AI isn’t exactly a new thing when it comes to video games, for the longest time some rudimentary form of artificial intelligence has been used, from storing and generating patterns to programming the way enemies and NPC’s react to player movements, providing a more compelling gameplay experience. As this technology evolves our games could see even deeper AI integration. But what exactly can we expect, and will it be for the better?
As much as gamers might hate the idea of AI (as we currently know it) being shoehorned into video games, it appears inevitable that this technology will completely revolutionise how games are developed, delivered and how they perform. Not only that, AI has the potential to make games look and feel more real while cutting down on development time.
A developer’s best friend?
One of the main concerns many of us might have when we talk about AI is job losses and, in some cases at least, this worry isn’t unjustified. The likelier and hopefully more common scenario that we may see is AI being utilised as a tool to help us, not replace us.
From a game development perspective, the future of AI analysis could allow developers to seek out and fix bugs much quicker during the early stages of coding, allowing more time to work on gameplay experiences. Generative AI could also be used to push out smaller, non-vital 3D assets within a world, whether it’s foliage, furniture, or props, giving developers time to focus on more complex elements of gameplay such as mechanics.
On a much larger scale, AI could also be used to generate entire worlds, textures, and terrain, at a much more complex level than is currently being achieved, allowing developers, especially indie developers without a huge budget, to quickly create new worlds and universes for their games to be built within.
Of course, there are limitations to AI in its current state meaning that while useful as a tool, we won’t be seeing entire games created by AI, at least, not very soon.
Endless possibilities, infinite replayability
Much like the appeal of roguelikes, games could utilise AI to generate infinite worlds, storylines, enemy encounters, and tools, giving players almost endless possibilities and infinite replayability in games.
Imagine spending hours completing a game and starting again, but instead of playing the same story, things are very different. The environments, the enemies, and your quests aren’t the same as before, but the mechanics and gameplay are familiar albeit with captivating tweaks to maintain the game’s freshness.
Already, open-world games are providing longevity in games, but imagine if those open worlds grew and changed based on the player’s actions and choices. AI could also really push the boundaries of Games as a Service titles, further propelling players deep into the infinite lore of worlds that evolve around them.
Deeper interactions with non-playable characters (NPCs)
Large Language Models (LLMs) such as Chat GPT have proven just how human AI can be as they seemingly understand, process, and respond to human interactions. Bringing LLMs into video games could provide greater depth of character, more emotions and personality to NPCs. Gone will be the days of NPCs standing around staring into space while repeating the same lines of dialogue. Instead players would be able to interact with these characters in completely innovative ways, further immersing themselves in the games.
NPC companions will also benefit from this by being able to analyse the situations players find themselves in and offer actual support – as opposed to standing out in the open and shooting into the void, or unhelpfully getting in the way of the players as they shoot.
LLMs in video games have the potential to really push the boundaries of player interactions with characters evolving based on previous interactions with the player and the world around them. With games like Mass Effect already being applauded for their NPC interactions, LLMs and AI could further improve these relationships.
Improving performance on older hardware
There’s nothing worse than building a collection of games on one console only for the next generation to come along with all its shiny new games leaving you with the difficult decision of whether to jump to the new console or stick with your older hardware for a little bit longer.
AI might make the decision a little easier as it could be used for analysis and optimisation of games on different hardware, intelligently allocating resources to game elements that are most important and balancing that load to enhance the way the game performs.
Add to that the new era of cloud computing that we’re seeing, and it might not matter what console you have next to your TV, the combination of AI and cloud computing could see you playing the latest AAA title on a console which is two generations old.
AI could be a great tool, if used correctly
AI can enhance the gaming industry in multiple ways; whether it’s making developer’s lives easier, improving the performance of games, or creating a more immersive and realistic experience for gamers.
There is a long way to go in both AI and game development before we see wide adoption of this technology, but it’s there beavering away behind the scenes and it’s a future we should consider embracing.