Microsoft Activision Deal Could Bring Harm To UK Gaming Community, Rules Regulator

Ricky Gervais has had his say in the debate surrounding Puffin’s decision to edit Roald Dahl’s books.Last week, the book publisher announced that Dahl’s books were being edited to remove language deemed offensive in order to make sure the books “can continue to be enjoyed by all today”. Words such as “fat” and “ugly: have been completely removed and there have also been alterations made in relation to subjects such as gender, race and mental health.The decision sparked discourse online and in the press about censorship, creative freedom and treating certain creative works with outdated language as a product of its time. Even the Queen Consort weighed in, saying that the edits were the work of “those who may wish to curb the freedom of your expression or impose limits on your imagination”.In response, Gervais took to Twitter to joke about changing his comedy routines for the benefit of the “fragile” and “easily offended”.He captioned a photo of himself looking pensive with the caption: “This is me pondering whether they’ll change any of the words I’ve used in my work after I’m dead, to spare those who are fragile and easily offended.

Ricky Gervais has entered the debate surrounding Roald Dahl’s books for children, which have been edited to remove words like “fat” and “ugly” in their most recent versions. 

Naman Ramachandran Publisher Puffin U.K. will release “The Roald Dahl Classic Collection,” which will have the author’s original texts. “The Roald Dahl Classic Collection” will be available alongside the newly released Puffin Roald Dahl books for young readers, “which are designed for children who may be navigating written content independently for the first time,” Puffin said. “Readers will be free to choose which version of Dahl’s stories they prefer.” Last week, Puffin was in the eye of a storm when it emerged that the works of Dahl, who died in 1990, had been rewritten, with the phrase “enormously fat” edited to just “enormous” and “most formidable female” to “most formidable woman” among numerous other examples from his most famous books. People who opposed the edits include author Salman Rushdie, who described it as “absurd censorship,” and U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Naman Ramachandran A galaxy of A-list talent will participate in SXSW’s inaugural South Asian House initiative. Panel discussion Creating South Asian Content for a Global Audience, will feature actor Rizwan Manji (“Schitt’s Creek”), Emmy-winning producer/writer for Vice, Falguni Adams (“Dateline NBC”) and Apoorva Bakshi, producer of International Emmy-winning series “Delhi Crime,” moderated by CEO of Jingo Media and producer of South Asian House Jitin Hingorani. Another panel, Investing in the Future of Our South Asian Stories, will feature CEO and co-founder of URL Media S. Mitra Kalita and actor Kausar Mohammed (“The Flash”), moderated by co-founder of Box Office Guru Media Gitesh Pandya.

maligned by many, the notorious Roald Dahl word purge could prove a boon to one segment of society: the owners of the original books. “Unedited” versions of the classic children’s novels have reportedly been listed for as much as $7,000 on eBay.This comes after the news broke that Puffin Books — a Penguin Books imprint for children — had tapped so-called sensitivity experts to scrub language they deemed offensive in an effort to appease the “woke” masses.

Microsoft president Brad Smith has said the company doesn’t “see a viable path” to buying Activision Blizzard without its Call Of Duty series, warning regulators that any concessions of the like could “kill” the deal.Currently, the proposed £50billion acquisition is facing resistance from European, US and UK regulators, with a number of watchdogs pushing for Microsoft to make concessions for the deal to pass. One concession suggested by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) was for Microsoft to sell the Call Of Duty series to another buyer.As reported by Eurogamer, Smith attended a press briefing in Brussels yesterday (February 21), where Microsoft defended its attempts at acquiring Activision Blizzard.“We just don’t see a viable path to sell the Activision studio or Call Of Duty game to someone else,” Smith told press.

The language used in the work of writer Roald Dahl has been changed to remove anything that my be deemed offensive. The publisher of Dahl’s work, Puffin books has removed words like “fat” to describe characters and gender neutral terms are also now being used.

It’s a second week at Number 1 for Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical, which continues its reign at the top based on digital download sales only.

Stacey Dooley has been a mum for just over a month now, and on Tuesday the Stacey Sleeps Over presenter shared some news that left her fans excited.The documentary maker is the face of hair colouring and hair case brand Clairol and on Tuesday she shared a new advert from the company that features her. In the short video, Stacey swishes her hair around with other female models, before quipping: "Nice and easy, it's the natural look that I love."WATCH: Stacey Dooley shares first video since welcoming daughter MinnieIn the caption, Stacey shared: "Gaaaaang! SO v excited to share with you what me and @clairol_uk_ire have been working on."She also provided an insight into her life as a new mum, commenting: "Obvs still loving my v own shade Clairol Nice 'n Easy 8WR Golden Auburn which is even more of a lifesaver now I'm about that mum lyf (AND the brand new revitashine treatment leaves my hair stronger and shinier)."READ: Strictly's Kevin Clifton reveals 'guilt' over spending time apart from Stacey Dooley and baby MinnieStacey finished off the post by praising the brand and the other models that featured in the advert, penning: "Honestly, so delighted to continue working with @clairol_uk_ire …and shout out to these amazing laaaaadies….

Ed Meza @edmezavar Spanish producers taking part in a Spanish content showcase at the Berlinale Series Market on Monday debated what was jokingly referred to as the “devil’s bargain” offered by major streaming platforms that are propelling Spanish shows around the globe often at the cost of IP ownership.    Álex de la Iglesia of Madrid-based production powerhouse Pokeepsie Films said the company for years retained the IP of films that played in local cinemas. “We assumed there was no other model. Now, maybe we lose our IP, but suddenly our movies are in the houses of the whole planet. Maybe you have to sell your soul to these ‘diabolical’ platforms,” he joked. “But I can only say that working with the devil is worth it.,” he added.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has joined in the criticism of changes made to classic works by Roald Dahl which came to light over the weekend. Titles like James and the Giant Peach, The BFG, Matilda and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory have been altered by modifying words that are now deemed offensive.

Kevin Clifton, who hails from Grimsby, has been a helping hand - with the star sharing a video of the dancer holding their baby in the background whilst she films for her new show. Read More: Stacey Dooley chats with nine-year-old 'GunTuber' who owns 36 weaponsSharing a little clip of Kevin and baby Minnie on Instagram to her one million followers, Stacey wrote: "My angel [boyfriend] holding the fort so mama can work too.

Publisher Puffin Books, an imprint of Penguin Books, has edited Roald Dahl’s books in an effort to reflect a more inclusive language. Titles like James and the Giant Peach, Matilda and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory have been altered by modifying words that are now deemed offensive.

Stacey Dooley may have given birth just one month ago, but she’s already back to the day job!The documentary maker and TV presenter, 35, welcomed her first child with Strictly Come Dancing’s Kevin Clifton, 39, in January, later confirming they were parents to a baby girl. Named Minnie, they’ve kept their newborn out of the limelight mostly, but Stacey did share a gorgeous video of doting dad Kevin playing with their baby girl on Valentine’s Day.

Naman Ramachandran Editors at Penguin’s children’s imprint Puffin have taken a red pencil to the works of iconic, but divisive British writer Roald Dahl, known for “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and “Matilda” among many others. An extensive report by U.K. newspaper The Telegraph says “language related to weight, mental health, violence, gender and race has been cut and rewritten.” In 1964 novel “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” which has been adapted twice as films in 1971 and 2005, starring Gene Hackman and Johnny Depp respectively, for example, the phrase “enormously fat” has been edited to just “enormous.” The same phrase in 1970 book “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” adapted as an animated film by Wes Anderson with a voice cast of George Clooney and Meryl Streep in 2009, has also been edited to “enormous.”

The Telegraph compared the latest editions by the publisher Puffin to older versions of Dahl’s work and discovered the newer versions edited and/or removed parts of the books that described characters “fat,” “crazy,” “ugly” and “black.”Specifically, “fat” is removed from all of the books, with Augustus Gloop in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” now described as “enormous.” And those orange-ish workers at Willy Wonka’s factory, those Oompa Loompas are no longer “little me;” they are now gender-neutral “little people.” Likewise, the Cloud-Men in “James and the Giant Peach” have become Cloud-People, according to the paper.In 2020, Roald Dahl Story Company and Puffin confirmed they began a review of his books and that any changes made were “small and carefully considered.”“We want to ensure that Roald Dahl’s wonderful stories and characters continue to be enjoyed by all children today,” a spokesperson for Roald Dahl Story Company said at the time. “When publishing new print runs of books written years ago, it’s not unusual to review the language used alongside updating other details including a book’s cover and page layout.”The statement continued, “Our guiding principle throughout has been to maintain the storylines, characters, and the irreverence and sharp-edged spirit of the original text.

Kevin Clifton was very remorseful as he touched upon parenting guilt in a new interview on BBC Morning Live on Friday.The former Strictly Come Dancing star, who is currently starring alongside Maisie Smith in Strictly Ballroom: The Musical, confessed his feelings as he discussed being on the road with his latest project.WATCH: Kevin Clifton opens up about parenting guilt About becoming a first-time father in January, Kevin gushed: "I'm obsessed, I'm absolutely obsessed. We've just completely fallen in love with her."I do feel a little bit guilty sometimes when I'm on the road.

Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton whisked their baby daughter Minnie off to Cornwall for the family's first holiday. Stacey shared some dreamy photos of their accommodation, which included a sprawling garden, giant corner sofa and outdoor shower. She wrote: "We ran away to Cornwall for a week.

Ahead of the SXSW world premiere and the March 31 opening of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Paramount Pictures has closed a multi-year, first look deal with the film’s directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein and their newly formed production company GoldDay under which they’ll write, direct and produce features.   

Paramount has entered a first-look, multi-year deal with GoldDay, the newly formed production company of filmmakers John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein. The “Game Night” and “Vacation” writer-director-producer duo has teamed up with the studio and eOne on “Dungeons & Dragons: Honors Among Thieves,” which hits theaters on March 31.According to a release, GoldDay will focus on “telling unique stories that defy easy genre classification,” with the intention of creating “entertainment that takes viewers on a journey they haven’t been on before.