title: Internet pornography

text: The Internet is an international network and there are currently no international laws regulating pornography; each country deals with internet pornography differently. Generally, in the United States, if the act depicted in the pornographic content is legal in the jurisdiction that it is being distributed "from" then the distributor of such content would not be in violation of the law regardless of whether it is accessible in countries where it is illegal. This does not apply to those who "access" the pornography, however, as they could still be prosecuted under local laws in their country. Due to enforcement problems in anti-pornography laws over the internet, countries that prohibit or heavily restrict access to pornography have taken other approaches to limit access by their citizens, such as employing content filters.


title: Internet pornography

text: Many activists and politicians have expressed concern over the easy availability of internet pornography, especially to minors. This has led to a variety of attempts to restrict children's access to internet pornography such as the 1996 Communications Decency Act in the United States. Some companies use an Adult Verification System (AVS) to deny access to pornography by minors. However, most Adult Verification Systems charge fees that are substantially higher than the actual costs of any verification they do (for example, in excess of $10/month) and are really part of a revenue collection scheme where sites encourage users to sign up for an AVS system, and get a percentage of the proceeds in return.


title: Internet pornography

text: In response to concerns with regard to children accessing age-inappropriate content, the adult industry, through the Association of Sites Advocating Child Protection (ASACP), began a self-labeling initiative called the Restricted to Adults label (RTA). This label is recognized by many web filtering products and is entirely free to use.


title: Internet pornography

text: Most employers have distinct policies against the accessing of any kind of online pornographic material from company computers, in addition to which some have also installed comprehensive filters and logging software in their local computer networks.


title: Internet pornography

text: One area of internet pornography that has been the target of the strongest efforts at curtailment is child pornography. Because of this, most internet pornography websites based in the U.S. have a notice on their front page that they comply with 18 USC Section 2257, which requires the keeping of records regarding the age of the people depicted in photographs, along with displaying the Name of the company record keeper. Some site operators outside the U.S. have begun to include this compliance statement on their websites as well.


title: Internet pornography

text: On April 8, 2008 Evil Angel and its owner John Stagliano were charged in federal court with multiple counts of obscenity. One count was for, "using an interactive computer service to display an obscene movie trailer in a manner available to a person under 18 years of age."


title: Internet pornography

text: A variety of content-control, parental control and filtering software is available to block pornography and other classifications of material from particular computers or (usually company-owned) networks. Commercially available Web filters include Bess, Net Nanny, SeeNoEvil, SurfWatch, and others. Various work-arounds and bypasses are available for some of these products; Peacefire is one of the most notable clearinghouses for such countermeasures.


title: Internet pornography

text: The Internet has radically changed how child pornography is reproduced and disseminated, and, according to the United States Department of Justice, resulted in a massive increase in the "availability, accessibility, and volume of child pornography." The production of child pornography has become very profitable, bringing in several billion dollars a year, and is no longer limited to pedophiles. Philip Jenkins notes that there is "overwhelming evidence that [child pornography] is all but impossible to obtain through nonelectronic means."


title: Internet pornography

text: In 2006, the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC) published a report of findings on the presence of child pornography legislation in the then-184 INTERPOL member countries. It later updated this information, in subsequent editions, to include 196 UN member countries. The report, entitled “Child Pornography: Model Legislation & Global Review,” assesses whether national legislation: (1) exists with specific regard to child pornography; (2) provides a definition of child pornography; (3) expressly criminalizes computer-facilitated offenses; (4) criminalizes the knowing possession of child pornography, regardless of intent to distribute; and (5) requires ISPs to report suspected child pornography to law enforcement or to some other mandated agency.


title: Internet pornography

text: ICMEC stated that it found in its initial report that only 27 countries had legislation needed to deal with child pornography offenses, while 95 countries did not have any legislation that specifically addressed child pornography, making child pornography a global issue worsened by the inadequacies of domestic legislation. The 7th Edition Report found that still only 69 countries had legislation needed to deal with child pornography offenses, while 53 did not have any legislation specifically addressing the problem. Over seven years of research from 2006–12, ICMEC and its Koons Family Institute on International Law and Policy report that they have worked with 100 countries that have revised or put in place new child pornography laws.


title: Internet pornography

text: The NCMEC estimated in 2003 that 20 percent of all pornography traded over the internet was child pornography, and that since 1997 the number of child pornography images available on the internet had increased by 1500 percent. Regarding internet proliferation, the US DOJ states that "At any one time there are estimated to be more than one million pornographic images of children on the Internet, with 200 new images posted daily." They also note that a single offender arrested in the United Kingdom possessed 450,000 child pornography images, and that a single child pornography site received a million hits in a month. Further, much of the trade in child pornography takes place at hidden levels of the internet. It has been estimated that between 50,000 and 100,000 pedophiles are involved in organized pornography rings around the world, and that one third of them operate from the United States. Digital cameras and internet distribution facilitated by the use of credit cards and the ease of transferring images across national borders has made it easier than ever before for users of child pornography to obtain the photographs and videos.


title: Internet pornography

text: In 2007, the British-based Internet Watch Foundation reported that child pornography on the internet was becoming more brutal and graphic, and the number of images depicting violent abuse had risen fourfold since 2003. The CEO stated "The worrying issue is the severity and the gravity of the images is increasing. We're talking about prepubescent children being raped." About 80 percent of the children in the abusive images were female, and 91 percent appeared to be children under the age of 12. Prosecution is difficult because multiple international servers are used, sometimes to transmit the images in fragments to evade the law.


title: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)

text: HMS "Queen Elizabeth" is the lead ship of the of aircraft carriers and the Fleet Flagship of the Royal Navy. Capable of carrying 60 aircraft including fixed wing, rotary wing and autonomous vehicles, she is named in honour of the first , a World War I era super-dreadnought, which in turn was named after Queen Elizabeth I. The carrier "Queen Elizabeth" carries her namesake ship's honours, as well as her Tudor rose-adorned crest and motto.


title: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)

text: She began sea trials in June 2017, was commissioned on 7 December 2017 and entered service in 2020. Her first seagoing commanding officer was Commodore Jerry Kyd who was appointed in 2014 but did not take command until May 2016, having previously commanded the carriers and .


title: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)

text: The ship is designed to operate V/STOL aircraft. The air wing will typically consist of F-35B Lightning II multirole fighters and Merlin helicopters for airborne early warning and anti-submarine warfare. The design emphasises flexibility, with accommodation for 250 Royal Marines and the ability to support them with attack helicopters and large troop transports such as Chinooks. She is the second Royal Navy vessel to bear the name "Queen Elizabeth", and is based at HMNB Portsmouth.


title: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)

text: "Queen Elizabeth" will deploy as the central part of a UK Carrier Strike Group with escorts and support ships in order to deliver carrier-enabled power projection.


title: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)

text: On 25 July 2007 Defence Secretary Des Browne announced the order for two new carriers. At the time of approval the first carrier was expected to enter service in July 2015 and the budget was £4.085 billion for two ships. The financial crisis led to a political decision in December 2008 to slow production, delaying "Queen Elizabeth" until May 2016. This added £1.56 billion to the cost. By March 2010 the budget was estimated at £5.9 billion and in November 2013 the contract was renegotiated with a budget of £6.2 billion. The in-service date was further extended to 2020 in the Strategic Defence and Security Review in October 2010.


title: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)

text: Construction of "Queen Elizabeth" began in 2009. The assembly took place in the Firth of Forth at Rosyth Dockyard from nine blocks built in six UK shipyards: BAE Systems Surface Ships in Glasgow, Babcock at Appledore, Babcock at Rosyth, A&P Tyne in Hebburn, BAE at Portsmouth and Cammell Laird (flight decks) at Birkenhead. Two of the lower main blocks, together weighing more than 6,000 tonnes and forming part of the base of the ship, were assembled and joined into one piece on 30 June 2011.


title: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)

text: On 16 August 2011, the 8,000-tonne Lower Block 03 of "Queen Elizabeth" left BAE Systems Surface Ships' Govan shipyard in Glasgow on a large ocean-going barge. Travelling around the northern coast of Scotland, the block arrived at Rosyth on the evening of 20 August 2011.


title: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)

text: On 28 October 2012, an 11,000-tonne section of the carrier began a lengthy journey around the south coast of England, avoiding bad weather, from the shipbuilding hall at Govan to the Rosyth dockyard; it arrived on 21 November. The forward island was constructed at BAE Portsmouth and attached on 14 March 2013; the aft island was attached in June 2013. The ski jump was added in November 2013, leaving just the lifts and radar to be lifted into place. By September 2013 "Queen Elizabeth" was 80% complete internally.


title: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)

text: The carrier is three times the size of the "Invincible"-class, and has the ability to carry approximately three times as many aircraft. Despite this, "Queen Elizabeth" has marginally fewer crew than the "Invincible"-class. The ship has two superstructures, or islands, one for navigation and ship's operations and the other for flight control and aerial operations. The islands can take on each other's function if one is incapacitated.


title: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)

text: "Queen Elizabeth" was christened at Rosyth on 4 July 2014, by Queen Elizabeth II, who said that the warship "marks a new phase in our naval history". Instead of smashing the traditional bottle of Champagne on the hull, she used a bottle of whisky from the Bowmore distillery on Islay.


title: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)

text: The ceremony was attended by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (the Lord High Admiral), Admiral George Zambellas (First Sea Lord), senior naval officers from the United States and France, and by politicians including David Cameron and Gordon Brown (the Prime Minister and his immediate predecessor) and Alex Salmond (the First Minister of Scotland). The official piece of music HMS Queen Elizabeth March, composed by WO2 Bandmaster John Morrish, was performed at the naming ceremony by the Band of HM Royal Marines Scotland. This piece of music is a competition-winning march chosen by the Carrier Alliance Group, performed and recorded by the Royal Marines Massed Bands.


title: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)

text: The ceremony also featured a fly-past by the Red Arrows and a second comprising Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and British Army helicopters. was berthed adjacent to "Queen Elizabeth" during the ceremony.


title: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)

text: The ship was floated out of dry dock on the morning of 17 July 2014. Fitting out was completed at the end of 2015 and the crew moved aboard in May 2016.


title: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)

text: Sea trials were planned beginning in March 2017 with delivery expected in May 2017, but technical issues delayed her trials. Prior to her departure from Rosyth, an extensive survey was carried out of the Firth of Forth by and 42 Regiment, Royal Engineers to gather information on the tides, the depth of the river bed, and the height of the three river crossings (Forth Bridge, Forth Road Bridge, and Queensferry Crossing). This was necessary as the most recent data available were 60 years old.


title: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)

text: "Queen Elizabeth" sailed on 26 June 2017 to undergo sea trials. The first stage of the operation was to move the ship from inside the fitting out basin, via one of the access gates, into the Firth of Forth itself, before taking her under the three Forth bridge crossings. Once this was accomplished, the ship took to the open sea off the east coast of Scotland to undertake the first set of trials, including handling and speed tests. During this period, "Queen Elizabeth" was accompanied by a pair of Type 23 frigates, and , acting as escorts. The first aircraft to land on the ship was a Merlin HM.2 helicopter of 820 Naval Air Squadron on 3 July. "Queen Elizabeth" arrived at her first stopover at Invergordon, where the ship was fuelled and provisioned. At this point inspections of the hull were carried out. This opportunity allowed defect rectification to be carried out prior to the ship returning to sea.


title: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)

text: On 8 August 2017, "Queen Elizabeth" diverted from her sea trials to rendezvous with the ships engaged in Exercise 'Saxon Warrior'; this allowed for a photo exercise in company with the American and her Carrier Strike Group (CSG), comprising , , , and HNoMS "Helge Ingstad".


title: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)

text: "Queen Elizabeth" was scheduled to return to Rosyth at the end of July for rectification work based on the results of the ship's first sea trials, before putting to sea for a second time to undergo a series of mission system tests, prior to being handed over to the Royal Navy. This plan was abandoned and she instead steered for her home port, Portsmouth.


title: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)

text: "Queen Elizabeth" arrived at HMNB Portsmouth for the first time on 16 August 2017 and berthed at the newly renamed Princess Royal Jetty (formerly Middle Slip Jetty).


title: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)

text: On 30 October 2017, the ship departed Portsmouth for the first time for the second phase of her sea trials off the south and south-west coasts of England. For part of this second period of sea trials, she was accompanied by the Type 45 destroyer . "Queen Elizabeth" returned to Portsmouth on 21 November 2017 to prepare for her official commissioning ceremony, which was held on 7 December 2017. Following the ship's commissioning, she underwent a period of defect correction in Portsmouth; one instance was a leak through a seal in one of the propeller shafts, which the Royal Navy stated was not serious enough to keep "Queen Elizabeth" from her planned programme.


title: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)

text: On 2 February 2018, "Queen Elizabeth" sailed from Portsmouth for a second time, for a six-week deployment to undergo the first phases of operational training; initially, the ship was scheduled to head into the Western Approaches to undertake her initial Operational Sea Training (OST) programme. Once complete, "Queen Elizabeth" was then taken into the North Atlantic for both heavy weather testing and operations to begin helicopter certification, including with Merlin Mk2 and Mk3 and Chinook helicopters. During this deployment, the ship made her first overseas port visit, stopping over in Gibraltar from 9 to 12 February. During this, the ship also began initial amphibious assault trials, with Royal Marines from 42 Commando embarked to simulate an air assault scenario. "Queen Elizabeth" was also scheduled to undergo a first replenishment at sea from ; although the actual replenishment had to be abandoned due to bad weather, the rendezvous allowed both ships the opportunity to simulate the scenario in detail. "Queen Elizabeth" returned to Portsmouth on 27 February 2018, berthing at Princess Royal Jetty. On 2 March 2018 in Portsmouth Harbour, "Queen Elizabeth" successfully tested her port side Marine Evacuation System (MES), a series of bright orange inflatable escape chutes and rafts.


title: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)

text: "Queen Elizabeth" departed Portsmouth for a third time on 10 June 2018, heading to the coasts of Cornwall for a second phase of helicopter flight trials. After the trials were completed, "Queen Elizabeth" headed for home and performed her first replenishment at sea (RAS) refuelling operation with "Tidespring" on 21 June 2018 in the English Channel, then returned to Portsmouth on 23 June 2018.


title: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)

text: On return from the initial OST and helicopter certification work, further work was undertaken to prepare the ship for the operation of fixed-wing aircraft, in conjunction with regular maintenance and installation of her final weapons fit.


title: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)

text: "Queen Elizabeth"s first significant deployment took place during autumn 2018, when the ship travelled across the Atlantic to begin flying trials with her fixed-wing aircraft. Although the programme covered a range of areas, including the continued workup of the Commander UK Carrier Strike Group and his staff, embarked for a deployment or the first time, and small-scale exercises to test the ship's ability to land troops in the secondary amphibious role, the primary purpose was the first phase of fixed-wing flying trials involving the F-35B over two separate periods of approximately 3–4 weeks each starting in mid-September, utilising a pair of the instrumented development aircraft from VX-23, the US Navy's air testing unit at NAS Patuxent River. The testing programme saw the first launch of an F-35 from a ski-jump at sea (the F-35B has operated from the US Navy's assault ships, but these are not fitted with ski-jumps), and the first demonstration of the shipborne rolling vertical landing technique.


title: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)

text: In addition to the F-35 trials, "Queen Elizabeth" also began qualifications for types of aircraft operated by the US armed forces, including the V-22 Osprey. As part of the deployment, the ship made her first overseas port visit to New York City in October, in between layovers at Naval Station Norfolk, some operations in the Caribbean possible, to test the ship's hot weather performance, as well as being on hand if needed for any disaster relief operations during the hurricane season. "Queen Elizabeth" was scheduled to return to the UK in December.


title: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)

text: On 18 August 2018, "Queen Elizabeth" sailed from Portsmouth on what was termed as "Westlant 18", carrying three Merlin Mk2 helicopters of 820 NAS. Later, on 20 August 2018, three additional Merlin Mk4 helicopters from 845 NAS were embarked to the ship. "Queen Elizabeth" was then met by to form a carrier group. On 3 September 2018, "Monmouth"s Wildcat HMA2 helicopter became the first of its type to land aboard "Queen Elizabeth". On 5 September 2018, the two ships arrived at Naval Station Mayport in north-east Florida, for a period of replenishment. The ships remained in Florida for eight days before departing for the planned trip northwards to US Naval Station Norfolk.


title: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)

text: During the transit north, she was to undertake an amphibious assault exercise off the coast of South Carolina using its Merlin Mk4 helicopters and Royal Marines of 42 Commando. However, due to the effects of Hurricane Florence, this exercise was cancelled and the group instead sailed south; "Monmouth" headed to waters off The Bahamas, which acted as a windbreak, while "Queen Elizabeth" skirted around the south of the hurricane zone. The group eventually arrived at Norfolk on 17 September. During the period alongside at Norfolk, "Queen Elizabeth" embarked a further 200 personnel of the F-35B Integrated Test Force, to undertake the testing and analysis of the two F-35B aircraft to be used during the initial set of flying trials.


title: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)

text: On 25 September 2018, two US-owned F-35B test aircraft, based at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, flew out to meet "Queen Elizabeth" off the New Jersey coast. After refuelling, Commander Gray then achieved the first F-35B take off from "Queen Elizabeth" using the ski-jump ramp. During the initial F-35B trials, "Queen Elizabeth" also began trials for the UK Carrier Group staff when the ship, along with "Monmouth", formed a task group with the US Navy destroyer and , a fast combat support ship, which performed RAS with "Queen Elizabeth" and "Monmouth" on 1 October 2018. During October, the first instances of cross-decking took place when a US Navy MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopter, and a US Marine Corps tiltrotor MV-22B Osprey landed on board. The first shipborne rolling vertical landing (SRVL) by an F-35 was undertaken on 14 October – this was also the first operational demonstration of the technique on a ship at sea, and is planned as the primary method of recovering fixed-wing aircraft aboard the "Queen Elizabeth" class.


title: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)

text: On 19 October 2018, "Queen Elizabeth" arrived in New York City for a planned seven day visit. Kyd remarked "we are the biggest carrier to go in there for about 50 years", as the U.S. Navy's nuclear-powered aircraft carriers are forbidden from making a port of call in New York City. She dropped anchor near Ellis and Liberty Islands in Upper New York Bay. During the ship's stopover, she played host to a forum hosted by Gavin Williamson, the UK Secretary of State for Defence, on the future of cyber security, as well as an international trade day hosted by Liam Fox, the Secretary of State for International Trade. On 19 November 2018, another milestone was met with a F-35B test pilot landing on the ship facing the stern instead of the bow.


title: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)

text: Following the ship's return from Westlant 18, "Queen Elizabeth" began a maintenance period in early 2019 that saw the installation of the remainder of the ship's self-defence armament, with two Phalanx CIWS mounts fitted. This was followed by the ship's return to Rosyth to allow it to be dry-docked for its first scheduled hull inspection. The remaining Phalanx CIWS and four DS30M mounts will be fitted during 2020.


title: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)

text: After further fixed-wing aircraft trials in 2019, using British F-35 aircraft over UK waters, followed then by operational testing. "Queen Elizabeth" is expected to reach initial operational capability by 2020. Gavin Williamson announced that the ship's first deployment will be to the Mediterranean, the Middle East and the Pacific region, the last to counter China's territorial claims in the South China Sea.


title: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)

text: On 10 January 2019, "Jane's Defence Weekly" reported that F-35 aircraft of the United Kingdom would join the F-35Bs of the US Marine Corps in embarking "Queen Elizabeth" for the ship's first operational cruise in 2021.


title: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)

text: "Queen Elizabeth" departed for her second WESTLANT cruise on 30 August 2019. This deployment was to undertake the second stage of fixed-wing flight testing, and would see the F-35B employed as a full part of the ship's air group, with 617 Squadron due to embark for the first time to operate alongside 17 Squadron, the type's evaluation unit. The deployment will also see the first full up operation of the UK Carrier Strike Group, with "Queen Elizabeth" to be accompanied by and HMS "Dragon" supported by . On 13 October 2019, F-35Bs from 17 Squadron landed on HMS Queen Elizabeth for the first time.


title: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)

text: HMS Queen Elizabeth arrived home in Portsmouth on 4 December 2019. On 16 December 2019, the first-ever F-35B launch in British territorial waters took place, when an aircraft of that model took off from the flight deck of HMS Queen Elizabeth in Portsmouth Harbour. The aircraft, registration ZM148 (BK14) safely returned to its base at RAF Marham on the same day. ZM148 (BK14) had developed a fault during Westlant19 and was retained aboard Queen Elizabeth for repair.


title: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)

text: HMS "Queen Elizabeth" departed Portsmouth in January 2020 for flight trials in UK waters for the first time and was joined by British-owned F-35B Lightning aircraft from RAF No. 207 Squadron. In June 2020, F-35Bs from 617 Squadron landed on "Queen Elizabeth" for Operational Sea Training to prepare for Initial Operating Capability (Maritime) by the end of 2020.


title: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)

text: The summer 2020 period was spent in harbour undergoing preparation work for September, when the ship took part in a major carrier group exercise that was run as part of Exercise Joint Warrior, with the "Queen Elizabeth" accompanied not just by ships of the Royal Navy, but also an escort from both the US and Dutch navies, as well as two squadrons of F-35Bs- one each from both the RAF and USMC. Following the conclusion of "Joint Warrior", the ship returned to port to have the remainder of its equipment fitted, while the joint UK/US air group undertook a further exercise from RAF Marham.


title: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)

text: Initial Operating Capability was announced on 4 January 2021, and on 27 January, the ship assumed the role of Fleet Flagship of the Royal Navy, taking over from amphibious transport dock .


title: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)

text: Between 7 and 21 May, the Carrier Strike Group took part in Exercise Strike Warrior, as part of Exercise Joint Warrior 21-1 Once the carrier strike group finished Exercise Strike Warrior, it made its way back to HMNB Portsmouth for final preparations, before finally departing on 23 or 24 May. On 21 May, Prime Minister Boris Johnson toured the ship. Queen Elizabeth II visited the ship on 22 May. Initially the group took part in joint exercises with NATO partners in the Eastern Atlantic, before entering the Mediterranean Sea, where it more conducted exercises with Mediterranean NATO allies, including with the French carrier "Charles de Gaulle", in the dual-carrier exercise named Exercise Gallic Strike before entering port at Souda Bay for a logistic stop. A Type 45 destroyer, HMS "Defender" and HMNLS "Evertsen" detached from the group to enter the Black Sea – a visit that was already planned prior to the heightened Russian activity in the region. On 7 July 2021, the group transited the Suez Canal to enter the Indian Ocean where they conducted joint exercises with the Indian Navy before proceeding past Singapore, without stopping, to enter the disputed South China Sea region to conduct freedom of navigation exercises in the area with the US Navy. Subsequently, the group will pay a visit to South Korea and then conduct exercises with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and United States Navy around the islands of Japan.


title: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)

text: On 18 June 2021, "Queen Elizabeth" began combat operations against ISIS, supporting Operation Inherent Resolve. F-35B aircraft from 617 Squadron, RAF and US Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 211 (VMFA-211) launched strikes from "Queen Elizabeth" to attack ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria.


title: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)

text: An outbreak of COVID-19 was reported on "Queen Elizabeth" and her escort ships on 14 July 2021. The British Defence Secretary stated that the outbreak was being managed and that all personnel in the Carrier Strike Group had been vaccinated against COVID-19. Mitigation measures were also in place aboard the warships including the use of masks, social distancing and a "Track and Trace system" to monitor personnel movement. The deployment proceeded as planned to Japan.


title: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)

text: On 26 July 2021, "Queen Elizabeth" and her escort ships conducted a passage exercise with three ships from the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) in the South China Sea. This is the first time that a Royal Navy Carrier Strike Group has conducted military exercises with the RSN. On 16 November 2021, one of the carrier's F-35B fighters, ZM152 from 617 Squadron, crashed during operations in the Mediterranean. The pilot was able to eject safely.


title: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)

text: The two ships of the "Queen Elizabeth" class are each expected to be capable of carrying over forty aircraft, with a normal maximum load of thirty-six F-35s and four helicopters, but with a theoretical surge capacity of up to 72 aircraft. The 2010 SDSR anticipated the routine peacetime deployment of twelve F-35Bs, but a typical warload will be 24 F-35Bs and some helicopters. These could be a "Maritime Force Protection" package of nine anti-submarine Merlin HM2 and five Merlin Crowsnest for airborne early warning; alternatively a littoral manoeuvre package could include a mix of Royal Navy Commando Helicopter Force Merlin HC4, Wildcat AH1, RAF Chinooks, and Army Air Corps Apaches. In 2022, it was reported that initially five Merlins will be equipped with Crowsnest, and three of these will normally be assigned to the "high readiness" aircraft carrier.


title: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)

text: The hangars are designed for CH-47 Chinook operations without blade folding and for the V-22 Osprey tiltrotor, whilst the aircraft lifts can accommodate two Chinooks with unfolded blades.


title: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)

text: The two ships of the "Queen Elizabeth" class can each carry up to three passenger transfer boats (PTBs) made by Blyth-based company Alnmaritec. Each PTB carries 36 passengers and two crew to operate the vessel. The boat is 13.1 m long and davit-launched. To enable the craft to fit into the docking area the navigation and radar masts are fitted with Linak actuators so that they can be lowered automatically from the command console. The enclosed cabin is heated and there is a set of heads forward.


title: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)

text: Defensive weapons include the Phalanx Close-In Weapons System for anti-aircraft and anti-missile defence, and 30mm Automated Small Calibre Guns (fitted for but not with, and not carried as of 2021.) and Miniguns for use against fast attack craft. She would be escorted into high risk areas by the Type 45 destroyer, which was made specially to fulfil this role. In lower risk situations, frigates or even patrol vessels may be used instead. It will carry 4 miniguns and 8 general purpose machine guns.


title: HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08)

text: Incorporated into the first two blocks is a sophisticated handling and deployment system for air weapons known as the Highly Mechanised Weapon Handling System (HMWHS), with the aim of achieving a sortie generation rate which is about six times faster than any previous Royal Navy aircraft carrier. The system requires only 50 people and could be operated with as few as 12 in an emergency; it is estimated that 160 would be needed to produce the same efficiency with conventional equipment. The system moves munitions on pallets by means of remotely controlled electric vehicles and lifts.


title: Porsche Boxster/Cayman

text: The Porsche Boxster and Cayman are mid-engine two-seater sports cars manufactured and marketed by German automobile manufacturer Porsche across four generations—as a two-door, two-seater roadster (Boxster) and a three-door, two-seater fastback coupé (Cayman).


title: Porsche Boxster/Cayman

text: The first generation Boxster was introduced in 1996; the second generation Boxster and the Cayman arrived in late 2005; and the third generation launched in 2012. Since the introduction of the fourth generation in 2016, the two models have been marketed as the Porsche 718 Boxster and Porsche 718 Cayman.


title: Porsche Boxster/Cayman

text: The nameplate "Boxster" is a portmanteau of "boxer", a reference to its flat or boxer engine, and "roadster", a reference to the body style. The nameplate "Cayman" is an alternative spelling of caiman, a member of the alligator family.


title: Porsche Boxster/Cayman

text: The Porsche Boxster is a mid-engine two-seater roadster. It was Porsche's first road vehicle to be originally designed as a roadster since the 914. The first-generation Boxster (the 986) was introduced in late 1996; it was powered by a 2.5-litre flat six-cylinder engine. The design was heavily influenced by the 1993 Boxster Concept. In 2000, the base model was upgraded to a 2.7-litre engine and a new Boxster S variant was introduced with a 3.2-litre engine. In 2003, styling and engine output was upgraded on both variants.


title: Porsche Boxster/Cayman

text: Production of the 986 began at the former 928 facility in Stuttgart, Germany in 1996. Valmet Automotive also manufactured Boxsters under contract to Porsche at a facility in Uusikaupunki, Finland. The Boxster was Porsche's biggest volume seller from its introduction in 1996 until the introduction of the Cayenne sport utility vehicle in 2003. As of September 2012, additional production of the Boxster started at the former Karmann-factory in Osnabrück.


title: Porsche Boxster/Cayman

text: In 2005, Porsche debuted the second generation of the Boxster, the type 987, with a more powerful engine and styling inspired by the Carrera GT. Engine output increased in 2007, when the Boxster models received the engines from their corresponding Cayman variants. In 2009, the Boxster models received several new cosmetic and mechanical upgrades, further increasing engine output and performance. The third generation Boxster (type 981) was launched at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show.


title: Porsche Boxster/Cayman

text: First launched in 2005 for the 2006 model year, the Cayman is a coupé derived from Porsche's second and third generation Boxster roadster, styled in its first iteration by Pinky Lai. All Caymans were manufactured in Finland by Valmet Automotive. As Volkswagen assumed control of Porsche AG, production of Caymans and Boxsters after 2012 began in the former Karmann plant in Osnabrück, Germany, at the time owned by Volkswagen and also used for production of the 2012 Golf (Mk6) convertible.


title: Porsche Boxster/Cayman

text: The car is not named after the Cayman Islands. Both the car and the islands are named after the caiman, a member of the alligator family. When the Cayman arrived at dealerships for sale, the automaker adopted four caimans at Stuttgart's Wilhelma Zoo.


title: Porsche Boxster/Cayman

text: Porsche brought an infringement lawsuit in 2009 against Crocs, the maker of the popular rubber shoes. At issue was the footwear company's clog name also called Cayman. An injunction was granted against Crocs Europe, a division of the Longmont, Colorado-based shoe company preventing their use in Germany of the Cayman name.


title: Porsche Boxster/Cayman

text: Introduced in 2016 for the 2017 model year, the Porsche Boxster and Cayman were renamed the Porsche 718 Boxster and Porsche 718 Cayman (internally called the 982), reviving the historic 718 moniker while switching engines from naturally-aspirated flat sixes to small-displacement flat-four turbocharged units. The new 718 Cayman was also repositioned with an entry price lower than that of the 718 Boxster, in keeping with Porsche's higher pricing for roadster models.


title: Porsche Boxster/Cayman

text: Grant Larson's design, inspired by the 356 Cabriolet, Speedster, and 550 Spyder, stimulated a commercial turnaround for Porsche. Through consultation with Toyota. Porsche began widely sharing parts among models and slashed costs.


title: Porsche Boxster/Cayman

text: By October 1991 following a visit to the Tokyo Motor Show, Porsche in dire straits, began to devise solutions to succeed the poor selling 928 and incoming 968 (a heavy update of the 944). In February 1992, Porsche began development of a successor to the 928 (mildly updated for 1992) and recently released 968. By June 1992, out of 4 proposals based on dual collaboration between the 986 and 996 (993 successor) design teams, a proposal by Grant Larson and Pinky Lai was chosen by Harm Lagaay. In August 1992, a decision was made to develop the concept into a show vehicle, in time for the 1993 North American International Auto Show. After garnering widespread acclaim from the press and public upon presentation of the Boxster Concept in January 1993, the final production 986 production exterior design by Larson was frozen in March 1993. However, by the second half of 1993, difficulties arose with fitment of some components, resulting in lengthening of the hood and requiring another design freeze by fourth quarter of that year. Prototypes in 968 bodies were built to test the mid-engine power train of the 986 by the end of 1993, with proper prototypes surfacing in 1994. Pilot production began in the second half of 1995, ahead of series production in mid-1996.


title: Porsche Boxster/Cayman

text: The Boxster was released ahead of the 996. The 986 Boxster had the same bonnet, front wings, headlights, interior and engine architecture as the 996.


title: Porsche Boxster/Cayman

text: All 986 and 987 Boxsters use the M96, a water-cooled, horizontally opposed ("flat"), six-cylinder engine. It was Porsche's first water-cooled non-front engine. In the Boxster, it is placed in a mid-engine layout, while in the 911, the classic rear-engine layout was used. The mid-engine layout provides a low center of gravity, a near-perfect weight distribution, and neutral handling.


title: Porsche Boxster/Cayman

text: The M96 engines had a number of failures, resulting in cracked or slipped cylinder liners, which were resolved by a minor redesign and better control of the casting process in late 1999. A failure for these early engines was a spate of porous engine blocks, as the manufacturer had difficulty in the casting process. In addition to causing problems with coolant and oil systems mingling fluids, it also resulted in Porsche's decision to repair faulty engines by boring out the cast sleeves on the cylinders where defects were noted in production and inserting new sleeves rather than scrapping the engine block. Normally, the cylinder walls are cast at the same time as the rest of the engine, this being the reason for adopting the casting technology.


title: Porsche Boxster/Cayman

text: The model received a minor facelift in 2002. The plastic rear window was replaced by a smaller glass window. The interior received a glove compartment, new electro-mechanical hood and trunk release mechanism (with an electronic emergency release in the fuse box panel) and an updated steering wheel. Porsche installed a reworked exhaust pipe and air intake. In addition, the front headlight's amber indicators were replaced with clear indicators. The rear light cluster was also changed with translucent grey turn signals replacing the amber ones. The side marker lights on the front wings were changed as well from amber to clear, except on American market cars where they remained amber. The bumpers were also changed slightly for a more defined, chiseled appearance, and new wheel designs were made available.


title: Porsche Boxster/Cayman

text: The second generation of the "Boxster" debuted at the 2004 Paris Motor Show with the (997) 911 and became available for sale in 2005.


title: Porsche Boxster/Cayman

text: Revised styling included modified headlights, larger side intake vents and enlarged wheel arches to allow wheels up to 19 inches in diameter. Interior revisions included a more prominent circular theme for the instrument cluster and cooling vents. The base engine is a 2.7-litre flat-six boxer engine, with the Boxster S getting a 3.2-litre engine. For 2007, the base Boxster received a revised engine featuring VarioCam Plus and the Boxster S engine was upgraded from 3.2-litre to 3.4-litre. These upgrades made the Boxster series and the Cayman series equivalent in terms of power. The 987 is the last generation of the Boxster and Cayman series with hydraulic steering.


title: Porsche Boxster/Cayman

text: The "Cayman" S fastback coupé (987c) was first unveiled and went on sale in late 2005. The base Cayman followed in July 2006.


title: Porsche Boxster/Cayman

text: Both the Cayman and second generation Boxster roadster share their mid-engine platform and many components, including the front fenders and trunk lid, doors, headlights, taillights, and forward portion of the interior. Styling incorporates cues from the 356/1, the 550 Coupé and the 904 Coupé. The Cayman's hatchback enables access to luggage areas on top of and in the back of the engine cover. The suspension design is fundamentally the same as that of the Boxster with revised settings due to the stiffer chassis with the car's fixed roof.


title: Porsche Boxster/Cayman

text: The Cayman S was powered by a 3.4-litre flat-six mated to a 6-speed manual transaxle, a 2.7-litre engine with a 5-speed transmission was standard for the base model. An electronically controlled 5-speed automatic (Tiptronic) was also available on the S and base models.


title: Porsche Boxster/Cayman

text: The Boxster and Boxster S models received a facelift in 2008. Changes included an increase in engine displacement to 2.9-litre for the Boxster, incorporation of Direct Fuel Injection (DFI) for the Boxster S. Both models now came standard with a new 6-speed manual gearbox and were available with a 7-speed "Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe" (PDK) dual clutch gearbox. Cosmetic changes included new head and tail lights, larger front air intakes with incorporated day time running lights, and an altered lower rear end flanked by twin diffusers.


title: Porsche Boxster/Cayman

text: A facelift of the Porsche Cayman followed in February 2009. As with the Boxster, the base Cayman's engine displacement was increased to 2.9-litre while the Cayman S gained direct injection. Both the Cayman and Cayman S maintained a power advantage over their roadster sibling, the Boxster. A limited slip differential was now a factory option.


title: Porsche Boxster/Cayman

text: The third-generation Boxster (internally known as the 981) was announced on 13 March 2012 at the Geneva Motor Show with sales starting in early summer 2012. The 981 Boxster reflects the new design language from the 911 (991) and 918, and features new and revised engine and transmission specifications. Together with a new body, the type 981 Boxster features a new, 40 per cent more torsionally rigid chassis, the front track is wider, the rear wider and the wheelbase extended by , but with a small weight reduction of up to compared to the previous type 987 Boxster.


title: Porsche Boxster/Cayman

text: The standard Boxster was fitted with a new 2.7-litre flat-6 engine, and the Boxster S was fitted with the existing 3.4-litre engine but with revised performance. Both engines are equipped with a 6-speed manual gearbox and an optional 7-speed reworked PDK. Both manual and automatic models were available with several technical options including Porsche Torque Vectoring (PTV) and a Sport Chrono Package that includes active transmission mounts, and makes the PDK-equipped model even faster. Porsche claimed that the new generation Boxster provides fuel savings of 15% over the outgoing model.


title: Porsche Boxster/Cayman

text: The range was expanded in March 2014 with the addition of the GTS derivative, with slightly altered front and rear bumpers and an additional from the 3.4-litre engine.


title: Porsche Boxster/Cayman

text: The third generation Cayman was unveiled at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. The production version of the 981 Cayman was released as a 2014 model in the spring of 2013. The new car was available in both the standard trim with a 2.7-litre engine, and in the S trim with a 3.4-litre engine. Both versions are available with either a 6-speed manual or a dual-clutch 7-speed PDK transmission.


title: Porsche Boxster/Cayman

text: The 981 Cayman features upgrades including a new body, a longer wheelbase, a wider front track, electrically powered steering, and a redesigned interior that matches the firm's contemporaneous 911 models.


title: Porsche Boxster/Cayman

text: The new model gained acclaim in the motoring press as one of the best handling sports cars at any price, due to its-mid engine layout and driving dynamics. The Cayman S benefits from the same engine and running gear as Porsche's latest 3.4-litre version of the 911.


title: Porsche Boxster/Cayman

text: With the new 982-generation, the marketing designation of the Boxster and Cayman was changed to Porsche 718, a nod to Porsche's racing heritage that won the Targa Florio race in 1959 and 1960. Because the 718 Cayman / Boxster has lost two cylinders, going from a naturally aspirated flat-6 engine to a turbocharged flat-4 engine, the name is meant to evoke a racing series that was won by a light car which outmaneuvered the cars with more powerful engines.


title: Porsche Boxster/Cayman

text: The timeline of the 718 release started in 2016, with first model availability scheduled for June. The 718 base models featured two new horizontally-opposed flat-4 turbocharged engines of 2.0-litre and 2.5-litre displacements with increased torque and horsepower along with lower fuel consumption. The S model's turbocharger utilises Variable Turbine Geometry (VTG) technology. The Boxster S could accelerate from in 4.1 seconds, and the Cayman S in 3.9 seconds. In October 2017, the GTS models were announced with their 2.5-litre engines upgraded to .


title: Porsche Boxster/Cayman

text: In 2020, the GTS 4.0 model of both the Boxster and the Cayman was released with a new engine, a slightly de-tuned version of the 4.0-litre naturally aspirated six-cylinder boxer engine found in the GT4. In the GTS 4.0 trim the engine is rated at and of torque. The GTS comes standard with a six-speed manual gearbox, -20 mm sport suspension and a mechanical limited slip differential.


title: Porsche Boxster/Cayman

text: The exterior of the 718 Boxster and Cayman is very similar to the third generation, in fact more of an evolution than a redesign. The most notable changes are to the rear of the car, which now has a long black-trim bar across the rear connecting the two taillights. The headlights and bumper are also heavily reworked. On the sides, the mirrors have been redesigned, taking cue from the SportDesign mirrors on the GT3. Porsche also began offering additional exterior color options including Miami Blue, Chalk, and Graphite Blue Metallic.


title: Porsche Boxster/Cayman

text: The interior remains very similar to the 981 Cayman / Boxster and the 991.2 generation of the Porsche 911. The main change is the new PCM 4.0 infotainment system, which replaces the PCM 3.1. The steering wheel comes with a mode selector switch that includes a selection of Sports and Sports Plus driving modes, resulting in snappier throttle response at the cost of fuel efficiency. Overall, the most prominent design features of the 981 Cayman / Boxster remain, including large air induction ports on the side, and the prominent horizontal aluminum piece used for adding oil and coolant in the trunk.


title: Porsche Boxster/Cayman

text: Despite the loss of two cylinders, the 718 Cayman / Boxster are mechanically superior to the 981 model; acceleration is faster and steering is improved according to "Top Gear" and "Motor Trend". In spite of the view of some that the new engine "cheapens the experience", the 718 Cayman was declared "Motor Trend's" 2nd best Drivers car in 2017, which praised the car's handling and throttle response. Giving the award, Miguel Cortina noted, "The suspension is just what you want to feel in a car like this—stiff, sporty, rigid. You get a very good sense of what is happening on the road."


title: Porsche Boxster/Cayman

text: In 2021, Porsche unveiled the 718 Cayman GT4 RS, the first Cayman to receive the RS treatment which is usually reserved for the 911 models. With a 4.0 naturally aspirated flat-six derived from the 911 GT3, it puts out and which allows it to sprint from in just 3.4 seconds. It generates 25% more downforce than the GT4 variant, through a swan-neck attachment fixed rear wing. The GT4 RS lapped the Nürburgring Nordschleife 23 seconds faster than the GT4.


title: Porsche Boxster/Cayman

text: Boxster models manufactured between 4 May 2001 and 21 February 2005 have suffered engine failure due to a fault with the intermediate shaft (IMS) bearing, which resulted in a class action lawsuit against Porsche Cars North America (referred to as "Eisen v. Porsche Cars North America"). A settlement was agreed in March 2013, subject to court approval. Some say IMS bearing failure issues are not limited to the model years covered in the settlement, or to the Boxster.


title: Porsche Boxster/Cayman

text: On March 5, 2019, Porsche issued a recall on 14,388 718 Caymans and Boxsters, due to a luggage compartment bracket that could puncture the fuel tank in certain collision instances.


title: Queen's Gambit

text: It is one of the oldest openings and is still commonly played today. It is traditionally described as a "gambit" because White appears to sacrifice the c-pawn; however, this could be considered a misnomer as Black cannot retain the pawn without incurring a disadvantage.


title: Queen's Gambit

text: The Queen's Gambit is one of the oldest known openings in chess. It was mentioned in the Göttingen manuscript of 1490 and was later analyzed by Gioachino Greco in the 17th century. In the 18th century, it was recommended by Philipp Stamma and is sometimes known as the Aleppo Gambit in his honor. During the early period of modern chess, queen pawn openings were not in fashion, and the Queen's Gambit did not become commonplace until the 1873 tournament in Vienna.


title: Queen's Gambit

text: As Wilhelm Steinitz and Siegbert Tarrasch developed chess theory and increased the appreciation of , the Queen's Gambit grew more popular, reaching its zenith in the 1920s and 1930s, and it was played in all but 2 of 34 games in the 1927 World Championship match between José Raúl Capablanca and Alexander Alekhine.


title: Queen's Gambit

text: After the resumption of international chess activity following World War II, it was less frequently seen as many players moved away from symmetrical openings, tending to use an Indian Defence to combat queen pawn openings; however, it is still frequently played.


title: Queen's Gambit

text: With 2.c4, White threatens to exchange a wing pawn (the c-pawn) for a center pawn (Black's d-pawn) in order to dominate the with e2–e4. Note that Black cannot hold the pawn, for example: 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e3 b5 (Black tries to guard their pawn but should pursue with 3...Nf6 or 3...e5) 4.a4 c6? 5.axb5 cxb5 6.Qf3! winning a piece.


title: Queen's Gambit

text: The Queen's Gambit is divided into two major categories based on Black's response: the Queen's Gambit Accepted (QGA) and the Queen's Gambit Declined (QGD). In the QGA, Black plays 2...dxc4, temporarily giving up the center to obtain freer development. In the QGD, Black usually plays to hold d5. Frequently Black will be cramped, but Black aims to exchange pieces and use at c5 and e5 to free Black's game.


title: Queen's Gambit

text: Technically, any Black response other than 2...dxc4 (or another line with an early ...dxc4 that transposes into the QGA) is a Queen's Gambit Declined, but the Slav, Albin Countergambit, and Chigorin Defense are generally treated separately. There are so many QGD lines after 2...e6 that many of them are distinctive enough to warrant separate treatment. The Orthodox Defense and the Tarrasch Defense are two important examples. (See Queen's Gambit Declined for more.)


title: The Witcher (video game)

text: The Witcher ( (Warlock)) is a 2007 action role-playing game developed by CD Projekt Red for Microsoft Windows and CD Projekt on OS X. It was based on the fantasy novel series "The Witcher" by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. The game's story takes place after the events of the main saga. It was released in 2007 to positive reviews from critics and received an aggregate score of 81/100 on Metacritic. In 2009, a console version, "The Witcher: Rise of the White Wolf", was scheduled for release using an entirely new engine and combat system. This was suspended as a result of payment problems with console developers Widescreen Games. The first game has, to date, two sequels, namely "" in 2011 and "" in 2015.


title: The Witcher (video game)

text: A remake of "The Witcher" was announced in October 2022, which was formerly first teased under the codename "Canis Majoris". Entitled "The Witcher Remake", it will be developed using Unreal Engine 5, the same engine in use for the planned second trilogy. Fool's Theory will mainly develop the remake with full creative supervision from "The Witcher" series staff and CD Projekt Red.


title: The Witcher (video game)

text: There are three camera styles available in "The Witcher": two isometric perspectives, where the mouse is used to control most functions, and an over-the-shoulder view, which brings the player closer to the in-game combat while limiting vision. In all three views the controls can be changed to be primarily mouse focused or a combined keyboard and mouse approach.


title: The Witcher (video game)

text: The story takes place in a medieval fantasy world and follows Geralt of Rivia, one of a few traveling monster hunters who have supernatural powers, known as Witchers. Players can choose one of three fighting styles to use in different situations and against different foes. The fast style allows for more rapid, less-damaging attacks with a higher chance of hitting faster enemies; the strong style deals more damage in exchange for a slow attack speed, and a lower chance to hit faster enemies; and the group style features sweeping attacks best used if Geralt is surrounded. The player can switch between the styles at any point. Both of Geralt's main swords also have distinctively different combat styles from other weaponry, and serve specific purposes. The steel blade is used to fight humans and other flesh-and-blood beings, while the silver sword is more effective against supernatural monsters and beasts (against some of which steel may have no effect whatsoever). With precise timing, the player can link Geralt's attacks into combos to damage enemies more effectively.


title: The Witcher (video game)

text: Alchemy is a significant part of the gameplay. The player can create potions that increase health or endurance regeneration, allow Geralt to see in the dark, or provide other beneficial effects. The recipes for these potions can be learned through scrolls, or by experimentation. Once the player creates an unknown potion, he can choose to drink it, but if the potion is a failure it will poison or have other harmful effects on Geralt. Each time Geralt drinks potions, they increase the toxicity level of his body. This can be reduced by drinking a special potion or by meditating at an inn or fireplace. In addition to potions, the player can create oils used to augment the damage done by weapons. They can also create bombs for use as weapons in combat. Neither can be created until talent points have been allocated into the corresponding skills.


title: The Witcher (video game)

text: A time-delayed decision-consequence system means that the repercussions of players' decisions will make themselves apparent in plot devices in later acts of the game. This helps avert a save-reload approach to decision making. It also adds to the game's replay value, as the consequences resulting from the player's decisions can lead to significant differences in the events that take place later, and ultimately a very different gameplay experience than in prior playthroughs. The player often finds themselves choosing between the lesser of two evils.


title: The Witcher (video game)

text: Set in the Continent of the Witcher franchise, the player assumes the role of Geralt of Rivia, a wandering genetically enhanced monster hunter for hire. The game takes place around five years after the events of "The Lady of the Lake". Geralt is accompanied by his longtime allies and fellow Witchers, Eskel, Lambert, and instructor Vesemir, as well as sorceress Triss Merigold of Maribor and the field medic Shani. In addition, characters in the game originally from the books include Geralt's companions Dandelion the poet, Zoltan Chivay, the regent King Foltest of Temeria, his daughter Princess Adda (who was previously cursed into the form of a striga but was cured by Geralt), King Radovid of Redania, and the spectral King of the Wild Hunt, a conqueror from another world. Characters original to the game include the boy Alvin, the sorcerer Azar Javed, the mercenary Professor, and Jacques de Alderberg, the Grand Master of the religious faction Order of the Flaming Rose.


title: The Witcher (video game)

text: Geralt awakens at the School of the Wolf's mountain fortress Kaer Morhen, with no memory of who he is or how he is to have arrived there. He is taken in by his Witcher brothers as well as Triss Merigold, who seeks a remedy for his mysterious condition. Kaer Morhen is suddenly attacked by an unknown group of assailants, who escape with the School of the Wolf's key mutagens and formulae that detail how to create Witchers. Pursuing this faction, Geralt travels to the Temerian capital Vizima. On the way, he saves Alvin, a magically gifted peasant child. Triss determines that Alvin is a Source, a genetic magic prodigy similar to Ciri, Geralt's foster daughter. The player has the choice of leaving Alvin in the care of either Triss or Shani, a Redanian medic and Geralt's friend. Alvin is given a magical amulet meant to keep his abilities in check while he learns magic.


title: The Witcher (video game)

text: Geralt pursues several leads on the group that attacked Kaer Morhen and learns that they are known as Salamandra, and ostensibly led by the foreign mage Azar Javed. To further complicate matters, tensions are high in the city due to the conflict between the religious fanatics the Order of the Flaming Rose, and the elven terrorist faction the Scoia'tael. With the help of various allies in Vizima, Geralt assaults a Salamandra base in Vizima and kills the Professor, a dangerous mercenary in the employ of the criminal syndicate, but is then betrayed by Princess Adda and is teleported to a village on the outskirts of the city by Triss. The previously peaceful hamlet becomes a battleground when armed conflict breaks out between the Order of the Flaming Rose and the Scoia'tael. Geralt is forced to choose to support either faction, or make enemies of them both. Alvin is frightened and, using his Source abilities, magically disappears.


title: The Witcher (video game)

text: When Geralt returns to Vizima, he finds that Temeria's regent King Foltest has also returned while Adda has relapsed in her curse and is in striga form once more. Under Foltest's direction, Geralt either assists the knights or the elves to restore order to the city as well as deals with Adda. Geralt then storms the Salamandra headquarters and kills Azar Javed, only to find that the gang's true leader is Jacques de Aldersberg, the Grand Master of the Order of the Flaming Rose. Foltest hires Geralt under a contract to slay Jacques to end the Salamandra threat. Geralt confronts Jacques, who explains that due to his Source abilities he has seen the eventual extinction of humanity due to the world-ending White Frost, and was attempting to engineer a genetically enhanced superior race of humans to survive this apocalypse. Geralt is also confronted by the King of the Wild Hunt, who warns him of an .


title: The Witcher (video game)

text: After Geralt defeats and slays Jacques, he notices that the Grand Master was wearing the same amulet as Alvin, revealing that de Aldersberg was actually the village boy he saved earlier, who traveled back in time by accident. After Geralt returns to Foltest with news of his success, the king is attacked by an assassin. Geralt defeats the attacker, only to find that the corpse was a Witcher, leading directly into "".


title: The Witcher (video game)

text: Before CD Projekt's involvement, Metropolis Software (which CD Projekt bought in 2009 and closed in 2010) had obtained a license from Andrzej Sapkowski for his novels in "The Witcher" series, around 1997. However, due to several other projects that the studio was involved in at the time, and concerns from their publisher TopWare about the materials' international appeal, the project never got farther than some initial media and a playable level.


title: The Witcher (video game)

text: CD Projekt later approached Sapkowski for rights for the series. They were able to secure the rights for about 35,000 zloty (approximately ) from Sapkowski, who wanted all the payment upfront, rather than through royalties, even though these were offered to him. In a 2017 interview, Sapkowski said that at the time he had no interest in video games, and was only looking at the deal from a financial benefit standpoint.


title: The Witcher (video game)

text: "The Witcher" is powered by a modified version of the Aurora Engine by BioWare, optimized heavily for the game's singleplayer requirements. Many changes have been introduced to the original engine; some of them are described below.


title: The Witcher (video game)

text: One of the most important changes to the Aurora Engine involved developing the in-game environments in 3ds Max and then exporting them into the game engine, rather than using a tile-based system. This allowed the developers to make every environment unique from the others, rather than recycling the same tiled objects over and over again in different environments. CD Projekt's version of the engine also supports lightmaps generated in 3ds Max. Shadows created this way are reported to look more realistic, and provide better game performance.


title: The Witcher (video game)

text: The modified engine also includes texture paint, a special tool that allows the developer to paint the environment using custom textures. New realistic skyboxes and water effects designed specifically for "The Witcher" were added to the engine. Natural light during various phases of the day is realistically altered, and the day and night transitions serve to enrich the game's ambiance. The weather can dynamically change between various states, such as clear skies, light rainfall or thunderstorms.


title: The Witcher (video game)

text: Other significant changes include motion-captured animation, improved physics modeling, new mechanics, and a new combat system. Additional modifications include the introduction of portals and the inclusion of other graphical effects, such as glows, advanced dynamic shadows, blurs and others.


title: The Witcher (video game)

text: All the female portrait cards shown after Geralt's "sexual conquests" were censored ("retouched to a more modest standard") for the U.S. release version. The in-game dryad was also reskinned, so her hair covered more of her body in this release. Some of the previously censored content, such as the romance cards, were uncensored for the Enhanced Edition.


title: The Witcher (video game)

text: Some dialogue between characters is shortened in the non-Polish-language versions. Lead designer Michal Madej has disputed claims by fans that this was due to the sometimes crude language, but that the decision to edit down dialogue occurred because of production-related concerns in game development. Proofreader Martin Pagan noticed this shortened version during his work, and writer Sande Chen confirmed that it was not due to censorship. Fans have theorized that it may have been done for voice acting cost savings, especially since much of the vulgar language has been retained.


title: The Witcher (video game)

text: On August 31, 2006, Atari Europe announced they would publish and distribute the game in Europe and Asian territories. A North American publishing and distribution deal with fellow subsidiary Atari was later announced on February 5, 2007.


title: The Witcher (video game)

text: At Game Developers Conference 2008, CD Projekt Red announced an enhanced version of the game, which was released on 16 September 2008. The significant changes featured in the enhanced version are over 200 new animations, additional NPC models, and recoloring of generic NPC models as well as monsters, vastly expanded and corrected dialogues in translated versions, improved stability, redesigned inventory system and load times reduced by roughly 80%. In addition, all bugs are said to be fixed, and the game manual completely overhauled. There are also two new adventures available to play through: "Side Effects" and "The Price of Neutrality". A new option is to set the language of the voice acting and text separately. For instance, players can now choose to play the game with Polish voices and English subtitles. Other featured languages are Russian, Italian, French, Spanish, German, Czech, Hungarian, and Chinese.


title: The Witcher (video game)

text: Aside from the game enhancements, "The Witcher Enhanced Edition" includes a "making of" DVD, a CD with 29 in-game soundtracks, another CD with "Inspired by" music, the short story "The Witcher" from the book "The Last Wish", a map of Temeria printed on high-quality paper, and the official strategy guide. In addition, a new and enhanced version of the D'jinni Adventure Editor is on the DVD with the two new Adventures. The game updates, as well as the box's extras, are available as a free download for owners of the original version who registered their game on the official forum. Furthermore, old savegames are compatible with the "Enhanced Edition".


title: The Witcher (video game)

text: According to CD Projekt co-founder Michal Kicinski, the "Enhanced Edition" required a $1 million investment, and the company had shipped 300,000 copies of the retail version worldwide as of December 2008.


title: The Witcher (video game)

text: CD Projekt released a "Director's Cut" version of the game in North America on 31 July 2009. It is equal to the "Enhanced Edition" available to the rest of the world, but without the censorship applied to the North American version. The company has since released an official uncensoring patch that makes the North American version the same as the international for those who have purchased a boxed version of the game.


title: The Witcher (video game)

text: On 29 November 2008, a video covering the console version of the game was uploaded on the Internet. On 2 December, CD Projekt Red officially confirmed that "The Witcher" would be ported to PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles and released as "The Witcher: Rise of the White Wolf". It had been built from the ground up for Widescreen Games' DaVinci Engine and featured a host of differences. According to CD Projekt Red senior designer Jakub Styliński, the game featured a new interface, redesigned boss battles, new music, "a smattering of new models", and a redesigned character development system, in addition to an entirely new action-oriented combat system with enhanced AI, additional motion-capture animations and the ability to directly control Geralt's defensive maneuvers. CD Projekt also confirmed that "Rise of the White Wolf" would have featured downloadable content.


title: The Witcher (video game)

text: On 29 April 2009, it was announced that the production of the game had been halted due to late payments from CD Projekt to the French developers of the console version, Widescreen Games. A release from CD Projekt's CEO Michał Kiciński stated that payments were delayed due to Widescreen games not meeting development deadlines, additionally saying that "technical incapability created a risk of missing planned quality" and that CD Projekt had ended their association with the company.


title: The Witcher (video game)

text: The game received mostly positive reviews. The game's cumulative score stands at 81 out of 100 on Metacritic. Michael Lafferty from GameZone gave the game 8.8 out of 10, describing it as a deep, immersive game that will "ask you to think and make choices, not just hack and slash your way to glory". "The Witcher"s cinematic intro was nominated for the 2007 VES Awards in the category of Outstanding Pre-Rendered Visuals in a Video Game, and the game's soundtrack was voted "Best Fantasy Game Soundtrack" in the 2007 Radio Rivendell Fantasy Awards.


title: The Witcher (video game)

text: The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences named "The Witcher" as one of the nominees for 2007 Roleplaying Game of the Year; however, it eventually lost to "Mass Effect".


title: The Witcher (video game)

text: In 2010, the game was included as one of the titles in the book "1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die".


title: Shin Godzilla

text: In December 2014, Toho announced plans for a new domestic "Godzilla" film. Anno and Higuchi were announced as the directors in March 2015. Principal photography began in September 2015 and ended in October 2015. Inspiration for the film was drawn from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster and the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.


title: Shin Godzilla

text: "Shin Godzilla" was theatrically released on July 29, 2016, to acclaim from Japanese critics and mixed reviews from Western critics. The film grossed worldwide and was the highest-grossing live-action Japanese film of 2016 and became the highest-grossing Japanese-produced "Godzilla" film in the franchise. It received 11 Japan Academy Prize nominations and won seven, including Picture of the Year and Director of the Year.


title: Shin Godzilla

text: When the Japan Coast Guard investigates an abandoned yacht in Tokyo Bay, their boat is destroyed and the Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line is flooded. After seeing a viral video of the incident, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Rando Yaguchi theorizes that it was caused by a living creature. His theory is confirmed when news reports show a massive tail emerging from the ocean. Shortly thereafter, the creature moves inland and crawls through the Kamata district of Tokyo in the midst of inadequate evacuation. The creature leaves a path of destruction and numerous casualties, and evolves into a bipedal red-skinned form before it begins to overheat and returns to the sea.


title: Shin Godzilla

text: The government officials focus on military strategy and civilian safety, while Yaguchi is put in charge of a task force to research the creature. Due to high radiation readings from the creatures path, the group realizes that it is energized by nuclear fission. The U.S. sends a special envoy, Kayoco Anne Patterson, who reveals that a disgraced, vehemently anti-nuclear zoology professor, Goro Maki, had been studying mutations caused by radioactive contamination and theorized the appearance of the creature, but he was disbelieved by both American and Japanese scientific circles. The U.S. then prevented him from making his conclusions public. The abandoned yacht discovered in Tokyo Bay was Maki's, and he left his research notes, jumbled into a code, in the boat before disappearing.


title: Shin Godzilla

text: The creature, named Godzilla after Maki's research, reappears in its fourth-form, now twice its original size, and makes landfall near Kamakura en route for Tokyo. The Japan Self-Defense Forces mobilize, but their attacks have no effect and they are forced to withdraw when Godzilla breaks through their defenses into the city. The U.S. intervenes with a massively-destructive air strike plan, prompting the evacuation of civilians and government personnel. U.S. B-2 bombers wound Godzilla with MOP "bunker-buster" bombs. Godzilla recovers quickly and responds with highly destructive atomic rays fired from its mouth and dorsal plates, destroying the helicopter carrying the prime minister along with top government officials, all of the B-2s, as well as incinerating and irradiating large swaths of Tokyo. Depleting its energy, Godzilla enters a dormant state and becomes immobile.


title: Shin Godzilla

text: Yaguchi's team discovers that Godzilla's plates and blood work as a cooling system and theorize that they could use a coagulating agent to freeze it. After analyzing tissue samples, they find that Godzilla is an ever-evolving creature, able to reproduce asexually. The United Nations, aware of this, informs Japan that thermonuclear weapons will be used against Godzilla should the Japanese fail to subdue it on their own in a few days. Evacuations are ordered in multiple prefectures in preparation for the nuclear attack. Unwilling to see nuclear weapons detonated in Japan again, Patterson uses her political connections to buy time for Yaguchi's team, in whom the interim government has little faith.


title: Shin Godzilla

text: Yaguchi's team has a breakthrough when they decipher Goro Maki's encoded research using origami. They adjust their plan and procure the means to conduct their deep freeze plan with international support. Mere hours before the planned nuclear attack, Japan enacts the deep freeze plan. Godzilla is provoked into expending its atomic breath and energy against American drones. The team then detonates explosives in nearby buildings and in trains sent towards Godzilla's feet, knocking the monster down and giving tankers full of coagulant an opportunity to inject it into Godzilla's mouth. Though many are killed in the process, Godzilla is frozen solid. In the aftermath, it is discovered that the Godzilla fallout has a very short half-life and that Tokyo can soon be reconstructed. The international community agrees to cancel the nuclear attack but has the new Japanese government agree that, in the event of Godzilla's reawakening, an immediate thermonuclear strike will be executed. On Godzilla's tail, humanoid creatures appear frozen in the process of emerging.


title: Shin Godzilla

text: The film features several cameos and supporting appearances, including Kengo Kora, Ren Osugi, Akira Emoto, Kimiko Yo, Jun Kunimura, Mikako Ichikawa, Pierre Taki, Takumi Saito, Keisuke Koide, Arata Furuta, Sei Hiraizumi, Kenichi Yajima, Tetsu Watanabe, Ken Mitsuishi, Kyūsaku Shimada, Kanji Tsuda, Issei Takahashi, Shinya Tsukamoto, Kazuo Hara, Isshin Inudo, Akira Ogata, Shingo Tsurumi, Suzuki Matsuo, Kreva, Katsuhiko Yokomitsu, and Atsuko Maeda. Mansai Nomura portrayed Godzilla through motion capture. Jun Kunimura previously appeared in "". Akira Emoto appeared in "Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla".


title: Shin Godzilla

text: Whereas the original "Godzilla" was conceived as a metaphor for the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, "Shin Godzilla" drew inspiration from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster and the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. Many critics noted similarities to those events. Mark Schilling of "The Japan Times" wrote that the Godzilla creature serves "as an ambulatory tsunami, earthquake and nuclear reactor, leaving radioactive contamination in his wake". Roland Kelts, the author of "Japanamerica", felt that the "mobilizing blue-suited civil servants and piles of broken planks and debris quite nakedly echo scenes of the aftermath of the great Tohoku earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster." Matt Alt of "The New Yorker" drew similar parallels with "the sight of blue-jumpsuited government spokesmen convening emergency press conferences ... [and] a stunned man quietly regarding mountains of debris, something that could have been lifted straight out of television footage of the hardest-hit regions up north. Even the sight of the radioactive monster's massive tail swishing over residential streets evokes memories of the fallout sent wafting over towns and cities in the course of Fukushima Daiichi's meltdown."


title: Shin Godzilla

text: Robert Rath from Zam argued that "Shin Godzilla" is a satire of Japanese politics, and likened the protagonist Rando Yaguchi to the Fukushima plant manager Masao Yoshida. William Tsutsui, author of "Godzilla on My Mind", wrote in the "Arkansas Democrat-Gazette" that ""Shin Godzilla" leaves no doubt that the greatest threat to Japan comes not from without but from within, from a geriatric, fossilized government bureaucracy unable to act decisively or to stand up resolutely to foreign pressure." In his review for "Forbes", Ollie Barder wrote that the film depicted the Japanese government's "complex and corpulent bureaucratic ways ... unable to deal with a crisis in any kind of efficient or fluid way", noting that the government members use the hierarchical system to protect their positions at the expense of citizens' lives. According to Schilling, the government officials, Self-Defense Forces officers and others working to defeat Godzilla are portrayed as hardworking and intelligent, despite "some initial bumbling".


title: Shin Godzilla

text: Former prime minister Shinzō Abe spoke positively of the film's pro-nationalist themes, stating, "I think that [Godzilla's] popularity is rooted in the unwavering support that the public has for the Self-Defense Forces."


title: Shin Godzilla

text: In December 2014, Toho announced plans for a new "Godzilla" film for a 2016 release, stating, "This is very good timing after the success of the American version this year: if not now, then when? The licensing contract we have with Legendary places no restrictions on us making domestic versions." The new film would have no ties to Legendary's MonsterVerse and would serve as a reboot to Toho's series. Minami Ichikawa would serve as the film's production manager and Taiji Ueda as the film's project leader. Ueda confirmed that the screenplay was in development and filming had been planned for a summer 2015 shoot. Toho would additionally put together a project team, known as "Godzilla Conference" or "Godzi-con", to formulate future projects.


title: Shin Godzilla

text: In March 2015, Toho announced that the film would be co-directed by Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi (who both collaborated on the anime "Neon Genesis Evangelion"), in addition to Anno writing the screenplay and Higuchi directing the film's special effects. In addition, Toho announced that the film will begin filming in the fall of 2015 set for a summer 2016 release. Promotional artwork of the new Godzilla's footprint was also released, with Toho confirming that their new Godzilla will surpass Legendary Pictures' "Godzilla" as the tallest incarnation to date.


title: Shin Godzilla

text: Toho had approached Anno in January 2013 to direct the reboot but Anno initially declined due to falling into another depression after completing "", stating, "A representative from Toho contacted me directly, saying, 'We'd like to direct a new Godzilla film.' At the time, I was still recovering from EVA 3.0, and right on the spot, flatly refused the offer, 'It's impossible. Even to begin work on is impossible.'" However, Toho's sincerity and his longtime friend and co-director, Shinji Higuchi, eventually convinced him to accept the offer in March 2013. Anno had also refused the offer due to a lack of confidence, stating, "I refused [the offer] since I didn't have confidence that I could exceed the first film or come close to equaling it. But I thought that if I were to come close even a little, I would have to do the same thing [as the first film]." Mahiro Maeda provided the new design for Godzilla while Takayuki Takeya provided the maquette. Director Higuchi stated that he intended to provide the "most terrifying Godzilla that Japan's cutting-edge special-effects movie-making can muster." A variety of techniques such as puppets, animatronics, and digital effects were initially considered and an upper-body animatronic was produced but went unused after Toho decided to create a completely CG Godzilla. VFX Supervisor Atsuki Sato stated, "CG production had already been determined when I began participating. In the end, it was the best option to allow quick edits as creative visions changed and produced a high quality film." A colorless maquette was built for CG animators to use as a reference when rendering the CG Godzilla model. Mansai Nomura provided the motion capture performance for Godzilla.


title: Shin Godzilla

text: Principal photography began on September 1, 2015, with a large on-location film shoot at Kamata station in Tokyo under the working title "Shin Gojira". On September 23, 2015, Toho revealed the film's official title as "Shin Gojira" and that the film will star Hiroki Hasegawa, Yutaka Takenouchi, and Satomi Ishihara. Producer Akihiro Yamauchi stated that the title "Shin Gojira" was chosen for the film due to the variety of meanings it conveys, such as either "new" (新), "true" (真), or "God" (神). Yamauchi also confirmed that the film has been planned for quite some time, stating, "It's been in the works a long time. It's not like it was produced just because of the Hollywood Godzilla". Principal photography wrapped at the end of October 2015, with special effects work scheduled for November 2015.


title: Shin Godzilla

text: Shiro Sagisu scored the film. The score features various remixes of "Decisive Battle" from Sagisu's "Neon Genesis Evangelion" score and recycles several Akira Ifukube tracks. Anno had decided to use Ifukube's music while writing the screenplay and attempted to adapt the old Ifukube tracks to modern stereo settings but the task proved too daunting and eventually settled on using the mono mixes instead. The soundtrack was released on July 30, 2016, and sold 8,427 copies in 2 weeks. Entitled "Shin Godzilla Ongakushuu", the soundtrack album sold 43,951 copies in Japan.


title: Shin Godzilla

text: In November 2015, without any prior announcement, Toho screened a promo reel at the American Film Market for a potential sale for overseas markets, marketing the film (for a while) as "Godzilla: Resurgence". In December 2015, Toho unveiled the film's first teaser trailer and teaser poster revealing Toho's new Godzilla design and the film's July 29, 2016, release date. "Chunichi Sports" reported the size of the new Godzilla to be tall, over taller than Godzilla (2014), but not taller than Godzilla from King of the Monsters. Shin is the second tallest live action Godzilla in history.


title: Shin Godzilla

text: In January 2016, images of the Godzilla suit were leaked online. In late March 2016, it was announced that Toho's Godzilla and Anno's Evangelion intellectual properties will form a "maximum collaboration" for merchandise in April 2016. In mid-April 2016, Toho revealed the complete design of the new Godzilla and that it is a completely CG-generated character, as well as a new trailer, details regarding the principal and supporting characters, and that the film will be released in IMAX, 4DX, and MX4D formats for its domestic release.


title: Shin Godzilla

text: For summer 2016, the Namja Town amusement park held special Godzilla cross-promotion activities. The park unveiled a new virtual reality game, the food court produced kaiju-inspired food dishes, and a Godzilla foot on display as though it had crashed through the roof of the attached Sunshine City Alpa shopping center. Sports equipment manufacturer Reebok released limited-edition Godzilla sneakers featuring a black reptilian skin pattern and either red or glow-in-the-dark green coloring in Japan.


title: Shin Godzilla

text: "Shin Godzilla" was theatrically released on July 29, 2016 in Japan in IMAX, 4DX, and MX4D in over 350 theaters and 446 screens. It had its red carpet premiere on July 25, 2016. The premiere took place in Tokyo along Kabuki-cho Central Road, with a red carpet from the Hotel Gracery Shinjuku, the hotel which has the large Godzilla head peering over, 118.5 metres in length, the same distance as the height of Godzilla.


title: Shin Godzilla

text: In April 2016, New World Cinemas was named one of the distributors to release the film in the United States, later confirming via their official Facebook that they were "working hard to bring Godzilla to every state." However, in June 2016, New World Cinemas clarified on their official Facebook that "New World Cinemas are not the distributers for the new Godzilla Film. The mistake was make because we said Godzilla coming soon. This was merely a post to promote Godzilla as we too are big fans. We apologise for any confusion regarding this film."


title: Shin Godzilla

text: In July 2016, Toho announced that the film had been sold to 100 territories (including Asia, Africa, Europe, and North America) in 19 days after opening to foreign sales and will be released in Taiwan on August 12, the Philippines on August 24, Hong Kong and Macao on August 25, and Thailand on September 8. At the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con, it was announced that Funimation would distribute the film for North America, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean for a late 2016 release as "Shin Godzilla", instead of "Godzilla: Resurgence", at the insistence of Toho.


title: Shin Godzilla

text: In early September, Funimation officially announced that the film was to be given a one-week limited release in the United States and Canada from October 11–18 on 440 screens, in Japanese with English subtitles, making it the first Japanese "Godzilla" film to receive a theatrical North American release since "Godzilla 2000". Funimation hosted two North American premieres for the film, one premiere on October 3 in Los Angeles and the other on October 5 in New York. Due to popular demand, Funimation extended the film's North American theatrical run with encore screenings for October 22 and select theaters offering daily screenings through October 27. In the same month, Indonesian Film Censorship Board listed and registered both "Shin Godzilla" and "".


title: Shin Godzilla

text: In the UK, Altitude Films screened the film at FrightFest in Glasgow on February 24, 2017. Altitude Films later dropped the film, with The Electric confirming in a Tweet: "the UK distributor Altitude have dropped it, and Toho aren't allowing any UK screenings at the mo ." The UK theatrical rights were later acquired by Manga Entertainment for an August 10, 2017 release.


title: Shin Godzilla

text: In Japan, "Shin Godzilla" was released on DVD and Blu-ray by Toho on March 22, 2017. The film's Japan home video release sold 520,000 units for the DVD version, 100,000 units for the Blu-ray Special Edition, and 55,402 units for the Blu-ray Standard Edition, totaling 675,402 DVD and Blu-ray sales in Japan. In North America, the film was released on Blu-ray, DVD and digital on August 1, 2017 by Funimation, which featured an English dub produced by Funimation. In the United States, the Blu-ray and DVD grossed $4.5 million in video sales. In the United Kingdom, the film was released on DVD and Blu-ray by Manga Entertainment on December 4, 2017. This release also included the Funimation dub. The film was released on DVD and Blu-Ray in the UK on December 4. The Blu-Ray edition of the film ranked at no.32 on the UK Blu-Ray chart for the week ending December 16.


title: Shin Godzilla

text: In Japan "Shin Godzilla" earned () on its opening weekend and was number one at the box office for that weekend, placing "Finding Dory" at second place and "" at third place, and earned 23% more than 2014's "Godzilla" when it opened in Japan. It was more than triple the first weekend's gross of 2004's "", the previous Toho film in the series, which in the end grossed . The film remained at number one during its second weekend and was projected to finish at domestically. The film dropped to second place during its third weekend, topped by "The Secret Life of Pets", earning after 17 days, topping the estimates for both 2004's "Godzilla: Final Wars" and 2014's "Godzilla". The film reached a month after its release, topping the earnings for Anno's previous film "Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo", which earned .


title: Shin Godzilla

text: On its sixth weekend, the film climbed back to number two, topped by "Your Name", with an earning of , bringing the film's total domestic gross to from 4.1 million admissions. On September 4, 2016, the film has grossed . After exiting the top ten in late September, the film has grossed nearly from 5.6 million admissions. "Shin Godzilla" became the highest grossing live-action Japanese film for 2016, and the second highest grossing film in Japan for the year. In the United States and Canada, the film grossed during its limited 31 day run. Outside of Japan and North America, the film was released in a handful of International markets. In Taiwan, it grossed ; in Australia it grossed ; in New Zealand it grossed ; in Thailand it grossed ; in South Korea it grossed ; and in Spain it grossed . The film grossed in Japan and worldwide.


title: Shin Godzilla

text: "Shin Godzilla" received critical acclaim in Japan, while Western critics gave it a more mixed response. The special effects and new depiction of Godzilla were praised, but the film was criticized for its long scenes, confusing dialogue, over-crowded characters and subplots. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 86% based on 73 reviews, with an average rating of 6.70/10. The site's consensus reads: ""Godzilla: Resurgence" offers a refreshingly low-fi – and altogether entertaining – return to the monster's classic creature-feature roots." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 67 out of 100 based on 14 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews."


title: Shin Godzilla

text: Japanese pop culture site "RO65" called the film a "masterpiece of unprecedented filmmaking", and felt that the film retains a "strong respect for the fundamental message within Godzilla". "Oricon Style" praised directors Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi for their realistic approach and the film's reality vs. idealism themes, calling it a "world class" "Godzilla" film. Cinema Today called the film a "thrilling experience" and a "masterpiece", feeling that the film was a return to form similar to 2004's "Dawn of the Dead". Kazuo Ozaki from Eiga.com praised the film as well, stating, "Hollywood, even with all its money, can't approach this kind of perfection" while Koichi Irikura of Cinema Today called it a "birth of a masterpiece that boldly announces the revival of a Japanese Godzilla". Brian Ashcraft from "Kotaku" felt the film was a "letdown", though he praised the film's special effects and social reflection of Japan, he criticized the film's depiction of the human characters, stating, "I wish the movie explored the relationships between the politicians and the researchers more instead of glossing over it" and concluded that "This isn’t one of the best "Godzilla" films ever made, but it's certainly not one of the worst by any stretch, either. "Godzilla: Resurgence" is a series of compelling ideas in a so-so "Godzilla" movie".


title: Shin Godzilla

text: Ollie Barder from "Forbes" was surprised at "how good" the film was, praising Anno's classic Gainax motifs, though he was not completely fond of Godzilla's new design; he felt that the "googly" eyes made Godzilla look silly but that the design was more "organic and menacing" than previous incarnations and praised the film's depiction of Godzilla, stating, "I really liked the way Godzilla is handled in this new movie, as it feels a lot more like the God Soldier short that both Anno and Higuchi worked on" and concluded by stating that he "really enjoyed" the film and that it had a "far more coherent plot" than 2014's "Godzilla". Marcus Goh from Yahoo felt that the film was a better reimagining than 2014's "Godzilla", though he criticized parts of Godzilla's design and the protagonists' plan to stop Godzilla. Goh gave the film a 3.1 score out of 5 and concluded that it "preserves the feel of "Godzilla" movies while updating it with modern responses". Jay Hawkinson from Bloody Disgusting called the film a "very good "Godzilla" movie that teeters on greatness". However, he felt the film's drama "didn't always work" and that some of the English delivery felt "canned and often corny", particularly from Ishihara's character. Hawkinson praised the film's battle-scenes, Shiro Sagisu's score, and the film's homages to the franchise, and concluded that ""Shin Godzilla" may be a reboot sans the rubber suit we’ve grown to love but it's unquestionably Godzilla". "Guardian" chief film critic Peter Bradshaw found Ishihara "slightly absurd" as an American "who bafflingly speaks English only with a strong and borderline unintelligible accent and comports herself with torpid model languor at all times".


title: Shin Godzilla

text: Elizabeth Kerr from "The Hollywood Reporter" felt that Anno and Higuchi had done "the big guy justice" and "created a Godzilla for this era". While she felt that "all the telling (or reading) rather than showing reduces the story's overall impact" Kerr concluded that "there's an intangible quality to this Godzilla that Edwards (Emmerich doesn’t count) never quite captured, and which is always welcome". Matt Schley from "Otaku USA" called the film "A match made in kaiju-heaven", and praised Anno's directing: "It's also a reminder, after years in the "Evangelion" reboot woods, that Anno is one of Japan's most unique directorial voices in either animation or live-action filmmaking." Though he felt the special effects weren't as impressive as 2014's "Godzilla", Schley stated that the film's CG "gets the job done, though there are a couple questionable shots" and concluded by stating that "Hideaki Anno has achieved a successful resurgence for both the Big G and himself".


title: Shin Godzilla

text: In July 2017, Higuchi attended G-Fest XXIV and said that Toho could not make another "Godzilla" film until after 2020. This was due to Toho's contract with Legendary Entertainment, which restricts Toho from releasing a live-action "Godzilla" film in the same year as Legendary's "Godzilla" films; Legendary released "" in 2019, originally intended to be released in 2018, and "Godzilla vs. Kong" in 2021, originally intended to be released in 2020. At the time, Higuchi noted that Legendary's contract was effective until 2020.


title: Shin Godzilla

text: After "Shin Godzilla," Toho and Polygon Pictures produced a trilogy of anime "Godzilla" films: "" (2017), "" (2018), and "" (2018). In May 2018, Toho announced that it would not make a sequel to "Shin Godzilla", but would instead establish a shared universe model similar to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.


title: Shin Godzilla

text: In 2022, Hideaki Anno revealed that he had planned to create a sequel to the film, stating that "I wrote a proposal during the filming of "Shin Godzilla" on February 3, 2016, labeled "Sequel Shin Godzilla Memo". The primary working title for the project was and with the assumption that Mr. Higuchi would direct, it was meant to be something like a Toho Champion Festival "kaiju" showdown. Since it was concocted to be released in 2018, the shortest time possible for a domestic-made "Godzilla" film to be released, it was a rough draft for people who wouldn't like "Shin Godzilla", an idea that wouldn't cost too much or take too long to create. I believed that it would be a bad idea to let it go to waste so I gave the proposal, draft, and visuals, as a gift to Mr. Higuchi and Toho, but since it was premature or whatever, among other reasons, after the film's release the discussion ended. While I did feel it was a waste, it's not something I could help since Toho decides what gets made."


title: Shin Godzilla

text: In 2016, Toho and Khara, Inc. collaborated on "Godzilla vs. Evangelion", a cross-over line of merchandise uniting "Shin Godzilla" and Anno's "Neon Genesis Evangelion". In May 2019, Universal Studios Japan opened the "Godzilla vs. Evangelion: The Real 4D" attraction. It ran until August 2019. In February 2022, Toho, Khara, Toei Company, and Tsuburaya Productions announced a collaborative project titled "Shin Japan Heroes Universe" for merchandise, special events and tie-ins. The project will unite properties that Anno had worked on bearing the title "Shin", such as "Rebuild of Evangelion", "Shin Godzilla", "Shin Ultraman" and "Shin Kamen Rider".


title: Shin Godzilla

text: In 2017, Universal Studios Japan featured a temporary 4D Shin Godzilla attraction as part of its Universal Cool Japan 2017 program. In 2018, a statue of the film's version of Godzilla was erected in central Tokyo. The area was dubbed Hibiya Godzilla Square and is considered to be largest Godzilla statue in Japan, according to Toho. In October 2020, Nijigen no Mori opened a "Shin Godzilla" zip line attraction in Kobe, Japan.


title: Josh McDaniels

text: head coach for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He began his NFL career in 2001 with the New England Patriots, where he served as the offensive coordinator for 14 non-consecutive seasons. During McDaniels' first stint as offensive coordinator from 2006 to 2008, New England set the season record for points scored and became the first team to win all 16 regular season games in 2007. In his second stint from 2012 to 2021, the Patriots won three Super Bowl titles in Super Bowl XLIX, Super Bowl LI, and Super Bowl LIII. McDaniels was also among the Patriots personnel to be present for all six of their titles during the Brady–Belichick era.


title: Josh McDaniels

text: In between his Patriots tenure, McDaniels served as the head coach of the Denver Broncos from 2009 to 2010. He left New England a second time in 2022 to become the head coach of the Raiders.