There is not any doubt that one of many greatest tales finally week’s Gamescom Asia x Thai Sport Present got here from Lifeless House creator Glen Schofield’s opening keynote. This was about his plan to “repair” the trade partially by means of using generative AI in recreation improvement. Along with talking with Schofield, videogameaddicted additionally had the chance to spend a while with fellow trade veteran Megan Morgan Juinio to get her ideas on the controversial observe, which has drawn the ire of Name of Responsibility followers, however has additionally acquired vital assist from gaming trade executives like EA CEO Andrew Wilson.
“If we do not settle for this, I believe we’re promoting ourselves brief,” Juinio mentioned. Mr. Juinio not too long ago stepped down from his 10-year job as Director of Product Growth at Santa Monica Studios and two extremely profitable God of Warfare video games. “AI is a instrument and an extension of us, not less than for now, that is how I see it. AI goes to evolve, whether or not you are on board with it or not. So I need to be on the entrance traces and information how that goes and the way we use it.”
Juinio additionally in contrast using generative AI to procedurally generated content material that has been part of recreation improvement for many years, citing SpeedTree, a real-time tree technology instrument utilized in 2002’s The Elder Rolls IV: Oblivion leaves. She additionally recalled a time when animators have been immune to movement seize and using procedural technology slightly than guide keying to mix animation frames. Procedurally generated belongings and animation have each been customary practices in recreation improvement for a very long time, and Juinio appears equally assured that generative AI may even have a task to play.
“Personally, I am very optimistic,” Juinio mentioned. “As Glenn Schofield mentioned in his keynote, that is the massive technological development that is coming. The truth is, it is already right here, and I believe it is our accountability as leaders within the online game trade to not simply perceive it, however to grasp it.” can I’ll do it with AI, ought to we? And it is a case-by-case sort of decision-making course of, and what’s true for Sport X will not be true for Sport Y subsequent yr. ”
When requested whether or not elevated adoption of generative AI may assist alleviate the ballooning prices of AAA recreation improvement, Juinio clarified that using AI in recreation improvement is unlikely to be the last word resolution to the post-pandemic sample of normal studio closures and blockbuster recreation bubble bursts.
“For me, the dimensions and scale and aesthetics of the sport aren’t necessary to me, so I do not essentially need to issue it into both situation in that means,” Juinio mentioned. “The essence of a recreation is that it must be enjoyable. (Ideally) at its core it has an ideal story, it is human, gamers can relate to it, and it is enjoyable to play.”
“Sure, it seems stunning and the music is immersive. However the music is immersive and the gameplay will not be good, the story will not be partaking, and I do not suppose it’s going to resonate with gamers. So, not less than for now, I do not suppose AI will change the enjoyable gameplay that’s on the coronary heart of video games like God of Warfare.”
Whereas Juinio appears adamant that generative AI in recreation improvement is right here to remain, he believes that the guts and soul that may solely come from a human contact can by no means be matched, and the adoption of AI will solely be a optimistic if builders make the identical quantity of funding in getting the most effective outcomes from AI.
“On the finish of the day, recreation builders need to give you the concepts,” Juinio says. “The story of God of Warfare is really a human story primarily based on human expertise.”
“I do not see that going away, not less than as of right now.”
Earlier this month, Battlefield 6 builders mentioned there was at the moment no solution to implement using generative AI into the every day work of the event workforce, regardless of seeing the burgeoning know-how as “very thrilling.”
The truth is, the talk surrounding generative AI is greater than in-game belongings. In early October, Nintendo launched a press release in response to claims surrounding generative AI, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman referred to as Sora 2’s copyrighted character movies “interactive fan fiction.”
Tristan Ogilvie is a senior video editor in videogameaddicted’s Sydney workplace. He attended Gamescom Asia x Thai Sport Present 2025 as a visitor of the occasion organizers.