Where AI is Enhancing Game Development
NPC behavior:
Until now, non-playable characters only existed to further the storyline in certain pre-programmed ways – a gamer would only be able to ask them specific questions and receive the set responses, hints or directions. With new AI advancements, the possibilities are becoming virtually limitless. Interacting with NPCs may soon be just like talking to a real person – with their own lives, emotions and eccentricities.
Creating game assets:
Each single frame of a game is made up of a staggering number of art assets. For example, even an empty street has elements like cobbles, stones, trees, shrubs, puddles and more – elements that represent hours of hard work by game designers and artists. With AI-driven asset creation capabilities, this is becoming faster and easier. This is paving the way for artists to play to their strengths and design entire worlds with ease, without the time-consuming task of designing individual, repetitive elements.As freelance designer, Gary Barber states, ‘I see AI as a complementary tool to do some of the ‘heavy lifting’ to enhance the creative potential of designers and not necessarily replace them, at least yet, I hope!’
Enhanced storytelling:
AI can drive similar advantages in terms of game storytelling too. Traditionally, the storyline of a game is pre-imagined by the developers – and every player plays it out with only minor variations. So for example, two players can perhaps take two different paths but they’ll ultimately lead them to the same place. With AI’s generative capabilities, however, unlimited storylines become a real possibility. A gamer can play a game knowing that each action they take will lead to diverse scenarios unfolding – with assets and new worlds being created in real-time.
Player Experience Modeling (PEM):
Players’ data can also be analyzed with AI to generate insights about their skills, preferences and behaviors. This enables game developers to offer customized gameplay options. So for example, if a player shows a preference for inspecting each element in a room, PEM innovations will adapt the game to include more such elements for them to find and interact with. Similarly, it can also adjust difficulty levels based on a gamer’s capabilities.
Automated playtesting:
Before a game is released, it is painstakingly tested out to identify bugs and glitches, spot gameplay loopholes, and check out the feasibility of various difficulty levels. Tested by humans, it can take months. But now AI playtesting is cutting down this time drastically by scanning thousands of test scenarios in a matter of days – thus speeding up production time.
Key Types of AI in Gaming
So what are the different types of AI technology that are making these incredible advancements possible? Let’s have a look:
Pathfinding AI:
This is the technology that tells NPCs where to go and how to get there. So rather than following pre-set paths, pathfinding AI programs NPCs to be able to navigate each space in the game in more realistic ways – walking around obstacles, gauging the areas they cannot walk through, and taking the best route from Point A to Point B, just like a real person would.
Finite state machines (FSM):
This prompts non-playable characters to switch from one state to another. For example, a guard may be passively patrolling a certain area in a game. When a player approaches, it is the FSM model that programs the guard to respond – maybe by chasing the player, or attacking them if they are close enough, or by looking for them if the player hides.
Behavior trees:
This type of AI model includes sequences of conditions and actions – each defining NPC behavior. For example, a villager in a game may react in a certain way when a player approaches. But when it is not being interacted with, it won’t just stand immobile. It will be programmed to act in different ways based on certain conditions. It may sit down if it spots a bench nearby, doze under a tree, go into a house and shut the door – and so much more. AI is making these actions more richer and diverse than ever.
Rule-based AI:
With a world of possibilities for non-playable characters, rule-based AI is what keeps them behaving in consistent ways. It won’t be much of a game if an NPC decides to walk away when a player is trying to interact with them! Rule-based AI is what stops them from doing this, ensuring they follow a set of predefined rules.
Machine learning AI:
This kind of AI model is what keeps a game interesting! It learns from players’ responses and programs NPCs to modify their reactions. So if you use the same combat moves each time while playing a game, the machine learning model will prompt NPCs to pose new challenges – keeping the game from becoming repetitive.
Reinforcement learning AI:
This is what guides NPCs to learn based on the results of their own actions and react in more realistic ways. For example, if an NPC tries to take a certain action without any success, it will try new things rather than attempting the same action over and over again.
Top Uses for AI in the Gaming Industry
Now that we’ve looked at how AI technology is evolving in the gaming industry, what do these innovations mean for the players? How are they going to create richer, newer gaming experiences each time?
Enhancing Player Experience
One of the key advantages will be the lack of repetitive NPC interactions. Robotic NPC behavior (like the same line being repeated by all the guards!) makes the game experience less immersive – jolting players out of that world.
Done right, AI innovations can create deeper immersion through dynamic NPC behavior. A player can actually talk to a character and have them respond in new ways, while keeping emotional authenticity in mind. So if you approach an NPC and ask them for hints or directions, expect them to respond in ways that are true to their personality! A teenager, an old man and a child will all respond in very different ways.
In more advanced scenarios, a player won’t need to stick to a pre-programmed conversation pattern at all. You can ask a character about their day and they’ll respond just like a real person.
Personalizing Gameplay
This holds true for the game storyline too. Each game will include a butterfly effect of actions leading to unique consequences. A player will not need to follow the linear storyline at all. Rather than pursuing the main quest, if a player chooses to stop at an inn, go through a different door or enter a new building, they can do so and have an entirely unique storyline unfold – with procedural generation creating each new environment in real time.
This means each player experiences the game in a very personalized way – no two game experiences would be alike, and you could potentially unlock new levels or worlds that nobody else has before. It also means each game becomes infinitely replayable, and it will feel like playing a whole new game each time, with unique characters and stories.
Improving Game Graphics and Animations
Low resolution assets will be a thing of the past, with AI being used to create highly photorealistic graphics. Elements like fire, water, dust and foliage movements are very difficult to animate, and developers often resort to repetitive patterns and textures. With AI simulations, developers would be able to replicate the fluidity of these elements exactly as they would appear in real life. This again, will contribute to a more immersive experience.
Facilitating Real-Time Strategy Adaptation
Each game will adapt to a player’s actions in real time, creating a customized experience tailored to that player’s preferences. If you prefer puzzles and exploration, the game will throw up more assets for you to discover and solve. Someone who enjoys more combat and action may encounter more enemy attacks.
This customization can also happen based on the individual player’s capabilities. The game will be able to assess when a player is being able to overcome challenges too easily. It will then adjust its difficulty levels to generate adversaries that pose a real challenge!
Optimizing In-Game Economies
Paid assets and new levels are a big part of in-game economies and AI will be able to optimize this based on player data.
AI algorithms can be used to predict exactly what kind of tools, accessories, levels and other in-game purchases you might want as a player – similar to how you see social media ads based on your interests today. Except in this case, AI will be able to actually create new assets from scratch, just for you.
Going a step further, NFT integrations can then be used to enable players to make their purchases with ease and without stepping out of the game world.
Pros and Cons of AI in Game Development
Advantages of AI in Gaming
As seen above, the obvious advantage will be a deeply immersive, highly personalized gaming experience. After all, you are bound to enjoy a game that seems to be made just for you – with elements you like, a storyline that appeals to your sensibilities and with a difficulty level that’s just challenging enough to keep you intrigued.
In the context of multi-player games, AI can also help ensure fair play by using advanced algorithms to detect cheating.
Challenges and Ethical Considerations
But there are potential challenges too – with data security being a primary concern. A lot of the customizations we have explored above are only possible through in-depth analysis and tracking of player data. So game developers will need to invest in top-notch security protocols and maintain complete transparency to assure players on exactly how their data is being gathered, stored or used.
Additionally, many developers and gamers are concerned about the flipside of unlimited storylines and world building. While limitless options are attractive, these worlds will necessarily have to be AI generated, with no human influence. The speed and scalability can come at the cost of artistic depth, emotion and human nuance.
Finally, there’s also the possibility of gaming jobs being impacted, with AI replacing human professionals. In our recent report, 60% of freelancers expressed concerns around being replaced by AI – and 59% shared concerns around reduced fees. This is already making an impact, especially in 2D art for gaming.
