In a new Sony Corporate Report, Sony has revealed that PlayStation will use AI and machine learning to speed up its game development.
On page 16 of the report, Sony had that “bolstering technologies that can help creators engage in maximizing the value of their IP in efficient, high-quality ways, including sensing and capturing as well as real-time 3D processing, AI, and machine learning,” and that these technologies will help to deliver its IP “rapidly and at low cost to a broader range of fans.”
The report reveals that PlayStation used machine learning in the production of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 by applying voice-recognition software in certain languages. This process allowed the company to automatically synchronize subtitles with each character’s lines to “significantly shortening the subtitling process.”
So back when we were waiting for Guild Wars 2 to release, a youtuber named WoodenPotatoes was invited to Arenanet to review the progress. He noticed in his videos that he saw several devs working on animations that were really not that important but would be immediately be noticed missing. His example was drawing and stowing weapons. With 5 races am a good dozen weapons this took an incredible amount of time. Now imagine that you can train an AI to do this and only have animators polish the result. A lot of time saved for more important stuff.
You think a game has not enough models or all the faces look alike? Not enough hair? Let an AI take care of that and have designers polish the result.
The forest doesn't look organic and too constructed? Have an AI naturally grow the forest. Wait, there are plenty of games already doing that. When CEOs talk about speeding up game development they don't mean to push out generic games fully developed by AI (well some might mean that) but to tackle the aspect of game development that slow the entire process down but not adding quality.
Given that Starfield took what? 8 years to development and resulted in a (according to the internet pretty bad) generic aged science fiction RPG. I'd prefer some AI supported development when the overall quality increases and AAA game development is not longer a decade long project.
There is plenty of bad things to say about AI but it does offer improvements.
For me personally, the solution I prefer to see for “Our idea for this game is shaping up to be packed full assets that will swamp development” is for them to find some excuse to cut the content. Genuinely. Artistry thrives in the presence of limitations.
What games out of curiosity? You don’t just mean normal procedural generation which has been around forever? It’s not the same as using AI to generate a million different haircuts.
The first game I saw with advanced logic was Far Cry 3. The devs would simulate how tree spread, die and wither and then let this run for hundreds of generations. Then they would alter the forest to fit in buildings und other stuff