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Nintendo Switch 2: What We Know So Far

The Switch 2 is coming next year, after a lot of anticipation. We don’t know tons about it, but we do know it’ll be a Pro version of the current Switch OLED.

Black Friday Deals

We saw some marvellous concept of what it could look like, which began flooding in years ago. We sort of gave up hoping for a while and then the announcement was made a couple of months ago. Since then we’ve been on tenterhooks and have known this Black Friday was going to be a little different for deals.

Best Nintendo Switch Games Deals

It looks like Amazon has the best deals on Nintendo Switch games so far, with up to 38% off some genuinely brilliant titles. You should explore them all here:

… and we’ll find some more to highlight.

Nintendo Switch Bundle Deals

Nintendo released some special bundles recently, which get you the console and Mario Kart Deluxe 8 for a knockdown price. You’ll save around $70 by buying them this way – certainly not to be turned down if you’re a console-less Mario fan. These bundles are from $299.99 at many retailers.

Nintendo Switch OLED Deals

Hello! Happy Black Friday isn’t it? But deals are coming thick and fast already, which is great news for everyone. We’re kicking things off with a couple of brilliant deals on OLED consoles – one for the UK and the other US. Hurrah!

Best Nintendo Switch Deals of the Day

Nintendo Switch deals are notoriously difficult to find. But we are experts so worry no more, if there’s a deal to be found, we’ll find it. We’ve also got our eyes on games and have found a wonderful deal on the Bluey game. Yup, maybe a weird one to start with but with children in the house this could be a great Christmas present for the family – it’s now only $20 at Amazon, reduced from almost $40.

Conclusion

Black Friday has started and we’re already seeing some great deals on Nintendo Switch games and consoles. Make sure to check out our coverage of the Nintendo Switch 2 and keep an eye on our deals page for more updates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: When is the Nintendo Switch 2 coming?
A: The Nintendo Switch 2 is coming next year.

Q: What is the Nintendo Switch 2?
A: The Switch 2 is a Pro version of the current Switch OLED.

Q: What are the best Nintendo Switch games deals?
A: Amazon has the best deals on Nintendo Switch games, with up to 38% off some titles.

Q: What are the best Nintendo Switch bundle deals?
A: Nintendo released some special bundles recently, which get you the console and Mario Kart Deluxe 8 for a knockdown price.

Q: Where can I find the best Nintendo Switch deals?
A: We are experts so worry no more, if there’s a deal to be found, we’ll find it.

Discover the Latest Flux Tools and Resources

Get Started with Flux Tools

Check out the new Flux Tools at https://blackforestlabs.ai and https://blackforestlabs.ai/flux-1-tools to explore the latest developments in AI art generation.

Stay Up-to-Date with Guides and Tutorials

For more in-depth guides and tutorials, head over to https://www.patreon.com/sebastiankamph, where you can access a wealth of resources to help you master the art of AI art creation.

Join the Community

Join the conversation and connect with other AI art enthusiasts in our community Discord server: https://discord.gg/dFB7zuXyFY.

Explore the World of AI Art

Stable Diffusion for Beginners Playlist

Check out our Stable Diffusion for Beginners playlist on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXS4AwfYDUi5sbsxZmDQWxOQTml9Uqyd2

Weekly AI Art Challenges

Participate in our Weekly AI Art Challenges on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXS4AwfYDUi7RvFm4K6lKBH_acaZQMKY4

Master the Art of AI Art

Watch our tutorial on "My Stable Diffusion Workflow to Perfect Images": https://youtu.be/4u-Ytioi3DM

Unlock the Power of ControlNet

Check out our ControlNet tutorial and install guide: https://youtu.be/vFZgPyCJflE

Experience the Magic of ControlNet

Watch "Famous Scenes Remade by ControlNet AI": https://youtu.be/wVbWZ-Ph9lE

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What are the Flux Tools?
A: The Flux Tools are a set of tools for creating and manipulating AI-generated art.

Q: Where can I find more resources for learning AI art?
A: You can find more resources and guides on https://www.patreon.com/sebastiankamph.

Q: How do I join the community?
A: Join the community Discord server: https://discord.gg/dFB7zuXyFY.

Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl

Publisher: GSC Game World / Microsoft

Developer: GSC Game World

Format: PC, Xbox Series X/S (reviewed)

Platform: Unreal Engine 5

Release date: Out now

I would argue that Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl is more than a mere video game: it’s a full-blown cultural artefact. That’s certainly true for anyone who comes from developer GSC Game World’s homeland of Ukraine. 2007’s original Stalker game, a survival-shooter set in the Exclusion Zone around the Chornobyl nuclear reactor, became a touchstone of Ukrainian culture as the country forged an independent identity when the USSR collapsed shortly after the Chornobyl disaster.

Stalker 2 is offers proper survival-shooting

This game (I’m reviewing on Xbox Series X) is very much a modern-technology sequel to the original game: although a first-person shooter, it casts players as Skif, an ordinary guy who becomes a Stalker – a drifter aiming to survive and make his name in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone. Although Skif acquires more sophisticated armour and weaponry as he traverses the game, he never acquires any superhuman attributes. Stalker 2 is an unforgiving game that requires frequent saves and a self-preservation-heavy approach.

Stalker 2’s distinctive use of Unreal Engine 5

Stalker 2 was built in Unreal Engine 5, whereas the original game used GSC Game World’s proprietary X-Ray engine. Undoubtedly, using such a popular engine helped them to get the game out in the face of such adversity. Aesthetically speaking, Stalker 2’s use of Unreal Engine 5 is, shall we say, interesting.

Exemplary survival combat

As in the original game, Stalker 2’s first-person shooting is exemplary. At first, Skif – after a short but handy tutorial – is left with just a handgun and no equipment, but his early missions bring some more useful weaponry, although ammo for that is enormously scarce. It really is a survival game, poles apart from more military-inclined shooters. Eventually, as Skif moves deeper into the Zone, in pursuit of Solder, who he perceives as betraying him, and the scanner with which he was entrusted in the tutorial (which plays a central part in the story), he amasses a vast array of shotguns, snipers and automatic weapons of all conceivable types.

Conclusion

Unsurprisingly, given the difficulties that GSC Game World experienced when making it, it isn’t perfect. It has one of the biggest ever game-worlds, and a number of systems (weather, random packs of dogs and rats, patrolling factions and the like) layered on top of each other, so it’s never going to be as polished as a scripted single-path game. But crash-bugs, as experienced a few months ago in a preview session, appear to have been eliminated, and a general air of unpredictability is very much in keeping with Stalker 2’s general vibe.

FAQs

Q: Is Stalker 2 a horror game?
A: No, it wouldn’t call itself a horror game, but it throws up a steady stream of genuinely chilling moments.

Q: Can I play Stalker 2 on PC?
A: Yes, Stalker 2 is available on PC, as well as Xbox Series X/S.

Q: Is Stalker 2 a survival game?
A: Yes, it’s a survival game that requires frequent saves and a self-preservation-heavy approach.

Q: Is Stalker 2 a sequel to the original Stalker game?
A: Yes, it’s a sequel to the original Stalker game, set in the same Exclusion Zone around the Chornobyl nuclear reactor.

Here is the rewritten article:

01. Create your text layer

In a fresh Photoshop document, create a new layer. You can do this by pressing cmd, shift and N, and then pressing ‘enter’. Then click on the text tool – the ‘T’ icon in the left-hand side toolbar, drag the mouse across the screen to create a text box and type in your text.

02. Choose your font

A geometric, sans serif font such as Avenir, Bebas or Helvetica is best when first trying this method. If you’re more experienced with using Photoshop, a cursive font will also work. In this example, we’ve gone with Avenir in ‘black oblique’. You can select your font in the box at the top of the screen in the right-hand corner.

03. Create the text’s initial background

To start adding some depth, you’ll need to duplicate your text. You can do this by selecting your text layer, pressing cmd and C, and then pressing cmd and V. This will come up as an identical layer. You’ll then need to change the colour of the duplicate text to a much darker shade. This shouldn’t be quite black, but it should be close. Then, in the ‘layers’ panel, you’ll need to drag your duplicate text layer underneath the original layer.

04. Copy the background text’s hex code

Double click on the second text layer, and then click on the colour ‘fill’ button to bring up the ‘colour picker’ window. This will tell you the exact hex code of the darker colour you have chosen. Select this hex code and press cmd and C to copy it. We will be needing this same colour in a moment.

05. Prep your pen tool

Select the Satin effect. Keep the blend mode as Normal and keep the colour as it already is. Set the rest of the specifications to those below.

Opacity: 84%
Angle: 90%
Distance: 1 px
Size: 202 px
Anti-aliased: Ticked
Invert: Ticked

06. Add a gradient overlay

Now you will need to add a gradient overlay, but it is important to choose the right gradient. It usually works best to pick a colour within the colour family of your text, but on the opposite tonal side. As the text in our example is dark pink, we have chosen a light pink gradient to complement it. The gradient overlay will be subtle but will help create variation that makes your 3D effect convincing. Set the rest of the specifications to those below.

Blend mode: Normal
Opacity: 77%
Reverse: Ticked
Align with layer: Ticked
Style: Linear
Angle: 90°
Scale: 71%
Method: Classic

07. Add an outer glow

For your penultimate effect, you can add an outer glow. This is optional depending on the tone of the typography you are creating, but it can help to make it stand out if the text is against a darker background. You’ll need to make the outer glow a darker tone of your text colour, which you can do in the colour fill box in the Outer Glow adjustments panel. Set the rest of the specifications to those below.

Blend mode: Normal
Opacity: 53%
Noise: 0%
Technique: Softer
Spread: 0%
Size: 25 px
Anti-aliased: Unticked
Range: 50%
Jitter: 0%

08. Finally, add a drop shadow

For the final touch, add a drop shadow. Keep the colour of the drop shadow black, and set the opacity to 50%. Play around with the Distance and Range to find out what works best for the tone of your typography. Once you’re done, click Ok or press Enter.

09. Explore and adjust

You’ve now created your 3D text! Now that you’ve got to grips with some of the effect options available to you in Photoshop, have a play around in the Effect Controls panel and explore more options for your typography. As artists, all our best creations are made from exploring unfamiliar territories, so explore the effects we’ve touched on in this article that you might not be as familiar with and adjust some of the specifications until you create something unique.

Conclusion

In this article, we’ve shown you how to create 3D text in Photoshop using the Effect Controls panel. We’ve covered the basics of creating a text layer, choosing a font, creating a background, and adding various effects to create depth and dimension. With these steps, you should be able to create your own unique 3D typography that adds a new dimension to your designs.

FAQs

Q: Why did Adobe remove the 3D panel from Photoshop?
A: Adobe removed the 3D panel from Photoshop to encourage users to use Adobe Substance 3D for 3D file editing.

Q: Can I use other fonts for 3D text?
A: Yes, you can use any font you like for 3D text, but geometric and sans serif fonts tend to work best.

Q: How do I adjust the effects to get the desired look?
A: Experiment with different effect settings and specifications to get the desired look. You can also try different fonts and colours to see what works best for your design.

Technology for Digital Art: A Blast from the Past

A Retro Revival

Technology for digital art has come a long way since the 1980s. But in these days of AI-driven software, a surprisingly retro tool is making a bit of a comeback. Launched in 1981, the Quantel Paintbox was an all-in-one machine comprising a tablet, pressure-sensitive pen, a display and its own proprietary software. Priced at $250,000 (over $800,000 today), it was a lot more expensive than a Creative Cloud subscription with the epic Adobe Black Friday sale. But this groundbreaking tech revolutionized television graphics in the 1980s.

The Impact of the Quantel Paintbox

The Quantel Paintbox was mainly used by big TV networks – including to create the iconic MTV logo. But it was also used to make the first CGI music video, "Money for Nothing" by Dire Straits, iconic album covers like Nirvana’s "Nevermind" and movie posters for "The Silence of the Lambs", "Pulp Fiction", and "JFK". Keith Haring experimented with the Paintbox in 1985. And in 1987, the BBC commissioned artists like David Hockney, Howard Hodgkin, and Richard Hamilton to create digital artworks using the Paintbox for the "Painting with Light" documentary series.

The Paintboxed – Tezos World Tour

ArtMeta, an art fair for digital art and NFTs, has now announced the Paintboxed – Tezos World Tour, a series of interactive events that will kick off with PepeFest Presents: Fake Basel 2024 at Modern Art Theory during Art Basel Miami Beach from 5 to 7 December. Selected artists will be invited to create new digital artworks using one of the few remaining Paintbox devices in existence. These will subsequently be minted as NFTs on objkt.com, powered by the Tezos blockchain. Following Miami, the tour will make stops in Paris, London, and New York. It will culminate in Basel, Switzerland in June 2025, where ArtMeta will host a retrospective as part of the Digital Art Mile art fair.

Conclusion

The Quantel Paintbox was a groundbreaking innovation in the 1980s, and its influence can still be seen in the digital art world today. The Paintboxed – Tezos World Tour is a celebration of this technology’s impact on the art world, and a chance to experience its capabilities firsthand. Whether you’re an artist, a collector, or simply a fan of digital art, this event is not to be missed.

FAQs

Q: What is the Quantel Paintbox?
A: The Quantel Paintbox was an all-in-one machine comprising a tablet, pressure-sensitive pen, a display, and its own proprietary software.

Q: What was the Paintbox used for?
A: The Paintbox was used by big TV networks for creating television graphics, and by artists for creating digital artworks.

Q: Who used the Paintbox?
A: The Paintbox was used by artists like Keith Haring, David Hockney, Howard Hodgkin, and Richard Hamilton, among others.

Q: What is the Paintboxed – Tezos World Tour?
A: The Paintboxed – Tezos World Tour is a series of interactive events that will showcase the capabilities of the Quantel Paintbox and its impact on the art world.

Q: How can I experience the Paintboxed – Tezos World Tour?
A: The tour will kick off in Miami, followed by stops in Paris, London, and New York, and culminate in Basel, Switzerland in June 2025.