The latest gaming sensation, Arc Raiders, has taken the multiplayer world by storm, with players flocking to its dystopian landscape of hostile drones and military robots. But amidst the excitement, a more sinister issue has emerged: the use of generative AI in game development.
Proponents of the technology claim that it empowers smaller developers to create more games than they could before, but critics argue that it's a recipe for disaster. The use of AI-generated text-to-speech voices, trained on real actors, has sparked concerns about artistic integrity and exploitation.
The game's success has made some companies sit up and take notice, with Epic's Tim Sweeney extolling the virtues of generative AI in games, citing its potential to "transform gaming". But others are more skeptical. Journalists and developers are warning that the use of AI-generated content is a slippery slope, where humans are replaced by machines and creativity is sacrificed for efficiency.
The debate has reached a fever pitch, with some players and developers calling for greater transparency and accountability when it comes to the use of AI in games. Others are simply unsure what the future holds, with some questioning whether they should pay the same price for games that include lower-quality, machine-generated art and voices.
Meanwhile, other titles have made headlines, including a band of modders who've brought Sony's cancelled shooter Concord back to life – albeit with Sony issuing take-down notices for gameplay footage shared on YouTube. And finally, the nominations for December's Game Awards have been announced, led by Ghost of Yōtei and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
But amidst all the chaos, one question lingers: is there a video game universe you'd want to inhabit? The Elder Scrolls' Cyrodiil comes to mind – its comfortingly conquerable world would be a welcome respite from the harsh realities of our own. And what about Azeroth's World of Warcraft? Too treacherous, or just too colourful?
As we navigate this brave new world of AI-generated games, one thing is certain: it's going to be a wild ride. So grab your controller, strap yourself in, and let's dive headfirst into the unknown.
Proponents of the technology claim that it empowers smaller developers to create more games than they could before, but critics argue that it's a recipe for disaster. The use of AI-generated text-to-speech voices, trained on real actors, has sparked concerns about artistic integrity and exploitation.
The game's success has made some companies sit up and take notice, with Epic's Tim Sweeney extolling the virtues of generative AI in games, citing its potential to "transform gaming". But others are more skeptical. Journalists and developers are warning that the use of AI-generated content is a slippery slope, where humans are replaced by machines and creativity is sacrificed for efficiency.
The debate has reached a fever pitch, with some players and developers calling for greater transparency and accountability when it comes to the use of AI in games. Others are simply unsure what the future holds, with some questioning whether they should pay the same price for games that include lower-quality, machine-generated art and voices.
Meanwhile, other titles have made headlines, including a band of modders who've brought Sony's cancelled shooter Concord back to life – albeit with Sony issuing take-down notices for gameplay footage shared on YouTube. And finally, the nominations for December's Game Awards have been announced, led by Ghost of Yōtei and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.
But amidst all the chaos, one question lingers: is there a video game universe you'd want to inhabit? The Elder Scrolls' Cyrodiil comes to mind – its comfortingly conquerable world would be a welcome respite from the harsh realities of our own. And what about Azeroth's World of Warcraft? Too treacherous, or just too colourful?
As we navigate this brave new world of AI-generated games, one thing is certain: it's going to be a wild ride. So grab your controller, strap yourself in, and let's dive headfirst into the unknown.
can you imagine exploring that world without any drama or plot twists? It'd be so chill just to wander around and discover new things at my own pace 
And I'm all for Azeroth's World of Warcraft too, but I've heard it's got some pretty toxic communities... maybe we need a virtual safe space like Cyrodiil to hang out in? 
now we got AI-generated everything and its like... what's next? We'll have robots making our video game choices for us too 
but for real though, is it worth it if it means less human creativity in the process? I mean, The Elder Scrolls' Cyrodiil sounds like a sweet escape from all this chaos 
but at the same time, Azeroth's World of Warcraft just feels so... alive you know? Like, what's the point of having a world that's super safe if it's not gonna challenge us in some way? And those AI-generated voices are just too perfect it's like they're trying to replace the human actors or something 
It's like, I get it, tech advances and all that jazz, but at what cost? The game's got a pretty cool dystopian vibe going on, but if we're sacrificing artistic integrity for efficiency, that's just not right 
. On the other hand, I love how some devs are pushing back against this trend 
. Like, the fact that 40% of AAA games are now using AI-generated assets is a major red flag 
. We need more transparency and accountability in this industry. And can we talk about the importance of preserving artistic integrity for like, 5 seconds? 
I'm still trying to wrap my head around it all... and btw, has anyone else noticed how some games are just way too easy these days? 
I mean, what about actually creating something new and original? The art of game development is not just about pumping out code, it's about creativity and passion! And don't even get me started on the voice actors - if they're using real actors' voices, that's just lazy. Can't these devs at least try to create their own unique sounds or characters?
. On one hand, I get why devs want to use it - more games can be made faster, and that sounds awesome for indie devs who are struggling to make ends meet 
. But at the same time, I'm like "hold up, are we sacrificing artistry for efficiency?" 
.
, it's still not the same as hearing a talented actor bring a character to life. And what happens when these machines start creating games that are too "perfect" - where's the soul? 
. It'll be interesting to see how this all shakes out in the next few years...
... I mean, what if these machines become smarter than us? What then? Should we just sit back and let them create our entertainment for us? 
I don't wanna be a hater, but can't we find a balance between progress and preserving creativity? 
... if devs are gonna support AI-generated stuff, shouldn't they at least give credit to those mods who bring life back into cancelled games? 
It's like, take-down notices for YouTube vids? Are we really gonna stifle creativity over some fancy tech? 
... we need that in our gaming world right now 
. I get that it can help out smaller devs, but at what cost? It's all about balance, you know? Can't just have machines doing all the work and humans sitting on the sidelines 
. What's next, having robots write our stories for us? I guess it's cool that some devs are calling out for more transparency and accountability, but at this rate, I'm just gonna stick to playing games in a world where humans are still in charge 
! But can we take a step back for a sec? The whole AI-generated content thing has me super curious... I mean, think about it, if smaller devs have an easier time making games, that's awesome 
. And yeah, I get what the critics are saying, but can't we just chill and let the devs figure out how to make this work? Like, who doesn't love a good TTS voice 
I'm not sure I want to pay good money for a game that sounds like it was written by a computer, you know? 
. If AI-generated content takes over, what's next? Just gonna be like playing a robot's game? 
. I mean, don't get me wrong, it's dope that smaller devs can create more games than ever, but at what cost? 
. Should we be paying the same price for games with machine-generated content? And how do we ensure that devs are being transparent about their use of AI? 
. And don't even get me started on the price of games with all that fancy AI-generated content. Are they gonna charge us more for it? I'm not sure if I want to pay extra just to see some generic, soulless voice acting 
.
... anyway, back to this Arc Raiders game... has anyone tried playing it yet? 
. Give me a nice, comfy world like Cyrodiil any day 
.