The profound influence of artificial intelligence is being felt across numerous industries, gaming included. The debate surrounding the potential applications and implications of AI-generated content in video gaming is part of a wider discourse examining how AI could shape the future of entertainment.
Case in point, in an interview featured in a recent edition of Edge Magazine, Jade Raymond, former lead producer on Assassin's Creed and now the head of Haven Studios, and co-director of Everquest 2, Raph Koster, delve into the role of AI content in AAA game development. They are of the belief that despite prevailing public sentiment, the game industry will embrace AI, pushed by the drive to adopt new technology that speeds up and facilitates game development.
Raymond, who is currently developing the PS5-exclusive FairGames at Haven, hypothesizes that AI's potential could be primary during the initial R&D phase of development. This could help to dial back surging budgets and compress tight schedules to a more manageable timeline.
She noted, "AAA games, once the product of 50 people across two years, now can involve hundreds of contributors over a decade or longer. At Haven, we're looking to enhance our production processes by investing in R&D around AI and machine learning. We're doing so with the conviction these advancements will aid us in thwarting that trend and help unlock more creativity from developers and players alike."
The escalating costs of game development, particularly within the AAA sphere is problematic, hence, the burgeoning interest in AI content creation. This promising technology could lower production costs, lessen the personnel required to make games, and hasten the game release process.
Skepticism towards AI-generated content is dominant, especially within creative disciplines such as film, television, and game development, yet Koster insists that companies will gravitate towards it as potential relief for ramping expenses. He remarked, "Notwithstanding the disapproval from developers and many players, and the extant resistance, financial pressures will still compel everyone towards AI, since the current cost curves are untenable."
Koster believes that as AI becomes more refined, it may become more widely accepted even though he suspects that its influence won't be deeply felt in terms of narrative, as he considers AI currently poor at generating plotlines. Conversely, Raymond sees the evolving technology as a propellant for game development, one that could show its full potential within a few decades.
As more gamers age, they may seek more unique gaming experiences in their retirement years. Raymond adds, "I envisage a new market sector of mass-market games modified to cater to retired gamers. Multiplayer games that can be enjoyed across generations and immersive games designed to teach and provide hobby skills such as gardening could become a new trend. It is intriguing to imagine games designed for a vast market of retirees, an audience that is not our immediate focus."
As we move forward, the gaming industry will continue to grapple with the integration of AI into game development. This evolving nexus of technology, gaming, and creativity will continue to provoke debate, inspire innovation, and most importantly, redefine the next generation of video games.
You must be logged in to post a comment!
