The use of generative AI during game development has become an increasingly contentious topic, with various studios, publishers and developers offering their own takes on the technology and how / whether it fits into the overall game-dev process. Seemingly taking a stance against gen-AI, the Art Director for Black Myth Wukong has claimed that they will “steer clear” of the technology for the upcoming sequel.

Taking to the social media site Weibo, Game Science co-founder and Black Myth Art Director ‘Yang Qi” was asked about the role of gen-AI for the development of Black Myth: Wukong sequel ‘Zhong Kui’, with one user stating (as translated by one ResetEra user): “Given the current level of AI, how much could the development of *Black Myth: Zhong Kui* be accelerated.”

In a rather refreshing response, Qi claimed that “We'll steer clear of AIGC [AI generated content] during the design and asset phases—not out of resistance, but simply to stand our ground until the very end?”

Offering additional context, Qi made reference to Christopher Nolan’s recently-released (and highly popular) film The Odyssey, stating: “At a time when digital filmmaking and 3D post-production seem to have reached a dead end, look at Nolan—he's thriving, using even older techniques to shake things up… There's no ‘last train' we absolutely have to catch; we can just stay at a small inn for a while. Besides, there's plenty of time for AI and all that—no rush.”

While the final part of this statement does seem to suggest that Game Science aren’t entirely against the use of gen-AI, it is encouraging at the very least to see the likes of Nolan influencing other creators to shy away from the controversial technology; proving that gen-AI is not needed to make a successful product. After all, Black Myth Wukong itself went on to sell over 30 million copies, and so it’s best not to mess with what is a winning formula.

KitGuru says: What do you think of this statement? Are you more or less interested in Black Myth: Zhong Kui now? What’s your personal take on gen-AI in game development? Let us know down below.

Unlike a majority of CEOs, Epic Games’ Tim Sweeney is rather vocal, sharing his thoughts on industry news via a variety of means. Taking part in a new interview, the CEO commented on Valve’s AI disclosure policy – calling the practice “irresponsible.”

Taking part in an interview with the publication PCGamer, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney was asked about a range of topics, from their recently-announced ‘Team Open’ to Epic’s relationship with Valve. In discussing Steam’s new AI disclosure system – wherein developers must state if and how they used GenAI during game development – Sweeney offered a response typical of a CEO heavily invested in the technology, stating:

“It's unfortunate that so many developers now are put into this position. If you want to launch a game, and get it as widely publicized as possible, you've got to put it on Steam so people can wish list it, and if you want to play it on Steam, then you have to get this Scarlet Letter of AI attached to your product, and now there is a hater community trying to kill the game.”

Sweeney continued, “I think it's really irresponsible of Valve. They shouldn't do it, because it makes it much, much, much harder for a game developer to have a chance of success. You have to choose from either not using tools that can make you way more productive, and probably failing due to competition that does.”

It is worth noting that Sweeney appears to be approaching this question from a single angle, ignoring the wider issues with and implications of GenAI in game development – as well as the fact that many players simply don’t like it.

As mentioned, Epic Games has been increasingly embracing AI in its game development, and so it makes sense that Sweeney would take such a position.

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KitGuru says: What do you think of Sweeney’s claims? Do you agree? Should AI disclosures be enforced further? Let us know down below.

Palworld drew a ton of attention upon its initial announcement and release due to plenty of design similarities between the survival-crafter and Nintendo’s Pokemon series. While some may feel as though the title is derivative in this regard, at the very least it appears the game was made using human hands, with studio Pocketpair making their stance on the rise of GenAI quite clear.

In an interview with GamesRadar+, Pocketpair publishing and communications head ‘John Buckley’ spoke on the rising use of Generative AI in video game development. Stating: “Gamers don't want it, and if the gamers don't want it, I guess that's it, right? Not much of a conversation to be had.”

While a self-explanatory statement, the conversion did continue, with Buckley adding: “We have a lot of artists in-house. They like doing stuff themselves. There's no reason to get rid of them for the sake of an AI doing it. Just seems pointless.”

The full interview includes takes on GenAI for coding purposes, the difference in its usage across regions/cultures and where AI could go in the future.

It is worth noting that PocketPair’s CEO has spoken publicly on multiple occasions praising various aspects of AI in the past. Of course, between when these statements were made (Late 2022 – Early 2023) and now, both GenAI and many people’s opinions on it have shifted quite a bit.

Either way, it is always welcome seeing studios making their position on the matter clear – for transparency’s sake if nothing else.

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KitGuru says: What do you think of Buckley’s statement? What’s your thoughts on GenAI in game dev? Let us know down below.

Generative AI in video game development has become an increasingly contentious topic, more-so in recent days as various new game announcements from the past week have been found to be using the controversial tool. One such title is Crystal Dynamics’ Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, whose Steam page noted the use of GenAI. Responding to the criticism, the studio has now claimed that “At the end, all the finished product in the final game will be human-crafted.”

Taking part in an interview with the publication Polygon, Crystal Dynamics’ ‘Experience Director’ Jeff Adams offered clarity on how GenAI was / is being used for the development of Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis, stating:

“At Crystal Dynamics, we see AI as a tool that can help our team get the right answers faster. In early level development, we might have the idea for an in-game object. But we might not be sure if we want to take the time to have devs build it. What we can do is use a generative AI tool to visualize it in the world. If it works, we can move it into our traditional pipeline. From there, the team can concept it and build it.”

Adams continued, “At the end, all the finished product in the final game will be human-crafted. We want to make it as easy as possible for our team to be able to make high-quality experiences. That’s what the fans deserve.”

Whether this explanation is good enough or not is for you to decide. For some, using GenAI even during the early stages of the project can have an impact on how the title is conceptualised. Even if fully replaced later on, the initial template with which they are building upon is one based on generative AI.

All that said, Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis is not the first game to use such tools, and it certainly won’t be the last.

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KitGuru says: What do you think of this explanation? Is it good enough for you? What’s your opinion on Generative AI in game development? Let us know down below.

In recent years, SEGA has been going back to its well of older IPs with plans to revive a large number of them. One such franchise set to make a return is Crazy Taxi. Officially shown off and detailed during the recent Xbox Games Showcase, the 2027 revival is already being met with some controversy as SEGA has admitted to using GenAI to aid in the development of Crazy Taxi: World Tour.

Following the release of the latest trailer for Crazy Taxi: World Tour, the game’s official Steam page went live, allowing fans to add the upcoming title to their wishlist. Unfortunately, alongside new details pertaining to the game, the listing also included a disclosure, stating:

“At SEGA Corporation, we utilize generative AI as a support tool for developers, aiming to provide better content to our users and enable developers to focus more on creative tasks. We have used such generative AI support tools during development of Crazy Taxi: World Tour. No AI was used in reference to the performers in the game.”

Of course, the discourse surrounding generative AI in video game development is a contentious one, with some accepting the technology in certain aspects of creation, and others taking a hard stance against it in all forms.

Regardless of whether you are for or against GenAI, there is no denying that this latest revelation puts a damper on some of the excitement towards Crazy Taxi: World Tour. Hopefully SEGA will come out and give a more comprehensive breakdown of how GenAI was used.

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KitGuru says: What did you think of Crazy Taxi: World Tour’s latest trailer? Are you interested in the project? Does this latest disclosure impact your excitement? Let us know down below.

The big topic surrounding the video games industry in today's day and age revolves around generative-AI, with the controversial technology seeing an increased adoption across the board for various aspects of game development. Sharing their own take on gen-AI, Capcom have now claimed that they “plan to actively utilize this technology in order to improve efficiency and productivity of game development” – though such tools won’t be used to create any art assets.

As part of the company’s recent investor meeting (transcribed by GameSpark and translated by Automaton), Capcom confirmed that they have no plans to use gen-AI to create art assets, stating “Our company will not be implementing any AI-generated assets into our video game content.”

That being said, they aren’t shying away from the tech entirely, adding that “On the other hand, going forward, we plan to actively utilize this technology in order to improve efficiency and productivity of game development. That is why we are currently testing out various methods of usage across our departments, including graphics, sound, and programming.”

The use of gen-AI in game development remains a contentious topic. While it is encouraging to see Capcom taking a hard stance against gen-AI art, graphics; sounds and programming are all art forms in their own right, and so we will have to wait and see whether their tests prove to be a success.

KitGuru says: What do you think of Capcom’s statement? What’s your opinion on gen-AI in games? Can the tech be used ethically? Let us know your thoughts down below.