[Written By External Partner]
Imagine a world where every game you play becomes unique, where characters do not just perform programmed actions but live their own lives, reacting to you and your decisions. This is no longer a fantasy but a reality promised by generative artificial intelligence (AI) in video games. Let’s dive into this new dimension of gaming experience, considering how AI could change our perception of games.
Development of AI in Games
AI in games began with the early days of computer games, though it was quite primitive back then. Now, especially in a corporate environment, companies like NVIDIA, Microsoft, and others are investing millions in developing generative AI models. Thanks to these investments, AI is no longer just an “opponent” or “assistant”; it’s a creator of new worlds, plots, and interactive characters capable of responding to player actions with incredible depth. This opens possibilities for more realistic games where each gaming session can be unique.
It’s important to remember that AI doesn’t invent anything new, at least not yet. But it is more attentive, works faster than humans, and has access to more information based on which it can generate its version. It knows more than the average user about the names of all characters in Dragon Age 2, or online casino payment methods, or the maps in Last of Us and the optimal routes in Legend of Zelda.
Balance in Multiplayer Games
The growth of AI raises questions: will it not disrupt the balance in multiplayer games? It’s crucial to understand that AI should be a tool for enhancing game quality, not a weapon that destroys equal opportunities. Today, developers are working to ensure AI adapts to the player’s level, providing a challenge without turning the game into an impossible task. This can include adjusting enemy difficulty or creating dynamic scenarios that account for player skills. However, as experiments with chess matches have shown, to “please” the player, AI might give unwarranted advantages or beautiful weapons and armor with impossible parameters.
How can we make electronic minds consider millions of parameters and apply them to create a balanced system? Because it must be tailored for the below-average player, who forms the majority, while not disappointing the strong players, who are less than 7-8% but vital for the community. Meanwhile, generative systems have their internal goal to increase their efficiency and usefulness, which does not always correlate with the objectives of developers and players.
Functions of AI in Games
AI can perform numerous functions: from managing NPC (non-player character) behavior to creating procedural content like landscapes, quests, or even dialogues. It can analyze player gaming habits, offer personalized scenarios, or even assist in training new players by adjusting game difficulty in real-time for an optimal experience. Thanks to the development of AI, FIFA has moved towards creating an adaptive gameplay experience that reflects the unpredictability of real football matches. This change was made possible by using machine learning algorithms that analyze player behavior and adapt to their choices in real-time.
Characters Living Their Own Lives
One of the most intriguing aspects is the potential for game characters to become autonomous. Thanks to generative AI, characters can have their own goals, routines, and reactions to player actions, not just changing gameplay but creating a sense of a living world. This can lead to situations where a player feels they are not just playing a game but are part of a living, breathing world.
This can already be seen in action, as the developers of S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2 have applied the A-Life 2.0 system to simulate life in the Chernobyl Zone, literally making every character, including animals and mutants, live their own life, independent of the main character’s actions.
Microtransactions and AI
Regarding microtransactions, AI can be used to create more appealing offers for players by analyzing their behavior and proposing purchases that are sure to resonate. This raises ethical questions about manipulation and its impact on player spending, particularly in environments where children might be vulnerable to such tactics. Last year, there were several scandals regarding the influence on players of Fortnite and Roblox, whose main audience is children under 16.
Gambling and AI
In the realm of gambling games, AI can introduce new dynamics, providing a more interactive gaming experience, for example, in poker or other strategic games. However, this also brings up questions about fairness and the possibility of AI being used to create unfair advantages or even addiction among players. Slot machines and virtual table games operate on algorithms based on random number generators, which are the core of every casino game. AI can manipulate this data, making a game with unattainable wins, or conversely, increase the RTP to an unprofitable level. On the other hand, a self-learning system could help players find optimal casino payment methods, and suggest the simplest game strategies that do not affect overall profitability statistics.
Will AI Get Bored Playing with Humans?
Humans are naturally imperfect, and AI can quickly adapt to a player’s style, potentially making the game less engaging. However, developers are working to ensure AI doesn’t just win but provides a balance between challenge and satisfaction. This includes incorporating “human” errors into AI algorithms to maintain interest in the game.
It’s unclear if AI will ever replace humans in video games, but in game development, it’s already leading to layoffs of hundreds of people in game-making companies. Designers and content writers, in particular, complain about the encroachment by AI.
Yet, some still view electronic intelligence as an assistant. Composer Borislav Slavov, who won a BAFTA Games Award for the music in Baldur’s Gate 3, said he was “thrilled about what artificial intelligence could bring to music in the near future.”
AI in Esports
Lastly, but not least, the question arises: will AI be allowed into esports? This is controversial. On one hand, AI can analyze strategies, find weaknesses, and optimize gameplay to levels unattainable by humans. On the other hand, esports is also about human skill, reaction, and strategic thinking. Introducing AI could change the nature of competitions, raising issues of fairness and justice.
In conclusion, generative AI has the potential to completely transform the landscape of video games, making them more interactive, personal, and unpredictable. But with this comes responsibility — to ensure this technology is used to enhance the game’s quality, not to ruin it, maintaining a balance between innovation and fairness. We stand on the threshold of a new era in gaming, and what it will be like largely depends on how we manage this powerful tool that is AI.
