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Hicham Habchi is a character art director at PFG-WB Games, a leading studio in the gaming industry. He has over 10 years of experience in creating and leading concept art for video games and comics, with a passion for storytelling and world-building.He is currently responsible for the art direction of the MVS Fighting Game Concept, a new IP that features diverse and dynamic characters and environments. He also drives the art style for PFG Games, ensuring consistency and quality across all projects. In addition, he is a talented comic artist, who has worked on covers and comics for popular franchises such as Venom, Batman, and Samurai. He draws inspiration from comics, advertising, video games, and urban life, and showcases his skills in animation, illustration, and storyboarding.

I Got A Letter...It's been a grim year, hasn't it? 2024s best games are all about disgust, decay, and existential dreadI had a pretty cheerful 2024 in gaming, as you can tell.Image credit: VG247 Article by Kelsey Raynor Guides Writer Published on Dec. 19, 2024 2024 was a big year for folk with a never-ending affinity towards all things survival-horror, largely due to the fact that the Silent Hill 2 Remake finally released. A game that, after its initial announcement, I was truly dreading. I love Silent Hill 2, so much, and for the longest time, all I ever really wanted was for the original trio of games to be ported to modern platforms exactly as they are. Nothing more, and nothing less. I, admittedly, did not trust Konami or Bloober Team to do it justice.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. I couldnt have been more wrong. After a preview event in which we spent three hours with the game, I was wholly obsessed. Converted from the stubborn, bitter Silent Hill fan I was always was (this is with thanks to the cancellation of Silent Hills, which I will never stop banging on about) into, well, someone who finally felt hopeful about the series. Bloober Team alleviated me of all my Silent Hill woes in such a short span of time, and continued to do so once the game was released.The remake was a different game to the original Silent Hill 2, but Bloober Team managed to make something so special; an entirely new iteration of James journey that was just as psychologically tormenting as the last. I will never doubt Bloober Team ever again. As for my trust in Konami, well have to see how Metal Gear Solid Delta turns out first.While the Silent Hill 2 Remake stands tall as my personal game of the year in 2024, it was far from the only game to have impressed me. 2024 wasnt quite the year for horror fans that 2023 was, we got the Dead Space remake, Resident Evil 4 remake, and the exceptional Alan Wake 2 last year but we did receive a good portion of indie horror games trying to make their mark, which some did with ease. Image credit: Bloober Team/VG247Mouthwashing, for example. An acid-trip of a game that, for two hours, is impossible to put down as you try to piece together its non-linear, gruesome story. Beneath all that, though, is a poignant discussion of existential dread. Is there more to life than, well, capitalism? Working your way up the ranks in an increasingly cruel world? Does any of it even matter? It isnt the cheeriest way to spend your time, but its one game that you wont be forgetting in a hurry.My horror GOTYs aside, there is one more game that while it doesnt quite beat Silent Hill 2 for me, personally I spent the most time with this year. A game that some may argue isnt really a game at all, and thats Elden Rings Shadow of the Erdtree expansion.A part of me would argue that Shadow of the Erdtree, given its size and scope, is a game within its own right. Theres just so much to be done, but the folk who argue that you have to fight the likes of Radahn and Mohg to even access the DLC admittedly have a point. Either way, I think one thing many of us can agree on is that Shadow of the Erdtree was an exceptional DLC. I expected something brilliant from FromSoftware, as always, but I wasnt quite prepared to be whisked into a haunting world in which most of my burning questions were finally answered. Armed to the teeth. | Image credit: VG247/FromSoftwareShadow of the Erdtree boasted numerous bosses in a much more compact space. A space that was still huge, however, meaning that exploration was still very much a big and important thing in Erdtree, but the DLC felt one step closer to a Dark Souls game. Boss fights were frequent, the world felt dark and grim, and the characters you meet along the way oh, how they tug at your heartstrings (for the most part). Moore and his friends will forever have my heart.I also owe a shout out to the likes of Persona 3 Reload and Balatro. These are two more games that have helped shape my year in gaming, though Im not quite done with them just yet. And I dont think Ill ever be done with Balatro thats for sure.

Super SantaHelldivers 2 dev Arrowhead comes up with a suitably festive solution to all that Killzone collab price backlash"We will revisit this," the studio says of the item prices folks weren't fans of, while loading up the free gifts onto its sleigh.Image credit: Arrowhead News by Mark Warren Senior Staff Writer Published on Dec. 19, 2024 Since Helldivers 2 developer Arrowhead deployed the opening bit of the game's Killzone crossover, the prices players are being asked to pay for this new stuff have been causing some serious backlash. Now, after working to respond to unhappy players, the studio's made the decision to give away the gear coming as second part of the collab for free.As we reported yesterday, the big bugbear players have about this Killzone gear is the fact that the amount of super credits being charged individually - because it's not come as a warbond - for the new assault rifle and armour set are pretty lofty.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. After CEO Shams Jorjani and Johan Pilestedt spent some time on the socials trying to explain to players why they did what they did with this crossover gear, the studio's now deployed a solution that it's hoping will help repair any goodwill the high prices have burned through. Basically, it's giving the second part of the collaboration, which was set to drop on December 23, away to everyone as a free festive gift today.As this was our first crossover offering, weve been listening to the response, and the feedback weve received from our community surveys is that crossover content is really high up on your wishlists," Arrowhead wrote in a Steam post outlining this, "At the same time, some of you are not happy with the prices of the items and we will revisit this. To see this content please enable targeting cookies."Many of you were also concerned that items wouldnt be in rotation for long enough, and there was a bit of concern around how these items exist outside of our usual Warbond releases, which are always themed in our own universe."So, it's made the call to give away the second wave of gear for free to all players, with it set to drop "in two waves", as well as extending the time items currently in the Superstore will be there "from 5 days to 10 days", so you don't have to worry about FOMO as much if you're busy grinding Super Credits to grab the other Killzone bits."Were also investigating solutions for how we can bring these items back permanently in the future," the studio added, "The W.A.S.P. stratagem will be available for you all to unlock via a major order shortly."There you go. Arrowhead's work certainly isn't done - it needs to work on finding an ideal price point for stuff like this that works for both it and Helldivers 2 players, if such a thing exists, but it's a nice gesture. Tis the season of giving, after all.Has this free gift help ease any unhappiness you might have been feeling about Helldivers 2's Killzone crossover and its beefy prices? Let us know below!

Flying Or CrashingJames Gunn's Superman has just received its first trailer: some people love it, some don't, and we can't tell if Krypto or Lois Lane has the bigger stan armyNot everything is praise and hype.Image credit: Warner Bros. Pictures News by Fran Ruiz Contributor Published on Dec. 19, 2024 The generous teaser trailer for Superman, written and directed by James Gunn, has finally arrived, and you can bet that everyone has strong opinions about it, good and bad. Here's a quick rundown of the current buzz online.As far as first looks go, this one, from my personal point of view, feels quite classical and uplifting. It's also the rare sort of trailer that doesn't reveal a lot about the actual plot and character dynamics. That said, we're fully expecting future promo material to be bolder in its approach to selling us on the story and characters. This kind of vibes-based preview is exactly what the people needed right now, especially when it's so openly hopeful and the direct opposite to the now-deceased DCEU's plans for Kal-El/Clark Kent.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Let's start with the words of praise first. Unsurprisingly, the majority of the online noise seems to be positive following this first trailer, mainly because Gunn has earned the audiences' trust over a decade now with the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy (and a great Holiday Special), The Suicide Squad, Peacemaker, and Creature Commandos. Even when he explores darker themes and plot elements, he remains hopeful and poignant at the end of the day. This Superman reboot appears to be doubling down on that, and it's also a good exercise for the filmmaker after dealing with bloodier affairs in his other recent works at the DC camp (which he now helms alongside Peter Safran)."This is straight up a comicbook come to life. Superman nation, we won," writes ClarkQuill97 on Twitter. As you can infer from the username, this user is big on Superman and probably had high hopes. So far, they're satisfied.Rachel Brosnahan's Lois Lane is algo gaining tons of stans, even after just one trailer: To see this content please enable targeting cookies.Massive comic book fan account PridefulSin is also sold on the movie due to the special focus put on Superman actually saving and inspiring people. These are the sort of big voices you want to convince with a first look: To see this content please enable targeting cookies."Krypto is gonna put asses in seats," predicts illustrator Dan Veesenmeyer. He's probably right. People love a good boy. "I have got the biggest smile on my face right now," added gaming figure Ultima. It's definitely a clear mission statement to kick your comic book adaptation universe with a super dog with a cape!On the cinephile side of things, buzz seems to be positive for the most part, with users praising the fact Superman is back to being an innocent boy scout instead of a bipolar alien. I kinda liked what Zack Snyder was going for, but that was the kind of stuff you tried to adapt after doing this, not before! "Oh, so this is an actual Superman movie and not an edgy mess." Even 'Out of Context Simpsons Couch Gags' chimed in.Of course, not everyone is happy with a lighter (both thematically and visually) approach to the character, and some raised valid concerns about some scenes looking a bit too 'made for TV' (we must remember the movie has just entered post-production though). "Im not going to be an idiot and claim it looks like a fake movie but this is not matching the quality level I was expecting," expressed ComicAccuracy with a mild take.BroBible's Eric Italiano also wanted to like what he was seeing, but is "concerned by the aesthetic" and tried to put it into words diplomatically: To see this content please enable targeting cookies.Other people haven't been as kind: To see this content please enable targeting cookies. To see this content please enable targeting cookies.You get the idea by now. Some folks are digging the vibes and others aren't, maybe because they're still fighting for the 'SnyderVerse' or just because they'd rather have a different, more adult take on the character. The beauty of comic books, especially when it comes to legendary characters like Superman (who has been around for a very very long time) is that so many approaches to the character are equally valid. Gunn's iteration is simply bringing back some of the Silver Age style, and should his DCU be successful and advance, I'm fairly sure the characters and tone would evolve as well.Regardless of what you think about the trailer and the movie, we all can agree that Krypto alone might make it a box office success and are hoping he isn't hurt by evil businessman Lex Luthor. Everything else is up in the air and will be until the movie opens on July 11, 2025.

TutorialsUsing Gobos And Pro Lighting Techniques In Unreal EngineWant to work like a real photographer or cinematographer in 3D? In this tutorial, learn how to professionally light Metahumans inside of UE5.by Greyscalegorilla Unreal Engine Pro Lighting WorkflowWant to work like a real photographer or cinematographer in 3D? In this tutorial, Jags will show you how to professionally light Metahumans inside of Unreal Engine 5. Using traditional photo and video lighting, you can create realistic studio lighting inside of UE5.Youll start by gathering photo references and add your Metahuman to your project. Then using level sequences you will setup various lighting setups. You can recreate real photo techniques like shaping light and shadow with gobos.Greyscalegorilla lighting textures can help you achieve that look in 3D with an assortment of gobos, such as windows, trees, caustics, and more. Youll also find true-to-life area lights maps of real fixtures or you can test looks with a variety of abstract area light maps.Jags will also show you how to use the Studio app to import paper materials and use them for backdrops, and how to even edit your materials in Unreal Engine. Greyscalegorilla Plus members have access to hundreds of area light maps, gobos, and even HDRI within the Studio desktop app.If you arent a member, you can download the Studio app and connector for Unreal Engine (or your 3D app of choice) and get 50+ free assets, including a selection of gobos, textures, materials, and more.Three Point Lighting in 3DWant to start with the basics? Jags followed up with his Metahuman lighting tutorial to break down a standard three-point lighting setup for beginning 3D and UE artists.You will learn how to use an HDRI to start with environmental lighting, and then create three light sources for your key, fill, and rim light. Each is place around your subject and focused on lighting specific parts, whether that the body or just a hair light. Then you can adjust your light temperature or color to dial in specific looks. Light Textures vs HDRIWhat's the difference between Greyscalegorilla light textures and HDRI? Lighting TexturesArea Light Maps and Gobo textures have a high-dynamic range, but are used with individual area lights in 3D software.Lighting textures allow pinpoint precision and realistic lighting conditions as if you were pointing a real light at your 3D object.HDRIGreyscalegorilla HDRI are panoramic images of real world locations and true-to-life studios and skies.HDRI are used to quickly create realistic environmental lighting in 3D, whether that is in a studio, outdoors, or even in space. Improve your workflow with StudioGet Greyscalegorilla Studio, the desktop app that helps artists stay in the flow and puts the entire Plus library at your fingertipsinstantly.Learn More Leave a Comment:CancelThis site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Update: Developer releases gameplay trailer.If you love cats (and there are plenty of us here at Nintendo Life who do), then you might be interested in checking out this upcoming open-world title known as Catly.There's no release date just yet, but during The Game Awards this year it was confirmed for the Nintendo Switch and multiple other platforms. It will apparently feature some MMO aspects, according to its Steam listing.Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Is anyone surprised?We're just one day away from the Sonic the Hedgehog 3 movie which introduces Shadow the Hedgehog to the blockbuster franchise hitting cinemas worldwide. But Variety is reporting that Paramount Pictures has already greenlighted a fourth film.Shocked? Nope, not us. According to the report, the movie is aiming for a Spring 2027 release. We know nothing else yet, but given that director Jeff Fowler has stuck around for the first three movies, we wouldn't be surprised if he's also on board for a fourth run.Read the full article on nintendolife.com

With a physical edition to boot.If you're a fan of Undertale, then chances are you may have heard of OFF, even if you've yet to actually play it. Creator Toby Fox often cites the RPG as a huge influence on Undertale, and now the 2008 cult hit is making its way to the Switch.Arriving in 2025, the new port boasts official translations into multiple languages (including English) alongside numerous quality-of-life improvements. Fans and newcomers alike can look forward to an all-new battle system, balancing improvements, and brand-new areas and enemies from developer Mortis Ghost.Read the full article on nintendolife.com

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman sat before Congress in 2023 to testify about the dangers of AI. He told American lawmakers at the time that he owns no equity in OpenAI, something hes said many times, claiming he just runs the company because he loves it.However, Altman recently said he actually did have some equity in OpenAI through a Sequoia fund at one point, a stake he has since sold. In an interview with Bari Weiss released Thursday, Altman was asked what kind of stake he might have if OpenAI successfully converts into a for-profit company.Heres what the OpenAI CEO said:I have a tiny sliver of equity from an old YC fund I used to have some via a Sequoia fund but that one turned out to be easier to like sell and not keep the position in so I have a very small amount thats quite insignificant to me. In terms of what I will or wont have going forward, I dont know. Theres no current plan or promise for me to get anything.While Altmans investment through Y Combinator was known, his investment through Sequoia was not. OpenAI discloses Altmans indirect investment in his own company through YC on its website. The startup says this small investment is the CEOs only interest in the company and was made before he worked full time at OpenAI.Sequoia first invested in OpenAI in 2021, according to its website, two years after Altman became the full time CEO of OpenAI. At that time, OpenAI was worth roughly $14 billion, a valuation thats exploded to $157 billion after the startups latest funding round earlier this year a round Sequoia participated in as well.While Sequoias stake in OpenAI from 2021 is worth a lot more now, there are several unknowns about Altmans investment through the venture firm. Venture firms like Sequoia arent required to disclose their limited partner investors. Its unclear when Altman sold the stake and for how much.An OpenAI spokesperson confirmed Altmans prior exposure in a statement to TechCrunch, but did not offer specifics on these aspects.Sam has never had any direct ownership in OpenAI. He held a negligible stake, less than a fraction of a percent, in a general Sequoia fund with a broad portfolio, which he later learned included minimal exposure to OpenAI, said OpenAI spokesperson Kayla Wood in a statement to TechCrunch. Sam no longer has any ongoing commitments to the fund.Most CEOs do have equity in the companies they run. The biggest percentage of a CEOs pay if they are running a public company is equity. And of course, startup founders start their journey owning all of the equity in their companies, until they grant shares to employees and sell off chunks to investors. But OpenAI was founded as a non-profit, has a strange structure, and Altman has repeatedly said he doesnt own any. Just this month, Altman said he had no equity in OpenAI during The New York Times DealBook Summit.During a May interview with the All In podcast, the OpenAI CEO said he originally decided to not take equity in the company because of its corporate structure. According to its charter, OpenAIs non-profit board is required to be filled with a majority of independent directors, meaning they cant have equity in the company. Altman says this led him to not take any equity, in order to be one of those independent directors. However, this has caused many people to question the CEOs motives at the company, Altman said, which is likely one reason the company is shifting away from this structure.Altmans stake in OpenAI has also become increasingly relevant as the company attempts to transition its for-profit branch, which is currently controlled by the non-profit board, into an independent company. OpenAI is also reportedly contemplating granting the CEO some equity in this transition, though the company and Altman have denied that there are plans to.OpenAIs for-profit transition is currently at risk of being held up by Elon Musks lawsuit against the startup. At its core, Musks lawsuit claims that OpenAI is abandoning its original nonprofit mission to make the fruits of its AI research available to all. However, OpenAI recently claimed that Musk wanted to convert the startup into a for-profit from the start.At one point in Altmans interview with Weiss, the OpenAI CEO called Elon Musk a bully who clearly likes to get in fights. At another point, Altman lashed out at Meta for asking Californias attorney general to block OpenAIs for profit transition.I dont know why Meta sent that letter, but I do know they know thats not how it works. I know that part is in bad faith, said Altman. You can imagine lots of other reasons that Meta might have sent this letter. You can imagine they wanted to curry favor with Elon, you can imagine that they felt like it would help them compete with us.While the company says Altmans exposure to OpenAI through Sequoia was negligible, its hard to square Altmans comments about having no equity in OpenAI with his most recent remarks on Weiss podcast.