brutally honest take on the American Dream is refreshing and thought-provoking. The audience is asked to mediate on what it takes to become a success and question how big a role corruption and compromise play in the matter. The film's grimly twisted finale is pure cinema at its finest — it's scary, exciting, and engaging but also intellectually stimulating. 

The performances in the film are all top-notch, and Oscar Isaac turns in his second Award-worthy performance in two years. He may have been royally snubbed at last year's Academy Awards, but his performance in the Coen Brothers' "Inside Llewyn Davis" is about as good as it gets. His take on Abel in "A Most Violent Year" is the polar opposite of Llewyn — the man has some serious range.

What's so exciting about the role is how gradually his true character is revealed; we are never quite sure what Abel is capable of so each scene drips with dramatic tension. As the story progresses, we learn more about his values, and by the end of the picture, we have watched him blossom and become fully realized. When given a chance, Chastain is a scene stealer, but she simply doesn't have enough to do here. The legendary Albert Brooks (who was terrific in 2011's "Drive") shines in an almost unrecognizable turn as Abel's lawyer. 

Besides the stellar performances, the photography, editing, and meticulous pacing help make the film incredibly efficient. The period look and costume design mesh perfectly with the cinematography, and Chandor has proven yet again that he is a top-notch director and really makes every shot count.

a most violent year 1There are a couple of suspenseful action sequences thrown in the mix that should be totally jarring in context but are so masterfully handled that they work. There's an emotional depth attached to the action, as the audience is pulling for Abel and wants him to succeed, which makes the scenes that much more impactful.

While it definitely features some of the best performances of the year, the film itself feels too understated and not flashy enough (think "The Master" and "Inside Llewyn Davis") to garner any serious attention from the Academy. It will likely get the performance nominations, but not much else. That being said, "A Most Violent Year" is so rich and deeply layered that it will receive plenty of rave reviews and stand the test of time. 

Watch the trailer below.

SEE ALSO: Jake Gyllenhaal Goes Psycho In His Dark New Movie 'Nightcrawler'

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